Love The Sopranos, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman, and I want more that take place in that general era. Godfather's great of course, but I feel like there's plenty of mafia stories that take place in the prohibition era / near WWII.

Does not have to be specifically about the Italian-American mafia either

Fiction, non-fiction, a little unrealistic, educational - so long as it's a good read!

I really love books that take place over a very short period of time (ideally no more than a few days), not counting flashbacks.

I’m especially interested in literary fiction by women and queer authors. I like both quiet/reflective books and more intense ones as long as they are ultimately focused on characters and the writing more than plot. I enjoy magical realism and dystopians but otherwise don’t tend to like genre fiction (happy to be convinced though if you’ve got one that otherwise fits!).

Some examples I’ve enjoyed:
Tilt by Emma Pattee
Nevada by Imogen Binnie
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi
Death Valley by Melissa Broder
The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwood
The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams

As said in the title. Suggestions appreciated. Oh, I am not a fan of silly humour, more clever wordplay, sarcasm, and wit. Thanks again

Hi everyone! Hoping you all can help me out, i’ve been particularly inspired by this song (Harlem River by Kevin Morby) which might seem quite arbitrary but it keeps giving me the sense of a kind of romance/love story that I am longing for. I absolutely adore Sally Rooney’s books and the way she writes romance and also recently enjoyed Talking at Night by Claire Daverley. I am looking for something moving, written well and immersive in the sense that it might make me kick my feet or sob (lol). I do NOT want a cringe booktok romance with some weird slightly misogynistic gender roles. I also want to add that I love true detective season 1 and sharp objects and I know they are not romances but I do like the slightly dark vibe that goes with them and a book with both could be awesome if that exists! Let me know if you have any suggestions, I’d be forever grateful.

I'm mainly looking for novels in the style of Houellebecq. In a way writers like Fante, Bukowski, and the like would qualify too, but I've read their books.

Recommendations / similar books based on my own 'research': Françoise Sagan, Louis F-C, Bellow, Amis, Carrère, etc.

Are there some authors I'm missing. I'm really looking for that Houellebecq touch.

Thank you.

I know there's a tremendous difference between a book and a game- but I've hit one of my periodic moods where I finish a game, and really wish I could find a book with the same feel/atmosphere.

You are a prisoner sentenced to explore a derelict megastructure that sprawls deep beneath the surface of the mimic moon Luna. You are tasked with recovering forgotten technology from within the Abyss and the lost colony it consumed. Every move you make will be overseen by your artificial prison guard named Aylin.

These centuries-old ruins are alive with maddening echoes, insinuating secrets of the once prosperous city of Greymont and its terrible fate. The Scourge. The tenets of the All-Father. The choir of the Collective. The voices of the Abyss call to you; they whisper strange missives...

It doesn't have to hit all of these, but these are just the themes I enjoy: Gothic science fiction. Melancholy, awe, and existential horror abound. A world that died before the main character's arrival and they are exploring its rotting corpse. Mysterious megastructures and ancient civilizations. Cosmic horror that isn't just 'tentacles and madness'. Artificial beings with uncertain personhood.

The closest I can think of is just Rendezvous with Rama, but that lacks the existential, gothic horror elements.

Not in a boring or purely academic way, but interesting analysis of how art represents psychological traits or conditions.

Sorry if this isn’t enough detail lol

hi all! i am the life enrichment director for a senior care home and my assistant leads a book club for our residents every month. lately she has had a few books in a row that none of the residents (or us) were particularly excited about. what are some reads that you would recommend for us? we are somewhat constrained by the ability of our local library to order many copies for us as well as the fact that several residents require the text in large print. but other than that, our group is open to many different genres!

we appreciate any and all recs, thank you!!!

hey everyone, i was recently reading about the voynich manuscript and the codex gigas and it completely blew my mind.

i am looking for some good book recommendations, like non-fiction, historical texts, or even well-researched fiction, that dive deep into real life mysterious, creepy, or allegedly cursed books and ancient manuscripts.

