Books To Get Back Into Reading Novels & Stories

I walked down the shelves that reached the ceilings, my fingers grazing the spine of the books lined there, some of the names I find familiar. I haven’t exactly been much of a reader over the past few years, but I was back in the days before shit hit the fan. In between getting my life plucked out, giving birth and raising a kid on an unfamiliar land, I found myself forgetting who I was back before it all went down.

No one has found the bodies yet, though, so theres still a lingering hope out there that they're alive. I sigh as I crawl under the thick quilt, flicking on the lamo beside me as I pull out my latest find at Barnes and Nobels: The Winter Garden by the famous Kristin Hannah. This woman's books are truly amazing. Then, after an hour long reading session, I find my eyes beginning to shut against my will, so I set down the book on the bedside table and shut off the lamp. ~ The next morning...

"Go. Browse. Get lost." I did. I lost myself in the fiction section, running my fingers along spines, reading first lines, falling into the rhythm of book shopping that I'd forgotten I loved. Ronan never wanted to spend time in bookstores—he said they made him claustrophobic. But I could have lived in a place like this. I chose three books: a literary novel about a woman reinventing herself after divorce, a poetry collection, and a thick fantasy epic I'd been meaning to read for years.

I needed to do something to break through whatever wall she had built up since yesterday. This wasn't us. “I’ll be back,” I said suddenly, standing up. She looked up at me, surprised. But then, she nodded. “Okay.” She didn’t ask where I was going or why. For some reason, that irritated me. But I left without saying more. I returned a couple of hours later with a stack of books. These were books I was sure she would enjoy. She loved to read. I had seen her lost in books before and these books would do just that. Her face used to light up with every twist and turn.

I tried to assure myself that I would grow out of it. I slipped out of bed to do my morning ritual so I can go back to read my book. Today's weekend, with the way everywhere, is quiet. I am sure they are still sleeping so I will just settle for reading. Hopefully I will be done with the second book before I am called down for breakfast or lunch…. Anyone. I started with THE RITUAL and just a few pages into it and I am already glued. Fuck me if I don't go back for more. I was so lost in my own world when I heard a knock. Ugh, who could that be now. I'll just ignore it.

What I needed to do was take time to get the heck out of my head. I dropped my phone back on the nightstand and looked around my room, wanting, no, needing to find something to steal my attention. I stood up from the bed and walked into the walk-in closet, specifically towards the bag of books I had lying around. Yes. This would help. I pulled the first book from the pile, a fantasy romance I haven't had the privilege to read yet, and walked back to my bed. I sat down, leaning my back against the headboard, and opened the cover of the book.

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and with every passing minute, the urgency only grew. But then, as I was about to give up for the night, something caught my eye—a small, weathered book tucked away on the bottom shelf. Its cover was faded, the title barely legible, but there was something about it that drew me in. I carefully pulled it from the shelf, the pages brittle and yellowed with age. The title read, *The Lost Chronicles: A History of the Ancient Magics*. My heart raced as I opened the book, scanning the pages for anything that might be relevant. It wasn’t long before I found a section that made my breath catch in my throat.

I nodded awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. “It's one of my favorite books to read, it's got everything you want to know about herbs in it. I would recommend for you to read but you don't seem like a big fan of books” “Nah, not this kind of book but I do love reading at times,” I said with a little laugh and then scratched the back of my head. “Uhm, you know I think I'll come back later, there's this little stuff I got to take care of”

His body’s gone too. For a moment, I stand still against the wall, half-expecting him to come back. Yet when I look behind me, I’m alone in the hallway. Son of a bitch. It’s morning, and I’m cutting the start of class to sneak to the bookstore. I have Debbie’s list of the popular BDSM series, but I don’t have to go far to find it. There’s a full display for it decorating an endcap. Debbie recommends the entire series, but I figure I better start with just the first. After consulting the list, I pluck the first one from the top of the shelf.

Digging into my box of books, yes, I have a big box of novels cause I read to save myself from thinking to death. Funny how I hated reading till my therapist recommended reading for me, that same day, mum went out and came back with over fifty mills and boons novels. I reluctantly started reading to stop my parents from worrying about me every second, and since then, I've fallen in love with books and now I mostly buy my own books myself cause mum doesn't know my choice in books anymore, my taste has charged. Now I read erotica. Hot erotica romance. Don't look at me, blame mills and boon.