If Colleen Hoover came to mind, please don’t, I feel personally attacked by her ubiquitous presence in every book geek social space. Almost every booktok book I have been suggested is a corny, very teenage or YA romance and I’m not interested. Asking Reddit is my attempt to escape YA romances. Nevertheless, here’s what I AM looking for:
Romance in general is fine, but I prefer it as a subplot like in The Hunger Games. I like the plot to be center stage as opposed to the development of whatever relationships form.
Sexual themes and descriptive writing of physical intimacy is also fine, but I’m not interest in outright smut or anything that reads like a horny fanfic.
Something that might be well received by adults between the ages of 25-35. Nothing too mature or too juvenile for someone in that age range.
Preferably fiction. Something compelling that makes the reader reluctant to put the book down. Not horror, scifi (or rather space themed?), or thriller.
Magic/fantasy is okay, but something that’s cohesive and, again, doesn’t read like a fanfic. Mistborn and Harry Potter come to mind in terms of fantasy themes I’ve enjoyed.
Dystopian themes are a consistent favorite of mine, but I have already read some of the really big names.
I’ve read most of the popular classics already so modern literature is also preferred.
Thanks!
by Defiant_Eggplant1218
2 Comments
You would probably enjoy Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Uplifting mystery/fantasy about somebody that finds themself alone in another world, not knowing how they got there. Wondrous and satisfying, with themes of self-identity and tech evolution watering down art and natural beauty. The world they find themselves in is somewhat dystopian.
These are some books that fit your criteria that you might like, although I’m not sure what would be considered “too mature” for someone who is a full adult.
*Chain-Gang All-Stars* by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (dystopian, has similarities to *Hunger Games*)
*Shark Heart: A Love Story* by Emily Habeck (literary/magical realism)
*Beartown* by Fredrik Backman (literary fiction)
*The Laughter* by Sonora Jha (literary fiction, purposefully unlikable main character)
*Maame* by Jessica George (literary fiction)