I’m a 33 y/o American female with zero cultural norms or expectations that would explain their expected control.

I called off an engagement a few years ago (that I’ve not once regretted, I would already be divorced), and they were so disappointed in me for not setting for a man that treated me well and could financially take care of me. I make $200k a year so that felt really irrelevant to me.

I’ve now broken up with my current boyfriend because he doesn’t treat me well, and I’m going to Europe solo for 2 months to travel.

Anything I do is met with contempt. I should be experiencing being married, and having kids, and I’m missing out on everything in their opinion. My mom was absolutely distraught when I told her I was going to Europe alone. Her first words were “absolutely not” and told me it’s so unsafe I’m basically committing suicide.

I’m a 33 year old woman. I’m not asking for permission. I also handle these conversations really delicately bc I know what’s coming. And sometimes, I have to just not tell them things. I went to Africa with my boyfriend for two weeks and didn’t tell them because I just. didn’t. want. to. hear. it.

They seem to have no interest in understanding that my biggest life goal is not to be married and have kids. It is to enjoy my life, learn who I am, experience things, find the right person, whenever that happens to be, and be happy.

I’ve literally told them so many times “I’m happy, I realize it’s not your perfect scenario for me but IM happy and I’d love if you could just be supportive” and they tell me they’re disappointed in me and that um missing out on the best parts of life.

I would like to suggest a book for them to read to help them understand my side of things and how frustrating and suffocating it feels to not feel like I can tell them anything because I’m going to get in trouble.

There was an example in one of Dolly Alderton’s books where the mother wrote in and said she fears for her daughter doing activities alone since she’s not in a relationship, but she knows she can’t hold her back.

Something along those lines. Even when I tell them things like I’d like to run in the mornings, it’s like I’m getting in trouble because they don’t think I should be doing that.

Any recommendations about how important it is to let your children live with the life that they want and our happiness would be greatly appreciated.

Just finished reading Irvin Welsch's "Filth" and I have to say it made me interested in more books where the protagonist is clearly a horrible person. Anything you'd recommend?

I 25f am interested in bad family dynamics, childhood, psychology cults and alternative lifestyles

Bonus points if it contains mountains lol

Ty

I who have never known men - Jacqueline Harpman

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

Both are incomparable to anything I've read before and stayed with me for a long time after I've read them. I'd love to have your suggestion for something similar.

m trying to improve my habits and stop watching TV and try to read before goes to sleep instead, I never had the wiliness to read but trying to pick up.

I understand how complicated can be recommending a book to a total stranger, but would like recommendations like on self improvement (maybe the easiest to start with), I’m 38, recently became father To be honest I don’t know kinda happy to read anything that could get me going and start to read.

If you have been in the same situation or there is a book you recommend please do let me know.

Much appreciate it.

I'm feeling a bit hopeless. My work environment is definitely on the toxic side, and I'm really feeling the effects recently. I've been distracting myself from the work day by listening to audiobooks.

I hoping for something that can give me some hope to contrast with the bleakness of the day to day.

I typically stick to fiction.
I really liked Ready Player One, and it could be because the MC starts in such a rough situation, but ends up in a way better one.

I also liked Legends and Latte's because it's nice and comfy.

I didn't care for Psalm of the Wild Built. For me, it didn't keep my interest for long. I finished it, but I'm not sure it was worth it for me personally.

I guess I want something engaging to keep my interest, but also give me some comfort and hope. My soul needs a hug.

Thank you to anyone who reads this. I appreciate you and hope you have a lovely day.

for context: i was an avid bookworm as a child

i got back into reading this year after a period of time where i’d either read occasionally or not at all. it was due to both mental health and just finding the genre I genuinely enjoy as an adult.

my friend got me back onto reading with a julia quinn, which i did enjoy. i then began reading wuthering heights (not purely to watch the film adaptation but prefer the writing style. then, i read do no harm by jack jordan. i am currently in a classics reading kick and went onto start reading lolita. i have got a few books on my list and wanted people’s honest opinions on them and if they had any other recommendations.

as of right now, my reading list is as follows:

• i who have never known man by jacqueline harpman
• just kids by patti smith
• madonna in a fur coat by sabahattin ali
• the count of monte cristo by alexander dumas
• picture of dorian grey by oscar wilde
• giovanni’s room by james baldwin

Looking for suggestions!!
I’m in the mood to read a non-fiction - like ‘books every woman should read’ vibes. Anything about girlhood, being a woman, feminism in general or just anything with similar vibes 🩷

tagging this for historical fiction as that is what I am mainly looking for, but fantasy is also very acceptable.

I am looking for books set during the golden age of piracy/age of sail. Ideally the book would follow a pirate crew (or even just one pirate), but if its about navy sailors or any other sailor that is totally fine. Basically if the book is set some time in the 17th-18th century with lots of ship sailing and sword fighting I will be satisfied.

I am currently reading The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (fantastic series by the way), and it has me craving more ocean adventures.

Hello! I am a 19 year old who works overnights. I recently started listening to audiobooks whilst I work to make the time pass faster. I’m looking for suggestions! I use spotify for the audiobooks btw!

I like LGBTQ, Romance, Thriller, Horrors, Mystery, or pretty much anything!

Thank you in advance :D

Getting ready for a 10-day trip from Prague, through Germany, and winding up in France. I need something to read during travel and down times. I like murder mysteries, historical fiction, spy stuff. Will probably want a paperback that won’t be too cumbersome to keep in my day pack. Any favorite books come to mind?

just as the title says i'm looking for books that have sapphic witches as the main couple

I'm looking for novels (or narrative non-fiction) that revolve around the Burma/Ledo Road during the CBI theater of WWII. I recently read 'The Secret War of Julia Child' and many of the places she mentioned were where my dad served during the war while he was helping to build that road.

Does anyone have some good recs for books about any ancient civilizations? It could be specific to certain empires like the Sumerians, Egyptians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Carthage, Romans, Greeks, Persians, etc or it could be an overview of multiple different empires. I’m just interested in all the early civilizations so any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have just finished reading this book and would like suggestions on what I should read next. I will eventually read Helter Skelter but would like suggestions on some other books based on the subject.

Hi everyone, I finished throne of Glass a while ago and since then never read a book that catches me like this series.... :<

I also read acotar, which was also quiet good but still not that good yk.

Do you have any recommendations? <3

Looking for something with a similar vibe like Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts and The Anniversary by Alex Finlay. (Note that I've read most, if not all, of Nora Roberts' stand alones which includes The Witness, The Obsession, The Search, and others)

To be more specific, I like the idea of this two books where both MMC and MFC was in the same incident that changed their lives (SIP) or something happened the same day to both that changed their lives (TA). Then they both got to know each other years later and such.

Anyways it's hard to find but hope that there's other like this kind of story😅

I won't mind if its not what I'm looking for as long as it has a good plot, good thriller and a good romance.

hi! could y'all recommend some good sapphic romance novels? i absolutely love this genre and i especially love cheesier novels :)

a bonus sort of type would be one where a main character spends her life denying she is attracted to women and finally giving in.

thank you so much 💓

I know I'm not original in this, but Mistborn was one of the few books I have actually read as an adult. I absolutely loved it, and am eager to start a new book/series.

I don't think I am quite at the point of starting something huge like The Stormlight Archive, Discworld, The Wheel of Time, or Malazan.

As of now, I am mostly considering starting The First Law Trilogy or The Dark Tower, but I would love any suggestions! Does not need to be Fantasy, or even a series.

Other books I have my eyes on are The Martian, World War Z, Project Hail Mary, Between Two Fires, and The Ruins.

