Recommendations for someone who hasn't picked up a book in a while

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Tiffanyli
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Recommendations for someone who hasn't picked up a book in a while

Post by Tiffanyli »

I used to love reading. But it's been a while since I've picked up a book. Does anybody have any recommendations?

In the past I enjoyed books like A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Open to any recommendations. Doesn't have to be necessarily similar to those books! (:
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Erin Painter Baker
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Post by Erin Painter Baker »

Try the Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin. The first book is The Fifth Season.
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Nisha Ward
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Post by Nisha Ward »

I second that recommendation and would like to add Jemesin's Inheritance books as well.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Corina Elena
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Post by Corina Elena »

- 1984 by George Orwell
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
- Men without Women by Haruki Murakami
- Dracula by Bram Stocker
- The Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa
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Post by TopaAzul062 »

Here are some quick reads for starters:

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
The Nameless City by H.P. Lovecraft
Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Longer reads:

Relic by Preston/Child
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero [mild descriptions and language within]
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin [an interesting YA mystery]
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda by David Michaels [mild language and descriptions, brief intimate scene]
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Brandt
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Post by Brandt »

I am huge into thrillers and found that they are quick and easy to get into.
I recommend anything by Shari Lapena, here are a few I currently own/read:
A Stranger in the House
The Couple Next Door
An Unwanted Guest

All of the above titles are around 300 pages so not too daunting.
I also have found that going back and reading a book I loved can get me back in the groove. For me, this was Harry Potter and John Green. Re-reading some of these books helped me fall back in love with reading.
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shelbyhawk
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Post by shelbyhawk »

I read a wide variety of books, however one that I just recently read was Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I could not put it down. A great page turner for sure.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Behind her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
The Trespasser by Tana French (I really want to read more of her books! This one was amazing!!)
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jkmalik
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Post by jkmalik »

If you liked A Discovery of Witches, you might like The Diviners by Libba Bray, or the A Great and Terrible Beauty series, also by Libba Bray (both are YA).

For, non-similar books.

To switch it up- non-fiction, but storytelling,

Seabiscuit is amazing. I read it in high school and I loved, loved, loved it.

With a nonfiction, for fun, you want to get someone who can tell a story.

How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed is another great NF.

Other fiction recs:

For someone who hasn't read in a while: I'd say read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I'm reading it right now, and I'm zooming through it. It is flat-out amazing.

What You Did is a thriller and another fast read.

Big Little Lies is amazing! It's a great book. I read that in two days. That's a great book to get you started.

What else...if you're interested in commentary on the recent college scandal, the modern lit book, The Gifted School is good. It basically predicted the whole thing---except in the form of an elite magnet school.

One of Us is Lying is another great book. It's suspense, but not cheesy or predictable.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is good. Much better than Gone Girl, which I totally quit. However, it's super eerie and crude.
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Jlamb17
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Post by Jlamb17 »

The Giver by Lois Lowry! This is a classic children’s/YA book but I read it for the first time a few months ago and absolutely loved it. It’s inky about 200 pages so it’s a quick read, I finished it in 1 day because I couldn’t put it down. It’s straightforward enough for children to read and understand, but has enough mature themes and symbolism to make it just as engaging for adult readers.
KatiesReading
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Post by KatiesReading »

If you liked "The Night Circus", you might like "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor, it has a great vibe to it and it is beautifully written :)
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Andy_C
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Post by Andy_C »

A bit random but Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Joanthan Saffran Foer. It is easy to read, the protagonist's mind is funny and interesting, and it will make you cry. About a boy with autism (I think) who lost his father in 9/11.
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CaptainLou
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Post by CaptainLou »

As someone who went through a huge reading slump for a while my suggestion is start with short stories, Ray Bradbury will always be my favorite, but i can never put down Edgar Allen Poe anymore either
Jennashby_87
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Post by Jennashby_87 »

Since you haven’t read in awhile, maybe start with something that is short and a great read? The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe would be a great choice.
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Arina Siaban
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Post by Arina Siaban »

Hi, Tiffany :)

I feel the best way to start off reading after a pause is to begin again with short stories. I personally am forever in love with short story anthologies, the way a single book can encompass a diversity of voices, viewpoints, worlds.

Two of my favorites are Other Worlds - 10 Amazing Scifi Stories and Grimm. They seem like they'd suit your tastes too, from what you said in your post.

If you're feeling brave enough for longer books then Laura Powell's Game of Triumphs trilogy is a great pick for lovers of magical worlds.
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Kajol Dadhania
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Post by Kajol Dadhania »

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
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