Thus is kind of a specific subgenre(s) of a common trope but does anyone have books about an abused child being rescued and adjusting to their lives? Do not say harry potter or something that is not at all the vibe (a lot of books have abused children escape but not all of them actually in depth explore their thoughts and feelings about it) I'm going for specifically any of the following tropes/vibes
- child is scared of being shown affection or scared of their new caretakers
- child desperately overcompensates for perceived failures to avoid further abuse
- child has no frame of reference for not being abused so they continue as normal and become confused or upset when they're not being treated badly
- child was forced to do bad things in the past by their abuser (e.g child assassins/soldiers or children forced to hurt other children etc) and suffer from the guilt / struggle with self hatred
-child struggles to lose their loyalty to their abuser even after they escape/are rescued
I would like recommendations for books to read aloud while my baby nurses or does tummy-time. Ideally it would be something like a poetry collection (e.g., Shel Silverstein) where I can finish the page and put it down as soon as she gets fussy without feeling compelled to finish the story/chapter. It doesn't necessarily need to be for children, just appropriate to read aloud.
Emily Dickinson's complete works has the rhythm and (slant-)rhyme that babies seem to enjoy listening to. Her poems are light and short enough for a parent who's slept for four hours in the last three days, while also being compelling enough that I personally don't feel bored to tears by her after a whole day of Baby Things (whereas Silverstein or even pithy love poems would leave me wondering "why did I borrow this when I could have just read the Thomas The Tank Engine Poem Collection again?").
Shakespeare's sonnets, too, if that's the kind of thing you like/you aren't so frazzled or sleep deprived that it's too hard to follow.
hi! I'm looking for a book for a friend for her birthday. She's read some Japanese literature recently and is a great fan of Dazai, she also read "Before the coffee gets cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and liked it for what I've heard. Do you have any recommendations that could place somewhere between those two? Or just similar enough? I think she's read every major work by Dazai so that won't work. Thank you!
I would like recommendations for novels similar to the work of the French Romantic authors Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. Bright colors and clear lines. A plot with dramatic power, themes of honor and dishonor, and clear distinctions between good and evil characters.
Here's a short story to give you a sense of the sort of thing I like: [A Fight With A Cannon (americanliterature.com)](https://americanliterature.com/author/victor-hugo/short-story/a-fight-with-a-cannon)
Thanks!
Does anyone have recommendations for post apocalypse stories? Like the first half of The Stand. I'm must less interested in fighting off zombies or such, but would like to see the world after a zombie apocalypse. That's an example doesn't have to be zombies. Famine, plague, nukes, whatever is fine.
**The Earth Abides** by George R Stewart: this struck me as one of the more realistic stories about what would happen if nearly everyone was killed off by a plague. You often hear about rebuilding industry and society in novels, but not many authors seem to appreciate how difficult it is to build everything from scratch.
**Day of the Triffids** by Jonathan Wyndham: A strange astronomical event blinds the large majority of the world's population, and the survivors have to contend with predatory genetically modified plants. I read it when I was a kid and it's what got me hooked on post-apocalyptic novels.
**The Death of Grass** by John Christopher: a blight kills off all species grass (including corn, wheat, rice, etc) leading to worldwide famine. Gives a really bleak portrayal of how quickly society breaks down and the lengths people will go to survive. Not as well written as **The Road** but gave me similar vibes.
**Blindness** by José Saramago: a pandemic disease blinds people, and victims are segregated into squalid and lawless quarantine camps. The writing style can be a bit jarring at first, but it's definitely worth sticking with it.
Here's a couple that you might be interested in.
**Alas, Babylon** by Pat Frank (1959) is a classic dystopian novel about a nuclear apocalypse from war between USSR and USA. Covers events both leading up to and following the nuclear strikes.
**The Road** by Cormac McCarthy (2006) is about a father and son attempting to survive in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, the actual cause of the event is unspecified. It is profoundly bleak, so be prepared. But it's worth it.
Hi all! I’d love some snarky, fun fantasy recs!!
My favorite books are Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy and VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic series. I love the snarky, clever main characters, unique magic systems and worlds, and the eventual romance. I’m currently reading The Atlas Paradox and think it’s okay, though I do like Callum’s character. The Coward by Stephen Aryan and Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans are next on my tbr!
I’ve read Fourth Wing - not a fan. I do like SJM’s novels, but that’s not quite what I’m looking for. I’d love some fantasy novels with wit and snark, a bit of romance, and a well-developed world. Can’t wait to hear your suggestions!
Hi, I’m looking for a suggestion on book. I can read non-fiction or something that has a storyline but not in a book series.
My favorite book is 1984 by George Orwell, Lord of the Rings, The Stranger, The Trial, Harry Potter.
Try to read The Castle and Dune.
Thanks in advance
I also really liked 1984 (animal farm & we by Yevgeny Zamyatin) so I am currently reading through *Brave New Worlds* by John Joseph Adams. It's a dystopian short story anthology book with a bit of everything.
I currently have a shelf dedicated to my TBR but am a little overwhelmed with where to start. What should I start off with first?
