Fellow literary lovers I need some book or author suggestions!
(F22) I am overwhelmingly disappointed in what I’ve been reading. I get SO damn bored & nonchalant about the stories/ characters, the climaxes are not climaxing. I need MORE!
Likes: HORROR, THRILLER, LGBT+ romance, historical fiction, fantasy, gore, sad stuff & super-super fucked up stories. (NOT SA! Assault is not thrilling!)
(General) Dislikes: Sci-fi, slow plots, corny stuff, straight/hetero open-door scenes
An idea on my recently read & how i rated them out of 5 stars:
– Paradise rot: 2.5
– Cursed bunny: 1 (hated it, it was awful)
– We have always lived in the castle: 2
– Things have gotten worse & other misfortunes: 3
– Tender is the flesh: 3-3.5?
– Lapvona & Earthlings: my girlfriend was going to lend these to me but after i heard the plots from her i said fuck that noise😁👍 No need for all that.
If you can’t tell, i am so tired.
Anyways, thanks for any suggestion!!
by katw4601
10 Comments
No specific recommendations but honestly, try just looking for books that are written from the 90s or earlier. I know its likely a generalization but new books tend to feel less polished imo. Have started reading older and finding that they are a lot better.
HORROR: Swan Song by Robert McCammon is a really fucked up post apocalyptic horror novel. It may have one scene of sexual assault (I can’t remember clearly) but it is an incredibly engrossing book that I couldn’t put down.
FANTASY: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon is pretty epic and has LGBTQ+ romance. If you want something a bit more brutal I’d recommend The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Also LGBTQ+ but very political and the ending is like a kick in the teeth.
SAD NONFICTION: The Indifferent Stars Above. This is nonfiction book about the Donner Party but it is so harrowing that it reads like a novel. If you like sad, messed up stuff this is for you.
HISTORICAL FICTION: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. This book is about the AIDS epidemic and it broke my heart. One reviewer called it “the sweeping gay masterpiece that A Little Life should have been” and I think that’s a great description.
Ooh! Please try {{Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot}}
Paranormal story about ghost “seers” in York. Light romance, a little mystery, unique story, great representation for LGBT+ and disabilities!
Self published and SO UNDERRATED.
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns: An Indigenous wendigo horror that shines in its portrayal of family bonds among women.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez: A literary horror about a father and son who, despite their efforts, are inexorably pulled in by their demonic family in pre- and post-dictatorship Argentina. Also queer.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield: A surreal queer genre-bending tale about grief and the monstrousness in the depths of the sea.
If you want balls to the wall horror… I suggest reading ” Lords of Salem” by Rob Zombie.. its wild.
What’s a book you’ve liked in the past?
Off of what’s here, maybe Monstrilio would be up your alley. Messed up story, some sadness and grief, queer relationships, enough character development that you really care and identify with cuddly little Monstrilio, despite not wanting him within 1000 miles of anyone you care about were it real life.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
It ticks all your likes boxes and is a spectacular disturbing story!
Check out Clive Barker. In particular, his novel Imajica.
And probably better to avoid new books, there is too much simulated hype and similar bullshit. After few years image is much clearer what is worth reading.
Have you tried any Stephen King? *It*, *The Stand* and *The Shining* are much better than the movies make it look. You could also try one of his short stories, *’Salem’s Lot* or *The Mist*. Pretty creepy. The downside? These are older King works and he rarely includes LGBTQ+ themes in his work.
{{Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James}}
Fantasy, LGBT+, gory, super dark, sad, but…. there is some SA.
It’s like if Lord of the Rings was set in a magical precolonial Africa, and WAY darker.