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Books to get you back into reading

Books to get you back into reading

by Penguin editors

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No matter how much you love reading, it can be a delicate habit: all it takes is a particularly busy spell at work, a sudden infatuation with a video game, or a draining bout of illness to make you suddenly lose touch with books for a moment. It happens to everyone.

If you're in need of fresh reading inspiration, you've come to the right place. We asked around the Penguin office for tried-and-tested authentic recommendations – from fantasy to romance, to gripping audiobooks and short stories – that will help you out of your reading slump and fall in love with books (again).

The best books to get you out of a reading slump

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

There's nothing I love more than being gripped by a story. For me, that often means diving back into thrillers when I'm in a reading slump. I'd recommend any of Lisa Jewell's books, but The Family Upstairs was the first I'd read by her and I was completely captivated.

It's an unexpected thriller about a small cult living in 1980s upper-class Chelsea with characters that consistently surprise you. It's very much a page-turner, but has a well-written, brilliant story at its heart. There's also a sequel, The Family Remains, so you can read more right away!

– Kezia, Creative Communications Manager

Go as a River by Shelley Read

This widely beloved bestseller from Shelley Read is a coming-of-age story set in 1940s Colorado that is beautifully written and deeply moving.

With such a strong female lead, it completely pulled me back into fiction after a bit of a reading slump. I found myself rationing pages because I didn’t want it to end! I’d highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get properly lost in a story.

– Lucy, Social Impact Manager

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

This epic Arthurian fantasy follows aspiring young knight Collum as he travels to Camelot with hopes of joining the coveted Round Table, only to discover that King Arthur is dead and the Round Table is no more.

If, like me, you reach for an engrossing fantasy novel to get back into reading, then you're in for a treat. The Bright Sword is brilliantly written, alternating between two timelines to slowly unravel the mystery of what happened to Arthur. It also ties into present-day Britain, and what it truly means to be 'British', in a really interesting way.

– Bea, Digital Marketing Analyst

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

When I’m in a reading slump I think about what I need to get me back to the flow of things: something easy, something fast, and something that keeps me turning the page. For me, that means one thing: a thriller. Whether you prefer the crime, mystery, or psychological kind, thrillers always suck me back into reading.

I recently read Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura to pull myself out of the depths of a reading slump, and it worked a treat. Whilst not a thriller in a typical sense, Tsujimura brings you into a magical world full of twists and intrigue. It also reminded me books can make you feel a lot! I couldn’t put it down, which exactly what I needed to end my slump.

– Afsana, Audience Insight Executive

The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware

When I find myself abandoning books that haven’t grabbed my attention within the first few pages, I tend to reach for something from the crime section instead. With devilishly puzzling plots, tantalising cliff-hangers, and satisfyingly short chapters that compel me to keep turning the pages, these are the novels that always help reignite my love of reading.

Ruth Ware is an author who does all of this consistently well, weaving together cosy crime tropes with a modern twist, and The Death of Mrs Westaway – about a dysfunctional family living in a grand country house, with buried family secrets and a questionable long-lost relative who has inherited the lot – is one of my favourites. If you’re looking for a book to hook you right away, this is the one.

– Sarah, Digital Content Manager

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

I don't think it can be expressed enough how influential this book has been to so many marketeers fascinated by behavioural economics. Few titles – in my opinion – have the ability to articulate what it is to be a creative in such a rational, straightforward way.

I needed something to jolt me out of a slump, and, having been such a fan of Rory Sutherland for so long, knew that reading along with his voice in my head was just the company I needed to dip my toe back in. Recommended to me by my friend Michelle, this isn’t just a book for those fascinated by marketing, but for anyone looking to apply a sprinkling of creative thinking to their professional or personal lives.

– Sean, Head of Social Media

Imogen by Jilly Cooper

Look, I loved Jilly Cooper's Riders and Rivals, but when I need a book to shake me out of a reading slump, I always turn to her earlier books, specifically Imogen. Not only is it a pretty short read – 320 pages, and I've even read it in one sitting before – but it's also a swoony romance that I've been re-reading every few years since I was a teenager.

Imogen is a librarian in a small village whose quiet life is turned on its head when she catches the eye of a famous tennis player, Nicky. Unbeknownst to her, Nicky has made a cruel bet that he will sleep with her before he leaves the village. But, when this doesn't happen, he invites Imogen on holiday to the South of France, where she meets his glamorous friends. Simply put, Imogen is immersive, escapist romance at its best.

– Katie, Digital Editor

The Favourites by Layne Fargo

A reading slump is so challenging, and I’m a firm believer that only the right book and the right time can get you going again. I was in a slump myself when I finally picked up a copy of The Favourites. It had always been on my list and the intensity of this modern Wuthering Heights retelling was exactly what I needed – it kept me up way past my bedtime desperate to know what would happen next!

Yearning, combined with the complexity of elite competitive sport, works so well and this novel really reminded me how exciting a good book can be. It’s my go-to recommendation that provides a modern take on a classic story.

– Liv, Audience Insight Manager

When McKinsey Comes to Town by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe

Whenever I realise that I haven't picked up a book in a while, the solution is simple: find one to listen to instead. An audiobook about a management consultancy firm may seem like a dry choice, but as someone who loves listening to in-depth investigative podcasts, I was hooked from the first few jaw-dropping minutes of When McKinsey Comes to Town.

Each chapter feels like a self-contained episode with impressively detailed storytelling, and together they build a worrying picture of the origins, practices, and far-reaching impact of a company that has shaped our world over the last century.

– Rachel, Digital Editor

Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector

When I haven’t picked up a book in a while, the thought of diving back in with a 400-pager feels mildly terrifying. For me, a kinder reintroduction, without the big commitment, comes in the form of short stories.

My favourite compilation is Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector. With her otherworldly, almost philosophical prose, Lispector creates vivid worlds in as little as three pages, and the pace and variety within the collection inspire me to think openly and excitedly about the kind of book I’d like to pick up next. For me, these bite-size stories are a perfect reminder of the joy to be found in getting lost in a good book.

– Izzie, Channel Lead

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