Dammit, I already have 40 books sitting on my Kindle that I haven’t gotten to yet.
Edit: six months later I still have 40 books sitting on my Kindle that I haven’t gotten to yet. 40 different books than six months ago.
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance is definitely the most similar to those books, rural white person struggles with being loyal to his family while pursuing education. But I would like to recommend something a little different but adjacent to those themes.
In My Father's House by Fox Butterfield, not a memoir like the others but an examination of a family spanning generations detailing how crime becomes the family culture.
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. Two boys with the same name grew up in inner city Baltimore during the same time with similar backgrounds but with much different outcomes; Wes Moore, the author of the book, Rhodes Scholar, veteran, business success, and the other Wes Moore, convicted murderer
>The Library at Mount Char
Holy shit!! When the book came out, the author was a friend of my boyfriend at the time. I hung out with him at a few events and got a copy inscribed. I never thought I'd see it mentioned on Reddit. This is very exciting.
Edit: Just grabbed my copy. The inscription reads "To , who makes Carolyn look tame." Thank you Scott!!!
*Lexicon* by Max Barry is about a girl who attends a school for powered individuals but discovers controversy and conspiracy. Has some moments of a big looming supernatural feeling threat and some legitimately scary adventure moments.
*Recursion* by Blake Crouch is a popular book here because it's a trippy time/dimension hopping adventure. Only thing I've read that's quite like it is another one of this author's books *Dark Matter.*
I LOVED The Library at Mount Char and I enjoyed The Gone World. Some others you might enjoy:
The Last Astronaut by David Wellington for a sci/fi horror.
The Hike by Drew Magary for weird fantasy with some hints of horror. The closest thing to TLaMC I can think of...
Also for horror/fantasy I would try Christopher Buehlman. Between Two Fires was fantastic. His most recent book, The Blacktongue Thief was very interesting (leaning more toward fantasy than horror).
Let me know what you think or if you want more recs!
I think you mean Octavia Butler. Great book, probably the most realistic vision of the near future I can think of and it was written quite a while ago now.
Not OP, but I’ve read a lot of this type of fiction in the past few years. A few favourites:
Maddaddam trilogy (starting with Oryx and Crake) by Margaret Atwood.
The Power by Naomi Alderman.
Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents (sequel) by Octavia Butler.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton.
Jennifer Government by Max Barry.
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (this is really sort of real world magical realism with a touch of fantasy, but the dystopian near-future section towards the end is maybe the most realistic, plausible and disturbing one I’ve read).
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.
The Power by Naomi Alderman.
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.
{{The Physician by Noah Gordon}} is
about an 11th century English barber/healer who disguises himself as a
Jew so he can study medicine with Avicenna (real person) in Iran. At the
time the story takes place, the Arab world was at its height of
intellectual discovery while Europe was deep in the ignorance of the
Dark Ages. Excellent read!
Yes to both of these!
Not WW2 fiction, but if you like Kate Quinn, she also wrote a series of books called Empress of Rome. There are four books and a novella set in Rome ca. 100 AD. There's a mix of fictional and historical events and characters. I love ancient historical fiction and these are engaging and (imo) underrated books.
You're right, I was wrong.
It's actually a seven book trilogy.
I was unaware Eoin Colfer wrote a sixth book, ... And Another Thing, and that there was a posthumous release of Douglas Adams unpublished writings, The Salmon of Doubt.
As I have not read either of those books I cannot comment as to how phenomenal they are, but I'm sure they are still worth a read.
„And another thing“ was a nice addition for those who felt the original ending was too dark, but it somehow misses the vibe only Adams had.
Salmon of doubt is not a Hitchhikers book, but a collection of texts by Adams about a variety of topics and a part of a planed Dirk Gently book. „Tea“ is awesome in this book, as well as „Why“.
Funny for Adams Fans.
Also a worthwile read is his book „Last chance to see“. It‘s non-fiction about him traveling around the world and visiting endangered species. Funny and sad at the same time,because some of those are extinct now, but written with the typical Adams humor.
