How To Get Into Reading
and 10 book recommendations.
When someone says to me, “I’m just not into reading” I always say “you are, you just haven’t found the right book yet” and I wholeheartedly stand by this.
There are books and genres to suit everyone and their preferences, and coming from someone who experiences so much joy from reading, I am always trying to encourage non-readers to pick up a book!
There’s nothing quite like recommending a book to someone and seeing them enjoy it and then wanting to read more. So, I decided to put together some tips and 10 book recommendations for anyone whose been wanting to get into reading.
MY READING TIPS
Try an audiobook: If you struggle with having enough time or sitting down to read a book, then there’s nothing stopping you from starting an audiobook. If you already have an app like Spotify, they have audiobooks on there and there’s so many to choose from.
Start with what you like: Pick something that sounds appealing to you and what you’d like to read about. You may venture into other genres as you read more but to begin with, choose something easy. The genre that always gets me personally out of a slump is a thriller because they really get you hooked and build suspense so you just want to continue reading.
Don’t force it: If you maybe aren’t enjoying your current read, it just might not be the one for you, so try picking up a different one and don’t force yourself to read something you aren’t enjoying.
Read 50 pages first: Don’t just read a chapter or two, read a good chunk of the book (around 50 pages) in one sitting so you can really get a feel for the set-up, the characters, the writing style, etc. Sometimes when you only dip in for 10 pages or so you just can’t get “into it” so try this instead.
Join the library: If you don’t want to potentially waste money on books you won’t enjoy then joining your local library is free. You can browse their selection and also request books — just simply borrow a few and return them when you’re done.
While everyone has different tastes in books, I have opted for some easier reads here with someone wanting to get into reading in mind. Some of these are more “popular” books but that’s because they are typically crowd pleasers. I’d love to dive into more niche book reccs in another post. For now, I’ve listed a variety of romance, thriller, fantasy, non-fiction and general fiction.
Chestnut Springs Series by Elsie Silver — An interconnected spicy cowboy contemporary romance, found family and flirty banter, like what more could you wish for? I recommend reading them in order as it flows in the correct timeline and makes the other books more special when you get the references and other characters.
Anything by Freida McFadden — If you want a book that you can’t put down and prefer a thriller, then anything by Freida is a go. My favourites are; The Housemaid (soon to be a film), Never Lie, One By One, The Inmate. These are very easy, PG thrillers that are short and fast-paced — perfect for a newbie. They are all usually on Kindle Unlimited too.
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings — I know this won’t be everyones cup of tea and at first I wasn’t sure if it was mine, BUT it is a series and there is so much that happens as you progress through the books, there is a lot of character development and by the end I was absolutely hooked on these characters and this world. This one is very much vibes over plot, heavily character-driven, toxic romance, found family, and so much more (that I don’t want to spoil). It often gets compared to Gossip Girl and I can see why — I always say this one is like if reality TV was a book — bingeable, messy, flawed-humans.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna — Your answer to a cosy, witchy, magical fantasy for this time of year. I got approved for the ARC of this earlier this year and I literally kicked my feet with excitement, I seriously loved it. A cosy book will always be right up my street and I hadn’t read anything like this before, we follow a witch who is trying to get her powers back whilst running a magical inn based in England. Filled with quirky side characters, a lil romance, and plenty of magic, this one is a must for fantasy lovers.
The Wedding People — One of my (unexpected) favourite reads of 2025 so far! More of a general fiction recc for you that explores themes of rich chaotic weddings, dysfunctional families, romance, friendship, grief, marriage and mental health. Again, there’s not a massive plot per se and it is more so character-driven, but I did not want this book to end and wished I could be at this wedding.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez — This was such a sweet romance about two people with an age gap that come from different backgrounds and how they navigate that to (maybe or maybe not) come out on the other end together. If you feel like devouring a heartfelt romance, pick this one up.
The Third Gilmore Girl — If you’re a lover of hearing people’s life stories, and also happen to be a Gilmore girls fan, then Kelly Bishop’s memoir is the one for you. I was utterly fascinated by and in awe of the story of Kelly’s life, how she came to be the Kelly Bishop we know and love, and the behind-the-scenes details on her life’s work.
Woman on the Verge by Kim Hooper — I requested the ARC for this and I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect going into it, but I was intrigued by the synopsis. This book explores maternal ambivalence from multiple female perspectives, as well as themes of grief, mental health and relationships. If you think you’d enjoy reading about complex characters, and don’t have any issue reading experiences regarding motherhood, then this could be one for you to dive into. I don’t want to say too much as it’s really a journey you should go into blind.
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand — This book feels summery yet cosy and like you wish you could go and stay on Nantucket at this hotel with these curious characters. There’s just something about an Elin book that has you constantly turning the next page (and this one was a library find for me!).
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren — This is one I recommend to take on your holiday if you’ve got some autumn/winter sun breaks coming up. I love Christina’s writing, it’s just so fun and easy to follow. The Paradise Problem felt like a bingeable rom-com with rich people family drama mixed with fake dating.
All of this to say, reading is such an immersive and expansive hobby if you let it be. Find your vibe and what you enjoy reading and I promise your life will be forever changed.
I’d love to know if you plan on reading any of these, or better yet, if you already have then what did you think? Any other beginner-friendly reccs — drop them in the comments for people to take note of.
Imogen x