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USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How to get out of a reading slump: Try one of these 8 page-turner books
Like the common cold, the reading slump and its symptoms will come to us all eventually. The pages don't turn as fast as they used to. The characters don't feel as relatable. The plots don't hit the same. You don't have motivation to pick up your book at all. If this is you, the dreaded reading slump has arrived. It could be because you read a book so good nothing else compares. Or, on the flipside, your last book was so bad – too slow, too predictable, too unbelievable – you're hesitant to take a chance on another title. Whatever the cause, we've got a prescription. These books have something for everyone – old and new reads spanning fiction and nonfiction, from thriller to romance to memoir. What they all have is inventive plots, intriguing characters and twists sure to keep you glued to the page. 'None of This is True' by Lisa Jewell 'None of This is True' is my go-to slump-buster. This twisty thriller follows a woman who finds herself the subject of her own true crime podcast. Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, meets the unassuming Josie Fair, a woman on the cusp of changing her life, who wants to be the next subject of Alix's series. When she agrees, Alix unravels Josie's strange, confusing and dark past. 'Yellowface' by R.F. Kuang Propulsive, chilling and darkly comedic, 'Yellowface' is about a white author co-opting an Asian American author's work and passing it off as her own. Floundering writer June Hayward is jealous of her friend Athena Liu, a literary darling. When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her barely finished manuscript and turns it into her editor. What follows is a web of lies, cultural appropriation and ethnically ambiguous author profiles, scandals and secrets. 'First-Time Caller' by B.K. Borison Romance readers should pick up this 'Sleepless in Seattle'-inspired love story to get back in the groove. 'First-Time Caller' follows Aiden Valentine, a jaded romance hotline radio host, and Lucie Stone, a single mom and romantic whose well-meaning daughter calls into the show asking for dating advice for her mom. 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn Any Gillian Flynn thriller makes for a good reading slump cure. Flynn's writing is fast-paced and compulsively readable, and 'Sharp Objects' will have you staying up until you turn the last shocking page. This thriller is about a reporter, fresh out of a psych hospital, returning to her small hometown and complicated family to cover the murders of two preteen girls. 'Educated' by Tara Westover 'Educated' is a memoir you won't be able to put down, and follows one woman's journey from a sheltered, religious survivalist family to a Ph.D. at Cambridge University. It grapples with narcissistic parenting, a strict Mormon upbringing and the deeply ingrained distrust in medicine and education Westover had to unlearn on her own. Some of Westover's stories will horrify, others are heart-wrenching and all will leave you with a compassionate view of her search for liberation. 'Legendborn' by Tracy Deonn Looking for a new fantasy series to get you hooked? Check out 'Legendborn.' This first novel follows Bree Matthews, a 16-year-old looking to escape her grief while at a residential program for gifted high schoolers. But when she witnesses a magical attack on her first night – a flying demon and a secret society of students hunting the creatures – she unlocks her own magic. Now, she'll have to infiltrate the secret Legendborn society and use her powers to face the truth about her mother's death. 'The God of the Woods' by Liz Moore This mystery may be on the longer side at nearly 500 pages, but it's thoroughly unputdownable. 'The God of the Woods' opens on a camp counselor discovering a 13-year-old camper is missing. To complicate matters, the young girl is also the daughter of the camp's wealthy owners, and her tragedy is eerily similar to her brother's cold case disappearance over a decade ago. 'Seven Days in June' by Tia Williams In 'Seven Days in June,' two lauded authors have a chance encounter at a New York panel of Black literati 20 years after they spent a week madly in the throes of teenage love. Over the next seven days, Eva and Shane reconnect and rehash the passionate romance of their youth. But can Eva trust the man who once broke her heart? Williams' contemporary romance explores modern motherhood, chronic pain and second-chance romance. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Gulf Today
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Plot twists
When it comes to what makes a movie a good one, a mind-blowing plot twist is definitely one of the most important parts. This week we are taking a look at some movies that have the best plot twists in history. The film 'Gone Girl' came out back in 2014 and is based on a 2012 novel of the same name by author Gillian Flynn. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Emily Ratajkowski the psychological thriller tells the tale of a wife who goes missing. The plot twist is that she faked her own abduction and the film takes on a whole different meaning as she goes on to frame her husband. If you haven't seen 'Sixth Sense' you have a good movie to put on this weekend. This film from 1999 has one of the most classic plot twists ever to be seen on screen. Bruce Willis plays a psychologist who helps a young boy. The whole film plays out without the audience knowing that Willis's character isn't actually alive. The plot twist is such a shock and totally unexpected. The writers did well. In other news this week, turn to our Music pages to read about the most awaited reunion in the music world. Fueding brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher came together as Oasis again in Wales to the delight of fans all over the world. I wonder if there is new music on the horizon for the band?
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Camilla laments library closures in visit to Edinburgh community hub
The Queen has lamented library closures across the country as she celebrated a thriving example in Edinburgh. Camilla told a group of librarians, figures from the city's annual literary festival and leading writers that she 'wished' more people would open such facilities as she officially launched Ratho Library in Newbridge. Her words were echoed by celebrated Scottish crime writer Sir Ian Rankin, who praised the resources his local centre provided when he was growing up, saying: 'Without libraries I wouldn't be here.' The Queen, who has a passion for reading and officially supports a number of literary organisations, also chatted to Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and told her: 'I'm very partial to crime novels.' In an impromptu speech, she said her visit 'has just reinforced my belief in what wonderful places libraries are, literally from toddlers to pensioners – they manage to inspire a love of reading of books'. She added: 'To actually see a new library like this… I wish a lot of other people would follow your example and open more libraries all over the country, because I think, sadly, a lot of them have been closing down. 'So to see something as wonderful as this being reopened is all to the credit to all of you who've made it happen.' The BBC reported in September that more than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups in the UK since 2016 after the corporation submitted freedom of information requests. In contrast, City of Edinburgh Council has made a commitment to its 28 public libraries to continue developing the resources as thriving community spaces. Sir Ian, famed for his series of Inspector Rebus books, is also Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh, and said following the royal visit: 'Libraries are an easy cut and I can understand why councils do it – it's an invisible cut, almost. 'But it's such a crucial thing – libraries are crucial for every generation, from the very beginning to the very end.'Sir Ian added that to 'be a reader is to be a citizen of the world as fully as you can be'. Camilla's visit also marked the launch of a five-year initiative by the Edinburgh International Book Festival in partnership with Edinburgh City Libraries. Called Paper Trails, the project supported by Sir Ian will operate in five local libraries, including Ratho Library, to promote literature in local communities, including using the mobile library service to bring authors and artists into care homes. The community of Ratho was served by a mobile library while the permanent facility was rebuilt, opening in the spring, and Camilla toured a similar mobile unit and joked with Sir Ian when she spotted some of his novels on the shelves. She quipped 'I'm sure they go down very well with the readers,' before donating a collection of books. During her visit, the Queen also sat down with a group of children from a nursery which shares its premises with the library and also met a group of budding authors and poets from the Citizen Collective Young People's Writers Programme. She told them: 'I can see I've met you at very early stages in your career – good luck.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Camilla laments library closures in visit to Edinburgh community hub
The Queen has lamented library closures across the country as she celebrated a thriving example in Edinburgh. Camilla told a group of librarians, figures from the city's annual literary festival and leading writers that she 'wished' more people would open such facilities as she officially launched Ratho Library in Newbridge. Her words were echoed by celebrated Scottish crime writer Sir Ian Rankin, who praised the resources his local centre provided when he was growing up, saying: 'Without libraries I wouldn't be here.' The Queen, who has a passion for reading and officially supports a number of literary organisations, also chatted to Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and told her: 'I'm very partial to crime novels.' In an impromptu speech, she said her visit 'has just reinforced my belief in what wonderful places libraries are, literally from toddlers to pensioners – they manage to inspire a love of reading of books. 'And to actually see a new library like this… I wish a lot of other people would follow your example and open more libraries all over the country, because I think, sadly, a lot of them have been closing down. 'So to see something as wonderful as this being reopened is all to the credit to all of you who've made it happen.' The BBC reported in September that more than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups in the UK since 2016 after the corporation submitted Freedom of Information requests. In contrast, Edinburgh City Council has made a commitment to its 28 public libraries to continue developing the resources as thriving community spaces. Sir Ian, famed for his series of Inspector Rebus books, is also Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh, and said following the royal visit: 'Libraries are an easy cut and I can understand why councils do it – it's an invisible cut, almost. 'But it's such a crucial thing – libraries are crucial for every generation from the very beginning to the very end.' Sir Ian added that to 'be a reader is to be a citizen of the world as fully as you can be'. Camilla's visit also marked the launch of a five-year initiative by the Edinburgh International Book Festival in partnership with Edinburgh City Libraries. Called Paper Trails, the project supported by Sir Ian will operate in five local libraries, including Ratho Library, to promote literature in local communities, including using the mobile library service to bring authors and artists into care homes.