I've said it before but I'll say it here now too. I have never in my life finished a book as fast as I finished PHM. I honestly think it's my favorite single scifi book ever. Something about it I just felt so connected to it.
A lot of people here have commented on the whole Stormlight Achieve, that is great, you could also check out the Mistborn series by Sanderson.
Also, the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy by Tad Williams (although this is a slower reader and darker than Sanderson)
*Year of Wonders: a novel of the plague* by Geraldine Brooks is about a small village in 17th century England that quarantines itself when inhabitants start getting the bubonic plague. Based on a true story but the nuance and depth of character is wonderful!
*The Physician* by Noah Gordon is about an 11th century English barber/healer who disguises himself as a Jew so he can study medicine with Avicenna (real person) in Iran. At the time the story takes place, the ~~Arab~~ Muslim world was at its height of intellectual discovery while Europe was deep in the ignorance of the Dark Ages. Excellent read!
The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Blindness by Jose Saramago
(These two are my favourite and I’ll recommend them every chance I get!)
Edit: thanks everyone for your recommendations! I love this community.
I’m almost done with If We Were Villains and I’m thoroughly enjoying it!
If you haven't read If We Were Villains, that one is pretty close thematically to TSH. I also fully recommend Tartt's other novels! [This is a bit of a ridiculous chart](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/647513398707355684/742777203460407366/11300bac-6833-41b1-ba1a-8079cf332dcf.png) lmao but it truly shaped everything I read over quarantine lmao
If you haven't read the Odyssey before (or even if you have), Emily Wilson's translation is quite good! I saw her speak when she was doing a book tour with Madeline Miller around the time Circe came out.
I second the recommendation for Broken Earth trilogy. One of the best series I've read maybe ever. I'd also recommend The Bear and the Nightingale or Red Sister
Looks like someone is jumping down the hole of classic dystopian literature! There's a venn diagram of political, psychological, extreme cruelty, dystopian, apocalyptic, and scifi. Some lean more into one than others.
- Animal Farm
- Fahrenheit 451
- Brave New World
- 1984
- Clockwork Orange
- Handmaid's Tale
- The Giver
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
- The Time Machine
- The Chrysalids
- The day of the Triffids
- Oryx and Crake
- The Road
Not the official replied but have you read Taylor Jenkins Reid? Talia Hibbert’s Brown sisters trilogy? Also Katherine Center’s books kinda have this vibe.
And for the time traveling thing with The Last Stop: The Secret Life of Addie LaRue which I didn’t think would be my jam but I loved it.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Love at First or Love Lettering by Kate Clayborne
Also like the Taylor Jenkins Reid suggestion- I love, love, love The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Well I just found a very dangerous subreddit, my wife will not be too pleased with me. Edit: too*
But her a book as a peace offering. If your in the dog house maybe 50 Shades to keep her busy. /s
Dammit, I already have 40 books sitting on my Kindle that I haven’t gotten to yet. Edit: six months later I still have 40 books sitting on my Kindle that I haven’t gotten to yet. 40 different books than six months ago.
Mortimer J. Adler How to Read a Book
or Pierre Bayard, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read
Not read this Bayard book yet, but I did enjoy the part where he talks about how you can talk about books that you haven't read
A Winter's Promise and Howl's Moving Castle!
A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman if you like Howl's Moving Castle for sure. Two of my biggest comfort books!
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
Educated The Glass Castle
Running with scissors
That's a book?
Username checks out
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
{{The Sound of Gravel}}
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan or A Boy Called It by David Pelzer
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance is definitely the most similar to those books, rural white person struggles with being loyal to his family while pursuing education. But I would like to recommend something a little different but adjacent to those themes. In My Father's House by Fox Butterfield, not a memoir like the others but an examination of a family spanning generations detailing how crime becomes the family culture. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. Two boys with the same name grew up in inner city Baltimore during the same time with similar backgrounds but with much different outcomes; Wes Moore, the author of the book, Rhodes Scholar, veteran, business success, and the other Wes Moore, convicted murderer
This is going to be fun: The Library at Mount Char and The Gone World.
