Maybe start by reading nonfiction that tells a story, like Educated by Tara Westover.

Becoming Nicole is a great (nonfiction) story about a family with a son that transitions at a young age to a daughter. If it resonates, try This is How it Always Is, a novel by Laurie Frankel on the same subject. Both are engaging reads, but the fiction has more humor. It might be an interesting experiment.

I agree with you, and as a reader I sometimes make lists to keep track, especially if I'm not going to get through the book quickly.

As a writer, I really try for different names and for reminding the reader who someone is if that person (or dog or business) hasn't appeared in the story for a while.

I think humans have been telling stories since they developed speech. Story-telling was entertainment and teaching and holding onto history. So I think that telling stories are deeply engrained in us. Reading books is just an extension of that. It's fine if you don't like reading, but I do not think of it as wasted time. There is so much to learn from fiction and nonfiction alike. And so many books are just delightful. Or calming. Or inspiring - all good things.

I remember reading The Beans of Egypt Maine years ago and thinking: these people are never crawling out of the hole they've dug. I did not want to keep going. I did finish it, but after that one I only finish books like that if there is something else to keep me going, like really good and witty writing, or some particular character that I just have to see through to the end. Otherwise, it's not for me.

Not-so-famous authors mostly love hearing from readers. It helps us understand what readers who like our books respond it. My website has a contact form on it - this is pretty common. Sometimes there is an email address in the author bio in the book itself. You can also see if they have a Facebook or LinkedIn page through which you can DM them. If you can't find anything, they've probably had too many requests for blurbs etc.

I loved this book too. Angela Thirkell's novels helped me get past the hangover of finishing it.

This happens to me not only when I read but when I write a book. When I'm reading, I take a break from the genre for a while. When I'm writing, there is nothing to do but write the next one. If I'm anxious about the characters, the next book has to be about the same people. Once I started the next book literally the same day I finished writing the previous one.

Amazing how long that book has held its allure.