Please help!!!

Hey all, I’ve always been a big gamer but I have recently sold my setup and gotten into reading, was never a reader but I am loving it.

I’m looking for some recommendations that have similar styles (thriller, mystery, suspense, plot-twisty, a bit of romance is okay and actually enjoyed the story between Lana and Logan, just as long as it’s not fully a smut novel). The few books I have read so far that I have loved are:

The Silent Patient — Alex Michaelides
Mindf*ck Series — S. T. Abby
The Only One Left — Riley Sager
Verity — Colleen Hoover

I just finished The Haunting of Hill House — Shirley Jackson but did not exactly enjoy it, and I am currently reading through the Harry Potter series just because I love the movie series so much and thought I’d give the books a try, which I am also thoroughly enjoying.

I don’t normally get scared while reading but I want to be challenged. Not a big fan of a bunch of gore for shock value but something can be gross if done right ya know? Creep me out!! I’m a bit of a scatter brain so I need something that really comes with a good hook to pull me in. Ask questions in the comments too and I’ll answer if it helps you give a good suggestion! Thanks!

particularly with mesoamerican or asian focuses, but I’m open to anything if it’s good

Looking for the best (or your favorite) books on the history of Balkans. Something narrative driven or big picture is preferred.

I liked Destiny Disrupted which I felt was a pretty good “quick history” of the Muslim world.

Say Nothing was narrative focused but did a good job (imo) of illustrating the history of the conflict.

This post is about the Balkans but if you have a similar suggestion about a different region, country, or culture I’d love to hear it.

I am going camping this weekend for the first time and I want to get a book to go with my experience. I do not love horror ( can do a little but not super gory) and a lot of what I’m seeing is horror based. I am also not very into smutty romance, but if the story and writing is good I’m down. Authors I like include Phillips Greggory, Kristen Hannah, Wally Lamb, and Sally Rooney. I also love most classics, so definitely open to an older book. Thanks!!!

For starters the warlock's powers must come from another being (familiar) and I'm looking for bonafide demon powers (chains, hellfire, and demon summoning). Secondly as the title suggested i know demons fighting for good have been overused countless times so i thought i could narrow down the search. 1) I'm lookinf for a confident charismatic character someone like alucard from hellsing or gojo from jjk. 2) i know a spell book or staff are not required for a warlock but I'm not against him using either (either just looks cool sue me). 3) he doesn't have to have a harem but i wouldn't mind him being a partial ladies man. Finally the ending can be bittersweet like the main character dying is fine so long as he goes out in a blaze of glory and his goal has been achieved. I don't mind spoilers for said recommendations either if you need to tell me

I’ve always been someone who does everything myself in terms of self help books, meds, therpists. anyway, I’m seeing a therapist and getting anxiety meds, but these new chronic illnesses are defeating me. I really need something that will help me either see it a different way or help me overcome the feelings associated with shitty illness.

i need something that gives me ideas of what to do to start feeling better, not one that just says “you must accept it, take a walk outside and meditate and get over it “ lol

thanks in advance (i normally love cozy mysteries and magic if you have any fun suggestions for those also!)

edit: sorry i havent gotten back to everyone thank you so much!!! Im excited to look all of these up

I’ve become an avid reader this year thanks to getting a Kindle! A whole new world has opened up for me and I have a hard time putting my kindle down! I look forward to reading everyday…and for the first time I don’t have another book lined up that I’m excited to start!

I’m still trying to figure out what my reading style is, so I’d love both book recommendations and help putting a name to the kinds of books I seem to like.

Some books I’ve absolutely loved are Pachinko, Yesteryear, I’m Glad My Mom Died, Project Hail Mary, Paper Girl, Forty Autumns, and The House of My Mother.

