this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2023
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Any fiction suggestions for a somewhat picky reader? The Expanse lasted me a long while but I'm finishing up the novellas now and need to start looking for something new. Not necessarily in the same genre.

I don't have a lot of books under my belt as an adult, but some of my favorites have been Stoner by John Williams, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, East of Eden, Catch 22, Flowers for Algernon, and Harry Potter. Kind of all over the place I guess. ๐Ÿ˜…

I've also enjoyed John Williams' other novels, Piranesi, The Things They Carried, House of Leaves, and Ender's Game and the sequel.

Some books I didn't really care for include Hitchhiker's Guide (although I loved the first half), Lolita, Sharp Objects, Turtles All the Way Down, The Stand, The Road, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451.

I'm always overwhelmed trying to find something new, so thanks for any suggestions!

EDIT: Thank you all! It'll be a bit daunting exploring all these new books but not nearly as daunting as if I had no guidance, so I really appreciate it!

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[โ€“] qualifier982@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Ahh, the Bobbieverse... for when we can't get enough of our favorite Martian. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Jokes aside, I always feel more confident jumping into books from someone who has similar tastes, so thanks for the recommendation! I know, disliking Hitchiker's Guide is bordering on blasphemy.

I started Project Hail Mary and I think I was irked by the protagonist, if I remember right. But the book has such glowing reviews, maybe it'll be better for me as an audiobook.

Thanks for the other recommendations as well! I am probably going to shoot for a lighter read before diving into another series. I don't know if I can jump into an incomplete series though. I'm putting off on reading the Game of Thrones books because I'm worried I'll get incredibly invested and then they'll never be finished. Maybe I should just embrace the journey though. There's still fun to be had even if everything doesn't get tied up.

[โ€“] ThePancake@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

The narrator for Project Hail Mary does a great job, so maybe that will be helpful to get through the opening act. Once the meat of the story picks up, it's pretty awesome IMO.

I'm in the same boat for Game of Thrones... Everyone says I'll love it, but I can't bring myself to dive in knowing it won't be finished. Honestly, I wouldn't have read Name of the Wind had I known, but the person who recommended it failed to mention the trilogy wasn't finished! That being said, it leaves a lot of room for imagination, and really inspires more reading when you get to the end of book 2... with a healthy dose of utter frustration.