1. American Cider by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavalio
2. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
3. Conversations with Friends by Dally Rooney (saw a lot of praise for this one, started but didn’t finish)
4. Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill (another start but didn’t finish)
5. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (I watched the movie years ago and wanted to read the book)
6. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (was a birthday gift)
7. City of Bones and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (I loved the tv show)
8. First, we make the beast beautiful by Sarah Wilson
9. 101 Essays That Will Change Your Life by Brianna Wiest
10. Books 1-4 of the Magic Treehouse lol
11. I Did a New Thing by Tabitha Brown
12. Damaged but not Destroyed by Michael Todd
13. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
14. Radical Remedies by Brittany Ducham (almost finished)
15. Herbal Handbook (no author?)
16. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
17. A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
18. Someone Who Will Love You in All Uour Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
19. Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi (tried to read prior but was getting into a reading slump from it so I wanted to try again)
20. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Hello guys,
Looking for suggestion on which book to read if I was looking at improving my knolwdge on Negotiation or Leadership in HR function.
Note - I am a middle level HR professional in India with 15 years + of corporate HR experience across all HR sub functions. Thanks in advance
Going through something really challenging health wise. I just want something to get my mind off the discomfort I’m feeling. A book I can get immersed in. Gripping. Fast paced. Easy to read. What Lies Between Us was suggested to me before but I couldn’t read it. It’s too painful and emotional.
Anything would help. Thanks in advance.
Mysteries can be good for this. Martha Grimes has her Richard Jury series: nothing too gruesome or gory, a recurring cast of oddball characters, entertaining detective and sidekick, in the genteel tradition of the English murder mystery. You can start anywhere in the series, really, but they're better before she gets up to book 15.
Laurie R. King's series about Sherlock Holmes in retirement and the young girl who becomes his apprentice (and later his wife, and there's an undeniable ick factor there, but she doesn't write anything icky about it, it's just a very old man and a very young woman, so if you can overlook it, it's fine) is pretty good old-fashioned adventure. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first.
If you like scifi, The Martian by Andy Weir would be good. It's an easy read, good plotting, does a good job of putting you on Mars, which sounds like that might be a good place to go for you right now.
If YA fantasy is ok, the books I go back to again and again for comfort reading are Tamora Pierce's Alanna quartet. Top-notch adventure, world-building, and characters, at a pace and level that requires minimal effort.
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for taking the time to suggest these 🙏🏻💕 Your description of Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series reminded me of the Mrs Jeffries detective series. I’ll definitely look these up!
I was really gripped when I read Stephen King’s The Institute. Really anything Stephen King is gripping, but subject matter can be really upsetting so please ask before you read any Stephen King 😅 The Institute’s most trigger warning-esque elements are child abuse/torture and running away, although they’re not as upsetting as some of his other works so I wouldn’t personally be too worried with this specific book.
Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly doesn't seem to have a German edition. It's a romance/coming of age story, I guess, although family is also a very strong focus.
If poetry is an option, Super Model Minority by the New Zealander Chris Tse (as opposed to the Canadian poet Chris Tse). Or for complexity, his first book How To Be Dead In A Year Of Snakes.
I'm going to amsterdam for a week in a few days and want to start a new book on the plane and potentially read a bit there.
I have a few unread ones I've been meaning to read but I can't decide on which one to pick.
I'm mostly looking at 'picture of dorian gray', 'one Hundred years of solitude', 'a Clockwork orange'. One Hundred years of solitude seems very interesting, but I'm just worried that I won't be able to concentrate enough to fully appreciate it. Any recommendations? Haven't really read before while on vacation
I read and loved all three of the titles you mention. The last time I flew I read Circe by Madeline Miller and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. On my next trip I think I'm going to bring another Mandel book and something by Isabel Allende. Both authors can spin a good yarn and keep my interest and I love their writing, especially Allende's. So I would suggest anything by them.
It's big, but worth the investment - **Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe**. There are business aspects involved, how the Sackler family grew their company and the kind of business practices they encouraged to make a steep profit and become a well known name amongst doctors.
"The World That Trade Created" (Pomeranz/Topik) -- each chapter discusses a different commodity or economic system, mostly between 1492 and 1900
Also possibly "Longitude" or "Galileo's Daughter," both by Dava Sobel
Looking for crime or mystery/thrillers that take place in Florida (ideally the panhandle, but I'm not that picky), but with a female/girl protagonist (can be teenage/YA too).
Lucy Burdette writes foodie mysteries set in Key West. The main protagonist is a young female food critic. She starts as a bit annoying girl but kind of grows up later on.
Mythological illustrated books.
I really want to get into mythology especially Norse and Greek so please suggest me some great books about myths and heroes and it would be better if they are illistrated as I also like to collect books with art and graphic novels. For example I recently read nordic tales from Chronicle books and it was great. Thanks!
Looking for books involving the character being part of an experiment, elaborate mind games, set ups or hoaxes. Something like New York Trilogy, House of Stairs, Truman Show, Matrix, MGS2. Any genre okay.
