Beginner’s Guide to English Books + Recommendations!

Are you non-English speaker and want to start reading English books? Do you feel frustrated because you don’t know how to start? Well worry no more, my friends! I come to save you because today I’ll be sharing my ultimate beginner’s guide to English books and also some recommendations! Last year, I made a similar list (please don’t mind how messy it was, it’s my second post after all) but since now that I read more books, I’ll definitely give you more recs. Without further ado, let’s get started!

WHY SHOULD I READ ENGLISH BOOKS?

Reading English books (especially if it’s not your first language) can be used to improve your English skill. With reading, you’ll learn various tenses as well as vocabulary that weren’t taught in your English class. Reading English books will help you to read more books especially when they are not yet translated into your mother tongue. It will also help you to engage in English speaking community whether it’s online or offline–maybe you’ve been around social media for a while and you want to reach wider audience by starting to engage with other people outside your country, and the best way to do that is to use English to lessen the language barrier between you and your audience.

Besides, you definitely can read more books if you are used to reading in English. Not many books are translated into our mother tongue and it can be frustrating, right? Actually, this applies to any language, not just English.

START WITH SOMETHING EASY AND SMALL

Keep it in mind that whatever your reason is, it’s never too late to learn something new. I personally started reading in English when I was in high school. No matter how old you are, it’s not too late. 

One of the things I wish I had known before trying to read in English is not reading high fantasy as the starter. This was a mistake because I was still not used to reading in another language, let alone had to imagine the vast world building and characterization. 

When you learn how to walk, you don’t start it with running–it’s the same principle with reading English books. Before we jump into reading 300-400ish books, why don’t we surround ourselves with English speaker people? If you’re part of a stan twt, you can follow international fans and try to interact with them. If you love watching YouTube, start subscribing to English speaker creators. Well, with you reading this blog post, you are actually learning to read in English too! 

My favorite thing from learning to read English books is to read fanfiction and Wattpad books in English. I know Wattpad has a bad reputation but when you are able to find a work that suits your interest, go read it. Fanfiction also plays a big role on how I get used to reading English books. Reading Twitter AU also helps too! The more you get used to reading something in English, the more it’s easier for you to read books in English.

“But I want to read books!” Well, patience my friend, I will recommend you books that you may want to read, but again, we should start with something small. To avoid any confusion (and the stress for reading a lot of new vocabulary), I always suggest people to start reading middle grade books besides fanfiction and Wattpad. Middle grade books are designed for children, so it’ll be easier for you to read. Some of YA books are also easy to read, which I will be recommending to you in a sec!

RE-READING OLD FAVORITES

The other day, someone asked me, “is re-reading my favorite books in English going to help me?” and yes, it’ll help you! Beside reading fanfiction and Wattpad books, you can start re-reading your favorite books in English that you originally read the translated edition. You already know what’s going on within the book as well as the meaning of each word. Re-reading old favorites will help you get used to reading in different language. 

And well, re-reading your favorite books gives you the serotonin boosters you need!

CHECK THE SAMPLE BEFORE YOU READ THE BOOK

I’ve seen people asking, “hey is this book easy to read?” when it comes to English books. Unfortunately, the answers will be subjective (and that includes the book that I will be recommending, it’ll be subjective). Fortunately, you are the only one who can answer it! Why? Because people have different levels of understanding and skill. What I think is easy may be hard for people and vise versa. It’s wise to read the sample first before you read the whole book. That way, you’ll get an idea on whether or not a certain book is suitable for you. 

“So, where do I get this sample? Is it free?”

Yes, it is free! You can get almost every English book sample in Google Play Books & Amazon Kindle. Usually, there’ll be a “READ SAMPLE” option there and you can read a chapter or two. You get to decide whether or not this book is for you.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE DICTIONARY

I always see non-English speakers say that they feel bad for using a dictionary while reading. First thing first, it’s not something you should be ashamed of! We are all non-English speakers and of course we’ll learn new vocabulary every day. 

Keeping a dictionary is handy, but you know what’s more convenient? To read English books in digital format. Many e-reader applications have built-in dictionaries where you don’t have to switch in between apps to look for the meaning of each word. You can long-tap the word and it’ll provide you with the meaning of the word. In my opinion, it’s way more convenient than to look up the word in Google or something. 

THEN HOW DO I KEEP REMEMBERING THE VOCAB?

By writing them down, of course! Well, it’s one of the ways. You can highlight the word first then write down the meaning of it (in the book itself or in a separate notebook, whatever works for you!). By writing them down, it’ll help you memorize the word better, so when it appears on another page or book, you already understand what it means. I also suggest you to try creating a sentence from the new word you just learned. It’ll help you to get an idea on how to use it in a sentence or conversation. 

DON’T MAKE IT A BURDEN FOR YOU

When we learn something new, we don’t make it a burden. I understand the pressure we may get, especially when we surround ourselves with more advanced English speakers or people who are able to read more than 50 English books in a year. Reading English book is not gatekeeping, it’s completely okay if you read translated literature. 

So don’t feel bad when you can’t finish one English book within a week, or when you only read middle grade books because it’s easier to understand, or you just started reading English books. Everyone has their own reading pace and journey and it’s our responsibility to make a safe place for non-English speakers to be comfortable. 

So it’s important to pick a book that is within your comfort zone. We’re currently setting up a new habit and we don’t need to push ourselves further from our comfort zone. Reading English book is already a big step, so I don’t really suggest you to read a book that doesn’t suit your interest, even though it’s really popular. Start with something you love or stick to your favorite genre. When we read something we like and/or interest us, it will make reading in a different language easier than we think. You won’t feel intimidated by the amount of pages on the language itself, instead it’ll be an exciting challenge for you.

DOES READING ENGLISH CLASSIC HELP US?

Yes. English Classics can improve our reading and writing skills. They have various vocabulary we can learn, as well as stories we can analyze, but most English Classics are hard to read. If you’re already used to reading in English, you can always try to read some of English Classics, but for beginners? I don’t think it’ll help you.

WHAT TO READ FIRST?

Below are the books that would be a great start if you want to read in English. I will divide the books based on the age range and genre this time so you can find what you’re looking for! (and of course, don’t forget to check the sample if you want to!)

middle grade contemporary

middle grade sff

young adult contemporary

young adult romance

young adult sff