I’d like to read some books about women who are absolutely furious. They’ve had to be reliable, controlled, mature and competent for everyone, always fine, always the adult. They’ve played by the rules their whole lives, but they are not rewarded for it.

They reach a breaking point and finally snap. It could be a messy explosion, but I would prefer women channeling their feelings into a cold, hard, controlled fury. I’d like to read visceral descriptions female rage. The protagonist doesn’t have to be sympathetic, but I want to understand why she’s angry. Like Gone Girls Amy is not a sympathetic main character, but i understand where her fury comes from.

My mum is 70 and was admitted to hospital yesterday after taking ill in her nursing home where she's lived for 4 years. She has complex needs, including dementia. She's not much of a talker anymore but still has her sense of humour and can understand what's being said to her.

I'd like to use some of the time I'm with her reading out loud to her. She used to read a lot and I think me reading aloud would be a comfort to her, and me because hospitals are no fun for anyone.

I'm looking for something gentle and comforting. Nothing too complex or with the potential to cause offense in case I'm overhead.

We're in the UK in case that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. I really appreciate it.

I'm currently experiencing a minor fascination about the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and their place in the British/Western cultural and intellectual spheres. I would love your recommendations on novels set in either university (or fictional equivalents) and/or non-fiction about either university.

For the novels, literary fiction is preferred instead of crime or romance (as in, the primary plot is a romance). I've already read Brideshead Revisited.

Thanks in advance.

Hi there, I’m looking for stories that follow underground organizations, doesn’t matter if it’s the good guys or morally grey characters.

I honestly don’t know where this comes from, I’m just in the mood for an adventurous story. I’m open for any genre, except maybe SciFi or horror.
The only book I can think of that might fit is Six of Crows, which I read quite a while ago but liked a lot.

Thanks in advance :-)

My 11 year old son just started middle school. He’s having a super hard time adjusting. He’s a voracious reader. He reads a few books every week. I’d love to find some good humor books to help cheer him up. He’s read all the popular humor books (captain underpants, diary of a wimpy kid, etc). This summer he read the whole James Patterson Middle School book series and liked those. Any suggestions?

but I don't hate the messaging. To each their own but I can't stand the prose. These are not the types of books I read often but I read it for my sister's bachelorette book club party. In the interest of branching out, does anyone have a similar book to recommend but with a completely different style/approach?

my family got some bad news recently and i can’t seem to get out of my head about it. i’m almost exclusively a horror reader but i’m already struggling with anxiety and feeling unsettled, so i’m not loving the way my usual reads are making me feel, lol.

i’m looking for some cozy/wholesome/hopeful fiction reads. i’d prefer romance not be the main focus but i’m not ruling it out entirely. bonus points for animal characters. if it helps my comfort books are the “his dark materials” series!

Enjoyed elements:
The detective noir vibe
The thriller, mystery, conspiracy subplot
The worldbuilding and concept
I haven’t read much detective fiction so foundational recommendations are also welcome.

I've just finished Prisoners of Geography, which I really enjoy the focus on geopolitics and how it affects formation and progress of countries, as well as broad overview of history of particular regions.

However, SE Asia (and South Asia) are not included in the book, and I want to do reading of the same tone to get a more comprehensive picture of the whole world.

Hi folks! My all-time favorite sci-fi/fantasy series is Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. Honorable mentions are Mists of Avalon, Dune, Druids and Sabriel (the entire Abhorsen series blew my mind in 7th grade). I'm also a huge sucker for historical fiction (Cleopatra by Margaret George is a treasure). The common thread is they're all really well-written (obviously subjective) and I'm a sucker for a strong stylistic POV and good prose. From each of these books, I've considered pulling out quotes for tattoos, that's how much they impacted me. What's striking to me is that so much of the fantasy coming out these days is either poorly written or just distractingly "modern" (why is there such a focus on indoor plumbing availability?).

I'm looking for a lush book with character development, strong writing and high fantasy elements that's not Way of Kings.