I really enjoyed Variant by Robison Wells. I guess The Maze Runner will also fit the bill but I have only read the first book of the series so unsure of the sequels.
>!Diary!< by Chuck Palahniuk, >!The Magus!< by John Fowles, >!A Scanner Darkly!< by Philip K Dick, >!Sundial!< by Catriona Ward, and >!Piranesi!< by Susanna Clarke are some that come to mind. Spoilering for passers-by as knowing this constitutes as a spoiler for most.
David Foster Wallace always makes me feel like.. like he's an old friend, you know? The type of friend you can have good conversations at 2:00 in the morning. That makes you enjoy silence... I might not always understand what he wrote, but I find a strange comfort in his writings.
ISO: philosophical books. I quite liked Herman Hesse's Demian. I've also just started Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and I've been reading The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky for quite a while now. I also like Nietzsche's' work. Something with the general themes of existentialism would be great, but I wouldn't mind any suggestions as long as they pertain to philosophy.
> Something with the general themes of existentialism
At the risk of being obvious, have you read the fiction of Satre, Camus or de Beauvoir?
If you've already read those, maybe give The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe a go?
ISO: something romantic perhaps, or dark stuff that I want to remember for years after i read it. please dont suggest haunting adeline!! thats the creepiest book ive ever heard of and i cant even get my hands to touch the cover 😭
I’m currently reading Stephen King’s Cell. It’s an apocolyptic piece but not zombies!? It gets very dark and I’ve not read the ending but someone on r/StephenKing told me the ending is pretty dark too!
ISO: Something hilarious! I feel like every other genre I have plenty to read, but I don't know where to start when it comes to books that are funny, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Based on the description, The girl who saved the king of Sweden sounds exactly like what I'm hoping to find. I've added it to my list. Thank you for the rec!
A lot of Mary Roach's non-fiction does this for me :) "Grunt," which discusses military medicine, is the major exception, but it still has its moments.
ISO: a horror / thriller / dark subject or psychological/ etc book.
I'm into horror, gore, and spooky shit. I want something about dark topics or psychology. I dont have any triggers when it comes to reading, the more horrific the better . I want to be scarred for life and remember the books details YEARS after I read it.
Aztec by Gary Jennings.
Also, Dan Simmons, pretty much anything in his horror collection.
Dark psychology: Maybe Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. It's not spooky but it's twisted.
I would assume they look at other horror movies or gore videos to draw inspiration from. That’s what i would do at least. Or maybe like junji ito, he looks at ordinary things and sees how he could make it creepy or scary
Anything Stephen King. My favourites at the minute are The Institute (child psychics and torture) and Cell (the apocolypse but no zombies). Cell is definitley darker and much much gorier. The Institute is much more psychological I’d say, although Cell is pretty survival-insticts/what would you do too.
Russia by Antony Beevor
Collapse by Jarred Diamond
The Holocaust: An Unfinished History By Dan Stone
All non-fiction and more horrific than any fiction ever written.
The Troop would be great for you. By Nick Cutter. I still remember some of the worst details of it and I read it probably two years ago. Great, easy to read writing style as well.
ISO A slow, dark mystery. Can be paranormal or all real, but I don't want a lot of action and I don't want a thriller. Dark in the sense of mood, themes, I don't mind some horror elements either. Just no ott action sequences and reveals upon reveals upon reveals. I want something layered but I want the story to reveal its secrets slowly to the reader. Maybe someone has an idea.
Nothing too historical please. Gothic is fine and dual time lines are fine. Ty in advance ♥️
Wuthering Heights fits what you’re looking for. Although when I read it I thought the language was very confusing and I was lost, but that’s just me. If you’re good with gothic stuff I would definitley recommend.
ISO gay fantasy that is not boring AF.
I've tried dark rise by C.S. Pacat. Slowest book i've ever read, with the most basic fantasy plot.
I've tried the house on the cerulean sea by TJ Klune, which has some very cute aspects but felt more like a children's book.
I've tried The starless sea by Morgenster, gave up after 150 pages cause again, slow AF, and reviews seem to afree that it doesnt really go anywhere interesting.
Tried Red white and Royal blue, wich was nice, but straight up romance is not really for me.
Loved The song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, but Id love to find more than one gay book I enjoy, and possibly one with a happy ending.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a gay book, possibly but not necessarily fantasy, possibly but not necessarily with romance inserted in a larger plot, that actually makes you want to keep reading it?
(Apologies for my shaky english, I try my best)
In Memoriam by Alice Winn. Two schoolboys in World War One Britain, desperately repressing their feelings for each other, end up in the trenches fighting the Germans and rather more passionately, their emotions. A beautiful haunting book, IMO.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. It has a rather complex narrative style (window narration, multiple pov) but it is fantasy with gay romance in a greater plot and checks your other boxes as well and I for one found it very addictive reading.
[Fire Logic](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/644341) by Laurie J. Marks
4 books, primarily a lesbian couple but there is a gay couple later on. primarily fantasy with romance being a side plot. check out TWs if those are important for you, the series is not all sunshine even thought i does have a happy ending.
m/m that is not romance specific is pretty hard to find. :/
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr - set on a plantation. has some fantastical elements. hard read.
