DESCRIBING BOOKS

IN ENGLISH:
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS

KEITH O'HARE
Keith runs The Keith Speaking Academy. He has
been working in international education for
over 20 years as a teacher, teacher trainer, and
education manager.

He has helped over 40,000 students prepare

for their IELTS Speaking test with his online
courses.

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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:

1. General Reading
2. Good books
3. Exciting books
4. Bad books

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

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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.

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COPYRIGHT © 2023, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY
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.

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COPYRIGHT © 2023, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY
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.

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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.

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COPYRIGHT © 2023, KEITH SPEAKING ACADEMY
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.

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QUIZ

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

1. My sister is a real ____________; she can finish a novel in one sitting.

2. I'm reading a book about economics, but it's a ___________ read; I have
to take breaks to digest the ideas.

3. You will always find me with my ________ in a book in my free time.

4. I haven’t read this book yet, I only had time to ___________ through it,
but it seemed interesting.

5. If you like action, this is a ___________ novel that will keep you
entertained.

6. This book about climate change is a real ___________; I had no idea how
serious the situation is.

7. I couldn't put this thriller down; it was a real ___________.

8. The final chapters of the book had me on the ___________ of my seat; I

couldn't wait to find out what happened.

Answers on the following page!

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QUIZ Answer

1. My sister is a real bookworm; she can finish a novel in one sitting.

2. I'm reading a book about economics, but it's a heavy read; I have to
take breaks to digest the ideas.

3. You will always find me with my nose in a book in my free time.

4. I haven’t read this book yet, I only had time to leaf/flip through it, but
it seemed interesting

5. If you like action, this is a fast-paced novel that will keep you
entertained.

6. This book about climate change is a real eye-opener; I had no idea

how serious the situation is.

7. I couldn't put this thriller down; it was a real page-turner.

8. 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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