The best books to break your reading lull

Why this book?

This book is near-perfect, probably in part because it’s surprisingly so. I didn’t intend to love this book. But with the insistence of a very discerning book nerd friend, I decided to at least try. This fun story follows two quirky kids who burst into flames when they get upset; and their newly appointed caretaker whose job becomes to contain them. Although naturally, it becomes about so much more. I loved it so much I’ve now become the one insisting everyone else pick it up, too. I haven’t had a disappointed reader yet. 

---

• Buy this book at:
• Bookshop.org
• Amazon

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Why this book?

How a book about money is so interesting is beyond me (I assume it has something to do with the author truly understanding, ahem, psychology). But this one is getting rave reviews for good reason. It’s almost addictive to read. Using nineteen short stories, it explores how historical figures navigated wealth, shows you why it was either a winning or losing strategy, and helps you apply to see the relevance to your own financial situation. This book will suck you in and make you realize that a lot of your own financial decisions shouldn’t be made on paper-only. 

---

• Buy this book at:
• Bookshop.org
• Amazon

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Why this book?

A hit debut novel, I’m Thinking of Ending Things will have you questioning everything—both the relationship of the couple in the book and maybe your own. Narrated by Jake’s unnamed, new girlfriend, the story winds you through the gripping trip they take where she meets his parents. It’s not always a super-fast-paced thriller but it will keep you turning the pages because, for most people (who haven’t seen the movie), you won’t see what’s coming. I love a thriller you can read before bed without nightmares, but will still have you waking up and thinking about it. 

---

• Buy this book at:
• Bookshop.org
• Amazon

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Why this book?

When Chika’s mother died, she was brought to The Have Faith Haiti Orphanage that Mitch Albom operates in Haiti. But at age 5, she was diagnosed with an incurable condition and brought by Mitch and his wife to Detroit for treatment. Looking back on Chika’s too-short life, and relaying conversations with her from both when she was living and after she passed, Mitch keeps Chika alive. Mitch’s ability to blend the real with the imagined is unique to his writing. This book will probably break you, but also help you transform your perspective about death into something far more hopeful.

---

• Buy this book at:
• Bookshop.org
• Amazon

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Why this book?

For creatives, this book is the move. Many writers who find themselves in reading lulls, also find themselves in writing lulls. Over the last two decades, writing professor Susan Shapiro has taught more than 25,000 students of all ages and backgrounds at NYU, Columbia, Temple, The New School, and Harvard University. And now the content from her wildly popular course “Instant Gratification Takes Too Long” is in this book for everyone who wants to get published fast, and with all the best secrets of the trade.

Byline Bible is full of advice for writers on how to break into publishing, but also includes tons of essays and pieces published by Susan Shapiro’s students, which make for great reading in and of themselves. 

---

• Buy this book at:
• Amazon

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.