Welcome to our weekly recommendation thread! A few years ago now the mod team decided to condense the many "suggest some books" threads into one big mega-thread, in order to consolidate the subreddit and diversify the front page a little. Since then, we have removed suggestion threads and directed their posters to this thread instead. This tradition continues, so let's jump right in!

The Rules

• Every comment in reply to this self-post must be a request for suggestions.

• All suggestions made in this thread must be direct replies to other people's requests. Do not post suggestions in reply to this self-post.

• All unrelated comments will be deleted in the interest of cleanliness.

How to get the best recommendations

The most successful recommendation requests include a description of the kind of book being sought. This might be a particular kind of protagonist, setting, plot, atmosphere, theme, or subject matter. You may be looking for something similar to another book (or film, TV show, game, etc), and examples are great! Just be sure to explain what you liked about them too. Other helpful things to think about are genre, length and reading level.

All Weekly Recommendation Threads are linked below the header throughout the week to guarantee that this thread remains active day-to-day. For those bursting with books that you are hungry to suggest, we've set the suggested sort to new; you may need to set this manually if your app or settings ignores suggested sort.

If this thread has not slaked your desire for tasty book suggestions, we propose that you head on over to the aptly named subreddit /r/suggestmeabook.

• The Management

Hey everyone! I’m James Islington and The Will of the Many, the first book in my new series Hierarchy, has just been released. It’s a heavily Roman-inspired epic fantasy mixed with dark academia, and follows an overthrown prince as he hides from the empire which killed his family. I’ve seen it described as Red Rising meets The Name of the Wind, and I think that’s a great high-level description of it (particularly as those are both influences and personal favourites of mine). Here’s the Goodreads link for those who want to check out some reviews.

As far as my previous works go: my first book, The Shadow of What Was Lost, started out self-published in 2014 before selling far beyond my wildest expectations, then being picked up for audio and traditional publication along with the rest of Licanius. I completed that trilogy in late 2019. The series has sold more than a million copies to date across all formats.

I’m admittedly not often on social media but if you want to stay up to date with me, you can find me on Twitter, Facebook or my website (where I give quarterly updates on my writing progress). Right now, though, if you have any questions for me – regarding Hierarchy, Licanius, the self-pub vs trad experience, writing in general, other stuff I’m into, whatever – then fire away. Ask me anything!

EDIT: Alright, I'm done for the day! I have a chaotic weekend coming up, but I'll check back Monday morning my time for any stragglers. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in - it's been fun!

And holy shit is that book fucked. It's great. I loved it. But it's fucked.

How did a book that apparently kickstarted the horror genre not be a horror book but one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read.

It is a tradegy on all sides. The two main characters have reasons of acting the way they did.

I'm trying not to spoil too much (even though the book is over 200 years old)

For anyone who want a short read (my copy was 143 pages but was a wider print. Good reads has it at like 215). I highly suggest this book.

It's not scary but it is fucked 5/5

Next book: the trial by Franz Kafka

There is this one very old author that I used to send letters to, almost a decade ago. His stories were about all sorts of things. Mostly about the human condition.

My letters were always short, I didn't want to take too much of his time at once. I wrote all sorts of shit to him. What I liked about his stories and what they taught me. Tidbits of my life and why his stories were important to me. I also told him about struggling as a trans woman, and costly it was. I was rejected from family. I was even homeless. I was a stripper for a while. The thoughts I had about human nature, gender, what it even means to be a man or a woman. About faith, god, and the reason things happen and how I don't think my condition is a random fluke but there must be a reason because if there isn't, then it's too horrifying to have to live with this.

I stopped writing to him for almost a decade. I also stopped reading his work, or books in general. I just got so busy and distracted. Every day I was dying inside, and I still don't know what keeps me going. Then his new book which was anticipated by his cult following was finally released. He worked on it for a very long time.

There was a character in that book that I, and I think other fans, would have never anticipated from an author like him. A transgender woman. I read the book and that character felt uncannily familiar. She was even a stripper like I was in the past, which I once told the author about. There were also conversations the character has, which were the exact same shit I wrote in my letters to the author. That character said a bunch of shit I have told the author... and plenty of other shit I have never told him. Did he know that I, a transgender woman, was actually thinking the exact same thing as his character? How did he know? And through the dialogue, it was like the author was speaking to me specifically. In his own way, indirectly by using a story and his characters, responding to the things I wrote about in this letters years ago and telling me that if god didn't love me, I wouldn't be here.

He never responded to my letters (or anyone else's, really). I didn't expect anything when I sent those letters. I actually don't even know why I told him all that shit, I was pretty young. He may have read my letters and thought about it, but it was radio silence all these years. I forgot until recently. If he did read my letters, then he did the most loving and validating thing he could have done for someone like me. This character was the response without directly writing back to me. It's almost like he knew I was going to read his new book.

This is like a fan's ultimate dream...

He made me his character in his book.

He wrote that character for me.

Wow. Absolutely devastating and beautiful. Thick with character development and dilemma. This was one of the few novels of Steinbeck’s I hadn’t read yet. I’m a huge fan of his as I feel often times he is writing directly to me, almost for me. The Winter of Our Discontent struck so close to home with me it was scary. I see much of myself in Ethan Allen Hawley. The evolution of my identity and manhood rife with self-deprecation, questioning, uncertainty, but unwavering in my love for my family despite our many shortcomings. I also saw much of my own kids in his, Ellen and Allen. Spirited and sassy. Tender and stubborn. What a wonderfully crafted story this was. If you are a fan of Steinbeck’s and haven’t read this one, I highly recommend you do. I wish I could go back in time and read it for the first time.

Basically the title and can be fiction or non-fiction. Have you ever read a book where the story opens your eyes to the fact sometimes our problems are really not as earth shattering as they seem to us? This isn't to discount how stressful or life changing our individual internal or external battles are. However, was there ever a book that after reading it just made you go, "yeah, my life isn't that bad afterall"?

I'm currently reading "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, and while I'm currently in a place in life where I hate my job, and am feeling pretty unhappy with where I am in life, I can just get a new job and turn my situation around. Reading this book, makes me take a step back and really puts things into perspective about how hard life can really get for some who don't have a choice to change the situation they're in.

I tried to post this on r/showerthoughts but it was immediately removed. Anyways, I read one of those trash news pieces today with the slide show and it was all about how people's childhoods were ruined because they read Of Mice and Men. One of them did claim that their 5th grade school teacher read Steven King to them, which as someone who attended American schools, I can't help but think they are probably lying. But if that is true, I would agree that it was inappropriate. Still, the other ones were pretty ridiculous along the lines of kids should have no idea what is going on the world.

So, last night I was up until almost 3:00 AM reading smut. I had actually read chapter 1 of the book weeks ago and wasn't sure if I'd like it, so I didn't make a point to return to the book with any urgency. But then I was rearranging the widgets on my iPad Mini—which is what I use as an ereader even though it's probably terrible for my eyes, because I can have access to Apple Books, Kindle, and Nook all on the same book-sized device—and in doing so, I saw that I was still technically reading this book on Apple Books and decided to give it a second chance.

So I start reading, and realized that it is actually not quite as terrible as I remembered. I think because I don't read erotica often, if that's how this book can be labeled, it is always a major adjustment to get into the sexy talk. I end up rolling my eyes A LOT and otherwise feeling totally creeped out by the MMC's "sexy" behavior, which is why I stopped reading the book after the first chapter. I just don't think I was in the right frame of mind for it at first. I feel like I really have to suspend my belief when reading these books and try to appreciate them within the context of the story. Sometimes it is still too much for me (hello, Grey), but sometimes the author gets it just right. And I guess my brain felt differently about it last night considering I did not seem capable of putting the book down for hours and hours. On the one hand, I love that, because it reminds me of when I was a pre-teen and teen, and turning on my lamp after my parents went to bed so I could read waaayyy past my bedtime without fear of them waking up and finding me still awake. But on the other hand, I feel conflicted that it's the smutty book that kept me awake last night, and not, say, my paperback copy of The Girls by Emma Cline, which I'm also enjoying so far (though in a very different way).

