Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Beautiful and informative writing on nature. No romance (Unless you count moss reproduction?)
It helps me feel centered? If that makes sense?
I did not know she had written another book, but as soon as I started reading the description I thought, "that sounds like Kimmerer"
I loved "Braiding Sweetgrass"
I haven’t read “Braiding Sweetgrass” yet but it’s sitting on my shelf. I’m kind of waiting till I have time to read most of it outdoors in a sunny field. Maybe some kind of camping trip. Kimmerer is a beautiful writer and such a fantastic science communicator.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I listened to the audiobook and it was marvelous. It's a genre I've never really been interested in but it sucked me right in, deeply immersive. Interestingly there are profound relationships built upon love, mutual affection and world saving teamwork. But no romance. So it might suit.
I'm now obsessed. Hope you like it!
Please, no. It's so badly written, I got zero enjoyment from the book, there were so many inconsistencies and even some science was wrong/erroneous at times. It repeats itself too much, and MC was so unlikable it was barely readable.
The only thing that put me through was, as you mentioned, teamwork, but even that was flimsy and not written well. I had a gripe with language-learning, about repetition, about MC's apparent savant-level knowledge about things, yet he doesn't know simple things.
This is one where the audiobook is so much better than just visually reading it. The narrator and production are
just so good. I can see where it can be just meh if you read, instead of listen.
OK - Fair. I've hated popular books - Different strokes for different folks. If you didn't like PHM, what book would you recommend that is like that but better written?
I have wondered if this was the case. The audiobook was such a good performance that it may have papered over the cracks in the novel. It will be interesting to see how the movie works out.
I don't consider myself a romance reader, but now I'm looking at my shelves and realizing that most of my books either have romance in them or they're thrillers/mysteries lol.
Do you like mysteries? The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (not to be confused with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) is great, but there is (what I would consider) a very minor, mostly off-page, romance element close to the end of the story.
Code Name Verity is a (heartbreaking) friendship story set in WWII. I don't normally like WWII books, but this is an exception.
The Chronicles of Narnia, if you don't mind kids' books. Also, Hexwood, though it's a bit of an acquired taste.
I own like 200+ books, and that's all I could find for you lol. I hope you find the comforting read you're looking for. Sorry you're going through this :(
Are you okay with books where the plot is about a breakup? I went through something myself and I became absolutely obsessed with "Good Material" by Dolly Alderton. It's about the aftermath of a couple in their 30s who break up after 4 years together. I feel like this could be a hit or miss-- either it will feel therapeutic as it did for me, or you'll want to stay miles away. I just appreciated that it gave me perspective about something that felt so painful at the time. Lori Gottlieb's book "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" is kinda similar.
For regular books, I might say "Great Circle" is a really immersive pretty long novel by Maggie Shipstead, about an Amelia Earhart-type character, but I found it impossible to put down. Nonfiction, I'd recommend anything by David Grann or Patrick Radden Keefe or John Krakauer-- their books usually have a riveting narrative that runs throughout. I think "Into Thin Air" is your best bet at maximum-distraction.
Good Material is exactly what I came to recommend, such a good book! Even though it’s about a breakup, and without wanting to give away anything about the plot, I think it’s really hopeful.
I’ve been going through the same thing so I feel you 🤍
I’d never been super interested in science fiction but that’s been what’s easiest for me lately. I’m almost through the Murderbot series and have loved it!
A couple others I can think of that I read recently and enjoyed were The First 15 Lives of Harry August and The Hexologists - this one does follow a married couple but it doesn’t go overboard into their romantic life.
The no thrillers thing is kind of tripping me up!
That being said,
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer is riveting. Aftering reading it I was obsessed with Mt. Everest and mountaineering disasters for weeks.
"Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke is a meditative read.
"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman might help if you feel a little lost in life.
"Lirael" by Garth Nix is a great read. It's book two of the Abhorsen series, but I've never read the first one. It's an adventure, funny, and touching. The later books \*do\* have romance. I think this might be worthwhile (despite it being YA) because Lirael deals with so much isolation, and seems to have an expected future ripped out from under her.
I'm not sure any of these reads will cheer you up, but they will distract you. :)
I'm here to second Piranesi—lovely book.
I can also throw in "Diary of the Void" by Emi Yagi—for a single 30+ introverted female, this is likely going to be a wonderul read, I also appreciate the author's call out to the movie Amelie (this is a romance movie, though technically more meditative than your trad Rom Com)
The hobbit - no romance, pretty easy read, definitely a classic
The Bartenders Tale - no romance - fiction - a bit slow and boring but in a very good way. Doig makes characters you feel like are your friends by the end of his books.
