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It happens to all of us. You love reading (or at least, you used to). But lately, your stack of half-finished novels has started to feel more like homework than pleasure. Maybe your phone wins the bedtime battle more often than you’d like to admit, or every time you sit down to read, your mind drifts elsewhere. If that’s you, you’re not alone. Finding the right books to get out of a reading slump isn’t about discipline—it’s about rediscovering delight.
The truth is, reading slumps aren’t failures of focus—they’re signals. They tell us that something about the way we’ve been approaching books no longer fits the rhythm of our lives. Sometimes we need something short and propulsive to remind us why we love stories. Other times, we’re craving depth: the kind of beautiful books that invite us back to ourselves.
Whether your nightstand pile is gathering dust or you miss that “just one more chapter” feeling, the seven books below will meet you exactly where you are. From slow-burn literary escapes to the kind of page-turners that pull you in before you realize you’ve read 100 pages, these are the books that bring you back to reading—not out of obligation, but out of joy.
Featured image from our interview with Kate Arends by Suruchi Avasthi.
Why You’re in a Reading Slump (And How to Break It)
A reading slump isn’t a lack of interest—it’s simply a mismatch of energy. Some seasons call for fast-paced stories that feel like movies; others, for slow, lyrical reads that linger long after you’ve closed the book. The trick is to meet yourself where you are.
Switch up the format. Audiobooks, essays, and even short stories can reignite momentum when your attention feels scattered.
Change your scenery. Read at a café, in the park, or on your commute—sometimes a new setting is all it takes to remind you how good it feels to be lost in a story.
Start small. One page, one chapter, one quiet evening. Give your mind permission to settle, and the rest will follow.
7 Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump
The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
When you want to be completely transported
If you’re craving a novel that rekindles your sense of wonder, this one delivers. The Scent Keeper follows Emmeline, a girl raised on a remote island by her father, surrounded by mysterious glass bottles that hold the scents of their memories. When her world expands beyond the island, she’s forced to reconcile the magic of her childhood with the complexities of the real world.
Bauermeister’s prose is lush and lyrical—this is a book that engages all the senses. It’s a reminder that stories don’t just entertain; they awaken something in us. Perfect for anyone who wants to relive the feeling of being enchanted by a story again.
“Scents are the fallen angels of the senses. They are memories you can hold in your hands.”
Read next: The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
Activate Your Future Self by Mimi Bouchard
When you need to feel inspired again
If you’ve been in a creative or motivational rut, this one will wake something up in you. Founder of the Activations app, Mimi Bouchard shares science-backed mindset tools for transforming your habits and shifting your identity into the future you. It’s the perfect book to read if you want to feel like your best self—without the pressure of perfection.
“To create the life you want, you must first become the kind of person that has it.”
Read next: The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler
Other People’s Houses by Clare Mackintosh
When you miss the thrill of late-night reading
This is one of those books that hooks you before the first chapter ends. Mackintosh’s newest crime novel brings back DC Ffion Morgan in a fast-paced, emotionally charged mystery set in a luxurious English neighborhood where nothing is as safe as it seems. It’s dark, twisty, and unputdownable—the kind of story that makes you forget your phone exists.
“You want what they have—but what price would you pay?”
Read next: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
The Eights by Joanna Miller
When you’re ready to lose yourself in another era
Set in 1920s Oxford, The Eights follows four of the first women admitted to the university as they navigate friendship, grief, and ambition in a world not yet ready for them. Miller’s prose is richly cinematic, and the female camaraderie gives this debut a modern heartbeat. For anyone who loved The Paris Library or Lessons in Chemistry, this is your next great escape.
“They knew they were changing history. They didn’t know they would change each other.”
Read next: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell
Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
When you want a story that feels like summer nostalgia
Family, secrets, and one old beach house on the coast of Maine. Sullivan’s multi-generational novel captures the messy beauty of mothers, daughters, and sisters who love each other fiercely—even when they can’t stand to be in the same room. It’s witty, heartfelt, and quietly devastating in all the right ways.
“Old grudges simmer beneath the surface—but so does love.”
Read next: The Vacationers by Emma Straub
The Guest by Emma Cline
When your attention span is shot
If you haven’t finished a book in months, The Guest might break your streak. Cline’s writing is sleek and magnetic, pulling you through a week in the life of Alex—an outsider drifting through Long Island’s elite. It’s voyeuristic and razor-sharp, perfect for when you want to lose yourself in someone else’s beautiful chaos.
“She liked to think of herself as someone to whom things happened.”
Read next: Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
When you need a story that slows you down
Set in a near-future Florida reshaped by climate change, this novel is part dystopian, part elegy, and entirely stunning. It’s about survival, motherhood, and the resilience we find when the world shifts beneath our feet. For anyone feeling overwhelmed, The Light Pirate offers something rare: stillness.
“In the end, she doesn’t rebuild the world. She learns to live inside what remains.”
Read next: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Reclaiming the Joy of Reading
Reading is cyclical—some seasons invite deep focus, others pull us elsewhere. What matters most isn’t how many books you finish, but how the ones you do choose make you feel. If one of these stories helps you rediscover that spark, then it’s already done its job.
So light a candle, pick a book, and begin again.
