I’m just in a bad reading slump currently and trying to get out of it. Usually when this happens I would take a break then read something again but this time I feel like I don’t need a break from reading, I simply need a book so striking that it will fully engross me. Looking forward to your suggestions!
Try Kleinzeit by Russell Hoban for something a bit unusual.
Okay, when I’m feeling like that, I like something well paced and unusual, and maybe something I haven’t heard much about, so here’s a suggestion that I think fits: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. Here’s what I wrote in my notes/mini review:
A planet has been discovered that has the remnants of a ship that landed there a couple hundred years prior. The powerful earth-based corporation that controls many things and is just called The Company had previously sent a ship of military and teachers down, but a virus killed all of the men and some of the women, so the remnants are quarantined. Into this, an anthropologist goes down, being paid to test a new vaccine, but personally wanting to study the completely female culture, and find out how they’ve continued to have kids for 200 years. I really enjoyed this book. It’s interesting that I didn’t find myself thinking about gender roles at all in a book where every character is female. I didn’t think of it as a lesbian novel, even though there are love stories within it. It’s just a story about cultures and people, some finding their way in new situations.
Thanks for the recommendation, I really liked the book! :))
Oh, awesome, glad you liked it and thanks for letting me know
Love your notes on it! Now with this description this is a sci-fi I haven’t read before.
Do you read much SF?
It’s one of my favorite genres. Not sure if it counts as much but I pick a sci-fi book once per two months or so. The last one I’ve read was Leviathan Wakes of The Expanse series.
That’s a pretty good series.
I read kind of a stupid amount of SF and fantasy. I post my notes on Lemmy once a year. On the off chance, you’re interested, or it helps you fins stuff you like, here’s my most recent annual post, with links to prior years.
Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett. It’s about a group of night Watchmen and it’s one of my favourite books. It’s a great place to start Discworld. It’s very funny and has excellent characters.
Oh I’ve read this one and absolutely loved it.
Beware of chicken by Casualfarmer. Tore through it in just a few days and straight to the next.
It depends on what types of books you like.
For sci fi I would recommend The Murderbot Diaries, Bobiverse series, Children of Time, and Gideon the Ninth.
For fantasy I would recommend The Nightrunner series, The Farseer trilogy, The Scholomance series, and A Conjuring of Ravens.
For something weird and gripping I would recommend Perilous Times by Thomas D Lee, absolutely awesome modern imagining of Authurian legend, and those damn Saxons!
For mind blowing, There Is No Antimemetics Division. Nothing I can say will do it justice, now that I can’t unread it I envy you. Well and truly worth it, absolutely gripping, such a cool book.
Also, consider reading an audiobook. It is less demanding on your visual processing which can help if you are struggling to actually read the text. It works for me because I can speed it up to double so my rampant ADHD brain doesn’t get distracted because it is having trouble keeping up.
Solid recommendations!
Tbh all your recommendations sound like something I’d be willing to try. I can read a wide variety of genres and I’m open to try new ones. The Murderbot Diaries and The Farseer trilogy are on my tbr! Most of all now I’m intrigued about There Is No Antimemetics Division and it’s quite short, might just be what I need now.
I would strongly recommend There Is No Antimemetics Division. Such a good one shot, fairly short, and absolutely mind blowing.
I present to you a pirate adventure! The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. The characters and world are so well developed and there’s lots of action.
Also the second book came out very recently so if you love it you can move on to the next right away. I’m currently reading the second in the series and it’s just as good. 🌊🏴☠️
so striking that it will fully engross me
For me this is currently Robin Hobb’s first two trilogies, the Farseer trilogy and the Liveship traders trilogy.
Proper Fantasy (world building and such) and a gripping plot, but with real, 3D characters and social (in both the indivdual and society sense) interaction. Just well written.
Your comment just reminded me I had this on my tbr! I’ve been eyeing the Liveshup trilogy for so long though I think I should read The Farseer trilogy first? Or can it go as a standalone trilogy?
It can go as a standalone trilogy, but there is one thing in it that might affect your enjoyment of the Farseer trilogy, so if you’re going to read both anyway, start with the Farseer.
And both are really really worth the read.
The wandering inn by pirateaba
Really been enjoying Dungeon Crawler Carl even though it’s not something I expected I would like.
I’ve been hearing so much about this one recently. Is it like an rpg?
“Burn” by Peter Heller kept me reading beginning to end. It probably won’t be your favorite book you ever read, but it should keep you turning pages.
So did you decide on a book to read?
Yes! I picked up There’s No Antimemetics Devision but I got more of the suggested books and will give them a try too.
How was it? Did it help with your slump?
I’d say it’s going pretty well so far! It’s a bit too much description or better said explanation of concepts for my liking now but the plot and main themes are quite unique and this makes me continue reading. I also like the main character, she’s headstrong but she isn’t afraid to admit when she is wrong or complement other characters who are more knowledgeable in a domain than her and doesn’t back down in front of difficulties. Its main theme is related to memory and this is also a field I wanted to research more of. So even if the pacing is not what I need now for getting out of the reading slump, the book is interesting enough for me to keep going and eventually achieve that.
You Will Never Find Me by Jake Hinkson. It’s a modern noir novel that gripped me from the first page. Or anything by Hinkson, really.
Could it be the title is actually You Will Never See Me?
That’s it, yes. Thanks for catching that. I’ll amend my comment.