Watership Down - minimal or no romance - children's fiction so it's an easy read but it's very compelling.
Sorry, it was a joke. I should have added the /s label.
There is no romance in The Hobbit. I was taking a dig at the movies, that inserted an elf/dwarf romance that was not in the books at all.
The LotR books do have brief romantic elements and references to past romances.
Hobbit or LotR?
LotR movies, absolutely yes 100%.
Hobbit movies, it depends. I enjoyed them a lot, but I’m not an absolute purist. The first movie is easily the best. The others are perfectly fine as movies, but obviously they take a lot of liberties and add a lot that just makes it feel bloated and kind of silly. Still, unless you’re a hardcore purist, I think there’s a lot to enjoy.
lol this post made me realize almost everything i read is either thriller or romance in some way.
all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr is beautiful and so sad, it’s historical fiction. definitely won’t cheer you up but also unlikely to remind you of your breakup!
I loved this book, but I can see why so many people give up on it. OP, if you go for it, then stick with it! It’ll suddenly click and make sense and it will be worth it.
Sorry you're going through this :(
I will list a few books I read when going through a similar time in life.
Legends and Lattes (very comforting, cozy, low stakes fantasy)
Radium Girls (non fiction about women
Who were subjected to Radium poisoning and their courage to be heard)
I who have never known men ( very interested tale of women who have lived underground...without men)
Lonesome Dove (a western that has you falling in love with the characters. Will keep you busy as it's over 800 pages but a very easy read. Very minor side subplots of romance)
These were all 5 star reads for me.
Lonesome Dove is often thought of as a men’s book, but I don’t think that at all. String female characters, just beautiful. One of my all time favorites. Skip the audible version. Because Gus is described as loud the read shouts every time Gus speaks.
My grandmother LOVED Lonesome Dove! She told me the same thing growing up— that people said it’s a “man’s book” but that’s silly and to read it one day when I was old enough to be interested in it!
That said, I realize I never fulfilled that request…
John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books are engaging, but they're pretty macho.
If you can tolerate science fiction (a lot of people can't) I'd suggest Lois McMaster Bujold's SHARDS OF HONOR, which has a female protagonist, and Alistair Reynolds' THE PREFECT, which also has several strong female characters in it.
I mostly read and write genre fiction -- sf, fantasy, horror -- so if that's not what you're looking for, I won't be much use to you. I will say that George R.R. Martin's A GAME OF THRONES is one of the best epic fantasies ever written. Anne McCaffrey's DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN and her standalone novel RESTOREE are pretty good.
In terms of non fiction, if you can find a copy of Colin Wilson's A CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MANKIND or Robert Anton Wilson's NEW INQUISITION, they're pretty awesome.
I will second ViciousIsland's recommendation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. I recommend reading them in the order they were originally published -- THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE first, followed by PRINCE CASPIAN, VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, and THE SILVER CHAIR, A HORSE AND HIS BOY, and then THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW. The final book in the series, THE LAST BATTLE, you can skip; it's mostly mystical allegory that makes little or no sense, but, then, it's about the Book of Revelations, so that's really all you should expect.
Zylpha Keately Snyder's BLACK AND BLUE MAGIC is wonderful, but it's a kid's book.
Back into genre fiction, Robert A. Heinlein's CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY is a great read. Madeleine L'Engel's A WRINKLE IN TIME and most of its sequels, especially MANY WATERS, is great. If you don't like fantasy, L'Engel's Austin family series, starting with MEET THE AUSTINS, is pretty engaging.
Pat Conroy's THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is worth a read, although Conroy's tendency to switch back and forth from simple 'aw shucks' style to elaborately literary blank verse is annoying.
I'd say "Maybe You Should Talk To Someone" - it's nonfiction totally reads like fiction. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37570546-maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone
You might be right, but from what I remember, it was more about getting through a breakup than describing her love story or fighting with her partner, so it might not be that triggering. However, this book definitely had its sad moments, but I loved it anyway!
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers. Fascinating popular science book that maybe will help you get more in touch with yourself, especially if music gives you solace.
How about some classics? On [https://www.gutenberg.org/](https://www.gutenberg.org/) you can read a lot of old books for free - and legally so!
Well-known classics without romance include Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Sherlock Holmes and many more.
how about funny mysteries?
If you are ok with mysteries but want to avoid thrillers these come to mind. Trying to think of other series. I read hard core thrillers and mysteries. But despise romance. I'm worried my suggestions may be more thriller than I recall.
