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A Cup of Jo reader named Alex recently commented that she’s stuck in a reading slump. For suggestions, we reached out to our friend Ruby Smith, who writes the books newsletter Ruby’s Recs. “When I’m in a drought, I feel like nothing will ever pull me out, not even a really good book,” says Ruby, a former Three Lives & Company bookseller who now lives in Washington, D.C. “Eventually something always does.”
“In college, I would read with a headlamp to avoid bothering my roommates. Years later, I still read with my headlamp because it feels comfy and cozy — even though I’m alone in my apartment!”
To break out of a slump, Ruby suggests a) trying a backlist book by a favorite author, b) listening to an audiobook while walking or folding laundry, or c) choosing a very short book. “Whatever it takes to get back your momentum,” says Ruby.
Finally, in case they help you, too, Ruby shares eight gripping books that have pulled her out of slumps:
Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston
“I was in a reading drought when I picked up this short story collection and brought it home with the goal of reading just one story. I ended up tearing through the whole book. Most of the funny, big-hearted stories take place in the American West and center around relationship dynamics between men and women. Houston’s writing is clean and funny, like if Ernest Hemingway and Nora Ephron had a baby.”
The Body in Question by Jill Ciment
“I raced through this novel about two jurors who are sequestered for a murder trial and have an affair. It sounds super salacious, and it is, but the story is also very thoughtfully told. And it’s not long — less than 200 pages — so I think anyone would have a fun, easy time reading it.”
Blob by Maggie Su
“Vi works the front desk of a cheap hotel in her Midwestern college town. After getting dumped, she finds a blob outside a bar and drunkenly decides to take it home. It slowly becomes sentient, learning to communicate, imitate, and want. Blob is a stylish and surreal coming-of-age story about loneliness, attachment, and the way we try to create meaning when our lives have stalled.”
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw
“The rare short story collection that also manages to be a page-turner! Deesha Philyaw dives into the lives of Black women and girls who are trying to find their place within (or outside of) the church. These stories grapple with the intricacies of family, death, and religion, and they are a lot of fun to read.”
Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis
“These hilarious essays recount the author’s upbringing in Alabama and her subsequent life as a Southern transplant in New York City. She writes about everything from the utility of the phrase ‘bless your heart’ to the time her father faked his own death for her 13th birthday party.”
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami
“This quiet but riveting novel follows Tsukiko, an office worker in Japan, who rekindles a friendship with her old high school teacher, ‘Sensei.’ As the two spend time together, playing pachinko, sipping sake, and foraging for mushrooms, they find solace in each other’s company. It’s earnest, gentle, and really lovely.”
Open Throat by Henry Hoke
“Open Throat is a novel told in verse from the point of view of a queer mountain lion living in the Hollywood Hills. Stay with me! Our narrator lurks under the Hollywood sign, eavesdrops on tourists and hikers, and contemplates eating a person. One of the most imaginative novels I’ve ever read!”
Quiet by Susan Cain
“When I read Quiet in high school, it changed how I see myself and the world. It validated that, as an introvert, my way of moving through the world wasn’t wrong, just different. I made everyone in my (very extroverted) family read it. One big insight is that our culture disproportionately rewards extroverted traits. The loudest person in the room is often mischaracterized as the smartest. Introverted traits, like observation or deep thought, are equally valuable, but not always celebrated.”
Now it’s your turn: have you ever been in a reading slump? And what was the last book you read and loved?
P.S. Tell us three things, and we’ll recommend a book you love, three favorite books of all time, and seven short, perfect books.
(Photo by Katie+Jo/Stocksy.)
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