Book rut

[litskispeciality]

Hi all,

I think I'm in a book rut. I'm struggling to finish "Neil Patrick Harris Choose Your Own Autobiography". It's funny, well written, but I haven't found myself dedicating time to read. Anyway I need your help. 1 please put a fire under me to set aside time to read and just finish this book. 2. Could you please recommend a new book to read? Honestly I don't care the genre, what's the best book you've read in the last 6 months? I only have 2 on my Overdrive Hold and I need something to get me excited again. Thank you for your help!

[ufcasey]

Here's some of the best books I have read in the past 6 months that I think would snag your interest and maintain it, since you're having a hard time getting excited enough to dedicate time to reading

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch: a mix of mystery/suspense/sci-fi; I just finished reading this and I really liked it! Not very sci-fi-ish, if that kind of thing normally turns you off, so don't worry about that.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: non-fiction but full of suspense and drama. I had NO IDEA that pacific prisoners of war in WW2 were treated so badly

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson: mix of contemporary fiction/historical fiction/mystery/suspense I like books that kind of intermittently reveal the past through flashbacks, which this book does, so if that kind of thing annoys you, maybe skip this otherwise I recommend it

Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz by Rena Kornreich: non-fiction but very interesting and surprisingly uplifting at times given the topic

[aurora]

The best new book I've read recently is Stephen King's End of Watch. It's the 3rd book in his Bill Hodges trilogy, so if you haven't read the others you should start with Mr. Mercedes. These are more mystery than horror.

Sometimes when I'm in a rut I pick up an old favorite and re-read it. It feels more like relaxing with friends than a chore.

I also recently read and enjoyed The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.

[Wallflower]

I *loved* "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." I'd never read it before and it was such a pleasure.

[AJL]

A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Mist and Fury

[litskispeciality]

Thank you so much! I was so mad, I had A Light Between Oceans AND Girl on the Train on hold forever, both came up when I couldn't read them, had to return and re-wait. When I finally read them I hope they're awesome.

I'll have to check these out. My husband is a big Stephen King fan so he might like those too. While I love books I've never read King.

[pandora89]

I really enjoyed The Perfume Collector, I picked it up on Friday and had it finished yesterday even though I was also reading another book.

The Nightingale was also one of my favourite reads of this year.

[mrspez07]

I read something easy and entertaining to get out of the rut, or kind of check my pulse on what I find myself craving (mystery, historical fiction), it's usually the opposite of whatever I'm reading.
I read The Bourbon Kings recently, pretty predictable but it sucked me in like trashy TV.

[snshne322]

I really enjoyed Flat Out Love. I read it a few weeks ago. Kind of Colleen Hoover-esque. That's also another I would recommend. Usually heart-wrenching, but really good.

[litskispeciality]

I haven't read Colleen Hoover yet, but I have "This is Where it Ends" on hold. I've heard great things about her from this group.

I also love trashy TV stuff so I'll check that out.

Ironically Girl on the Train finally came up last night, so I'm going to put NPH down and try that. I think it's like you said, I just need to read what's hitting the spot right now.

[revjen]

I go back to old favorites too.

[litskispeciality]

Oct 27, 2016 10:41:11 GMT -5 revjen said:

I go back to old favorites too.

My goal if I could squeeze in 24 books this year was to treat myself to at least 1 re-read. I went to AZ for the first time on vacation this year, totally made me crave "Stargirl" which I've read 2 or 3 times. At least that one's fast. For some reason I feel like re-reads are "cheating" because there's so many new books out there, but it's also the comfort of I know what'll happen, and I loved it the first time. Or sometimes you pick up on something etc. I'd re-read "Gone Girl", but only with the audiobook, to really get the tone from the characters.

[aurora]

Oct 27, 2016 11:02:24 GMT -5 litskispeciality said:

Oct 27, 2016 10:41:11 GMT -5 revjen said:

I go back to old favorites too.

My goal if I could squeeze in 24 books this year was to treat myself to at least 1 re-read. I went to AZ for the first time on vacation this year, totally made me crave "Stargirl" which I've read 2 or 3 times. At least that one's fast. For some reason I feel like re-reads are "cheating" because there's so many new books out there, but it's also the comfort of I know what'll happen, and I loved it the first time. Or sometimes you pick up on something etc. I'd re-read "Gone Girl", but only with the audiobook, to really get the tone from the characters.

Well, if your goal for reading is always to get a new experience, then I guess I can see that re-reading is "cheating." But my goal for reading is to decompress (most of the time), so re-reading works well, and often better than reading new books! And furthermore, I find that for many books I get more out of them in a re-read. I've said many times that JK Rowling built in so many clues into the earlier HP books that I never would have seen if I hadn't re-read.

I did like the Gone Girl audiobook.

[litskispeciality]

I never thought of it as getting more from the book, but I could see that. I read a decent amount of mystery/thriller and I'd love to look back and see the clues I missed. Ironically I love watching the same movies more than once, but I can watch those in 2 hours.

[spedrunner]

I could NOT get through that book either!! I really wanted to!

Winter Garden
The Nightingale 
The Rosie Project
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Sarah's Key
The Kind Worth Killing (Peter Swanson)

Just a few of my "cant put down" reads!