As the weather is cooling off it sure feels like fall is fast approaching. As we shake away the summer blues and get ourselves back into more structured routines, I hope dedicating more time to reading is high on your to-do list!
Not sure what to read? Start with what you love to watch!
One of the best ways to get into a great book–especially for reluctant readers–is by reading books we’re already confident we will love by basing them off of our favorite TV shows, movies, or podcasts! So many movies and shows these days are based on books and you may not even realize it! When someone comes into Blue House Books asking for a recommendation but they’re not sure where to start, one of the first questions we ask is: “What are you watching lately?” Here are a few current popular movies and shows and some great books to read if you loved them!
It Ends With Us – I think everyone knows this movie starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is based on a book, but did you also know there is a sequel? Find out how Lily’s story continues by grabbing It Ends With Us and It Starts With Us! Colleen Hoover has a ton more romance books available, but here are a few more suggestions if you love a heart-wrenching romance drama:
- Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
- This Summer Will be Different by Carley Fortune
- Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – if you or your teen is obsessed with the murder-mystery show of the summer, so is everyone else! This adolescent drama is also based on a book series, so no need to wait for season two for more murder and mayhem! The book by the same name is the first of a three-book series by Holly Jackson. Here are a few other murder-mystery books I think you’ll love:
- One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
- Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey
- All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
The Summer I Turned Pretty – this adorable teen romcom has been captivating audiences for a few years now, and we have been selling the book series by the same name like crazy, because viewers just couldn’t wait for the next season to find out what happens! There are several other romcom novels we love to recommend:
- Anything by Emily Henry!
- A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Cana
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
House of the Dragon – event though I didn’t love season two, I’m still so pumped for this show and I have a fantasy-shaped hole in my heart without it ever Sunday. While you could of course read any number of books by George R. R. Martin, here are some other fantasy books you should consider:
- The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
- The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss
- I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle
Make reading a social venture!
Trying to get your teen to read? Why not read a book with them! I’m constantly shocked at how many adults scoff at the thought of reading a book marketed to teens or even younger kids. What, you don’t want to feel a child’s joy? You don’t want to go on an epic adventure? You don’t want to solve crime while also cramming for an algebra test?!
There’s no better way to encourage good reading habits than leading by example, so pick a book for you and your kiddo to read together!
Or if you and a friend are trying to get in better reading habits, do the same! Start a little book club or join one! Blue House Books hosts three book clubs a mont that are open to the public, and many workplaces and community clubs or organizations have book clubs. Once you have some accountability, you’re more likely to keep up with it.
Rewards for reading!
When I was trying to make reading a higher priority, I would pay myself $20 for every book I finished in a year, and at the end of the year, I took myself on a shopping spree! You could do something similar for yourself. Or make it a fun activity with a friend: every time you finish a book together, get each other a gift that relates to the book! Or if you’re encouraging a kid to read, is there any better investment than paying a kid to read?!
And while we’re talking about school and books…
I have to tell you about this book I just finished! If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio has been on my TBR forever, and while I was traveling in the UK last month, I came across a beautiful illustrated edition, so I had to finally take the plunge. This is the PERFECT book for back to school season/fall/spooky vibes! Dark Academia is one of my absolute favorite genres, and this is one of the first books that really launched this specific category of books into the spotlight. If you liked The Secret History by Donna Tartt, you will love this book!
We follow a group of seven classmates in their senior year at an extremely exclusive arts college. These students are aspiring actors and they spend their entire college career studying and performing Shakespeare. Their final year is dedicated to drama and tragedy, and before long, fiction becomes reality as someone close to them turns up dead in suspicious circumstances.
We spend about half the book building up the tension and constantly guessing who won’t make it to the end, then the rest of the books is spend with the question: was it an accident, or was someone driven to turn this story into a tragedy? Everything about this book had me hooked, from the drama leading up to the fateful death, to the suspicious behavior of the classmates, to the final sentence, which left me absolutely stunned.
Definitely grab this book so that you have it ready on a cool fall night, you won’t regret it!