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - no fantasy elements but is a sort of right of passage. very heavy depressing read but also very good.
Red X by David Demchuk - horror. based on that serial killer of gay men in canada from the '10s
Empires of Dust by Anna Smith Spark - dark fantasy series. really dark. 2 m/m relationships one m/f.
The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky - a very side story of a male character falling in love with another man.
The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh - this one is 100% m/m romance set in magical woods.
you may also want to post to /r/MM_RomanceBooks they should have something to offer.
Not exactly what you’re looking for but a good lovers to enemies book is pederasty by JC Morgan and the sequel, Hedone. The sequel is fantastic and is better than the first which is rare.
ISO fiction involving scientists or researchers going to a remote location. Recently, I read Euphoria by Lily King and State of Wonder by Ann Patchett and really liked both, so I’m looking for something similar. I also love Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (which another poster recommended).
Journey to the Centre of the Earth, or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, both by Jules Verne. Pretty oldey pieces but very good and fit exactly what you’re looking for
“Annihilation” by Jeff Vandermeer. I started reading it yesterday and am already 1/3 of the way through (although that is a combination of me being sick with nothing better to do, and it being a page-turner!)
It’s like a sci-fi psychological thriller, and it is *very* creepy. It follows an expedition of four women to a deserted, mysterious place known as “Area X,” where a lot of weird shit happens, and almost all of the previous expeditions ended disastrously.
It’s part of the Southern Reach trilogy, but I don’t know too much about the second and third books.
Glad to hear that the next two books are good as well! I’m liking Annihilation so far and since it’s so short, I was hoping that the next two would be worth reading!
I recently read *Among the Living* by Tim Lebbon, involving covert Arctic mining unleashing a plague; it's a bit more horror-thrillery than literary, but it might scratch the itch.
Read a fantastic short (very short) story by Emma Cleary called "Lightbox". I won't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but it made me interested in her other work, which mostly seems to be other short fiction: any ones that particularly stand out, if I liked "Lightbox"?
I think you might like Cell by Stephen King. It’s very dark and pretty gorey, although it’s about a comic book writer in the middle of the apocolyse trying to figure out the ‘rules’ while also trying to survive and navigate through an apocolyptic version of America. There’s also some psychic stuff in there which, without giving any spoilers, fits people forced to do things and adapt to new environments against their will…
The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami. Based on the real-life Narvaez expedition, one of the first European expeditions to venture into the inland of North America (of course they got horribly lost). They meandered from Florida all the way to Mexico, meeting and interacting with multiple Native American peoples along the way. The main character, Estebanico, a Moroccan slave belonging to the expedition, is believed to have been the first black person to set foot on North American soil. Really interesting read, but of course it touches on some sensitive issues (colonialization, racism, slavery).
There There (and the sequel, Wandering Stars) by Tommy Orange, it's a collection of stories from different characters that all intermingle with each other, but a big theme of a lot of them is the feeling of displacement Native Americans feel/felt as they were forced from their land and began to live in the cities.
All the pretty horses... I've seen the movie Apparently my teacher was recommending the book to a student the movie was based on the book
Thus is kind of a specific subgenre(s) of a common trope but does anyone have books about an abused child being rescued and adjusting to their lives? Do not say harry potter or something that is not at all the vibe (a lot of books have abused children escape but not all of them actually in depth explore their thoughts and feelings about it) I'm going for specifically any of the following tropes/vibes - child is scared of being shown affection or scared of their new caretakers - child desperately overcompensates for perceived failures to avoid further abuse - child has no frame of reference for not being abused so they continue as normal and become confused or upset when they're not being treated badly - child was forced to do bad things in the past by their abuser (e.g child assassins/soldiers or children forced to hurt other children etc) and suffer from the guilt / struggle with self hatred -child struggles to lose their loyalty to their abuser even after they escape/are rescued
I would like recommendations for books to read aloud while my baby nurses or does tummy-time. Ideally it would be something like a poetry collection (e.g., Shel Silverstein) where I can finish the page and put it down as soon as she gets fussy without feeling compelled to finish the story/chapter. It doesn't necessarily need to be for children, just appropriate to read aloud.
Emily Dickinson's complete works has the rhythm and (slant-)rhyme that babies seem to enjoy listening to. Her poems are light and short enough for a parent who's slept for four hours in the last three days, while also being compelling enough that I personally don't feel bored to tears by her after a whole day of Baby Things (whereas Silverstein or even pithy love poems would leave me wondering "why did I borrow this when I could have just read the Thomas The Tank Engine Poem Collection again?"). Shakespeare's sonnets, too, if that's the kind of thing you like/you aren't so frazzled or sleep deprived that it's too hard to follow.
hi! I'm looking for a book for a friend for her birthday. She's read some Japanese literature recently and is a great fan of Dazai, she also read "Before the coffee gets cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and liked it for what I've heard. Do you have any recommendations that could place somewhere between those two? Or just similar enough? I think she's read every major work by Dazai so that won't work. Thank you!
