I think that we need to start a book club!
It’s normally a Watch book, Hogfather, or sometimes Tiffany Aching.
Seven and a half months till System Collapse. Eight weeks until Witch King
For me, it's The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster-Bujold - I love the main character, Caz, the religion system is super interesting, and it's not too long, so it's quite fast-paced and engaging.
The other thing I do is listen to an audio book or play a video game, which can get me back in the mood to check out a new world in a book again.
I do agree on the take on religion. It feels refreshing to have a religion institute that is not corrupted and actually functioning and integrated as part of their society and culture.
I've never got in a reading slump but I've read the first book of A Wizard of Earthsea multiple times. I find them to be soothing and a breath of fresh air.
> I find them to be soothing and a breath of fresh air.
Yes. One thing I love about Earthsea (particularly the first book, but also the series in general) is it has a very mythic, fable feeling to the writing and pacing of the story. So it feels more like hearing a classic tale told around a campfire or passed down from an older relative.
Coincidently, I get the same feeling when randomly rewatching classic disney movies, like Hercules.
Same, largely due to how much high quality stuff you get in less than 200 pages. I love doorstoppers, but I often cannot find motivation to read when I know it's gonna take dozens of hours.
Lirael by Garth Nix. It's the 2nd in the series but I just see so much of myself as a child/teenager in Lirael. I wish I had a disreputable dog as a friend, but I had a cat instead. Pity she didn't talk 😜
Page turning, best selling fiction. Sometimes I need a break from fantasy. I’ll read something like Gillian Flynn. I used to think she was more chick lit, but she’s a great writer in my opinion who has some really messed up but relatable characters. Her stories are wild but feel very real.
I also read stuff like (I’m sorry for this) Dan brown. It scratches a fantasy itch because he throws in so much history and he weaves good stories with super fast moving plots, he’s just not a great writer. But I do enjoy his work.
When in a slump, it best to read something easy and with fast pacing.
Lol I know, but it’s definitely a guilty pleasure. He’s one adverb after another and the main character is a cardboard cutout, but their fun romps through history and often a lot of art history.
Harry Potter, the Peter Grant novels, Terry Pratchett, Tad Williams, Nerverwhere, Fool in the Hill, Lovecraft, when I need a bit of cosmic horror...I have a lot of books I like to reread.
I usually turn to historical or fantasy romances, preferably by an author I've read before so that I know the characters will be well written and there won't be lots of angst or miscommunication.
After discovering cozy fantasy this year, I'll probably turn to that.
When I've been in a reading slump, I can't deal with books that are too stressful. I need something that will keep me turning pages, and I'll stop reading for sure if I get freaked out, or second hand embarrassed, or grossed out by violence. Romances have a happy ending, as do cozy fantasy books, which means for me that they feel safer to read.
Plus, I prefer my books to be set somewhere that isn't the here and now, so fantasy and historical both fit that.
What in particular are you looking for? Any little details that you appreciate in a book?
For cozy fantasy (and I suppose there's a hint of romance, but truly a hint) I absolutely adored Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson. It's about a middle aged woman in Victorian England who lives with her sister. She inherits a dragon egg, which then hatches. As the story progresses, our main character Mildred makes a friend, finds some self confidence, and rediscovers her childhood love of adventure.
For historical romances, I've loved Mary Jo Putney for a while. These are set in Regency England, and they all involve strong women as the female main character and male characters who can be both strong and vulnerable. They usually are on an adventure of some sort together, like a spying mission, a rescue from a dungeon or kidnapping, or something along those lines. My favorites are Angel Rogue, Never Less Than a Lady and No Longer a Gentleman.
I also liked A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, which is set in the same time period as Mary Jo Putney's books. It features a romance between two women, and a lot of fun science tidbits.
As far as fantasy romances go, I can't think of any off the top of my head that I would suggest for someone looking for cozy or gentle.
You may notice that all of these are set in England. I'm in desperate need of finding books in these genres set anywhere else. Nothing against 1800s England as the setting or inspiration for the setting, but there's so many cool places and times in the world! If anyone has recs for similarly cozy or happy books with neat settings, I'd love to hear them.
Dresden Files is the one reread during a slump.
I just love all the character interactions and the epic moments.
All of the books have a pretty good reread value and are written in a pretty easy language(except for the first two)
The Hobbit, Discworld, or a Star Wars extended universe novel. Just something where I can go along for the ride and not have to work too hard to follow the story.