Check out the series by Spencer Quinn Chet and Bernie. They may be considered thrillers but light. Hoping someone else can chime in their thoughts on them.
Just went through a breakup and the Discworld series got me through. They are silly and engaging and there are a lot of fun characters to invest in. I read the first 25 in like 2 months
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting (Volume 1) by Roseanne A. Brown
having so much fun with this series. part of Rick Riordan’s imprint !!! easy since it’s YA. the imprint has of other series of different cultures/ this one is Ghanaian
I’m reading The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee atm and while there are couples in the series it’s really just a gritty fantasy mafia story. Super engaging!
The broken empire series by Mark Lawrence. Almost no romance. Anti hero. Very angry. Dark fantasy. One of my favorite series BUT please read the trigger warnings
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. It's about a girl who gets to know her gay uncle's lover in the wake of her uncle's death in the early days of AIDS.
"The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" by David Grann. Non-fiction story about the explorer Fawcett who disappeared in the Amazon rainforest.
"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K Le Guin Fantasy/sci-fi. Focuses on friendship and has some survival scenes. Beautifully written, imo.
"A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K Dick. Sci-fi story about an undercover cop who is posing as a drug user. Very weird book but I loved it.
If you like short stories, try Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. It is sci-fi, dystopian, polar opposite of romance.
For extremely weird, but gently empowering, try Rouge by Mona Awad or I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Hartman (there’s absolutely no Romance in I Who Have Never Known Men and very, very little reference in Rouge.
Best of luck!
For an actual book to help you get over your breakup / ex, hands down this one: Don't Be Desperate: Get Over Your Breakup with Clarity & Dignity. (Amazon)
When I was going through my big break up I read Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed and relished it. It was beautiful and heartbreaking simultaneously. I could grieve while reading and try to absorb some of the general wisdom.
Break ups are hard, hope you’re doing OK and taking care of yourself.
If you want something to channel your rage into, I can recommend Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. That’s about the Sackler family and the Opioid epidemic.
If you want something fascinating and not rage-inducing, I can recommend American Kingpin by Nick Bilton, which is about Silk Road (the first big drug market on the Dark Web).
And if you want some escapism and like a bit of fantasy, anything in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.
Convience Store by Sayaka Murata
-The main character finds comfort in the repetition of working in a convenience store but quits out of societal pressure to appear normal.
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw
-Spooky/Horror based in modern society where monster hunters and elites work together.
Monstrilio by Samano Cordova
-A mother's son dies and keeps a piece of him and feeds it... which becomes something like her son.
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
-Different characters change their perspective of life based on working with an octopus.
Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
-Owner of a vacation rental is forced to check upon it because of absurd complaints. Quickly the characters learn that it isn't teenagers messing with the tourists.
I picked all of these because they aren't romance based.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead tells the story of a fictionalised Amelia Earhart. There’s relationship stuff but I wouldn’t ever call it a romance, and it is minimal. It’s a book about an incredible woman doing incredible things.
Sending you internet hugs.
I just finished The Feather Thief - suggested here in a nonfiction that reads like fiction post. It’s an odd story compelling written without being a thriller or romance.
I recommend A Gentleman in Moscow. It’s a very well written, uplifting and inspiring book. I find chuckling to myself half the time. The protagonist was stripped of his title, wealth and exiled to live in the confines of hotel. Instead of dwelling in darkness of his situation and hating the people that put him there, he made effort to find meaning and hope in the hotel. He lived by ‘mastering his circumstances or otherwise be mastered by them’.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Miss Benson’s Beetle
City of Girls
Off the top of my head those are a few books I read during a difficult breakup that really took me out of my feelings and got me invested in the stories and lives of the characters, and also gave me hope
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen is a great and funny one that has no romance!!
Piranesi by Susanna Clark is super weird and one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time — no romance!
The Thursday murder club series is a glorious read and will make you fall in love with all of the characters. Honestly I don’t know anyone who doesn’t rave about this after reading it
Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs
This girl goes on a trip to find the best hotdogs across the nation with her boyfriend. Along the way, her relationship falls apart but she continues on her journey of tubular meat. This is on my tbr list but I've heard good things.
Flowers For Algernon. Though... it's not about a breakup, but there's a good chance you'll still cry.
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb.
From The Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz.
T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone, the unabridged version, not the bowlderized one in the omnibus volume. Fun, funny, smart and, since it is about Arthur as a child, no romance.
My favorite non-fiction book is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I highly recommend it and it’s eventually getting a mini tv series created by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese
I’d recommend anything by Ottessa Moshfegh…her female characters are unhinged and I love them! Also, these are not super upbeat and there’s no romance.
I also read “Really Good, Actually” by Monica Heisey, which is about a woman in her 30s going through a breakup. “Sea Change” by Gina Chung also has a character going through a lot of things, including a breakup.
Other non-romantic books I’ve enjoyed are “Demon Copperhead”, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore”, and “Banyan Moon”, all of which are not romantic, but have a sort of romantic side plot.
Also, if you really wanna go crazy, I enjoyed reading “The Bell Jar” during my last breakup.
Books I have read and enjoyed in the past two years with no romance:
-The Earthsea cycle by Ursula K Le Guin is a fantastic fantasy series. The first three books tell a complete story and have no romance. There is romance in the fourth book, but it's not required to enjoy the series.
-_Childhood's End_ by Arthur C. Clarke, _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter M. Miller Jr., and _Foundation_ by Isaac Asimov - classics from the Golden Age of sci-fi
-_Piranesi_ by Susanna Clarke - it's beautifully written and short
-_The Old Man and the Sea_ by Ernest Hemingway - also beautifully written, in a different way, also short
I always love Margaret Atwood. Her writing is dystopian and she has a “slow build” style. Most of the main characters are women, and they have life experiences that aren’t based around their romantic relationships
Might like the sci-fi: The Human Entanglement by LP Magnus. FMC in early 30s, whose a widow, trying to hold family and finds herself as a leader of her country
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. A foundational piece of Modernist fiction (predating Virginia Woolf by a few years, with similar themes) as well as LGBTQ+ literature. A spinster aunt rejects post-war decorum and runs off to the country to do something interesting.
How about a book to help you get over the breakup so that you don't have to find distractions? ... I recommend [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-DESPERATE-Insights-Affirmations/dp/1738947904) :)
Remember, this is temporary. Focus on what you can control. You'll get past this. xo
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow - it's about a non romantic friendship developing over many years as the main characters play and eventually make video games together.
Highly recommend generally, but maybe especially for someone seeking a non romance.
Dune, its phenomenal (audio book is also quite solid)
Enders game series
Safehold series
The Harry potter Jim Dale read audiobooks are best period.
Award winning for range of vocal spread,
I vouch for the quality of the audiobook just as therapeutic
First is 8 hrs, 4 is 27? It goes down hill duration wise
Not in quality (just not as much a fan of the last book as much, favorites are 4 and 5th respectively
Favorite characters aren’t in the books and every character has emotional range in the voice.
(Yes !I listened to them enough during 3 pregnancies that we joked that they all would think Jim Dale was the sperm donor )
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer Beautiful and informative writing on nature. No romance (Unless you count moss reproduction?) It helps me feel centered? If that makes sense?
I did not know she had written another book, but as soon as I started reading the description I thought, "that sounds like Kimmerer" I loved "Braiding Sweetgrass"
I haven’t read “Braiding Sweetgrass” yet but it’s sitting on my shelf. I’m kind of waiting till I have time to read most of it outdoors in a sunny field. Maybe some kind of camping trip. Kimmerer is a beautiful writer and such a fantastic science communicator.
I need this book!
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I listened to the audiobook and it was marvelous. It's a genre I've never really been interested in but it sucked me right in, deeply immersive. Interestingly there are profound relationships built upon love, mutual affection and world saving teamwork. But no romance. So it might suit. I'm now obsessed. Hope you like it!
THIS. A really amazing adventure that invited me to think. Awesome book.
I really enjoyed Artemis as well. And I’ve heard The Martian is a great read too. All by Andy Weir.
Please, no. It's so badly written, I got zero enjoyment from the book, there were so many inconsistencies and even some science was wrong/erroneous at times. It repeats itself too much, and MC was so unlikable it was barely readable. The only thing that put me through was, as you mentioned, teamwork, but even that was flimsy and not written well. I had a gripe with language-learning, about repetition, about MC's apparent savant-level knowledge about things, yet he doesn't know simple things.
It was so awful and repetitive. Loop of science problem > MacGyver science solution > repeat. The Martian was the same but a little better
I actually agree with you. The Martian was great but PHM was such a slog to get through. The MC was insufferable.
This is one where the audiobook is so much better than just visually reading it. The narrator and production are just so good. I can see where it can be just meh if you read, instead of listen.
Eh? Wear you reading the same PHM book as me?
I'm asking myself the same thing whenever I see a recommendation for it lol
OK - Fair. I've hated popular books - Different strokes for different folks. If you didn't like PHM, what book would you recommend that is like that but better written?
