I’d say a fair assumption is that the majority of people have a variation of “read more” on their New Year’s resolutions list. Less TV, more books! Books are for smart, well-rounded citizens of the world. Just having more books in the house will surely help my kid get a higher SAT score, right?
Reading, and reading MORE, has always been a top priority. But what do you do if the mood isn’t striking? None of the books on your shelf or loaded on your Kindle seem right? You’re stuck in a bona fide book rut.
You need to choose a book that will make you excited to pick it up. A book that practically turns its own pages, it’s so readable. A book you can’t wait to tell your friends about. We have got you covered!
Here is my list of eight books to help you climb out of your reading rut. It’s a mix of fiction and non-fiction, male and female authors, with topics ranging from self help, a same-sex relationship, race in America, alcoholism, sexual assault, and somewhat randomly, a Swedish ice hockey team.
8 Books to Get You Out of Your Reading Rut
Non-Fiction Books
- Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb is part memoir, part self-help. This book will get you out of your reading rut and right into your feelings. Be prepared to laugh out loud, and probably to cry. It’s a hefty book, but you will fly through it.
- I Miss You When I Blink: Essays by Mary Laura Philpott is the book every recovering perfectionist doesn’t know they need. The author runs on to-do lists (sound familiar?) but the satisfaction of checking things off has gone away. This is a quick read, but it will leave you feeling a little more understood, or was that just me?
- Open Book by Jessica Simpson is not what you’d expect. Jessica spills all the tea in her honest and eye-opening memoir about her life as a teen pop sensation before starting her billion-dollar apparel company. Texas girl Jessica is funny and relatable, and you feel like you’ve been friends for years.
- Here For it; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays by R. Eric Thomas is laugh-out-loud funny. If it were possible to have another person commentate the thoughts in your head, I’d want mine to be R. Eric Thomas. A memoir-in-essays, this book is as delightful as its cover.
Fiction Books
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is what I like to call a “smart beach read.” It’s less fluff but still totally engaging. This novel is not a thriller, but it will have you flipping the pages like a whodunit mystery.
- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee is, ahem, an open-door romance. If you fantasized about dating a member of New Kids on the Block or Backstreet Boys back in the day, then you should add to cart immediately. This book will most likely get you out of that rut the fastest.
- Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston has it all: female President, protagonist heart throb, dashing British prince, a sexy romance. Of course, drama ensues. It is definitely the lightest of the bunch.
- Bear Town by Fredrik Backman is where the aforementioned hockey team comes into play. This novel centers around a junior hockey team in Sweden. Wait, what? No worries, it’s SO good that you should clear your schedule now because you won’t be able to put this book down.
This roundup of books may only have one thing in common, but it’s the only thing that matters: These books want to be READ. Be sure to stock up on the Bandaids before your reading journey begins, because you’re going to get a lot of paper cuts with all this page turning!
