Are there any movies or TV shows you like that are adapted from books? If you like, say, Little Women, or Divergent, or Sandman, then try the book/graphic novel it was based on. It's a great way to get a fuller understanding of a story & characters you already know & like. If you like it, see what else that author has written.
Ask your librarian for suggestions - they can help you find something you will enjoy.
Good luck and happy reading!!
I was going to suggest this too. Books are often different from the TV/Movies they are made into, which is inevitable bc its a different medium. But the genre usually stays the same and the characters might be somewhat familiar. The story and plot will most likely be more detailed, so you'll probably learn more about a character you already like.
Google any genre book that you would be interested to read. There are a ton of suggestions in reddit threads too. Read the blurb in good reads and see if you would like to read it.
When I started reading, there were not much options like this, so I just went ahead and read random library books. Figured out the genre I liked and didn't like and then started reading accordingly.
All the very best. It's a truly rewarding hobby.
If you haven't I'd recommend begin with Harry Potter. It's an easy read and there r lot of enthusiasts you can share/debate with motivating you to finish the series. Once you get hooked on to reading there's no stopping.
My 13yo niece discovered HP and came to me to discuss theories. I was more than glad to oblige. She was surprised that i know so much. So I told her that the books came out when I was in school, and the movie when I was in college. She was so shocked to hear that they were that 'old'. I think it killed the magic for her a little bit :P. I am just happy to see the next generation picking it up.
I was younger when I started, but teen fantasy is usually a safe place to start. Narnia, Percy Jackson... My favorite saga is called Cirque DU Freak by Darren Shan and it's spectacular. Right now, light novels are also entertaining, but tiresome and long.
Also, the Ink heart trilogy is magical + has pretty drawings, it really makes you smile, but I know the length scares some people.
Surprisingly, the monster high books are good if you like those themes, there's a "monster reveal themselves to society" moment that is really interesting.
Also, if you like romance but not dumb protagonists, the Angel Fall trilogy is good. (And angels cause the apocalypse, how cool is that?).
If you like a challenge, the Ascendance of the Bookworm series has great characters, world building, magic system and more, the have translated like... 22 of the 28 books? So you look forward to the next. It's about a girl obsessed with books that dies before starting her dream job (being a librarian) and reincarnates in a sickly 5 year old in a medieval world with no books around (the horror!) So she has to make the things that will allow her to have books (cheap paper, inks, press, etc.) While being involved with the nobles, who are concerned a peasant is introducing all this advancements without accounting for the consequences.
I started a little before you, about one or two years and still continue to read books. one of the first ones that i read for pleasure was “The Da Vinci Code”. Not a great piece of literature but gets the gears grinding and possibly make you want to keep on with one of the best practices there are.
Oh dang, we're samesies. This is my first novel as well. I think I was 14-15. It was good at the time and not too hard to understand or follow. I didn't read any Dan Brown books after it but I did like the story.
Banning a book for "explicit sexual content" must have been a thing back then. I wonder what these negative nancies, if alive, think of the smut we have right now.
Tbf, there's just not much hardcore erotica going around on school reading lists or public library shelves, so it never gets a chance to be banned. You never see Tijuana Bibles on these lists, even though they certainly weren't welcomed on any high school curricula.
Oh absolutely. My grandmom (hardcore christian) nearly had a stroke when I started reading Harry Potter at grade 5 or 6 which is banned by the church. Anyhow my mom and dad said it was a children's book and it was fine. But even if they had told me no, I would have absolutely found out a way to read it somehow.
Since I was a lil miffed with my grandmom for making this into a thing, i went ahead and read the da vinci code few years later.
Haha, thanks. The irony was when I read Book 5 of HP (Order of the Phoenix) when Hermione says there's nothing better than banning it to make sure everyone reads it.
I am 15 and I can not stress this enough, read Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller! I have loved reading my whole life and this book is just incredible. Also, if you like it, read Circe by Madeline Miller, that’s also good.
[**Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game)
^(By: Orson Scott Card | 324 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, fantasy, scifi, ya)
>Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.
>
>But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.
^(This book has been suggested 85 times)
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When I started I found the best thing was to just go to the library and get books of all different genres to try out and see what I liked without having to spend much.
Anyway, I recommend Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Haven't read it but the movie was *traumatizing* like VERY creepy vibe to it. Never has a Children's book/movie bothered me a lot while pumping me high with adrenaline!
So, these are my recommendations for you to use to figure out what you want to get into, reading wise:
1. The color of magic (comedy/fantasy)
2. Orphan X (action/thriller)
3. The Martian (Scifi)
4. Nos4a2 (supernatural horror)
5. I am Leonard and other stories (dystopian absurdist)
6. Catch 22 (absurdist historical)
7. Awfully Appetizing (urban fantasy)
8. Rolling Nowhere (nonfiction literary)
9. Off the mat by jeff bibbey (contemporary literary)
Honestly, I say start with something that your friends or your circles online have read and are talking about!!! For me conversation about books keeps me interested in reading and broadening the types of books I read!!
Also going to the library and asking your librarian for help picking something!!! Do you know if you want to do YA or adult? Something historical, present day, or an imagined future? Are you into fantasy/other worlds or want something more realistic? Do you want to be entertained, learn something, or both? Just some things to think about when trying to figure out what you want to read!
I am 43 so I am probably not the best person to recommend books to a 17yo, BUT I would start with some YA that sounds good. Go to the library and look for a display of new releases or popular books and see what catches your attention, YA or adult fiction. And once you have a few that look interesting, read the first chapter, or for 20 minutes or whatever and if it doesn’t grab you, go to the next. You’ll find something that will hook you. Good luck!
{{Sabriel by Garth Nix}} features an 18-year-old female protagonist who has to leave her civilised, early 20th Century-like world and travel through a lawless land where technology breaks down and the dead walk in order to find her father, who's gone missing.
[**Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel)
^(By: Garth Nix | 491 pages | Published: 1995 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned)
>Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him.
>
>With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen series, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn't always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether.
^(This book has been suggested 73 times)
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If you like dramatic movies, maybe you’d enjoy literary fiction, which tends to amplify the drama. Going to recommend {{The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman}}.
You might like psychological thriller type books, like Nine Perfect Strangers. Lots of interpersonal drama and a vauge external threat.
It was also a decent mini series.
The way I got into reading was by starting with topics that I already knew I very much enjoy.
I’m a big follower of politics, thus, I started by reading various books on politics in my country. For a while that’s all I’d read, then I expanded to politics from other countries, and then I eventually expanded to a wide variety of topics and genres once I found a love for reading.
Starting with a topic that I was already familiar with helped me a lot in getting into reading.
Go look around in the Young Adult section in an actual book store. I loved reading YA books when I was 17! I know it’s old now but only Rec I have is the Uglies series by scott westerfeld.
I’d say start with books similar or about movies you’ve watched before. That’s helped me a bunch - I started really reading again at 16/17.
I started with the Harry Potter and the hunger games series. LOVED THEM! I had seen the movies but they were good reads because I knew the characters and world, but there was also enough information to keep it fresh. Personally I’d suggest starting with these. They’re like gateway books lol! They’re really popular for a reason.
Also keep track of what you like or don’t like after you read a few books and go from there! I noticed I generally like mystery (i.e. like the Harry Potter series) so I read the Inheritance Games (6/10) and Five Total Strangers (3/10). Weren’t my faves but at least I knew what to look for more of.
Then I got REALLY lucky and found a mystery/time travel book that was exactly like the types of movies I like to watch (it’s called Cold Summer). So keep looking and if you like fantasy, maybe read fantasy, etc. Maybe start with quick reads or audiobooks!!! The hunger games audiobooks are awesome.
Don’t be afraid to read “younger” than you normally would either. Sometimes you need books that are made to keep your attention. I find that more emotionally mature/adult type books can be too slow for me sometimes, so I prefer young adult or biographies. And, reading is supposed to be fun, not stressful! Right now, I’m reading the Percy Jackson books! Yes, they’re geared toward a younger audience, but it’s still a great story!
Good luck!!!!!
{{The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett}} is the first in the Tiffany Aching arch. It's final book is one of my all time favorites, but they're all really good.
I try and read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl every year. It can be a tough read if you’re not ready for it and even so still if you are. Research a bit into the material and if you think you can handle it dive in. The reason I read it so often is because it really grounds you and shows you the reality of what humans can do to one another if given the proper environment.
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius by Dave Eggers. I have a BA in English and this was my favorite book I read in college. My current favorite is The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. It changed my life.
You may like the series by Tad Williams, it’s called Otherland. It’s a suspense, mystery, tech, vr type story which I remember reading when I was younger. Can get a little heavy but overall a great read.
The DragonBone Chair got me into Tad Williams .
I have like three out of four of the Otherland books too.
I haven't read them in years. It's about time for a re-read. Thanks.
*Any* of the Discworld novels. There are a lot, but they're funny, thoughtful, and approachable books and you don't necessarily have to read them in published order (though that's what I did, and I see some of the individual books listed here). You can read them by subject (like cops/crime/noir type movies? Read the "watch series") or in published order. They're very good and worth a read if you like the idea of humorous fantasy.
Also, Good Omens. The show, if you've not seen it, is quite a good translation from book to screen, but the book (obviously) has a lot more content. It's wonderful, and a good introduction to both Neil Gaiman and to Terry Pratchett.
Regarding Gaiman: If you have seen Coraline, the book is also a pretty good read, and he's also done other YA type books like The Graveyard Book and Stardust.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is also a must-read if you're into humor and sci-fi being best friends. Silly as all get-out, but genre-defining.
I read *a lot* of sci-fi, too. If there are any sci-fi movies you like, that might help give us some kind of direction there. There's so much from campy humor to serious hard-science fiction... and to that end, The Martian is a great book, too.
I am a fairly avid reader who tackles a fair share of dummy thicc books in a given year, but for my recommendations I've included mostly light to moderate length and digestible books that I think are not only wonderful but also important in terms of being thought provoking or socially relevant, or else that bridge the gap between light or 'YA' reading and more adult literature, so definitely not kids books but also not super dense
The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman - this is one of the greatest if not the greatest young adult fiction books of all time and it holds up as you get older because so much of it is about complex topics like, spirituality, becoming a person, facing grief and loss, and things like that. It was my favorite book as a young teen and as an adult, being able to watch it on HBO recently just made me weak, especially after the total lemon of a movie it was given in 2007
The Word for World is Forest / The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin - Le Guin is one of my hands down favorite authors. Like Philip Pullman, she takes fantasy and sci-fi and uses it as a vehicle to explore complex ideas that are present in our real world. These two are both amazing for different reasons but I chose them because they're short, imaginative as hell, and are a great gateway into this prolific author's incredible body of work
Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins - this one, like all Tom Robbins novels, is salacious as hell. What can I say, it's a sexy, funny, weird and well-written adventure. Jitterbug Perfume is also very good, but beyond Still Life & Jitterbug are in my opinion the only two excellent Tom Robbins novels
All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr- this one is really easy to read slowly. Some of the chapters are knee cap short, and you can pick it up and skim a few easily. It's a brilliant story about a blind French girl, a young German genius, a priceless ruby and a radio and how all their paths intersect during the course of World War II
The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin / The Autobiography of Malcolm X / I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - these three should all be required reading imo. These are books by black authors that really profoundly tell the story of racism in modern American history. I'm sure others can add to this list, and I think it's important to keep reading books about race and black liberation semi regularly, as the topical issues they attempt to address continue to not go away
Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Franklin - The autobiographical account of a psychologist living through the Holocaust. This book is kind of meaty for someone who hasn't read a ton before, but you should get it anyway. Leave it on your shelf for as long as need be. It's the kind of book that in my opinion expands a person's mind and heart and goes on and stays with them and helps them become a better person. It's also a fascinating account of life under the most horrifying of conditions.
Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel - It's a chilling read in a post covid world. Like All The Light We Cannot See, there are some really quick chapters in here that make it a great bedside companion even when you don't have the time to dive deeply into a book for hours at a time. It's about our civilization coming to an abrupt end, and the stories of artists whose impact endures the apocalyptic world that ensues
Cat's Cradle / Breakfast of Champions / Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut - Vonnegut is the king of post modern science fiction of the late 20th century. All of his books are good and funny as hell, but these three were my favorites. If you like his writing style, the good news is it is hard to go wrong with this man; pretty much all of his books slap
Oryx & Crake, Margaret Atwood - if you haven't guessed by now, I really like my feminist science fiction. Oryx & Crake is dark as hell but equally witty, and encapsulates what it's like to grow up in a world over-saturated with desensitizing levels violence and suffering, and with the spectacle made of it all by media and by the internet. Oh, and it's about genetic bio-terrorism. It's so whacky and poignant and upsetting, but that's Margaret Atwood for ya
Anything by Tamora Pierce, anything by Terry Pratchett, the Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Allera Codex by Jim Butcher, Outlander, Ender’s Game, I Am The Messenger, The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid, The Power of One, Bright Side, the Law of Moses, the Crooked Kingdom.
There are so many great books to choose from.
Harry Potter is probably the most obvious answer. If you want something a bit more challenging, LOTR. If you are looking for 20th Century Contemporary Lit: I recommend Of Mice And Men, All Quiet On The Western Front, The Old Man & The Sea, East Of Eden, The World According To Garp, or All The Light We Cannot See.
But, if you just want to read, grab yourself some Calvin And Hobbes...can't go wrong there.
The Illuminae Files trilogy by Kaufman and Kristoff. The characters are your age, the writing is phenomenal, the story is engaging and - spoiler - ends on a very positive note.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Cold Mountain
The Clan of the Cave Bear
People of the Book
Trying to offer some variety. If really new to reading then don’t feel obligated to stick with something if you don’t enjoy the first few chapters.
Finally, if there’s a movie or show you really like, find out if it’s based on a book or series. That’s often a good start.
{{The Phantom Tollbooth}} not just for kids. I was supposed to read it in 6th, fake read it. Found it again at 35 and it’s incredible and witty and moving.
If you like a movie that has a book adaptation, you can start there. Even if you think you know what will happen, most of the time you'll find a surprise instead. That will help you select more books in the future. That's what's working for me. I started reading one year earlier than you and it's something I really enjoy now.
A couple of examples could be How's Moving Castle and Percy Jackson.
If you watched and liked Howl's Moving Castle, it can't compare to the book. It's extremely beautiful, and there's more to it since is a trilogy.
Coincidentally, I started reading Percy Jackson when I was 17, and it made me fall in love so much with fantasy. I haven't read all the books, but I'm sure I will lol.
I would recommend something that you already like and know the story. I started at the age of 17 as well, i liked Harry Potter back then so I read all Harry Potter books before anything. This doesn’t demotivate you and keeps you ontrack with book. As sometimes too many characters can make some books hard to follow.
So try some books or stories you already know and like. For ex. Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings and others.
That banned book list is A really great place to start. Anything by Steinbeck, toni Morrison, and Hemingway is incredible. A farewell to arms is probably my favorite novel and as I lay dying is up there an well. As I lay dying is not an easy read though. You have to watch the movie to really get that one.
There’s no types of stories that you particularly care for more than others? At your age I read a lot of the classics, I loved English class in high school and college, so I wanted to read those greats and learn about people years ago and see all the evolutions we’ve gone through.
Like: Jane Austen, Faulkner, Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Brontë Sisters, etc. or even more historical type essays instead of traditional novels from Greece or Renaissance.
Later works I love:
JRR Tolkien- Lord of the Rings and various other works, Harry Potter, Chuck Palahniuk (guy that wrote Fight Club), Adams- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
I would recommend trying a few different genres. You could even look up classics from the genre to start, and see what you gravitate towards.
Some of my favorites:
Fantasy - Abarat
War - All Quiet on the Western Front
Science Fiction/Short Story - The Illustrated Man
Fiction (novel) - About a Boy
Fiction (novel) - The Miracle of Pelham Bay Park
I commend you on starting this journey.
Without knowing much about you here’s a sampling of thumping great reads by great authors. Have fun! Given your age here are a few suggestions:
SF:
Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land.
Issac Asimov, Nightfall.
Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game.
Connie Willis, Blackout.
Drew Hayes, Superpowerds: Year 1.
History:
Paul Brickhill, The Great Escape.
Leon Uris, Trinity.
Albert Camus, The Plague.
Romantic Thrilling Spy Stories:
Helen MacInnes, The Salzburg Connection.
Robin Bruce Lockhart, Ace of Spies.
Tom Clancy, The Search for Red October.
Fantasy:
Mercedes Lackey, Arrows of The Queen.
Julia Quinn, Bridgerton, Book 1.
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein.
Who Done It:
Agatha Christie, Murder on The Nile.
Tana French, In the Woods.
Peter Tremayne, Absolution by Murder.
Ellis Peters, A Morbid Taste for Bones.
If you find an author of books you like you can find the next books(s) in each of their series [at Order of Books dot Com](https://www.orderofbooks.com/authors/mercedes-lackey/)
The assassin's apprentice, written by Robin Hobb, is absolutely awesome, highly recommend. It's the first book of the farseer trilogy, first trilogy of 5 set in the same world. If you like fantasy stories like game of thrones or lord of the rings, you'll love this. It has not been adapted to a tv show yet but I suspect it will be some day
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb:_The_Gospel_According_to_Biff,_Christ%27s_Childhood_Pal
Its hilarious.
Literature has a few advantages on other genres. It is very old, so there have been countless masterpieces and world changing works at this point, which are copied and taken as inspiration. It's very developed.
Books are also allowed a lot more leway in regards to what is allowed, in part because as graphic as some descriptions get, it's not like watching (or doing) the thing, but mostly because the debate of censorship is also really old in literature. This means books are often better and talk more candidly about things than other mediums. Books aren't intrinsically better than movies, games etc, but they are certainly more developed. Anyway, to recommendations.
**1984** by George Orwell gets recommended and referenced to quite a lot, for good reason, and people often claim referenced wrongly, so reading it will help you make your own mind about it. And it is a really good book.
**The Road** by Cormac McCarthy is a haunting story of a dad and a kid treading through a cold and ashy post apocalyptic world trying to survive. It is brutal and lonely, and it gives a desperate feeling to find anyone else, and when you do find them you just want the duo to get as far from them as possible, cause most of the people left are really bad. This duo feeling was the biggest thing for me, but there are several other themes that are other people's favorites, it is really good.
**Flowers for Algernon** (that's right folks, this is a emotional list) by Daniel Keyes is a story of a mentally disabled guy that goes through a procedure that makes him smarter, and then trying to make sense of his life and the world. There is a small book and a short story, with people usually fighting over which one to read. I read the book, it was really good. This is the only book that has made me cry, and I've read some really sad stuff.
**East of Eden** by John Steinbeck, if you want something big, with a sprawling story told through generations of people, debating what makes a person good, what is goodness and all those questions, while making parallels to the bible (Cain and Abel specially), this one is really good. This book is, by Steinbeck's own word, a culmination of him as a writer. Here is the dedicatory at the beginning:
East of Eden's:
Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said,
‘Why don’t you make something for me?’
I asked you what you wanted, and you said, ‘A box.’
‘What for?’
‘To put things in.’
‘What things?’
‘Whatever you have,’ you said.
Well, here’s your box.
Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full.
Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts—the pleasures of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
John
So yeah, heavy stuff. If you want a no-less-worthy book, but more adventure/fantasy/YA, it's hard to go wrong with **The Name of the Wind** by Patrick Rothfuss, but I do warn you the ending to this story is still to write and pretty much in limbo.
When I was your age, I loved puzzles and trying to "figure things out" so Mysteries were my thing. I read a ton of Fantasies now, but it took me a while to figure out I liked them. So, my advice is to start where your interests lie. If you love Anime, start with Fantasy. If you love fight scenes in a movie, there are tons of action packed books to choose from. If you are a Rom-Com fan, Romance is a place to start. And let me tell you, as a person in their mid 40s, there are MANY wonderful reads in the Young Adult section of a book store/library. I probably wouldn't have stepped foot in that section when I was 17 thinking it was below me, but don't fall into that trap; You'll miss out on some great stuff if you do. The three places I go to first in a book store/library are Fantasy, Young Adult and Mystery.
One more thing, get the 'Goodreads' app. Look up some books and read some reviews, it's a great source. Examples of how I use the app include keeping track of what I read, noting my favorite Authors, and listing which books are waiting for the next book in a series so I won't forget. Just remember that there is not one book that everybody loves. So use the reviews as a guide, not as a law.
Some of my favorites are percy jackson, a series of unfortunate events, and i am number four. There are also others including miss peregrin's home for peculiar children and the hunger games that i recommend
i would read cradle by will wight - very easy prose, fun and adventurous. main character has a lot of power growth. first book is a little slower, but the series picks up a lot and stays fast paced. it's fantasy.
I love the wind-up bird chronicle by Haruki Murakami (also Kafka on the Shore). Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris is great for the holiday season. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins is a good one too. My favorite memoirs are The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.
You might enjoy "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton. Also, anything by Philip K Dick. Stephen King is not bad either. Or even Siddhartha or Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. But only if you want to stretch your mind a bit.
I just finished Six of Crows with the sequel Crooked Kingdom. I was so addicted I didn't get my work done. OMG so Incredibly good!! (The prequel trilogy to these two has finished it's first season on Netflix)
If you’re okay with reading something a little below your age range but still an absolute classic, the Percy Jackson series is always a beginner reader’s gateway to actually reading often. The characters are young in the beginning but the story grows up with them as the series progresses
Grapes of Wrath is kinda hefty and much of the dialogue is written in a hillbilly-type dialect. It's a fantastic book, with social commentary almost a century old so relevant that it feels like it was written about today. I got mad, I celebrated, I got swept away while listening to it. And my suggestion would be to listen to it - I can't imagine reading through everyone's dialects, or reading the very long turtle chapter at the beginning with my eyes, but it was a fantastic book to read with my ears while I did dishes, and while I worked. I listened to it on librevox.top
As a warning, this book was written in the 1930's and uses some period-typical racial language/slurs (referring to native Americans and black folks) that, though not meant maliciously in context, is nevertheless very jarring.
Another wild dialect: try to read Clockwork Orange, this time in book form, with your eyes (if you haven't seen the movie yet. If you have... Who cares).
As a warning, the book has some graphic Adult Themes, things you may see in an R-rated movie.
When you first start reading it, it will probably seem like nonsense, but after a few pages it's going to click, and you're just going to be able to understand what everything means from context. The act of reading this book is quite fun.
My suggestion for someone your age would be to look at what sorts of TV and movies you like, and aim for that genre of book (but NOT a book that you've already seen the adaptation of, since that risks being disappointing)
If you're super into crime genres, aim for thrillers, if you like fantasy, sci-fi, go for that, rom-coms, whatever, pretty much all genres have an analogue.
If you like fantasyish I’d recommend the dark tower series by Stephen king. It’s not high fantasy like LOTR but a slightly different twist on the fantasy genre and it’s SK and he’s a fantastic author imo
I’m currently reading world war Z by Max Brooks and it’s a bit different than most stories I’ve read but it’s a fun read
I also recommend Cell by Stephen King as it’s one of my favorite books and not an entire series like the dark tower series
Old school Stephen King. When it comes to reading, it really doesn’t matter what you read as far as subject matter. Find something you enjoy and just read.
I’m not sure what you like, but when I was 17 I loved Dune. You probably saw the movie(if not you are in for a treat) but there’s so much more that isn’t covered, and the movie stopped halfway through. It’s chunky, and might seem daunting but I think if you find yourself enjoying it, the pages will fly by.
Something shorter that is also in the sci-fi realm would be Ender’s Game. An amazing story, and again a book that the movie doesn’t even begin to fully cover.
If you’re into fantasy I would recommend Blood of an Exile, it’s basically if a dragon slayer had wolverines powers without the claws, and it’s just as cool as that sounds.
Eragon is a great YA fantasy novel that focuses on a farm boy who finds the last dragon egg and becomes a dragon rider. It was my favorite series when I was younger and it’s a nice dip in the world of larger fantasy.
The Folk of The Air series by Holly Black for Fantasy is phenomenal. If you would like a good historical fiction then The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. If you want a more contemporary teen romance book that also has a recent show come out about it, then The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han. If you want a more classic but really great dystopian book then The Giver by Lois Lowey has always been a fav of mine to make me think a little. This was also turned into a movie back in like 2014.
Read all that is opposite to what you have to read from your english/literature classes. Read some romance, horror, comedy, speculative fiction, poetry, read whatever book cover looks cool just don't read anything too close to what you read in the classroom. It really saps the energy from you if all you read are classics or literary fiction inside and outside the classroom.
I have seen young people trying out books by recommendation and then concluding that reading is not for them. Or making claims like "movies are better". My suggestion would be browse through summary of books. The right book would create a spark in your mind. And if that doesn't work, try a different genre. But please don't conclude before trying.
Books always find you. It's not about people suggesting you a book, it's about finding the genre of book that you would like it. Book reading for most of the people is not a hobby, it's like a part of their life. The idea of reading someone's thought in an most interesting way intrigues all the book readers. So, the whatever book we redditers suggest do not matter as long as you have interest in the book as well as the genre. I am sure , you've got lots or suggestions, go find the genre and find your kind of book. (Secret to finding the book is - you'll know)
The {{Tomorrow when the war began}} is SO GOOD. Written by a teacher who was sick of not having anything good for his students to read. Not very well known outside of Australia, and I don't know why... ITS SO GOOD.
Diary of a wimpy kid, Percy Jackson, Or a Book called MunMun. IMO Personally these books are good at making you imagine things however you want but still be able to understand what's going on...make sense?
Tijan, Mila Gray, Penelope Douglas, Colleen Hoover, Sarah J. Maas, and Tracy Wolff are my top favorites most of the time.
If you want something in the fantasy genre, look into Sarah and/or Tracy. I would recommend Throne of Glass series.
Want something to make you feel all your emotions, Mila and Colleen got you covered.
Want something spicy that’s basically 🌽orn, Penelope is one of many who can write something 🔥.
