It's a moment only a book lover can understand...

...finally, you've devoted enough attention to "real life" that you can actually catch your breath for a moment. So you brew a cup of tea, curl up in a chair, and...*cue dramatic swell of music*...open a new book.

There's nothing like that first step toward a new horizon. You never know what awaits you or what kind of journey this author will take you on. Maybe you'll cry, maybe you'll laugh, maybe you'll end up throwing the book across the room in a fit of apoplectic rage (of course, you'll then have to pick it back up later and apologize to it, because you'll still have to find out how it ends...). Whatever the outcome, behind every fresh cover is a brand-new adventure, just waiting to be discovered.

I find this concept so enticing that I've managed to amass a TBR (to-be-read) pile several stories high. I'm largely a mood reader, so when it comes time to crack a new cover, I enjoy sifting through the titles I've collected, trying to find one that speaks to me in that particular moment. But what I relish most is discovering those hidden gems—those books that catch me by surprise and take me on an unforgettable journey.

This is trickier than it sounds. Sometimes I uncover incredible manuscripts through my side work as an editor. Sometimes I meet new authors on Twitter and find I adore their stories. And sometimes, I post ads on random internet forums looking for a critique partner, then end up with a years-long friendship where we call each other by made-up prison names, have extensive discussions about soup, and send homemade blueberry jam through the mail while we read each other's books over and over again.

But I'm always looking for new methods of discovering amazing stories, and today, I'd like to hear from my readers. How do you go about finding your next great read?