6 Books That Will Help You Fall Back In Love With Reading

Reading has always been something I've loved; but when I graduated from uni in 2017, it took me ages to get back into reading for pleasure. I was so used to reading tricky, heavy, knotty books, and analysing every word on the page, that reading for reading's sake felt impossible.

If you too have fallen out of love with reading, the below six books could be your saving grace. They reminded me that truly great reads don't have to be tricky and deep, highly literary, or well worn classics. They need only be thoughtful and well written: and a great story helps.

Here are six stellar books that will help you fall back in love with reading if you're struggling to get into the groove again. I'd highly recommend you give them a go!

1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

If you're after a serious page-turner, Big Little Lies is your book. Liane Moriarty writes suspenseful fiction in such a clever way that it doesn't feel dumbed down, overly dramatic or in any way predictable. As soon as I started reading this I was hooked, and couldn't put it down until the last page was turned. I love how she compiles a story in episodes from various characters' perspectives. If you want something quick and easy to read, yet incredibly compelling and well-written, give Big Little Lies a go.

Read Big Little Lies

2. Educated by Tara Westover

After I'd finished Educated I found it incredibly hard to find something quite so fascinating and original to read next. In it, Tara relays what it was like growing up in Utah in a fiercely Mormon family, and coming to realize that the worldview passed down to her might not be as accurate as she'd been led to believe. Her stories are often shocking and inconceivable, as at such a young age she was exposed to immense danger and horrific abuse. You can't help but feel her pain as she's forced to make incredibly difficult choices. Educated is easily one the best things I've read all year, and is a testament to the resilience and strength of human beings; as well as our utter fallibility. I'm already looking forward to reading it again.

Read Educated

3. Normal People by Sally Rooney

Normal People is another really easy read, that has you rooting for the two protagonists from the very first page. Sally Rooney writes incredibly well, with loaded sentences that leave plenty of gaps for the reader to fill. I like that you can take this book at face value, or dig a little deeper into what's implied and what's left unsaid. Her characters are incredibly relatable, yet incredibly complex, making this a refreshing read that stirs complicated emotions as Sally slowly reveals her character's issues and flaws. If you enjoy this, you should definitely try her debut hit Conversations with Friends.

Read Normal People

4. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

This book tells the true story of Lale Sokolov: a Slovakian Jew who was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau near the beginning of the Second World War, and tasked with tattooing his fellow prisoners when they arrived. Lale fell in love one of the inmates, and it's against one of the darkest backdrops imaginable that their uplifting tale is told. Lale's story is unforgettable, and shows humanity at its very best and its very worst. The whole book is a lesson in beautiful storytelling, and is a captivating read.

Read The Tattooist of Auschwitz

5. The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon

If you enjoyed Dolly Alderton's 'Everything I Know About Love', you really need to read this. Bryony Gordon's first book is hilariously funny and incredibly honest, as she talks about finding her feet in her twenties, and the trauma, hilarity, chaos and connection that ensued. The book's general air of comedy doesn't take away from the seriousness of some of its subject matter. She writes openly about her struggles with depression, alcohol and drugs. But for anyone riding the roller coaster that is being a twenty-something in a big city - juggling life, friends, relationships and fledgling careers - this is an absolute must-read.

Read The Wrong Knickers

6. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Americanah charts the journey of a young Nigerian woman named Ifemelu, who immigrates to the United States to attend university. At its core the book is a love story; but it also explores Ifemelu's experience of America as a non-American black woman, the commodification of race in America, the vacuousness of the American Dream, and the emotional and psychological fall-out of her quest to escape the 'choicelessness' of Lagos. This is an incredibly important book that completely changed the way I thought about race, and is one that everybody needs to read in their lifetime.

Read Americanah

I'd love to hear your book recommendations in the comments.