Did you finish your favorite series of all time and now feel like no other novel can suffice? Have you been wanting to pick up reading as a hobby after spending a few years away from the shelves? Are you struggling to really get into a book?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be in a reading slump. But there’s no shame in that! We’ve gathered a curated list of books to help you get out.
How to Get Out of a Reading Slump
Let’s get one thing clear: there is no shame in finding yourself in a reading rut—we’ve all been there! There are countless reasons to experience the slump, whether you spend your free time reading textbooks for school, reading picture books out loud to your kiddos, or just haven’t found a recent book genre that grabbed your attention. When that happens, there are a few tried-and-true methods to get back into reading, such as:
- Listening to a top-reviewed audiobook
- Rereading an old favorite (regardless of the age range)
- Starting a shorter novel or collection of short stories
- Joining a book club (we offer a Silent Book club as well as a monthly pick)
- Asking your bookseller for guidance as you shop (or contact us online)
Our Top Book Recommendations to Get You Out of a Reading Slump
From our personal recommendations to the books that have taken the internet by storm, here are a few titles for you to try:
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, the Finlay Donovon series is the perfect choice for you. In the first, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, we meet Finlay, a stressed-out single mother of two and struggling novelist, and suffice it to say, her life is pure chaos. When she’s overheard discussing the plot of her new (yet to be written, but don’t tell her literary agent that) suspense novel over lunch, she’s somehow mistaken as a contract killer and accepts an offer to dispose of a problematic husband for some extra cash. As Finlay becomes tangled in a murder investigation, she discovers that real-life crime is a lot more difficult to maneuver than fiction. Fast-paced, witty, and filled with authentic feelings about motherhood, this is a great option for anyone looking for a thrill.
Others in the Series:
- Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun
- Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead
- Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice
- Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (out on March 4th!)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Ever since her husband died, Tova Sullivan has learned that the best way to cope is by keeping busy—and the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium certainly does just that. When her 18-year-old son, Erik, vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago, throwing herself into work was the only option. After spending all her time with the giant Pacific octopus of the aquarium, Marcellus, they form an unlikely but remarkably tight bond. When Marcellus manages to deduce what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared, he must use every trick he has to help uncover the truth for her before it’s too late. With an octopus narrator and an upcoming film adaptation, this is one of the most unique debut novels we’ve seen in years—give Remarkably Bright Creatures a try!
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Fans of thrilling love stories should consider All the Colors of the Dark a must-read. It’s 1975 in America, and everything is changing: the Vietnam War is over, Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier, and in small-town Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthier family in town is targeted, our unlikely hero, Patch, a local boy, manages to save the girl—but not without a price. He and everyone who loves him will soon discover that triumph and tragedy aren’t that far apart. It may be on the long side, but a serial killer mystery to solve, an authentic love, and twist after twist make this spanning-decades novel quite the page-turner!
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
When Phoebe Stone arrives in a gorgeous green dress and heels at the grand Cornwall Inn without luggage, she’s quickly mistaken as one of the wedding guests—but little do they know, she’s actually the only guest staying who isn’t there for the event. Instead, she’s visiting alone, hitting rock bottom, visiting a place she’d always dreamed of coming to on a romantic vacation with her husband. The bride-to-be has planned out every single detail of her big day—except for Phoebe and her plan. But unforgettable connections are made as the two meet and can’t stop confiding their deepest, darkest secrets in each other. Filled with tender connection and belly-laugh humor, this contemporary novel is often argued as fiction or romance—read The Wedding People yourself and be the judge!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Out, far beyond the edge of the universe, there is an impossible library containing an infinite number of books, each with a tale of another reality. When you find the story of your life as you know it, you can also read another with the life you could have lived had you made a different choice. Our protagonist, Nora Seed, finds herself with the option many people have always dreamed of. But, as she is faced with the ability to choose a new life, undoing old breakups, following a different career path, and realizing her new dreams, she must search within herself to decide if it’s worth it. With its whimsical plot and very human understanding of what makes life worth living, The Midnight Library is a work of science fiction art.
Did You Hear about Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
If The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid was the last book that you loved, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? should be your next pick. When actress Kitty Karr Tate, a white icon, died and left her multi-million dollar estate to the three black St. John sisters, everyone had questions—and lots of them. When Elise St. John discovers one of Kitty’s old journals, the truth behind her ascent to stardom threatens to expose an intricate web of debts, crimes, and family ties that could unravel the lives of the sisters and everyone close to them. As she digs deeper into the past, Elise must turn the lens onto herself to confront the dirty side of the Hollywood machine, race, gender, family, and more.
The next time you feel yourself hitting that sometimes unavoidable reading slump, don’t despair! Pick up one of these titles at Novel or order through our online link, and you’ll soon find yourself caught in another page-turner.
