November 2024
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    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 FriendThe Story of a New NameThose Who Leave and Those Who StayThe 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

    1. PeacefulBacterium on

      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.

    2. CurlyMcSquirrely on

      Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn or Way of Kings were great ones for me when transitioning back into reading after college!

    3. brusselsproutsfiend on

      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.

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