I used to read a lot, but then life and grad school happened and I have barely picked up a single book to read for fun in the past ten years.
But now I am heartbroken and alone and nothing is comforting. I already posted for help about games to play but videogames aren't helping. Friends and work can only help so much. I'm so sick of aimlessly scrolling through social media. I want to pick back up on reading but I don't know what to read.
I really don't like medieval fantasy and have never enjoyed classics like Pride & Prejudice, to Kill a Mockingbird, the Count of Monte Cristo, etc. I have never really liked YA stuff like John Green (I'm also in my 30s). I've never really enjoyed historical fiction or any kind of nonfiction. I abhor self-help/self-philosophy books. I no longer enjoy science fiction…. I guess this is part of why I stopped reading. I don't even really know what I like anymore. I'm so desperate to find something to enjoy or cry over. I recall that once when things were really tough for me in the past, I found comfort in the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, although I remember nothing about it. I do love Shirley Jackson, although we used to read her together..
So…looking for recommendations for this picky ol sad sack. </3
by freakybread
9 Comments
Conversation on Love by Natasha Lunn. Honestly this book will make you see all other types of love in your life and it’s such a feel good book.
For horror reminiscent of Shirley Jackson:
* We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
For metaphor of grief when a relationship falls apart:
* Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Maybe also these, but I haven’t finished them yet:
* Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
* The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
For a lighthearted distraction:
* Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher
The Murderbot Diaries starting with All Systems Red. It’s science fiction but it’s got vibes that are just immaculate, cool, and comforting. They’re short, fantastic on audio and I’ve listened to and read them each many many times. Random, but my doctor walked in to my appointment while I was reading it, she was curious, and now she is hooked too, and she doesn’t normally do science fiction.
I can think of lots of other books that I feel would be nice but they fall more into the categories you listed that you weren’t into and I think Murderbot is a great way to get back into reading.
Sending you heart-healing book energy. <3
So first of all, hope you’re doing okay <3. Sounds like you’re dealing with a lot right now and that kind of overwhelm is a bear to live with.
I haven’t read *The Goldfinch*, but it seems like your enjoyment of it would indicate an interest in modern literary fiction. My first recommendation would be to reread it! Because I’d be inclined to think that if you once found comfort it in before, that returning to it (especially with how you mentioned not remembering much about it) might reignite that comforting feeling, and perhaps also introduce something new you hadn’t noticed before!
The “readers also like” section for that book on Goodreads lists a book I’m currently reading right now, *A Little Life* by Hanya Yanagihara. I can tell you that I’m really enjoying it, but it is not a happy book. There are happy parts scattered throughout so far (currently 25% of the way done, give or take), but it’s not one to take lightly. I watched my fiancée sob on the couch beside me for a good 45 minutes straight as she read the final section of the book. It doesn’t leave you feeling good, but if what you need is a deeply emotional read, it might be worth your while.
honestly “the midnight library” by matt haig helped me so much when i was going through it last year. it’s all about second chances and finding meaning when everything feels broken.
I feel like you might want something easy-breezy just to get started. For me when I’m having a hard time, I like something that’s sort of “cozy mystery” or light romance. (When I’m feeling better or able to dive into a deeper book I read more literary fiction but sometimes that can be a lot.) So to jumpstart, maybe try something like Louise Penny mysteries (they’re cozy Canadian murder mysteries, small town, good characters, full descriptions of delicious sounding food alongside the actual plot unfolding).
Or relationship-centered romance books like Carley Fortune’s or Emily Henry’s. They’re pretty absorbing and fast-moving so when I get into one, I don’t put it down. I loved Book Lovers and for Carley Fortune I loved One Golden Summer, but there are a handful to choose from for either author.
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
There’s a new series by Chris Culver, about a female deputy in Missouri who solves crimes. Totally out of your realm, and you might enjoy it. It starts with “The Girl Who…”. I wait to get his new books with bated breath.
This might feel like a weird suggestion, but if you’re the type of person who finds comfort in animals, there’s a Readers Digest anthology called Animals Can Be Almost Human, which is a big collection of short stories about people’s experiences and relationships with animals, both wild and domestic. They range from dogs and cats, to a rescued baby koala and an ex-animal actor wolf. Some are funny, and some are poignant, and the short story collection means you can sit down for a short read, and flip past anything that doesn’t grab you to read the next one. It was also published in 1979, so it has a slightly more old-fashioned way of writing, and there’s a lot more of people “adopting” wild animals as pets. YMMV on whether you can read this as a charming snapshot of a time when wildlife protection laws were much more lax but people’s love for animals was universal, or whether the baby lion in a furniture shop will make you pull your hair out. If you’re not in a headspace to read about animal death, even when gently written about beloved pets at the end of their lifespan, be warned that some of the stories do end with it. (I never really really enjoyed nonfiction either, but I still liked this and the recommendation below, so I’m hoping maybe you will too.)
I also find James Herriot’s work to be a very comforting read when I’m down (although same warning about sad animal death applies to some of his stories too.) His books are collections of short stories about being a veterinarian to farmers and cottagers in the stubbornly old-fashioned Yorkshire countryside, painting a beautiful picture of rural english life even as he’s aware that it’s a way of life slipping away in the face of modernization. His stories also range from hilarious to sweet to poignant, and they’re about the colorful personalities and big hearts of people as much as animals.
I haven’t read her myself, but my mom swears by Maeve Binchy’s books as her comfort reads, and says that she writes very human stories, with many fortifying cups of tea.
Also, I can’t really articulate why, but something about the vibes of the books you mention enjoying makes me want to suggest Barbara Kingsolver. Maybe try Demon Copperhead?
Best of luck finding something that can bring you joy again. Be gentle with yourself and don’t force it; I know they say time heals all wounds, and maybe it does, but that still doesn’t make it easy to wait for enough time to pass.