With the New(ish) Year in full swing, I am willing to bet quite a few of us have made the resolution to ‘read more’ this year. Even when you love to read, it can often feel impossible to actually sit down and get through a book. This can lead to the unfortunate scenario of your resolution lingering over your head all year, guilting you as you fall further and further behind your reading goals, only to make you sigh in December and resolve that next year will be the year you actually read more (ask me how I know).
So, to help with your reading-based resolutions, I have complied a list of titles I would recommend to get you back into reading, or to help you get over a reading slump. These titles vary across genres, so hopefully there will be something for (almost) anyone, but if nothing tickles your fancy, feel free to come and visit us in store, and I’m sure we will be able to find something that will re-inspire you (and leave you forced to come up with a different resolution next year).
What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
This new release is the epitome of cosy Japanese fiction. We follow five characters, each with their own chapter, as they encounter books at their local Tokyo community library that help to shift and shape their lives. This book reads almost like cleverly interconnected short stories, which makes it easier to enjoy in small bursts if that’s all the reading you can fit in. Not only that, but the lovely depictions of how books can shape our perspectives and alter how we interact with the world is a perfect motivating reminder as to why we all want to read more in the first place.
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
Best friends Poppy and Alex have the delightful tradition of taking a vacation together every year, and this novel follows them during a final last-ditch vacation as they attempt to remedy their relationship and their complex feelings for one another. Throughout, the narrative dips into memories of their vacations past, making for an intriguing insight into how people fall in love, as well as an incredibly fun and well executed romance. Emily Henry does romance oh so well, and this title is so well done that you will be anxious to finish it, and then sad that its over.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
This tense thriller is best described as a book within a book, following four strangers who are linked after they happen to share a table in a library on the day a woman is murdered. One of these strangers, Freddie, incorporates these three library goers into the book she is writing, and from there the story within the story unfolds. The unconventional style makes for a fantastically executed murder mystery, with the intelligent ending being the cherry on top. A great pick if you are looking for a very clever book that is hard to put down.
The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
A great option for the lovers of historical fiction among us, Pip Williams’ 2023 novel follows a young woman in WWI working as a bookbinder for the Oxford University Press. A beautiful tribute to the power of words and the books that contain them, Pip Williams is truly a gem of Australian literature. Even better, if you speed through this novel, Williams published in 2020 The Dictionary of Lost Words which works as a companion novel to bookbinder- perfect to keep the momentum going with your year of reading.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
While technically considered a children’s book, the Hobbit is something I would recommend to any age group. It’s no revelation that Tolkien is one of the great writers of fantasy, but I still want to emphasise how lovely and cosy this story was. Following the journey of Bilbo Baggins and his friends, the adventurous pace makes this such a fun read and a great escape from the stress of everyday life in the way that only great fantasy can be.
I’d Rather Not by Robert Skinner
It’s rare for a book to make me laugh, really properly laugh, but Robert Skinner’s memoir manage to more than once. Skinner’s hilarious and often unfortunate journey to create a fulfilling life in Melbourne is an absolute treat and made me appreciate how rare great comedic writers are. You will fly through this book, and following Skinner’s journey is a great way to set the tone for the new year, by reminding yourself that life is weird and absurd, and it’s best sometimes to just laugh your way through it.
Libro.fm
Just a quick note that if you’re keen to read more but don’t have the free time to sit and physically read, Libro.fm is a great audiobook platform that supports local bookshops- which we obviously love- by sharing profits with them rather than a larger corporation. When you create an account through them, you can select the Book Bird as your bookshop to support and start listening.
Recommendations by Penny