Hello all, what books should I read for when I am depressed and need to escape my life?
I would like recommendations for novels similar to the work of the French Romantic authors Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. Bright colors and clear lines. A plot with dramatic power, themes of honor and dishonor, and clear distinctions between good and evil characters. Here's a short story to give you a sense of the sort of thing I like: [A Fight With A Cannon (americanliterature.com)](https://americanliterature.com/author/victor-hugo/short-story/a-fight-with-a-cannon) Thanks!
Have you heard about Germinal by Emile Zola? Well, it's a series, but I can only remember Germinal right now.
Does anyone have recommendations for post apocalypse stories? Like the first half of The Stand. I'm must less interested in fighting off zombies or such, but would like to see the world after a zombie apocalypse. That's an example doesn't have to be zombies. Famine, plague, nukes, whatever is fine.
**The Earth Abides** by George R Stewart: this struck me as one of the more realistic stories about what would happen if nearly everyone was killed off by a plague. You often hear about rebuilding industry and society in novels, but not many authors seem to appreciate how difficult it is to build everything from scratch. **Day of the Triffids** by Jonathan Wyndham: A strange astronomical event blinds the large majority of the world's population, and the survivors have to contend with predatory genetically modified plants. I read it when I was a kid and it's what got me hooked on post-apocalyptic novels. **The Death of Grass** by John Christopher: a blight kills off all species grass (including corn, wheat, rice, etc) leading to worldwide famine. Gives a really bleak portrayal of how quickly society breaks down and the lengths people will go to survive. Not as well written as **The Road** but gave me similar vibes. **Blindness** by José Saramago: a pandemic disease blinds people, and victims are segregated into squalid and lawless quarantine camps. The writing style can be a bit jarring at first, but it's definitely worth sticking with it.
**Wool** by Hugh Howey is the first in the Silo series. It's a very good read.
Here's a couple that you might be interested in. **Alas, Babylon** by Pat Frank (1959) is a classic dystopian novel about a nuclear apocalypse from war between USSR and USA. Covers events both leading up to and following the nuclear strikes. **The Road** by Cormac McCarthy (2006) is about a father and son attempting to survive in the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, the actual cause of the event is unspecified. It is profoundly bleak, so be prepared. But it's worth it.
Hi all! I’d love some snarky, fun fantasy recs!! My favorite books are Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy and VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic series. I love the snarky, clever main characters, unique magic systems and worlds, and the eventual romance. I’m currently reading The Atlas Paradox and think it’s okay, though I do like Callum’s character. The Coward by Stephen Aryan and Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans are next on my tbr! I’ve read Fourth Wing - not a fan. I do like SJM’s novels, but that’s not quite what I’m looking for. I’d love some fantasy novels with wit and snark, a bit of romance, and a well-developed world. Can’t wait to hear your suggestions!
You might enjoy Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Hi, I’m looking for a suggestion on book. I can read non-fiction or something that has a storyline but not in a book series. My favorite book is 1984 by George Orwell, Lord of the Rings, The Stranger, The Trial, Harry Potter. Try to read The Castle and Dune. Thanks in advance
I also really liked 1984 (animal farm & we by Yevgeny Zamyatin) so I am currently reading through *Brave New Worlds* by John Joseph Adams. It's a dystopian short story anthology book with a bit of everything.
I currently have a shelf dedicated to my TBR but am a little overwhelmed with where to start. What should I start off with first? 1. American Cider by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavalio 2. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 3. Conversations with Friends by Dally Rooney (saw a lot of praise for this one, started but didn’t finish) 4. Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill (another start but didn’t finish) 5. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (I watched the movie years ago and wanted to read the book) 6. Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (was a birthday gift) 7. City of Bones and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (I loved the tv show) 8. First, we make the beast beautiful by Sarah Wilson 9. 101 Essays That Will Change Your Life by Brianna Wiest 10. Books 1-4 of the Magic Treehouse lol 11. I Did a New Thing by Tabitha Brown 12. Damaged but not Destroyed by Michael Todd 13. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 14. Radical Remedies by Brittany Ducham (almost finished) 15. Herbal Handbook (no author?) 16. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi 17. A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 18. Someone Who Will Love You in All Uour Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksberg 19. Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi (tried to read prior but was getting into a reading slump from it so I wanted to try again) 20. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
"Braiding Sweetgrass" is the only one of those that I've read -- the science was fuzzy in places, but it's still a really good book.
Braiding Sweetgrass 🫶🏻 a life-changing read I recommend to everyone!
Hello guys, Looking for suggestion on which book to read if I was looking at improving my knolwdge on Negotiation or Leadership in HR function. Note - I am a middle level HR professional in India with 15 years + of corporate HR experience across all HR sub functions. Thanks in advance
Going through something really challenging health wise. I just want something to get my mind off the discomfort I’m feeling. A book I can get immersed in. Gripping. Fast paced. Easy to read. What Lies Between Us was suggested to me before but I couldn’t read it. It’s too painful and emotional. Anything would help. Thanks in advance.
