r/ReadingSuggestions • u/Educational_Gift_332 • 2d ago
what to read
so i have this problem where every time i try and get into reading i end up picking a book the just doesn’t resonate at all and it demotivates me to read in general. i have tried getting into a couple mainstream books over the years and i just don’t fw them. tried great gatsby, the alchemist etc.. and nothing ever really clicks. the only book i’ve read that i remember actually enjoying was white nights by dostevsky. so i guess what i am asking you lovely folks is what im doing wrong? how do i find the books that are for me? i’m tempted to look further into dostevsky but i dont know. any tips on how i might find something i actually want to read would be awesome! thanks
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u/IrateMormon 2d ago
For people that want to read but have a hard time sticking with a book, I suggest anything by Louis L'amour.
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u/BlooGloop 1d ago
Yes! They’re quick and fun! Riders of Lost Creek is a good one(I think it’s a series but I only read #1).
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u/Forsaken_Rain_9639 2d ago
I used to wander the stacks in the library and flip thru books that somehow get my attention,
Start anywhere till I find something that intrigues me somehow
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u/barbjuliette 1d ago
This is me as well that's why I would take so long finding books to read and eventually take home haha
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u/MortgageHoliday6393 1d ago
I was trying to get back on track, and I read every day now.
Continue looking for books. Check the threads here, there are tons of recommendations. Make it a rule to check two-three chosen books a week. If you don't like it, drop it. This is how I got aquatinted with Steinbeck (Of Mice and Men), and I'm reading his second book now (The Winter of Our Discontent). Also, another book I picked from a list made by AI following my specific prompt.
Think of a topic that would interest you: this is how I ended up reading a book written by a coroner, for example. I saw a book in a shop, and realized I would read it. It's obvious and common advice, but it makes sense.
Also, what worked for me, I have a few books in process at the same time. I read them for different reasons and in different settings.
And, last but not least, it's a bit silly, but I got hooked by a streak in my reading app. I remember to open it and read even if it's 10 minutes. I was devasted when I lost my first 14-day streak, so I'm taking care now 😁 There are lots of apps dedicated to various streaks. You can easily find a reading group if you need support. Surely, you need a book for that, but you will be looking for it, so reading
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u/LibbIsHere 2d ago
o i guess what i am asking you lovely folks is what im doing wrong?
Nothing. There are billions of books, it's to be expected to not like a lot of them. And if you're wondering, it's 100% ok to not like some books ;)
how do i find the books that are for me?
- You keep on trying more books (public libraries are free to use)
- You try reading different books.
If you enjoyed Dostoevsky, read more of his work and try other Russians writer? There are some truly wonderful writers from that part of the world. Say, Gogol, Turgenev and try Tolstoy (his Anna Karenina (I consider it the best novel ever written), or War and Peace. Edit: you may also want to try French 19th century writers (Hugo, Zola, even Flaubert), with whom you may find some affinity too.
If you never tried go for some scifi, or fantasy (the best way to get a taste for a genre is to read at least a couple anthologies, from various publishers and from various time frame). You may also consider reading poetry and plays (tragedies?). Why not read essays? History or biographies maybe?
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u/SimpleEvil 1d ago
Just get a light read. Maybe some of the indie authors. I just finished Dreambound by S O Washington and Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Good books and easy to read. A lot of people suggest heavy mainstream books and it’s not for everyone.
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u/BlooGloop 1d ago
If you can’t get into classics I don’t suggest reading classics.
Dostoevsky is wonderful! But again, maybe try something lighter first!
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u/Wonderful-Truck-3301 1d ago
You mentioned not liking popular or mainstream, but you name a Classic book you enjoyed- White Nights, by Dostoevsky, so why not try another of his books, he has many top classics (Crime and Punishment, Brother's K, Notes from the Underground, etc) or other classics. Maybe it was the theme or style of writing that clicked for you and something similar would fit the bill.
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u/NicePaint2863 21h ago
Maybe you don't dislike reading, you just dislike the books you're told you're supposed to love. I had this exact same problem. White Nights is a good clue. I'd try The Death of Ivan Ilyich next. Short, beautiful, and absolutely devastating.
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u/et-46 2d ago
Remove all your expectations, and ask friends for a book that they loved. And then walk through it with them. Talk about it with them. Find out why they loved it as you read it. It will motivate you. Or even Goodreads has a book of the month that you can through with people. Step outside of your expected genre, and take a chance at something you would never expect.