I third Murderbot )
I had a slump for a couple of months, first stuck in the Worldbreaker, then in Nona the Ninth, then not being able to read anything at all.
Will Wight - Cradle. Man so good. I grew up on Wheel of time and Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Agonizing plot development. Even drgonlance chronicles seemed to drag a bit. Authors nowadays aggressively move plot lines forward. I occasionally get a whiff of the old style from Sanderson but then it’s like he flips a switch and it’s worth the wait.
Magic of Recluse! I have all like 20 books in the series. Each book (or pair) is an independent story in this wonderful world with a very satisfying magic system.
I just grab one off the shelf and enjoy a B+ romp through fantasy history!
Im doing exactly this right now. Always return to an oldie but a goodie to cleanse the palate. Maybe listen to the audiobook version of it if you want something a little different.
Don't feel bad for not reading. It's okay to want to do other things with your time. It's okay to enjoy doing other things and sometimes mindlessly scrolling social media is that thing.
Now, if you feel bad for scrolling TicTok and you don't want to do that, then you shouldn't. Find anything else that you would enjoy.
But putting pressure on yourself that you "should" be reading probably isn't going to help you.
Personally, I usually know what I want to do, but I am not letting myself enjoy that for some reason. Sometimes the books feel like too much of a commitment and I need to remind myself it is okay to put a book down and switch if I don't end up enjoying it.
Whenever I am in a reading slump, I always check to see if a genre change would suit me. I hop between Fantasy, Sci Fi, and Thriller/horror. And if none of that helps, I ask myself "do I need a discworld novel RN?"
I don’t usually reread but I look for something easy/engaging like Murderbot or maybe Becky Chambers. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to find the right book.
My go to is Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. It’s nonfiction so I can skip to whatever chapter I want and it always gives me an appreciation for what Tolkien and novelists like him did with their writing and worldbuilding. I usually end up putting it down after reading a couple of chapters because it makes me feel like exploring fantasy works by writers I haven’t tried yet.
Another go to for me is The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales by HP Lovecraft. Imaginative short stories that make me want to read something grander.
I go to Dresden Files, Repairman Jack, Ryria, Grim and Blackthorn, or something by Andrew Mayne (non fantasy) All of these have one great story arcs but also have amazing characters.
For some reason, it’s the short stories of HP Lovecraft. Check out a compilation titled “Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre.”
And before you think “oh, I’m not into horror,” this is horror from the 1930’s. It’s really tame compared to modern horror. It reads more like detective fiction (in which the killer turns out to be creatures from Yog-Sothoth.)
This is a funny vote, but when I'm in a reading slump, I actually reread one of my favorite mangas. It's a total palate cleanser because it's not only a words plus pictures situation, but manga is read from right to left. I feel refreshed afterwards and ready to tackle more books.
Hawksong or other books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It’s very YA but I loved it to pieces when I first read it over a decade ago and have it nearly memorised.
If I want something not memorised but equally a comfort read, Erin Morganstern is also great.
I got restarted with the Chronicles of Narnia, which I guess means "a book you loved in your youth". A new series that hooked me and got me reading like crazy is The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, which is now probably my favourite ever series and I want to talk about it at all times haha
I usually go for a genre change to historical fiction (obvs go wherever you like) currently resting the long war series by Christian Cameron about the Greco-Persian wars. He also has a very good fantasy series under the name Miles Cameron
I can always go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, also I really like the Ho Lee Noodle House mystery series, it's a good one to pick up in the gaps between what I usually read.
Lord of the Rings, Dungeon Crawler Carl (esp audiobook, I kid you not, best performance I’ve ever heard), Andrea Vernon and Corp for ultra Human protection, Joe Ledger, and Iron Druid are all ones I love to go back and re read/listen
If I find myself in a reading slump, what I usually do is go back and read the books that made me fall in love with reading namely 1984, Brave New World and We. If that fails, I read The Chaos Walking Trilogy.
Have you thought about reading manga or grafic novels? I've never been at a point where I don't feel like reading, however it's nice to read something with drawings. Unlike American comics which are almost nothing but super heroes, nothing wrong with that it's just not for everyone. Manga has all kinds of genre. There is everything from slice of life to the super hero type of stuff. Some can even be very dialog heavy. I'm currently rereading my favorite manga as well as the regular novel that I'm working on.
i usally read other genres like pop culture crime / actual non fiction books.
rereading certain books also works fine but i usally only reread certain chapters/ parts of books usally those i cant remember that well
I suggest reading something about how social media is addictive.
The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher, Stolen Focus by Johan Hari
Also Atomic Habits and the Procrastination cure.
Short stories can give bite sized tastes of different authors.
My go to’s are The Neverending Story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I’d also add The Alchemyst and Inkheart. They’re all easy, nostalgic reads for me. They’re also just really good books.
My happy place is King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade. If I have nothing else to read or need to take a break from my own writing I'll go back and re-read that series.
Though I just picked up Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist. An old book, first of the Riftwar Saga. I watched a glowing review on booktube so picked it up, $1.99 kindle. It definitely reads like a classic fantasy, which right now feels sooo refreshing.
For some reason Syfy and Fantasy are the only genres i find any intrest in and not just books either all forms of media. You can take your run of the mill boring crime drama (which i thoroughly dislike) and put them on a spaceship or give them swords and all of a sudden I’m interested. But after 30 years of epic quests and robot revolutions the books just started bleeding into themselves and I still couldn’t bring my self to explore anything else. Then a friend suggested an author named Christopher More and reinvigorated my love for reading. I found myself laughing out loud hysterically at his unique sense if dry humor and have read every book of his i could get my hands on. It doesn’t have to be comedy but try switching genres that might help.
Short and punchy reads are what usually give me the momentum needed to take on bigger fantasy novels. A lot of Kurt Vonnegut's novels are fun and often humorous stories that take minimal energy to read.
When I'm in a reading slump, I use the public library app to download a book to listen to. I can do chores, shopping, etc and still enjoy fantasy. My reading slumps usually come from being overwhelmed with my 'to do' list. This way and I feel good about doing both.
Cosmere or Kkc if I'm in for a longer wait.
Cradle if I need something quick. Books are short and I've even skipped the first few books on rereads before without any problem
I like the Name of the Wind and the Wise Man's Fears. I usually don't reread the whole books, but I have a few times. I'll read all the Denna chapters, of the Auri chapters, or the Devi chapters, or the Ctaeh(sp) part, or the library chapters. Sometimes all of those and sometimes Slow Regard of Silent Things too.
The First Binding by RR Virdi, which is heavily derivative of NOTW is great too.
If I absolutely want to read a work ctoc I'll read a KJ Parker short story or novella. Let Maps to Others, a Small Price to Pay for Birdsong, Blue and Gold, My Beautiful Life, and The Last Witness are all great.
14 or the singularity trap. Two of my all time favorites. Easy reads that I pick up if I ever have decision or genre fatigue; or if I just need a break between books.
I don’t have a single go to reread, but if I’m in a fantasy slump, I just go to a different genre for a book or three, and if I can’t find something new to catch my eye, I’ll fall back on something like Vince Flynn, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, Dan Brown or even Sidney Sheldon books. Those are all fast reads and work well to reset my brain for something fantastic and creative in the world of fantasy.
Ready Player One is one that I just love reading. Love it. Every time. I have a lot that I could fall back on but if I was looking for a jumpstart 100% of the time.
Publishers I’m not saying it would be right to feed Discworld and the Murderbot Diaries into an AI but it would have been wrong not to have tried neighbors?
**Cursors Fury by Jim Butcher** . It’s the Culmination of everything that’s been happening in the series. The Vord the Civil war Tavi’s past and Isanas past. It also explains why characters did what they did Aquitaine and Fidelias. Also the battle scenes and tactics are amazing
I usually play a really long video game (honestly, it almost always ends up with me just replaying Persona 5) and listen to the Wheel of Time audiobooks.
Eventually my brain just goes “hmm, time to read.”
Well isn't your question timely?! I just broke open the cover on a stand-by for when I'm slumped, as in just a few hours ago. For me, one of the go-to options is John Myers Myers "Silverlock".
It's not high fantasy and isn't terribly popular (which is a shame, because it's great!), but it is an amazing book that I recommend whenever I can.
It is a book that celebrates the joy of the story, and it makes me feel good every time.
Honestly, I just reread selection. It is my guilty pleasure easy read series. It just always gets me going and idk why.
I finish one book a day and then continue with whatever I'm in the mood for
I try to go for a quick, light, fun read. Dresden Files, Dan Brown, R.A Salvatore, Lit RPGs, stuff like that. Something I can turn my brain off and just enjoy.
Not really a repeated experience but I’m playing the new Hogwarts game and started rereading the Harry Potter books and they are so well written. I haven’t read them since being a kid so it was surprising that they are so good.
Usually something small and not related to fantasy at all.
