Choose the feeling first
Before comparing titles, finish this sentence: ‘Tonight I want a book that…’ Your answer might be ‘keeps me guessing’, ‘introduces people I want to spend time with’, ‘takes me somewhere impossible’ or ‘gives me something practical to try’. That is a much more useful starting point than choosing the book with the loudest sticker on its cover.
Four different starting points
For suspense, investigate The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. For a group of amateur detectives, begin with The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. For fantasy with romance at its centre, explore A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. For practical nonfiction, look at Atomic Habits by James Clear. These are different kinds of reading commitments, not four competitors for one universal ‘best’ book.
Use a two-sample test
Pick two possibilities and read a sample of each where available. Notice whether you like the voice, whether you can follow the scene comfortably and whether you want to keep going. You do not need to understand every character immediately, but you should feel curious rather than obliged. For audio, listen to the narrator before buying: the same story can feel very different when someone reads it aloud.
Match the book to your available attention
If you expect lots of interruptions, choose something you can comfortably return to. If you want to settle into a series, check that you are buying the first instalment. Do not assume a slim book is simple or a long one is difficult; the sample is a better guide to the effort it asks of you.
Make one choice, not a reading assignment
Choose one book for now. Borrowing from a library is a useful way to experiment without buying several possibilities. If you shop online, check the author, format and edition before paying. A successful choice is a book you want to open again—not a purchase that proves you have caught up with everybody else.