Ask a librarian for a FICTION recommendation

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Emma wrote: "Hello librarians! Thank you so much for helping out in this way.

Hard to describe my tastes really, beyond just listing some of my favourite books of all time:

Cold Comfort Farm
An..."

Hi Emma! Some of my favorite historical fiction reads that seem like they might fit your tastes, too:

- Beloved
- The Paying Guests
- The Girls at the Kingfisher Club
- As Meat Loves Salt (I love this one and it is excellent, but it is NOT an easy read - very dark!)

Happy reading!

[Georgia]

Hi librarians :) please could one of you lovely people recommend a book I will love?

I love anything gritty! A bit of drama and something that will keep me on the edge of my seat.

I especially love psychological thrillers! And I'm not so keen on books with a police person as the protagonist! (The only ones I like are the Kim Stone and Roy Grace ones)

Thank you! Xxxx

[Minna]

Georgia wrote: "Hi librarians :) please could one of you lovely people recommend a book I will love?

I love anything gritty! A bit of drama and something that will keep me on the edge of my seat.

I especially lo..."

Hi Georgia,
if you like gritty psychological thrillers maybe try one of these...?:

The Woman in Cabin 10

In the Woods (it does have a detective protagonist, but not in the usual way...)

Pretty Girls

The Wolf Road

or
Things We Have in Common for something unusual in the psychological thriller category. Try it even though it's young adult...you might like it!

Best,
Minna (librarian, with bun, but no glasses)

[Emma]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: Hi Emma!

Thank you so much for your recommendations! I just read your post about The Girls at the Kingfisher Club on the other thread too, so I'm definitely going to read that.

I've been desperate to get The Paying Guests into the challenge too!

Thank you

[Lexi]

Hey,
I am posting this for myself and my Mom, who is doing the Challenge with me but is not on Goodreads. I asked her for four books or authors she enjoyed reading recently and she gave me the following list:
By Gaslight
Magic Strikes (series and author)
News of the World
All the Light We Cannot See

I would appreciate any suggestions for her and for me, I am trying to read more non-fiction and I enjoy animal books especially (which I now will go post in the other folder).
Thanks, Xelly

[Kayla Rae]

Jessica wrote: "Hi Laura!

I like a lot of the same books that you have on your list! I recently read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and really enjoyed. It's al..."

I second this! I recently read it for a book club and we all loved it. I think it could fall under the "unreliable narrator" category as well. And into the "book by an author from a country you've never been to", unless you've been to Sweden.

[Kayla Rae]

Elena wrote: "hello librarians! I'm looking for a recommendation. I like classics such as The Great Gatsby, Lolita or Anna Karenina, but I also love other kind of books such as Trainspotting or A Clockwork Orang..."

I don't know how you feel about rewrites of the classics, but Great was a really enjoyable, juicy YA read.

[Shirley J]

Sukanta wrote: "Hello librarians,

I will like to get your suggestions about what books I should read for the challenge.
I'm Indian, and have read very few books by foreign writers. So, can you recommend me a bo..."

I'd like to recommend the Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón . I've read his book The Shadow of the Wind and plan on reading the rest of the series.

[Erin]

Milaarquen wrote: "Hello Librarians,
I really need your help!
I love science fiction and would be grateful if you could suggest something for me.
Thank you in advance.
XD"

Hi Milaarquen, there's a science fiction thread as well you can check out! There are some good recommendations on there already. Here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Erin, Librarian

[Erin]

Xelly wrote: "Hey,
I am posting this for myself and my Mom, who is doing the Challenge with me but is not on Goodreads. I asked her for four books or authors she enjoyed reading recently and she gave me the foll..."

Hi Xelly - I would suggest The Nightingale and The Shadow of the Wind based on your recently enjoyed books list!

Erin, Librarian

[Lexi]

Thanks, the The Shadow of the Wind looks especially interesting.

[Georgia]

Minna wrote: "Georgia wrote: "Hi librarians :) please could one of you lovely people recommend a book I will love?

I love anything gritty! A bit of drama and something that will keep me on the edge of my seat.
..."

Thank you so much! I will look at all of them :)

[Anna]

Hi,
I was wondering if someone could please recommend a book for me? I love classics and adore Jane Austen but I'm open to modern fiction as well. please nothing dark as it will trigger my depression. thanks in advance!

[Nicole]

Hello lovely librarians, thanks in advance for your help! I am the type of reader who will read a cereal box if there's nothing else handy, but I especially love a great story and beautiful prose. Some of my all time favorites:

The Marriage Plot
All the Light We Cannot See
The Corrections
The Secret History
The Name of the Wind
A Song of Ice and Fire

[Minna]

Anna wrote: "Hi,
I was wondering if someone could please recommend a book for me? I love classics and adore Jane Austen but I'm open to modern fiction as well. please nothing dark as it will trigger my depressi..."

Hi Anna!

A classic everyone should try (which I loved) is

As a Jane Austen lover you might like or

or this modern update:

Enjoy :)

Minna (librarian, with bun, no glasses)

[Anna]

Thanks so much for the advice Minna. I think I'll tackle Cranford :)

[Jessica]

Chiming in to second Minna's recommendations for Georgette Heyer. The Grand Sophy is fantastic, as are most of her other books. There's a series of updated Austens including the Smith re-write of Emma, and Curtis Sittenfeld just released the newest addition, Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

[Sam]

Hello all! Thank you for the help in advance!

I'm not really sure how to describe my taste in reading. I really like mystery/horror sorts of books. My absolute favorite so far is Bird Box by Josh Malerman. My favorite author is Tom Rob Smith, however, who doesn't do horror at all...but The Farm was still a fantastic read, and I'm eagerly waiting to see if he publishes anything else.

I'm not a huge fan of the classics, unfortunately - I've had to read so many for papers and to teach, so I try to take a break fro them whenever I can. I also absolutely hate romance subplots, which makes finding good enticing books a tad bit more difficult.

Do you happen to have any suggests for some books for me to take a look at?

[Mandy]

Hello librarians! I'm also looking for a recommendation.

My favourite books I have read in the past few years are:

The Godfather
The Reader
A Good House
The Lake House
Brooklyn
The Martian
The Goldfinch
The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair


Thanks in advance,

Mandy

[Tracey]

Hi Librarians. I'm looking for recommendations for this challenge please.

I like to read fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. I love George R R Martin, Neil Gaimen, Clive Barker and Dan Brown. I also like historical fiction that is based on mythology. I've just finished reading the Helen of Sparta books which I really enjoyed.

Thank you so much for offering your time to make these suggestions for us.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Sam wrote: "Hello all! Thank you for the help in advance!

I'm not really sure how to describe my taste in reading. I really like mystery/horror sorts of books. My absolute favorite so far is Bird Box by Jo..."

Hi Sam, it sounds like you might enjoy Dark Matter - I've not read it myself, but I've heard nothing but fantastic things about it.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Tracey wrote: "Hi Librarians. I'm looking for recommendations for this challenge please.

I like to read fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. I love George R R Martin, Neil Gaimen, Clive Barker and Dan Brow..."

Hi Tracey, it sounds like you might like The Song of Achilles, a historical fantasy novel that retells The Iliad from the point of view of Patroclus, Achilles' best friend and childhood sweetheart. It's quite a sweeping love story with really nice writing - I loved this book!

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Mandy wrote: "Hello librarians! I'm also looking for a recommendation.

My favourite books I have read in the past few years are:

The Godfather
The Reader
A Good House
The Lake House
Brooklyn
The Martian
The Go..."

Hi Mandy, based on your favorites, I'd recommend Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. It's DEFINITELY not an easy read, and if you have any triggers, I would suggest looking into some of the events of the novel first - but it's a beautifully written, deeply moving book.

[poshpenny]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Sam wrote: "I also absolutely hate romance subplots, which makes finding good enticing books a tad bit more difficult."

Hi Sam, it sounds like you might enjoy Dark Matter - I've not read it myself, but I've heard nothing but fantastic things about it. "

It is hard to say literally anything about this book without being spoilery.

If you mean two protagonist will-they-or-won't-they-oh-we-all-know-they-will romance, this is not that. If you hate any type of love/romance AT ALL, I'd read the book description and see how you feel about that. (That is also my favorite book page on goodreads for scrolling down and seeing the gifs people use to describe it lol) Do remember that either way, this is definitely not your typical story.

[Mandy]

Thanks so much for the recommendation!

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Hello librarians! I'm also looking for a recommendation.

My favourite books I have read in the past few years are:

The Godfather
The Reader
A Good House
The Lake House
Brooklyn
The ..."

[Sam]

poshpenny wrote: "Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Sam wrote: "I also absolutely hate romance subplots, which makes finding good enticing books a tad bit more difficult."

Hi Sam, it sounds like you might enjoy [book:D..."

Ooh, I'll have to give this one a go. It certainly sounds interesting, and it's actually super convenient because I was sent a copy when I was a member of the book of the month club. Thanks!

[Novita]

Hello librarians!

Can you suggest me some good standalone fantasy and paranormal books? I love fantasy but I usually read series. I'm okay with any kind of fantasy books, whether it's YA, adult, urban or high fantasy.

Thank you for your time!

[Tracey]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Hi Librarians. I'm looking for recommendations for this challenge please.

I like to read fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. I love George R R Martin, Neil Gaimen, Clive Bark..."

Thank you :-) I think that definitely sounds like something I would like to read. It's next on my list. Thanks again. Tracey xx

[Sarah]

Hello librarians,

Can anyone recommend some books for me please? I've been on a bit of a fairy tale retelling kick recently (Marissa Meyer, Gregory Maguire, Sarah Pinborough etc) so any recommendations in that line would be great.

Other than that I like classics (Jane Eyre is my all time favourite), fantasy or something a little bit quirky and different.

Thanks in advance!

[Angela]

Sarah wrote: "Hello librarians,

Can anyone recommend some books for me please? I've been on a bit of a fairy tale retelling kick recently (Marissa Meyer, Gregory Maguire, ..."</i>

[Melanie Dickerson has some nice Medieval Fairy Tale Retellings. They do reference Scriptures and Christianity so give them a pass if that's something you don't like.


I'm also a big fan of The Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan The first book is The Ruins of Gorlan. These may be more adventure than fantasy but I really enjoyed them. There's some great world building, well-written battle scenes and nice character development throughout the series.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Novita wrote: "Hello librarians!

Can you suggest me some good standalone fantasy and paranormal books? I love fantasy but I usually read series. I'm okay with any kind of fantasy books, whether it's YA, adult, u..."

Hi Novita! Have you read Uprooted by Naomi Novik? (She writes the Temeraire series, which sound like they may be a good option for you when you're feeling up to another series.) I haven't read it myself, but I have heard literally nothing but great things about it.

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Sarah wrote: "Hello librarians,

Can anyone recommend some books for me please? I've been on a bit of a fairy tale retelling kick recently (Marissa Meyer, Gregory Maguire, ..."</i>

Hi Sarah! I think you would also enjoy [book:Uprooted, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I recommended upthread to Novita. If you're in the mood for something less fantasty, I have to plug (as always) The Girls at the Kingfisher Club.

[Sarah]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Hello librarians,

Can anyone recommend some books for me please? I've been on a bit of a fairy tale retelling kick recently (Marissa Meyer, Gregory Maguire...

I loved Uprooted so I might give The Girls at the Kingfisher Club a go. Thank you!

[Minna]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Novita wrote: "Hello librarians!

Can you suggest me some good standalone fantasy and paranormal books? I love fantasy but I usually read series. I'm okay with any kind of fantasy books, whether it..."

I second the suggestion of Uprooted, it was terrific.

[Amanda]

Hello librarians!

Can you recommend some books for me? I read a lot of horror novels. My favorite authors are Stephen King, Blake Crouch, Blake Crouch, Joe Hill, and Iain Rob Wright. I will read just about anything as long as it is fast paced.

[Laurie]

Hi librarians!

I would really appreciate a book recommendation! I mostly read literary fiction and classics. I like to stretch my horizons, and I am open to genre fiction as long as the writing is good - for me, no amount of action or plot can make up for bad writing.

Thank you!

[Nikky]

So after reading this thread I decided on pretty girls by Karin slaughter and omg I love it I can't put it down! I'd bought this a few months ago anyway but doing this challenge has pushed me to read it

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Amanda wrote: "Hello librarians!

Can you recommend some books for me? I read a lot of horror novels. My favorite authors are Stephen King, Blake Crouch, Blake Crouch..."

Hi Amanda! Have you read Dark Matter? I've heard really good things about it. I also liked Mira Grant's Newsflesh series a lot when I read them a few years ago; the first book is Feed.

[Kat]

Thank you so much for volunteering to help, Librarians! I would really value your advice.

The books I typically read are fiction novels. I've never really described my taste in books before, but here goes...

I like:
*Plot-driven books - twists appreciated (I liked Fight Club, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and The Girl with All the Gifts, but I hated Gone Girl)
*Authors who write intelligently and beautifully, but not too flowery (double-plus-bonus if there's wordplay - my favorite book as a child was The Phantom Tollbooth)
*Books with surreal or absurdist elements (I liked Super Sad True Love Story, Catch-22, and The Orphan Master's Son)
*Good YA (Eleanor & Park is my favorite, Twilight not so much, although I did like The Host)
*Some of my favorite authors are Sheri Reynolds, Jean M. Auel, and Stephen King
*Although I tend not to read them as often, I'm not afraid of classics, historical fiction, science fiction, or fantasy.

One last piece of info: I'm trying to avoid books set in wartime these days as I feel like there have been so many lately.

If you have any recommendations that hit any (or all!) of my interests, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
^Kat

[Rebecca]

Hi librarians!

I could definitely use a book recommendation! My favorite genres tend to be:
- mysteries/thrillers (love everything by Gillian Flynn)
- romance
- YA
- historical fiction

But to be honest, I'll read just about anything! Some books I've enjoyed recently are The Lunar Chronicles series, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, and the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Any suggestions?

[Chani]

Kat wrote: "Thank you so much for volunteering to help, Librarians! I would really value your advice.

The books I typically read are fiction novels. I've never really described my taste in books before, but ..."

I recently read Damned that is by the author of Fight Club. I really enjoyed it, but the criticisms on Goodreads are a little harsh. The humor can be a little juvenile in places, but I found it an interesting concept.

If you like Stephen King have you tried Dean Koontz? I love his Odd Thomas series. Odd Thomas

[Kayla Rae]

So I am a librarian, but I have three months of book club to run this summer and I need some recommendations for that. Everyone in the book club is aged 60+ and they're all women and they tend to enjoy easier fiction and non-fiction.

I made them read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty last time I ran it and now they all think I'm weird.

[Malaraa]

Kayla Rae wrote: "So I am a librarian, but I have three months of book club to run this summer and I need some recommendations for that. Everyone in the book club is aged 60+ and they're all women and they tend to e..."
I am not a librarian, but have some suggestions for that. Role reversal, wheeee!

edit: right, so suggestions that were supposed to be here:

Henna House
The Ghost Bride

and if they don't think a fantasy novel with non-human characters is too "weird" then The Cloud Roads

If they're mostly 60ish, Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon - and the Journey of a Generation could be a hit or miss. They might enjoy revisiting that era and reminiscing , or they might not care about reading it because they lived through it.

[Malaraa]

But it looks like it ate that half of my post? Ill fix it in the morning.

[Edie]

I would suggest Our Souls at Night
and Lab Girl which may not fit the easier read, albeit it is very readable and I found it fascinating.

[Kat]

Chani wrote: "Kat wrote: "Thank you so much for volunteering to help, Librarians! I would really value your advice.

The books I typically read are fiction novels. I've never really described my taste in books ..."

Thanks for the recs! I've never read Dean Koontz before. Maybe I'll give him a go.

[Novita]

Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "Hi Novita! Have you read Uprooted by Naomi Novik?"

Minna wrote: "Thegirlintheafternoon wrote: "I second the suggestion of Uprooted, it was terrific"


Thank you! I haven't read Uprooted yet, but It's been on my TBR for a long time. I guess, I'll go with it then :)

[Liz]

Rebecca wrote: "Hi librarians!

I could definitely use a book recommendation! My favorite genres tend to be:
- mysteries/thrillers (love everything by Gillian Flynn)
- romance
- YA
- historical fiction

But to be ..."

Not sure how you feel about fantasy themes, but The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh is a YA romance that is based on the Arabian Nights tales. Also I cannot recommend In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner enough. It's historical fiction based on the author's experiences in the Cambodian genocide.

[Rebecca]

Liz wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Hi librarians!

I could definitely use a book recommendation! My favorite genres tend to be:
- mysteries/thrillers (love everything by Gillian Flynn)
- romance
- YA
- historical fic..."

I've heard good things about The Wrath & the Dawn! Thank you so much for the suggestion :)

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

Kat wrote: "Thank you so much for volunteering to help, Librarians! I would really value your advice.

The books I typically read are fiction novels. I've never really described my taste in books before, but ..."

Hi Kat! Have you read Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon? It's YA urban fantasy with strong plot and writing and a fair amount of wordplay.