8 Unputdownable Books to Get You Out of a Reading Slump
Whether you're into romantasy or celebrity memoirs, we've included something for everyone.
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Although I'm an avid reader who downs nearly 200 books a year, I've experienced my fair share of reading slumps. Whether life simply got busy or I was spending all my free time watching a buzzy TV show, there have been plenty of times when the last thing I wanted to do was pick up a book.
Over the years, I've come up with some tricks to avoid reading ruts. Sometimes, it's as easy as treating myself to a trip to my favorite bookstore to pick up a highly anticipated release, other times I'll read the first chapter of a handful of the titles on my toppling TBR stack to find something that sticks. Even still, listening to conversational memoirs or diving back into an old favorite are tried-and-true methods for getting that reading spark back.
Whether you're in the midst of book burnout or have the lofty goal of making 2026 the year you're going to fall back in love with reading, I asked Good Housekeeping editors for the best books that busted their reading slumps—from viral romantasies to thrillers and beyond.
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Looking for a fantasy series you won't be able to put down? Fourth Wing, the first novel in Rebecca Yarros's The Empyrean series, is an excellent place to start thanks to its swoon-worthy romance, easy-to-follow world building, and pulse-pounding action.
"I recently went on a girls' trip with my sisters—who are big readers—and told them I'd start any book they picked out for me on the trip. But it had to be an easy, fun read," Director of Commerce Editorial Lauren Smith says. "They chose Fourth Wing and described the romantasy as 'Harry Potter, but for adults.' I finished it in a week and am officially back on the reading bandwagon."
Not only is this slated to be a five book series, but Amazon Prime is developing a TV series in collaboration with Michael B. Jordan's production company.
We might be biased, but any Good Housekeeping Book Club pick is sure to suck you back into the wonderful world of reading.
Textiles Lab Associate Director Emma Seymour raves about Taylor Jenkins Reid's Atmosphere, which was our June 2025 pick. This 1980s-set novel follows Joan, a space-obsessed woman who jumps at the chance to be one of the first women accepted into NASA's training program. Once enrolled, she falls for one of her fellow trainees and grapples with a devastating space accident.
"This book combined romance with action, which made it a completely addictive read," Seymour says. "I had to know how it'd end!" As someone who also loved this novel, I wholeheartedly agree, although take this as your fair warning that you should probably stock up on tissues before diving in!
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"Reading a juicy autobiography or biography always gets me back to reading," Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn says. "For instance, Cher: The Memoir, Part One has so many crazy stories—the life that woman led by the time she was 30 was a lot!"
The actress and singer's life is packed full of so many fascinating anecdotes that she divided her memoir into two installments, with Part Two slated to hit shelves in November 2026.
Part One explores Cher's origin story, detailing her struggle with dyslexia and her dreams of becoming famous, as well as her professional and personal partnership with Sonny Bono and her rise to the top of the Billboard charts in 1960s Hollywood.
According to Social Media Director Urmila Ramakrishnan, don't let the page count (496!) intimidate you. "The adventure and storytelling made me not want to put it down and made me excited to read again after a slump," she says.
Following a storied career as one of the Indian Ocean's most notorious female pirates, you'd think Amina al-Sirafi would be content retiring with her family. After all, she's spent years handling backstabbers, scammers, love interests gone wrong, and even a demon. When she's tracked down by the extremely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she's offered the chance for one last adventure: Find her friend's kidnapped daughter and receive enough riches to live in luxury forever.
If you can't get enough of this swashbuckling adventure, you're in luck: The sequel, The Tapestry of Fate, comes out in May 2026.
Need a book that's so engrossing, it'll keep you far away from your phone? Commerce Editor Jessica Dukes recommends The Only Good Indians from bestselling horror author Stephen Graham Jones, which she describes as a supernatural thriller that she's recommended to countless friends.
"I don't read a lot of horror novels, but I'll read anything by Jones," Dukes says. "The premise of the story: A group of guys crossed the line during an elk hunt years ago, and justice is about to be served. The writing moves fast—I read this one in a weekend, and it reminded me that books are by far more interesting than anything happening on my phone, at a time when I was feeling particularly addicted to social media."
"Anyone who knows me and my obsessions with Christmas and London won't be surprised that One Day in December is the book that ignited my love for reading several years ago now," Deputy Managing Editor Cristina Corvino says. "I sped through it and was so sad when it was over."
Hopeless romantics won't be able to resist this charming love story. Laurie believes she has spotted her one true love through a frosty London bus window, only to drive away before she can act. Much to her surprise, she's reunited with him at a Christmas party—where she learns that he's Jack, her best friend's new boyfriend.
If you're worried about picking up a holiday themed novel, Corvino urges you not to stress. "For what it's worth, I read it in January and loved it just the same, but it's of course the perfect holiday read."
Whether you still have Wicked fever or are in need of a book that's as motivating as it is compelling, Cynthia Erivo's new memoir, Simply More, is likely to do the trick, especially if you tend to gravitate towards nonfiction when in a reading slump.
"It's such an enlightening read as she shares the lessons she’s learned while chasing her dream of becoming a performer," Deputy Editor Heath Owens says. As an avid runner, Owens also enjoyed the details she included about being a marathoner.
Plus, Owens says the format will appeal to anyone who might be intimidated by longer reads. "It’s structured in tiny anecdotal chapters that make it so easy to pick up for a few minutes here and there."
"When I’m stuck in a reading slump, nothing pulls me out faster than a juicy, tension-filled fantasy romance, and The Wolf King did exactly that," Senior Commerce Editor Shauna Beni-Haynes says.
When Princess Aurora is kidnapped by a werewolf, it sparks a massive war between wolves and humans. As conflict wages on, Aurora begins to find that there's more than meets the eye to the wolves, sparking a forbidden romance.
"The story is filled with passionate adventure, danger, and forbidden love, but what truly stood out to me was the nontraditional princess storyline. The main character doesn’t need a prince to save her, she’s strong enough to free herself." If you're a Kindle Unlimited member, The Wolf King series is available as part of your subscription.
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