I have a friend who doesn't read much in the way of fiction. It's not so much that she doesn't have the time, no, she has a different problem. She finds it hard to connect with the fictional characters she's come across, and therefore finds it boring to read their stories. She did like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime though. The narrator there and the way it was told made her connect, and she reads it regularly. Did I have any suggestions?
Yes:
The Universe Versus Alex Woods - Gavin Extence.
Similar sort of fictional but realistic events. I would have sworn it was the same author when I was reading - given the mannerisms of the narrator and the kind of point of view he presented.
Another friend wanted to read more non-fiction, was into science and a bit into psychology, really enjoyed The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and had already added other Oliver Sacks books to the "to-be-read pile", but didn't enjoy The Lucifer Effect by Phil Zimbardo.
My recommendation:
Bad Science - Ben Goldacre.
You know sometimes you read a book and think "Oh, that was similar to that one", "I bet people who loved this book will like this book"; but then there's also "People who don't like X won't like this".
Post the book you want something similar to, post your restrictions, let other bookworms pull a recommendation from their knowledge.
I'll start:
I liked The Girl on the Train and read a lot by Sophie Hannah, but I find James Patterson is not really for me and I detested Gone Girl, particularly the ending.
(I'll let you know how my friends get on!).
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minimarshmallow
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- 02-03-2017 08:45
Last edited by minimarshmallow; 01-03-2017 at 21:52. -
shadowdweller
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- 02-03-2017 12:38
I love the style of humor in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but haven't been able to find anything similar. Has anyone got any recommendations?
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minimarshmallow
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- 02-03-2017 13:14
(Original post by shadowdweller)
I love the style of humor in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but haven't been able to find anything similar. Has anyone got any recommendations? -
shadowdweller
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- 02-03-2017 13:16
(Original post by minimarshmallow)
My mum would recommend The Brentford Trilogy (nine books in total) by Robert Rankin! -
Sabertooth
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- 06-03-2017 21:30
I LOVE Discworld and The Devils/Crime and punishment . I hated The Idiot by Dostoyevsky as it was so boring. I also hated Catcher in the Rye as well as many other "classics". I read the Hobbit but wasn't really impressed (and I fell asleep during the 1st and 2nd movies). I'm currently reading The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared but it doesn't really appeal to me.
I'm looking for something relatively short, humorous if possible, but I also like endings that you wouldn't expect and preferably something with quite short chapters as I only read a few chapters before bed at night and don't like stopping in the middle of one. GO! -
minimarshmallow
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- 08-03-2017 12:09
(Original post by Sabertooth)
I LOVE Discworld and The Devils/Crime and punishment . I hated The Idiot by Dostoyevsky as it was so boring. I also hated Catcher in the Rye as well as many other "classics". I read the Hobbit but wasn't really impressed (and I fell asleep during the 1st and 2nd movies). I'm currently reading The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared but it doesn't really appeal to me.
I'm looking for something relatively short, humorous if possible, but I also like endings that you wouldn't expect and preferably something with quite short chapters as I only read a few chapters before bed at night and don't like stopping in the middle of one. GO!
Have you read Hitchhiker's Guide? If yes, how did you feel about them? -
Sabertooth
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- 17-03-2017 20:58
(Original post by minimarshmallow)
Argh, I'm not sure I can help if you don't like The 100 Year Old Man, its a favourite of mine.
Have you read Hitchhiker's Guide? If yes, how did you feel about them? -
Gwilym101
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- 17-03-2017 21:05
(Original post by Sabertooth)
I LOVE Discworld and The Devils/Crime and punishment . I hated The Idiot by Dostoyevsky as it was so boring. I also hated Catcher in the Rye as well as many other "classics". I read the Hobbit but wasn't really impressed (and I fell asleep during the 1st and 2nd movies). I'm currently reading The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared but it doesn't really appeal to me.
I'm looking for something relatively short, humorous if possible, but I also like endings that you wouldn't expect and preferably something with quite short chapters as I only read a few chapters before bed at night and don't like stopping in the middle of one. GO! -
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- 17-03-2017 22:46
(Original post by Gwilym101)
If you like the Discworld read Good Omens that Pratchett worked on with Neil Gaiman, then read the rest of Gaiman's stuff, the main ones being American Gods (for adults), Coraline (for kids) and The Sandman (his graphic novel series). I have read/am currently reading all of them, they're excellent. -
minimarshmallow
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- 18-03-2017 02:27
(Original post by Sabertooth)
I haven't read the Hitchhiker's Guide. Isn't it pretty long? I've heard it's funny but I think the length puts me off (unless it has short chapters?).
They are very funny, although it gets a little confusing towards the end and a lot of suspension of belief is required in the last one.
I'd suggest this is one you can definitely pick up in a charity shop very very cheap, so there's almost no risk if it turns out you don't like them! -
minimarshmallow
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- 18-03-2017 02:31
(Original post by Gwilym101)
If you like the Discworld read Good Omens that Pratchett worked on with Neil Gaiman, then read the rest of Gaiman's stuff, the main ones being American Gods (for adults), Coraline (for kids) and The Sandman (his graphic novel series). I have read/am currently reading all of them, they're excellent.
I have Coraline too, which I will probably read soon because its for kids and I'll rattle through it quickly. Also my name is Caroline and kids call me Coraline because they've not heard of my name, so I feel like I should have read it. I heard that kids find it magical and adults find it creepy, so I'm kind of looking forward to that in a strange kind of way. -
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- 18-03-2017 03:17
anyone know any books filled with medieval violence and history? (other than GoT and The Last Kingdom)
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- 18-03-2017 10:11
(Original post by minimarshmallow)
I've had American Gods on my shelf for a while and I've been meaning to get around to it, but as you can probably tell from above, traditional SciFi and Fantasy (Pratchett & co) is one of the areas where I really struggle - the other being horror, although I can probably ask my dad for recommendations there - is there anything general fiction wise you'd compare the writing style too or anything? Just to give me more of a nudge to read it.
I have Coraline too, which I will probably read soon because its for kids and I'll rattle through it quickly. Also my name is Caroline and kids call me Coraline because they've not heard of my name, so I feel like I should have read it. I heard that kids find it magical and adults find it creepy, so I'm kind of looking forward to that in a strange kind of way.
I wouldn't exactly call Pratchett & co traditional sci-fi and fantasy but another similar author is Garth Nix, specifically his Keys to the Kingdom series, which is a difficult series to explain, essentially its a boy gets charged/forced to take over a beuracratic heaven (although its not ever referred to as such, is way more varied and the only way its implied is its denizens have wings). He also wrote the Abhorsen series which is more traditional fantasy based around necromancy. Both are young adults series.
For a more Lovecraftian experience another young adult series which is similar (I keep bringing young adult series up because they're the only ones I've seen that actually get the appropriate colour and humor into their work to be properly compared to Pratchett or Gaiman) is The Power of Five by Anthony Horowitz. It is very much Call of Cthulhu but with an extra level of hope. -
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- 18-03-2017 10:13
(Original post by FickleMind)
anyone know any books filled with medieval violence and history? (other than GoT and The Last Kingdom)
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