Hi! I am looking for books to add to a pretty narrow TBR list I’m creating for 2024.
I’m looking for books with these preferred specifics:
– character based- I want to really understand the character and see deep development. I definitely don’t need to sympathize/like the character, just want to know them
– heavily prefer a strong female lead or strong female characters
– no WWII or beyond
– love interests welcome but I’m not looking for a solely romance-based book
– I tend to love tight-knit communities or very secluded communities. So as examples either elite London everyone knows everyone in their social class OR they live in the middle of nowhere Australia and there are only 5-10 families to begin with
– preferably low/no gory violence
– I tend to love 1800s but am open to other times in history
– also bonus points if there is a feminist message to be taken from it
I’m not looking for a book that meets everything in the above, but hopefully matches a lot! Here are some examples of books I’ve loved that meet some of these criteria to give you an idea of my taste:
– Gone with the Wind
– Poisonwood Bible- this takes place in the 1960s but because of the location it didn’t have the modern tech which is what I try to avoid in books (no phones, computers, TVs, etc)
– Lonesome Dove (currently reading but loving it so far!)
– The Thorn Birds
– Emma (Jane Austen in general)
– Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series
– Clan of the Cave Bear
Currently on my TBR:
– Vanity Fair
– Michener books
– Anna Karenina (I actually started this last year and loved it then fell into a reading rut, I’ll try again this year)
I read One Hundred Years of Solitude and although I LOVED the writing, I just wasn’t attached to the story! I know it’s such a beloved book for many and I wanted to love it but it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks so much in advance for your help! I’ve been loving seeing suggestions on here and finding books to enjoy
by Ardello