Hello I'm 25 and I've gained interest in reading recently, and the one thing that i find
annoying is that I keep seeing the same suggestions everywhere I look. I don't wanna seem pretentious but I wish If there's site that can help dig deep into recommendations instead of the same authors or books being plastered at me everywhere
by dead_the_kid
4 Comments
I totally get what you mean — I’ve been seeing the same titles everywhere too.
If you want something that’s really off the usual radar, I’d recommend The Last Switch by Khalid Hatem. It’s a dystopian sci-fi novel but written with a very human, psychological tone — kind of like if Black Mirror met Station Eleven.
It’s not mainstream, but it sticks with you because it focuses more on the emotions and moral choices than the tech side. Definitely one of those hidden-gem indie books that deserve more readers.
I’m the same way. You might want to look around for genre specific subs. They also may allow for more analysis beyond simply recommendations which is something I like to have.
Go to used bookstores, indie bookstores, and libraries and just browse the shelves. They’ll almost always have the big name authors and hot titles at the front tables but just going through to pick up books and look at covers, read the blurbs, and whatever will give you a wider variety without having to be influenced by a bestsellers list or highly anticipated new publications.
You can also do deep dives on sites like Goodreads where you can find a book you like, look at the reviews and find someone who has similar taste and look at their profile. It might lead you to more favorites. I think on Goodreads you can also look at books with fewer reviews which means they’re less popular and won’t be the same old thing you’ve seen recommended a thousand times.
I find the questions to be the problem with getting the same answers- if most people are asking what is your fave book of all time, which book made you cry etc. you get a lot of the same titles. But when I see very specific questions like I want a well-written book by an independent publisher, no romance, no sci-fi or something like that-I see all kinds of suggestions for books I’ve never heard of!
For example, I just added The Last Switch to my TBR list because of your post!