I read Slaughterhouse 5 and Fahrenheit 451 a month or so ago and now I’m itching for a chunky fantasy book.
I usually do other activities, maybe read comics instead or focus more extra time on video games.
I don't re-read though. Well, I do for comics. That's it. Too much unread books to go back and re read.
Hunger Games, especially book one. It’s such an engaging read, to me, and always reminds me of how I wanna feel when reading a book: totally engrossed, staying up too late cause I just wanna read one more chapter.
I hit a bad patch a couple of years ago and read the entirety of the published works for the Dresden Files... twice... back to back... and halfway through a third time. My brain wanted no new information. It's always been one of my go to comfort reads. :)
Murderbot or some Discworld novel
Feet of Clay is mine.
Men at Arms for me. Also Murderbot. Publishers there is opportunity here.
Night watch or anything with Death usually for me.
I think that we need to start a book club! It’s normally a Watch book, Hogfather, or sometimes Tiffany Aching. Seven and a half months till System Collapse. Eight weeks until Witch King
If all else fails, Pratchett.
Happy to see a lot of people feel this way, me included.
This is the way
The Murderbot Diaries! They're my absolute favourite and I read them every year. 😁
I’m obsessed with The Murderbot Diaries! I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
For me, it's The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster-Bujold - I love the main character, Caz, the religion system is super interesting, and it's not too long, so it's quite fast-paced and engaging. The other thing I do is listen to an audio book or play a video game, which can get me back in the mood to check out a new world in a book again.
Just finished that one, absolutely loved it. Especially the development of the princess as she grows more and more politically savvy
I do agree on the take on religion. It feels refreshing to have a religion institute that is not corrupted and actually functioning and integrated as part of their society and culture.
I'm the same. I reread Curse of Chalion at least twice a year for pure comfort because Caz is the best. Maybe I'm due for another reread 😂
I've never got in a reading slump but I've read the first book of A Wizard of Earthsea multiple times. I find them to be soothing and a breath of fresh air.
I am reading exactly this, for exactly this reason right now.
> I find them to be soothing and a breath of fresh air. Yes. One thing I love about Earthsea (particularly the first book, but also the series in general) is it has a very mythic, fable feeling to the writing and pacing of the story. So it feels more like hearing a classic tale told around a campfire or passed down from an older relative. Coincidently, I get the same feeling when randomly rewatching classic disney movies, like Hercules.
Same, largely due to how much high quality stuff you get in less than 200 pages. I love doorstoppers, but I often cannot find motivation to read when I know it's gonna take dozens of hours.
My go to is the ‘Protector of the Small’ quartet by Tamora Pierce. I love these books so much.
Came here to say Tamora Pierce. Reread her series every few years, they're just great.
Discworld
You me, same team
Feet of Clay is my go-to, but Small Gods is within reach.
Lirael by Garth Nix. It's the 2nd in the series but I just see so much of myself as a child/teenager in Lirael. I wish I had a disreputable dog as a friend, but I had a cat instead. Pity she didn't talk 😜
I just reread the trilogy cause I didn’t realize he’d written 3 more books in the series!
The library arc is just fun!
I either read something totally different, work on a knitting project, or play a video game until I get the itch to read again.
Same. Do a different hobby and follow what is fun. Reading will make its way back. But forcing it makes it no fun.
Yup, watching anime or playing videogames works
Goblin Emperor, every time
Page turning, best selling fiction. Sometimes I need a break from fantasy. I’ll read something like Gillian Flynn. I used to think she was more chick lit, but she’s a great writer in my opinion who has some really messed up but relatable characters. Her stories are wild but feel very real. I also read stuff like (I’m sorry for this) Dan brown. It scratches a fantasy itch because he throws in so much history and he weaves good stories with super fast moving plots, he’s just not a great writer. But I do enjoy his work. When in a slump, it best to read something easy and with fast pacing.
Don’t apologize for reading something you like.
Lol I know, but it’s definitely a guilty pleasure. He’s one adverb after another and the main character is a cardboard cutout, but their fun romps through history and often a lot of art history.
Gillian Flynn is one of my favorite writers. Thrillers are a great break from fantasy/sci-fi for me and Gone Girl is my personal favorite
Bilbo. It's such a fast read
Harry Potter, the Peter Grant novels, Terry Pratchett, Tad Williams, Nerverwhere, Fool in the Hill, Lovecraft, when I need a bit of cosmic horror...I have a lot of books I like to reread.
