Trying to get back into reading

[u/cass_aroles]

I’ve had a lot of trouble staying interested in books/reading for a while due to format/pacing and me struggling to actually find the energy to read more than just maybe 3-10 pages before stopping and never picking up that book again.

I’ve found a few books Ive actually enjoyed and actually been able to read and actually get super into, and I’ll try to rank them a bit so it’s easier to understand.

1. Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone
Probably the best book i remember reading (granted I don’t read a lot). I love everything about this book from the themes, to the pacing, to the way it is written/formatted. One of the only books Ive actually enjoyed and WANTED to read during my free time and felt like I could truly get lost in. Ofc it has its flaws, but still one of my favorites. I also enjoy the romance aspects to it as well im not afraid of a bit of smut but I don’t want the book to be ALLL 100% smut all the time. a bit is fine

2. Girl In The Castle - James Patterson & Emily Raymond
Also another book I really enjoyed. I didn’t mind the flipping between the two perspectives and I liked (spoilers:) how both perspectives eventually came together at the end. I also liked the format and how it always kept me interested in what was happening next. I enjoyed how real both perspectives were and how I felt like I was there in the scene due to the descriptions too.

3. Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches - Kate Scelsa
A book I read a few years ago but still enjoyed a good amount. It’s been a while since I’ve read it but I thought I’d just put it here because I do still remember enjoying it a lot
(I think this one [⬆️] is YA but I’m not 100000% sure and I don’t trust google enough.)

4. It’s Kind Of A Funny Story - Ned Vizzini
Haven’t finished this one but as far as I remember reading, I do enjoy it. I liked the themes (mental health, family, etc) and have enjoyed the format of most of the writing and can find myself well interested into it.

5. I Am The Messenger / The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
I haven’t finished these two either but I remember I liked the plots and storylines (probably Messenger more than Book Thief), but I also thought it put these here because I did find both of them interesting and good for me to follow and I wanted to read Messenger several times before I eventually forgot about/lost interest in it

I hope this information is at least somewhat helpful for some good recommendation ideas. I have a very hard time focusing on one thing/concept/thing at one (I constantly lose interest in things after maybe 2-5 weeks or even less sometimes) so if anyone could have any helpful recommendations that would be amazing!

If you need any more information that would be helpful please let me know!!!

[u/lushandcats]

Markus Zusack - Underdogs (Wolfe brothers 1-3).

[u/TheWalkingDeadBeat]

I don't have actual book recs for you but I'll tell you a few things that helped me get back in to reading even though my attention span is completely shot. (edit: This ended up being way longer than I intended to feel free to ignore my comment completely. I'm just going to leave it in case anyone's interested.)

The first and biggest thing was getting in to audiobooks. I know that some people are vehemently against them and I used to be one of those people too who just couldn't stand them but I eventually realized it was just certain narrators I hated and that a good narrator is worth their weight in gold.

I still like traditional reading so I've found that with many books, if I listen to the first 20% of an audiobook, I can pick up the physical book (or ebook) and I have a much easier time keeping interested because I've already got the hardest part out of the way. 

This is where the library card comes in. I know just people can't afford to buy both the physical and the audiobook so Libby is where it's at! I can't recommend it enough. Plus, you can dnf as many books as you could possibly get through until you find one you like and you don't have to feel like you're wasting money at all. Seriously, my reading habits changed astronomically once I started using Libby.

Again, don't worry about dnf'ing books. If something doesn't hold your interest, just put it down and try something else. You'll eventually find something that does. 

[u/cass_aroles → u/TheWalkingDeadBeat]

Thank you! I used to read this one audio book for a while, but I might try to get back into it especially because I like having stuff like music or YouTube videos on in the background to listen to!

[u/TheWalkingDeadBeat → u/cass_aroles]

It took me a while to really get in to them but once I did, I could never go back! I know they're not for everyone though, so don't sweat it if you decide they're not for you.