Books To Pull You Out Of A Reading Slump

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I'm currently in a reading slump. I have zero motivation to pick up a book, and when I try to read, I can't concentrate. How do we solve this problem? I honestly don't know. My current strategy is to slowly reread The Hunger Games books. I love that series and can easily get through a chapter or two a day. I'm hoping it sparks my interest in reading again.

What happens if The Hunger Games doesn't cure my slump? Here are ten more brilliant books that I'm considering rereading. Even if you're not in a slump, I recommend them.

Books To Cure A Reading Slump

The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett

Adult Historical Fiction

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time: the twelfth century; the place: feudal England; and the subject: the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.

Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters. Into their dreams, their labors, and their loves. Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

Why I recommend it: Okay, this book is 976 pages, and the synopsis sounds a bit miserable, but hear me out. When I first got this novel from the library, I fully expected to read a few hundred pages and then quietly jam the book into the library return slot.

But. Um. I read the whole book. All 976 pages. And I accidentally loved it? Seriously. This beast consumed my life for twenty-one days. I couldn't leave it alone. I miss lugging it around like a morbidly obese house cat.

It's a book about building a cathedral in the Middle Ages. I promise it doesn't suck! Actually, it's a lot like A Game of Thrones without dragons and zombies. It starts with a mason searching for a job and then keeps sprawling outward until it's about a whole town. There are a ton of characters, but I never got confused because they're developed beautifully. They have distinctive personalities and goals. I was never mad about switching perspectives because I was invested in this town. I wanted to be in everybody's business.

For a giant book, the pacing moves quickly, and there's a new plot twist every few chapters. I can tell that the author was originally a thriller writer. Nothing goes right for these characters.

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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Adult Fantasy

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.

Why I recommend it: It's a cozy fantasy where faeries casually decapitate one another.

If you're craving a medium-stakes fantasy book with fun characters and a world that doesn't require your whole brain to understand, this is the exact novel for you! I loved it!

The book has cozy vibes like a small town rom-com, but there's still danger because the faeries are unpredictably violent. They torture humans for fun. It's not always a light, whimsical story. However, it's not a stressful story either. That's probably because it's written like a diary. You know that Emily and Wendell are alive and safe because they're writing diary entries about the scary stuff they experienced. Dead people can't write. (I don't think . . .)

Speaking of Emily and Wendell, their banter is hilarious. They have big personalities and use their research to help humanity, even though they dislike people. I enjoyed reading about them.

You should believe the hype about this novel. It's a fun time. I'll be reading the sequel when my library gets it.

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THE BLACK PROJECT BY GARETH BROOKES

Adult Horror Graphic Novel

Getting yourself a girlfriend is easy, according to Richard. All you need is papier mache, string, soft material, a balloon, some old fashioned bellows, and a good pair of scissors. The difficult bit is keeping her secret. Set in an English suburb in the early 1990s, this is the story of Richard's all-consuming passion for creating 'girls' from household objects. But as his hobby begins to flourish, his real life friendships and family relationships deteriorate.

Why I recommend it: Graphic novels are great to read during a slump because there's not much reading involved. Half the story is told in images. This is one of my all-time favorite graphic novels.

I was frustrated with this book at first because it's mostly focused on the construction of girlfriends. I wanted more info about the boy who's doing the building. Then I started to understand. The narrator's parents and classmates are trying to make him into their definition of a man. A stereotypical man wouldn't share his feelings in a journal, but he might write detailed instructions about how to build an object. The character development is very subtle.

This book is disturbing because the narrator's girlfriends look . . . corpse-like. It doesn't help that he hides them in the woods. His weird girlfriends are paired with his sweet, innocent voice. You're never sure if he's a budding serial killer or just a socially awkward kid who's struggling hard with puberty. That's why I keep thinking about this book. Sometimes you don't know if your kid's behavior is a problem or just weird. It's unsettling.

The art style is pretty cool. It's done in embroidery. I can't imagine how long it took the author to make the images. They work nicely with the story because they look imperfectly homemade (just like the narrator's girlfriends) and add to the creepy vibes.

I could write an essay about this graphic novel, but no one would want to read that, so I'm just going to tell you to read the book. It'll stick with you.

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PROJECT HAIL MARY BY ANDY WEIR

Adult Science Fiction

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

Why I recommend it: Read this book if you like plot twists because there are a lot of them. It's actually an impossible book to review because there are so many twists. Everything I want to say is a spoiler! The characters handle each twist with humor and optimism. It's kind of inspirational. These people are very, very determined to live. Every time they start to feel hopeless, they refocus and try a different way of solving their problems. Nothing is easy in space!

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CARRY ON BY RAINBOW ROWELL

Young Adult Fantasy

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

Why I recommend it: The entire Simon Snow series belongs on this list because it's a delightful romp. It'll make you so happy that you won't want to put the book down.

Carry On is ridiculous, but it’s ridiculous in the most epic way possible. Seriously, this book is over 500 pages, and I blew through it in two days because I loved it so much.

Rainbow Rowell does amazing things with fantasy tropes. She really lets you see how ridiculous and overused some of them are by flipping the tropes on their heads. Simon is an incompetent Chosen One. Baz is a loveable villain. The magic system is silly. The witches and wizards drive cars, own laptops, accidently forget their wands at home, rely on Google to solve their problems, and talk like modern teenagers. This book is full of literal laugh-out-loud moments.

This series is brilliant because of how average the characters are. They're normal kids who just happen to be wizards. It's a refreshing take on the genre. These characters aren't heroes. They're kids with magic. And dragon wings.

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THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS BY REBECCA SKLOOT

Adult Science Nonfiction

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her enslaved ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Why I recommend it: Learning something new and interesting might pull you out of a slump.

Who was Henrietta Lacks? That's what the book is about. Henrietta's cells were taken after her death and used without her permission. Her children and grandchildren are living in poverty and have not gotten any money from the use of her body. Henrietta's grave doesn't even have a headstone. This all feels very wrong.

For me, the most interesting part of the book is the ethical questions it brings up. Who should profit from biological specimens? If you give a doctor permission to cut out your tumor, do you forfeit your rights to that tumor?

I couldn't stop reading this book. I loved learning about Henrietta and the people whose biological samples have made life better for all of us.

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The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

Middle Grade Historical Fantasy

Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

Why I recommend it: It's a children's book, which means it's fast-paced and easy to finish quickly. It brought me immense amounts of joy during stressful times.

The Mysterious Howling is book #1 of a completely addictive 6-book series. Even though I'm a very serious grownup, I loved reading about the "wolf children" and their quirky young governess. The series is packed with hilarious writing and mysteries to solve. Were these orphans really raised by wolves? And why did grumpy Lord Ashton agree to take them into his fancy home? And what are the rumors about a curse? This series will make you smile and keep you turning pages. I can't wait until Baby Brooklyn is old enough to enjoy them.

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YOU BY CAROLINE KEPNES

Adult Thriller

When a beautiful aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

Why I recommend it: Maybe an audiobook can pull you out of a slump. This story is much creepier when you can hear Joe's voice. He's talking directly to the reader and saying scary stuff. It's an intense audiobook experience.

I'm kind of worried about my sanity because I love this book. It scared me. I think I love it because it explores a nightmare situation. I understand why Beck is attracted to Joe. On the outside, he's helpful, funny, smart, sweet, and bookish. I'd probably date him too. Since the reader gets to hear his internal monologue, we know what Beck doesn't: He's violent, controlling, judgmental, and arrogant. It makes you wonder how well you can ever truly know a person.

I could not put this book down because I could imagine myself in Beck's situation. I wanted her to wake up and realize that Joe is a disguising human, but I knew she wouldn't. He's just too good at manipulating people.

Read it if you want to be terrified.

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THE POET X BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

Young Adult Contemporary Novel-In-Verse

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Why I recommend it: It's relatable. Why didn't books like this exist when I was a teenager? Where were all the books about chubby girls when I was a chubby girl?

This is a novel-in-verse, which means it's very quick to read. There's no extra fluff. The author strips the story down to its raw bones, which makes it powerful and straightforward. Xiomara is a Black Latina who lives in New York City. The reader gets to see bits of her culture and the diversity of the city. Xiomara just feels so real! She experiences realistic crushes, argues with her friends, is supported by her teachers, questions her religion, and constantly struggles with her self-esteem. I think a lot of teenagers will be able to relate to her.

I want to fling this book through the door of every high school. The kids need it.

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Adult Literary Fiction

Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. For her part, in the convenience store she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and she copies her coworkers’ style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person.

However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society’s expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko’s contented stasis—but will it be for the better?

Why I recommend it: This is a tiny book that leaves a big impression. I don't think I'll forget Keiko anytime soon. She's one of those people who exist at the fringes of society and are just trying to mind their own business. Unfortunately, society is not great at leaving people alone.

Convenience Store Woman is relatable. It's about the pressure that people face to conform. We're expected to get a good job, get married, and have children. Keiko has her own ways of meeting society's demands, and they're definitely not what her family expects. The book highlights how ridiculous it is to "fix" people who aren't hurting anyone and who just want to live life on their own terms.

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Tell me how to get out of my reading slump!