Anyone want to join me in a back to reading thread?

[PickySlackTastic]

My phone has melted my brain. The pandemic and lockdowns accelerated it and I now really struggle to read.

And I waste hours each day on tik tok, MN and a sudoku app.

First step is finding a book.

Anyone fancy joining me?

What kind of genre do you like?

If you are struggling to get into it, I would suggest a shorter book to start off.

I was a bit stuck in a rut with reading, and felt like I didn't have the bandwidth to read anything new - I was just re-reading old favourites.

There were 2 books that really helped me get my reading passion back

My Sister, the Serial Killer: The Sunday Times Bestseller amzn.eu/3BMUi3u

I Who Have Never Known Men amzn.eu/h3CK3Bw

Both very short and really gripping!

Have just read J D Barker The Fourth Monkey. My sister sent it to me. Not usually my thing as quite gruesome but today, I ordered the sequel at the library.

I used to read a lot. My first husband cited it in our divorce 😂 Apparently, I always had my nose in a book! Now however, it takes me forever to read. Concentration has decreased and I do need a quiet room.

Thanks for the responses. I hope no one minds me putting this in ND MNs. I have ADHD and lurk on this board. I also know reading could be an important first step in fixing things.

I used to read a lot of YA and dystopia.

Don’t mind a good thriller/crime but can’t cope with violence against children, salacious violence in general.

Used to like the more accessible end of lit fic but can’t imagine reading that stuff any more.

Love plot! Can’t handle lengthy descriptions. None-horror Stephen King would be great right now if i hadn’t read them all already.

Just bought a crime novel at station. Managed a couple of pages but then couldn’t follow and so tired. Too tired to read but then can play on phone for hours

My brain is the same these days. Constant phone use definitely gives me a shorter attention span.

Yes! Already tried a crap book and failed.

now thinking to read something I have already read. Even that would be an achievement.

If you like YA, have you read One of Us is Lying? (hated the Netflix series), I liked that, and YA might be easier to get back into things when they are that bit less challenging.
I also love the Elly Griffiths books with Dr. Ruth Galloway in, they are great.

I just read something far too long, badly edited and I persevered as it was a gift, but urgh! It's really offputting.

Oh I picked up an Elly Griffiths but didn't fancy it.

still haven't chosen anything...

One thing that I do read is old Enid Blyton books to my kids. Famous 5, Secret 7 type ones.

We've read 18 books so far this year and I actually really enjoy them.

Maybe starting with childrens/YA is the way to go?

I love books, love reading and can't imagine life without books!

To get back into reading, perhaps a book of short stories would be a good starting point? If you like Stephen King, he's written some great short stories. Or comedy - the diaries of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend are brilliant!

@ofwarren I adored Enid Blyton books as a child. It's lovely that you're reading them to your children.

I would recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Wrong Place Wrong Time.

I have just started reading Where the Crawdads Sing as there is a lot of hype around it with a film being made but I am finding it hard to get into as there is a lot of description and I need a lot of dialogue and pace.

Can I join in? Been really struggling with reading the last couple years. More than normal. Always had an issue that if a book didn't grab me right away that was it. Recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism at the grand old age of 43 and suddenly that makes sense.

I saw the recommendation for I Who Have Never Known Men upthread when the post was started and went to investigate as I love dystopian fiction, downloaded it, started reading and then of course I forgot to come back here...

Will need to go through my kindle for some recommendations. Loved Evelyn Hugo and where the crawdads sing.

I struggled with Crawdads. Have recently read The Crimson Petal & The White Michel Faber. Big read but very good. Took me a while though!

I've been reading Midnight Library for about a year. I keep dipping in and out but can't stick with it for some reason. Has anyone else read it? Should I persevere?

Crawdad's was awful, 100 pages about mud with the most obvious Mary-Sue character. I couldn't finish it. I really don't get the hype at all.

I've had so many books this year that have put me off, so I just decided to read Sherlock Holmes (again) as I know it's good and I will enjoy it.

I rarely buy books because I might get to page 50 or above and then just lose the will to continue. I make constant use of our library which is well stocked and we’re very lucky to have. I abhor the closure of public libraries. I wouldn’t be able to afford the number of books I get through but that’s another story.

Does anyone else get this…?

When I go and browse the shelves I might read the blurb and fancy a read. As soon as I start the actual book at home, I get the sense “everyone else” knows the set up and when I look on Goodreads for reviews it’ll say “This third book of four is the best yet” or “Book two in this series…”. If I try to source the previous books and can’t get hold of them, I might read as a “stand alone” narrative but my brain is “mithered”; like I’m missing something which of course, I am!

I’ll often continue. I’m reading The Fifth to Die by J D Barker at the moment and it’s good but, I know at some point, I’ll HAVE to read The Fourth Monkey, which comes before. (I’ve ordered it from the library but, it might be weeks!)

Can highly recommended JD Barker for gory thrillers, if anyone’s into that 😊

@WeirdPookah I really wanted to “get” Crawdads but just couldn’t fathom it. My step daughter bought it for me and she absolutely loved it so, I felt bad not being able to get into it but it was like wading through treacle dragging an anvil, for me.

I'd love to get back to reading again!

@AllJustATrialOfErrors it was my mother in law who lent me it to read, as she had loved it. I just couldn't bring myself to read anymore of it.