Go to a second hand bookstore. I do this. Just browse around. You can donate back the books when you’re done. If you don’t like a book, you are out a dollar.

Just downloaded them! Thank you so much!

I had a similar problem! It's not unusual or stupid, contrary to what others are saying, and I'm sorry people are being rude and condescending. Fanfiction is easier to read because the barrier for entry is so low: you already know and love the characters and understand the world building. In a book, you have to spend the first few chapters just learning all those things.

From what you've said, you might try a kindle unlimited subscription for a few months - there's SO MUCH of that sort of trope-ey, fanfic-esque a/b/o and whatever else you like on there. I have read so many novellas about lesbian dragons, it's absurd.

I would avoid looking up recommendations based on your favorite fandoms (ex. books for people who love marvel movies!) because I find it's too easy to compare them and find the books lacking.

Lastly, don't worry about it too much. Reading is reading.

I have never read self help books so I can't say if they work or not. What I meant is that when I read fanfictions I read them because It's fun, but since it's for entertainment I look for things that don't take much effort of for the tags that for sure I know I like. I am not stepping out of my comfort zone.

For books, since there are no tags you don't know for sure what you will encounter. It happens that you read some opinions that you have thought but never put into words or something that you never considered as a prospective. I usually discuss the topic of every book that I read with my family or friends and that is what I meant by "growth". I think that the discussions and the reflections you have after you read the book that enriches you

Do you want someone to give you a rule or something? Okay. For every five fanfics you read, you have to read a book before you can read more.

Is that what you were looking for?

Do you like reading fanfiction because of familiar characters/settings? If so, you may like a book series to get that familiarity

The answer is in the question. Just remove the “how”.

There is nothing wrong with reading fanfic, especially when you’re in uni you’ll usually prefer to read something mindless that doesn’t take much effort. But if you want to read more books, try to make the habit of bringing a book everywhere you go so you can read in small pockets of time you have throughout the day, like in the bus, during lunch, in study breaks etc

If you enjoyed the picture of Dorian Gray, maybe you'll like The skin of Shagreen by Honore de Balzac. It has similar plot. Basically, about a man who found the way to fulfill his desires but has to pay his price for it. I also can recommend Steppen Wolf by Herman Hesse. It's a story about a man in the state of constant inner conflict (he basically divides his personality into "wolf" and "human", balancing on the line between them). The book tells his story of finding himself. It was surreal and fascinating book with a lots of food for thought

This. I have also read many fanfics whose quality is as good or better than many traditional stories I've read. Quality is quality in whatever format, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. That being said, there's nothing wrong with trying to branch out, either. Do whatever feels best to you and gives you enjoyment.

i would simply read more books and less fanfiction

Reading is done for fun, and you clearly enjoy reading fanfic. ”Personal growth” from books is not a thing in my view. You feel like you gain growth, but there is not actually anything happening if you read some self help.

Also, Libby is the greatest app ever. You can check out ebooks and audiobooks for free from your library. That way you can check out all kinds of new stuff with no pressure or commitment. Figure out what kinds of stuff you like!

All reading is valid, and fan fiction is not inherently worse than any other of kind of reading. Just like any other genre, there’s good and bad writing to be found.

That said, you can definitely find books that have similar themes to fan fic. For example, if you like slash, there are plenty of m/m romances to found. That’s true for most other themes as well. Ebooks that you can read on your tablet or phone might also help you vary your reading. If you have a library card, see if your library offers Libby. You can also look on Amazon for smaller press or self published works that might fit your interests. There are plenty of strategies that can help you switch up your reading habits, but, I repeat, reading fan fiction is still reading.

Edited to add…

Fan fiction is often a kind of comfort reading. Because the characters and settings are familiar (even in an au or crossover), there’s not the work of understanding a new world or figuring things out that you get with a new novel. It’s comforting and easy for some people to revisit characters that they know they like. If that’s true for you, trying to find books similar to your favorite fan fictions might be a good approach.

Check out the #booktok tag on TikTok. There’s also a reading app called StoryGraph that lets you track you reading, and it gives really great recommendations based on what you like.

Ok but to be fair there are good fanfictions out there. I have actually cried to some of them

Edit: bru I have been down voted for saying there are good fan fictions ahah you guys are missing out, if you want I can give you some good recommendations 😉

read books in the same format that you read fics in. like on an ipad, phone, etc whatever. try romance.

Seconding this. The library is your friend, always, but especially if you’re not totally certain what you’re looking for in a book and don’t want to waste money on something you don’t end up enjoying.

You have to ease yourself into it again (well, you don't /have to/, but it takes some action from your side ;)). Fanfic has the advantage that you know the characters and the world building, so it takes less effort to get invested in those stories, than when reading ~original~ ones. Plus, there's many one-shots, or clear chapter divisions that are posted with intervals, so you it's not as daunting to read as say, an 800-page novel (though adding up those 80k+ fic, you do end up there eventually).

I recently started reading more books again, as opposed to mostly fanfic, which I managed through first starting with re-reading old favourites, and then sticking to a certain topic, and branching out from there. That said, you do have to be in the right head space for it. I've had some quite stressful years, and in that period, I simply couldn't concentrate on books which required me to get to know new characters, so I stuck with what was familiar, and that was in this case fanfic.

Try to find some books you think might be fun (not everything has to be high literature, and you don't have to like what the majority does), and don't hesitate to not finish those if you don't like them for whatever reason, or just put them aside for a while and start something else. You could set goals for yourself like reading 1 book chapter for every fanfic chapter you read, or something like that, to maybe have some incentive to start getting into reading books again.

I actually started "pride and prejudice" because I heard that I was the classic enemies to lovers and I have been enjoying it. I actually tend to go for classics when I buy books, but I am not sure if it is a good choice (because they are usually good) or not (I need to be more focused when I read them).

Until now my all time favorite book has been "the picture of dorian Gray" so I have then read almost everything by Oscar Wilde and loved all of it. I also liked The process by Franz Kafka and Damian by Hesse. I have tried to look for authors similar to Oscar Wilde but until now I haven't had any luck ahaha

Better yet go to the library and get a library card. Can use the Libby app to read electronically too. The librarians might have some suggestions for you too.

It’ll be daunting at first, but I think finding a series you enjoy would be useful! Fanfiction is easy to fall back to because the world and characters are familiar to you, so once you get a book or two into a series, it’ll have a similar effect.

Someone once told me "in order to start reading, you first have to make time to read".

Literally just stop reading trash fan fics and make time in your day for actually reading.

Just stop reading fan fiction. It's cancer. Maybe disconnect from social media apps that encourage your fan fiction addiction (ie. Tiktok, instagram, obscure manga communities... etc)

Maybe come up with a ratio that makes sense to you. Like 1 regular book per 5 fan fiction or something. At the end of the day you’ll move on when you are ready and tired of them. I read a very specific genre up until my 30’s and then one day I was just over it. I was ready for new authors, new stories, new locales…