I find I generally enjoy female authors’ books so much more. They tend to be more thoughtful, interesting, and vulnerable in their writing, plots, and character development. I so often find male authors to write stories and characters that are coarse and machismo, flaunting toughness or rowdiness and centering a certain kind of hubris.
Best books I’ve read this year: So far from God; Tomb Sweeping, How the Garcia Sisters Lost Their Accents, The Crane Wife. I seem to enjoy essay memoirs and fiction that tells a good story. I don’t care much for fantasy or science fiction or sprawling familial / generational epics. Mysteries are ok. A little bit of magical realism is ok, but not as a main driver.
I’m reading Monstrilio right now by a male author which I’m enjoying.
Thoughts?
by Art-Arch
20 Comments
Someone to run with by David Grossman
The buried giant by Ishiguro
The broken bridge by Pullman
Clay by Almond
Asher lev 1 and 2 or Davita’s harp by Potok
Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
Lush Life by Richard Price.
A mystery novel that weaves the life of generations of NYC immigrants that have come through the neighborhoods
Seconding Philip Pullman. The *His Dark Materials* trilogy is stunning. All of the women and girls in the books are full people with depth, not accessories.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Have you read The Lord of the Rings by J RR Tolkien? He’s a master at writing gentle, thoughtful, kind male characters.
Beartown Trilogy by Frederick Backmann
And Matt Haig, pretty much the opposite of bro and so dann good!
Grace Notes by Bernard MacLaverty
Thank you all so much so far for the quick responses and recommendations. I’m making a list to explore!
I liked the The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Also highly recommend James McBride if you’re into historical fiction
J. Ryan Stradal as well for fiction
Ismael kadare, e.g. broken April, the General of the dead Army, three Arched Bridge, …
Bulgakov, the Master and Margarita
Daniel Kehlmann, e.g tyll, measring the world
Theodor storm, the Rider of the white horse
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (if you go for this, don’t look up anything about it or the film before you start – the film takes the big spoiler/twist as the starting point)
Have you tried reading any of John Steinbeck’s work?
Kent Haruf, Silas House, William Kent Kreuger (particularly his standalones)
Mishima
Anything by George Saunders, *CivilWarLand in Bad Decline*, *Tenth of December*, *Lincoln in the Bardo*, etc. *Real Life*, *Filthy Animals*, or *The Late Americans* by Brandon Taylor. Really, anything that could be considered literary fiction written after 2010 by someone under the age of 50 should work since that kind of macho writing has gone out of style.
What’s a bro author?
Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo. 1984 is sort of Anti “bro” is you like dystopian. And of course I have to mention East of Eden.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (There is some controversy regarding this book. I don’t care. It is still a great read.)
The Education of Little Tree by Asa Earl Carter (More controversy. The author has a very problematic past. But again, it is a great read, if you are okay with separating the author from his work.)
Also, John Irving. Cider House Rules, The World According to Garp.
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The River Why by David James Duncan
Catcher in the Rye
Edit: Also, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
And I second a few of the other recommendations: Kent Haruf is a great suggestion. So is Remains of the Day. People are giving you great recommendations.
And John Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath.