How to rediscover classics,
find new titles that interest you and have more fun with reading
If it’s been years since you’ve picked up a book (no judgment!), the idea of reentering the vast and always-expanding world of literature can be overwhelming. But with genres that cover everything from werewolves to World War II and reading formats that accommodate all kinds of lifestyles, becoming a reader is easier than ever.
“Every child is an artist, but as they get older, most people stop drawing, stop coloring, and I think it can be the same way with reading,” said Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “Every child loves stories, but somewhere along the line, we lose that. The secret here is to get back in touch with that inner child and ask yourself, what kinds of stories do I want to hear now?”
Find a book
Caitlin Loving, head of circulation at Bedford Public Library, said one of the most common hang-ups people have about reading is simply not knowing what to read.
“There is such a wealth of options, which is nice, but it can also be really overwhelming and intimidating,” Loving said, “and if it’s been a while [since you’ve read], you may not know what you’d like.”
Books based on or related to your favorite films and TV series can be a great starting point, Loving said, as they allow you to dive deeper into a story or subject that you know you’re interested in.
“Even though you know what the book is about, there’s often a lot that gets left out [in the screen adaptation], so reading the book can really add to your enjoyment,” she said.
Another popular gateway to reading is nonfiction, said Emily Weiss, head of reference services at Bedford Public Library. You can explore a memoir or autobiography by a person who’s always fascinated you, or a self-help guide that addresses an area of your life that you want to improve, or a commentary on a social or political issue that you’re passionate about.
“If you have someone who is a reluctant reader but really likes sports, a nonfiction book about a sports team or a biography on an athlete will oftentimes draw them in,” Weiss said.
“When I read nonfiction, I can’t stop talking about what I’ve read to other people,” added Susan Harmon, information and technology librarian at Manchester City Library. “It’s a great way to learn more about something interesting or weird, or to become an expert on a subject or hobby of some kind.”
If reading a whole book feels like too much to start, try a book of poetry, short stories, a graphic novel or a novella instead.
“Warm up your reading muscles first … and start small,” said Rachel Stover, technical services assistant at Manchester City Library. “If you haven’t read anything in a while, something too long might get discouraging.”
There’s no shame in reading a young adult or children’s book either, said Sarah St. Martin, systems librarian for GMILCS, Inc., a nonprofit consortium of public and academic libraries in New Hampshire,
“Don’t limit yourself,” she said. “There are so many great children’s stories out there, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t read them.”
“It truly is a golden age for young adult literature,” Herrmann added. “These are books that have great stories and characters … and don’t involve a huge time commitment.”
Podcasts, YouTube channels and magazines often provide recommendations of new titles, especially within a particular genre or niche.
“A lot of YouTubers talk about books they’ve read that go along with what they talk about on their channel, so that can be a really good springboard,” Harmon said.
For more personalized recommendations, reach out to family, friends and co-workers who are readers and know what your interests are, or talk with the staff at your local library or bookstore, who can give you recommendations based on your interests, reading level and goals.
“The people who work in those places are in love with books,” Herrmann said. “They’ll help connect you with the kinds of stories that you’re looking for.”
To read or not to read
Inevitably, you will pick up some books that looked promising at first glance but fall short of your expectations. At that point, you’ll need to decide whether you want to cut your losses early on, read a little more in hopes that it redeems itself, or finish the book regardless.
A good rule of thumb is to read at least 50 pages of a book before making a judgment, Loving said; if it hasn’t appealed to you by then, it’s probably never going to, but if you want to be sure that you aren’t missing out, take a look at the reviews.
“Oftentimes a review will say, ‘It picks up in the second half,’ or ‘The ending is worth it,’ and that can be helpful for deciding if you want to keep going with it or not,” Loving said.
The reverse is also possible:
“You might start a book and be really into it, and then, halfway through, it changes and you aren’t into it anymore,” St. Martin said.
Whether you’re 20 pages in or 200 pages in, if you know that the book just isn’t for you, it’s OK to put it to rest and move on to a book you find more enjoyable.
“A lot of people feel like they have to stick with a book, even if it’s not really capturing their attention, or else they feel like a failure,” Loving said. “I say life is too short for that.”
“There are hundreds of thousands of books that you could be reading, so why read something that’s not speaking to you?” Weiss added.
Make the time
Many people think they don’t have time to read, St. Martin said, but one easy way to find time is to identify the minutes spent checking the news or social media between tasks and use those minutes to read instead.
“Even just that short amount of time is a good way to start,” she said.
If you’re out and about, Loving said, bring a book or download an ebook on your phone so that you can squeeze some reading in while you’re in line at the grocery store, in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or taking public transportation.
“If you’re really hooked on a book, you’ll see that no amount of time is too short,” she said. “You’ll be looking for every little moment to read because you won’t want to put it down.”
If you are able to set aside a more consistent time for reading each day, Harmon said, try to make it an “experience ” — something you look forward to — as opposed to an obligation. One way to do that is by finding a quiet reading space with comfortable seating and sufficient lighting. A cup of hot cocoa, coffee, tea or another hot drink is also a nice touch.
“Minimize distractions,” Harmon said. “Go to the bathroom, eat a snack, get a drink and get comfy.”
Listen up
If a sit-down reading time isn’t feasible, audiobooks may be the best option because they allow you to multitask.
“You can listen while doing boring chores, cooking, exercising, walking, driving,” Harmon said. “It makes the time pass faster … and you get some reading done.”
Audiobooks aren’t just convenient; they’re another way for readers to experience a story.
“Some books you might enjoy more on audiobook, some you might enjoy better reading — it depends,” St. Martin said. “If you’re reading a book and you’re not getting a good feel for it, listening to it on audiobook may make the imagery and characters and everything come alive for you.”
The narrator can make or break an audiobook, Harmon said, so try listening to a sample first, if possible. An over-dramatic or silly voicing of the characters; unfamiliar or odd word pronunciations; or insufficient pop filtering during the recording can be a dealbreaker, Harmon said, but a well-narrated audiobook can be magical.
“There are books I listened to as audiobooks that have become some of my favorite books, simply because the narrator added so much to it,” she said. “He can bring the characters to life in a way that my imagination wouldn’t have done.”
Discover the classics
Local librarians shared 30 classic books that are worth reading outside of English class.
Recommended by Emily Weiss, head of reference services; Caitlin Loving, head of circulation; and Patricia Kline-Millard, reference librarian, at Bedford Public Library:
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• White Fang by Jack London
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• Dune by Frank Herbert
• Blackout by Connie Willis
Recommended by Susan Harmon, information and technology librarian, and Rachel Stover, technical services assistant, at Manchester City Library:
• Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• Beowulf by Unknown
• The Forever King by Molly Cochran
• Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
• Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
• Epic of Gilgamesh, author unknown, or Sin-Leqi-Unninni
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Classics made easy
Caitlin Loving, head of circulation at Bedford Public Library, shared eight tips for enjoying classic books.
1. Simplify with an annotated edition. “They have detailed explanations of words, phrases, and period details that will enrich your understanding and reading experience,” Loving said. “For example, the annotated edition of Moby-Dick explains all of the obscure nineteenth-century whaling terms, which will definitely enhance your understanding of the story.”
2. Break it down. “Moby-Dick actually has short chapters, and it’s great to read it this way, and a lot of celebrated literature was serialized before it was collected in novel form,” Loving said.
3. Get academic. “You can take notes to keep characters straight and solidify your understanding, and you can look up words you don’t know,” Loving said. “If you’d like to get more formal about it, there are lectures available for free online.”
4. Read a nonfiction book about the book,such asOn Reading the Grapes of Wrath by Susan Shillinglaw, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan, and Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick. “These are often fairly short and can bring out aspects of the story you might have missed, or enhance your experience by diving deeper into it,” Loving said. “It’s almost like taking a class about the book or discussing it with a good friend.”