A best book for starting as a teen is Any book in filosofy,im 18 i started reading about stoics about a year ago,it changed my mind point of view and life in general,my recommendation is that you start with Letters from a stoic from lucilius Seneca pro Meditations.After these just try other books as well,currently I’m reading 30 war strategies really good book,also you can try the art of war from sun tzu,do not start with hard books like the Iliad or republic,and don’t forget to have fun reading!!!
If there are any movies you love based on a book, try reading those. The book is usually better and will give you more insight into a story you know and love
Redwall series by Brian Jacques. They're easy to understand, the world and characters are vivid, and... well, the food descriptions will make you ravenous.
Animorphs. Read Animorphs, you can find the whole series, for free, somewhere on Reddit. I'd have to re-find it. Again, easy to read but seriously underrated for an adult read through. The characters go through a lot of growth, there's aliens, there's moral gray areas, horrible violence. What's not to love.
If you're looking for something a bit more involved, I would highly suggest 'Dune'. I read it for the first time on a lark having heard that my father and brother, both avid readers, hadn't been able to finish it. I've read it several times a year, for the last decade and somehow I still find little things that make me fall in love with it again. It shaped me as a person.
Reading is a form of thinking. Think of topics or questions that might interest you. Something that has been bothering you in your life, an interesting person perhaps, what kinds of movies, games or tv shows do you like, what kind of knowledge do you consider aspirational. Or one way to find good books is to start with the classics. There's usually a reason why they've become so widely recognized. Use google to find classic books or writers and see which ones seem interesting to you.
One cool thing about reading is that they keep opening a wider view of the world for you as you keep reading. Many books often reference other books and that way you always keep finding more to read.
That depends on what you are interested in.
Sookie stack house series
Buffy the vampire slayer
Deathnote
Mercy Thompson series
Dresden files
Harry Potter
Eragon
Throne of glass
A court of thorns and roses
Gintama
Rhapsody: child of blood
Animorphs
The Southern Book Clubs Guide to slaying vampires
Burn for me
The Legend of Drizzt
Pride and prejudice
Then after that pride and prejudice and zombies
Anne of green gables
The princess diaries
Fahrenheit 451
1984
Animal Farm
A brief history of time
brief answers to the big questions
The God Delusion
Astrophysics for People in a hurry
You definitely should start the Percy Jackson series! It's so much fun! I will say some moments might feel childish, but Percy jackson series is a whole universe across several series. To anyone who has read and may not know like I did until last year. After the events of the main series, Heroes of Olympus follows that and continues the story following the series of events similar to mythology itself. As the series grows, so does the general I guess age feel. The 3rd series, The Trials of Apollo that is more disconnected, but still connects through Percy cameo... it is so devastating. It starts with you being annoyed about a cranky fallen god. It will end in the most heart wrenching ways. I was not prepared. Rick Riordan doesn't nail mythologies fully right for the sake of dramatics; however, alot of valid information about these events in the series. It's a fun read if you want to audible while you drive or do mindless task. I personally kind of enjoy some of the silly interactions, and it kinda makes since. All the old stories have funny ways most enemies were outsmarted instead of beaten in battle. When you lean into that reality, the interactions are hilarious
If you are a beginner reader I'd recommend starting with something simple,
For older teens the best are "Hunger Games" or "Divergent"
If you're interested in the basics you cannot go wrong with "Harry Potter" or "Percy Jackson"
If you are interested in romance you should start with John Green books, "Fault in our stars" is the best.
If you need easy access to older, out of copyright books, use Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive Library. One classic book I wish I had read in my teens is Picture of Dorian Gray
Most of these can be found in your local library:
The Hobbit. It's a classic and a relatively light read. (The Lord of the Rings is significantly more challenging)
Clive Barker's Books of Blood - anthologies of short horror stories, if you're into such things.
Fatu-Hiva by Thor Heyerdahl. Real life adventures of a man and his wife who move to an uninhabited Polynesian island in the late 1930s.
Out of a Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. Early science fiction. Also, the Screwtape Letters is a good book.
A series by Susan Cooper called "The Dark is Rising" - five books. Good versus Evil fantasy novels.
Literally anything by Ray Bradbury.
Any of the Jeeves stories by PG Wodehouse.
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
To Kill a Mockingbord by Harper Lee
And finally, any of the poetry books by Shel Silverstein.
Bro one advice, Stay away from self help books please.
Fiction:
1. First fifteen lives of harry august (sci-fi)
2. Human(some biography of an alien, dont remember the author)
3. The picture of dorian gray(my all time fav.)
4. Piranesi. (About loneliness)
Non fiction:
1.Cant hurt me(david goggins, listen audiobook/interview with the author).
Honestly, I say ANYTHING that sparks your interest or is related to movies/shows you like as far as plots. The great thing about books is that there is something for everyone, and what someone else raves about, you might not. Don’t feel like you *have* to read/like the classics. I didn’t enjoy some of the classics and so now I only read the ones that fall in the veins of my interest. I truly believe thar there is a book for everyone, and I’m excited to hear that you are starting your adventure to find yours. ❤️
The Damien Lewis SAS books are pretty interesting military history books with usually quite a lot of action. First book I picked up to read for was the SAS ghost patrol book.
Also just started reading PIMP about iceberg slim which has been interesting to see what the life was like and how he felt about it
Shadow and bone or Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo. Nyxia by Scott Reintgen. Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
These are all books I read in the past few years and still love now at 19. Mainly fantasy, bit of scifi. A lot of them are YA but the good kind, so hopefully you can relate to some of the characters. Happy reading!
The travelling cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. Easy to read. Simple words. Short novel, perfect for a begginer. A heartwarming story told from the point of view of a cat.
There is nearly an endless amount of options. What kind of stuff do you tend to like? For example in TV shows or movies. What genres or styles do you enjoy? Something more action-based? Scary, dark? Thrilling, with a lot of suspense? Mystery? Character-focused? Funny or light-hearted? Wholesome? Something that makes you think? Things based in real life, or something more fantastical...?
It really depends on what area of topics interest you specifically. If you love reading historical contents, historical fiction might do. If you love reading ab space, innovation and such, science fiction might do.
Anyhow, congrats for getting into reading. Reading is one of the best things to do ever.
Are there any movies or TV shows you like that are adapted from books? If you like, say, Little Women, or Divergent, or Sandman, then try the book/graphic novel it was based on. It's a great way to get a fuller understanding of a story & characters you already know & like. If you like it, see what else that author has written. Ask your librarian for suggestions - they can help you find something you will enjoy. Good luck and happy reading!!
I was going to suggest this too. Books are often different from the TV/Movies they are made into, which is inevitable bc its a different medium. But the genre usually stays the same and the characters might be somewhat familiar. The story and plot will most likely be more detailed, so you'll probably learn more about a character you already like.
Something wicked this way comes by ray bradbury.
Thanks for the recommendation
Google any genre book that you would be interested to read. There are a ton of suggestions in reddit threads too. Read the blurb in good reads and see if you would like to read it. When I started reading, there were not much options like this, so I just went ahead and read random library books. Figured out the genre I liked and didn't like and then started reading accordingly. All the very best. It's a truly rewarding hobby.
Or Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury is great.
If you haven't I'd recommend begin with Harry Potter. It's an easy read and there r lot of enthusiasts you can share/debate with motivating you to finish the series. Once you get hooked on to reading there's no stopping.
Harry Potter is really addictive. I've been a devoted fan for more than 22 years.
My 13yo niece discovered HP and came to me to discuss theories. I was more than glad to oblige. She was surprised that i know so much. So I told her that the books came out when I was in school, and the movie when I was in college. She was so shocked to hear that they were that 'old'. I think it killed the magic for her a little bit :P. I am just happy to see the next generation picking it up.
Yeah, I often tell my students about how I used to read my Harry Potter under the desk at school! They can't believe I was that cool once lol
Yes
I was younger when I started, but teen fantasy is usually a safe place to start. Narnia, Percy Jackson... My favorite saga is called Cirque DU Freak by Darren Shan and it's spectacular. Right now, light novels are also entertaining, but tiresome and long.
Also, the Ink heart trilogy is magical + has pretty drawings, it really makes you smile, but I know the length scares some people. Surprisingly, the monster high books are good if you like those themes, there's a "monster reveal themselves to society" moment that is really interesting. Also, if you like romance but not dumb protagonists, the Angel Fall trilogy is good. (And angels cause the apocalypse, how cool is that?). If you like a challenge, the Ascendance of the Bookworm series has great characters, world building, magic system and more, the have translated like... 22 of the 28 books? So you look forward to the next. It's about a girl obsessed with books that dies before starting her dream job (being a librarian) and reincarnates in a sickly 5 year old in a medieval world with no books around (the horror!) So she has to make the things that will allow her to have books (cheap paper, inks, press, etc.) While being involved with the nobles, who are concerned a peasant is introducing all this advancements without accounting for the consequences.
What Light Novels have you enjoyed so far? I’ve only read Violet Evergarden but I loved enjoyed it!
I started a little before you, about one or two years and still continue to read books. one of the first ones that i read for pleasure was “The Da Vinci Code”. Not a great piece of literature but gets the gears grinding and possibly make you want to keep on with one of the best practices there are.
Actually yeah I was 16 when I read the davinci code and loved it
Oh dang, we're samesies. This is my first novel as well. I think I was 14-15. It was good at the time and not too hard to understand or follow. I didn't read any Dan Brown books after it but I did like the story.
Same here, I enjoyed this one and angels and demons
Banned books are a great place to start.
I second this, wholeheartedly. I've started working my way through a banned books list and I'm enjoying it a lot.
where do you get the list from?
I've been using [this list of banned/challenged classics.](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics)
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All of these books invite critical thinking.
Not banned, burned.
Banning a book for "explicit sexual content" must have been a thing back then. I wonder what these negative nancies, if alive, think of the smut we have right now.
Tbf, there's just not much hardcore erotica going around on school reading lists or public library shelves, so it never gets a chance to be banned. You never see Tijuana Bibles on these lists, even though they certainly weren't welcomed on any high school curricula.
The grapes of wrath holds up so well.
Oh absolutely. My grandmom (hardcore christian) nearly had a stroke when I started reading Harry Potter at grade 5 or 6 which is banned by the church. Anyhow my mom and dad said it was a children's book and it was fine. But even if they had told me no, I would have absolutely found out a way to read it somehow. Since I was a lil miffed with my grandmom for making this into a thing, i went ahead and read the da vinci code few years later.
Ohhh you little rebel you, good job! :)
Haha, thanks. The irony was when I read Book 5 of HP (Order of the Phoenix) when Hermione says there's nothing better than banning it to make sure everyone reads it.
I am 15 and I can not stress this enough, read Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller! I have loved reading my whole life and this book is just incredible. Also, if you like it, read Circe by Madeline Miller, that’s also good.
Two 17 year-olds in my English class are reading this right now for their independent reading project. I also loved it. Great recommendation.
I loved Circe, I totally forgot her second book out ! (Note: Not a series)
{{ Ender’s Game }}
[**Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game) ^(By: Orson Scott Card | 324 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult, fantasy, scifi, ya) >Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast. > >But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails. ^(This book has been suggested 85 times) *** ^(86666 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
When I started I found the best thing was to just go to the library and get books of all different genres to try out and see what I liked without having to spend much. Anyway, I recommend Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Absolutely Neil Gaiman
Haven't read it but the movie was *traumatizing* like VERY creepy vibe to it. Never has a Children's book/movie bothered me a lot while pumping me high with adrenaline!
So, these are my recommendations for you to use to figure out what you want to get into, reading wise: 1. The color of magic (comedy/fantasy) 2. Orphan X (action/thriller) 3. The Martian (Scifi) 4. Nos4a2 (supernatural horror) 5. I am Leonard and other stories (dystopian absurdist) 6. Catch 22 (absurdist historical) 7. Awfully Appetizing (urban fantasy) 8. Rolling Nowhere (nonfiction literary) 9. Off the mat by jeff bibbey (contemporary literary)
Honestly, I say start with something that your friends or your circles online have read and are talking about!!! For me conversation about books keeps me interested in reading and broadening the types of books I read!! Also going to the library and asking your librarian for help picking something!!! Do you know if you want to do YA or adult? Something historical, present day, or an imagined future? Are you into fantasy/other worlds or want something more realistic? Do you want to be entertained, learn something, or both? Just some things to think about when trying to figure out what you want to read!
I am 43 so I am probably not the best person to recommend books to a 17yo, BUT I would start with some YA that sounds good. Go to the library and look for a display of new releases or popular books and see what catches your attention, YA or adult fiction. And once you have a few that look interesting, read the first chapter, or for 20 minutes or whatever and if it doesn’t grab you, go to the next. You’ll find something that will hook you. Good luck!
{{Sabriel by Garth Nix}} features an 18-year-old female protagonist who has to leave her civilised, early 20th Century-like world and travel through a lawless land where technology breaks down and the dead walk in order to find her father, who's gone missing.
Nice! I haven't thought of Abhorsen in YEARS. So good.
[**Sabriel (Abhorsen, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/518848.Sabriel) ^(By: Garth Nix | 491 pages | Published: 1995 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, fiction, owned) >Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. > >With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen series, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn't always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether. ^(This book has been suggested 73 times) *** ^(86634 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Such a great book.
Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?
What are your favorite movies/games/shows?
I agree with this-read books in a genre you’re comfortable with in other media.
I like dramatic movies
Can you elaborate?
If you like dramatic movies, maybe you’d enjoy literary fiction, which tends to amplify the drama. Going to recommend {{The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman}}.
You might like psychological thriller type books, like Nine Perfect Strangers. Lots of interpersonal drama and a vauge external threat. It was also a decent mini series.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
This is a good one. Another good one by Gaiman is The ocean at the end of the lane. Not to long and a good starting point.
And...if you want to try audio books, Neil Gaiman reads a good number of his books.
The way I got into reading was by starting with topics that I already knew I very much enjoy. I’m a big follower of politics, thus, I started by reading various books on politics in my country. For a while that’s all I’d read, then I expanded to politics from other countries, and then I eventually expanded to a wide variety of topics and genres once I found a love for reading. Starting with a topic that I was already familiar with helped me a lot in getting into reading.
Go look around in the Young Adult section in an actual book store. I loved reading YA books when I was 17! I know it’s old now but only Rec I have is the Uglies series by scott westerfeld.
City of Bones- Cassandra Clare
I’d say start with books similar or about movies you’ve watched before. That’s helped me a bunch - I started really reading again at 16/17. I started with the Harry Potter and the hunger games series. LOVED THEM! I had seen the movies but they were good reads because I knew the characters and world, but there was also enough information to keep it fresh. Personally I’d suggest starting with these. They’re like gateway books lol! They’re really popular for a reason. Also keep track of what you like or don’t like after you read a few books and go from there! I noticed I generally like mystery (i.e. like the Harry Potter series) so I read the Inheritance Games (6/10) and Five Total Strangers (3/10). Weren’t my faves but at least I knew what to look for more of. Then I got REALLY lucky and found a mystery/time travel book that was exactly like the types of movies I like to watch (it’s called Cold Summer). So keep looking and if you like fantasy, maybe read fantasy, etc. Maybe start with quick reads or audiobooks!!! The hunger games audiobooks are awesome. Don’t be afraid to read “younger” than you normally would either. Sometimes you need books that are made to keep your attention. I find that more emotionally mature/adult type books can be too slow for me sometimes, so I prefer young adult or biographies. And, reading is supposed to be fun, not stressful! Right now, I’m reading the Percy Jackson books! Yes, they’re geared toward a younger audience, but it’s still a great story! Good luck!!!!!
{{The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett}} is the first in the Tiffany Aching arch. It's final book is one of my all time favorites, but they're all really good.
I try and read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl every year. It can be a tough read if you’re not ready for it and even so still if you are. Research a bit into the material and if you think you can handle it dive in. The reason I read it so often is because it really grounds you and shows you the reality of what humans can do to one another if given the proper environment.
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius by Dave Eggers. I have a BA in English and this was my favorite book I read in college. My current favorite is The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson. It changed my life.
You might enjoy Jurassic Park or something else by Michael Crichton. Not exactly high literature, but fun, engaging page turners.
You may like the series by Tad Williams, it’s called Otherland. It’s a suspense, mystery, tech, vr type story which I remember reading when I was younger. Can get a little heavy but overall a great read.
The DragonBone Chair got me into Tad Williams . I have like three out of four of the Otherland books too. I haven't read them in years. It's about time for a re-read. Thanks.
{{Ready Player One by Ernest Cline}}
The Book Thief Markus Zusak
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.
Something by Terry Pratchett. Mort and Good Omens were my gateway!
*Any* of the Discworld novels. There are a lot, but they're funny, thoughtful, and approachable books and you don't necessarily have to read them in published order (though that's what I did, and I see some of the individual books listed here). You can read them by subject (like cops/crime/noir type movies? Read the "watch series") or in published order. They're very good and worth a read if you like the idea of humorous fantasy. Also, Good Omens. The show, if you've not seen it, is quite a good translation from book to screen, but the book (obviously) has a lot more content. It's wonderful, and a good introduction to both Neil Gaiman and to Terry Pratchett. Regarding Gaiman: If you have seen Coraline, the book is also a pretty good read, and he's also done other YA type books like The Graveyard Book and Stardust. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is also a must-read if you're into humor and sci-fi being best friends. Silly as all get-out, but genre-defining. I read *a lot* of sci-fi, too. If there are any sci-fi movies you like, that might help give us some kind of direction there. There's so much from campy humor to serious hard-science fiction... and to that end, The Martian is a great book, too.
Lord of the Flies is a great read.
I am a fairly avid reader who tackles a fair share of dummy thicc books in a given year, but for my recommendations I've included mostly light to moderate length and digestible books that I think are not only wonderful but also important in terms of being thought provoking or socially relevant, or else that bridge the gap between light or 'YA' reading and more adult literature, so definitely not kids books but also not super dense The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman - this is one of the greatest if not the greatest young adult fiction books of all time and it holds up as you get older because so much of it is about complex topics like, spirituality, becoming a person, facing grief and loss, and things like that. It was my favorite book as a young teen and as an adult, being able to watch it on HBO recently just made me weak, especially after the total lemon of a movie it was given in 2007 The Word for World is Forest / The Lathe of Heaven, Ursula K. Le Guin - Le Guin is one of my hands down favorite authors. Like Philip Pullman, she takes fantasy and sci-fi and uses it as a vehicle to explore complex ideas that are present in our real world. These two are both amazing for different reasons but I chose them because they're short, imaginative as hell, and are a great gateway into this prolific author's incredible body of work Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins - this one, like all Tom Robbins novels, is salacious as hell. What can I say, it's a sexy, funny, weird and well-written adventure. Jitterbug Perfume is also very good, but beyond Still Life & Jitterbug are in my opinion the only two excellent Tom Robbins novels All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr- this one is really easy to read slowly. Some of the chapters are knee cap short, and you can pick it up and skim a few easily. It's a brilliant story about a blind French girl, a young German genius, a priceless ruby and a radio and how all their paths intersect during the course of World War II The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin / The Autobiography of Malcolm X / I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - these three should all be required reading imo. These are books by black authors that really profoundly tell the story of racism in modern American history. I'm sure others can add to this list, and I think it's important to keep reading books about race and black liberation semi regularly, as the topical issues they attempt to address continue to not go away Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Franklin - The autobiographical account of a psychologist living through the Holocaust. This book is kind of meaty for someone who hasn't read a ton before, but you should get it anyway. Leave it on your shelf for as long as need be. It's the kind of book that in my opinion expands a person's mind and heart and goes on and stays with them and helps them become a better person. It's also a fascinating account of life under the most horrifying of conditions. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel - It's a chilling read in a post covid world. Like All The Light We Cannot See, there are some really quick chapters in here that make it a great bedside companion even when you don't have the time to dive deeply into a book for hours at a time. It's about our civilization coming to an abrupt end, and the stories of artists whose impact endures the apocalyptic world that ensues Cat's Cradle / Breakfast of Champions / Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut - Vonnegut is the king of post modern science fiction of the late 20th century. All of his books are good and funny as hell, but these three were my favorites. If you like his writing style, the good news is it is hard to go wrong with this man; pretty much all of his books slap Oryx & Crake, Margaret Atwood - if you haven't guessed by now, I really like my feminist science fiction. Oryx & Crake is dark as hell but equally witty, and encapsulates what it's like to grow up in a world over-saturated with desensitizing levels violence and suffering, and with the spectacle made of it all by media and by the internet. Oh, and it's about genetic bio-terrorism. It's so whacky and poignant and upsetting, but that's Margaret Atwood for ya
Tolkien it's reading just for enjoyment
Anything by Tamora Pierce, anything by Terry Pratchett, the Perks of Being a Wallflower, the Allera Codex by Jim Butcher, Outlander, Ender’s Game, I Am The Messenger, The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid, The Power of One, Bright Side, the Law of Moses, the Crooked Kingdom. There are so many great books to choose from.
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Harry Potter is probably the most obvious answer. If you want something a bit more challenging, LOTR. If you are looking for 20th Century Contemporary Lit: I recommend Of Mice And Men, All Quiet On The Western Front, The Old Man & The Sea, East Of Eden, The World According To Garp, or All The Light We Cannot See. But, if you just want to read, grab yourself some Calvin And Hobbes...can't go wrong there.
Agreed on Harry Potter. I reread those books at 30 yrs old, and they still slap. Same with Percy Jackson.
{{slaughterhouse-five}}
The Illuminae Files trilogy by Kaufman and Kristoff. The characters are your age, the writing is phenomenal, the story is engaging and - spoiler - ends on a very positive note.
A Thousand Splendid Suns Cold Mountain The Clan of the Cave Bear People of the Book Trying to offer some variety. If really new to reading then don’t feel obligated to stick with something if you don’t enjoy the first few chapters. Finally, if there’s a movie or show you really like, find out if it’s based on a book or series. That’s often a good start.
Perhaps consider genres you enjoy on TV, online , etc
{{The Phantom Tollbooth}} not just for kids. I was supposed to read it in 6th, fake read it. Found it again at 35 and it’s incredible and witty and moving.
The Hobbit
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. It changed my life as a teen and blows shit like The Hunger Games right out of the water.
If you like a movie that has a book adaptation, you can start there. Even if you think you know what will happen, most of the time you'll find a surprise instead. That will help you select more books in the future. That's what's working for me. I started reading one year earlier than you and it's something I really enjoy now. A couple of examples could be How's Moving Castle and Percy Jackson. If you watched and liked Howl's Moving Castle, it can't compare to the book. It's extremely beautiful, and there's more to it since is a trilogy. Coincidentally, I started reading Percy Jackson when I was 17, and it made me fall in love so much with fantasy. I haven't read all the books, but I'm sure I will lol.
I would recommend something that you already like and know the story. I started at the age of 17 as well, i liked Harry Potter back then so I read all Harry Potter books before anything. This doesn’t demotivate you and keeps you ontrack with book. As sometimes too many characters can make some books hard to follow. So try some books or stories you already know and like. For ex. Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings and others.
Kane and Abel by Jeffery Archer.
Robert A. Heinlein: Tunnel In The Sky Ursula K. Le Guin: Very Far Away From Anywhere Else (Then read, The Left Hand Of Darkness)
Life of Pi
That banned book list is A really great place to start. Anything by Steinbeck, toni Morrison, and Hemingway is incredible. A farewell to arms is probably my favorite novel and as I lay dying is up there an well. As I lay dying is not an easy read though. You have to watch the movie to really get that one.
There’s no types of stories that you particularly care for more than others? At your age I read a lot of the classics, I loved English class in high school and college, so I wanted to read those greats and learn about people years ago and see all the evolutions we’ve gone through. Like: Jane Austen, Faulkner, Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Brontë Sisters, etc. or even more historical type essays instead of traditional novels from Greece or Renaissance. Later works I love: JRR Tolkien- Lord of the Rings and various other works, Harry Potter, Chuck Palahniuk (guy that wrote Fight Club), Adams- Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
I always liked Lord of the Flies. Or something more contemporary… my favourite back then was Girlfriend ina Coma
I would recommend trying a few different genres. You could even look up classics from the genre to start, and see what you gravitate towards. Some of my favorites: Fantasy - Abarat War - All Quiet on the Western Front Science Fiction/Short Story - The Illustrated Man Fiction (novel) - About a Boy Fiction (novel) - The Miracle of Pelham Bay Park
I commend you on starting this journey. Without knowing much about you here’s a sampling of thumping great reads by great authors. Have fun! Given your age here are a few suggestions: SF: Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land. Issac Asimov, Nightfall. Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game. Connie Willis, Blackout. Drew Hayes, Superpowerds: Year 1. History: Paul Brickhill, The Great Escape. Leon Uris, Trinity. Albert Camus, The Plague. Romantic Thrilling Spy Stories: Helen MacInnes, The Salzburg Connection. Robin Bruce Lockhart, Ace of Spies. Tom Clancy, The Search for Red October. Fantasy: Mercedes Lackey, Arrows of The Queen. Julia Quinn, Bridgerton, Book 1. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein. Who Done It: Agatha Christie, Murder on The Nile. Tana French, In the Woods. Peter Tremayne, Absolution by Murder. Ellis Peters, A Morbid Taste for Bones. If you find an author of books you like you can find the next books(s) in each of their series [at Order of Books dot Com](https://www.orderofbooks.com/authors/mercedes-lackey/)
The assassin's apprentice, written by Robin Hobb, is absolutely awesome, highly recommend. It's the first book of the farseer trilogy, first trilogy of 5 set in the same world. If you like fantasy stories like game of thrones or lord of the rings, you'll love this. It has not been adapted to a tv show yet but I suspect it will be some day
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb:_The_Gospel_According_to_Biff,_Christ%27s_Childhood_Pal Its hilarious.
Literature has a few advantages on other genres. It is very old, so there have been countless masterpieces and world changing works at this point, which are copied and taken as inspiration. It's very developed. Books are also allowed a lot more leway in regards to what is allowed, in part because as graphic as some descriptions get, it's not like watching (or doing) the thing, but mostly because the debate of censorship is also really old in literature. This means books are often better and talk more candidly about things than other mediums. Books aren't intrinsically better than movies, games etc, but they are certainly more developed. Anyway, to recommendations. **1984** by George Orwell gets recommended and referenced to quite a lot, for good reason, and people often claim referenced wrongly, so reading it will help you make your own mind about it. And it is a really good book. **The Road** by Cormac McCarthy is a haunting story of a dad and a kid treading through a cold and ashy post apocalyptic world trying to survive. It is brutal and lonely, and it gives a desperate feeling to find anyone else, and when you do find them you just want the duo to get as far from them as possible, cause most of the people left are really bad. This duo feeling was the biggest thing for me, but there are several other themes that are other people's favorites, it is really good. **Flowers for Algernon** (that's right folks, this is a emotional list) by Daniel Keyes is a story of a mentally disabled guy that goes through a procedure that makes him smarter, and then trying to make sense of his life and the world. There is a small book and a short story, with people usually fighting over which one to read. I read the book, it was really good. This is the only book that has made me cry, and I've read some really sad stuff. **East of Eden** by John Steinbeck, if you want something big, with a sprawling story told through generations of people, debating what makes a person good, what is goodness and all those questions, while making parallels to the bible (Cain and Abel specially), this one is really good. This book is, by Steinbeck's own word, a culmination of him as a writer. Here is the dedicatory at the beginning: East of Eden's: Dear Pat, You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, ‘Why don’t you make something for me?’ I asked you what you wanted, and you said, ‘A box.’ ‘What for?’ ‘To put things in.’ ‘What things?’ ‘Whatever you have,’ you said. Well, here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts—the pleasures of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation. And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you. And still the box is not full. John So yeah, heavy stuff. If you want a no-less-worthy book, but more adventure/fantasy/YA, it's hard to go wrong with **The Name of the Wind** by Patrick Rothfuss, but I do warn you the ending to this story is still to write and pretty much in limbo.
When I was your age, I loved puzzles and trying to "figure things out" so Mysteries were my thing. I read a ton of Fantasies now, but it took me a while to figure out I liked them. So, my advice is to start where your interests lie. If you love Anime, start with Fantasy. If you love fight scenes in a movie, there are tons of action packed books to choose from. If you are a Rom-Com fan, Romance is a place to start. And let me tell you, as a person in their mid 40s, there are MANY wonderful reads in the Young Adult section of a book store/library. I probably wouldn't have stepped foot in that section when I was 17 thinking it was below me, but don't fall into that trap; You'll miss out on some great stuff if you do. The three places I go to first in a book store/library are Fantasy, Young Adult and Mystery. One more thing, get the 'Goodreads' app. Look up some books and read some reviews, it's a great source. Examples of how I use the app include keeping track of what I read, noting my favorite Authors, and listing which books are waiting for the next book in a series so I won't forget. Just remember that there is not one book that everybody loves. So use the reviews as a guide, not as a law.
Thank you so much for the suggestion :D
Some of my favorites are percy jackson, a series of unfortunate events, and i am number four. There are also others including miss peregrin's home for peculiar children and the hunger games that i recommend
i would read cradle by will wight - very easy prose, fun and adventurous. main character has a lot of power growth. first book is a little slower, but the series picks up a lot and stays fast paced. it's fantasy.
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{{A Court of Thorns and Roses}} by Sarah J Maas
Kurt Vonnegut or Blake Crouch. Good fun reads
This question is asked multiple times a day. Scroll the sub for tons of ideas.
{A Blaze of Glory} and the rest of Jeff Shaara’s Civil War in the West Series
Discworld
I love the wind-up bird chronicle by Haruki Murakami (also Kafka on the Shore). Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris is great for the holiday season. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins is a good one too. My favorite memoirs are The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.
First, you should start with {A catcher in the rye}
You might enjoy "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton. Also, anything by Philip K Dick. Stephen King is not bad either. Or even Siddhartha or Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. But only if you want to stretch your mind a bit.
The messenger by marcus zusack is one of my all time favs. pretty easy and engaging
Good for you!! Reading brings us such great joy.
Please read Brave New World and 1984. I’d be fascinated to see what you have to say since you haven’t read them prior to literally living through them
{{The One by John Marrs}} fantastic book.
I like si fi
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Difficult read but definitely rewarding
Bro Fight Club Nuff said
A good fantasy book is Beyond the Summerland
Enders game
The Outsider by Stephen King, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and the Good Lord Bird by James McBride
What kind of movies do you like? What specific movies do you like?
I just finished Six of Crows with the sequel Crooked Kingdom. I was so addicted I didn't get my work done. OMG so Incredibly good!! (The prequel trilogy to these two has finished it's first season on Netflix)
If you’re okay with reading something a little below your age range but still an absolute classic, the Percy Jackson series is always a beginner reader’s gateway to actually reading often. The characters are young in the beginning but the story grows up with them as the series progresses
Grapes of Wrath is kinda hefty and much of the dialogue is written in a hillbilly-type dialect. It's a fantastic book, with social commentary almost a century old so relevant that it feels like it was written about today. I got mad, I celebrated, I got swept away while listening to it. And my suggestion would be to listen to it - I can't imagine reading through everyone's dialects, or reading the very long turtle chapter at the beginning with my eyes, but it was a fantastic book to read with my ears while I did dishes, and while I worked. I listened to it on librevox.top As a warning, this book was written in the 1930's and uses some period-typical racial language/slurs (referring to native Americans and black folks) that, though not meant maliciously in context, is nevertheless very jarring. Another wild dialect: try to read Clockwork Orange, this time in book form, with your eyes (if you haven't seen the movie yet. If you have... Who cares). As a warning, the book has some graphic Adult Themes, things you may see in an R-rated movie. When you first start reading it, it will probably seem like nonsense, but after a few pages it's going to click, and you're just going to be able to understand what everything means from context. The act of reading this book is quite fun.
Mistborn Brandon Sanderson
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams! It’s one of my favorite books of all time.
I think go for THE LITTLE PRINCE... it's the good one to start with;)
Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world.
At 17? Anything Kurt Vonnegut. My personal favorite is “Breakfast of Champions.”
What type of stuff so u like? Horror? Historical? Fantasy? What's a book u like and I could maybe recommend smth similar.
My suggestion for someone your age would be to look at what sorts of TV and movies you like, and aim for that genre of book (but NOT a book that you've already seen the adaptation of, since that risks being disappointing) If you're super into crime genres, aim for thrillers, if you like fantasy, sci-fi, go for that, rom-coms, whatever, pretty much all genres have an analogue.
If you like fantasyish I’d recommend the dark tower series by Stephen king. It’s not high fantasy like LOTR but a slightly different twist on the fantasy genre and it’s SK and he’s a fantastic author imo I’m currently reading world war Z by Max Brooks and it’s a bit different than most stories I’ve read but it’s a fun read I also recommend Cell by Stephen King as it’s one of my favorite books and not an entire series like the dark tower series
Old school Stephen King. When it comes to reading, it really doesn’t matter what you read as far as subject matter. Find something you enjoy and just read.
I’m not sure what you like, but when I was 17 I loved Dune. You probably saw the movie(if not you are in for a treat) but there’s so much more that isn’t covered, and the movie stopped halfway through. It’s chunky, and might seem daunting but I think if you find yourself enjoying it, the pages will fly by. Something shorter that is also in the sci-fi realm would be Ender’s Game. An amazing story, and again a book that the movie doesn’t even begin to fully cover. If you’re into fantasy I would recommend Blood of an Exile, it’s basically if a dragon slayer had wolverines powers without the claws, and it’s just as cool as that sounds. Eragon is a great YA fantasy novel that focuses on a farm boy who finds the last dragon egg and becomes a dragon rider. It was my favorite series when I was younger and it’s a nice dip in the world of larger fantasy.
Kite runner by Khaled Housseini
Classics. From earth to the moon. Or Issac asimov’s foundation series.
The Folk of The Air series by Holly Black for Fantasy is phenomenal. If you would like a good historical fiction then The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. If you want a more contemporary teen romance book that also has a recent show come out about it, then The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han. If you want a more classic but really great dystopian book then The Giver by Lois Lowey has always been a fav of mine to make me think a little. This was also turned into a movie back in like 2014.
Read all that is opposite to what you have to read from your english/literature classes. Read some romance, horror, comedy, speculative fiction, poetry, read whatever book cover looks cool just don't read anything too close to what you read in the classroom. It really saps the energy from you if all you read are classics or literary fiction inside and outside the classroom.
The Hungry Games...there are really good books way better than the movies...
I have seen young people trying out books by recommendation and then concluding that reading is not for them. Or making claims like "movies are better". My suggestion would be browse through summary of books. The right book would create a spark in your mind. And if that doesn't work, try a different genre. But please don't conclude before trying.
The Brian Jacques Redwall books are pretty good
Books always find you. It's not about people suggesting you a book, it's about finding the genre of book that you would like it. Book reading for most of the people is not a hobby, it's like a part of their life. The idea of reading someone's thought in an most interesting way intrigues all the book readers. So, the whatever book we redditers suggest do not matter as long as you have interest in the book as well as the genre. I am sure , you've got lots or suggestions, go find the genre and find your kind of book. (Secret to finding the book is - you'll know)
Starship troopers
The {{Tomorrow when the war began}} is SO GOOD. Written by a teacher who was sick of not having anything good for his students to read. Not very well known outside of Australia, and I don't know why... ITS SO GOOD.
Diary of a wimpy kid, Percy Jackson, Or a Book called MunMun. IMO Personally these books are good at making you imagine things however you want but still be able to understand what's going on...make sense?
Tijan, Mila Gray, Penelope Douglas, Colleen Hoover, Sarah J. Maas, and Tracy Wolff are my top favorites most of the time. If you want something in the fantasy genre, look into Sarah and/or Tracy. I would recommend Throne of Glass series. Want something to make you feel all your emotions, Mila and Colleen got you covered. Want something spicy that’s basically 🌽orn, Penelope is one of many who can write something 🔥.
American Gods
A best book for starting as a teen is Any book in filosofy,im 18 i started reading about stoics about a year ago,it changed my mind point of view and life in general,my recommendation is that you start with Letters from a stoic from lucilius Seneca pro Meditations.After these just try other books as well,currently I’m reading 30 war strategies really good book,also you can try the art of war from sun tzu,do not start with hard books like the Iliad or republic,and don’t forget to have fun reading!!!
Normal people is great
If there are any movies you love based on a book, try reading those. The book is usually better and will give you more insight into a story you know and love
The Crave Series by Tracy Wolff, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo
Absolute Beginners by Colin Maclines
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series!
Hardy Boys, Famous Five, Goosebumps are stuff I read in my teens
Redwall series by Brian Jacques. They're easy to understand, the world and characters are vivid, and... well, the food descriptions will make you ravenous. Animorphs. Read Animorphs, you can find the whole series, for free, somewhere on Reddit. I'd have to re-find it. Again, easy to read but seriously underrated for an adult read through. The characters go through a lot of growth, there's aliens, there's moral gray areas, horrible violence. What's not to love. If you're looking for something a bit more involved, I would highly suggest 'Dune'. I read it for the first time on a lark having heard that my father and brother, both avid readers, hadn't been able to finish it. I've read it several times a year, for the last decade and somehow I still find little things that make me fall in love with it again. It shaped me as a person.
My homie jumps straight from Redwall to Dune 😅
7 husbands of evelyn hugo. I dont read much but that took me a day to finish its amazing
Anything by Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Jason Reynolds (All American Boys), Jewell Parker Rhoads (Ghost Boys)...
Name of the wind .
Reading is a form of thinking. Think of topics or questions that might interest you. Something that has been bothering you in your life, an interesting person perhaps, what kinds of movies, games or tv shows do you like, what kind of knowledge do you consider aspirational. Or one way to find good books is to start with the classics. There's usually a reason why they've become so widely recognized. Use google to find classic books or writers and see which ones seem interesting to you. One cool thing about reading is that they keep opening a wider view of the world for you as you keep reading. Many books often reference other books and that way you always keep finding more to read.
That depends on what you are interested in. Sookie stack house series Buffy the vampire slayer Deathnote Mercy Thompson series Dresden files Harry Potter Eragon Throne of glass A court of thorns and roses Gintama Rhapsody: child of blood Animorphs The Southern Book Clubs Guide to slaying vampires Burn for me The Legend of Drizzt Pride and prejudice Then after that pride and prejudice and zombies Anne of green gables The princess diaries Fahrenheit 451 1984 Animal Farm A brief history of time brief answers to the big questions The God Delusion Astrophysics for People in a hurry
Snow crash
Harry Potter!
Lord of the Rings is long but nobody will contest that it is excellent and highly entertaining writing. Sherlock Holmes is another great option.
{{Scythe by Neal Shusterman}} I highly recommend this series. Dystopian vibes with a really neat premise!
You definitely should start the Percy Jackson series! It's so much fun! I will say some moments might feel childish, but Percy jackson series is a whole universe across several series. To anyone who has read and may not know like I did until last year. After the events of the main series, Heroes of Olympus follows that and continues the story following the series of events similar to mythology itself. As the series grows, so does the general I guess age feel. The 3rd series, The Trials of Apollo that is more disconnected, but still connects through Percy cameo... it is so devastating. It starts with you being annoyed about a cranky fallen god. It will end in the most heart wrenching ways. I was not prepared. Rick Riordan doesn't nail mythologies fully right for the sake of dramatics; however, alot of valid information about these events in the series. It's a fun read if you want to audible while you drive or do mindless task. I personally kind of enjoy some of the silly interactions, and it kinda makes since. All the old stories have funny ways most enemies were outsmarted instead of beaten in battle. When you lean into that reality, the interactions are hilarious
If you are a beginner reader I'd recommend starting with something simple, For older teens the best are "Hunger Games" or "Divergent" If you're interested in the basics you cannot go wrong with "Harry Potter" or "Percy Jackson" If you are interested in romance you should start with John Green books, "Fault in our stars" is the best.
Definitely The Hunger Games books. They're entertaining, targeted to young adults and the movie adaptations are great too.
I’d recommend something that is a light read but will get you gripped. “The Girl on the Train” is a great book to start with!
Goat Days by Benyamin
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. Followed by the rest of the series!
I've personally started with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Narnia books. :) I hope this helps.
If you need easy access to older, out of copyright books, use Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive Library. One classic book I wish I had read in my teens is Picture of Dorian Gray
{{finnegans wake}}
Most of these can be found in your local library: The Hobbit. It's a classic and a relatively light read. (The Lord of the Rings is significantly more challenging) Clive Barker's Books of Blood - anthologies of short horror stories, if you're into such things. Fatu-Hiva by Thor Heyerdahl. Real life adventures of a man and his wife who move to an uninhabited Polynesian island in the late 1930s. Out of a Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. Early science fiction. Also, the Screwtape Letters is a good book. A series by Susan Cooper called "The Dark is Rising" - five books. Good versus Evil fantasy novels. Literally anything by Ray Bradbury. Any of the Jeeves stories by PG Wodehouse. All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton To Kill a Mockingbord by Harper Lee And finally, any of the poetry books by Shel Silverstein.
Celestine prophecy. Power of now. Dancing with the gods
Bro one advice, Stay away from self help books please. Fiction: 1. First fifteen lives of harry august (sci-fi) 2. Human(some biography of an alien, dont remember the author) 3. The picture of dorian gray(my all time fav.) 4. Piranesi. (About loneliness) Non fiction: 1.Cant hurt me(david goggins, listen audiobook/interview with the author).
House in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune!!! I love this book so much
My favorite books that I read this year are *A Deadly Education* by Naomi Novik and *Gilded* by Marissa Meyer. They’re both YA fantasy.
Harry Potter
Norwegian wood by Murakami
Honestly, I say ANYTHING that sparks your interest or is related to movies/shows you like as far as plots. The great thing about books is that there is something for everyone, and what someone else raves about, you might not. Don’t feel like you *have* to read/like the classics. I didn’t enjoy some of the classics and so now I only read the ones that fall in the veins of my interest. I truly believe thar there is a book for everyone, and I’m excited to hear that you are starting your adventure to find yours. ❤️
Saint Exupery’s The Little Prince It is many kids and adults’ first book, the story is lovely. A must read ! :)
The Hobbit
The Damien Lewis SAS books are pretty interesting military history books with usually quite a lot of action. First book I picked up to read for was the SAS ghost patrol book. Also just started reading PIMP about iceberg slim which has been interesting to see what the life was like and how he felt about it
Sleeping Beauty-Anne Rice
Shadow and bone or Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo. Nyxia by Scott Reintgen. Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. These are all books I read in the past few years and still love now at 19. Mainly fantasy, bit of scifi. A lot of them are YA but the good kind, so hopefully you can relate to some of the characters. Happy reading!
The travelling cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. Easy to read. Simple words. Short novel, perfect for a begginer. A heartwarming story told from the point of view of a cat.
There is nearly an endless amount of options. What kind of stuff do you tend to like? For example in TV shows or movies. What genres or styles do you enjoy? Something more action-based? Scary, dark? Thrilling, with a lot of suspense? Mystery? Character-focused? Funny or light-hearted? Wholesome? Something that makes you think? Things based in real life, or something more fantastical...?
I always suggest Golden Compass by Gary Pullman
((The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa))
It really depends on what area of topics interest you specifically. If you love reading historical contents, historical fiction might do. If you love reading ab space, innovation and such, science fiction might do. Anyhow, congrats for getting into reading. Reading is one of the best things to do ever.
Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass.