March 2026
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    As the title implies, I’ve been stuck in a post COVID WFH bubble that has been dominated by consuming short form content. I used to be an avid reader before the constant strain of work and adult life took over, reading lots of fantasy (A Discovery of Witches series for example) but am struggling to get back into reading again. I’m looking to go beyond my comfort zone and explore different genres and want to see what are some books that kick started you in to any particular genre? Honestly just looking for a “oh wow I didn’t know I loved this” vibe.

    TIA!! ☺️

    by Bananniebelle

    2 Comments

    1. I find that starting with some short stories help me reset my attention span before tackling a novel. May I suggest

      The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

      O’Connor was a Southern writer who often wrote in a sardonic Southern Gothic style. She relied heavily on regional settings and grotesque characters, often in violent situations. In her writing, an unsentimental acceptance or rejection of the limitations, imperfections or differences of these characters (whether attributed to disability, race, crime, religion, or sanity) typically underpins the drama.

      O’Connor published her first story, “The Geranium,” in 1946, while she was working on her master’s degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, “Judgement Day” – sent to her publisher shortly before her death – is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of “The Geranium.” Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O’Connor’s longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux.

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