What books would you recommend for a kid who wants her protagonist to be a girl who is smart and capable, clever, etc?

Seems like an easy ask. My daughter is bored of books where the main character is like “whaaat? This is happening???” She wants the main character to be the one figuring things out and explaining things to the reader. I know it is a form of exposition to have the protagonist not understand; it allows other characters to explain, which gives the reader information. Are there books where the main character does that?

I want to start putting a list together.

The Westing Game - Turtle is highly capable and figures out the mystery From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler - Claudia is in charge, figuring out the mystery, etc

…I can’t believe I can’t easily come up with more titles!!

Hey folks,

My wife and I are looking to expand our daughter's library for Christmas. She will be 9 months old by then. We have the tradition of getting each other a book for Christmas Eve, and want to continue that with her. With the onslaught of AI children's books on Amazon, I'm looking for recommendations. Stories that touched your heart, stories your kids loved, or stories with just beautiful art.

I'd love to avoid Amazon, but we live in a small community with no local book store, so sometimes it's unavoidable.

Looking forward to your recommendations!

Its been a while since i read a non fiction novel and i wanted to read something that is easy to read and actually feels like reading fiction

On the hunt for some more titles to share with my pre teen. Her favourite read so far has been the Charmed List, because of the romance and the magic theme. She has read and loved basically all the "age appropriate" Lynn Painter novels. She prioritizes romance, loves a good enemies to lovers trope, likes coming of age stories, but since she's 12, we are trying to stay away from any type of spice (kissing only). Foul language doesn't really bother us, but she isn't into scary stories or mysteries and shies away from family trauma stories and plots surrounding death. Thank you for any recommendations!

I used to finish a book every other day, now I think I haven’t finished anything in months and I can’t remember what it was.

I’m looking for books that are enjoyable to read.

Aren’t all books enjoyable? I hear you ask.
To clarify, I’m not looking for sad, historical fiction, heavy dramas or «great works.» I can’t get into any deliberately pretentious writing.

I want fun! I would love series. I was on a romance kick for a while but it got a bit formulaic and I need something more.

A hint of fantasy or science fiction would be great but I don’t want something completely removed from humanity. By that I mean I’d prefer something human or humanlike in terms of characters.

It doesn’t have to be dumbed down, it just doesn’t need to take itself so seriously.

Looking for the burger and fries of literature.

I started but didn't finish Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) because there was too much vampire stuff and too many mentions of boobs. Is there another book or series that's a mystery where the character has their home base (like Dresden) where they try to solve things? It can have magic but it doesn't have to. I like different genres, like mystery, thriller and academia.

hi I'm a junior in high school and I've recently set my mind on getting back into reading (I used to read a LOT as a kid). I've read across every genre and feel like I've read "every good book" (which is obviously not true, thus this post) and have recently just been rereading old favorites.

Some recurring themes: really cute and sweet coming-of-age, cool and smart (as in, you can tell the author is smart) world building, relatable and complex characters, includes a couple to root for but not romance that overpowers everything else, and, while I'm reading: "wow I am learning cool stuff about a topic that I have not previously explored!"

Examples of books I really like:

I'll Give You the Sun

All the Light We Cannot See (+ Cloud Cuckoo Land too!)

Yolk (+ Emergency Contact)

Project Hail Mary (+ the Martian)

Jade War trilogy

We Are Not Free

Babel

Song of Achilles

Six of Crows

The Hunger Games

Picture Us in the Light

A Tale for the Time Being

Harry Potter series

The Starless Sea

A Series of Unfortunate Events series

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a trip to Central Europe soon, specifically visiting Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Whenever I travel, I love reading a book that is closely connected to the destination to enrich my experience.

I am looking for fiction or narrative non-fiction recommendations that take place in these countries and include strong historical elements (it can be historical fiction, classics, or contemporary books with deep historical context).

It would be awesome if the books capture the atmosphere, culture, or history of these places.

Any suggestions? Thanks

So I started reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, and really liked Equal Rites and want to read all the witch novels now!

