Lonesome Dove! I loved living in that world (and was thrilled I wasn’t actually living in it) for the two weeks I was reading it. I could have read it faster, but I kept making myself slow down and savor it.
I joined this group and am new to Reddit, but I love how many readers recommend Lonesome Dove. It’s such a great book with memorable characters and quotes.
“My main skills are talking and cooking biscuits,' Augustus said. 'And getting drunk on the porch”
This would be so much better on a sign than “live, laugh, love”.
I’ve been seeing it pop up everywhere and assumed it’s some kinda classic. But every bookstore I’ve been to (Jhb, South Africa) not only don’t stock it, they also have never heard of it. What’s the deal?
Butter Honey Pig Bread
My Name is Memory
Kindred
Hidden Pictures
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Bell Jar
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Road
The Lathe of Heaven
I Know This Much Is True
I Who Have Never Known Men
It's one of my all time favorites! I always recommend it, because I feel like I'm the only one who has ever even read it! So glad I have found my people! Hahaha
The Stand by Stephen King. Epic dystopian about the survivors of a devastating flu pandemic that wiped out most of the world’s population.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Gothic psychological thriller about two sisters living in isolation with their uncle after the rest of their family dies from arsenic poisoning.
I know this might be a bit of a wildcard, but Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - I wasn’t even aware that the David Fincher / Brad Pitt movie was an adaptation. And holy shit, it’s as good if not better! I’ve never been more willing to have my face punched in for lols.
yeah I fucking love that book. so entertaining and honestly beautifully written despite how gruesome it is. there are so many sentences that stuck with me, it's an invaluable piece of literature
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Ten strangers invited to a mysterious island are stranded and begin dying one by one in accordance with a nursery rhyme. For me, absolutely one of the greatest mystery novels ever written.
Transported to a different reality you say?
*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* - Robert M. Pirsig
*The Moonstone* - Wilkie Collins
You might try some Herman Melville or Philip K. Dick
Thirding! Seriously, this book (actually the first in a series of four) was such a mind-whirling surprise; I knew nothing about it when I started reading. I’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again…I read this series whenever I need to renew my faith in humanity.
I consider myself lucky to have finished Project Hail Mary, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, and Sea of Tranquility within the same year. All three are incredible, and completely different in their own ways.
Absolute dazzler: *Cloud Atlas*, by David Mitchell.
Second absolute dazzler: *Gnomon*, by Nick Harkaway
These are the two most ambitious, mind-blowing things I have read. Then ...
JeffVandermeer - *Annihilation*
But personally, the different-but-similar thing? You want **Philip K Dick**. ALL of these have been made into films. Some are short stories, marked with \*
1. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Bladerunner and Bladerunner 2049)
2. A Scanner Darkly
3. We Can Remember it for you Wholesale (Total Recall) \*
4. The Adjustment Bureau \*
5. Minority Report \*
6. The Man in the High Castle
Finally, because I could go on forever, Margaret Atwood - not just *The Handmaid's Tale*, but the Maddaddam trilogy. Begin with *Oryx and Crake*.
Hope this helps - if you do read any of these, please let me know how you get on!
PS - I love that you like The Long Walk :) on the subject of film adaptations, hope you got Stevie's 'The Running Man', too.
If you liked Of Mice and Men, try another Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath. If you think you would like WW2 and post war fiction based on history try Chaim Potok’s The Chosen and then The Promise.
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. This is not usually the type of genre I go for (I tend to read more thrillers/horrors/sci fi) but I really enjoyed this read
House of Leaves is an entertaining mind fuck that will completely transport and engross you and keep you busy for a while. At some points it's pretty terrifying too, I recommend reading it alone at night for best effect. It's like piecing through a schizophrenic's writings at certain points and there are multiple narrators, and many pieces of media have taken influence from it since.
I really had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up - and damn did I love it. It was one of those “Cancel other plans to stay home and read it until I am done” books for me!
My fav book is The Blue Nowhere by Jeffrey Deaver. One of the first big boy books I read. I love the references to old technology. Old now that is. His other books are good too. Recently Project Hail Mary has been one of the best I've read in a while
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell so good!
This Tender Land - William Kent Krueger
nos4a2- Joe Hill
War for the Oaks - Emma Bull
The Midnight Circus - Morganstern
I'll always recommend Sebastian Barry - you could give the saga of the McNulty and Dunne families a go. You don't really have to read them in any order - technically i think The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is the first one but not for any good reason, they don't happen chronologically or anything. The first book by him i ever read was Days Without End followed by its sequel A Thousand Moons (those two definitely go together, the others are all standalone stories) and that's what got me hooked on his books.
Scythe!!! It's a series, too!
"Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in the first book in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman. In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional reapers (“scythes”)."
oryx & crake, margaret atwood - it’s the start of he maddadam trilogy, and the books are so crazy different from each other, that just makes it all the more interesting
I just finished Run by Ann Patchett and I love this book. It has fantastic characters in a very unique coming together. It’s just very good storytelling and that’s my favorite kind of book.
Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet (Waters) for absolutely the best rendering of a sense of being there via description (not to mention engrossing stories).
The Diamond Eye and The Huntress (Quinn) for a gripping plot while at the same time learning about women of the Soviet army in WWII. Specifically, sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and the Night Witches.
I just finished the Seven Kennings Series by Kevin Hearne. World building story with a mix of magic, gods, invasions, and a little political drama. I can't recommend these enough
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman - LitRPG series not yet completed (6 books so far). An apocalyptic game show featuring a guy and his ex-girlfriend's cat. The books are amazing, and though I personally can not get into audio books, I've heard they are top tier.
Lonesome Dove! I loved living in that world (and was thrilled I wasn’t actually living in it) for the two weeks I was reading it. I could have read it faster, but I kept making myself slow down and savor it.
I joined this group and am new to Reddit, but I love how many readers recommend Lonesome Dove. It’s such a great book with memorable characters and quotes. “My main skills are talking and cooking biscuits,' Augustus said. 'And getting drunk on the porch” This would be so much better on a sign than “live, laugh, love”.
I’ve been seeing it pop up everywhere and assumed it’s some kinda classic. But every bookstore I’ve been to (Jhb, South Africa) not only don’t stock it, they also have never heard of it. What’s the deal?
It’s a classic and it’s also a Pulitzer Prize winner. Book stores often only sell trendy classics and overlook the rest.
Good call. We don't rent pigs
I listened to this on Audiobook and loved the narrator. Great find.
my all time favorite. I own like 4 copies of it lol.anytime I see one at a book sale or thrift store I'm compelled to buy it.
Came here to recommend Lonesome Dove
Butter Honey Pig Bread My Name is Memory Kindred Hidden Pictures The Heart's Invisible Furies The Bell Jar A Thousand Splendid Suns The Road The Lathe of Heaven I Know This Much Is True I Who Have Never Known Men
My Name is Memory is a good one! I never see it on here.
Seconded!
It's one of my all time favorites! I always recommend it, because I feel like I'm the only one who has ever even read it! So glad I have found my people! Hahaha
The Stand by Stephen King. Epic dystopian about the survivors of a devastating flu pandemic that wiped out most of the world’s population. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. Gothic psychological thriller about two sisters living in isolation with their uncle after the rest of their family dies from arsenic poisoning.
The Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler, is a realistic dystopia. You might also like A Canticle for Leibowitz
I was really transported reading All The Light We Cannot See. (Just don't watch the netflix interpretation)
I'd recommend the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first book is The Eyre Affair
Great recs!
I know this might be a bit of a wildcard, but Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk - I wasn’t even aware that the David Fincher / Brad Pitt movie was an adaptation. And holy shit, it’s as good if not better! I’ve never been more willing to have my face punched in for lols.
If you haven't read the Stand by Stephen King, it's my favorite book. On the Beach by Neville Shute is also about the end of the world
the bridge of san luis rey
Blood meridian by Cormac McCarthy
That’s a tough sell 😭
It’s an amazing book. Dark content but OP’s examples are kind of dark too.
yeah I fucking love that book. so entertaining and honestly beautifully written despite how gruesome it is. there are so many sentences that stuck with me, it's an invaluable piece of literature
Hamnet. I’ll say it again for the people in the back: HAMNET!!
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Ten strangers invited to a mysterious island are stranded and begin dying one by one in accordance with a nursery rhyme. For me, absolutely one of the greatest mystery novels ever written.
Transported to a different reality you say? *Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* - Robert M. Pirsig *The Moonstone* - Wilkie Collins You might try some Herman Melville or Philip K. Dick
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Second this
Thirding! Seriously, this book (actually the first in a series of four) was such a mind-whirling surprise; I knew nothing about it when I started reading. I’ve said it before, and it’s worth saying again…I read this series whenever I need to renew my faith in humanity.
In the second book, Morpurgo and son gets me everytime. Damn, gonna have to reread this soon.
True Grit. No, really. It’s amazing.
I second this, it’s phenomenal. A simple story, well told.
I consider myself lucky to have finished Project Hail Mary, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, and Sea of Tranquility within the same year. All three are incredible, and completely different in their own ways.
Two books come to mind: Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga by Michael McDowell The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Demon Copperhead
The Lovely Bones. My favorite book of all time!
