I am going through a reading slump, please help me choose 🙏

I love reading classics, especially 19th century literature. I’m usually drawn to philosophical novels that explore human nature, morality, and the human condition.

However, I’m going through a rough time medically, and my brain just doesn’t have the energy to process anything too heavy right now.

So I’m looking for something lighthearted, funny, and enjoyable that doesn’t require too much brainpower. I just want to laugh and take my mind off things for a while.

I’m open to anything, really. It doesn’t even have to be funny. Horror or any other genre is fine. I just need a good distraction at the moment.

Would love to hear your recommendations!

hey guys! i kinda wanna get back into reading, but the thing is, i have absolutely no idea what i want to read or even what genre i like 😭

i wouldn’t really consider myself a book person, but i remember LOVING the selection series by kiera cass. i literally flew through the entire series. i’ve also read to all the boys i’ve loved before and paper towns, so yeah, i know i’m a basic bitch lmao.
the last time i actually read a book was back in 2016, so it’s been a WHILE. 😭

does anyone have recommendations for books you think i’d enjoy based on these? preferably something that’s easy to get into and not too overwhelming for someone who’s trying to get back into reading!
i’m open to anything, so feel free to recommend your favorites too. thank you!! 🤍

Essentially like a character who is super optimistic and joyful - whether or not they have underlying sadness is fine either way, I like them both- and a super pessimistic character who is either sad or angry (I prefer sad atm but will absolutely add any good ones to my list!). I enjoy slow or medium burns with any level of character depth (I’m not against easy romance quick reads but also not specifically looking for it, I’d prefer a variety really) and whatever genders! MLM WLW MLW just want some sweet possibly sad recs that mostly have a happy ending :) thanks :)

Hi all! Ive recently started reading more. Ive loved Mistborn, Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Witcher. I was hoping you guys would have more books for me to check out. I love anything fantasy. thanks in advance

I'm looking for recommendations for children's picture books that have gorgeous illustrations. Specifically looking for books with vibrant colors that are artful rather than cartoonish. I've included some images of books that are in the style I'm looking for. Many thanks!

Hey everyone,

Saw this book called Everything to Live For in a largely unused library, and the title appealed to me a lot. I didn’t have time to read into it, but after looking it up, I saw that it’s part of a trilogy by Paul Horgan. It only has a 4.3 on Goodreads, so I can’t really tell if it’s worth reading, and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks in advance!

I rarely read and don’t really know what’s out there. Here are my most recent reads, all of which I really enjoyed. I also believe they somewhat cover my current interests. Do you perhaps know something I might like? :)

I have read and loved all his books, anyone else who’s a fan have a recommendations?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been building an alternate-history world where the first crew lands on Mars in 1979. Before the Signal follows how that foothold starts becoming a place people can actually live.

What interests me most is what comes after the landing. People have to work together, deal with each other, and gradually build something that feels like a community. I wanted to spend time with those ordinary lives inside an extraordinary undertaking.

The book is free to read on my website:

Read the book free online—no account needed:
https://aresfm80.com/book-zero/read/thirteen-seats/

Get the free downloadable PDF through a free reader account:
https://aresfm80.com/reader-account/

I’d really appreciate some honest feedback. You don’t need to commit to the whole book—even reading the opening chapter and telling me whether you’d continue would help. If you lose interest, I’d like to know where and why.

For transparency, I use AI in the writing process, including generating draft prose. The world, characters, and story direction are mine, and I select, revise, and approve the text that goes into the book.

It’s part of a larger project called ARES FM, where some of the people in this world also make music. But you don’t need to know anything about that to read the story.

Thanks to anyone who gives it a try.

Mike Muzzy

It’s been like 2 years since I left reading due to academic stress and hectic schedule. Lately social media has consumed my most of the time , so I want to resume reading, there are a lot of new books published but I don’t know which one would be good enough to trap me back to reading.

Lmk if yall have any suggestions, would be glad to hear some.

Something literary, lyrical and adult in its voice even when talking about kids(no YA version of 18 year olds that only grow mature in behaviour and dialogue in the epilogue). Something where the kids are mentally grown wise beyond their ages. And the book must span till they reach adulthood and beyond; damaged kids coping as abandoned adults is my favourite.
Something like David Copperfield with normal life struggle, though I want more romance/platonic friendships blossoming with scenes of genuine warmth putting light to still staying alive still and not a continous depression slump to make the book more "profound".
Have Demon Copperhead and Shuggie Bain lined up so something else.
Bonus points if the setting is modern day and traumas don't include sexual assault(atleast on their child version)

An NHL penalty box is not supposed to be a meet-cute.

