Not having the will to read can be frustrating on a few different levels, but thankfully there are some interesting books to help. One of the hardest things about reading is when you get into a slump. It is the bane of a reader’s existence. Whether it is because you haven’t found a good book in a long while, or you just don’t have any interest in reading, there are multiple books to pull you out of that slump and get you back into reading!

1. A Good Girls Guide to Murder           

At number one we have Holly Jackson’s  A Good Girls Guide to Murder. This book is a nail-biting thriller and the first of a trilogy. For her senior project, Pip Fitz-Amobi has chosen a closed case that haunts her town. Five years prior, a high schooler Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh. Unless he didn’t. Unless Andie wasn’t the golden child everyone thought she was. If Sal didn’t do it, then who did? Where are they now? Pip has to solve this case fast; it’s more than just her grade that depends on it. Not only is Holly Jackson’s A Good Girls Guide to Murder fast-paced and full of twists and turns, but the other two books in the series are just as good. Surprising, right? If you love a good murder mystery, this book and this series are the perfect way to get out of a reading slump. Just make sure you don’t start it too late at night or you just might find yourself pulling an all-nighter. 

 2. The Inheritance Games 

Our next book is Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games. There are also three books in this series, but I

have not read the others -I do plan to- my opinion, for now, will be strictly on the first book. Avery Grambs is living out of her car as she waits out the days until she can leave high school behind and start over again at college. Life turns out to have other plans when she finds out deceased billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne, has left her his entire fortune. Suddenly becoming one of the most famous people in the world and having to live in the giant mansion alongside the bitter family of the late Hawthorne proves to be challenging to say the least. To top it all off Avery now has to play the twisted game she has found herself in to survive. Everyone can be the enemy and nothing is as it seems. I read this book over Thanksgiving break because I hadn’t had any time to read with my class load. It was super fast-paced, and I flew through it in two days. Don’t be intimidated by the size of it, the twists and turns will leave you racing to the end to solve the mystery. 

3. A Darker Shade of Magic 

Confession time: VE Schwab is my favorite author. I could not tell you my

favorite book to save my life, but hands down, Schwab is my favorite author. One of her books highlighted on this list is A Darker Shade of Magic. This is also a trilogy (whoops) and each book is as good as the last. Kell is one of the only ones with the ability to travel between the three worlds White, Black, Grey, and Red. Kell is an ambassador for Red London who often frequents King George III in Grey London (our world). Our other character is a thief and aspiring pirate Delilah Bard from Grey London. After saving Kell, Delilah is thrown into the magical and thrilling world of her dreams. A Darker Shade of Magic is great if you are looking for a fantasy novel cut from a different cloth and not bursting at the seams with romance (there is some later in the series). It’s not too much, I promise. This series is definitely one of my top favorites and will guide you back into reading, or maybe getting into it for the first time.

4. The Invisable Life of Addie LaRue

Another one by VE Schwab, there but are only two of her books on this list thanks

to my amazing restraint. Addie LaRue is stuck in her tiny French village in 1714. Suffocated by the expectations for a young woman of the time, Addie bargains for the escape of her old life to see the world. The price for this is to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Addie then floats through the world as a ghost. It is just what she wanted, but it is painful to be completely alone, well alone excluding the one night the Shadow comes and asks if she is satisfied and is ready to die. No matter her pain, Addie refuses each time. In 2014, Addie meets Henry who can remember her. Everything is perfect until it isn’t and Addie has to make a hard choice. This book is written so beautifully, and the ending is gut-wrenchingly amazing. It is by no means slow and boring, but the storyline is not as fast-paced as the previously mentioned books. If you are looking for a sweet romance with some fantasy, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is just for you. 

5. We Are Okay

This novel by Nina LaCour is a different tempo than the other works on this list. 

Marin has cut ties with everyone from her past life since she has left for college. In her dorm over winter break, her best friend is visiting and the lonely place Marin has created for herself will crumble. Marin will be forced to face what she tried to outrun including the words unsaid and the loneliness that lives inside. We Are Okay is a refreshing coming-of-age story.