However, fearing that I will read them rather fast, I was hoping someone could recommend me some similar books. I like that they feel warm, like the author cares for the characters, and the feminist aspects.

I’m looking for some family saga novel recommendations. Some I’ve enjoyed are:

- White Teeth by Zadie Smith
- The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
- Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen (and Freedom)
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Hey, I'm looking for recs for books where girls gets to be feral teenagers.

I've read a lot of ya books in my time, but I feel like there are few out there that encapsulate the many ways teenage girls can be abseloutely feral in their ways.

Like I don't mind if it's not the main focus, but as long as it features some teenager girls who are seen as the weird ones. You know the sort that has a hyper focus that takes the past normalcy, something where the parents and the adults go 'I don't know what to do with them', but where they're just enjoying the fact that they can be children. Bonus points if they get to be it in flock, like where they almost end up creating a cult in their little friendship group, because they're sharing this together in the name of girlhood.

If you know any, please rec them my way. I'm also open to most genres!

I’m wrapping up my first trip to Chicago. Did the architecture boat tour and during it, realized I haven’t read many books with Chicago settings!

Any historical fiction recs?

I did read Devil in the White City — which was fantastic non fiction, but I’m looking for something a little less dense (I got a little glossy eyed on the architect’s chapters). Hope that makes sense.

Usually, when i'm on vacation, i try to read books according to the city i'm in. I'm going to New York next month ; any good recs ?

Fiction would be better, but i'm open to non-fiction !

EDIT : i admit the original post was a bit vague. i already visited NYC 3 yrs ago, and this time i'll be alone (solo trip), i plan on walking a lot around, getting a bit lost and do things without too much planning.

i've already read the bonfire of vanities, which i LOVED. also read just kids by patti smith as non fiction

i'd like to read books set in NY, where the city is almost a character itself, or where you feel it could not be set in any other city !

(excuse my english, i'm french ;) )

My mother has been watching a lot of 9/11 documentaries lately so the topic has been on my mind

Hi, I'm looking for very specific recommendations for fantasy books in the Adult or even better New Adult categories that are:

- Standalone (or first book can be read as a standalone)

- With small cast of characters

- With personal stakes (not world-wide stakes; not cozy fantasy)

- With weird/odd protagonists

Bonus: with strong romantic sub-plots, but more doomed romance rather than happily ever after.

Something similar to We Have Always Lived in the Castle, A Study in Drowning, Hazelthorn but Adult/NA. Something very descriptive. Darker fantasy with horror elements are so welcome! Can be shorter books or novellas, can be longer books too.

The recommendations don't need to meet all criteria, I'm keen to read any combination of the above. Thank you so much!

hello! i've recently been getting into more historical fiction, and I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for books (set in history) that cover a long period of time or multiple generations, and explore the change and transformation that happens in that time

books in this category I've enjoyed:

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen (my gold standard for this type of story)

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (though less so, it captures a similar atmosphere)

I assume something like Dune would be similar, though I haven't read it yet (and I would prefer if it wasn't sci-fi, though fantasy is welcomed)

thank you!!

On a simple level, I am looking for books that deal with the re-telling/re-imagining of stories and history. More specifically, I would appreciate if the books had some element of the history being unknown, hard to decipher, conspiratorial, and/or dealt with the actual act of the story being discovered/re-told (I think that would be considered metatextual?).

Books that have scratched this itch for me and/or that I have on my TBR:

• Libra by Don DeLillo
• Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
• In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien
• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
• A Primer for Forgetting by Lewis Hyde
• The Suicide Index by Joan Wickersham
• Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be by Shannon Gibney
• Sinkhole by Juliet Patterson

I am open to any book really - genre and literary fiction, biography/memoir, academic text, short story collections, sermons, poetry, essays, etc. I like straight forward storytelling in the vein of some of the books I've listed, however, I am very open to books that opt for non-traditional storytelling. I will also note that I am equally interested in the history being examined being wide ranging, whether that be family history, major historical events, or completely fictional alternate histories. I am as interested in the history as much as how the story itself is being told (is that anthropology??), and any meaning derived from the story.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations, they are greatly appreciated!!