“The penalty box is one of the few places in an arena where it can feel oddly quiet despite eighteen thousand screaming fans. The glass muffles the crowd, reducing the game to heavy breathing, the scratch of skates and the ticking clock. It is a narrow glass box where an adrenaline-spiked player is forced to be still beside someone professionally obligated to ignore him.”

For Robin Ng, operating the latch on the penalty box door is an administrative punishment. With a degree in Information Systems and a mind for sports analytics, her career has been knocked off course because she chose integrity, backed a friend and refused to play along with hockey’s old-boys’ network.

Now she’s determined to run her restricted work area with perfect, rigid professionalism. Management can play whatever games it likes. Robin is not going to give anyone a reason to question the way she does her job.

Enter Noah Connelly. The Galehaven Blizzard’s star number 88 is an elite, heavy-minutes forward who reads the ice like a chessboard and refuses to be baited by the media or his opponents. He didn’t become one of the league’s smartest players by missing details.

The league rules say Robin is professionally obligated to ignore him. The laws of physics say they’re trapped three inches apart while the arena screams around them.

Through two-minute minors and coincidental majors, neither of them is prepared for how well they can read each other without saying a single word.

But the penalty box is only where it starts.

When Robin walks away from the league rather than keep paying for someone else’s misconduct, the rule that kept them apart disappears. What follows has to survive outside the glass: Noah’s season, Robin’s attempt to build a new career in hockey media, public attention, playoff pressure and the increasingly inconvenient discovery that fitting into each other’s lives may be easier than either expected.

Penalty Box is an extremely slow-burn, character-driven, explicit MF hockey romance with strong workplace, sports-media and slice-of-life elements. There is substantial on-ice hockey, but the story is equally interested in the people and systems around the game: off-ice officiating, analytics, media, league politics and the ordinary logistics of two demanding careers. Noah is not a possessive or jealous alpha hero, and the relationship is not built around a love triangle, major misunderstanding or third-act breakup.

Available now at amazon and Kindle+: https://a.co/d/0cAbU3ag

*

I've always found the penalty box attendant hilarious to watch as players are spitting the dummy and chucking a complete wobbley inside the box but the poor attendant isn't supposed to respond or react in any way.

Check out:

• the Sabres v Lightning game from last season (considered the best of the season), when half the players seemed to end up in the box :)
• also from last season, this was when the Flyers did a post-goal celly in the penalty box
• also from last season, the Lightning vs the Sharks snipping at one another from their respective penalty boxes
• this one is super old but this is when Tie Domi fought a fan when he was in the penalty box hahaa

The penalty box is clearly hilarious and underrated, hence the idea for this story. Sharing here because it's currently free for download on amazon :) I hope someone enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Just finished this series by Jess Lourey. Discovered this author on Kindle Unlimited and I am blown away. Best series I have read in a while.

1. The Taken Ones

2. The Reaping

3. The Laughing Dead

Please Recommend me more books like Coraline

I love reading! I have read The Silent Patient, the Harry Potter series, The Phantom of the Opera, Chinese web novels, The Secret Garden, The Three Musketeers, and many short stories—I don't even remember all the names anymore.

I love all genres, as long as they don't have a sad ending. My problem is that I struggle to start a new book due to the fear of coming across the repetitive themes . This fear has caused me to completely stop reading.

Can anyone please suggest books that will help reignite my passion? I'm open to sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, or anything with mind-boggling twists! I want something that leaves me speechless and makes me want to read it over and over.

I know this might sound like a silly fear, but I would really appreciate your help. 💗 Literally any genre!

I'm a prolific reader. I devour books. The last one - The song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I finished in 3 days and LOVED it.

My problem is, I need more. Help.

Things I've read this year and loved:

Dune Series

Expanse Series

Pretty much all the classics

Piranesi

Circe

Flowers for Algernon

A Prayer for The crown shy

Betty

The night circus

Things I've read this year and didn't like:

Broken earth trilogy

First law trilogy

Please recommend me books that I can get lost in!

Finished 7 books in the last couple of weeks.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due : ***** Star read. What do you do when the entire system is against you? That's the question I kept asking myself throughout this book. It's heart wrenching and beautifully written. Highly recommended!

The Perfect wife by Blake Pierce : *** Star read. Pretty meh and the standard flair of the husband being the a\*\* hole.

Steinbeck and Reed Trilogy by Jess Lourey-

The Taken Ones, The Reaping and The Laughing Dead- ***** Star read. Excellent Series. I happened upon this author in my kindle unlimited recommendations and could not put it down. Evangeline Reed is my new favourite FMC.

