Books That Got YOU Back Into Reading

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Out of all the books that were recommended that got YOU back into reading, this was number 1! (This is the book that shot Kristin Hannah to stardom). In WWII France, two sisters face frightening situations that tests their relationship, strength, and sense of right and wrong. It is a true tale of bravery. I listened to The Nightingale audiobook and it is fantastically done. And if you’ve read it and want more, here are some other titles you might want to try out!

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I have a long history of loving Harry Potter, so I love seeing how many people loved it too! . When my mom started reading the first one to me and my sisters when I was in 7th grade, we only made it through one chapter before we were completely hooked. I also have some very happy memories of snuggling my nursing baby in the my in-laws’ basement, reading the British versions of several of the books. I have read the entire series multiple times, seen all the movies, and I still never get tired of this story.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I read Twilight before it went completely completely viral so I got to read it without the input of a million other people which made it extra fun for me. I know this one is old, but it’s remained popular for good reason – it is so readable!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I read the entire trilogy, listened to the audio, and still hold firm that The Hunger Games is unbelievably good. It’s one of my favorites, and I highly, highly recommend this beloved series! If you’re trying to get back into reading, I love starting with a series – once you’re hooked by the first book, you can just keep going and build some serious reading momentum.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Back when it came out, this book was on EVERY bestseller list and it was also the April book for the 2020 Everyday Reading Book Club. It took me a little bit to get into the audio, but then it really started to pick up and I found myself looking for spare minutes to listen to it.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Mass
I’m not surprised to see this one on the list – this is basically the series that launched a thousand bookstagrams. I probably won’t read it since fantasy isn’t really my genre, and honestly, Instagram doesn’t need one more person talking about it. Its following is wild, and it’s a full five-book series.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
This is one of my all-time favorite books – I love it so much! Alice comes to on the floor of the gym, with a bunch of worried friends around her. They aren’t the only ones that are worried – Alice is expecting her first baby and she’s concerned that the fall might have hurt the baby (she also can’t figure out why she’s at the gym; she hates the gym). The surprise of being at the gym, though, takes a quick backseat to the shock Alice receives when she realizes that it’s not 1998 like she thought, but instead it’s 2008. She’s not pregnant – she has three children. And the happy, new-ish marriage to Nick that she remembers is now on the verge of divorce. It’s a lot to take in. (Full review here)

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
I don’t know if I have ever received more requests about my feedback on a book than I did with this one. And spoiler alert, I started it and never finished it! (I know, I know!). This one is a fantasy book with dragons, so many secrets and some steamy romance.

Educated by Tara Westover
From a survivalist childhood in rural Idaho to a PhD at Cambridge (after her first classroom experience at 17!), Tara Westover’s story is absolutely wild. It reminded me of The Glass Castle but even more extreme, and it’s one of those memoirs where you keep saying, “WHAT?!” (This one was especially interesting to me because we overlapped in college and had the same major, so several of the professors she mentions are ones I had too!).

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I actually checked out the CD version of this from the library back in the dark ages of audiobooks (aka when I used actual CDs), but I never finished it (too dark for me). If you love suspense, mystery, and thrillers, this one – about a wife who disappears on her anniversary, leaving her husband as the prime suspect – could be a great pick to pull you out of a reading slump.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
After the television series came out, this became a wildly popular series. Think time-travel historical romance (I’ve heard pretty steamy romance), about a British WWII nurse who travels back in time to 17th century Scotland. And along the way, she falls in love with a Scottish Highland warrior.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Selection by Kiera Cass is the first book in The Selection series. This dystopian romance stars America Singer who is selected as one of 35 girls competing for the hand of the prince in this Cinderella-meets-the-Bachelor young adult novel. I blew through the whole audio series after my third baby was born and loved this frothy series. My daughter read it as a 14 year old and loved it.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures was one of those books I did NOT expect to like (anything described as quirky is not usually for me, plus I’m not really an animal lover – I know). This book follows three different stories, one of which is an octopus, but it is so well done and I loved it!

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
I still regret I never got to finish this one (it was due back at the library right when it was getting good!), but it was really gripping and actually reminded me a lot of Orphan Train, which I loved growing up).

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
If you love Emily Henry books, you might like this one too – I’ve read (I think) all her books and this one is still my favorite. This one is about a woman who is in love with her best friend’s fiance (she introduced the two of them) and now she’s wondering if it’s too late to make her move.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
This one’s told through Dinah’s perspective and dives into the lives of Jacob’s four wives and the red tent where the women shared stories, advice, and all the ups and downs of life. I thought it was really well done and super immersive, but it’s definitely a heavy, intense read. If you’re in the mood for something thought-provoking, biblical, and a little intense, this one will stick with you.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
This book was at the top of the charts more than a decade ago and for good reason. The story weaves together the voices of three women in 1960s Mississippi, two Black maids and one aspiring writer, who risk everything to tell the truth about the families they serve. I, like pretty much anyone else who has read this, couldn’t put it down.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora is a cutthroat literary agent in New York City. When her little sister Libby begs her for a girls’ trip to which Nora grudgingly agrees and they find themselves in the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. It isn’t the laid back trip she thinks it will be because she keeps running into the handsome, but unpleasant Charlie Lastra, a brooding book editor she knows from back in New York. Their repeated encounters go from unpleasant to something a little. . . more pleasant.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
How have I never read this one? I know that many people consider this their favorite book and I would like to read it someday. I DID love her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which was one of my most memorable audiobooks during my commute back and forth to my school libraries in Boston.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah strikes again! This book is almost a decade old and is still making best book lists and for good reason. When I read it seven years ago I blew through 400 pages in three days. It’s the story of a teenage girl who moves to Alaska with her mom and her recently-released POW dad who fought in Vietnam and is convinced that Alaska will give him the new start he needs. Spanning more than a decade of Leni’s life, she gets a front row seat to her father’s inability to handle the darkness that falls over Alaska and the darkness that he’s fighting within himself. I couldn’t put this one down. Be warned that you’ll want your tissues you for this one.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
This one was crazy popular 20 years ago (I can hardly believe it!), but it’s still a page turner or one of those books where you sit in your car long after you get to your destination because you just can’t turn it off! Ella just told me she wants to read this one!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Stranded in the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old Indian boy survives 227 days in a lifeboat, and he’s not alone…he’s sharing it with a Bengal tiger. The story tests his faith, survival skills, and perspective on life.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
An elderly man recalls his circus days during the Great Depression, full of unlikely friendships and tough challenges. Parts of this book aren’t what I would usually recommend, and I skipped a few sections, but I still ended up enjoying it.

Verity by Colleen Hoover
I know so many readers love Colleen Hoover (I’ve only read It Ends With Us). In this one, a struggling writer uncovers the chilling autobiography of a famous author’s wife, revealing devastating secrets that could destroy her family. I know enough about this book to know it has some seriously disturbing content so proceed at your own risk.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I’ve checked this out from the library more times than I can count and still haven’t read it, but it’s always been a reader favorite for getting out of a slump. It follows a wealthy Pashtun boy who betrays his Hazara friend in war-torn Afghanistan and years later returns home seeking redemption.

Edenbrooke by Julianna Donaldson
Marianne is invited to visit Edenbrooke by her twin sister who intends to marry into the family that owns the country estate and Marianne, mourning the loss of her mother and lonely in Bath with her grandmother, quickly agrees. She has no interest in romance herself, but is very anxious for a change of scenery. Lucky for her, she’s going to get both. I especially loved the snappy dialogue in this one. (Full review here).