Friday Mood Recs: My most recommended slump busters for when reading feels hard

Short, fast, ominous, urgent, funny, cringey, can't-look-away-from books to get you reading again

Recently I’ve been hearing from a lot of readers who seem to be in a reading slump. I don’t have the data to back this up, but late spring does seem to be a particularly slump-inducing stretch of the year. The excitement over all the new books of 2024 hasn’t died down per se, but as we’re unable to keep up with all the books we wanted to read from Q1, the glut of new books starts to feel more like a burden than a joy. I for one start feeling backlogged right about now.

And at the same time we know summer reading season is just around the corner. Whatever you enjoy reading in the summer season, someone will have a list or guide for you. We’re about to be inundated with books to add to our TBRs and our reading vibes are getting ready to shift into summer gear. For me, late April and early May can feel like a bit of an awkward in between in my seasonal reading life.

Whatever your reason for feeling slumpy, today I’m sharing an epic list of 30 slump busting books. And to keep things quick and to the point, I’m giving each book three descriptors that will tell you exactly why it’s ideal for getting you out of your reading rut.