Reading is an amazing hobby. You can engulf yourself in these exquisite fictional worlds, you can relate to and feel in touch with characters, you can learn about new topics, cultures, and skills, and best of all you can meet characters who inspire you to be a better, stronger version of yourself.
Overall reading can be life changing, but there are so many books, and some of them are so long, or have confusing world building, or are not fast paced enough to grab your interest.
If you are interested in picking up this hobby but do not know where to start, or you have been in a reading slump and just have not been able to get out of it; I have a couple recommendations that I am confident can kickstart your passion. So if you are intrigued by cute rom-coms, or thriller mysteries, or fantasy stories with sword fights and badass female knights, these are the perfect recommendations for you!
A Good Girls Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson:
This three book series is a genuine 10/10. I am usually a pretty slow reader but I enjoyed these books so much that I finished the whole series in one month. It is an incredibly entertaining whodunnit that keeps you not only invested, but also involved. I spent 90% of my time reading the books making notes about each clue and odd character interaction in hopes of solving it on my own. And, of course, there is a deep, yet adorable romance plot that is to be uncovered later. Finally, if that does not convince you to pick these up, Season one of the TV adaptation, which covers the first book, is currently on Netflix, and the second season is due to be released on 05/27/2026! It is very rare for me to say this about book adaptations, but so far they have done an amazing job bringing this story to life.
Goodreads: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson | Goodreads
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson | Goodreads
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson | Goodreads
Dance of Thieves – Mary E. Pearson:
This duology is the first thing I read when beginning my reading journey and it truly was an unfortunate first pick due to the fact that following the read it is STILL difficult to find anything that compares! These books are amazing, with a kick-ass FMC, relatively fast paced story line, an amazingly detailed fantasy/political plot, and, of course, a side of an amazing enemies to lovers arc. I read this story over four years ago and I fear I will NEVER shut up about it.
Goodreads:Dance of Thieves #1 by Mary E. Pearson | Goodreads
Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson | Goodreads
The Inheritance Games – Jennifer Lynn Barnes:
This is another fabulous, no notes series. It truly grabs a hold of you from the first page and refuses to let go until the last. This YA mystery thriller was enticing from the start, pushing me to want to solve the riddles, puzzles, and the overall mystery alongside the main characters. It showcases our FMC Avery, who is intelligent, witty and resilient. She will not let anything, especially a couple of spoiled rich boys, stop her from solving this mystery. It also has a beautiful love triangle that has just enough chemistry involved to keep you hooked but not enough to take away from our main character’s true mission: solving the mystery.
Goodreads:The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Goodreads
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Goodreads
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Goodreads
The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren:
If you are looking to start off summer with a bang, or just wanting to quench your thirst for a spicy, hilarious, enemies to lovers + fake dating/marriage story, this book is for you! I read the first 100 pages in one sitting, which is saying a lot considering as I mentioned earlier, I am probably one of the world’s slowest readers. The chemistry between the two main love interests immediately grabbed me from their first chunk of witty, comedic banter. They were funny, cute, and truly a couple to envy. I would 100% recommend this if you are looking for a quick paced stand alone to kick start your reading.
Goodreads:Unhoneymooners #1 – by Christina Lauren | Goodreads
The Obsession – Jesse Q. Sutanto:
I feel obligated to start this section with a warning. As opposed to the last couple I discussed, this is not a romance story, at least a reciprocated one. This one follows a young stalker who views his “obsession” with the FMC as love. He drags her into a dangerous game in hopes of winning her love and affection, but she is not going to take that sitting down! Overall this is a fantastic fast paced, YA thriller and if that is your vibe I highly recommend.
Goodreads: The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto | Goodreads
The Spanish love deception – Elena Armas:
Similar to the Unhoneymooners, this is an adorable, passionate, hilarious enemies to lovers story. It has the classic rom-com vibe with both the fake dating and grumpy sunshine tropes, which in my opinion, is the recipe for a perfect book. It has a lot of fun and cute moments between the two love interests that truly invest you in their story.
Goodreads: The Spanish Love Deception by Elana Armas | Goodreads
Now I am well aware that reading can be challenging to break into. And sometimes once you are in it you can get caught up on slow-paced, long, uninteresting books. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a good hobby for you, it just means you haven’t picked up the right book. You can trust me on that because when I started writing this article I was in a reading slump of my own, stubborn and determined to finish a 500 page book recommended as a “must read” by everyone on book-tok. But now I have picked up something shorter and way more fast paced by the author of The Inheritance Games (The Naturals series for anyone interested) and now I have read more in the last two weeks than I have in the last year! So I would consider myself a very reliable source for book recs. And if you take any of these recommendations or have any to give me for my TBR, please let me know!