Trashy romance novels, particularly fantasy or occult (I normally read sci Fi and fantasy so this is the “I want to read but I can’t focus” side of that). Are they well written? Uh, no. Are they entertaining and easy? Yep.
Your local library probably has a subscription to the first, maybe even to the $econd. Granta’s a quarterly and I can’t say I’ve ever seen it in a library but its been around a long time and back issues are readily available @used bookstores.
I usually go to short stories, or old sword and sorcery novellas. For the former my go to stories are Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, Robert E Howard’s Conan, and Isaac Asimov’s Robots. For the latter I prefer Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance’s Dying Earth. If I’m feeling uninspired or experiencing a block, knocking out a few of these stories always sets me straight. They take next to no time to read and are great fun. I don’t get tired of rereading them.
Anything by Stephen King, for me. I also like quick-paced techy/sci-fi novels for when I’m in the mood for something easier. I’m a re-reader, so I will sometimes pick up something I’ve already read and enjoyed before.
Fun, feel-good fantasy stories, like Legends and Lattes. Bonus points if there’s a heist, a fun group of quirky characters, or well-built romance story.
Since I’m seeing Libby mentioned a lot: for those in the US, check the libraries in the large cities in your state, too. Sometimes they have digital-only cards available for statewide residents. You can have several library cards on Libby so you have lots of options!
Also check your area for Little Free Libraries, which are free “take a book, leave a book” boxes!
Yes, and there are libraries with cards for non-residents, too! That's what I use on Libby. These are typically not free, but some are low-cost. If you don't have a library card already, this is a great way to get one without having to drive somewhere. For example, according to this list, Fairfax VA charges $27 per year for access to a catalogue of "over 50,000 ebooks and 21,000 audiobooks".
I’ve recently started setting myself goals. I used to read non-stop before university. During my undergraduate degree I slowed down to finishing only a few books per year. By the time I started my PhD, where basically my entire 9-5 is reading and analysing dense 40-page mathematical papers, I’d completely stopped reading for pleasure.
Last year I set myself a 1 book per week goal and found that I was actively factoring reading time into my daily schedule, which I really appreciated. I managed to get through a lot of my reading bucket list this way, but at the end of the year I decided I wouldn’t set that kind of goal again. I ended up powering through some novels that I would’ve preferred to DNF purely because it was Thursday and starting a new novel would set me back.
This year I haven’t set a hard goal. I’ve decided I am happy with one book per month, and if I’m reading properly then I blaze past that. I’m very much enjoying the ability to augment my main reading with other reading. I’m currently participating in a book club over at !lovecraft which I find very rewarding and I wouldn’t have had the spare reading time to participate in this time last year.
I’ve noticed myself completing books I would usually DNF when I’ve participated in more formal reading challenges before. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding another book that fit the prompt so I just stuck with them.
I joined my first book club this year. It’s been interesting; so far the books haven’t been totally to my taste, but at least I’m trying new things that way. And the discussion has been fun! I think our most fun discussion was for a book that we all ending up not liking, actually!
Literature
Active