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It is about time I create a list of Book Slump books, considering the name of my blog.

So, I have compiled a list of books that will (hopefully) get you out of your Book Slump. In other words, I found these book easy to read.

I have done one for almost each genre. Any genre that I have missed is either because I have not read from it or I have not ready anything ‘easy’ from it.

Enjoy!

FANTASY

Kingdom Of The Wicked

Kerri Maniscalco

Emilia and Vittoria are twin sisters who have grown up being warned to avoid the Wicked. As witches, they must protect themselves from both supernatural creatures and humans alike.

Though they are twins, Emilia and Vittoria couldn’t be more different. Vittoria is cynical and fiercely independent, while Emilia is gentle and content to spend her days experimenting with new recipes and cooking for her family’s Sicilian restaurant.

All of a sudden, a string of murders begins to unfold around town — each victim a witch, each killing marked by the same eerie signs.

To Emilia’s dismay, Vittoria goes missing. Her disappearance ignites something in Emilia, driving her to search for answers at any cost. But will she continue down this path when the truth leads her to her most feared enemy — Wrath, one of the Seven Wicked Princes of Hell?

Before I begin, I implore you to read book one without context – I feel like the blurb spoils too much. What I have written above excludes the spoilers.

PRINCES OF SIN READING GUIDE

1. Kingdom Of The Wicked trilogy
2. Throne Of The Fallen
3. Throne Of Secrets
4. Throne Of Nightmares [expected February 2026]

To preface, I recommend all of the Princes Of Sin book. However, you must read them chronologically to avoid spoilers – despite there being standalones. I made this mistake – by accidentally reading Throne Of The Fallen first -and it spoilt the ending of Kingdom Of The Wicked for me.

I love this trilogy; it actually got me out of my most recent Book Slump. If you enjoyed; Crescent City or The Gods and Monsters series, then you will definitely love this. Having my most recent reads be classics, I desperately needed this palate cleanser.

In some of the fantasies I have read, the main characters become insufferable because they never learn from their ignorance. They keep making the same mistakes repeatedly, and act like victims when it doesn’t pan out – it makes me want to scream, I hate it so much. Thankfully, the characters in this trilogy were appropriately ignorant and rarely made the same mistake twice (don’t quote me on that). It honestly caught me off guard, when a situation arose where there was an opportunity for idiocy, the characters did the opposite of what I assumed, which is refreshing.

Maniscalco manages to find the perfect balance of predictability. At times, I was able to foresee outcomes but was equally in the dark at others. I absolutely adore the Princes of Sin concept and am so glad she has stuck with it.

I find Emilia’s point of view amusing. She has flaws but never became overbearing or unrealistic – she actually reacted satisfyingly when she was treated unfairly. Though, it would have been great to read from other characters point of views – which she has since changed in her Prince of Sin standalone ‘series’.

All in all, it is so perfect for the Halloween season and will keep you engrossed. I stayed up till four am, at least three times when reading this trilogy. I have since, begrudgingly, put measures in place to avoid this.

ROMANCE

The Seven Year Slip

Ashley Poston

As a publicist, Clementine works overtime to get the job done. Though, it is not solely for career progression, but to protect her heart. Using work as a shield, Clementine has cut herself off from love and refuses to embrace it fully.

One day, she comes home – formally her late aunt’s apartment – to find a stranger standing in her kitchen. He is sweet, charming and charismatic, someone she could fall for under the right circumstances – which, unfortunately these are not – because he lives in the past… seven years to be exact.

Her aunt always spoke of this phenomenon, but Clementine brushed it off, assuming her aunt was making up stories – which was in keeping with her wild, adventurous personality.

It becomes difficult for Clementine to separate the past and present, whilst also being haunted by the memory of her aunt, whom she loved dearly.

Can this mysterious man break down her carefully constructed walls and show her true love or will she shield herself, like she always does?

Full disclosure, I have not read much normal romance, as I typically stick to romance within fantasy. Other than Alone With You in the Ether (which is not light), my frame of reference is a bit off. Though, this could work in my favour, since I found this an ‘easy’ read, I can speak from an inexperienced point of view – whereas a romance buff may have higher standards and find this book too light.

Anyway, I enjoyed the concept of this book – especially as someone who loves fantasy, having some magical realism helped ease the transition. I found it really easy to get into – actually, I believe I finished it in one day, now that I think about it.

Fair warning, the dialogue is diabolically cringe, like the worst of the worst – though, you probably gathered that if you have read the blurb. I audibly gagged at a couple of the conversations. It got to a point where I was praying Poston was being satirical – but devastatingly, I doubt it.

I cannot confidently compare it to any books, due to my inexperience. However, there is overwhelmingly positive reviews for the book, hence why I read it – so to put it in Fantasy terms, it may be the Serpent and the Wings of Night of romance (please, do not quote me on that).

The story is super light, the romance is prevalent, the intimate scenes are tame, and the plot is fun. I think it is perfect for a book slump or a palate cleanser in-between books. If you are someone who likes romance that is heavier, with realistic dialogue and substantial characters, then I would keep looking.

HORROR

Perfume

Patrick Süskind

Since infancy Grenouille has had one notable quality, he has no personal odour – but ironically, has the best nose in Paris and can distinguish a smell off a few inhales.

Grenouille goes through life as an unremarkable man, that nobody notices. Though, this works to his advantage because one day, he smells something so incredible that he becomes obsessed.

I have been trying to get into more classics this year, and Perfume has decisively good reviews – and I concur, as it is in my top three.

The story centres around Grenouille and is set-in eighteenth-century Paris, which is described as a crowded, foul-smelling city. It starts off on bleak circumstances, setting the story up on a miserable note, which makes sense, but is misleading. Despite the grim topic, I was able to look past it because of the writing style.

Süskind has a way of making his readers question their own morality – because whilst the subject matter is perverse, having it written from the antagonists’ perspective changes the whole perception of the story. I found myself excusing Grenouilles sinister hobby, because of his frank, almost innocent outlook.

For me, the first part is a little slow. As it is predominantly setting up the story and was relatively tame (for a horror). What made me like the book was the second halve, especially the ending. So, if you find yourself bored at the beginning, just push through – to me the ending makes it worth it.

If you enjoyed The Vegetarian by Han Kang, then I think you’ll enjoy this, and vice versa. As The Vegetarian also explores the themes of morality, and how perspective makes a significant difference to how a story can be perceived.

I would recommend this to any horror readers, especially if you are looking to get into the classics.

CLASSIC

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho

Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, is content on travelling from town to town in his homeland, making money off of his sheep.

One day, he is approached by a mysterious man claiming to be a King. He says that Santiago is destined to find great treasure, and that he must descend on his own personal journey to locate it.

After some convincing, Santiago decides to follow the king’s urgings and embark on this adventure. Along the way, he meets some unusual characters and visits some interesting places – though it will not all be easy. By having to overcome great hardships, Santiago has to decide whether he can continue on this journey or if he will resort back to his comfortable life.

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is more of a self-discovery journey than anything else. With life lessons woven throughout the story, Coelho explores spirituality and the importance of signs. Each character plays an important role in the story and in Santiago’s life, serving their purpose — whether it’s to create an obstruction or provide helpful guidance.

The story is easy to get through, with a consistent plot and practical characters. The Alchemist explores the unpredictability of life and how everything serves a purpose — even if it’s not clear at the time.

Whilst I am recommending it, it is not my favourite classic. However, it is easy to read, unlike some of my preferred classics, which are too intense for a book slump.

The main deterrent is how religious the book is throughout. I’m not a religious person, so I found it difficult to relate to — and I had high expectations due to the rave reviews, which I don’t feel it fully lived up to.

I haven’t read many classics like The Alchemist, but if you enjoy Japanese fiction like Before the Coffee Gets Cold or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, you may like this — as they too explore the theme of self-discovery and the idea that everyone has their own personal journey.

As mentioned above, I would recommend The Alchemist to anyone seeking a book about self-discovery or personal inspiration. Those with a religious background may also find deeper meaning in the story. Additionally, I believe it would make a great novel to read to children.

HISTORICAL

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott, Chemist at Hasting’s research, must endure the scrutiny of being the only woman in a male-dominated field. Left to do all the grunt work, Zott must fight for her job, as the alternative is being fired.

One day, Zott meets Calvin Evans — a Nobel Prize–nominated chemist known for his reserved and brusque nature. Being hard-headed and combative herself, Zott has finally met her match. After some time, they – unsurprisingly – begin to the date – to the dismay of their fellow colleagues.

Unfortunately, life does not go to plan, and Zott must upheave her life due to unexpected circumstances. This leads to her (begrudgingly) hosting a TV show called Supper at Six.

Zott’s unorthodox approach to cooking captures the attention — and hearts — of women around the state. Despite the success of the show, Zott faces the hardships of being a woman in the spotlight. Her radical disposition challenges the social standards of what it means to be a woman — and not everyone likes it.

I have excluded the spoilers in my description above; however I advise ignoring any other overview of the book as, I think, it spoils too much.

Lessons in Chemistry is one of those books I assumed would be boring, because it is part (normal) romance and part historical fiction, based in America. Those are two things that do not particularly interest me — though this year, this book (among many others) has taught me that it’s not the content of a book, but the way it is written.

If there was one word to describe Elizabeth Zott, it would be resilient. Garmus has created a beautiful character who is relatable with a dry and witty demeanour. I felt inspired by her; whenever she would receive unfair treatment, her response would be skilfully void of emotion. She aggravates other characters by being factual and rarely allows emotion to lead her in arguments.

Initially, I was frustrated by the romance. To have a book be about societal and patriarchal struggles and then include romance, feels a bit reductive. However, Garmus executes it beautifully. Whilst there is romance, it does not overpower the plot.

This may be contrary to popular opinion, but I hate the TV adaptation. It is so different to the book. I think Brie Larson was a perfect choice for the role of Zott, but the plot fell flat. They removed key parts of the book and added other elements which — whilst important — felt forced. I think they could have found a way to stay closer to the original script and still include the additional events without changing the trajectory of the story.

I haven’t read anything quite like Lessons in Chemistry in terms of plot, but if you like established female characters like the ones in Big Swiss or The Rook, then I think you’d enjoy this.

I would recommend this book to anyone, really. Naturally, if you’re interested in feminist literature or historical fiction, then definitely give it a go. But I think this is a book that anyone could enjoy.

NONFICTION: MEMOIR

Red Sky

Minzhi Xing

Embark on a powerful journey of courage and resilience with Red Sky. This story is set in Mao’s Red China and explores the effects of the Cultural Revolution on a family. Follow Minzhi Xing as she navigates her way through the tumultuous times of Mao’s Red China, from being separated from her family for 10 years, to ultimately reconnecting with the strangers that were once her parents. Feel the power of perseverance through Minzhi’s story and be inspired to overcome whatever obstacles may come your way!

The overview above is from StoryGraph. Since I read this a while ago, I didn’t want to risk misrepresenting the book. Red Sky isn’t a widely read book, and because I borrowed it from the library, I can’t do an extensive recall — but I’ll try my best.

What I remember most about this book is Xing’s writing style. She writes as if she’s speaking to you, not down to you. She explains events in a simple yet informative way. Historical non-fiction can often be dense, filled with complex terminology — so being able to understand everything, without having to whip out a dictionary was refreshing.

It’s impressive how much of her life she can recall- I struggle to remember anything prior to the age of ten (if that).

Even though Xing wasn’t directly affected by Mao’s regime in the same way her parents were, she beautifully describes the devastating effects of his rule and the persecution of those who opposed him. She also shows how Mao’s leadership impacted China economically and socially the years after, as she grew up.

Red Sky is a beautiful and compelling story that I highly recommend to anyone interested in Chinese history, general history, or memoirs and biographies. It is also perfect if you are looking to get into non-fiction, as it is not full-on.

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