I see certain books suggested frequently on this subreddit, so here was my experience with some of them:
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: I read this book in one day. I spent the next day talking about how much I hated it. A few years and some emotional distance later, I've realized that I actually quite liked the book, particularly the scientific accuracy. I disliked the tone of the narration, the main character, and the ending.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: I read this book on a plane. It was better than staring at the back of the seat in front of me…but not by much. I found parts of the book interesting, and I *love* when books discuss/use Christianity in a narrative, non-preachy way. But I found the writing style uninteresting and smug.
Tiffany Aching by Terry Pratchett: I tried to read this when I was around 13. I gave up a chapter or two in. I think I just don't enjoy Terry Prachett's writing style (no disrespect meant to him, he was clearly an incredible writer). The accents confused more than charmed me and the descriptions of disgusting creatures eating disgusting meat jellies in a disgusting hole underground well, disgusted me.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro: Loved it. Beautiful writing. I think about it often. I also read it at a perfect time in my life (my months-long existential crisis was coming to a peak). I loved the profundity found in simplicity. I loved how there was a dystopian/sci-fi concept, but it was used to tell a story, not just to exist as cool idea that was ogled at for 300 pages.
The Brief History of the Dead by Jonah Brockmeier: This a sort of honorable mention because I don't see it recommended her often but I did read it based on the one recommendation I have seen. Anyway, loved it. I think about it even more than NLMG. I wanted so badly to find someone to read it too so I could discuss it with them. I read this the same week as NLMG and it was also perfect timing. This book made me feel so comforted in the face of inevitable death and the meaninglessness of everything.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: I don't see this recommended here very often, but I do see it mentioned on Reddit in general. I read this book in a day (no idea how) and I loved the prose, loved watching lives of intricate characters fly by as I turned the pages, and hated the misery porn. Hated the ending. Hated that someone wrote this book, tbh.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Clune: I enjoyed it overall, but found it trite and not terribly compelling. It really is like a fairy tale for adults, and well I've never really loved fairy tales. The scene that's like a big joke about an 11-year-old slime monster masturbating weirded me out.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar: I liked it, sort of. I thought wow, enemies-to-lovers lesbians in a time-travel war, that sounds awesome! And it was awesome, but it was also like literally the entire book. There was little valued gained from reading th eactual book over that description. The ending was fine, but kind of trite. The concepts were interesting but it felt liked they were written in an intentionally vague, difficult to understand way in order to keep them conceptual and bigger-than-comprehensible, but that just kind of made the book harder to engage with. I guess I was just let down because I've been wanting to read this for years. It seems like something I would write, which is partly good, but mostly bad.
So, my TBR list is already quite hefty, but I loved to have a few new books to be excited about. So based on my "reviews" of books commonly suggested here, what books would you suggest I add to my list?
by night-moth