Help! I don't know what to read.

I have almost finished reading Just Kids by Patti Smith after carrying it around for emotional support for the last 6 months or so. I am clinging on to the last 100 pages for dear life because I don't want it to end. I also know I have no idea what I want to read next. I have a never ending stack of books that lay in wait for me to dust them off and dig in, but I don't know what to dig into next.

I am torn. On the one hand I want to read something light, fluffy and inconsequential to escape from the horror show that is living in 2025. Back in 2023 I rediscovered reading, reading fiction in particular. Before then I either read non- fiction or didn't read at all. As of today, I still feel as though I am working out what genres I enjoy. When looking at my book buying habits I seem to gravitate towards weird fiction and classics but neither of those things scream escapism. Quite often when browsing books, the 'lighter' options tend to give away the plot in the blurb which makes me feel like I have already read them.

On the other hand, I am tired and crying out for escapism. I saw a clip of the author of Don't Talk about Politics Sarah Stein Lubrano explaining that on the whole left wing people are more sad than right wing people, apart from those left wing people who are actively engaging in activism as a result of having a sense of meaning and agency. It was this and my overall feeling of helplessness at the state of the world that has renewed my desire to learn.

When I was younger I was painfully aware of how little I knew about the world and thought the answer lay in reading more. I still believe that, however I have become jaded and apathetic. I convince myself I don't have the time or the brain space and instead lose hours scrolling on my phone watching people pretend their lives are perfect or watch hours and hours of discourse surrounding the most chronically online and pointless nonsense, rendering even more brain tired and overstimulated than before. 

Thankfully, Tik Tok isn't all bad, in amongst the brain rot there's the internet mainstays of cute animals to make you feel all warm and fuzzy and creatives using it to share their art.  More recently, I have started following a young woman called Louisa Toxvaerd Munch who is completely her PHD in critical theory who makes book recommendations for people who want to understand more about the world. I have saved so many of her videos full of book recommendations. I am slightly intimidated by the contents. I am so impressed by and thankful for her choice to share her education for the benefit of the wider population. Far too often people use their access to higher education to other, alienate and belittle those less educated than themselves. Sharing knowledge is a small act of revolution that gives me glimmers of hope for the future in a world that too often feels like a post apocalyptic nightmare.

All of that is to say, I need help deciding what to read next. Do I go down the rabbit hole of weird fiction and see who comes out on the other side? Do I delve into the Classic in pursuit of becoming insufferably well read? Or do I methodically make my way through Louisa's lists of recommendations trying to make sense of life, the universe and everything? There may also be a fourth option I hadn't considered... if you have any suggestions or recommendation please let me know! I am desperate and indecisive...I am desperately indecisive.