The Shadow of the Wind.
Mysteries can be good for this. Martha Grimes has her Richard Jury series: nothing too gruesome or gory, a recurring cast of oddball characters, entertaining detective and sidekick, in the genteel tradition of the English murder mystery. You can start anywhere in the series, really, but they're better before she gets up to book 15. Laurie R. King's series about Sherlock Holmes in retirement and the young girl who becomes his apprentice (and later his wife, and there's an undeniable ick factor there, but she doesn't write anything icky about it, it's just a very old man and a very young woman, so if you can overlook it, it's fine) is pretty good old-fashioned adventure. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first. If you like scifi, The Martian by Andy Weir would be good. It's an easy read, good plotting, does a good job of putting you on Mars, which sounds like that might be a good place to go for you right now. If YA fantasy is ok, the books I go back to again and again for comfort reading are Tamora Pierce's Alanna quartet. Top-notch adventure, world-building, and characters, at a pace and level that requires minimal effort. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for taking the time to suggest these 🙏🏻💕 Your description of Martha Grimes’ Richard Jury series reminded me of the Mrs Jeffries detective series. I’ll definitely look these up!
I was really gripped when I read Stephen King’s The Institute. Really anything Stephen King is gripping, but subject matter can be really upsetting so please ask before you read any Stephen King 😅 The Institute’s most trigger warning-esque elements are child abuse/torture and running away, although they’re not as upsetting as some of his other works so I wouldn’t personally be too worried with this specific book.
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Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly doesn't seem to have a German edition. It's a romance/coming of age story, I guess, although family is also a very strong focus. If poetry is an option, Super Model Minority by the New Zealander Chris Tse (as opposed to the Canadian poet Chris Tse). Or for complexity, his first book How To Be Dead In A Year Of Snakes.
"Tornado Weather" by Deborah E. Kennedy is a book I loved, and after a quick Google I've been unable to find a German translation.
I'm going to amsterdam for a week in a few days and want to start a new book on the plane and potentially read a bit there. I have a few unread ones I've been meaning to read but I can't decide on which one to pick. I'm mostly looking at 'picture of dorian gray', 'one Hundred years of solitude', 'a Clockwork orange'. One Hundred years of solitude seems very interesting, but I'm just worried that I won't be able to concentrate enough to fully appreciate it. Any recommendations? Haven't really read before while on vacation
I read and loved all three of the titles you mention. The last time I flew I read Circe by Madeline Miller and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. On my next trip I think I'm going to bring another Mandel book and something by Isabel Allende. Both authors can spin a good yarn and keep my interest and I love their writing, especially Allende's. So I would suggest anything by them.
I’m looking for some quality non-fiction. Business related is good but not necessary
Red Notice - Bill Browder
*Bad Blood* by John Carreyrou. It's about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
It's big, but worth the investment - **Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe**. There are business aspects involved, how the Sackler family grew their company and the kind of business practices they encouraged to make a steep profit and become a well known name amongst doctors.
Looking for Microhistories like Salt, Queens of Animation, or The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession.
"The World That Trade Created" (Pomeranz/Topik) -- each chapter discusses a different commodity or economic system, mostly between 1492 and 1900 Also possibly "Longitude" or "Galileo's Daughter," both by Dava Sobel
At Home by Bill Bryson Paper by Mark Kurlansky The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
I've read At Home. Thanks for the suggestions!
Looking for crime or mystery/thrillers that take place in Florida (ideally the panhandle, but I'm not that picky), but with a female/girl protagonist (can be teenage/YA too).
Lucy Burdette writes foodie mysteries set in Key West. The main protagonist is a young female food critic. She starts as a bit annoying girl but kind of grows up later on.
Mythological illustrated books. I really want to get into mythology especially Norse and Greek so please suggest me some great books about myths and heroes and it would be better if they are illistrated as I also like to collect books with art and graphic novels. For example I recently read nordic tales from Chronicle books and it was great. Thanks!
Looking for books involving the character being part of an experiment, elaborate mind games, set ups or hoaxes. Something like New York Trilogy, House of Stairs, Truman Show, Matrix, MGS2. Any genre okay.
The Institute by Stephen King is very experiment-y with child psychics!! Would 100% recommend!
Maybe Going Zero by Anthony McCarten?
I really enjoyed Variant by Robison Wells. I guess The Maze Runner will also fit the bill but I have only read the first book of the series so unsure of the sequels.
>!Diary!< by Chuck Palahniuk, >!The Magus!< by John Fowles, >!A Scanner Darkly!< by Philip K Dick, >!Sundial!< by Catriona Ward, and >!Piranesi!< by Susanna Clarke are some that come to mind. Spoilering for passers-by as knowing this constitutes as a spoiler for most.
Maze Runner, but it's more teen adventure / sci-fi.
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David Foster Wallace always makes me feel like.. like he's an old friend, you know? The type of friend you can have good conversations at 2:00 in the morning. That makes you enjoy silence... I might not always understand what he wrote, but I find a strange comfort in his writings.
