Any fiction suggestions for a somewhat picky reader? The Expanse lasted me a long while but I'm finishing up the novellas now and need to start looking for something new. Not necessarily in the same genre.
I don't have a lot of books under my belt as an adult, but some of my favorites have been Stoner by John Williams, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, East of Eden, Catch 22, Flowers for Algernon, and Harry Potter. Kind of all over the place I guess. ๐
I've also enjoyed John Williams' other novels, Piranesi, The Things They Carried, House of Leaves, and Ender's Game and the sequel.
Some books I didn't really care for include Hitchhiker's Guide (although I loved the first half), Lolita, Sharp Objects, Turtles All the Way Down, The Stand, The Road, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451.
I'm always overwhelmed trying to find something new, so thanks for any suggestions!
EDIT: Thank you all! It'll be a bit daunting exploring all these new books but not nearly as daunting as if I had no guidance, so I really appreciate it!
I had the same void to fill after finishing The Expanse series a couple years ago. But I was also still on a bit of a sci-fi "high".
A quick series that I jumped to afterwards was The Bobiverse. It has a more casual writing style, but entertaining in its own way. I especially liked the first couple books. You and I seem to have similar tastes, so you might consider jumping into the first book to see what you think. ( the exception of strong disagreement on HHGTTG ๐, though I can understand your comment on first vs second half)
The Andy Weir books suggested by others are also great reads, but surprisingly, I would recommend them as audiobooks... because they are even better listens if you are into that. I rarely do audiobooks, but The Martian and Project Hail Mary are hands down the best listening experiences I've had. Typically audio doesn't have the same charm as reading, but I have no hesitation suggesting a listen to those two!
The Last Human by Zack Jordan and Recursion by Blake Crouch were a couple nice one-off reads that had some fascinating themes as well. There were things I didn't love, but still not bad as a transition if you didn't feel like jumping into a whole new series.
For a recommendation totally out of left field, sounds like you enjoy deeper fictional world building. You would likely enjoy the fantasy book The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, but prepare for epic disappointment when you find out the third book of the trilogy isn't released, and may never be written.
Ahh, the Bobbieverse... for when we can't get enough of our favorite Martian. ๐ Jokes aside, I always feel more confident jumping into books from someone who has similar tastes, so thanks for the recommendation! I know, disliking Hitchiker's Guide is bordering on blasphemy.
I started Project Hail Mary and I think I was irked by the protagonist, if I remember right. But the book has such glowing reviews, maybe it'll be better for me as an audiobook.
Thanks for the other recommendations as well! I am probably going to shoot for a lighter read before diving into another series. I don't know if I can jump into an incomplete series though. I'm putting off on reading the Game of Thrones books because I'm worried I'll get incredibly invested and then they'll never be finished. Maybe I should just embrace the journey though. There's still fun to be had even if everything doesn't get tied up.
The narrator for Project Hail Mary does a great job, so maybe that will be helpful to get through the opening act. Once the meat of the story picks up, it's pretty awesome IMO.
I'm in the same boat for Game of Thrones... Everyone says I'll love it, but I can't bring myself to dive in knowing it won't be finished. Honestly, I wouldn't have read Name of the Wind had I known, but the person who recommended it failed to mention the trilogy wasn't finished! That being said, it leaves a lot of room for imagination, and really inspires more reading when you get to the end of book 2... with a healthy dose of utter frustration.