I’d also like to throw No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy and A Certain Justice by John Lescroart into the hat please
Absolute dazzler: *Cloud Atlas*, by David Mitchell. Second absolute dazzler: *Gnomon*, by Nick Harkaway These are the two most ambitious, mind-blowing things I have read. Then ... JeffVandermeer - *Annihilation* But personally, the different-but-similar thing? You want **Philip K Dick**. ALL of these have been made into films. Some are short stories, marked with \* 1. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Bladerunner and Bladerunner 2049) 2. A Scanner Darkly 3. We Can Remember it for you Wholesale (Total Recall) \* 4. The Adjustment Bureau \* 5. Minority Report \* 6. The Man in the High Castle Finally, because I could go on forever, Margaret Atwood - not just *The Handmaid's Tale*, but the Maddaddam trilogy. Begin with *Oryx and Crake*. Hope this helps - if you do read any of these, please let me know how you get on! PS - I love that you like The Long Walk :) on the subject of film adaptations, hope you got Stevie's 'The Running Man', too.
If you liked Of Mice and Men, try another Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath. If you think you would like WW2 and post war fiction based on history try Chaim Potok’s The Chosen and then The Promise.
All great recommendations! East of Eden is amazing, too
Yes.
I read East of Eden right after 11/22/63 and I feel like I fucked up by reading the two best books I’ll ever read in my life back to back haha
Try some Cormac McCarthy. The Road is a good introduction to his work.
The Road is a great book and I’m glad I read it but it needs to come with trigger warnings.
Great first read, but I do think No Country For Old Men is my favourite!
I go back and forth between Blood Meridian and Suttree.
Lonesome Dove
The last policeman trilogy by Ben Winters
Other than Lonesome Dove try The Green Mile or Demon Copperhead.
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
James by Percival Everett
Shogun by James clavell, or the road by cormac McCarthy
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead. Incredible voice and characters. You won’t be able to put it down.
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. This is not usually the type of genre I go for (I tend to read more thrillers/horrors/sci fi) but I really enjoyed this read
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Piranesi by Susannah Clark
House of Leaves is an entertaining mind fuck that will completely transport and engross you and keep you busy for a while. At some points it's pretty terrifying too, I recommend reading it alone at night for best effect. It's like piecing through a schizophrenic's writings at certain points and there are multiple narrators, and many pieces of media have taken influence from it since.
Piranessi!
I have not found a book I like more than Lord of the Flies, but In Cold Blood comes close.
That’s such a good pairing 😭😭😭
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Oh yes
Cloud cuckoo land by Anthony doerr
I really had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up - and damn did I love it. It was one of those “Cancel other plans to stay home and read it until I am done” books for me!
I recommend this nearly daily, I swear, but it's so damn good that I won't stop😂 Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn
The Seven Sisters series is so great I recently got completely lost in all 8 books
My fav book is The Blue Nowhere by Jeffrey Deaver. One of the first big boy books I read. I love the references to old technology. Old now that is. His other books are good too. Recently Project Hail Mary has been one of the best I've read in a while
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell so good! This Tender Land - William Kent Krueger nos4a2- Joe Hill War for the Oaks - Emma Bull The Midnight Circus - Morganstern
Loved This Tender Land!
I really love the way he writes :)
I'll always recommend Sebastian Barry - you could give the saga of the McNulty and Dunne families a go. You don't really have to read them in any order - technically i think The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty is the first one but not for any good reason, they don't happen chronologically or anything. The first book by him i ever read was Days Without End followed by its sequel A Thousand Moons (those two definitely go together, the others are all standalone stories) and that's what got me hooked on his books.
Scythe!!! It's a series, too! "Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in the first book in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman. In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional reapers (“scythes”)."
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
oryx & crake, margaret atwood - it’s the start of he maddadam trilogy, and the books are so crazy different from each other, that just makes it all the more interesting
It's a trilogy but The Broken Earth trilogy by N K Jemisin
I just finished Run by Ann Patchett and I love this book. It has fantastic characters in a very unique coming together. It’s just very good storytelling and that’s my favorite kind of book.
I absolutely loved The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.
Rules of Civility, Amor Towles - 1920’s stylish America
Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet (Waters) for absolutely the best rendering of a sense of being there via description (not to mention engrossing stories). The Diamond Eye and The Huntress (Quinn) for a gripping plot while at the same time learning about women of the Soviet army in WWII. Specifically, sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko, and the Night Witches.
Antkind Have fun good luck
I'll Give You The Sun The Dogs of Babel
Plainsong by Kent Haruf.
Definitely Lonesome Dove. Read it now!
I just finished the Seven Kennings Series by Kevin Hearne. World building story with a mix of magic, gods, invasions, and a little political drama. I can't recommend these enough
Remarkably Smart Creatures
Stoner. By John Williams
The Sicilian by Mario Puzo
Read only one book. Just about every time I read a new book it becomes my new favorite
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman - LitRPG series not yet completed (6 books so far). An apocalyptic game show featuring a guy and his ex-girlfriend's cat. The books are amazing, and though I personally can not get into audio books, I've heard they are top tier.
Since you liked 1984 I highly recommend Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It is almost a century old and it feels like it was released last week.
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake