Have not started reading yet nothing this year and stopped reading since around 2021. I used to be a great reader as a child. I am sixteen now. I can read in Italian and English, however my native language is not English.
I struggle with reading over complicated English books sometimes.
I am interested in: Historical fiction (not JUST European/Italian, even if I like those – I am interested also into Chinese/Japanese history or history fiction or non fiction about more niche things such as I dont know, Aztec history or Jewish literature)
Fantasy (But I dont like Young adults novels, more like Tolkien for example.)
classics?
stories where they have adventures
stories where they travel the world or more or less see various things of the world.
Lesbian representation.
Poetry
Things I like: A good writing can make the most boring story interesting.
Interesting characters with a reason. A sensible way of telling stories and characters.
by namenerding
7 Comments
[Cutting For Stone](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3591262-cutting-for-stone?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_17) and [The Covenant of Water](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180357146-the-covenant-of-water?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_12) by Abraham Verghese are lengthy, but I didn’t even notice because of the excellent writing and storytelling.
[The Signature of All Things](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17465453-the-signature-of-all-things?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_16) by Elizabeth Gilbert might just scratch that travel itch. It’s the story of an independent woman whose curiosity takes her on many adventures and brings her many discoveries.
The Poppy War by RF Kuang is Chinese historical fiction plus fantasy.
Dark Star Safari,
Ibn Fadlan and the land of Darkness,
Endurance by Lansing,
The Physician by Noah Gordon,
The Long Ships by Bengtsson
I think you might like Isabel Allende’s books — historical fiction, often with adventure, maybe some romance, great characters.
You could try *Daughter of Fortune*, *House of the Spirits*, or *Island Beneath the Sea* but all her books are good.
maybe Monkey King: Journey to West (translated by Julia Lovell). It’s a classic from China (1570) about a monkey going on adventures in China and India. (I just started reading it, so this may not be 100% accurate) It’s easy to read, Lovells translation is very modern.
Try an audiobook. Your brain doesn’t have to do all the work of decoding and you get to relax and make a movie in your mind! Win-win.
I love how diverse your tastes are! Do you know Elena Ferrante’s work? She is Italian and you could probably read her work in either language, but My Brilliant Friend is historical fiction and gets a lot of praise.
Beyond that, I can only offer you books along the lines you described that really affected me. Here are a few that match at least some of your criteria:
{{Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson}}
{{Pachinko by Min Jin Lee}}
{{Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison}}