New Reader – Looking for emotional, well-written book recommendations

Hi all. I’m fairly new to reading and hoping to find some great recommendations.

Some recent favorites:

Song of Achilles, A Man Called Ove, Project Hail Mary, Demon Copperhead

What I seem to love:

Queer stories are a big draw for me, especially ones featuring gay male characters. MM romance is welcome, but it does not have to be romance centered. Beyond that, I’m drawn to emotionally intense stories that linger, characters with depth and vulnerability, thoughtful fiction including sci fi, and narratives that explore resilience, hardship, and human connection.

I do not read a huge volume of books, so when I pick one up I want it to be something truly well received and meaningful. That said, I am also interested in exploring lesser known authors or under the radar books.

For context, my taste in film leans toward emotionally heavy, sometimes devastating stories, dystopian worlds, war narratives, and queer romances. Some of my favorite films are All of Us Strangers, Hamnet, Call me By Your Name, Pearl Harbor (2001), and Spoiler Alert (2022).

Any suggestions are appreciated. If there is other information that would help narrow things down, I am happy to share more.

Here’s my goodreads if it would be helpful to look at that when recommending.