Are you (or have you ever been) in a reading slump? Specifically since the beginning or even prior to the beginning of 2022?
If your brain immediately answered yes to that question, then I want you to picture my brain doing a slow, sympathetic nod and replying ‘i’ve been there mate’. And though the internet would have us believe that there are people in the world who can read every single new release (and even some classics) without ever needing a break, the truth is that we have all suffered with reading burn-out at some point. Allow me to set the scene for you - you have just sat down in your favourite snug place, opened your book of choice, you might have made it through a paragraph or two, then quite inexplicably, you’re overwhelmed with a sweep of brain fog that clouds your focus so much that trying to recall the last few sentences makes your head pulse like it’s about to spring a leak. That my friends, is what I like to call, a reading slump. My life has been littered with reading slumps. In the past I've been known to go through month-long binge phases where I devour an ungodly amount of books from all genres, to suddenly feeling nauseated by the very thought of setting foot in a book shop. If you are a writer like myself, then you will also know how these reading slumps can affect your ability to write a coherent sentence. If I were to let you take a look at the resulting drafts (in the aftermath of a book binge) then you would find pages of word haemorrhage and nonsensical blabber that generally leads to nowhere and never gets looked at again. A bit like this post really. The slump doesn’t have to ruin your reading goals though. All is not lost. If there is one thing that I have learned about reading slumps, it’s that they can just as easily disappear as they can appear, and that means that there is a route to salvation out there for all of us. So, this is my guide book to that route for you…if you trust me to be your guide that is (a very risky and interesting choice). This is a list of books that I think you NEED to read in 2022 that will, almost certainly, knock the lights out of your reading slump. "But why would I read something new when I can't even finish what I have started?" I hear you asking. My thinking is this - whilst one book (no matter how well written or highly acclaimed) may steal the wind from your sails, another can cast you back out to the never-ending, ever-ebbing sea of wild adventure. And if these suggestions don’t do for you what they did for me, then I would recommend you read my other post on all things un-reading related when you’re in a slump, which I will be posting later. So let me stop rambling and get on with it. 1. After Dark by Haruki Murakami I should start by saying that I treasure Murakami books as though I wrote them myself so you’ll tend to find that most of my (in person) recommendations start with ‘You should read this Murakami book’ despite the fact that I find many of his books are written in a very masculine tone that others have said they find hard to relate to. The thing about Murakami books (and in particular this book) that I love so much is that his descriptions of places shatter any boundaries I have in place between the real world and written world. It’s not only a picture in my mind but a memory of somewhere that I have never been. It transports me to a place where I can see every little description and all of the character dialogue seems like conversations I've overheard people having in the background of my day. In the case of After Dark - it’s so vivid. Everything that happens is an experience for you the reader as well as the characters and it’s bizarre. It’s a mysterious story laced with sinister scenes, glimmers of hope (near the end), character analysis and insights into the different people you may come across in the dead of night. It’s one of the strangest stories I've ever read. It’s also only 201 pages so it’s not too difficult or full on to read. You may hate it but you also might find yourself so curious by the premise that you can’t put it down. This isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s also not going to be something that you can easily explain to other people. It’s just going to be a hell of a read. 2. Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola This is one for the mythology lovers out there. This is a collection of short stories that are modern day retellings of mythology from all around the world. If that beautiful concept doesn’t sell you on this book, I don’t know what else will. It’s the writing for me. This book is so enchantingly written that I want to do a chef's kiss every time I mention it. If you are anything like me, then you will be drawn in by the term ‘lyrical writing’ and when I tell you that this book is the definition of it, you will want to read it. Bolu Babalola does such an amazing job at capturing the original essence of the mythology she chooses whilst also providing a refreshing lens on the love stories so that none of it feels outdated or corny. She also has a knack for bringing so much life to these pages. Every story could be a film in itself and that’s a huge compliment to her writing ability. I would say that this, out of all of my suggestions, kicked my reading back into high gear. I think it was the combination of wit, romance, length and masterful use of language that snapped me out of my slump. So if that appeals to you, then give it a try. 2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid If this book has not been suggested to you yet then do you live under an internet rock? Or perhaps you have never ever stumbled across booktube late at night? This book was plastered all over my timelines, so much so that it reached a point where I felt obligated to pick it up for fear of striking up a book conversation with someone and being embarrassed by my lack of Evelyn Hugo knowledge. Having said that though, I can completely understand why it was everywhere because this book deserves every minute of the praise it receives. It’s just so good. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it’s written as though you are reading the biography of a real life golden age actress with all the sex, scandal and heart-break that you would expect (and crave) from that kind of book or if it’s just that the character of Evelyn feels so lifelike that you could have sworn you’d seen her films on TV reruns a dozen times. Whatever it is, you need to read it. I’ve never, in my life, wanted to call a book juicy but I have no other way of putting it. This book is juicy and you can judge me for saying it. Now, this book is not without faults (which I won’t go into in THIS post) but it’s something that I want to recommend because I know there will come a day where I'll want to read it again and I think that’s a really high form of praise for any story. 4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens There is a funny story behind why I read this book. A story that shows that sometimes the books you don’t even want to buy, turn out to be the ones that you enjoy the most. So, I was going camping with my boyfriend and as I knew I'd find it hard to sleep in a tent, I decided to buy a book to read at night. We went to the nearest shop and my first instinct was to buy ‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig as I had seen a lot of people talk about it. On the day we were due to go, I could not find that book anywhere so I had to leave knowing I had nothing to read. Whilst setting up our tent, we decided to go to Sainsburys and buy some food for a barbeque. Whilst searching I stumbled across a selection of best selling books on half price. I saw ‘The Midnight Library’ again and though I was certain I had a copy at home, I was determined to read it during this trip so I grabbed at the book (without really looking) and headed to the till. When I got there, I discovered that I had picked up ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and went back to find ‘The Midnight Library’, only to see the only copy had gone. So I had no choice but to come to the conclusion that fate did not want me to read ‘The Midnight Library’. It wanted me to read 'When the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens. To this day, I have no idea where that ‘Midnight Library’ book that I originally bought is so it clearly wasn’t meant to be. This book (Delia Owens) became my everything during that trip. I didn’t even want to put it down, so I took it everywhere with me in hope that I could sneak in a cheeky read in between our activities. The story really hooked me because it was centred around a legal case against our main character and I really wanted to know if she did it or not…because truthfully, I couldn’t tell. The character of Kya is so complex that even you as the reader don’t feel like you fully understand her but that’s what keeps you reading. The want to know more. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I couldn’t put into words for you because you can only experience what I mean by reading it for yourself. If you do read this, do not research it first. You don’t want anyone to spoil it for you because I can imagine that is easy to do. The fun of reading this book was not knowing what to expect from each character. So go into it without much prior knowledge if you can! 5. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J Clune The first book of 2021 that won my heart. I have heard that there are valid criticisms for this book that could shift someone’s perspective on it but I personally found this book heart-warming and a creative take on the found-family trope. There is just so much to rave about when it comes to this. The characters are delightful, the romance is subtle but sweet, the character development fills me with hope that everyone is good deep down inside (and really, what more could you ask for?). It’s whimsical, poetic and releases the inner spirit of childhood that we all hold inside of us. I wouldn’t go into this expecting adult themes or anything raunchy. There is some commentary on the rigid, unaccepting nature of our society and the persecution that those who are perceived as different from us face but it’s done in a way that makes it easy to digest. It’s not a gruelling read (even though those are needed in the book industry too). It’s also a comfort to know that all of the characters have an amazing support system behind them which we see in their interactions. This book can be used as an introduction to serious topics for children and that’s one of it’s main strengths. It’s a family book to its core - made for everyone to enjoy. I would definitely consider reading this to my (very far in the future) children. And so, there you have it. My definitive (whatever that means) guide to reigniting your passion for reading in 2022. I have tried to ensure that there is something for everybody in this list but obviously, there will still be some people who either won’t enjoy my choices or wouldn’t have picked them themselves and that’s okay. We’re all going to have different perspectives on what is and is not a worthwhile read but if you can take anything from this post, just know that being in a reading slump doesn’t have to be a long and drawn out process. If you focus on the genres that you know and love and trust, you will come out the other side with a hunger for more. I guarantee it. And (as always) let me know if you do take any of the recommendations. I love to hear from you. Best wishes for 2022, Hannah Writes
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