One of the best feelings in life is cuddling up with a blanket on a stormy winter's day, or sitting outside in the light of the sun and reading a good book. Sadly, though, there are times we find ourselves too busy to pick up a book, between school, work, and all the other priorities we have in our everyday lives. Worse than that, even, is when none of the books laying around the house scream “Read me!,” and you find yourself at a loss for what to read. Below is a list of books from across the board that might help you get out of that funk and back into the swing of reading.

1. "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.

Young Adult Fiction
240pp.
Goodreads Rating: 4.12/5

Although it's a young adult must, this book is one I hadn’t read until my freshman year of college in a YA Lit class, and it has held a special place in my heart ever since. It’s the one I always go to when I’m not sure what else to read.

"The Giver," the first in the "Quartet" series, is a dystopian novel based around the life of a young boy named Jonas, who lives in a somber community full of strict rules and guidelines that must be followed; if you break those rules, you will be released from the community. Upon turning 12, he is given his lifelong job as “Receiver of Memories.” The story follows Jonas through his training, from The Giver, and all of the ups and downs it brings to his young life and the new things he begins to feel. He begins to shy away from his friends (Asher and Fiona), his family, and the routine of life and rules that everyone in his town has come to live by.

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

―Lois Lowry, "The Giver"

2. "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed.

Nonfiction
315pp.
Goodreads Rating: 3.94/5

While reading this book, I felt the sense of freedom the author gained on her personal journey, and the want to do something so life-changing has resonated in me from the day I first opened the book two years ago.

At the age of 26, Cheryl Strayed (who legally changed her last name from Nyland in 1995 before her hike) was overwhelmed with feelings of loss and sadness after her mother’s death and a divorce from her husband. So, she decided to do something by herself and for herself, hoping to mourn her losses along the way. She hiked a little less than half of the West Coast's Pacific Crest Trail. Starting in Mojave, Calif., she hiked through the desert heat before reaching the snow of the Sierras, and ultimately ended her hike 1,100 miles and three months later at The Bridge of the Gods in Washington. Along the way, she burned books she read, left relevant quotes at each trail register, and felt the pain of sore muscles, bruises, and bleeding feet from shoes that were too small.

“The universe, I'd learned, was never, ever kidding. It would take whatever it wanted and it would never give it back.”

―Cheryl Strayed, "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail"

3. "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu.

Gothic Fiction Novella
108pp.
Goodreads Rating: 3.82/5

Due partially to the fact that I had heard of this book during a class discussion, and that I had read reviews prior to reading the book itself, there wasn’t much of a crazy plot twist because I knew what to expect. Nonetheless, it was a change of pace from the usual genres I read, and it was a nice short read for my weekend camping trip.

Published in 1872, this short novella is the oldest of those on this list, and predates "Dracula," the most well-known novel of this type, by 26 years. This story follows one of the two plots all stories begin with: a stranger comes to town. A peculiar and charming woman is left in the care of Laura and her father after falling out of a carriage while passing by this family's schloss. Very quickly after meeting Carmilla, the strange woman who seemed to be seducing her, Laura slowly becomes sick and weak as time passes, ultimately having the same symptoms of a woman from a town over who has died after a strange woman visited her family.

“But to die as lovers may -- to die together, so that they may live together.”

―J. Sheridan Le Fanu, "Carmilla."

4. "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.

Fiction
336pp.
Goodreads Rating: 3.99/5

When I grabbed this book off my shelf to read, it was one I knew nothing about. All I knew was its title and that it was adapted into a movie. So, when I saw it at a local library's book sale for a bargain, I bought it, and I’m glad I did.

Based in 1964, this novel is told through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl, Lily, whose mother passed away when she was a little child. She lives at home with her abusive father. One of the only things that Lily has left of her mother is an image of a black Virgin Mary with the city of Tiburon, S.C., stamped on the back. After years of living a life she hated, she decides to run a way with her housekeeper Rosaleen in search of Tiburon. There, she finds the house of the Boatwrights, three sisters who keep bees and sell honey with the photo of the black Virgin Mary on the label. Lily knows her mom has been here, but she doesn’t know why or how.

“It is the peculiar nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening.”

―Sue Monk Kidd, "The Secret Life of Bees"

5. "Daytripper" by Gabriel Bá & Fábio Moon.

Graphic Novel
256pp.
Goodreads Rating: 4.29/5

Before reading “Daytripper,” I had never touched a comic book before, and man, was I missing out. This graphic novel opened my eyes to a whole new genre of books I never would have chosen to read otherwise.

This book is a confusing one, and also one I don’t want to spoil with too much information. Each chapter covers a specific age of Brás de Oliva Domingo's life, but not in chronological order, which makes it all the more mysterious. Each chapter seems to showcase a life-changing event, both drastic and minuscule, that made Brás a completely new person; it’s as if at each chapter's end, his past self has died.

“It doesn't matter where you're from -- or how you feel... There's always peace in a strong cup of coffee.”

―Gabriel Bá, "Daytripper"

6. "Dirty Pretty Things" by Michael Faudet.

Poetry
288pp.
Goodreads Rating: 4.10/5

This book, and those written by Michael’s lover, Lang Leav, are the ones that taught me that poetry doesn’t have to be filled with words that are hard to grasp the meaning of; it can be simple and straightforward and still feel just as raw.

"Dirty Pretty Things" is a collection of poems, quotes, and short stories that tell of love, loss, and romance between lovers. Although it does have a touch of eroticism, it is not overbearing as we know some erotica-based books to be. Instead, all pieces are full of feelings ranging across the entire spectrum of emotions and the shadow of eroticism can cause a response that wouldn’t be felt otherwise. Plus, you know it’s a good collection when each piece stands just as well individually as they do put together as a whole.

“I write because you exist.”

―Michael Faudet

Now, go grab a book, find yourself a cozy place, and escape into a different world.