5 Of Our Favourite Books To Help You Get Back To Reading

Didn’t read as many books as you set out to last year? Find yourself getting caught up in endless minutes of scrolling through your phone and Netflix recommendations? It’s time to put that phone aside, shut your laptop, and grab one of these captivating books to get into the habit of reading again. Some advice before you begin: Start small. Commit to reading a set number of pages before your turn in for the night each day, and you’ll find yourself reaching out to your book instead of your phone soon.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

If you’re looking for: A romcom movie alternative

Since you’ve resolved to be less stuck to screens, here’s a great substitute to your Saturday night-in plans. In a classic college-rivals-turn-lovers story, a literary fiction writer and a romance author find themselves in adjacent beach houses, both struggling to move past their writer’s blocks. Banter ensues, and a deal is struck: they’ll swap genres, and help each other get out of their creative rut. A breezy, engaging book that delves deeper than its simple premise, Beach Read is a great way to ease yourself back into your reading habit.

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

If you’re looking for: A Black Mirror-esque reality check

The book follows the implications of a technology that allows people to download and access all of their life’s memories, through short stories centred around different, interlinked characters over several decades. While some characters from her previous book, The Goon Squad, make a reappearance here, it can absolutely be read on its own without losing context. This one’s not too long but complex, jumping time and characters, but will keep you hooked in a way good books do—plus, it was on New York Times’ best books of 2022 list.

The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid

If you’re looking for: A book you can finish over a weekend

The Last White Man is a short, simple read, but no less poignant in its message. Following themes of racism, death and loss of identity in a beautiful, lyrical way, the story focusses on its two lead characters, Anders and Oona, as they try to make sense of the world around them as it shifts and changes into something new.

Spare by Prince Harry

If you’re looking for: A juicy gossip session, packaged into a book

You’ve probably seen the gist of it on Instagram, but the book gives more context to the scandalous one-liners and quotes that have stirred up the internet in the past couple of weeks. Easy to read, it gives an unfettered peek into Prince Harry’s relationships and the complex dynamics at play within the British royal family.

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb

If you’re looking for: A funny, real take on mental health

A psychotherapist herself, Gottlieb draws from her own experience in this humorous, yet insightful take on what it’s like to explore your inner world, even as a mental health professional. The central character, a therapist in Hollywood with a successful practice, finds her life askew in the aftermath of a breakup. She finds herself seeking help from Wendell, a seasoned therapist, just to get over her heartbreak, but realises that she has more to discover about herself that she had cared to admit.