There’s nothing worse than a reading slump. You want to read something but nothing is quite as good as the last book you read, or maybe you’ve put off reading for so long and need a way to get back into it. There are a few books I’ve recently read and loved that would be the perfect choice to get you out of that slump. These are the types of books that make the reader stay up all night until the last page. There’s a mixture of thrillers, rom-coms and literary fiction that will hopefully grip you from cover to cover.
Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
Honestly, this is a wild ride and one you won’t want to end. I’m not sure how Josh Silver came up with the concept of Fruit Fly but it works and it’s brilliant. The characters we follow are absolutely savage which leads to an insanely turbulent read. The story follows Malory, an author with writers block. When she googles how to write a story, the response is to ‘go gay and sad’. So she downloads Grindr and pretends to be her husband. She meets Leo at a party and ends up using him for the plot of her next book. There are so many things that happen in this story that I can’t write more without spoiling. The dialogue is fast and witty and it’s genuinely deserving of all the accolades.
So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
Holly Bourne manages to write women’s experiences in a way that feels so realistic you question whether she’s been listening in on your conversations. So when I knew she was releasing So Thrilled For You, I knew I had to pick it up. The story follows four women who each have a different perspective on motherhood. One who never wants children, one who is a new mother, one who is pregnant, and lastly one who is struggling to get pregnant. Each woman narrates different chapters so we get the inside knowledge on what they truly think about each other. You can tell early on that there’s going to be some tension as it begins with a fire at a baby shower. There’s a lot of drama but Bourne manages to show true understanding of female friendships.
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
I’ve spoken about this one before but it’s stuck with me for most of the year and I go back and think about it often. This is another crazy story – I think maybe that’s a theme with books and characters that I gravitate towards. It’s a pretty short book but has left quite the impact. This psychological thriller follows Lise as she travels by plane to a Mediterranean city. She’s completely unstable and her actions are unpredictable. There’s a lot of comedic elements to this, it’s not just a dark plot, even though there are themes that felt similar to depressive episodes to me. I won’t say much more about this other than you should read it. Especially if you haven’t read a book by this author before, start with this one. It’s one of my favourites.
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell is a master of her craft at this point. Her books are addictive. I don’t know how she does it but I will keep reading and enjoying her books. This one follows a woman who finds an abandoned dog where she walks her own. When she goes to return the dog, she realises she is outside the house where she was almost kidnapped years prior. It also leads her to search for a missing girl who seems to be wrapped up in the possible perpetrator’s story. This is a suspenseful book with lots of twists and turns. If you like any of Harlan Coben’s books or just a good thriller, this is the one for you.
Around the World in 80 Dates by Jasmine Burke
This was on display at a romance bookshop I visited, Main Characters in London. I knew straight away I’d like it so I bought it. And I wasn’t disappointed. The story follows Amorie after going viral for accidentally exposing some of her embarrassing relationship history. The outcome of this is securing a job writing for a travel magazine but the catch is she has to travel the world while going on 80 dates. The first person she meets and befriends, she chooses to travel with. Along the way they may develop feelings. This was a really cute read and would be a good book to pack in your suitcase for a holiday. I’m excited to pick up the author’s other book next.
What book helped you get out of a reading slump? Let me know in the comments below. I’m also on Instagram, Twitter and Threads – @bookwormgirl-24
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