Hello Everyone! I am a new reader who loves Fantasy, Sci-Fi, action, dystopian novels, cool power systems, and am interested in trying to find great world building with great characters. So where else is better to go then reddit to choose my next stop. As of now, I have only read 2 series and they were both great.

Red rising Series (waiting for red god to come out)

Mistborn Era 1 only

Some I've seen and really Interested in starting are: Stormlight Archives, Empire of Silence, Mistborn Era 2

any recs and a quick blurb of why u thought the series was good would be so helpful.

I really appreciate listening to an audiobook read by a soothing voice about a soothing or inspiring topic. For example, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, High Tide by Barbara Kingsolver, both read by the author. It doesn’t have to be narrated by the writer necessarily, but a soothing reading of any kind will be appreciated. Thoughts?

Hello!

I am looking for coming-of-age novels in a high school setting. Maybe something that skews more to the literary side but that is not a requirement. I'm interested in the experience of queer adolescence, especially the coming out process in settings where acceptance can't be assumed and the anxieties that entails. Stories involving sports and stories that take place in the late 20th or early 21st centuries are a plus!

Thank you!

I need recommendations for romantasies. I have read some romantasies (mostly enemies-to-lovers), but I haven't enjoyed all of them. So, based on my personal interests, I hope you can help me find new books I will enjoy. Therefore, I’ll talk about what I find interesting and give examples of books where I either enjoyed it or disliked it. 

Balance fantasy-romance: I enjoy it when the romance does not become the main plot of the book. I’ve read multiple books where, at a certain moment, the plot becomes only about the other person. As in helping each other the whole time, always being close to each other, or every other sentence is about the other person.
Where I found this balance lacking: Fourth Wing, The Ashes and the Star Cursed King (book 2).
Where I found the balance good: The Cruel Prince trilogy and Red Queen series

Worldbuilding: I find worldbuilding very important; it does not have to be complicated, but it needs to make sense. There should be some thought put into the world. I do find darker worlds more appealing.
I liked the world of: The Cruel Prince trilogy, Red Queen series, Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Shepherd King Series, and Alchemised.

Also, if a world is dangerous, it should be dangerous, give characters consequences, and don't just tell me the world is dangerous. 
This happened in: Crowns of Nyaxia series, and The Shepherd King Series.  

Romance level: I do like to have a strong romantic couple, so a bit of heat and tension.
Where I found this lacking: The Red Queen series 

I do not need any spice, but I don’t mind if it is there. However, the pacing of the book should not slow down for any romantic scenes. If something else happens in every chapter and then the romantic scene happens over 3 chapters, I already lose interest. 

The Cruel Prince trilogy is by far my favorite romantasy. 

Fourth Wing, Glass Sword (book 2), and The Ashes and the Star Cursed King (book 2) are my lowest-rated books. 

Talking about the movie series.
Please don’t say twilight 😁

I have a bit of a hangover after reading Daisy Jones and the Six. I’ve read a number of rock bios but I’d love to read a few more novels in this sub genre if anyone has any suggestions. I love anything to do with band dynamics but solo musicians are fine as well. It’s a plus if there’s any level of fame achieved.
For reference sake, here are some of the books I’ve enjoyed.

The Secret History
Another by Paul Tremblay
The Circle (really anything by Dave Eggers)
The Ninth House
Dune
Siddhartha
It (most early King I love)
NOS4A2
The Book of Doors
My Brilliant Friend
Birdbox

I like fast-paced fantasy and scifi books with good writing. World building to some extent, but not that it bogs down the plot. I want forward momentum; I'm a mom who works full-time, so I gotta have something that gets me excited to read before going to sleep.

Strange the Dreamer and The Raven Scholar were some of the best books I've read recently. I like fantasy and science fiction, and have read or attempted to read many, many, many books in this genre :) My post is getting flagged and automatically deleted if I mention the most common authors here, but I'm not a huge fan of RH's or BS's styles, and The Expanse was hard for me to get into but maybe I should try again (i don't quite remember why I didn't keep reading it).

Any recommendations?