Describing Books in English: Essential Idioms

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In this PDF, I will give you some exciting idioms so you can describe books in a more interesting way.

You will discover idioms for describing the following:

General Reading
Good books
Exciting books
Bad books

Finally, I will show you different ways to recommend a book in English!

Idioms about general reading

To be a bookworm = to read a lot

John reads all the time, he is definitely a bookworm.

To be an avid reader = to read a lot

I’m an avid reader, I spend a large part of my weekends reading novels.

To have your nose in a book = to read a lot

I love relaxing with a book at the weekend, you can usually find me with my nose in a book on Sunday mornings.

To leaf through a book = to turn the pages quickly and not reading details

I have been leafing through this recipe book, looking for a good recipe for dinner tonight.

To flip through (a book, magazine, etc…) = to turn the pages quickly and not reading details

I do read magazines, but I tend to just flip through them, without paying too much attention.

Idioms to describe good books

To be a real gem = to be valuable and highly enjoyable.

(A gem is a precious stone)

I got this crime novel for my birthday and it’s a real gem.

To be a breath of fresh air = to be refreshing and new

I spend so much time reading grammar books for work, so this new novel I bought is a breath of fresh air.

To be a real eye-opener = to teach you something new or provide a new perspective on a topic.

This book on how to start a business is great, it’s a real eye-opener.

Idioms to describe exciting books

To be a real page-turner = to be so engaging and interesting that you can’t stop turning the pages.

This new John Grisham novel is a real page-turner, I can’t put it down!

To be a rollercoaster ride = to be full of ups and downs, twists and turns in the plot, and unexpected events.

I am a big fan of Lee Child, his novels have the most surprising twists in the plot, and they are always a rollercoaster ride.

To have you on the edge of your seat = To have you in suspense

The last chapter of this book was so exciting, it had me on the edge of my seat.

To be a fast-paced novel = to be exciting and have a fast-moving plot

I don’t usually like fast-paced crime novels, but I really enjoyed this one.

Idioms to describe bad books

To be a heavy read = to be difficult to read, either because it is emotionally heavy or intellectually challenging

This book explains a lot about philosophy, but it’s a really heavy read. I couldn’t finish it.

Recommending a book

Here are four common ways to recommend a book

I highly recommend it.
I can’t recommend it enough.
I strongly recommend it.
There are no two ways about it, it’s a great book and you should get it.

Quiz

Try to fill in the gaps below with ONE word only, using of the idioms from above.

My sister is a real ____________; she can finish a novel in one sitting.
I’m reading a book about economics, but it’s a ___________ read; I have to take breaks to digest the ideas.
You will always find me with my ________ in a book in my free time.
I haven’t read this book yet, I only had time to ___________ through it, but it seemed interesting.
If you like action, this is a ___________ novel that will keep you entertained.
This book about climate change is a real ___________; I had no idea how serious the situation is.
I couldn’t put this thriller down; it was a real ___________.
The final chapters of the book had me on the ___________ of my seat; I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

See answers

My sister is a real bookworm; she can finish a novel in one sitting.
I’m reading a book about economics, but it’s a heavy read; I have to take breaks to digest the ideas.
You will always find me with my nose in a book in my free time.
I haven’t read this book yet, I only had time to leaf/flip through it, but it seemed interesting
If you like action, this is a fast-paced novel that will keep you entertained.
This book about climate change is a real eye-opener; I had no idea how serious the situation is.
I couldn’t put this thriller down; it was a real page-turner.
The final chapters of the book had me on the edge of my seat; I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

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Keith O'Hare

Trinity Dip TESOL, MSc Digital Education (UK). Helping more than 40,000 students worldwide with my online courses. A lover of languages, teaching and lasagna!