7 Books to Make You Fall Back in Love With Reading

Reading is something that often oscillates between a task and a pleasure. During the you know what that has been going on for the past year, my own on-again, off-again relationship with reading has been highlighted. Some of the best books I have ever read were a result of the extra time I had, while others left me frustrated that I couldn’t be off on the great adventures of the characters nor change their tragic fates. Given that bookstores have finally been deemed “necessary” during this re-re-re-confinement, I thought I would share some of my picks for the bibliophile and the ex-reader alike.

1. The Clockwork Universe by Edward Dolnick

This one is for the geeks…for anyone missing nights under the stars or dropping apples onto the ground in a performance-art-like appreciation of gravity, this book is for you. Real talk, it is about the emergence of The Royal Society, Newton, and modern science. Full of exciting history, scientific clarity, and mathematical exploration, The Clockwork Universe is sure to deliver on all your queries regarding the history of science. Its characters are Galileo and Newton, and its plot is history, and though we now know that theory of the Clockwork Universe is false, it is an unforgettable experience to follow our most famed scientists as they work and think through a religion-dominated, anti-science world and create something out of thin air.

Bottom Line: Science is cool, go read about it

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2. Little by Edward Carey

This historical fiction biography reads like a children’s story, with its illustrative detail, whimsical characters, and ever-evolving story… not to mention it has drawings on nearly every page. It follows the life and times of Marie, a girl in France in the mid 18^th century. Her childhood is harsh, confusing, and unique as she is taken in by an odd artisan. Later, she finds herself mixing with the royals… but I won’t spoil it for you. Do not be deterred by the length of this book, I can guarantee that you will not want to let it go once you start!

Bottom Line: This book is for those who see history as a tale of individuals

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3. Exercises de Style par Raymond Queneau

Originally written in French, Exercises de Style is a staple for every aspiring writer. Queneau frustrates the mundanity of story by telling one 195 ways. Yes, you read that correctly. For readers, it is such a joy to experience this scene from many points of view. For writers, this is an indispensable tool that will be sure to inspire your next work and push you out of your comfort zone. For those learning French, this is a great easy-intermediate level book that will help you break out of the mold of classic syntax and vocabulary.

Bottom line: This book is for those who dare to be creative

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4. There There by Tommy Orange

I was originally torn between suggesting this novel and Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (meaning, if you’ve already read this, give that a try), but I chose There There and here is why: this book will give you chills. It is simply transcendent in a way that is only possible at the intersection of poetry, experience, and immeasurable talent. This novel is the product of history, but it is not full of age nor does it dwell in yesterday. Rather, Orange’s work channels the power of a painful past to develop his unforgettable characters and tell this story of the now.

Bottom Line: The feeling this book leaves you with won’t go away

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5. A Key to Treehouse Living by Elliot Reed

For those of you with fond childhood memories of the outdoors and of imagination, this book will warm your heart. Unlike many books that draw from childhood, Reed’s work touches the confusing, disturbing and silenced aspects of childhood that are undeniably relatable. Told in an encyclopedic fashion, the story unfolds as alphabetically, through a series of key words and concepts that we learn from the character.

Bottom Line: At the heart of this book is a shared truth that authors are usually afraid of

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6. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

This two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author is incapable of disappointing. Perhaps you read, fell in love with, and swore allegiance to his earlier work, The Underground Railroad and are too afraid to read anything else in case it does not meet the sky-high standard. Well, you would be wrong. I would even venture to say that this may touch your heart in a closer way. While Whitehead is probably the most talented living American author, he does not let his talent get to his head. His stories are devastating, his characters are touching, his writing is phenomenal, and when they all come together, the product is a feeling that will linger with you forever.  

Bottom Line: This story is based on a real place, and that makes it infinitely more heartbreaking and emotional

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7. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

To be honest, I don’t know how to start, and that is how most intimidated readers feel about this brick of a book. Yanagihara’s story of four best friends and their full, complex, evolving lives creates the most vivid tale of friendship and the human struggle that I have ever read. Driven only by the past and present experiences of Jude, J.D., Willem and Malcolm, A Little Life reaches into each reader and pulls out a lot of pain, joy, sorrow, love, grief, uneasiness and hopelessness. But above all else, this story reminds of the beautiful necessity of relationships and the deep individuality that coats our experience in this world.

Bottom Line: If you read any one of these books, read this one.

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