Not all of the latest mystery novels are created equal, and not especially when you already have a favorite author or authors in mind. Playing favorites does keep you well anchored. Sometimes, however, it’s worth taking chances with a spanking new mystery novelist.

Take the tip from the big bookstores that offer riveting as well as timely reviews about the genre. But always, take it all with a bit of salt. For you may not always like someone else’s recommendations.

Taking a calculated risk is just as effective in books as much as in real life. Established publishers have their tastes cut out for them. Their products are often the result of careful market studies and expert editors.

A good rule of thumb to follow is going with your gut or instincts. If you’ve been on this road many times before, chances are, you’ve made some very important discoveries along the way. Like how did you discover your favorite author in the first place?

It can be as simple as just casually picking up a book from the bookstore and liking it instantaneously. It may be the cover, the color or colors used or the illustration that takes you for a ride. At times, it can even be a love-hate relationship.

For some authors of the latest mystery novels can get downright way to deep for your comprehension. And yet you’re drawn to them because sometimes the unknown can get pretty appealing. So much so that they challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and see the world from a perspective that you’ve never experienced before.

Like movies, novels create worlds that helps us imagine ourselves in. These alternative scenarios are instructive in the sense that they help us prepare for eventualities that may or may not arise in reality. At any rate, we are making ourselves better prepared for the future. After all, who knows for sure what the future holds?

Reading a real book also offers that much-needed break from our daily addiction to electronic devices. Research shows that the kind of blue light that computers and other electronic devices emit can be harmful to our health in the long run. In this sense, a paperback or a hardbound tome can be as comforting as tea or chicken soup. And especially so when all the curling up with a good book is done with family and friends.

Don’t forget to take a good novel with you when on a queue or otherwise waiting for an appointment. It does help make time go much faster especially on the ride to and from work. This way, you’re not wasting any of your time while waiting. When your brain or imagination is at work, it’s all worth it.