Have you been finding it difficult to read recently? With the warming weather, it can be easy to leave your paperback inside and enjoy the sunshine. Or perhaps you’ve been reading lots of different titles and haven’t been able to finish any of them. 

We at Pegasus are just as guilty of these literary crimes, so have compiled a list of five books we think will help you out of a reading slump. These are from a variety of genres but are all under 200 pages long - so there should be something here for everyone!

The Right Decisions - Muriel Freeborn

For widow Isabel Brakeford, life was to change dramatically when she and her teenage daughter,Tessa, visited the seaside home of her sister, Millie and her husband, Hubert.

It was there that by chance she bumped into Steven who, it transpired, was a former climbing pal of her late husband Henry and was with him and two others when Henry and another companion in the party die after tumbling into a crevasse. Their bodies were never recovered.

Isabel's son, Chris, is curious after seeing a postcard from Steve to his mother and they meet. It gives Chris a greater insight into his father's life and subsequently they visit the area of the tragedy in the Alps.

As time goes on, Isabel realises she is in love with Steve.

Muriel Freeborn’s romance twisted romance novel is a revealing and introspective dive into the life of its protagonist, Isabel Brakeford, and offers a gripping drama and rewarding conclusion.

The International Detective - Graham Oxley

This story relates the tale of every mother's nightmare - the loss of a young child. The inquiry which needed a swift solution but with delicate handling. A problem which only an international detective could solve.

Graham Oxley's thrilling crime novel is difficult to put down as clues build up at a rapid rate, encouraging the reader to solve the disappearance before the solution is unearthed - the perfect caper.

Night of the Octopoid - David Elliott

Steve and Lynn are looking forward to their trip to the charming Suffolk coast, to look for new spider species in a little village by the sea. But it won't be the fun free holiday they're expecting, as they instead find themselves trapped in a web of horror beyond their worst nightmares.

Dip into David Elliott’s horror - if you dare - to meet devilish creatures and witness gruesome events in this short and not-so-sweet novel.

Ranger Heart: A Naturalist Learns How to Love After Loss - B. A. Woodland

This book explores what it takes for a park ranger to get grounded after grief in a profession that encourages rootlessness. After losing her father at a young age and growing up in New York, she craved wide-open spaces and the healing embrace of nature. With determined courage and good humour, Woodland takes the reader on outdoor adventures with her colourful cohorts in some of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth including Zion, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, and Yosemite National Parks. While she was determined to follow a career path that would lead into the heart of the wilderness, it would take years to understand that to heal from loss, her own heart would need to become as wide open as the natural world in which she sought refuge.

Ranger Heart is a collection of personal essays that consider five different themes: Advice for Women with Grit, Constraints, Love and Loss, Art and Beauty, and Connection and Community.

For those looking for a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you, B. A. Woodland’s deeply personal and emotional exploration of her loss and love - along with some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world - is an excellent option.

Boreal - Ingela Karlsson

Sira is a lonely child whose mother is increasingly distant, so she spends most of her time at her grandmother's house. One day, Sira is on her way to her grandmother's when she suddenly gets lost and finds herself in the magical land of Boreal. She is confused because she doesn't know where she is but it turns out that she is expected. The Queen of Boreal tells Sira that imagination is disappearing from the world of the humans and that one day there will be no stories left. Sira is the only one who can help them.

The land of Boreal is slowly explored by Sira, whilst the citizens of the land gather for a banquet for the Queen. This gentle fantasy book will keep you wondering and dreaming of the titular distant world long after Sira’s adventure is over.

We hope we’ve inspired you to sit up from your slump and dive into the pages of one of these books.

Happy reading everyone!