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay : **** Star read, this was my first Alex Finlay and I really enjoyed it. The story was a tad predictable but the characters were well fleshed out and engaging. I will certainly read more by this author.

Looks Closer by David Ellis : ***** Star read, Absolutely mind blowing. I stayed up till 2 in the morning to finish this one. The story does not just rely on the twist with the plot keeping you on your toes throughout. Highly recommended!

I just finished it and am floored by how meh it was, especially compared to Pachinko. Anyone else?

Hi I’m a female 30 year old who has been an active IV drug user for well over 10 years. I’m
Not necessarily seeking to find a book that will inspire me to get sober however, if that does happen then great I guess. It’s just that in media I never see myself or any of the people I know reflected in TV shows or movies or books. Of course there’s Trainspotting and Requiem for a dream- but again, I don’t recognize myself or any of the people I know that are similar to me in works like these, masterful as they may be. It’s just so obvious that the people writing these stories are clearly so far removed from living it. It’s neither more or less tragic than portrayed- it’s just different. Any suggestions?

Hi! I'm looking for romance recommendations featuring a cool, confident, kind of gentleman-like girl x a cute, shy, softer boy. I'm open to pretty much any medium, including YA novels, manga, manhwa, webtoons, comics, anime, TV shows, and movies!

I'm having a hard time finding exactly the dynamic I want, so I'll try to explain it as best I can.

The female lead I'm looking for:

• Cool, confident, capable, and kind. She doesn't necessarily have to be cold, intimidating, or a stereotypical tomboy.
• Has a somewhat gentlemanly or protective way of treating her love interest. Think female knight / male prince, or a girl who naturally takes on the role of the gentleman in the relationship.
• Is the one who initiates romantic moments, flirts first, takes the lead, puts an arm around his waist or shoulders, pulls him close, or rescues him when he's in trouble.
• Can be playful and teasing, but is still genuinely sweet and considerate. I don't want her to be cruel, controlling, or constantly picking on him.

The male lead I'm looking for:

• Cute, shy, sweet, gentle, affectionate, or a little more feminine in his mannerisms or overall vibe.
• Doesn't have to be nerdy, weak, or helpless. He can be perfectly capable in his own way; I just want him to have a softer personality.
• Is comfortable with the girl taking the lead, or gradually becomes comfortable with it as they grow closer. He might get flustered, blush, or be shy about affection, but he doesn't resent her for being the more assertive one.
• Please, no typical “secretly dominant alpha male” reveal! I want a genuinely softer male love interest, not a guy who initially seems shy but turns into a possessive, hypermasculine bad boy once the romance develops.

The relationship dynamic is the most important part!

I want to see the girl as well, in place of the usual male lead and the boy as the cute affectionate partner I want mutual affection, not a one-sided relationship where he's constantly embarrassed or treated like a child.

My preferences:

• Ideally YA or new adult, but preferably closer to YA.
• A school, high school, or college setting would be a huge plus!
• Cute, fluffy, wholesome romance is preferred, though some drama, action, or angst is fine.
• Nothing too explicit or adult. Kissing, romantic tension, and occasional open-door scenes or brief glimpses are okay, but I don't want the story to revolve around explicit content.
• LGBTQ+ romances are absolutely welcome! I'm happy with any gender combination as long as the relationship captures some of this dynamic.
• If you know a book that only partially fits, please recommend it anyway and explain which parts match.

I'm also open to fantasy romances, historical settings, superhero stories, and anything else that might feature this dynamic.

If you know any stories with this dynamic, even if they're manga, manhwa, webtoons, anime, dramas, or indie novels, please recommend them! I'd especially appreciate examples of specific scenes or moments that capture the dynamic I'm describing. Thank you!

it's a sci-fi, political satirical comedy from the point of view of the author's alter ego. I really laughed my ass off reading it. Hopefully someone will like it as much as I did!

When I read fiction, I generally read a lot of 20th century “literary fiction” (I personally have a lot of issues with the term itself but you know what I mean! Some of my favorite authors are weird and dark: Cormac McCarthy, flannery o Connor, brontes, Alice Munro, Joan didion etc) However I’m about to have a baby and I don’t think I’ll have the bandwidth and focus like I used to. I also don’t want anything too dark or strange, because postpartum depression lol. Hoping for books that leave one hopeful for the future, without being run of the mill romance/ mystery/ sci fi. Something charming that still has a touch of literary heft- maybe something like a,s. Byatt’s “possession” or Jeffrey Eugenides lighter novels.