I'm really liking The Girls, but I can spook pretty easily, so I think part of me is worried that the Manson-esque storyline will keep me awake afraid of cult murderers breaking down my door, as I am primarily a bedtime reader, which is just a very different thing than being kept awake by a sexy book. I might have to make The Girls a weekend read, so that I will have time to read it during the day, like in the morning, and then read the sexy book at night to take my mind off of Petaluma, CA and it's dizzying array of serial killers.

I've debated the whole time I've been writing this post whether or not I would name the sexy book, and I guess I will. It is Bared to You by Sylvia Day. OKAYBYE.

Actually, PS: What are your guilty pleasure reads? Do you actually think of anything you read as a "guilty" pleasure? I admit that enjoying this book has made me feel weird, because I know some people would totally shit on me for it, but at the same time we like what we like. I try not to be a book-shamer, writing as someone who used to be a little judgy and snobbish in her early-mid 20s (post-college) about what other people read. I was an English major and I definitely graduated with this heightened sense of importance and believing that literary works were the end-all, be-all. It's like what Roxane Gay said in a tweet or something once, and I paraphrase -- not all literary books are good books, a lot of them are bad, and there is a lot of genre fiction out there that is actually good. Now, I don't know what her thoughts would be on Bared to You (she may totally hate it and I couldn't even blame her), but the essence of that takeaway has stayed with me over the years. So I'm trying not to actually feel guilty about reading this, though I have yet to add it to my Currently Reading shelf on Goodreads. That is another debate I'm having with myself. To shelve it or not to shelve it?

I know I have always made it a point to read EVERY day - if at no other time, then before bed as a way to wind down the day and end with some escapism. While I mostly read fantasy, (My Dad got me into Tolkien), I also like a good historical fiction story, or a good murder mystery. And while I am late to the party, I just found Rachel Hatch books!

I know my parents love of reading helped me to think that reading was cool.

Curious to how many folks here read every day.

I read enders game in high-school and adored it. I liked a few others in that series but many were odd so i kinda left him behind...

A year or two ago I started browsing his works. I found many series to be remarkable. Innovative and thought provoking.

He also did great character work- leading me to read several novels who's synopsis made me think I'd despise them...

But then I heard the news.. and read the quotes

And I couldn't enjoy any new series by Card.

I still own several series and I may re read them but I dunno if it'll ever be the same.

On page 83 of Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow, George Edwards tells his dinner guest that his wife “stopped believing in a just God when Cleveland blew the World Series last year.”

This scene takes place in the year 2017. The 2016 Baseball World Series saw the Cleveland (then) Indians blow a 3-1 best-of-seven series lead to the Chicago Cubs.

The Sparrow was published in 1996, so it seems that Russell correctly predicted the 2016 World Series 20 years before it happened.

Hello everyone. I currently have to do an interpretation of the book “Prometheus” by Goethe (in german ofc). But i realized that im reading the play about prometheus, not the poem thats widely known. I havent found any analysis or summaries about the play, but about the poem there are loads of websites. Does anyone know a good website with a summary or an analysis Thank you in advance!

I've been bouncing off a lot of media lately, not just books. Podcasts, video games, books, you name it (well, mostly just those three). And I was starting to think it was a problem with me. I have moments like that, when nothing seems interesting and I feel like I'm spiraling out of control and I'm jumping from distraction to distraction to try and quiet my mind for a minute.

I've been reading The Shipping News, listening to a podcast about the Stonewall Riots, as well as a dramatic fiction podcast. The first two feel like a chore, and the last one is good, but I also can't listen to more than one episode in a row. So I find myself unsure of what to do or read next when I need a break.

Imagine my relief then when I downloaded Paladin's Grace off a recommendation from someone on r/cozyfantasy and immediately got drawn in. No distractions, no wondering if I should be doing something else, just enjoying the story unfold and the character's dialog and antics. Instead of feeling like this thing I have to do to expand my horizons or educate myself, I'm just reading and enjoying it. It's nice to know that my attention span isn't wrecked or that I'm stressing out to the point where I can't just enjoy a simple story.