5. Listen to it on audiobook. “Hearing the story can provide greater comprehension,” Loving said, “and one advantage of classics is that there are often several different narrators to choose from so that you can select the voice that speaks to you.”
6. Try a graphic novel adaptation. “The visual aspect can add a lot to the experience,” Loving said. “While they are often abridged, it’s still a great way to read a classic, either to jog your memory, in addition to reading the full text, or just as a way to get to know more classics than you might have time for otherwise.”
7. Find a reading buddy. “You can gush about symbolism, commiserate over the extensive number of indistinguishable Russian surnames, and hold each other accountable for finishing books,” Loving said.
8. Don’t force it. “If you get 50 pages in … and you’re not into it, it’s okay to give up,” Loving said. “No one is grading you, and just because someone decided it belongs in the Western canon does not mean you are obligated to read it.”
New books for new bookworms
Susan Harmon, information and technology librarian at Manchester City Library, shared 10 approachable new releases that have been popular at the library.
• Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
“A deeply ruminative story on depression, addiction, grief, loss, science, religion, faith and love. Readers were drawn in by the engaging and lyrical writing, and the strong character development. You’ll definitely cry.”
• The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
“A well-researched, funny and deeply fascinating exploration of the human body. The writing style is conversational without making you feel talked down to.”
• The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
“This historical novel is … [an] authentic story of the Native American experience and fight for rights. Readers loved the engaging storytelling, vivid characters, fascinating historical elements and atmospheric tone.”
• The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson.
“A deeply compelling and immersive exploration of the day-to-day life of Churchill and his family during his first year as prime minister.”
• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
“An offbeat, comedic, and engaging collection of illustrated, biographical essays on topics ranging from childhood and very bad pets to grief, loneliness and powerlessness in modern life.”
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
“Bennett has an incredible ability to weave together unforgettable characters, complex family drama, tragedy, romance, love and triumph. It’s a story of twin sisters who took two very different paths in life.”
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
“This book is both fast-paced and deeply philosophical. The fantastic setting allows the author to engage playfully and profoundly with some heavy topics, but you won’t get bogged down.”
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley
“This murder mystery will keep you guessing until the end. There is suspense and action from page 1. Each small detail could be a clue, and each of the characters are as guilty as the rest.”
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
“This fantastic story explores a timeless theme: ‘Be careful what you wish for.’”
• The Last Traverse: Tragedy and Resilience in the Winter Whites by Ty Gagne
“An epic story of a daring rescue in the White Mountains [that] weaves the personal accounts of volunteer rescuers and survivors with fascinating weather and survival information. This well-researched page-turner will be hard to put down.”
Sarah St. Martin, systems librarian for GMILCS consortium of New Hampshire libraries, shared some other recently published titles that have appeal for newbie readers:
Celebrity memoirs
• The Answer Is … Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
• Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld
• Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
From page to screen
• Battle of Brothers William and Harry— The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult by Robert Lacy and Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand (for fans of The Crown on Netflix)
• Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr (Virgin River on Netflix)
• 28 Summersby Elin Hilderbrand (based on the film Same Time Next Year)
• Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline (sequel to Ready Player One book and film)
Help yourself
• Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story by Benjamin Hardy
• The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength, and Vitalityby Frank Lipman
• Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty
Major page-turners
• All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny
• The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
• Masked Prey by John Sandford
• One by One by Ruth Ware
• Walk the Wire by David Baldacci
Reading reads
Still stumped on what to read? Find inspiration in these “books about books” recommended by Emily Weiss, head of reference services at Bedford Public Library.
• 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List by James Mustich
• The Books That Changed My Life: Reflections by 100 Authors, Actors, Musicians, and Other Remarkable People edited by Bethanne Patrick
• Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks. A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence
• Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill
• My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues by Pamela Paul
• Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch
• The Toni Morrison Book Club by Juda Bennett, Winifred Brown-Glaude, Cassandra Jackson, and Piper Kendrix Williams
• What to Read and Why by Francine Prose
