Why can't I find a book to stick with?

[Nerf]

I have downloaded so many samples and books, avoiding anything that looks self published, but am finding nothing gets me interested and wanting to continue.
I wonder if the use of social media is making it harder work to concentrate, and why I can't now imagine reading some of the serious literature of my teens and twenties?

So far I have tried :
The Rosie project
Before we met
The twins
The winter ghosts
When I wasn't watching
A spool of blue thread (will probably continue)
I let you go

The last book I loved was touched by Briscoe, and I can still plough through Harlan Coben.

I agree. I can hardly concentrate on a book any more.

I think we're so used to flitting around social media and spending bitesize bits of time on things now instead.

That's what I'm suspecting. I'm trying to stop it happening to the children by buying books or library trips and making them stop using their phones and tablets for some enforced 70s style childhood!

Have you read "I am pilgrim"? I'm the same, but that book I couldn't put down.

I agree to some extent. Although I usually read a book a week for months on end. Then suddenly I can't find anything I can stick with. I think it depends on what else is going on in my life. I do hate those "dry patches". Also I think I waste too much time flitting between fb, mumsnet, email, texting etc.
If you want to get back into serious reading I think you need to set aside a certain time of day to do this, for me it's the hour before bed and the half hour before school run chaos.

I'll try I am Pilgrim - I've tried everything else any of my list worth revisiting?
That's just the kindle, there's a whole shelf next to me...
I do try that 9pm in bed slot but end up child wrangling and mumsnet ting instead.

Feel your pain Nerf. When my children were very little I mourned the loss of my reading. However, it does come back, although sometimes I do feel that I spend more time on Goodreads and amazon reading reviews and adding titles to my wish list rather than any actual quality reading!

I didn't read for years when my DC were little , just couldn't concentrate. I joined a book club several years ago with friends and it's been great. We take it in turns to choose and meet up every 6 weeks. It forces you to read out of your comfort zone and some of the best have been books i would never have chosen myself. It doesn't have to be strict. Maybe set one up with some friends?

Dexter, thanks, and my samples are an ever increasing storage space on my kindle - if I added to the wish list I don't think I'd even try to read them!
Book club is a good idea , but I think I'd need to join one - my reading type friends are All miles away and locally it's all Zumba and running.
Will have a Google.

Try 'The Road Home' by Rose Tremain, 'Remember me' by Lesley Pearce, 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruis Zafon, 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini.

You could always do a social media book club with your far away friends. Somehow the deadline forces you to plough on when normally you'd have given up. You could Skype or set up an FB group chat on messenger to discuss, wine in hand of course!

Yes that's an idea. There's one who loves reading.
Ok, thanks for the book recommendations - kindle next to me so can download some samples

I haven't read anything really (other than mumsnet! ) since our 2 year old came to live with us 9 months ago. I miss nice books that I can just sit and read!
Two of my favourites are the gargoyle and the thirteen tale. Also loved the house at riverton.

I liked the house at Riverton and the Thirteenth Tale. Not tried the Gargoyle.

Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes
When God was a rabbit by Sarah Winman

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry made me want to stick with a book on a Kindle for the first time in ages.

I had exactly this problem last year after dc2. Read only 4 books in total.

Have a look at the Fifty Book challenge thread on this board, that's really helped me focus on my reading again and make time for it. I have now read 11 books since Mid-Jan. I've had a dry spell where I was tired and couldn't settle on something, but I'm back in the habit now so it only lasted a week.

It isn't too late to join, everyone is reading at different speeds, has different commitments, and you can read more or less than 50, it is just a marker to aim for.

The really good thing about it is everyone reviews what they've read and you pick up lots of new ideas and recommendations.

11! Well done.
I haven't tried the Harold Fry book but I did love the 100year old man so might download a sample. I think it's partly a boredom thing