It's good to explore outside your comfort zone, but it's also good to just read something you like without worrying if it's making you a better person. Thanks for reading.

I am going to come out and say that this book is one of the best and most important pieces of literature in recent history.

It is no easy read, it clocks in around 900 pages and describes the very recent history of the United States and then carries into the future. It's main premise is the steadily advancing climate crisis which is rapidly spiraling into worse and worse weather events and contributing to chaos across the country. As the reader, you are taken into the lives of several different key characters - a climatologist, a climate change warrior advocate, an eco-terrorist cell leader, a neurodivergent numbers wizard who turned from sports betting to climate modeling, a poverty-stricken resident of rural-suburban Ohio, a marketing executive, and countless political figures that are fictional but fleshed out in believable and meaningful ways. Each character brings their own angle to the broader story, and each one is written in their own unique style and with their own unique voice in a way that greatly expands the overall story.

Taking place from 2013-2040 and weaving together these story threads into a grand narrative surrounding the political developments of the timeframe, all backed by the growing roar of the climate crisis, The Deluge is a masterpiece of fiction. Its humanity, its set pieces, and its intricacy and care in handling incredibly complicated topics such as climate science or the process of a bill being passed in congress to make them palatable to the average reader is no small feat. Despite its detail, it reads like a page turning thriller. I was astounded by this book, page after page. It captivated me in a way very few books ever have.

I am highly recommending that everyone who sees this post reads this book. It is a book that will stick with you for a long time, leaving your stomach in knots and forcing you to contemplate the contemporaneous moment of our real lives.

I am a huge fan of Jon Donohue and last year i saw the movie and and recently i finally got to read the book (i know i am sorry for such a sin) but i must say this was a fun and fascinating memoir. Well written and reads very quickly. Flew through this in a few sittings. Basically an action packed story of how one man connects his soldier supporting neighborhood with their friends and loved ones serving in Vietnam. Amazing adventure and a touching perspective of a very nightmar-ish(??) and severely unpopular war. This book was an incredible true story that showcased an honorable man larger than life. His unselfishness and sacrifice to bring warm wishes and love to friends and neighbors serving in Vietnam was nothing short of heroic and insanely admirable. His message sharing journey turned into a mission of survival and great risk to help and protect numerous people around him. Simply an inspiring and superb piece of Vietnam war history.

Absolutely recommended!

Hey guys, I've read a fair few of Saramago's books starting in school (in Portugal you read either Baltazar and Blimunda or the year of the death of Ricardo Reis in school) and quite a few afterwards. I've loved them all but this really stands out, it's the story of this lonely middle ages national registry clerk that accidentaly finds the file of a random women while researching information on famous people for his personal collection. He begins to get obesesed with finding the women and discovering who she is behind the bureaucracy reality. The book is not only a deep exploration of loneliness of modern society and the alienation that work produces, but it's also and essay on identity, destiny and freedom, and in some points even life and death and it's borders. I'm curious to know what other people though of the book and I'm also curious to know how Saramago's distinctive style translates into English. I'm also curious to know how you guys interpeted the enigmatic ending.

Thank you!

Many communities are going dark on June 12th to stand against Reddit's new policy, which will eventually kill every 3rd party app. Even if you don't use any of those, they are essential to many moderators, so your experience using Reddit will be affected anyway.
I recommend going through the pinned posts on r/Save3rdPartyApps or r/ModCoord for further context.

Edit: Well, it looks like we've been ignored by the mods. Yay.

Being funny is surely one of the most attractive things a person can have and yet I can barely think of any characters who are attractive because they're funny - where the book isn't meant to be a comedy.

I'm thinking in TV there is a lot of these characters (Jim from The Office) and obviously in a lot of sit-coms, Chandler from Friends etc. But I can't think of that many in books. I recently read (and loved) Sorrow and Bliss and I think Meg Mason did a great job of making one of Martha's most attractive traits be the fact she was funny. I would love to see that dynamic more.

