I (18M, ESL) recently got back into reading and have been enjoying a few fantasy titles. I want to expand my reading pool but don’t really know what to look for.
As for stuff I’ve enjoyed, I went through a lot of manga in the past couple of years.
If you’re familiar with manga terminology, I read seinen primarily (aimed at older males).
My preferred genres are all over the place, but nowadays I generally tend to enjoy series that have some slice of life content, but still have plot surrounding it.
I dislike pure action series (think JJK) except if it’s well-executed and oozes cool (*Blade of the Immortal*).
I went through a psychological thriller phase as well (*Freesia*, *Homunculus*), and darkly comedic series like *Welcome to the NHK* and *Molester Man* are some of my favourites till date. I particularly enjoy thinking about what life is really about and what being human essentially means.
I have tried to venture out before. The results so far:
1. *The Shadow of the Wind* by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – This just didn’t click for me. I couldn’t really understand the main character’s mindset and motivations. It felt sort of sappy, to be honest.
2. *Heaven* by Mieko Kawakami – Very odd. It felt like there were a lot of themes and symbolism going over my head, and the end didn’t feel like it wrapped up anything at all.
3. *Interpreter of Maladies* by Jhumpa Lahiri – I could not fathom any of the sentiments in the stories, but then probably realised it was due to my relative inexperience in life.
4. I’ve tried other classics/stuff that’s considered literary and intellectual (because I’m secretly an elitist) but have not managed to continue any past the first couple of pages.
I know it’s not a particularly coherent base to build on, so apologies for that.
Some final considerations:
1. No pure romance novels, please. I’ve read a fair share of those too.
2. Not a big fan of erotic scenes, I’d like to avoid them if possible, unless they are relevant to the story. Also no love triangles.
3. Interesting characters are something I look for (really enjoying First Law so far).
4. Good writing – I’d love to improve my grammar, vocabulary, and expression. People have already said I write well, but I’m not so convinced and would like to solidify my foundations further.
5. I cannot read long descriptions. I am not able to imagine any of it, and it bores me immensely.
6. Since I drop books quite quickly if the style doesn’t click, it should be somewhat accessible. Not sure if this contradicts #4 though.
7. Novels only, not looking for comics/graphic novels right now.
Thank you in advance!
by ppcurve
1 Comment
Anything by Murakami is a great gateway drug.