Throughout elementary and middle school, I loved to read. I remember staying up late on school nights with my book and a reading lamp on, tearing through chapter after chapter. My mother had to hide my books on occasion in order to finally put me to sleep. For Christmas and birthday gifts I’d receive boxes of books and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Somewhere, in the transition from middle to high school, as books became a chore I had to complete for school rather than a hobby I spent my free time on, I fell out of love with reading and came to resent it. I tried a few times to revive the passion, only resulting in half read books tucked back under my bed never to be seen again. It wasn’t until this past year that I was able to find comfort and happiness in reading again when I started choosing books that made me never want to put them down. Here are a few books to try if you want to resume your relationship with reading.
- The Silent Patient- Alex Michaelides
The Silent Patient is one of those books that as soon as you finish it you wish you could erase your memory and reread. The plot twist is one of the best I’ve ever read and the writing instilled a sense of fear and anxiety as you grew closer to the end. There isn’t much I can say without revealing too much of the plot, but if you’re a fan of thrillers, read this and thank me later.
- Verity- Colleen Hoover
In a similar vein to The Silent Patient, Verity is a thriller from start to finish. As I flipped through the pages late at night, I genuinely became terrified of what was about to happen next. This book includes another amazing plot twist that still has me questioning what I believe truly happened.
- It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover
Despite being written by the same author, It Ends With Us is an entirely different story than Verity. Veering away from horror and into romance, this book takes a subject many of us have no experience with and sheds light on new perspectives. The story will stir up a wide range of emotions and the ending provides a great payoff.
- Where The Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens
Where The Crawdads Sing is genuinely one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. It’s poetic, emotional, and deeply moving. The slow-paced plot allows you to enter the world of a young girl living on her own in the middle of a salt marsh. Growing up orphaned and alone, she learns how to navigate the world around her, which is mostly confined to the water and shores around her. Reading this book will feel comforting and therapeutic, and as with all great books, the ending will be worth the wait.
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine- Gail Honeyman
Funnily enough, this was the first book I read as I started my journey into reading again. At first, I found the main character blunt and off-putting, but as I got deeper into the story I came to empathize with Eleanor and her position in the world. Unlike some of the other books on this list, the plot isn’t anything crazy or fast-paced, but the story is heartwarming, humorous, and a nice, easy read after a long day. Oh, and of course there’s a good plot twist waiting for you at the very end.