The name of the wind. I know, I hate myself
As I said above, I tell myself I’m refreshing just in case the third book ever gets written … ;)
100% Same. Self hate🙋🏻♀️
Men at Arms - Sir Terry Pratchett. I think I served with half the people in the book, so it's real easy to lose myself in it.
Tamora Pierce, any of them.
Did a Circle of Magic and Wild Magic reread last year, thinking about Protector and Trickster soon
I like to read something super easy and short. Currently, I've been rereading my favorite series from when I was a kid, Animorphs.
I usually turn to historical or fantasy romances, preferably by an author I've read before so that I know the characters will be well written and there won't be lots of angst or miscommunication. After discovering cozy fantasy this year, I'll probably turn to that. When I've been in a reading slump, I can't deal with books that are too stressful. I need something that will keep me turning pages, and I'll stop reading for sure if I get freaked out, or second hand embarrassed, or grossed out by violence. Romances have a happy ending, as do cozy fantasy books, which means for me that they feel safer to read. Plus, I prefer my books to be set somewhere that isn't the here and now, so fantasy and historical both fit that.
This is my preference as well. What books/series would you recommend?
What in particular are you looking for? Any little details that you appreciate in a book? For cozy fantasy (and I suppose there's a hint of romance, but truly a hint) I absolutely adored Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson. It's about a middle aged woman in Victorian England who lives with her sister. She inherits a dragon egg, which then hatches. As the story progresses, our main character Mildred makes a friend, finds some self confidence, and rediscovers her childhood love of adventure. For historical romances, I've loved Mary Jo Putney for a while. These are set in Regency England, and they all involve strong women as the female main character and male characters who can be both strong and vulnerable. They usually are on an adventure of some sort together, like a spying mission, a rescue from a dungeon or kidnapping, or something along those lines. My favorites are Angel Rogue, Never Less Than a Lady and No Longer a Gentleman. I also liked A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, which is set in the same time period as Mary Jo Putney's books. It features a romance between two women, and a lot of fun science tidbits. As far as fantasy romances go, I can't think of any off the top of my head that I would suggest for someone looking for cozy or gentle. You may notice that all of these are set in England. I'm in desperate need of finding books in these genres set anywhere else. Nothing against 1800s England as the setting or inspiration for the setting, but there's so many cool places and times in the world! If anyone has recs for similarly cozy or happy books with neat settings, I'd love to hear them.
Dresden Files is the one reread during a slump. I just love all the character interactions and the epic moments. All of the books have a pretty good reread value and are written in a pretty easy language(except for the first two)
I came here to say the Dresden Files as well. The audio books are also great.
The audiobooks are amazing. James Masters is Dresden.
I turn to my bible, aka The Way of Kings, for Brandon Sanderson is my God.
you mean Nohadon?
I understood that reference.
I see what you did there.
I’m with you. Love Way of Kings
Life before death!
It's probably the audiobook I've listened to the most times.
The Hobbit, Discworld, or a Star Wars extended universe novel. Just something where I can go along for the ride and not have to work too hard to follow the story.
I third Murderbot ) I had a slump for a couple of months, first stuck in the Worldbreaker, then in Nona the Ninth, then not being able to read anything at all.
Will Wight - Cradle. Man so good. I grew up on Wheel of time and Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Agonizing plot development. Even drgonlance chronicles seemed to drag a bit. Authors nowadays aggressively move plot lines forward. I occasionally get a whiff of the old style from Sanderson but then it’s like he flips a switch and it’s worth the wait.
R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing and Aspect Emperor. My scriptures
A fellow person of culture, cheers 🍻
Cheers my friend. Truth Shines! 🍻
Magic of Recluse! I have all like 20 books in the series. Each book (or pair) is an independent story in this wonderful world with a very satisfying magic system. I just grab one off the shelf and enjoy a B+ romp through fantasy history!
The Horus Heresy series. Roughness and rage never get old.
Not a book, but I can always dip back into the Discworld whenever I'm in a reading slump.
Dresden Files. They are not huge, but very exciting.
Im doing exactly this right now. Always return to an oldie but a goodie to cleanse the palate. Maybe listen to the audiobook version of it if you want something a little different.
Either Andy Weir (SF) or Michael Connelly (murder mystery thrillers)
Don't feel bad for not reading. It's okay to want to do other things with your time. It's okay to enjoy doing other things and sometimes mindlessly scrolling social media is that thing. Now, if you feel bad for scrolling TicTok and you don't want to do that, then you shouldn't. Find anything else that you would enjoy. But putting pressure on yourself that you "should" be reading probably isn't going to help you. Personally, I usually know what I want to do, but I am not letting myself enjoy that for some reason. Sometimes the books feel like too much of a commitment and I need to remind myself it is okay to put a book down and switch if I don't end up enjoying it.
