I am no stranger to the reading slump.
After all, I am a writer who reads, not the other way around.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to read. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. My TBR (to-be-read) list is lengthy and never stops growing.
But, I’m a mood reader.
Even though I have an endless list of titles to pick up and crack open, if I’m not in the mood to read, I won’t. And if a book doesn’t have me interested by, say, page 50 (sometimes 100), I’ll DNF (do not finish) it. The problem is, if something doesn’t suck me in from the first page, I’m slow to get to page 50. Sometimes, it can take me two weeks (sometimes more) to decide a story just isn’t working for me.
I used to always finish the books I started. No matter how long it took. I would chip away at each page, determined to complete it. But, if I’ve learned anything about reading in my post-grad life, it’s that life is too short. There are too many books that will resonate with me. To spend weeks, months even, on books that don’t, feels like a disservice to myself.
Unfortunately, this can lead to a reading slump. I’ve had years without one, but 2023, it turns out, will not be one of them.
Within the first quarter of the year, I read eight books. In the second, I read seven. I only read three books in the third quarter of 2023. Two 4-star reads, and one I couldn’t decide between a 3-star and a 4-star rating.
Here are the books I’ve read, in order, over the last three months:
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Rating: ★★★★
My friend Danielle (hi!) thought I’d like Beach Read and, boy, was she right. I loved this book about two authors experiencing writer’s block who make a deal to write a novel in their opposing genres. Of course, there’s a love story (this is
, after all) and the steamy scenes did not disappoint. This was my third Emily Henry book and, honestly, I should just read her entire back catalog because I have loved every one thus far. Her next title, Funny Story, comes out in 2024, and it’s definitely on my radar to preorder.Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Rating: ★★★ - ★★★★
If you like thrillers/dark prose that sends a shiver down your spine, you have to pick up anything by Christina Henry. I first fell in love with this author’s work when I read her retelling of Peter Pan, titled Lost Boy. When Penguin reached out with ARCs (advanced reader copies) of her latest, Good Girls Don’t Die, I hopped at the chance to receive one.
The story follows three female protagonists who find themselves trapped inside stories that are not only their own but that are based on their favorite mysteries/horror tales. It’s a story of survival, and it gripped me until the very end. The only reason I couldn’t decide its rating is because one of the three storylines was inspired by a dystopian kind of story, like The Hunger Games, which isn’t something I personally enjoy.
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra
Rating: ★★★★
I love a good retelling, and Virginia Kantra writes really good retellings. I was first introduced to this author when she came out with her modern retellings of the Little Women characters, titled Meg and Jo and Beth and Amy. Kantra’s stories are subtle retellings. Those who know the stories hers are inspired by will pick up on references to the originals, but if you don’t, it won’t take away from your reading experience. That said, if you’re a Wizard of Oz fan, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up.