Help me get off social media! Ive been thinking about the kind if stuff I gravitate to online and I am wondering if there are good page turners that will keep me from reaching from my phone as much?
I am looking for memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction. Graphic novels also.
I like human interest stories that have an element of scandal, tea, “what happened next” to them. I will binge an entire tiktok account of someone telling their story of how they escaped a cult , or like the ones that unfold online where someone did xyz scandal thing and people are sleuthing about it. I love podcasts like Who The Hell is Hamish—- So kind of like mystery/detective but closer to tea/receipts lol. True crime lite? Not into violence, or murdery true crime stuff but I do like psychology a lot and so stories of scammers and cults tend to draw me in. That podcast Normal Gossip also comes to mind.
I am also pretty nerdy and like when there is science/medical/politics(leftist) /psychology info or something interesting to learn along the way.
I also want to read about people who do unusual amazing things, or helped people in a social justice oriented way etc. But im looking for stories that unfold like in that mystery / detective way. Rather than a telling thats like “first i was born, then i did things, and then i did these other things” . I hope that makes sense? A little suspense and intrigue I guess ?
Looking forward to seeing what people recommend.
by Weary_Cup_1004
9 Comments
The memoirs “I’m glad my mom is dead” and “educated” seem to fulfill some of those requirements. They both have women who overcome abusive upbringing. Maybe Britney Spears’s memoir for tea. I haven’t read it though.
You should look into The Appeal series by Janice Hallett. It is a mystery narrated through a series of emails/texts/IMs between the characters. It felt like I was snooping through the correspondence and playing the role of the detective.
Stone Cold Fox – Rachel Koller Croft
Check out *Mistborn* or *House of Leaves*
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” by Caitlyn Dougherty, non-fiction anecdotes from a woman who worked at a crematorium. Not only is it written by a social media content creator, but it definitely has a “storytime video feel to it.
Also “The Patient” by Jasper DeWitt might be up your alley if you like mysteries/light horror. It’s written like an nosleep story, about a psychiatrist who goes to work at a rundown psych hospital and encounters a patient who has a weird/bad effect on anyone who goes to his room.
None Of This Is True – Lisa Jewell
Maybe check out House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. You’ll likely be so gripped by the book and figuring the format out that social media won’t even come to your mind lol. Also, maybe look into Cormac McCarthy novels if you’re not too squeamish. Blood Meridian by McCarthy is incredible but it is extremely violent so if that’s not your thing then definitely don’t try it. Otherwise, it’s a wild ride and the fact that he uses barely any punctuation while making it very clear who is talking is such a trip, and very poetic at times.
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach is also a great read. I think the original story was posted in several parts the subreddit nosleep (where the main rule is to treat all stories as “true” just as part of the fun of pretending it’s all real) but it is *so* well written.
Erik Larson has a couple good crime/true crime novels as well, I loved “Devil In The White City” and “Thunderstruck”. Good luck in your search!
I cannot recommend Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone enough. Social worker with a double life as a PI goes to the set of a reality show to solve a murder, but it’s not graphic or very violent. Mystery but mostly receipts is a good way to describe it.