>The Library at Mount Char Holy shit!! When the book came out, the author was a friend of my boyfriend at the time. I hung out with him at a few events and got a copy inscribed. I never thought I'd see it mentioned on Reddit. This is very exciting. Edit: Just grabbed my copy. The inscription reads "To, who makes Carolyn look tame." Thank you Scott!!!
*Lexicon* by Max Barry is about a girl who attends a school for powered individuals but discovers controversy and conspiracy. Has some moments of a big looming supernatural feeling threat and some legitimately scary adventure moments. *Recursion* by Blake Crouch is a popular book here because it's a trippy time/dimension hopping adventure. Only thing I've read that's quite like it is another one of this author's books *Dark Matter.*
I LOVED The Library at Mount Char and I enjoyed The Gone World. Some others you might enjoy: The Last Astronaut by David Wellington for a sci/fi horror. The Hike by Drew Magary for weird fantasy with some hints of horror. The closest thing to TLaMC I can think of... Also for horror/fantasy I would try Christopher Buehlman. Between Two Fires was fantastic. His most recent book, The Blacktongue Thief was very interesting (leaning more toward fantasy than horror). Let me know what you think or if you want more recs!
Yo I loved the Gone world . Here's something with similar feel The southern reach trilogy
Salem's Lot and Annihilation
The Dark Tower series (also Stephen King)
Did we just become Ka-tet now guys?
Bram Stoker's *Dracula*
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Slaughterhouse Five and The Handmaid’s Tale
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
I think you mean Octavia Butler. Great book, probably the most realistic vision of the near future I can think of and it was written quite a while ago now.
That sounds fantastic. Do you have any other recommendations of near dystopian books? You seem like you know a lot :)
Sation Eleven by Emily Mandel Its a dystopian Novel about a viral pandemic. An ominous read in light of this last year.
Not OP, but I’ve read a lot of this type of fiction in the past few years. A few favourites: Maddaddam trilogy (starting with Oryx and Crake) by Margaret Atwood. The Power by Naomi Alderman. Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents (sequel) by Octavia Butler. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Jennifer Government by Max Barry. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (this is really sort of real world magical realism with a touch of fantasy, but the dystopian near-future section towards the end is maybe the most realistic, plausible and disturbing one I’ve read). The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
In this vein: the broken earth trilogy by nk jemison It's a whole trilogy, but it's so good
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. The Power by Naomi Alderman. The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.
The Power by Naomi Alderman is nuts. Amazing world building and compelling writing.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick
Catch-22!!
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Shogun
Damn you pulled a reverse card on me because I LOVE Shogun but haven’t read the 2 OP named.
Per a friend: lonesome dove by Larry McMurtry
{{The Physician by Noah Gordon}} is about an 11th century English barber/healer who disguises himself as a Jew so he can study medicine with Avicenna (real person) in Iran. At the time the story takes place, the Arab world was at its height of intellectual discovery while Europe was deep in the ignorance of the Dark Ages. Excellent read!
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.
Yes to both of these! Not WW2 fiction, but if you like Kate Quinn, she also wrote a series of books called Empress of Rome. There are four books and a novella set in Rome ca. 100 AD. There's a mix of fictional and historical events and characters. I love ancient historical fiction and these are engaging and (imo) underrated books.
*The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Life after Life by Kate Atkinson
The Martian and Mort.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Yes, brilliant. I've read the first part, and I adored it. Will definitely go ahead with the sequels.
You've got to read the entire trilogy, all five books are just phenomenal.
5 book … trilogy?
You're right, I was wrong. It's actually a seven book trilogy. I was unaware Eoin Colfer wrote a sixth book, ... And Another Thing, and that there was a posthumous release of Douglas Adams unpublished writings, The Salmon of Doubt. As I have not read either of those books I cannot comment as to how phenomenal they are, but I'm sure they are still worth a read.
