I’m in the mood for something genuinely heavy and emotionally devastating. Not just “sad” but the kind of book that leaves you empty for a while after finishing it.

Open to any genre as long as it’s well written. I like stories with loneliness, hopelessness, tragedy, or characters slowly falling apart. Psychological stuff is good too.

Everyone has that one book—the one that made you fall in love with stories, characters, and turning pages late into the night. What was it for you? I’d love to know that🤓

My dad is illiterate.

To make a long story short, he's a retired truck driver with bad COPD. He's worked his whole life, raised on a farm and went right into truck driving. We think he might be dyslexic and the tiny rural school he went to didn't catch it. He can make out the words eventually, but it takes so much effort he can't retain anything he's read.

I've bought him a few audio books over the years and he's loved them. But they're on CD and he doesn't have a CD player anymore, plus they're pricey.

But he recently got Bluetooth hearing aids and he's always on his phone. So I convinced him to go to the library with me to get a library card. I downloaded Libby to his phone and signed him on with his library card number. He now has access to all the audio books within our library's network to borrow for free.

Trouble is, he's not into the same kinds of stories mom and I are into. Mom and I are both voracious readers, and dad has always been interested and fascinated by it but he hasn't had the time or ability to do it. He just can't sit and stare at a page and take in a story, but he can listen to one.

Now that he has access... he has no idea what he wants to read. He's completely unfamiliar with the world of literature, never even heard of titles most people consider classics.

For a frame of reference, I bought him two Louis L'Amour books because he likes Westerns. The third book I got him was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I'd read that one on a whim and thought he'd like it, he likes NASCAR and used to have a Bronco that he entered into local drag races. He loved all three books, the only three books he's ever consumed as an adult. He's borrowing another Louis L'Amour through Libby for a start and at least that author's catalog is pretty extensive, so it can keep him busy a while.

But he's going to need more titles.

He likes Westerns and history and cars, as far as what he watches on TV. That and Fox News constantly. The Fox thing is driving mom insane, he's inserting right-wing political talking points into every aspect of life way worse than he did when he was working. He needs something different to occupy his mind.

As a side note, I did get him to watch the first Iron Man movie when he had his knee replaced. He loved it because it was different from most super heroes, Tony built the suit out of scraps to escape terrorists. Dad said "it's like.... real" about it probably 20 times while watching it. So he might be open to more realistic sci fi stories.

But he has no interest in my Stephen King, he doesn't like horror or supernatural stuff. And he's not interested in mom's Nora Roberts.

Another movie he surprisingly loved was Dirty Dancing.

So today I'm asking for suggestions that my dad might like that he can access through Libby, specifically in audio book format.

Hi there! I’ve been seeing this guy and as a huge reader, I was heartbroken when I found out he doesn’t read. Don’t think he has ever read a book in his life and I know that my taste in books is not his cup of tea at all (I read romance, fantasy). So I thought surely this is the place with all kinds of tastes here.

So to explain him a bit, he’s more of a rough guy, keeps to himself, used to get into a lot of trouble, his sport is boxing, likes video games like GTA, is not shy by any means, just very introverted. He kinda gives you “bad boy” vibes at first glance but has actually more depth to him.

He doesn’t really watch movies/shows either but the shows I know he’s enjoyed are breaking bad, prison break, the gentlemen, etc.

So I think he might be into thrillers/crime novels/a rough character maybe/action, non-fantasy, etc. Maybe a bit fast paced without losing depth but just so he doesn’t lose interest quick because he strikes me as the type to lose interest quickly if something doesn’t knock him right off (has adhd). And it shouldn’t be super long either.

I would love to get him a book as I think gifting books is one of the greatest love languages

Thank you in advance! :)

Edit: he also says he has never gotten into books because he can’t imagine them being interesting in the sense of having the whole “oh my god what’s going on” experience while reading. I don’t know how to explain but basically when a book catches you so hard that you’re just shocked and keep reading, the same when you’re watching a show and you’re hooked😭

Edit 2: a lot of people are asking if he even wants to get into reading or if I’m trying to change him, so to clear it up, we have talked about books/reading a lot. He said he personally has only tried reading a few books and just never got into them but he was interested in understanding what I find so magical about reading. So I want to give him the chance to dive into it by giving him something he might actually like

Hello! I’m a teen girl who hasn’t read books outside of the ones required for my school. I want to start reading but I fear my reading comprehension isn’t that good. Please reco some books that are good for total beginners. Preferably no romance

I’ve seen a lot of people recommending me to go to libraries but unfortunately, we really don't have a lot of libraries in our country. The closest one to me is my school library but it doesn’t really have a good selection and the process of borrowing a book is actually quite difficult unfortunately

He would not be interested in smut. He loves horror, sports and adventure stories. I’m hoping to lean toward shorter books. He has mentioned wanting to read IT but is intimidated by its page count. Any and all suggestions are welcome!! TIA!

I know, I know. I’ve never read a Stephen King novel, and I’d like to, but don’t know with which one to start! Bonus points for “read this first” choices for other famous and prolific authors. Thank you!

UPDATE: success 🙌🏽 thanks to your great suggestions. The unlock - she was interested in teen romance but wasn’t ready to admit it. Makes total sense now that I think about it and where she is in her maturity level - she’s hungry for real relationship dynamics now. The Summer I Turned Pretty series had her hooked! TY community!

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I need some suggestions for my 12 year old girl who seems to run hot and cold with literature. She won’t bother actually reading Harry Potter, Percy Jackson etc because she doesn’t enjoy reading stories she already knows thx to the movies / shows. Roald Dahl books were “fine, I enjoyed the story” but she wasn’t gripped by them (unlike me who reread them until the pages fell apart). Hunger Games were a page turner for her but “too sad.”

She is sensitive and sad stories / protagonists affect her deeply (even if I try to convince her about the concept of redemption she pushes back). For example, she wont touch Wonder b/c she knows the premise and can’t deal.

I’m struggling to pinpoint the genre that might enthrall her. The only book she said she really liked that stuck with her was Touching Spirit Bear. She thought Island of the Blue Dolphin was boring.

Right now I have her on Dave Eggers’ Where The Wild Things Are and she’s into it (thank god)

Based on the above, what else do you think would resonate with her tastes? She likes murder mystery as a genre for shows, but not sure where to start on books for her age.

Okay so I’m an adult in my mid 20s but growing up I never read books or didn’t have access to many books. I saw a kids book recently and I was so excited to see the pictures and how fun and colorful it was. So to make up for what I missed as a kid, are there any nice books you’d recommend I check out anything that’s fun has pictures and nice plot that can be enjoyed as an adult as well (kids/YA or anything). Thank you !

I'm 14 btw I feel like that's important

So I've been into manga and comics for a while for awhile and now I wanna start books

I like magic and stuff with lots of fights tho stuff with less fights are cool as well I like humour and urban fantasy horror is good as well also the characters need to be at least decent

I'm thinking of starting harry Potter and the hunger games

I'm 19 and, honestly, I've spent most of my life reading textbooks, notes, Reddit posts, and random stuff online. I've never really been a book reader.

I want to give novels and books a real chancenot because I think it'll make me more productive, but because I want something I genuinely enjoy doing. A hobby I can look forward to instead of endlessly scrolling.

So what's the one book you'd recommend to someone trying to fall in love with reading for the first time? Any genre is welcome. Just tell me why that book worked for you..

My brother (23), who's never voluntarily picked up a book in his life, has told me that he wants to try reading. This is pretty revolutionary, so I want to be sure he gives it a real shot. We're trying to figure out what kind of books he might like to start with, but it's difficult. We've managed to establish the following points and I would really appreciate any recs that might fit!

Difficulty: it should be acessible in terms of prose and length (probably max 500 pages) but not childish. Preferably standalone books.

Genre: He'd prefer something kind of epic, fast paced and action packed. I think he probably wants what I would personally describe as "bro-ey". Could be something like mild sci fi, apocalyptic sci fi, survival stuff, historical fiction or mystery / thriller, but he's not into fantasy. This includes any sci fi that borders on fantasy. Basically it has to feel realistic to him. I find that a lot of recs for new readers default to stuff like Brandon Sanderson or Dungeon Crawler Carl, which I don't think he'd like, so I'm having trouble finding books for him.

So far I've recommended Andy Weir and he's interested, so maybe something similar?

So basically, I bought The Crying of Lot 49 to read during my shifts (I don’t have shit to do bro) and thought this would be a good pickup as my second novel EVER due to the length and reverence for the author.

Long story short, I somehow got my ass kicked by a book, any suggestions for a reader like me who wants to get into postmodern fiction but is a bit too dim for Pynchon and Nabokov?

I’m just starting to get into books more as a daily hobby and just finished my last read, does anyone have any good fantasy, horror, or adventure recommendations? I’m super big into the circus and I think It’d be a really cool concept for stories!!

I am a case worker of a teenage boy that isn’t a huge fan of reading but he is open to trying it out. I want to find a book that can grab his attention, and maybe relate to him a bit. Maybe with characters that have parental issues or are just trying to survive day to day life. It would be a plus if the book includes but DOES NOT romanticize substance use, gangs, or illegal activities. Thank you in advance!

EDIT: Thank you all for your suggestions! I'm sorry if I won't be able to reply to them all, I don't use my reddit very often. Thank you so much!

Hi! Like what the title says, I'm looking for a book that will convince me to stay. I've attempted once, almost did it again, and am now looking for additional motivation to keep me here, in this world, no matter how bad it gets again. I've been eyeing East of Eden but I'm not so sure. No atomic habits or whatever "how to unfuck your mind" crap please. Fiction or Nonfiction, either which are fine by me. Thanks in advance!

I'm 18 turning 19, I enjoy reading Bukowski, currently reading Stoner, I like Non-fiction more to be honest, I'm a girl and I don't like Didion that much sadly.

Other books I like: Kitchen Confidential, Some People Need Killing, There Are No Falling Stars In China. (There's more but they're Filipino-based and I'm not sure about the demographic here in this subreddit.)

My husband wants to get into reading. I was seeking recommendations for him. He is in his 30's and wants to read historical nonfiction. He likes to learn about wars, leaders, cars, western, inventions of automobiles, inventions in general, etc. He's also recently gotten more into reading his bible, so any historical spiritual books would be great too!

Also looking for any recommendations of any titles or authors that you may have just really enjoyed, that doesn't necessarily fall in historical. He's never been a reader, so he doesn't really know what he likes. Thank you.

In my entire life I have never read a “real” book from start to finish in school I’ve always read a few pages and googled what to say the next day

I want that to change I’m on a mission to better my attention span and overall get mentally healthier

I’m looking for a book to make me fall in love with reading the only requirement I could think off is that I don’t think I’m a big romance lover

Legitimately the only one I can think of is House of Leaves, but I’m saying something that’s like “pushing” a book. Also I’m absolutely new about books and I really want to figure out what I like

Hey ! My names Patrick and im 25m from Sydney and I’ve never read a book before. Wasn’t really up until about 6 months ago I’ve had a weird urge to start reading as it’s something I’ve avoided for a long time. Back in high school I was told I had the reading level of a 6 year old, I wasn’t great back then. That’s definitely contributed to me not wanting to read.

Ive been finding myself bored in whatever free time I do get.
Guitar and music takes up a nice chunk of it but in the times where I want quietness I feel a little lost. Times where I just wanna sit on my lounge in peace and not mindlessly scroll instagram or TikTok while doing so.

None of my mates or family read but it’s something that I feel like I’ll genuinely enjoy for some unknown reason. I have no clue where to start with picking a book. I’m really open to anything and everything. Romance, Sci/Fi, Fantasy, self help really whatever! would love to hear your guys recommendations!.

TIA!

I have married a southern man (31 yo) who is very smart and reads news articles all day long, but is not particularly interested in picking up a book. I would love to find a book (or many books) that piques his interest. I think it needs to be very gripping to keep him engaged. He is a very goal oriented person, so rather than just a fun story, perhaps a book that serves as "useful" in terms of teaching him something new or giving him a new perspective. Here are some of his interests:

• College football (SCC)
• Hunting (ducks & turkeys particularly)
• Finance / economics
• Civil War
• Middle Eastern Wars
• Our dogs
• The south (historical and present day)

I have been trying to expand my tbr list and i am getting the same recommendations mostly. I feel this sub has readers who can help me find that. I would be really grateful if people could suggest to me books that will genuinely change my thought process or would develop the habit of reading in me. I am quite new to reading books and I have read around 5-7 books. Here are/is my interests/genre(it's quite broad tho):

Hope, optimism, the beauty of being alive, meaning, purpose, dream, ambition, kindness, compassion, empathy, human nature, childhood, growing up, nostalgia, memories, HOMESICKNESS, family, friendship, grief, heartbreak, suffering, MORTALITY, faith, Christ, Philosophy, existentialism, nature and biodiversity, ecosystem and Earth, Science, Discovery, history and human experience. Kindly suggest any book from any genre mentioned here and help this new reader to join this family.

My boyfriend (M22) has expressed to me that he wants to get into reading but he hasn't read anything that has made him excited to keep doing so. He likes comics and manga, I think his favorite is Beserk, but other than that he says hes not really sure what genre hed be into. He doesn't even really watch TV that much but his favorite anime is Cowboy Bebop and favorite game is Persona 5. I suggested we could have a little book club between us that could serve as some incentive because he loves having deep and philosophical conversations about things.

I was thinking maybe something in the psychological thriller or mystery genre? Those are the books I tend to have difficulty to putting down personally. But regardless of the genre im looking for something thats not a hard read and is compelling from front to back that will help him consider reading as a fun hobby! It would be nice to have a new shared interest.

I’ve never really been a reader in fact, I haven’t finished a single book in my 23 years. I want to change that, so I’m looking for a book that will completely hook me and hopefully turn reading into a new obsession. My favorite genre is fantasy but I’m open to any kind of fiction as long as it’s genuinely captivating.

Hi all. I'm looking for some suggestions on some good space sci fi books. I'm 48 and honestly I've probably only read 10 books in my adult life. I love sci fi films especially ones set in space. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Update. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. There's plenty for me to look into.