Generate a Reading List That Rebuilds the Habit From Scratch

You used to read and then you stopped and the gap got longer and now you have not read seriously in months or years and you want to come back. The first mistake is picking something too long or too worthy: it becomes an obligation and you fail and the story becomes 'I am not a reader'. The right first book for a returning reader is different from the right book for someone who reads every night. This builds the list for where you are, not where you were.

I used to read regularly and I have stopped and I want to start again but I do not know what to read first. The risk is choosing something too long, too dense, or too much of an obligation that I put it down and conclude I am not a reader any more. Help me build a short reading list that rebuilds the habit rather than tests it. Tell me what to know about each suggestion: what type of book it is, roughly how long it takes, and why it is right for someone returning to reading rather than someone who already has a daily habit. I read mostly [nonfiction or fiction or a specific genre], I have about [X minutes per day], and the last book I finished was [title or approximate genre and era].