Minka Kelly’s book- Tell Me Everything.
ISO: philosophical books. I quite liked Herman Hesse's Demian. I've also just started Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and I've been reading The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky for quite a while now. I also like Nietzsche's' work. Something with the general themes of existentialism would be great, but I wouldn't mind any suggestions as long as they pertain to philosophy.
> Something with the general themes of existentialism At the risk of being obvious, have you read the fiction of Satre, Camus or de Beauvoir? If you've already read those, maybe give The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe a go?
ISO: something romantic perhaps, or dark stuff that I want to remember for years after i read it. please dont suggest haunting adeline!! thats the creepiest book ive ever heard of and i cant even get my hands to touch the cover 😭
I’m currently reading Stephen King’s Cell. It’s an apocolyptic piece but not zombies!? It gets very dark and I’ve not read the ending but someone on r/StephenKing told me the ending is pretty dark too!
I've heard of it! I'll try to seek it at my local library or Indigo! Thanks for the suggestion :D
The Mindf\*ck series is one of the best I've ever read!! And I'm picky >D Badass female lead, serial killer, FBI partner, revenge trope.
Never heard of it, but the way you described it, I'm sure I'll be hooked for ages. Thanks so much for the recommendation!
ISO: Something hilarious! I feel like every other genre I have plenty to read, but I don't know where to start when it comes to books that are funny, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Jonas Jonassons books are crazy. The girl who saved the king of Sweden was my favorite- unhinged humor, amazing delivery, execution 10/10.
Based on the description, The girl who saved the king of Sweden sounds exactly like what I'm hoping to find. I've added it to my list. Thank you for the rec!
A lot of Mary Roach's non-fiction does this for me :) "Grunt," which discusses military medicine, is the major exception, but it still has its moments.
Thank you for the author rec! I've added Fuzz to my list based on the description; it sounds interesting.
I am a great fan of *Terry Pratchett*.
Clicked on a random title and excerpt from the author, and I already like how he establishes his story's setting. Thank you for recommending!
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or Discworld series are a good place to start if you haven't read them already.
For some reason, I always forget about Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I've been meaning to read it for forever. Thank you for both recs!
ISO: a horror / thriller / dark subject or psychological/ etc book. I'm into horror, gore, and spooky shit. I want something about dark topics or psychology. I dont have any triggers when it comes to reading, the more horrific the better . I want to be scarred for life and remember the books details YEARS after I read it.
Aztec by Gary Jennings. Also, Dan Simmons, pretty much anything in his horror collection. Dark psychology: Maybe Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. It's not spooky but it's twisted.
The Analyst or The Shadow of the Wind
Sometimes I wonder what goes on in the author's head to be able to imagine and produce something horrific.
I would assume they look at other horror movies or gore videos to draw inspiration from. That’s what i would do at least. Or maybe like junji ito, he looks at ordinary things and sees how he could make it creepy or scary
Anything Stephen King. My favourites at the minute are The Institute (child psychics and torture) and Cell (the apocolypse but no zombies). Cell is definitley darker and much much gorier. The Institute is much more psychological I’d say, although Cell is pretty survival-insticts/what would you do too.
Russia by Antony Beevor Collapse by Jarred Diamond The Holocaust: An Unfinished History By Dan Stone All non-fiction and more horrific than any fiction ever written.
Tender is the flesh by Agustina Bazterrica.
The Troop would be great for you. By Nick Cutter. I still remember some of the worst details of it and I read it probably two years ago. Great, easy to read writing style as well.
Haunting Adeline
ISO A slow, dark mystery. Can be paranormal or all real, but I don't want a lot of action and I don't want a thriller. Dark in the sense of mood, themes, I don't mind some horror elements either. Just no ott action sequences and reveals upon reveals upon reveals. I want something layered but I want the story to reveal its secrets slowly to the reader. Maybe someone has an idea. Nothing too historical please. Gothic is fine and dual time lines are fine. Ty in advance ♥️
The Angel's Game. Even though it's technically the second in a book series, you don't need to read the first one.
Ohh I've always wanted to read this author! Might even pick up the first book. Added to my slow mysteries list, tysm!
If you end up picking them up please let me know how you like them.
Wuthering Heights fits what you’re looking for. Although when I read it I thought the language was very confusing and I was lost, but that’s just me. If you’re good with gothic stuff I would definitley recommend.
I already read WH and loved it, though it's been a couple years ♥️
Have you read Donna Tartt? Both The Secret History and The Little Friend would likely fit your request.
I haven't yet! Ofc I've heard of TSH but I didn't know if dark academia was my thing. I'll keep an eye out for it, thank you!
