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Recommendations for literature and writing about modern LGBT+ life? Fiction, non-fiction, novels, short fiction, essays anthologies, all appreciated. [more inside]
posted by joyceanmachine on Oct 13, 2020 - 12 answers

I'm looking for books with relationships that are between two people who are mature adults and have a long history with each other. Bonus points if women aren't written as symbols, and if the relationship ends positively! [more inside]
posted by facehugger on Aug 9, 2019 - 12 answers

[Book Recommendation Filter] Seeking recommendations for mystery and crime fiction that feature an Asian protagonist or a predominantly Asian cast of characters. It's not required that the books be set in Asia, but it's fine if they are. Open to books set in any time period, or written in any time period, or that involve persons from any Asian background (East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, et cetera). A few extra details below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Fizz on Apr 11, 2019 - 45 answers

I need some book recommendations. I'm looking for well-written literary fiction that is not depressing. [more inside]
posted by panama joe on Oct 25, 2017 - 48 answers

I've recently started reading John Muir's My First summer in the Sierra and it is riveting stuff, a love-letter to an entire landscape that resonates with the bedrock of my soul. However, right now my heart belongs to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, rather than the Sierra Nevada of California. What writings, by what authors, are the closest equivalent to John Muir's work, but set in the Whites?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The on May 12, 2017 - 4 answers

My prison penpal has sheepishly requested some books with sex scenes, and while I've never been in prison I was a bookish teenager before internet porn existed and I get it. Help me find kinky novels or short story collections that are 1) available in paperback through Amazon and 2) don't scream THIS IS GAY PORN on the cover (though homosexual or bisexual content is a plus!!!) [more inside]
posted by Juliet Banana on Apr 22, 2017 - 17 answers

I like quiet books that are inward-facing, but I need to diversify my reading list beyond white male authors. I like introspection (think Knausgard or Proust), interpersonal relationships (Austen), or beautiful descriptions of natural environments. I don't like high melodrama, violence, or sexual violence. Do you know of any non-white and/ or female authors that fit into these categories?
posted by Think_Long on Jan 9, 2017 - 41 answers

I'm interested in catching up with the latest developments in the evolution of the mystery novel. What should I read? [more inside]
posted by Mothlight on Jul 21, 2016 - 18 answers

I recently enjoyed The Builders by Daniel Polansky immensely. I also enjoy other books about anthropomorphised or semi-anthropomorphised animals in a medieval, heroic or fantasy setting like the Duncton Wood books and (to a lesser extent) Redwall. It's so much fun! Any recommendations for similar books in this genre? [more inside]
posted by Ziggy500 on Jun 13, 2016 - 20 answers

In search of novels, memoirs, and other literary works where physical ugliness (NOT beauty, primarily) is a major subject/theme. Thanks!
posted by thetortoise on Apr 8, 2016 - 32 answers

[Book recommendation filter] Must be literary. Must be wildly absorbing. Ensemble casts of characters preferred but not required. The longer, the better. Did it sweep YOU off your feet? Tell me about it! [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings on Feb 6, 2016 - 56 answers

I have always held a deep love and excitement for the Southern Gothic literary tradition and its sundry themes. But I've long ago exhausted the likes of Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy and most of the well known folks in between. I'm looking for more obscure or unexpected works, like Fred Chappell's "Dagon". Books as well as films. Does not have to be "traditional" Southern Gothic (see below fold). The more psychologically unsettling, the better. [more inside]
posted by nightrecordings on Oct 31, 2015 - 51 answers

What are some books, stories, or poems like Upton Sinclair's The Jungle? [more inside]
posted by Edna Million on Dec 30, 2013 - 9 answers

My taste in novels has generally tended towards the classics but lately I feel like reading some good contemporary fiction. Please recommend some recent-ish books that are well-written and well-crafted, have emotional depth and deal with human relationships in insightful and moving ways. Kazuo Ishiguro is an example of the kind of writer I'm looking for. [more inside]
posted by zeri on Jan 4, 2013 - 24 answers

Ulysses. Lolita. Proust. Books where the quality of the prose is the best part, more so than the plot. Help me find more? [more inside]
posted by kiltedtaco on Jun 28, 2011 - 60 answers

Recommend books to broaden the mind of a future dietitian. [more inside]
posted by sively on Oct 5, 2010 - 17 answers

I've recently had a schedule change at work that leaves me with large chunks of time that I usually fill with reading. Since January 1st I've read 9 books. The problem is that I seem to have exhausted my personal "to read" list and end up in the public library empty-handed. What is the best book you've read in the past year? I'm open to any genre.
posted by ttrendel on Jan 15, 2004 - 68 answers