I’m looking for books like:
•Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Saenz) – every line felt like poetry; I related well to Ari; love the setting
•1984 (Orwell) – love dystopian books; also love commentary on society that’s tasteful
•Loveless (Oseman) – I’m ace so this book hit hard; I love Alice Oseman’s writing style
•TGCF (MXTX) – absolutely in love with this series; MXTX is great at story building and keeping interest; greatest love story of all time??
•They Both Die at the End (Silvera) – this book wrecked me in a good way; I tried reading the second book but it depressed me real bad
•Dear Evan Hansen (Levenson) – I had bad anxiety when I read this and related so hard to Evan; the musical also slaps; the comedy helps
•Not Even Bones (Shaeffer) – very good thriller series; I read the comic first, then binged this series and loved it; something about the writing style appeals to me
I’m especially looking for books with similar writing styles, themes, and memorable/hard-hitting quotes. I don’t like books like Leave the World Behind and Colleen Hoover. Unless it’s a commentary, I don’t like racist/sexist/homophobic content. I would also like to avoid “men writing women” books, if you know what I mean.
by wafflehousetheif
8 Comments
[a m homes](https://www.amhomesbooks.com/books)
Not sure if it exactly fits what you’re describing, but as fellow (aro)ace person, I highly recommend [The Hands of the Emperor](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/af2bba9c-8f41-4a3e-b87a-8532a44ccb67) by Victoria Goddard. It’s a (very long) beautifully written slice of life book about the personal secretary to the emperor of the world, with a heavy focus on platonic love. I don’t know if you’re aro as well, but I’ve never felt more seen by a book as I did reading the representation of platonic love in this book and its sequel.
On a completely different note, I also recommend the [Unwind](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/13643974-53b8-40c5-82f9-553b746d3669) series by Neal Shusterman. It’s a super interesting dystopia that definitely qualifies as having heavy-hitting themes.
mark merlis has an insane writing style. might take a look into his works.
For books like 1984:
Brave new world, Huxley
Cats cradle, Vonnegut
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I really and truly loved *Light from Uncommon Stars* by Ryka Aoki.
I thought it was beautifully written, and had me laughing out loud and crying repeatedly throughout the book. Definitely check the warnings on StoryGraph before reading to make sure you’re good with them (there’s some transphobia at the beginning), but the author herself is trans and it’s handled very deftly.
ETA: I went back through my recent reads and would definitely add:
– *They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us* by Hanif Abdurraqib
– *Transcendent Kingdom* by Yaa Gysasi
– *An Unkindness of Ghosts* by Rivers Solomon
They all deal with racism (and mental health, to varying degrees) but are also commentaries with some of the most stunning prose I’ve ever read.
Also as an added bonus, if you haven’t read *Ace* by Angela Chen, I cannot recommend it enough. I found it so incredibly validating, and loved hearing about other perspectives and experiences from folks in my community. It’s not near as hard-hitting as the other books (and it’s also nonfiction), but it’s been so important to me and I wanted to share.
{{My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell}}
It tackles topics like grooming, PTSD, assault, etc.
{{An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser}}
This is a gut punch of a novel about socioeconomic status and power.
“Heroine” by Mindy McGinnis. A high school senior undergoes extensive leg surgery after a brutal car crash, and is prescribed Oxycodone. The book details her spiral into heroin addiction, but also touches on adoption trauma. The ending had me sobbing, I highly recommend it.