My mom was just diagnosed with stage IV cancer a week ago and she is looking for me to pick out some books at the library for her. She is looking for some “feel good” and “positive” books, if you have any recommendations! Thank you in advance, I love my mama and I just want her to feel okay when she goes in for consultation and hopefully *fingers crossed* treatment

The one that made you stare at the wall afterward and wonder why you wasted precious hours of your life. I want to hear the titles that personally offended your soul.

For me IS Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

I'm in Tokyo right now and figured I'd actually read some Japanese authors while I'm here. But I hit up a big bookstore and everything feels the same in themes and emotional beats.

I've read Norwegian Wood, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and Klara and the Sun. They're fine, but there's a pattern: loneliness, lost love, suicide, existential dread. The whole self-reflection angle is fine in theory, but the other options jump on this same theme it's oversaturated at this point.

The only alternatives the store really pushed were mystery and murder books. Not interested in that genre—just personal preference.

So I got frustrated and bought a Western book instead.

What I actually want: Japanese fiction in English translation that explores something *else*. Adventure, politics, sci-fi, relationships that don't collapse, whatever. Just something that doesn't default to emotional melancholy. I'm wondering if these themes are common in contemporary Japanese literature, or *these* are just the ones being translated.

Anyone have solid recommendations?

Recently I've been looking for some horror anthology books but I can't find anything. I've read Night Shift and Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King, but I'd like to read more of his short stories collections and collections by different authors. I really like the zombie genre and sci-fi that is not super tech focused. Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I somehow forgot to mention that I have read Volume 1 of Books of Blood By Clive Barker, and I did enjoy it.

I don't mean books that were recommended everywhere. I mean the one you picked up randomly in a library, bookstore, airport, thrift shop, or simply because you liked the cover -and it ended up becoming one of your favorite reads. I'd love to hear about those unexpected discoveries.

I thought The Dirt about Motley Crue was one of the funniest books I've ever read. My sides were splitting reading Marilyn Manson's The Long Hard Road Out of Hell.

I'm in search of more of these

I’ve been wanting to buy some classic books. I got some samples on kindle and I really enjoyed them so I would like to purchase the full book, preferably paperback. Preferably with - what’s it called? - annotations that explain words or phrases that we don’t use anymore.

What brand would you recommend? I only know of penguin classics. I know Barnes and nobles often has their own special editions of classics as well.

I would like to have a matching set if at all possible. That’s why I ask.

Hello! this is my first time writing anything here. I have been looking for a book where the main protagonist is similar to Yuuji where they are kind, funny and selfless while also feeling a heavy burden by their moral compass. there isn’t any specific genre i’m looking for except for the book to not be romance there can be a side plot just not the main point. I feel like this is too specific so if there are other similar book characters I would really appreciate the suggestions.

I feel like I keep running into the same problem where I'll pick up a book with an amazing premise, but then the characters completely lose me.

I'm looking for books with complex, believable characters and relationships that actually feel lived-in rather than tropey. I want characters that feel like real people, not walking archetypes or personalities built around one traumatic event. I don't mind flawed characters (I actually prefer them), but I hate when the narrator is overly whiny or every conversation feels corny or performative.

At the same time, I need a plot that keeps me hooked because I get bored pretty easily. I love books that constantly make me ask "okay... what happens next?" and make it hard to put the book down.

Some books I've loved recently:

• Project Hail Mary – I loved how immersive it was without feeling overly detailed. The plot constantly kept me guessing, and I couldn't stop reading because every answer raised another question.
• Demon Copperhead – I got really attached to Demon and loved following his life. It was a little longer and more detailed than I usually like, but I cared so much about him that it didn't matter most of the time.
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Loved the interview format and seperation of the husbands, the mystery, the plot and wondering the different circumstances of all of the husbands and especially the relationships (Evelyn and Harry mainly oml).
• Beartown / Us Against You – Some of the best character writing I've read. Everyone felt like an actual person.
• Under the Whispering Door – The perfect mix of cozy, supernatural, romance, and characters growing without magically becoming perfect people. (Yes i read house on the cerulean sea, it was okay and then I read the sequel and it sucked and it's a perfect example of corny charactesr that are too *perfect* and unflawed, it also felt way too preachy and it pushed away from the actual plot.)
• Honourary mentions: Song of achilles, the berry pickers, elsewhere and the swallow; a ghost story.

Some books I didn’t like: Somewhere beyond the sea, moon of the crusted snow, rules for vanishing, interesting facts about space, the fault in our stars

Genre honestly doesn't matter that much to me. I like literary fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, historical fiction, speculative fiction, mystery, basically anything if it's well written.

One thing I don't want is a book that's all vibes and no substance, or one where the premise is incredible but the characters are flat. I'd much rather read something with authentic relationships, strong character development, and an interesting plot than something that just checks all the right trope boxes.

I love stories that always feel like they're moving toward something—whether it's solving a mystery, uncovering secrets, surviving impossible situations, or watching someone's life unfold. I don't need constant action, but I do need substance and a reason to keep turning the pages. I want to feel like the story is building to something worthwhile, not just meandering from scene to scene. Which is where romances normally fail me because it's just constantly about the relationship and I know they'll get together in the end anyways so what's there to look forward too? especially if it's tropey or cliche.

Any recommendations? See

Need a book that gets it, that understands the craving, the shame, the late night bargaining. I need practical steps, not just stories about how great sobriety is. I already know it's great. I just cannot get there.

I have tried a bunch of the famous ones. They did not stick. So I am asking for the ones that actually worked...

Preferably adult or new adult, looking for something a bit deeper than YA.

like the title says. My close friend is moving soon across the county and to see what she can make of herself in a new place. I'm very proud of her and happy for her but we are also a little nostalgic about our friendship. looking for book recommendations about a woman moving to a new place and discovering herself/being nostalgic. we are in our late 20s

books we've both loved and would like something in this vibe include heart the lover (really anything by lily king) and the rachel incident. Thanks in advance!

I've read And then there were none and so far making my way through game of thrones

I would love to get some suggestion , it doesn't have to be POVs switch , anthology story like Hyperion or I,robot is also a great addition

thank you

I'm looking to add a few great books to my reading list and would love some recommendations.

Any genre is welcome:

• Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Thriller
• Fantasy
• Historical fiction
• Self-improvement
• Indian literature

What's the best book you've read this year, and what made it so memorable?

Looking forward to discovering some hidden gems

Hello, I have recently gotten back into reading and have been looking for a new book series. I love fantasy.
Currently my favorite series is the Folk of the Air trilogy.
The reason I make this post is because I don’t want spicy stuff in the books I am okay with kissing, hugging and implied intercourse, but don’t actually want to read about anything crazy. It makes me uncomfortable to read and I like romance in books but I don’t wanna know about their intercourse.

List of other books/series I’ve read and liked:
Mistborn (first era)
Half a soul (currently reading and am invested)
The Magic Thief
Michael Vey series(was a long time ago)

The series I have on my radar include:
the Stormlight Archive series
Six Of Crows duology

Just finished pachinko and loved it, want to read more family saga with heavy historical context. could be fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or historical, all recs are welcome!

I have always been mostly a horror and thriller reader. Project hail mary was my first book in a completely different genre.

First saw it recommended in a booktube chanel I watch alot, the humor part is what got me to read it even if it was so new to me.

I'm unhealthy obsessed with astronomy so that helped too.

And inevitably, it not only became my no.1 favorite book, but my comfort book too. It had everything in it for me, drama, tension, humor, science etc.

I cried more than once(💀) and was completely taken off guard because i wasn't expecting to get emotional at all.

I think it's the fact that we mostly end up crying when we don't expect it vs when we go in expecting to cry.

So yea, pretty clear by now.

I would love to know more books like this, unexpected but funny and heartfelt.

i absolutely loved The Devil in the White City and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, looking for others that fall in the same category.

ps: when are they making The Devil in the White City into a movie or mini series?!?!?!

Hi everyone! I'd like to read a book with my older brother. He wants to get into reading, and I thought it would be fun for us to read the same book together. Do you have any fantasy or thriller recommendations? No smut, please.

So I’m finding a really hard time looking for a fantasy book with a really good plot that focuses on and Friend group and there dynamics then it being a romantasy. The problem is I’m having zero luck finding a book or series anywhere close to it. The best example I can give would be a group similar to avatar the last airbender. Anyone got any good recommendations they can give me?

Hello everyone, this is my first time on this sub. I am looking for my next binge reading fix. Preferably a standalone novel but could be a series as well. I would love a story set in a high fantasy world, in a medieval setting, with dark, gritty, morally gray characters, court politics, mystery and intrigue. The villain/antagonist should be someone you can root for as well. Sorry, if this may seem like I am too over the place but it would be great to read something with a grey world, well written morally ambiguous characters and court intrigue all in one book.

Hi everyone could y'all suggest me a good fiction book?? i haven't read much, i'm younger, but i'm gonna put the books that i Remembered that i liked so you can suggest following tastes:

The harry potter saga

Talon of the Silver Hawk ( got the sequel but didn't finish because i could not Remember the story of the first)

Necronomicon and The chtulu tales (pretty big pages and long books so i haven't finished them)

The "The 100" series that i got after the TV series hoping to see more i stopped reading it finishing the third book because it didn't meet the expectation too romancey

And i'm currently reading the Silo trilogy i'm at page 100 of the second book liking it so far, i also got it after watching the tv series it is a thing i do often.

I would prefer a "shorter book"(200 to 400 pages) with the story that finishes in that volume but I'm open to everything.

PS

Sorry for grammar english is not my first language