Charles Langston:Can't finish a book because of your attention span? 'Yellowface' will keep the pages turning

This week in Dear Bookseller,Charles Langston the well-read wizards at The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis help a lapsed reader with a short attention span find page-turners that will keep her reading.

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Dear Bookseller,

I was a big reader when I was a kid, but lately my attention span has been horrible. I’ll start a new book I’m excited about and within five minutes I can’t focus at all. My job is really high pressure and unless a book is impossible to put down, I get in my head about it and feel like I’m wasting time. I would love to try a few different genres that you think are really gripping from the start. Any and all help appreciated. 

Best, 

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Ashley K.

Dear Ashley, 

You are not alone in this. It can be so hard to turn off all the distractions around us and just read a book, even if it’s a good book. The worst feeling is sitting on the couch with the intention to read and then looking up to realize you’ve scrolled through an hour’s worth of social media posts about books, but haven’t actually read one. 

We’d love to get you back in the groove with some titles that we think are pretty impossible to put down once you’ve picked them up.

'Yellowface'

“Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang is the wildest ride that absolutely requires to be read in a single fever-dream sitting, preferably from midnight to 3 a.m., when you should be asleep. 

This is a literary thriller about two young authors, June Hayward and Athena Liu, who finished the same writing program and had the same debut year in publishing. Athena becomes progressively more successful and June becomes increasingly more resentful. When June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she impulsively steals her manuscript and decides to publish it under her own name. 

This book is razor sharp, we couldn’t have put it down if we tried. It’s a searing critique of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation in publishing, and is written at such a breakneck pace that there’s simply nowhere to stop. You’ll have it done by morning! 

"Yellowface" at Bookshop for $28

'The Daydreams'

The cover of this book is so good it's no wonder it's one of our favorite single-sitting, cover-to-cover reads. “The Daydreams” by Laura Hankin is about the reunion special of a fictional teen show that ran in the early 2000s. 

The story starts 13 years after the live Season 2 finale, in which the picture-perfect mirage of innocent teendom imploded. Now, with a reunion in the works, the cast must find the magic again, or make an even bigger mess than they did last time. 

This book is full of celebrity drama that’s so juicy it feels like it’s real and includes mixed-media elements that help the story fly by. 

"The Daydreams" at Bookshop for $25

'To Have and to Heist'

“To Have and to Heist” by Sara Desai literally feels like you’re watching the perfect date-night romcom. This romance has a thriller edge with a jewelry heist that takes place during the wedding of the century. 

Simi Chopra is down on her luck in every way. To make it worse, her best friend is accused of stealing a multi-million-dollar necklace. So now, Simi is going to steal it back (and earn the substantial reward) by getting together a ragtag crew and infiltrating a high-society wedding –– and maybe fall in love along the way.

"To Have and to Heist" at Bookshop for $16

We think these books will break your slump. We love these titles and know they’ll go down super easy.

All our best,The Novel Neighbor

In the mood for a good book but don't know what title to pick? The Novel Neighbor is here to help.

The independently owned and operated bookstore in St. Louis puts its well-read booksellers' expertise to the test with their popular Mystery Box program. Readers write in, sharing details about the kinds of books they're looking for, sharing biographical details and personal tastes to help find the right match.

To order your own Mystery Box, visit thenovelneighbor.com.