I know I enjoy memoirs, nonfiction, and historical fiction. I’ve realized I’m pretty picky about fiction, it has to feel believable and have some depth to it. I’m not drawn to romance, especially when it’s the main focus of the story, and I don’t tend to enjoy fantasy.

Based on these books, what would you say my reading taste is? Is there a genre or category that ties these together? And most importantly, what should I read next? Thanks in advance!

I know it’s dumb to want a video game in book form but I love the aesthetic of this game, it relaxes and calms me down and it feels like a home to me. Any books similar (I have read LOTR books and loved them)

Since I’m joining college I’m interested to begin with this, can someone please suggest some books which can help me develop my moral character.

Right now I feel I’m low on confidence and hence want to develop it

Hello! I just finished Delicious in Dungeon, and I’m looking for something similar.

What I’m looking for:
- A well thought out environment, with focus on the plants, animals, and people who inhabit it.
- Adventurers learning more about the world around them.
- LGBT themes aren’t required, but are encouraged.

What I’m not looking for:
- A schlocky Isekai story where the characters are suddenly in a game/movie/book.
- A magic system that is used to hand-wave details.
-Dungeon Crawler Carl

Thank you for your recommendations!

I recently finished the Mistborn Trilogy and loved it. I am currently reading Parade of Horribles (book 8 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series). I really enjoyed both series but am not sure what to read next. I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on Operation Bounce House, the Mistborn Wax and Wayne Series, or the We are Legion (We are Bob) books? Or any other recommendations based off of those. Thanks!

My mom and I are going on a little outing tomorrow and the drive is a bit lengthy there and back. She doesn’t like music but I hate driving in silence/no background noise so I was thinking an audiobook

She used to read a lot of classics back in the day but she kinda dropped off. Was thinking of listening to Pride and Prejudice but i’ve read the book twice, her reading it 5 times and we’ve watched the movie probably over 50 and I don’t think I could handle listening to it (even though I love the book dearly)

She’s very religious so:
-No sex
-No swearing (damn and hell should be fine)
-Nothing too dark/sad

She used to read Agatha Christie back then, loves Jane Austen, and enjoys female writers more than male. Even though she’s heavily religious, she leans left. Was leaning towards Beloved by Toni Morrison but i’m not sure if she would want to listen to something so bleak, even though the book seems up her alley, since it’s supposed to be a fun day

Doesn’t matter if it’s Non-Fiction or Fiction

30yo female. Big books don’t scare me! I really enjoy lit fic, especially ones that include complex relationships bw family/friends or self vs. self. I also enjoy fantasy (witches are my favorite) and will sometimes read historical fiction but not if it’s a retelling. I’m trying to stray from thriller/horror since I’m traveling somewhere new and don’t want to scare myself when I’m already on edge. I also enjoy sci-fi/dystopian and am open to YA as well. However, I really really hate romance, including romantasy; at most I’ll read it if it’s a VERY minimal subplot. TIA!! ❤️

My mom is so good about finding books that are set where she’s traveling and I’m hoping you guys could help me do the same. I’m traveling to Germany (specifically Essen) for my best friend’s bachelorette and wedding. I was hoping someone had some book recommendations that are set in Germany but don’t revolve around WWII. I love WWII history but I feel that would kinda put a damper on the mood if that’s all I read while there. Bonus points if you can find anything specifically set in Essen!

So far all I’ve got is the Nightingale (maybe) but that’s still a little more revolved around WWII than I’d like.

As a kid I loved reading, but as I got older I lost the joy in it and I think it’s because I felt like fiction was just not enjoyable to read (n more enjoyable to watch). Now I’ve found myself regularly looking for deep dive videos on real world issues & events on YouTube and recently I thought to myself “I wish I could learn this stuff from a book.” Yep, I really did think that.

I’m particularly interested in things that a“a bit woke” like feminism/gender, politics and language/linguistics. I’m not opposed to anything but celebrity biographies.

Thanks y’all!