Why do you think it's not done more? Or does anyone have any examples of great characters who are attractive because they're funny? Men or women. Funny can also mean generally cheeky/not taking themselves too seriously etc.

As im writing this I just closed the book, and honestly don’t know what to feel, so please excuse my plump writing as I’m still having a little bit of a hard time coming “back” after finishing this book in one sitting. I must say that I really enjoyed the mixture between Prosa and poetry, and while it did have Kangs gentle madness and I did feel like this was intended to be more of a linguistic art work. I’m sure that reading it in Korean would have had a bigger impact. I cannot stop to wonder if the women in the book is somewhat a reflection of herself and her struggle with language and lack of finding a voice as it was first written in 2011 when she felt disconnected from words. Much like her the ending came somewhat fast, but nevertheless well and soft spoken, it just leaves me wondering what is to become of those two enjoying the silence with each other and the woman having her first word spoken again. With both stories written in the third person, making it almost feel like I’m glancing at a much too intimate scene I shouldn’t have looked at, feeling like I know them fully and somewhat not at all. While I really can’t grasp what exactly I’m feeling right now, I do love that well written books. What impressions or opinions did you have?

Last night I finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Without a doubt it is immediately my favorite book I have ever read. It made me cry more than a few times, which I can’t say another book has caused me to ever do.

I was at the point where von Rumpel enters Number 4 Rue Vauborel to search for the Sea of Flames, and I had well over 100 pages left, but I couldn’t stop reading it. I should have just read a few of the short chapters and set it aside to keep reading throughout the rest of the week and savored it. But I ended up finishing, and now everything in my life seems bleak, empty, and gray.

I have had “book hangovers” in the past but this one has hit me harder than any before. I can’t focus on anything, nothing interests me besides the story, and I daydream of Marie-Laure, Werner, Jutta, and all the intricacies of the story. I hear Clair de Lune playing over and over in my head, albeit that is my fault for listening to it on repeat for a few days. It is such a beautiful song, and enhances my emotions for the story every time I listen.

I wish I could escape the monotony of my life again. I wish I could live within the story. I wish I could be there for Marie-Laure like her Papa, Etienne, and Werner were. I wish I could feel her experiences and sense the world the way that she does through heightened senses cause by her blindness.

I don’t understand how a fictional character has made such an impression on me. I will butcher the quote, but I feel like when Werner was trying to not forget Marie-Laure after they parted ways during the ceasefire in Saint-Malo. He wanted to remember her but knows that if he continually tries to draw up memories then they will be overused and he will forget.

I just don’t know what to do. I kind of want to start it over from the beginning again, but I know I will eventually be left in the same headspace I am now, and knowing the ending of the story I’m sure the experience will be different. I want to tell everyone about the book and how much it is affecting me emotionally but I just don’t think they will understand, and I don’t want to be annoying.

I’m just an emotional wreck.

What are everyone's thought on owning a book vs renting? Libraries are free, but you are limited in time with the book (a deadline to finish and no looking back). This may be okay for novels but, does anyone annotate books? I'll often read something in the 'Atomic Habits' genera and I like to mark up and underline.

For the best lazy reading weekend, I would find a comfy spot in my home maybe a chair or part of my bed, while my gf is peacefully sleeping. I'd love to hear a thunderstorm outside, providing the only sound in the background, making the atmosphere calm and peaceful no music (not even classical music) just the rumble of the storm. I would make the room nice and cold, just how I like it. Near me, I would have some easy snacks (Sushi or Oreo) and a cool glass of Lipton iced tea. The book I would be eagerly diving into would be a suspenseful Stephen King novel a real page turner that would keep me engrossed (Or Brandon Sanderson, Tom Clancy). I would make sure I have a lot of free time with no tasks to do, so I can really get lost in the world of my book. I'd be wearing my most comfy clothes like pajamas. To keep my focus on the book, I would put away all distractions like my iPad, smartphone, TV, PS5, and even cable TV channels like HBO or National Geographic . With the cold room and the mesmerizing sound of the thunderstorm outside, I'd be all set for a perfect weekend of reading.

Explain your perfect conditions for a lazy weekend of reading.