I haven’t read since I was a boy. Been feeling a bit lost recently and looking for a good story to get away from reality in.
In my head i’m looking for something of a true story. Maybe an old man reminiscing of his life. The good and the bad bits. Something a bit funny and emotional.
by Master_Lab2335
20 Comments
Have you read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom? It fits what you’re looking for pretty exactly.
Please read **Black Pill** by Elle Reeve. It’s a good story and true. And you will be hooked from the first page.
This might not be what you’re looking for but I got into reading a year and a half ago for the same reason, just wanting to be able to escape reality
What did it for me and still works pretty well are thrillers. They typically have suspense, which in turn keeps me engaged and distracted from reality
If you want some good thriller recommendations let me know!
„A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman is exactly the book that you described. It is funny but also I cried a few times reading it
So not exactly an old man, but they are both based on a true story. I think either Into Thin Air or Into the Wild would be a good pick. Both are by Jon Krakauer.
And I haven’t read them, but my partner really likes Bill Bryson’s books. He’s written a few memoirs.
If you want to get really deep- Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.
The Hobbit… not a true story but still a fantastic adventure.
Try anything by Rose George, Judy Melinek, Caitlin Doughty, or Mary Roach.
“The Gift of Fear” (a very important read) by Gavin De Becker.
“Five days at Memorial: life and death in a storm-ravaged hospital” by Sherri Fink.
The old man and the sea
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is good.
Man’s search for meaning by victor frankl.
You described my own book fairly well. It’s a memoir about a 22 yo man (me) arriving in Seattle to start a job, being a nerdy, movie-obsessed guy totally ignorant about dating, and trying to make up for lost time in the dealings-with-the-opposite-sex department. Definitely contains elements both humorous and emotional.
*The Horse* by Willy Vlautin
Mmm… not a true story, though historical fiction, but News of the World fits that well with a western/Texas in the late 1800s theme.
No Country for Old Men is another, though like McCarthy’s other stuff, it’s depressing, though to be fair, it’s one of the less depressing of his books.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Cannot recommend *Slaughterhouse-Five* by Kurt Vonnegut enough! It’s a fairly short read so it’s not too intimidating to pick up, and his writing is unlike any other author I’ve come across in my own reading life. It’s remarkably simple, but incredibly profound and diabolically funny.
This book made me reevaluate what it means to give a book a 5 star/perfect review.
Catch 22
*A Higher Call* by Adam Makos would work. A young man with a journal of stories about WWII vets meets one at an air show who tells him: “Have I got a story for you! But you need to talk to the other guy first,” and sends him off to interview a German flying ace. The book is about the two of them, what happened in the war, and afterwards.
The World Played Chess
In my early 20’s I really loved a book called Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugerman. Seems like it could be a good fit for what you’re after.
The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton!