I (21) read a lot when I was younger (elementary/middle school). In high school, I mainly read the required books for English, but still read recreationally. Now I'm in college and have barely taken any humanities classes, meaning that I don't have much required reading other than textbooks. I've picked up a few books but am having trouble finding something that really pulls me in. I've started rereading books/series from when I was younger, but I really want to find some new books. I am generally interested in a variety of genres (fiction/fantasy, realistic fiction, bildungsroman, science fiction, romance, etc.). I haven't really read any mysteries besides ones for younger kids (like A to Z Mysteries and Cam Jansen), but I'm definitely willing to try mystery novels.
Here are some books/series that I have really enjoyed:
- Neapolitan Quartet (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, The Story of the Lost Child): I read the first book in high school and loved it so much that I read the other three soon after. This is my favorite series that I have read (I can't really distinguish between the books because it's one continuous story.)
- Harry Potter: I reread the whole series in high school (after initially reading them when I was 7/8) and got really into it; this is one of the series that I've reread a lot since.
- Percy Jackson: I read these in high school having never read them as a kid, but I enjoyed them. I would love to find series that are similar but written more for adults.
- A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: It's been quite some time since I read the series, but I remember particularly enjoying the science fiction elements of it. It made me interested in learning more about physics, and that's what I'm now studying in college.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: I remember enjoying the slight mystery aspect of this book, and it's one of the few books where I remember finding the ending satisfying.
- Out of My Mind: I enjoyed reading from the perspective of the main character.
- The Giver: I started reading the first sequel but did not get far. I just find myself coming back to this book a lot.
I'll add more if I can think of any that really captivated me. I recently discovered the The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Are they well-written and interesting for readers who aren't teens? I found some other series that I thought sounded interesting at first glance and had some great reviews, only to find whole Reddit threads talking about how they weren't well-written and only popular because of "BookTok" (I don't really know much about what that is).
I'm sorry for the long post, and thank you in advance for any suggestions!
by Environmental-Eye196
4 Comments
Madaddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood
I think you’d love the Unwind and Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. Also, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes is fantastic. Lastly, if you like good contemporary fiction that realistically deals with mental health, grief, and coming-of-age stories, read books by Matthew Quick and Jeff Zentner.
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or Way of Kings were great ones for me when transitioning back into reading after college!
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers
Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
1984 by George Orwell
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Black Hole Survival Guide by Janna Levin
The Midnight Bargain by CL Polk
All About Love by bell hooks
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin
One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Loving Day by Mat Johnson
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
Just because a book is mentioned/liked by people on BookTok doesn’t mean it’s bad or good.
You should try out whatever books appeal to you so you can know how you feel about them for yourself.