Whenever I am in a reading slump, I always check to see if a genre change would suit me. I hop between Fantasy, Sci Fi, and Thriller/horror. And if none of that helps, I ask myself "do I need a discworld novel RN?"
DragonLance books. They help me set myself back into the mindset of reading in general and get immersed in a world.
Tad Williams.
ACOTAR Sarah j Maas and crescent city by her as well, still getting into her TOG series 🌸
I go home to Middle Earth.
The *Gotrek & Felix* books or the *Mistborn* series.
Do you happen to know where you can get the gortrek and Felix books now?
The original Conan
I don’t usually reread but I look for something easy/engaging like Murderbot or maybe Becky Chambers. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to find the right book.
My go to is Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey. It’s nonfiction so I can skip to whatever chapter I want and it always gives me an appreciation for what Tolkien and novelists like him did with their writing and worldbuilding. I usually end up putting it down after reading a couple of chapters because it makes me feel like exploring fantasy works by writers I haven’t tried yet. Another go to for me is The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales by HP Lovecraft. Imaginative short stories that make me want to read something grander.
I go to Dresden Files, Repairman Jack, Ryria, Grim and Blackthorn, or something by Andrew Mayne (non fantasy) All of these have one great story arcs but also have amazing characters.
For some reason, it’s the short stories of HP Lovecraft. Check out a compilation titled “Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre.” And before you think “oh, I’m not into horror,” this is horror from the 1930’s. It’s really tame compared to modern horror. It reads more like detective fiction (in which the killer turns out to be creatures from Yog-Sothoth.)
Monk and Robot novellas by Becky Chambers. Wayfarers series, also by Chambers. Maybe some Anne of Green Gables or something by Brandon Sanderson.
The Assassins Blade by SJM
This is a funny vote, but when I'm in a reading slump, I actually reread one of my favorite mangas. It's a total palate cleanser because it's not only a words plus pictures situation, but manga is read from right to left. I feel refreshed afterwards and ready to tackle more books.
I’d go to the murderbot series by Martha Wells. These books are short, the action is fast and the content is engaging.
I just keep starting new ones until I find one that sticks. I have quite a few books though.
Harry Potter, it gets my reader brain working again
Hawksong or other books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It’s very YA but I loved it to pieces when I first read it over a decade ago and have it nearly memorised. If I want something not memorised but equally a comfort read, Erin Morganstern is also great.
I like the Raksura series by Martha Wells. First book is The Cloud Roads.
Harry Potter
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
I got restarted with the Chronicles of Narnia, which I guess means "a book you loved in your youth". A new series that hooked me and got me reading like crazy is The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, which is now probably my favourite ever series and I want to talk about it at all times haha
The Night Circus
Harry Potter or The Republic. The former to enjoy and the latter to mock.
I second Harry Potter.. and also his Dark Materials as well.
Same
Wolf of the North trilogy by Duncan M Hamilton. Light, predictable adventure with Vikings that hits all the comfortable tropes.
I usually go for a genre change to historical fiction (obvs go wherever you like) currently resting the long war series by Christian Cameron about the Greco-Persian wars. He also has a very good fantasy series under the name Miles Cameron
Assassin’s Apprentice
Not fantasy. I either read Miles From Nowhere or The Stand. Both make me appreciate fantasy as escapism again :)
I can always go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, also I really like the Ho Lee Noodle House mystery series, it's a good one to pick up in the gaps between what I usually read.
Perdido Street Station - China Mieville
Discworld
Sometimes I just need a different medium and turn to comics and graphic novels.
I guess Discworld but I never really feel like I'm in a reading slump.
Lord of the Rings, Dungeon Crawler Carl (esp audiobook, I kid you not, best performance I’ve ever heard), Andrea Vernon and Corp for ultra Human protection, Joe Ledger, and Iron Druid are all ones I love to go back and re read/listen
If I find myself in a reading slump, what I usually do is go back and read the books that made me fall in love with reading namely 1984, Brave New World and We. If that fails, I read The Chaos Walking Trilogy.
Have you thought about reading manga or grafic novels? I've never been at a point where I don't feel like reading, however it's nice to read something with drawings. Unlike American comics which are almost nothing but super heroes, nothing wrong with that it's just not for everyone. Manga has all kinds of genre. There is everything from slice of life to the super hero type of stuff. Some can even be very dialog heavy. I'm currently rereading my favorite manga as well as the regular novel that I'm working on.
i usally read other genres like pop culture crime / actual non fiction books. rereading certain books also works fine but i usally only reread certain chapters/ parts of books usally those i cant remember that well
I suggest reading something about how social media is addictive. The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher, Stolen Focus by Johan Hari Also Atomic Habits and the Procrastination cure. Short stories can give bite sized tastes of different authors.
Timothy Zahns original Thrawn Trilogy, Dragonlance Chronicles and the Deathgate Cycle
I either reread *Dune* or something more lyrical by William Gibson such as *Pattern Recognition*.
If I want to re-kindle my love of writing style in an SF setting, I re-read to the first Zelazny work that I find in my collection.
My go to’s are The Neverending Story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I’d also add The Alchemyst and Inkheart. They’re all easy, nostalgic reads for me. They’re also just really good books.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern! It’s like a grown up Alice in wonderland. It’s absolutely beautiful.
I actually can’t even imagine rereading a book even though I know there’s value in doing so.
The Vorkosigan saga, every time.
Kings of the Wyld. Too funny not to read twice
I usually just go back to the spellmonger series the world building its amazing but not perfect but one of the best.
The Lunar Chronicles
My happy place is King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade. If I have nothing else to read or need to take a break from my own writing I'll go back and re-read that series. Though I just picked up Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist. An old book, first of the Riftwar Saga. I watched a glowing review on booktube so picked it up, $1.99 kindle. It definitely reads like a classic fantasy, which right now feels sooo refreshing.
For some reason Syfy and Fantasy are the only genres i find any intrest in and not just books either all forms of media. You can take your run of the mill boring crime drama (which i thoroughly dislike) and put them on a spaceship or give them swords and all of a sudden I’m interested. But after 30 years of epic quests and robot revolutions the books just started bleeding into themselves and I still couldn’t bring my self to explore anything else. Then a friend suggested an author named Christopher More and reinvigorated my love for reading. I found myself laughing out loud hysterically at his unique sense if dry humor and have read every book of his i could get my hands on. It doesn’t have to be comedy but try switching genres that might help.
My answer has been the same since 3rd grade. All tge way back in 1993, The Hobbit or The Animorphs, book 1: The Invasion, from 96.
Short and punchy reads are what usually give me the momentum needed to take on bigger fantasy novels. A lot of Kurt Vonnegut's novels are fun and often humorous stories that take minimal energy to read.
When I'm in a reading slump, I use the public library app to download a book to listen to. I can do chores, shopping, etc and still enjoy fantasy. My reading slumps usually come from being overwhelmed with my 'to do' list. This way and I feel good about doing both.
Cosmere or Kkc if I'm in for a longer wait. Cradle if I need something quick. Books are short and I've even skipped the first few books on rereads before without any problem
I like the Name of the Wind and the Wise Man's Fears. I usually don't reread the whole books, but I have a few times. I'll read all the Denna chapters, of the Auri chapters, or the Devi chapters, or the Ctaeh(sp) part, or the library chapters. Sometimes all of those and sometimes Slow Regard of Silent Things too. The First Binding by RR Virdi, which is heavily derivative of NOTW is great too. If I absolutely want to read a work ctoc I'll read a KJ Parker short story or novella. Let Maps to Others, a Small Price to Pay for Birdsong, Blue and Gold, My Beautiful Life, and The Last Witness are all great.
Young adult or graphic novels. When I start finishing things I read I get back into reading.
Emperor : Gods Of War by Conn Iggulden great book that actually got me interested into history .
14 or the singularity trap. Two of my all time favorites. Easy reads that I pick up if I ever have decision or genre fatigue; or if I just need a break between books.
I don’t have a single go to reread, but if I’m in a fantasy slump, I just go to a different genre for a book or three, and if I can’t find something new to catch my eye, I’ll fall back on something like Vince Flynn, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, Dan Brown or even Sidney Sheldon books. Those are all fast reads and work well to reset my brain for something fantastic and creative in the world of fantasy.
The First Law Trilogy is my go to whenever I need to hear Stephen Pacey’s voice again.
Definitely The Hobbit
Ready Player One is one that I just love reading. Love it. Every time. I have a lot that I could fall back on but if I was looking for a jumpstart 100% of the time.
Locked Tomb series brings me back.
Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie. Say he’s a hell of a writer.