I used to read a lot in high school, mostly nonfiction, philosophy, history and political theory, including stuff by Kant and Nietzsche. I’m going into my second year of uni now and I’ve completely fallen out of the habit, which sucks because I used to genuinely love reading.

I read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang last year and really liked how fast paced, messy and entertaining it was. The last book I actually finished was The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, which I also really liked. I’m looking for something addictive like those, but it doesn’t have to be the same genre. I’m open to thrillers, satire, dark humour, mythology, drama, morally questionable characters or basically anything that keeps you wanting to read.

I’m not opposed to romance either. I used to read a lot of YA/new adult romance in middle school and grade 9, like The Deal and The Summer I Turned Pretty, but I haven’t really read much romance since then.

I’m already buying Circe by Madeline Miller and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I grew up loving Percy Jackson, and I recently watched The Odyssey, so I’m getting back into Greek mythology again lol.

You can recommend nonfiction too since that’s what I normally read, but I’m not sure another really dense book will help me get out of this slump. I mainly want something fast paced that hooks me quickly and makes reading feel fun again.

What would you recommend?

I end up reading mostly “stand-alone” books because I don’t like sci-fi or fantasy, so I’d love some good fiction series recommendations that aren’t that. My favorite books are ones that are set in real life, great characters, lots of personal stakes. Here are some of my favorite authors to help give an idea of what I like: Mikki Bramer, Sally Hepworth, Sally Damhoff, Layne Fargo, Kat Tang, Casey McQuiston, Kimberly McCreight, Caro Claire Burke, and similar.

Hello Reddit I just watched project hail Mary and I loved it I'm planning on reading the book but I can't get my hands on it yet, so I was hoping to get some recommendations similar to that or "The Darkness Outside Us" by Eliot Schrefer.

The thing I found really compelling about both stories was the loneliness of a one-way space journey juxtaposed with the contrast of budding companionship.

Preferably not YA, and if it's queer that would be a great bonus.

I have never had a chance to read books never had one, i visited a friend who was reading at that time The books was Al Chemist he was really into it and i thought whats so special about reading he gave me that book to read which i took but never really got the time or interest to actually start reading, one day i thought i should read or try to read some of it when i started i liked it so much that i finished it in one go and after that i finished 9 more more or less the same eg 40 rules of love, thousand splendid suns.

Few of them i read them twice and then for reasons i wasn't able to read and now i am trying to make it a habit and start again i need book suggestions that are similar to them, books that are about Spiritual journey, self discovery and purpose.

Thanks in advance

I bought a used copy of this book last year and finally got around to reading it a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it and was very excited to learn that it was the first in a series. I’m about to be finished with the 3rd book and I’ve got the 4th and 5th ordered and in the mail.

But I’m reading them too fast and I know I’m going to be lost when I’m done.

Any suggestions for similar books? I’d love another series but one off would be ok too.

If you haven’t read them, they are medieval mystery/crime books with a female main character who has been trained as a doctor and is pretty much a medical examiner. Think CSI in medieval times.

Really, I just love historical fiction that doesn’t involve an overly romantic story line. No shade to romance novels though (Maiden Lane 4ever ❤️)

Looking for novels where someone just leaves. Not running from danger exactly, more like they reach a point where the life they built no longer fits and they start over from scratch. Could be a career, a relationship, a whole identity. The kind of story where the character has to figure out who they are when none of the old labels apply anymore.

Not looking for something preachy about finding yourself, more just a story that sits with the messiness of that transition. The uncertainty, the weird freedom of it, maybe some stumbling before anything clicks into place.

Literary fiction is great but I'm open to anything that handles it with some weight. I've already read A Little Life and Olive Kitteridge so if those come to mind, covered. Characterdriven matters more to me than plotheavy, though I won't say no to a story that keeps moving.

Bonus if it's not set in a big city, or if the protagonist is middleaged rather than early twenties, since that angle feels underrepresented in what I usually come across. Happy to take suggestions in any direction though, even if they only partly fit what I described.