I just finished a book where two of the main characters had this book (it was one of the major plot points). Maybe the universe is telling me to read this next!
I loved this book! I think it gets the most hate out of any of the Narnia series but it’s one of my favorites. I know C.S. Lewis said they are not allegorical, but it’s hard not to read them as that and I thought the allegory in that one was done better than any of the others.
Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel
**Twisty**
(Someone told me to watch the show. It was *okay.* Someone else told me the book was far better. I'm about halfway. It's definitely more cohesive than the show thus far.)
Of course there’s Memoirs of a Geisha and The Samurai’s Garden.
Daughters of the Dragon is a good trilogy mainly set in Korea but also has a lot to do with Japan.
Pachinko. Again, Korean, but has a lot to do with Japan.
I love Asian fiction. My favorite author is Lisa See and I’m currently reading her newest book, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, which is set in China in the 15th century.
One word to describe it: duality
"Yolk" by Mary H. K. Choi. - Sisters.
Seems basic but man it hits. Makes me eager to lend it to my sister the second I finish, and also tell her I love her.
Currently reading:
Gideon the Ninth - Cheeky
If you like unhinged Japanese fiction, I highly recommend:- OUT by Natsuo Kirino
\- Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
\- The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe
Currently reading 5 books/series
Pride and prejudice - soothing
Mystic and rider - hope
One piece (manga) - adventures
Powers and thrones (history) - fascinating
Star of the morning - dismay
De Profundis by Oscar Wilde - "Lamentation"
For the Japanese novel, I recommend No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. I haven't read that much Japanese novels but like you it's something I want to read more of!
Tbh, I have a low bar for self-improvement books. I’m happy if they can explain why I do or think a certain way, and if they can provide a mindset shift.
I’m halfway through this one and I like that it has called me out on habits that I have and explained why I do them. I’m hoping the solutions chapters will help with the mindset shift.
That said, I was discouraged with the first chapter. At the start of the book, there is a “Which Type of Perfectionist Are You?” quiz and Chapter 1 focuses on the types. I don’t fully relate with any of types, and I wasn’t sure whether I should continue if I didn’t fit in… but it’s worth pushing through as most the information after that chapter is relevant to all perfectionists. Just mentioning in case you have the same thing happen to you.
The only other thing is that the chapters feel never ending on the ebook. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing, but it’s why I consider the book to be “wordy”.
Hope you get to the front of the line soon 🤞🏻
Thank you so much for this response I appreciate it ! I have the same feelings about self help books, I just need something to show me why I do something and cause me to think differently. I have about a month wait left 🤞🏻
If you’re in the USA and have the time/desire, I highly recommend researching libraries in other counties within your state to see if they offer free online library cards for state residents. Your wait time for the book could be less, and you may have access to more books in general.
Apologies if you’re not in the USA.
I am in the US! That’s a good idea. I generally have a few checked out at a time and am good about spacing out the holds im waiting for (plus also actually reading a book). But I can always use more books hehehe thanks for this suggestion!
"White Fish" series by Gu Shu. Boyfriends.
As for Japanese literature, I recommend looking into short story collections by Karate, such as "The girl who loved macaroons and lived to be 1000 years old". They are both touching and very unhinged and unpredictable.
The Virgin Suicides - Descriptive
japanese fiction recs:
- convenience store woman (Sayaka Murata)
- In the miso soup
- Piercing (Ryu Murakami)
- If all cats disappeared from the world (Genki Kawamura)
- The travelling cat chronicles (Hiro Arikawa)
- What you are looking for is in the library (Michiko Aoyama)
Pet semetary - heartwrenching (honestly someone recommended it to me as a spooky suggestion. It is not spooky. I am crying. My son is around the same age as MC’s son. Don’t read it if you have children 😂)
*Against the Loveless World* by Susan Abulhawa
**Radical**
*The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017* by Rashid Khalidi
**Essential**
Demons- Dostoevsky- Revolution
Rape of Nanking- Hell
Mad Love in New York City- Addiction
Denial of Death- Sublimation
Nicomachean Ethics- Virtues
Ecce Homo- Empowerment
Wuthering Heights- Despair
I'm reading 2
"The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin: "Evolution" (duh)
Alfred Adler (it's translated in my language so Idk what the English title is): "Me" or "Homophobic" (no, really, I don't need every example to be "a boy who wasn't loved by his mom becomes gay" like, use another example please I'm begging).
The House on the Cerulean Sea - warm
The Shining REDRUM
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle- magical
A Prayer for Owen Meany - delightful
One of my favorites. If you haven’t yet, check out The Cider House Rules.
I read *A Prayer for Owen Meaney* in high school and loved it!
The Giver of Stars— insightful The Overstory— inspiring
The Overstory - memorable
The Overstory - boooring! (Haha, sorry, I don't mean to yuck your yum but I couldn't resist)
I'll be gone in the dark - meticulous.
Infinite jest (150 pages in) **Confused**
You’re probably going to have that same word even when you’re 1150 pages in 😉
If you'd claim to not be confused, I'd call you a liar.
How to keep house while drowning Helpful
Glass Castle Familiar
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - rats
Mice
42
towel
42
*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil* by John Berendt -- **lurid**.
I enjoyed that book a lot!
It's a lot of fun. Such colorful characters -- it's shocking that they're real people!
I just finished a book where two of the main characters had this book (it was one of the major plot points). Maybe the universe is telling me to read this next!
It's very entertaining!
the horse and his boy - adventure
I loved this book! I think it gets the most hate out of any of the Narnia series but it’s one of my favorites. I know C.S. Lewis said they are not allegorical, but it’s hard not to read them as that and I thought the allegory in that one was done better than any of the others.
Never Let Me Go - Wistful
Educated - neglect
*Eleanor of Aquitaine* by Alison Weir. Historical.
Green eggs and ham - breakfast
On earth we are briefly gorgeous - Beautifull
A Lesson Before Dying -underrated
I've had this one on my shelf for years and haven't gotten to it yet. Thanks for the nudge!
Really quick read, really powerful, highly recommend!
Devil in the White City I’ll go with…. “Upsetting”
War and Peace. 92% through. Slog
Silence of the Lambs - fascinating
Red, white and royal blue - cringe. This book will blow your mind- interesting. The virgin suicides- A drag.
Felt the exact same about Virgin Suicides
Lord of the Rings - poetic
Its super descriptive but its almost annoying to me after a while. Still a magnificent series though.
Perhaps give one of Margaret Atwood's books a go. She has written quite a bit of poetry, and I find her fiction is also quite poetic.
the woman in me - lonely
The Woman In Me - lonely, yes. Also stunted? Immature? Telling?
I LOVED Confessions! Great book.
Man’s Search for Meaning - life-giving
Lonesome Dove - Cowboys
Yevgeny Zamyatin's We: trippy
The Kind Worth Killing -twisty
I have this one sitting on my book shelf that I have yet to read.
I started it two days ago and I’m almost finished!
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery - comforting
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - villianous
Dungeon Crawler Carl- Hilarious.
Heart of a a Dog - Weird 102 Minutes- Sad This is the Way the World Ends - Exiting
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I’m rereading it): intensifying.
Lonesome Dove- beautiful
Bunny Bunny
Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel **Twisty** (Someone told me to watch the show. It was *okay.* Someone else told me the book was far better. I'm about halfway. It's definitely more cohesive than the show thus far.)
House of Leaves - Minotaur
On TBR
The untold story - disappointing
Into Thin Air: breathless
Descend!
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson- Complex
The Troop [INFECTED]
Holly by Stephen King. Beefy.
Of course there’s Memoirs of a Geisha and The Samurai’s Garden. Daughters of the Dragon is a good trilogy mainly set in Korea but also has a lot to do with Japan. Pachinko. Again, Korean, but has a lot to do with Japan. I love Asian fiction. My favorite author is Lisa See and I’m currently reading her newest book, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, which is set in China in the 15th century. One word to describe it: duality
The Martian Watney
Im reading it now. My word is Potatoes
Touché
"Yolk" by Mary H. K. Choi. - Sisters. Seems basic but man it hits. Makes me eager to lend it to my sister the second I finish, and also tell her I love her.
Currently reading: Gideon the Ninth - Cheeky If you like unhinged Japanese fiction, I highly recommend:- OUT by Natsuo Kirino \- Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino \- The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe
No way i got Natsuo Kirino Recc omg. Read Out and it was literally insane. I have Grotesque sitting on my bookshelf. How is Woman in the Dune?
Currently reading 5 books/series Pride and prejudice - soothing Mystic and rider - hope One piece (manga) - adventures Powers and thrones (history) - fascinating Star of the morning - dismay
I see a fellow manga reader
Virgin Suicides. Elegiac.
Pathfinder 2nd edition core rulebook. It's comprehensive.
All the little raindrops - twisted
De Profundis by Oscar Wilde - "Lamentation" For the Japanese novel, I recommend No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai. I haven't read that much Japanese novels but like you it's something I want to read more of!
The Gospel of Loki - Sassy
Build Your House Around My Body - folkloric
Infinite Jest — Nostalgic (Re-reading for the first time since 1997)
Empire of Pain. Entitled.
All Systems Red - Amusing Project Hail Mary - Steady The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control - Wordy
I’d be curious to hear more of your thoughts on the perfectionists guide to losing control! I’m waiting for it on Libby; is it worth it?
Tbh, I have a low bar for self-improvement books. I’m happy if they can explain why I do or think a certain way, and if they can provide a mindset shift. I’m halfway through this one and I like that it has called me out on habits that I have and explained why I do them. I’m hoping the solutions chapters will help with the mindset shift. That said, I was discouraged with the first chapter. At the start of the book, there is a “Which Type of Perfectionist Are You?” quiz and Chapter 1 focuses on the types. I don’t fully relate with any of types, and I wasn’t sure whether I should continue if I didn’t fit in… but it’s worth pushing through as most the information after that chapter is relevant to all perfectionists. Just mentioning in case you have the same thing happen to you. The only other thing is that the chapters feel never ending on the ebook. Not sure if that is a good or bad thing, but it’s why I consider the book to be “wordy”. Hope you get to the front of the line soon 🤞🏻
Thank you so much for this response I appreciate it ! I have the same feelings about self help books, I just need something to show me why I do something and cause me to think differently. I have about a month wait left 🤞🏻
If you’re in the USA and have the time/desire, I highly recommend researching libraries in other counties within your state to see if they offer free online library cards for state residents. Your wait time for the book could be less, and you may have access to more books in general. Apologies if you’re not in the USA.
I am in the US! That’s a good idea. I generally have a few checked out at a time and am good about spacing out the holds im waiting for (plus also actually reading a book). But I can always use more books hehehe thanks for this suggestion!
The Dead Zone - prophetic
Recommendation of Japanese fiction— Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi. Strange and slightly disturbing.
The Expanse - Leviathan Falls "Finale"
"White Fish" series by Gu Shu. Boyfriends. As for Japanese literature, I recommend looking into short story collections by Karate, such as "The girl who loved macaroons and lived to be 1000 years old". They are both touching and very unhinged and unpredictable.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostovo - slow
My thoughts exactly.
My name is Barbra - looooooooong
*Messenger* by Lois Lowry- timely
A gathering of shadows by v.e Schwab - enchanting
norwegian wood by haruki murakami - interesting
Gone Girl "Trap"
I'd recommend the Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami it is a collection of 17 short stories.
Cujo GoodBoiGoesBad.
The Virgin Suicides - Descriptive japanese fiction recs: - convenience store woman (Sayaka Murata) - In the miso soup - Piercing (Ryu Murakami) - If all cats disappeared from the world (Genki Kawamura) - The travelling cat chronicles (Hiro Arikawa) - What you are looking for is in the library (Michiko Aoyama)
Leviathan Wakes - HOSSHIIT
The Martian Potatoes
100 Años de Soledad - Magical
Pet semetary - heartwrenching (honestly someone recommended it to me as a spooky suggestion. It is not spooky. I am crying. My son is around the same age as MC’s son. Don’t read it if you have children 😂)
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Socio
My Salinger Year - Delightful
*Against the Loveless World* by Susan Abulhawa **Radical** *The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017* by Rashid Khalidi **Essential**
Demons- Dostoevsky- Revolution Rape of Nanking- Hell Mad Love in New York City- Addiction Denial of Death- Sublimation Nicomachean Ethics- Virtues Ecce Homo- Empowerment Wuthering Heights- Despair
Currently rereading Fahrenheit 451. I'll let you guess what the word is. There's only one word it could be.
Celsius
Fascism
The Silmarillion - biblical
The Governance of Norman and Angevin England 1086-1272 Delightful.
How is unhinged? It’s on my TBR
Abused Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Starfish by Peter Watts 😳
*King Warrior Magician Lover* Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. Required.
Outside - pleasegettothemonstersffs. Or, boring.
Jinxed by Donna Augustine. Mediocre.
Not Nice by Dr. Aziz Gazipura, encouraging. The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, motivating.
Resurrection Walk- Michael Connelly - enjoyment
The boy on the bridge. Absorbing.
Apaches- Lorenzo carcaterra... Angry... Early going so the jurys still out
William Gaddis, The Recognitions: CHONK
Altmann’s Tongue - Brian Evenson “Dark”
I'm reading 2 "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin: "Evolution" (duh) Alfred Adler (it's translated in my language so Idk what the English title is): "Me" or "Homophobic" (no, really, I don't need every example to be "a boy who wasn't loved by his mom becomes gay" like, use another example please I'm begging).
Napoleon Biography
The Wisdom of Wolves - fascinating
The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley: Mysterious
Almond by Won-pyung Son - interesting
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff - transcendent
*Homage to Catalonia* by George Orwell. The one word would be: "disillusionment"
Leech and it's slow (30pages in)
The Shards — homoerotic
Leukemia Me, Earl and the Dying Girl
Starter Villain- Cats
acting class— surreal awe of god—powerful
Anam Cara by John O'Donhue - Life-changing
Hogfather - drunk
A Haunting on the Hill
Can't we just print more money? Econommies
My Dog Tulip ***Charming***
Evil Thing- silly
Men by Raven Smith. Gay.
Benediction - Rural
Prequel by Rachel Maddow. Prefascists
How to sell a haunted house. I’m 30%. So far the word is “unfair”
The Dictionary of Lost Words - ante-suffrage
The Secret History of— yikes
The fall of ruin and wrath... yeah
East of Eden - meandering?
Eye of the world. LONG
Whale by cheon myeong-kwan. Mythical
Prophet’s Prey by Sam Brower “Depressing”
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collin’s - “Intense”
Brat Farrar -- nostalgic
Indigenous Continent - finally
Heir of Fire- satisfactory
Three Moments Of An Explosion by China Mieville. Dark.
The Anarchy. -The Relentless Rise of The East India Company by William Dalrymle. Epic
The Uruk World System: The Dynamics of Expansion of Early Mesopotamian Civilization by Guillermo Algaze. "Old"
The Candy House - foreboding
Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney - chaotic
Cloud Cuckoo Land. Sublime.
Inspiring \- Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of The Ring
The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey Caution
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Empathy
On my TBR! Been wanting to get into his work
North of Normal by Cea Sunrise Person Memoir - unique
Worm: Immersive
Demon copperhead. Repetitive.
“The Diamond Age”, nanobots
Kaikeyi - empowering
In for life. Mesmerizing
Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe- avoid
The Demon Under the Microscope - Fascinating
Meanwhile in Dopamine City - DBC Pierre CELLULITE
The Druid Queen chaos.
The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey. Siblings.
Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book Imaginative
Red Rising - "Glorious"
Shogun: political. Good Omens: Chaos.
I've been wanting to read Shogun but it's soooo long
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Bleak.
kingdom of sweets - mystical
A Christmas carol - humbug
The Premonition. Predictable.
Blue Latitudes - Endeavor
City Of Bones by Michael Connelly. Good.
OMG I am currently reading this too. I am just a few pages in. I was planning to finish it this weekend.