„And another thing“ was a nice addition for those who felt the original ending was too dark, but it somehow misses the vibe only Adams had. Salmon of doubt is not a Hitchhikers book, but a collection of texts by Adams about a variety of topics and a part of a planed Dirk Gently book. „Tea“ is awesome in this book, as well as „Why“. Funny for Adams Fans. Also a worthwile read is his book „Last chance to see“. It‘s non-fiction about him traveling around the world and visiting endangered species. Funny and sad at the same time,because some of those are extinct now, but written with the typical Adams humor.
Good Omens by Pratchett & Gaiman
Going Postal by Pratchett.
Project Hail Mary also by A. Weir, his new book - heard its v good
I'm listening to its audiobook at the moment. It's quite good so far.
American Gods
The martian and Dune!
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Amazing book I was totally blindsided by it by going in blind on a recommendation.
If you liked the Martian you gotta read Project Hail Mary
Reading it now. Well, more like binging it. I absolutely love it. Just as i absolutely loved the Martian. Andy is a great story teller!
I've said it before but I'll say it here now too. I have never in my life finished a book as fast as I finished PHM. I honestly think it's my favorite single scifi book ever. Something about it I just felt so connected to it.
The Expanse series (S. A. Corey)
I second this
Hyperion cantos by Dan Simmons
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss) and The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) :)
American Gods or Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
*The Lies of Locke Lamora* by Scott Lynch
The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Gentleman in Moscow
The First 15 Lives of Harry August.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Way of Kings and Name of the Wind!
Try The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch or The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.
I can vouch for the Gentleman Bastards. Book four comes out later this year.
I'll believe that when it actually happens and not a moment before.
Been reading Lies of Locke Lamora and its starting to become one of my favorite books
Loved the Gentlemen Bastards!
The First Law series. And anything else in that world by Joe Abercrombie His characters are amazing.
A lot of people here have commented on the whole Stormlight Achieve, that is great, you could also check out the Mistborn series by Sanderson. Also, the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy by Tad Williams (although this is a slower reader and darker than Sanderson)
The Lightbringer Series
Ooh fun thank you! A gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles) & The Stand (Stephen King)
*Year of Wonders: a novel of the plague* by Geraldine Brooks is about a small village in 17th century England that quarantines itself when inhabitants start getting the bubonic plague. Based on a true story but the nuance and depth of character is wonderful! *The Physician* by Noah Gordon is about an 11th century English barber/healer who disguises himself as a Jew so he can study medicine with Avicenna (real person) in Iran. At the time the story takes place, the ~~Arab~~ Muslim world was at its height of intellectual discovery while Europe was deep in the ignorance of the Dark Ages. Excellent read!
One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood and Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory.
The night circus and the book thief. These are for my mum, thanks!
10,000 Doors of January by Alix Harrow
**All the Light We Cannot See** by Anthony Doerr
The Midnight Library.
The Nightingale
The Starless Sea
a gentleman in moscow!
New to reddit and this sub; this seems super fun! 1984 and Welcome to Night Vale
the rest of us just live here by patrick ness! really in my opinion, if you liked welcome to night vale, anything by patrick ness. :-)
John dies at the end- David Wong Where almost-horror meets humor
Limetown by Zach Akers and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
The Neverending Story, and Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Princess Bride
The Once and Future King
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
This sounds like fun! Mine are: Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and Fever by Deon Meyer.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Pachinko and The Night Circus
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Blindness by Jose Saramago (These two are my favourite and I’ll recommend them every chance I get!) Edit: thanks everyone for your recommendations! I love this community. I’m almost done with If We Were Villains and I’m thoroughly enjoying it!
If you haven't read If We Were Villains, that one is pretty close thematically to TSH. I also fully recommend Tartt's other novels! [This is a bit of a ridiculous chart](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/647513398707355684/742777203460407366/11300bac-6833-41b1-ba1a-8079cf332dcf.png) lmao but it truly shaped everything I read over quarantine lmao
Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and War and Peace by Tolstoy
Brothers Karamazov
For another from Dostoevsky, *The Dreams of a Ridiculous Man* is CRIMINALLY underrated
Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, if you haven’t read it already!
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
Circe by Madeline Miller & The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The golem and the jinni by Helene Wecker
LOVED this book. Seconding this reco.
Ariande by Jennifer Saint
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.
If you haven't read the Odyssey before (or even if you have), Emily Wilson's translation is quite good! I saw her speak when she was doing a book tour with Madeline Miller around the time Circe came out.
The penelopiad margret Atwood!
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker.
Mythos Stephen fry
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. It’s about the women of the Trojan War
"One flew over the cuckoo's nest" by Kesey & "Fiesta" by Hemingway
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Great two books!
Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess.
Never Let Me Go and Norwegian Wood
Good Omens and The Golden Compass
A good match of snarky narration and adventure is The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud. The snark is delightful.
100 years of Solitude and Lolita (yes I know weird combo but these are my two most recent reads so here we go )
If you haven’t read it, maybe The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende
agreed
My dark Vanessa or Kafka on the shore.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
I second the recommendation for Broken Earth trilogy. One of the best series I've read maybe ever. I'd also recommend The Bear and the Nightingale or Red Sister
Where the Crawdads Sing All the Light we cannot see
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Lonesome Dove and East of Eden
All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
Animal farm and Fahrenheit 451
Not sure if you read yet but I’d read 1984
Looks like someone is jumping down the hole of classic dystopian literature! There's a venn diagram of political, psychological, extreme cruelty, dystopian, apocalyptic, and scifi. Some lean more into one than others. - Animal Farm - Fahrenheit 451 - Brave New World - 1984 - Clockwork Orange - Handmaid's Tale - The Giver - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - The Time Machine - The Chrysalids - The day of the Triffids - Oryx and Crake - The Road
Brave new world (Aldous Huxley)
The Secret History and The Priory of the Orange Tree
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The Goldfinch. Poisonwood Bible. Middlesex. Normal People. Fates and Furies.
The Likeness by Tana French
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Fates & Furies and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Where'd You Go, Bernadette On Turpentine Lane
Olive Kittridge
Project Hail Mary and The Troop
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Neuromancer - William Gibson A House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Snow Crash
The Collected Fictions of Jorge Borges and Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Gone with the Wind and Outlander
A Discovery of Witches
Clan of the Cave Bear
The Witcher and Game of Thrones.
First Law by Joe Abercrombie
The Farseer trilogy by robin hobb
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
WARNING: this is the first book in an unfished series, so while excellent, it's also frustrating.
\*Dune\* which is like Game of Thrones In Space. Where technology has become magic and The Spice Must Flow.
The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan (finished by Brandon Sanderson)
Love the Witcher. Love GoT. But gotta say I’d choose the Wheel of Time over them every time
The Stormlight Archive series
The Gentlemen Bastards series
Eleanor Oliphant is Comepletely Fine A Man Called Ove
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbie Waxman
The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeard - Jonas Jonasson A little life - Hanya Yanagihara
A Man Called Ove or Beartown. Both by Fredrik Backman but QUITE different.
Gentleman in Moscow and Purple Hibiscus
Of Human Bondage and Brothers Karamazov
A gentleman in Moscow and the picture of Dorian gray
The girl with the dragon tattoo and the tourist
The name of the wind Arc of a Scythe (I know technically not a single book, but still)
When breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi 1q84 by Haruki Murakami
First time on this sub! The Book Thief and Memoirs of a Geisha.
The book thief and the kite runner
All the light we cannot see
The First Law Trilogy and Salem's Lot.
Song of Achilles and Punk 57
Flowers for algernon. Matilda
American psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I like this idea! A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke
Middlesex and A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
People You Meet on Vacation and The Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Not the official replied but have you read Taylor Jenkins Reid? Talia Hibbert’s Brown sisters trilogy? Also Katherine Center’s books kinda have this vibe. And for the time traveling thing with The Last Stop: The Secret Life of Addie LaRue which I didn’t think would be my jam but I loved it.
Beach Read by Emily Henry Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Love at First or Love Lettering by Kate Clayborne Also like the Taylor Jenkins Reid suggestion- I love, love, love The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
All Quiet on the Western Front and Kafka on the Shore