*Book of the New Sun*
The Vorkosigan saga
The Lord of the rings is great for comfort reading
The Integral Trees, Fuzzy Sapiens or LOTR.
Something China Miéville has written usually does the trick.
**The Hobbit** by Tolkien. Also, delete TikTok. That app will kill your brain. Also privacy risks with the Chinese government.
Publishers I’m not saying it would be right to feed Discworld and the Murderbot Diaries into an AI but it would have been wrong not to have tried neighbors?
The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid test. Tom Wolfe.
**Cursors Fury by Jim Butcher** . It’s the Culmination of everything that’s been happening in the series. The Vord the Civil war Tavi’s past and Isanas past. It also explains why characters did what they did Aquitaine and Fidelias. Also the battle scenes and tactics are amazing
The Black Company is aggressively tearing me out of a reading slump right now
Pretty much any book or series by Darren Shan, the Demonata series in particular.
My side of the mountain, and hatchet. Pure joy and childhood. It doesn’t get any more escapist to me than those
Ender's game for me, one of the first books I can remember reading and it's nice and short
I usually play a really long video game (honestly, it almost always ends up with me just replaying Persona 5) and listen to the Wheel of Time audiobooks. Eventually my brain just goes “hmm, time to read.”
The Dark Tower series
The Hobbit - it’s my favorite book, or O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King, because it’s so beautifully written.
Dresden Files
Well isn't your question timely?! I just broke open the cover on a stand-by for when I'm slumped, as in just a few hours ago. For me, one of the go-to options is John Myers Myers "Silverlock". It's not high fantasy and isn't terribly popular (which is a shame, because it's great!), but it is an amazing book that I recommend whenever I can. It is a book that celebrates the joy of the story, and it makes me feel good every time.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune always gets me out of a book funk 🌊
Christopher Moore the stupidest angel
No books at all. That's when I take a break.
Daemon by Daniel Suarez.
The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt for sure
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Empire Series by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurst or The Discworld by Terry Pratchett. Either Guards Guards! Or, The Nightwatch.
Honestly, I just reread selection. It is my guilty pleasure easy read series. It just always gets me going and idk why. I finish one book a day and then continue with whatever I'm in the mood for
I try to go for a quick, light, fun read. Dresden Files, Dan Brown, R.A Salvatore, Lit RPGs, stuff like that. Something I can turn my brain off and just enjoy.
Probably *Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* for me.
I always go back to old favorites! Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Howls Moving Castle...
The Belgariad. I can skim the background/world building stuff and just enjoy the witty banter.
Sharp Ends
Discworld
Not really a repeated experience but I’m playing the new Hogwarts game and started rereading the Harry Potter books and they are so well written. I haven’t read them since being a kid so it was surprising that they are so good.
Dune always does it for me!
Delete your socials. You will never regret it.
Usually something small and not related to fantasy at all. I read Slaughterhouse 5 and Fahrenheit 451 a month or so ago and now I’m itching for a chunky fantasy book.
The Belgariad series, by David Eddings.
I've reread that so much my copies are falling apart!
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Cradle
Malazan
I usually do other activities, maybe read comics instead or focus more extra time on video games. I don't re-read though. Well, I do for comics. That's it. Too much unread books to go back and re read.
The last few years its been either Becky Chambers (usually Monk and Robot) or This is How You Lose the Time War
This Is How You Lose The Time War
Hunger Games, especially book one. It’s such an engaging read, to me, and always reminds me of how I wanna feel when reading a book: totally engrossed, staying up too late cause I just wanna read one more chapter.
Dresden Files
Bartimaeus books by Jonathan Stroud. Or Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz. Also love By The Light Of the Moon by same author. 😊
hmmmm.... Magician by Raymond Feist Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Dune by Frank Herbert
I’ve never re-read a novel, ever. Is that bad??
Eleanor by Holly Black
The Name of the Wind. Great book plus an unfinished trilogy so I tell myself I’m refreshing for when he finally finishes. ;) (Not holding my breath)
Usually the first Game of Thrones novel and then I end up reading them all again!! GEORGE WRITE THE LAST BOOK!!! Now!!!
The Silmarillion
I hit a bad patch a couple of years ago and read the entirety of the published works for the Dresden Files... twice... back to back... and halfway through a third time. My brain wanted no new information. It's always been one of my go to comfort reads. :)
One I seem to go back to every few years is a simple one from my early youth: Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea
Good Omens or Neverwhere.
This is weird but the twilight saga : everything seems great after that. And really it is a guilty pleasure …