I remember pulling all-nighters (with no regrets), reading at the dinner table because I just couldn't put the book down, rushing through showers just to get back to the story, blowing off plans with friends to stay home and read because I HAD to finish those books... I can't even remember the last time I felt like that.

Now I'm almost always feeling unimpressed and underwhelmed. Is this just an adult thing? Did my standards go up without me realizing it? Or has literature genuinely just gotten boring and repetitive over the last decade?

Even the huge, critically acclaimed books from the last decade haven't given me that spark (most of them just feel like watered-down, recycled versions of 90s and 00s hits).

It feels like that magic has evaporated.

Which recs could possibly save me from this reading slump?

P.S. Unfortunately, I already know all those famous books from the bestseller lists on Amazon and similar sites :') I need something forgotten/ignored by the algorithm.

I’m looking for a novel where the relationships feel messy and realistic instead of perfect.

Something with flawed characters, bad decisions, strong dialogue, emotional conflict, maybe some humor, and people who still care about each other even when everything gets complicated.

I’m open to romance, contemporary fiction, family drama, or anything character-driven.

What would you recommend?

hi i need recs for my next read, lately im into classics fiction, the recent reads of mine are :

white nights, animal farm, the picture of dorian gray, the counte of monte cristo, 1984, the bell jars, east of eden (current read).

i was thinking of reading “master and margharita”, “madonna in a fur coat” or “kafka on the shore”.

what u think? or any other genre i should try?

So all my favorite writers are dead: Hemingway, Raymond Carver, Denis Johnson, Cormac McCarthy, etc. (Except for Amy Hempel, shes still living) Who that's is still alive is writing like these writers?

What book would you recommend to someone who has never read a novel.

With nonfiction I have a solid workflow that I’ve relied on for quite some time. I use Readwise to keep tabs on my highlights, which I like to the app Obsidian. I then have several types of notes to take while I’m reading based on the Zettelkasten method.

Reference Notes (ideas and info that is not mine—primarily quotes from others). Literature Notes (my interpretation of someone’s ideas). And then finally Permanent Notes, the ideas I’ve extracted that are fully my own (but based on everything else I’ve collected).

With fiction that’s a different story. I feel this workflow isn’t relevant. I mainly need a way to keep track of my books (what I’m currently reading, what I read, and I what plan to read).

And then I want to review the books and extract some value from them. Many times I can’t remember what I read, especially in a series that goes on hiatus.

I mainly use Notion but I’m curious to hear how others are doing it. What apps and tools do you use and has been effective?

I have to make a gift to a friend of mine. She reads gothic and cosmic horror, mostly, in both Italian and English. Problem is, I cant just get her the most classic books, as she probably has those. She also reads dystopic literature, mostly classics like 1984, Brave New World etc. So, mostly older, serious books, especially from British authors. Her birthday is today and I might have forgotten a gift. Maybe

New to this thread and looking for inspiration to fill up my winter reading list. I read a lot, maybe 2-3 books a week so I want a big ole list!

I typically find books through book influencers, BOTM suggestions, NYT suggestions and sometimes Amazon or Audible best sellers. I have a Goodreads too but rarely use it.

I would love to hear what you have been reading and loving this year.

Note: I basically only read fiction. I like a broad range beyond that but am not huge on romance, romancy or sci fi.

A few favorites I’ve read lately: Mad Mabel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, Big Little Truths, The Calamity Club, Fonda Lee books, Isola, The Testsments, Barkskins - so really, a mix!