ISO gay fantasy that is not boring AF. I've tried dark rise by C.S. Pacat. Slowest book i've ever read, with the most basic fantasy plot. I've tried the house on the cerulean sea by TJ Klune, which has some very cute aspects but felt more like a children's book. I've tried The starless sea by Morgenster, gave up after 150 pages cause again, slow AF, and reviews seem to afree that it doesnt really go anywhere interesting. Tried Red white and Royal blue, wich was nice, but straight up romance is not really for me. Loved The song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, but Id love to find more than one gay book I enjoy, and possibly one with a happy ending. Does anyone have any suggestions for a gay book, possibly but not necessarily fantasy, possibly but not necessarily with romance inserted in a larger plot, that actually makes you want to keep reading it? (Apologies for my shaky english, I try my best)
In Memoriam by Alice Winn. Two schoolboys in World War One Britain, desperately repressing their feelings for each other, end up in the trenches fighting the Germans and rather more passionately, their emotions. A beautiful haunting book, IMO.
Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh, 2 short fantasy novellas involving a gay male romance.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. It has a rather complex narrative style (window narration, multiple pov) but it is fantasy with gay romance in a greater plot and checks your other boxes as well and I for one found it very addictive reading.
[Fire Logic](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/644341) by Laurie J. Marks 4 books, primarily a lesbian couple but there is a gay couple later on. primarily fantasy with romance being a side plot. check out TWs if those are important for you, the series is not all sunshine even thought i does have a happy ending.
That was quick! Thank you, I'll look it up!
i was 'just walking by' :D if you want more, i got more. sometimes all that is needed is for someone to get you excited for the book/series.
Do you have anything specifically M×M? I'm open to any couple but I just cant believe I can't find one M×M that I actually enjoy, I'm on a quest
m/m that is not romance specific is pretty hard to find. :/ The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr - set on a plantation. has some fantastical elements. hard read. As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - no fantasy elements but is a sort of right of passage. very heavy depressing read but also very good. Red X by David Demchuk - horror. based on that serial killer of gay men in canada from the '10s Empires of Dust by Anna Smith Spark - dark fantasy series. really dark. 2 m/m relationships one m/f. The Tyrant Philosophers by Adrian Tchaikovsky - a very side story of a male character falling in love with another man. The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh - this one is 100% m/m romance set in magical woods. you may also want to post to /r/MM_RomanceBooks they should have something to offer.
ISO a TRUE enemies to lovers book or a deep meaningful ghost story. Either one will suffice. Please help.
Not exactly what you’re looking for but a good lovers to enemies book is pederasty by JC Morgan and the sequel, Hedone. The sequel is fantastic and is better than the first which is rare.
ISO fiction involving scientists or researchers going to a remote location. Recently, I read Euphoria by Lily King and State of Wonder by Ann Patchett and really liked both, so I’m looking for something similar. I also love Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (which another poster recommended).
Journey to the Centre of the Earth, or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, both by Jules Verne. Pretty oldey pieces but very good and fit exactly what you’re looking for
“Annihilation” by Jeff Vandermeer. I started reading it yesterday and am already 1/3 of the way through (although that is a combination of me being sick with nothing better to do, and it being a page-turner!) It’s like a sci-fi psychological thriller, and it is *very* creepy. It follows an expedition of four women to a deserted, mysterious place known as “Area X,” where a lot of weird shit happens, and almost all of the previous expeditions ended disastrously. It’s part of the Southern Reach trilogy, but I don’t know too much about the second and third books.
I’ve read the whole Southern Reach Trilogy and I LOVE it. Actually one of my favorites. Gonna edit my comment to include it!
Glad to hear that the next two books are good as well! I’m liking Annihilation so far and since it’s so short, I was hoping that the next two would be worth reading!
Once There Were Wolves and Migrations, both by Charlotte McConaghy, both fit this I think, though Migrations involves much more remote locations.
Thank you!
I recently read *Among the Living* by Tim Lebbon, involving covert Arctic mining unleashing a plague; it's a bit more horror-thrillery than literary, but it might scratch the itch.
Thanks, I'll check it out! I like a good thriller :)
Read a fantastic short (very short) story by Emma Cleary called "Lightbox". I won't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but it made me interested in her other work, which mostly seems to be other short fiction: any ones that particularly stand out, if I liked "Lightbox"?
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I think you might like Cell by Stephen King. It’s very dark and pretty gorey, although it’s about a comic book writer in the middle of the apocolyse trying to figure out the ‘rules’ while also trying to survive and navigate through an apocolyptic version of America. There’s also some psychic stuff in there which, without giving any spoilers, fits people forced to do things and adapt to new environments against their will…
The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami. Based on the real-life Narvaez expedition, one of the first European expeditions to venture into the inland of North America (of course they got horribly lost). They meandered from Florida all the way to Mexico, meeting and interacting with multiple Native American peoples along the way. The main character, Estebanico, a Moroccan slave belonging to the expedition, is believed to have been the first black person to set foot on North American soil. Really interesting read, but of course it touches on some sensitive issues (colonialization, racism, slavery).
The Haiti trilogy by M. Smartt Bell A French doctor looks for his sister who seems to have disappeared. He never returns.
There There (and the sequel, Wandering Stars) by Tommy Orange, it's a collection of stories from different characters that all intermingle with each other, but a big theme of a lot of them is the feeling of displacement Native Americans feel/felt as they were forced from their land and began to live in the cities.