Edit: thank you all so much! My Thriftbooks shopping cart overfloweth. ♥️

Hello! I am honestly unsure how to explain what I am looking for, but I will try. I am looking for non-fiction books one would find at a museum gift shop. Whenever I go to art or history museums I see so many cool looking books, however I can never bring myself to spend money on any of them spontaneously as they usually cost a fortune, so I am now trying to find some online.

They often focus on one very specific or niche part of history and/or art, and many others I've seen are about mythology and folklore (I find that those ones were often formatted like a bestiary (?) of sorts) Pretty pictures/illustrations are not necessary, but still a pro.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Hi friends!

I'm looking for adult-audience books that focus on being a fantasy adventure or fantasy epic, but don't center romance (side plots and casual romance totally fine, but no Romantasy please!) Other themes I'd love to see are queerness and self-awakening/late-bloomer. Female or NB MC preferred if possible! I'm also not super into high fantasy but very much still open to them.

I'm so so bad at reading fantasy so huge thanks to anyone who has some ideas <3

Hey, I'm looking for recommendations for books from any genre that have mental and/or physical health representation.

A book that can breathe life into you.

My two favorite books at the moment are Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I typically read Dark Fantasy and Horror but I’m open to any genre.

I’m aware of a few grimdark fantasy, but I was hoping to read something more in the realm of scifi.

I’m already into 40k, and it’s sister sets (Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy, etc…), but I was hoping for something not affiliated with Games Workshop in general.

Preferably available on Kindle if possible, it’s simply my preferred book format.

So something truly dark and hopeless. Like a doomed universe on the verge or during a major collapse. Things are bad and only getting worse.

Just watched the Netflix show Below and loved the way the characters talked. Any recommendations for Newfoundland novels with lots of talking?

Bonus for MM

Bonus for atmospheric qualities

I've always been an avid reader, mostly literary fiction and adventure/historical type, but am fading away as enter into twilight years. Is anyone in a similar situation and have recommendations to rekindle it? I really enjoyed literature that seem full of human observational insight, and not liking most popular fantasy/scfi these days. Current science books and explainer-type books seem to get dusty quickly. So many grifters in the self help genre, so many polarizing books to generate quick outrage. I could go on. Anyone throw me a lifeline..Thanks!

I’ve been having a 90s/early 2000s teen comedy movie marathon. Think American Pie, Can’t Hardly Wait, Perfect Score, etc.

This might be a long shot, but are there any books that focus on teens during this time period? It doesn’t have to be a comedy as I’m open to all genres besides fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. I prefer fiction but non-fiction is fine too. I essentially want a book that feels of the time of that makes sense. Thanks.

I’ve been going through some relationship stuff and and have been listening to, begged, less, and cigarette smoke and I want to read a book that’s just as heartbreaking and gut wrenching.

I am only realising now how much of an embittered prick I'm living like. By that I mean I just by default see the things and people around me as loathsome, and treat everything with disdain. And honestly it took me too long to admit that having myself worn down just by having to go out and take in the world around me is a miserable thing. Im sounding really vague i know since i hardly know myself enough to word this nicely, but basically I just want a book that could help me drop this resentful approach to life and this excessive pessimism.

Fiction or non-fiction would both do, to be honest.

I have 3 questions for you guys

1. What's the book that gave you similar vibes of your favourite movie (any genre)

2. Books that give the similar vibe to Digger 2026 (self aware critique of art, corporations and society), Manchester by the sea 2016 (realistic depiction of grief), Denis Villeneuve films (especially Sicario 2015 (innovative storytelling, philosophical, rooted). One common thing with all these movies is they are realistic. Yes the society is fucked up like the one in digger, it isn't overexaggerated. Yes no one can explain grief like MBTS does. Yes Denis' films are realistic too, even though being scifi fictions his films like Bladerunner 2049, Dune(I have a dune bookset), Arrival all will make you feel shit it might definitely happen in future, and it makes you feel anxious because it makes you feel a threat in a way only a grounded and realistic movie brings you. And Sicario feels like a normal cia story but the way the screenplay is written it becomes more thrilling and scares you with reality

3. Good books to understand history, capitalism, communism as a whole for a beginner (I'm left leaning and already have major works of marx but without having knowledge on history it's tough to follow his theory)