Hey Everyone,
I’ve been struggling to find something worth reading on Kindle Unlimited lately and could use some recommendations. A lot of what’s trending right now seems to be centered around strong female leads, bad boy romance, or smut-heavy plots. That’s great for people who enjoy that kind of thing, but it’s just not what I’m looking for.
I’m gay, and while I don’t mind romance being part of a story, I have a hard time connecting with straight romance when it’s the main focus—especially when the characters feel more like tropes than real people. What I’d really like is a well-written book with a male lead who feels authentic, with his own personality and flaws, and a story that leans more into mystery, suspense, or something just a little strange.
For example, I really enjoyed Tales from the Gas Station—something that feels a bit offbeat or unsettling, without diving into full-blown sci-fi or epic fantasy. I’m also not looking for military thrillers or spy stuff. Just a grounded, engaging story about a guy in an unusual situation.
If you’ve got any Book recommendations (preferably on Kindle Unlimited) that might fit, I’d really appreciate it.
by ApatheticAlpenglow
13 Comments
catcher in the rye?
*The Shipping News* by Annie Proulx
“Tales from the bodegaverse” Edward Forsyth
Neuromancer maybe a better choice though.
The Thief – Megan Whalen Turner
The Dry by Jane Harper
It’s got a mystery, slow-burn, and deeply human vibe. Also, the male lead is flawed, introspective, and returns to his drought-stricken hometown to investigate a death. No tropey action or romance here—just a really well-done mystery with strong character work.
Both [*Cosmic Banditos*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10852.Cosmic_Banditos) by Allan Weisbecker (1986) & [*Illuminatus!*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Illuminatus!_Trilogy) by Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson (1975) are pretty weird and maybe fit the criteria, depending on what sort of style you like.
Walking (literally) red flag but gut-bustingly hilarious & worth a read: [*A Confederacy of Dunces*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Confederacy_of_Dunces) by John Kennedy Toole (posthumously published 1980, written mid-late 1960s)
The Man Who Loved Birds by Fenton Johnson. I don’t know if it’s on Kindle Unlimited but the ebook is on Libby if that’s an option for you.
Lark Ascending by Silas House
Steppenwolf – Hermann Hesse
Quick read, long finish.
The Remains of the Day
A Gentleman in Moscow
Lolita (beautifully written, but deeply disturbing)
A Man Called Ove.
Remarkably Bright Creatures (several different leads in this one, but one of the main narrators is a CIS man. Another is… well, I don’t want to give it away.)
Demon Copperhead. (This one is pretty bleak. There’s relationship stuff but nothing I’d consider smut.)
The Razors Edge – Somerset Maugham
I can’t be the most help because I tend towards cozy mysteries and I have failed to find any cozies with male citizen sleuths that pique my interest and are actually good. (If you see one called Board to Death about a gay board game shop owner, run. *Garbage* is generous.)
Cherie Priest’s Grave Reservations is a dual-lead mystery with a female psychic and a male cop with no romance between them. She does pull a bit more of the perspective in that book but it’s more 50-50 in the sequel. But the first book basically starts with the cop desperate to solve this cold case that he’s been stuck on for a few years. He’s more complex than you usually get for the cop characters in cozies, which I really appreciated.
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens is a story where a college student decides to interview a dying man convicted of heinous crimes for a project, but the more he learns, the more he questions if the man is truly guilty. It’s the first book in a series that people rave over, but I haven’t gotten around to reading the rest of the series. Not on KU though.
You may also appreciate A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara because even though the lead is a woman (a pregnant woman in the middle of a divorce at that), she’s working with the ghost of a teenage boy who was murdered to find his killer. I just think you’ll appreciate the way the characters are written. And I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot, but Kathy isn’t some rah-rah strong female. She’s just tired and kind of mad at her job when she gets stuck between a rock and a hard place.