I’ve been in a horrible reading slump for years. I was fine with audiobooks and podcasts but just couldn’t concentrate on reading.

Finally I’ve found that Agatha Christie novels hold my attention - they are fast paced, not overly complicated, and got me interacting with the story as I played detective while taking notes on the clues in the story.

Now that my reading muscle memory is coming back, I’m able to branch out to more complex books.

What type of books break your reading slump?

    • 0x01@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Such a good series, definitely some of the best developed characters of any series in recent memory for me.

    • TicaVerde@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      It looks interesting! How “dense” is it…like are there lots of names to remember or world building to understand? I struggle a bit with that if the plot isn’t moving quickly enough.

      • blacklizardplanet@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’d say there’s a fair amount of names. Not at the beginning but if you get to the later books, yeah there is. I wouldn’t say the world building is too out of hand. If you can keep up with an anime like DBZ I’d say you’d be fine.

  • d00phy@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Something like a Jack Reacher book. Easy and quick to get me back in the habit.

  • Specific_Skunk@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Any good thriller will do, but there can be a lot of chaff to sift through. I recently read All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, A Good House for Children by Kate Collins, Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morg (my personal favorite), and The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier. All of them held my attention and had enough twists to keep me awake far longer than I should have been.

  • SoNick@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Good Omens by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a classic, once I finished it I got into American Gods by Gaiman and then into Pratchett’s Discworld series

  • BabyWah@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I recommend ‘The Chronicles of St. Mary’s’ by Jodi Taylor.

    It’s light, fun (hilarious sometimes) and my favourite when I feel down. Mostly I read it, but the audiobooks are fine too.

  • prairiegrotto@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Red Rising + the series by Pierce Brown! Light Bringer (the latest book in the series) just came out, so you’ll have plenty to read. It’s punchy, violent, and a hell of a lot of fun.

  • aCosmicWave@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Some good old fashioned hard sci-fi usually does the trick for me. Especially when there’s a healthy dose of optimism involved (which is a bit rare these days). Project Hail Mary was perfect in that regard.

    • soupspoon@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Have you ever read Revelation Space? I wanted to like it but didn’t quite make it halfway, the characters felt really flat and I thought maybe hard sci fi isn’t for me. I do love Andy Weir, though

    • TicaVerde@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      Oh yes! I’ve listened to the audiobook and was captivated. It’s now my benchmark for how good narration should be for an audiobook.

      • WestwardWinds@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Check out The Blacktongue Thief if you enjoy fantasy. It’s narrated by the author and he is very talented. I enjoyed the book itself very much but I think the audio performance is half the fun, since he knows exactly how every line is intended to be conveyed.

  • STEbbq@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    Try short stories. I am having some fun with Harlan Ellison for the same reasons as you. Trying to break that slump. I also liked the Mike Hammer books by Mickey Spillane.

  • binxscomet
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    1 year ago

    Specific books I can remember: Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. Daisy Jones and the Six. Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow.

    Generally, graphic novels and spicy novels help as a brain cleanser. Chick lit. Or a plotline that resonates and absolutely lovable characters.

  • 子犬です@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I don’t know if I’d call it a slump. I liked reading, but just don’t read much.

    But I recently picked up James S. A. Corey’s first book in “The Expanse” universe, Leviathan Wakes, and I’m having troubling putting it down!