A Novel Way to Discover Books

When Ben Fox invited me to contribute to his new book discovery platform, Shepherd.com, I was skeptical. Authors are often approached by various services claiming to boost our visibility or sales, many of which are complete shams. However, this time I felt compelled to learn more.

After reading several articles and watching an in-depth interview with Fox on a podcast called Conversation with Angie & Mike, my skepticism turned into genuine excitement. What stood out immediately was Fox’s transparency about the platform. He states that Shepherd is a free service for both readers and authors, with an optional paid membership for anyone wishing to become a founding member.

But let’s get back to how the Shepherd platform works, which is nothing short of magical.

First, you select your broad search category of Fiction, Nonfiction, Kids, YA, the Best Books of the year, or a fascinating feature called My Book DNA (details below). From there, you refine your search by Genre, Topic, Author, Book Title, or even Reader Age. For me, the Topics tab was particularly intriguing as it presented dozens of niche subjects that simply don’t exist as categories on major bookstore sites. Got a thing for books about Christmas, London, or Dogs, for example? Shepherd’s got you covered.

I myself was thrilled to find Time Travel listed as an option under Topics. One of my persistent pet peeves, both as a reader and writer in this genre, is that time travel stories seem to be automatically lumped under the Science Fiction category—even if there’s little to no science involved—or under Time Travel Romance where images of 17th century, kilt-wearing Scotsmen immediately come to mind.

There’s so much more to time travel than these narrow categories.

What about all those time-bending tales that take place in contemporary settings? Stories that explore the ripple effects of jumping just a few years forward or backward in time? Imagine my delight when I landed on a list of book recommendations that are neither futuristic nor historical, but rooted within the familiar landscape of our own era.

This approach to categorization makes Shepherd a game-changer.

Each list comes with five recommendations of other books as well as a brief description of the author’s own title. In less than a minute, I’d landed on author Kelley McNeil’s list entitled The best books that bend time and space…with a heart, which nailed my tastes perfectly.

While her recommendations were a mix of Women’s Contemporary Fiction and Time Travel Romance stories, it was McNeil’s own book, A Day Like This, that immediately caught my attention. It’s a heart-wrenching tale of a mother who wakes up after an accident to find her daughter erased from existence and her marriage crumbling—thrusting her into a desperate struggle to unravel the mystery of her shattered world. I couldn’t click that Buy button fast enough! And the cherry on top? I enjoyed the A Day Like This, cover to cover.

Since that experience, I’ve been using Shepherd regularly to search for books. The platform’s ability to connect readers with stories through genuine, human-curated lists sets it apart from algorithm-driven discovery methods. In fact, my only problem so far has been exercising restraint with my credit card due to all the great books I keep finding!

It was the uncanny match-up of that ideal book (and many more since) that convinced me of Shepherd’s value, and soon after that, I published my own list under the heading The best time travel books that don’t fit the sci-fi mold.

Here, I shared my five favorite reads based on very specific parameters—time travel books that aren’t science heavy, just like mine. By recommending stories with similar vibes to my own, I’m giving prospective readers a glimpse of what they can expect. To see my five picks, click through to my featured Shepherd article (hint: one of them is Stephen King’s 11/22/63).

Why do I think Shepherd is poised to become the best book discovery site around?

So many features: Of all the search tools mentioned above, My Book DNA is one of the most exciting. This is where you can input your three favorite books and three preferred genres and get instant suggestions that fit those unique parameters. Sure, you can do a Google search or ask AI, but Shepherd distinguishes itself through its author-generated recommendation system. As writers, we’re immersed in the industry firsthand, so we’re able to offer special insight into books that might appeal to different readers.

Sleek, professional design: The site’s layout is intuitive and visually appealing, showcasing participating authors’ books in a way that rivals major online bookstores.

Passion project: Shepherd’s founder, Ben Fox, is deeply committed to this project. The funding comes primarily from his own resources, with additional support from the membership program, affiliate revenue, banner ads, and donations. Further details on his funding plans can be found on his website and in the interview linked above.

Strict quality control: Fox and his team carefully monitor submissions, enforcing a strict no-AI policy and requiring authors to have read the books they recommend. This commitment to authenticity and human curation sets Shepherd apart from algorithm-driven systems.

Feeling adventurous? ☘️ Let Shepherd’s Random option choose a book for you by clicking the clover leaf icon in the menu bar. I gave it a spin and unearthed these quirky gems:
The best books to read to get over your ex by Minda Honey
The best clean fantasy books featuring animal companions by Kayla E. Green
The most humorous books that make me comfortable with my own failings by Kerrie Noor
The best books about the beautiful act of bicycling by Evan P. Schneider
The best books on 18th century mariners by Thomas M. Truxes

Talk about a literary box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get! It’s just one of the many features that highlights Shepherd’s commitment to making book discovery an exciting and personal experience. So, if you’re a reader always on the lookout for that next great page-turner, I wholeheartedly encourage you to check out Shepherd.com yourself.

And for my fellow authors out there: if you’re interested in curating your own list and potentially reaching more readers who will love your books, check out the details here. I’m not affiliated with Shepherd in any way and don’t benefit monetarily from this recommendation. I just believe in it.