Books to get you back into reading
Nearly ten years ago I set myself the task of reading a book a week for a year. It was one of the most fulfilling challenges I’ve ever set myself, and if you’ve been reading my blog for awhile you’ll remember the reviews!
I’ve always been a strong and cheery reader; books are where I go to learn, escape, explore, enjoy, and become more of who I really am. Bookshops are my happy place. But during the pandemic, I noticed that my reading significantly declined.
This was partly due to stress, partly due to needing reading glasses and not realising it, and partly due to this shiny little distraction called a “smart phone” (don’t know if you’re familiar with it!??)
Two years ago I finally declared, “no more!” and earnestly began to pick up more books instead of my phone. I’m not reading a book a week, more like 2 - 3 a month, but this feels good, and I’ve continued well into this year, both fiction and non-fiction.
I have a few habits that really help me to read more, and I’ll share those tips another time. But a big one is choosing books that are highly readable. This might sound obvious, but some of my favourite books weren’t the easiest to get through. But when one is trying to get back into the habit of reading more, I think making it easy and joyful is a smart way to begin!
So if you would like to read a bit more this year, here are my recommendations for you. These are page-turners that I not only devoured, but felt like a better human by the final chapter. Not in a self-help personal development way, but in a soul-massaging, deeply meaningful kind of way.
First up, we have…
1. 📖 Circe — Madeline Miller (2018): Okay, if you haven’t read this book yet then consider me deeply envious of the journey you’re about to take. This is a feminist retelling of the life of Circe, the witch and sorceress from The Odyssey, as she navigates her exile. It’s Greek mythological magic, it’s delightful, it’s fun, it’s naughty; it’s one of my favourite books ever. Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves (or considers themselves) a badass witch.
2. 📖 Hello Beautiful — Ann Napolitano (2023): If you asked me for my top fiction pick from the past couple years, it would be this one. A modern family story inspired by Little Women, it follows four sisters and a man who enters their world, across generations of love and loss. It is so lush. If you like books with themes of family and belonging and place and grief, you’ll adore this. Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who needs a good cry.
3. 📖 Truth & Beauty — Ann Patchett (2004): Now, to a memoir. Ann Patchett is best known for her work in fiction, but controversially I think her memoir is even better. This is an honest, loving memoir of her complicated friendship with poet Lucy Grealy. It’s literary yet effortless to read, feels cathartic in parts, and just ripe with the kind of beautiful writing that makes you want to write! Find it here.
Perfect for: Writers, creatives, and anyone who knows the intensity of a deep, somewhat chaotic friendship.
4. 📖 The Wedding People — Alison Espach (2024): A more recent release! Think: destination wedding in upstate New York with an unexpected wedding guest. It’s a mix of hilarious wedding disaster comedy and a raw look at a woman navigating divorce, heartbreak, grief, and the hope of motherhood. There were casual mentions of ovulation and menstruation — just part of the protagonist’s life, which I loved. It’s funny as hell, but so dark and unexpectedly wise. Find it here.
Perfect for: Those who need a reminder that painful endings are also beginnings.
5. 📖 The Midnight Library — Matt Haig (2020): This book had such an impact on me. A desperate woman discovers a magical library where she can explore infinite versions of her life. I mean, who hasn’t wondered what their life might’ve been like if they’d made different choices? Very sliding doors, but like, ten times the amount of doors! It’s a read to remember. Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who has ever spiralled at 2am about the life paths they didn’t take but also want a happy ending.
6. 📖 The Five People You Meet in Heaven — Mitch Albom (2003): Similar-ish to The Midnight Library — I love books with just a dash of fantasy. After dying, a man journeys through the afterlife, meeting five people who shaped his life. Super easy to read, it’s an exploration of the impact we all have on each other, even when we don’t realise it. Find it here.
Perfect for: Those who enjoy books that make you contemplate life and remind you to call your mum more often.
7. 📖 Bridget Jones’s Diary — Helen Fielding (1996): I mean, you’ve got to turn the classics sometimes, right?! After watching the most recent Bridget Jones film (which is PERFECTION imo), I was reminded of how much I also loved the books. I mean, you know what they’re about and sure, parts have not aged well at all. But they’re hilarious and fun and nostalgic and a joy to read. Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves the movies but never read the books.
8. 📖 Tiny Beautiful Things — Cheryl Strayed (2012): The GOAT Agony Aunt at her finest!!! This book is a collection of raw, heartfelt advice columns from Cheryl Strayed. It’s full of wisdom and tough love. This is one of those books I repurchase every time I move. Another book that makes me want to write. (It was only when searching for the book cover on Google that I realised this is now a TV series! Anyone watched?!) Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who needs some solid and unflinching life advice.
9. 📖 Sorrow and Bliss — Meg Mason (2021): This book is dark, funny, beautiful. Meg lives in London and is navigating serious mental health issues alongside questions of motherhood, marriage, and family. It’s raw and manic, brilliantly witty, compassionate and kind — it’s quite the ride. I devoured it and don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it. Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who appreciates a messy female protagonist.
10. 📖 Harry Potter (series) – J.K. Rowling (1997–2007) – A boy discovers he’s a wizard and attends a magical school… oh, you know this one already?! To be honest, while I do go back to these books pretty regularly, it’s mostly the audio version I return to. I will never tire of Stephen Fry’s narration! Find it here.
Perfect for: Millennials craving a comforting voice telling them the secrets of the universe.
11. 📖 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow — Gabrielle Zevin (2022): Another book spanning decades (my fave), this is about two video game designers and their evolving creative bond and personal relationship. Such a cool style of storytelling and a love story — though not about lovers, but friends. Find it here.
Perfect for: 90’s kids with a kink for nostalgia and complex friendships.
12. 📖 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid (2017): Okay, so does Taylor Jenkins Reid write the most fun books or what?! This one is a reclusive Hollywood icon telling her juicy life story to a journalist. It’s full of glamour, ambition, adventure, and scandal. And all with a deeply female-honouring lens. (And if I had to sneak another title in, it would for sure be another one of hers, Daisy Jones & the Six!) Find it here.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves stories about women reinventing themselves.
I also asked YOU over on Substack Notes, which books you would suggest as great books to get back into reading…
Jessica Rose Williams suggested The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, Milk Fed by Melissa Broder & Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang.
Kass Hall recommended Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Limberlost by Robbie Arnott, and Still Life by Sarah Winman.
Alison Zemora recommended anything by Coco Mellors. I know Blue Sisters is getting lots of love but I’m yet to read it!
Lauren Jordan is loving The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo.
Haley Circelli suggested Isola by Allegra Goodman, which is described as “A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island…” (it’s a yes from me)
Cindy suggested The Way I Used To Be and The Way I Am Now, by Amber Smith, as well as Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, and everything by Jenifer Niven.
India Freshour offered North Woods by Daniel Mason, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
and lastly, Nat Daudet suggested The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, which I also devoured recently and loved loved loved.
What would you add to this list?
I’d love to know. Comments are open to all.
Wishing you a wonderful, book-wormy weekend!
Big love,
Claire x
Ps. If you missed last week’s livestream and journalling session on Hope, you can find it here: