Sometimes a book feels so comfortable, so familiar, that when it’s over you feel like you’ve just lost a friend. Or that a piece of your heart is missing for a minute. Just like slipping into your favorite flannel pants or fuzzy slippers or favorite fancy frock for a night out, slipping into a much loved book feels cozy and warm and like someplace you never want to leave. Maybe it’s an old classic you read every year or maybe it is a brand new favorite that had you hooked in chapter one. We get it. But, because this month is officially Library Lover’s Month, let us challenge you to push out of your comfort zone and recommend ways some new books can become beloved old friends.
Classics
One common ambition shared by many hard-core book lovers is to read a “classic”; something it seems like everyone else has read and scholars intone you cannot be a true literature enthusiast without reading yourself. You may be thinking 2025 is the year you will actually read War and Peace or Jane Eyre or Catch-22. But, let us offer some alternatives that are arguably just as classic, but perhaps a little more comfortable, just like those fuzzy slippers:
Romance
If you love romance but don’t want to tackle Gone with the Wind, perhaps try a more contemporary love story that is part romance, part heartbreak such as The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003) or The Bridges of Madison County (1992). For something even more current, with some humor and family drama thrown in, try a title such as Nora goes Off Script (2022) by Annabel Monaghan. These books offer the type of timeless romance that made Scarlett and Rhett famous.
Thrillers & Suspense
If you love thrillers & suspense but Crime and Punishment seems just a bit too daunting, try another classic such as The Turn of the Screw. Written by Henry James in 1898, this novel features two children, the nanny that cares for them, and some very creepy events. A modern take on this exact tale is The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. Written in 2019, it tells the same nanny story, but with some high tech twists. The Shining (1977) or Gillian Flynn’s (of Gone Girl fame) Sharp Objects (2006) or Dark Places (2009) are also stories sure to have you on the edge of your seat, still leaving the lights on long after the book is done.
Historical Fiction
Perhaps you love, love, love a good historical fiction tale, but you’re just not feeling War and Peace. May we suggest trying something with a more contemporary edge, such as The Book Thief (2005), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017), The Help (2009) or Memories of a Geisha (1997). Each of these novels, although categorically fiction, are grounded in true events and attitudes of certain times and places in our world. With a more contemporary flair, these stories are good candidates to become new favorites.
2025 Adult Reading Challenge
And finally, if you haven’t already, sign up for our 2025 Adult Reading Challenge. This program is meant to push your boundaries as a reader and introduce you to books and authors you may not have previously chosen. Sign up here and kick start your reading resolution. Plus, as a bonus, there are drawings and prizes involved!
And of course, if you still have your heart set on a classic, we have plenty of those on our shelves here, too. So, our library love note to you this month wishes you lots of hours to read and lots of new books that become old favorites.