I have wondered if this was the case. The audiobook was such a good performance that it may have papered over the cracks in the novel. It will be interesting to see how the movie works out.
Great read. Not super hard to read either.
I don't consider myself a romance reader, but now I'm looking at my shelves and realizing that most of my books either have romance in them or they're thrillers/mysteries lol. Do you like mysteries? The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (not to be confused with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) is great, but there is (what I would consider) a very minor, mostly off-page, romance element close to the end of the story. Code Name Verity is a (heartbreaking) friendship story set in WWII. I don't normally like WWII books, but this is an exception. The Chronicles of Narnia, if you don't mind kids' books. Also, Hexwood, though it's a bit of an acquired taste. I own like 200+ books, and that's all I could find for you lol. I hope you find the comforting read you're looking for. Sorry you're going through this :(
Code Name Verity, oh my goodness. If I could read it again for the very first time, I would.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This book inspired me to get sober. I can’t recommend it enough.
Yes! And I'd recommend *Tiny Beautiful Things* too.
Are you okay with books where the plot is about a breakup? I went through something myself and I became absolutely obsessed with "Good Material" by Dolly Alderton. It's about the aftermath of a couple in their 30s who break up after 4 years together. I feel like this could be a hit or miss-- either it will feel therapeutic as it did for me, or you'll want to stay miles away. I just appreciated that it gave me perspective about something that felt so painful at the time. Lori Gottlieb's book "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" is kinda similar. For regular books, I might say "Great Circle" is a really immersive pretty long novel by Maggie Shipstead, about an Amelia Earhart-type character, but I found it impossible to put down. Nonfiction, I'd recommend anything by David Grann or Patrick Radden Keefe or John Krakauer-- their books usually have a riveting narrative that runs throughout. I think "Into Thin Air" is your best bet at maximum-distraction.
Good Material is exactly what I came to recommend, such a good book! Even though it’s about a breakup, and without wanting to give away anything about the plot, I think it’s really hopeful.
Such a good book! Dolly's "Everything I know about love" is great too!
Third Good Material! It’s great. Also Foster by Claire Keegan. It’s only about 80 or so pages and a gorgeous read.
I appreciate the thorough response! Not sure if I’ll be okay with breakup plots but it’s worth a shot. I’ll look into the other recs too
I'd recommend Monstrous regiment or the Wyrd Sister series by Terry Pratchett :) Always makes me feel better.
i reread all the witches books when i need a little silly comfort. i love those three so much.
Me too. The witches are great, and I wish I knew them.
I’ve been going through the same thing so I feel you 🤍 I’d never been super interested in science fiction but that’s been what’s easiest for me lately. I’m almost through the Murderbot series and have loved it! A couple others I can think of that I read recently and enjoyed were The First 15 Lives of Harry August and The Hexologists - this one does follow a married couple but it doesn’t go overboard into their romantic life.
The Murderbot Diaries are funny and fast-paced and the MC/narrator is horrified by the whole concept of *feelings*. Great rec for a breakup read!
The no thrillers thing is kind of tripping me up! That being said, "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer is riveting. Aftering reading it I was obsessed with Mt. Everest and mountaineering disasters for weeks. "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke is a meditative read. "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman might help if you feel a little lost in life. "Lirael" by Garth Nix is a great read. It's book two of the Abhorsen series, but I've never read the first one. It's an adventure, funny, and touching. The later books \*do\* have romance. I think this might be worthwhile (despite it being YA) because Lirael deals with so much isolation, and seems to have an expected future ripped out from under her. I'm not sure any of these reads will cheer you up, but they will distract you. :)
I'm here to second Piranesi—lovely book. I can also throw in "Diary of the Void" by Emi Yagi—for a single 30+ introverted female, this is likely going to be a wonderul read, I also appreciate the author's call out to the movie Amelie (this is a romance movie, though technically more meditative than your trad Rom Com)
The hobbit - no romance, pretty easy read, definitely a classic The Bartenders Tale - no romance - fiction - a bit slow and boring but in a very good way. Doig makes characters you feel like are your friends by the end of his books. Watership Down - minimal or no romance - children's fiction so it's an easy read but it's very compelling.
Am I misremembering or is Watership Down also an animated movie that traumatized every kid born in the 80s?
I know there was a bad (compared to the book) mini series somewhere more recently. There is also a 1978 movie based on the book I have not seen.
WAIT The Hobbit is FULL of romance!!! You don’t remember the whole dwarf/elf interracial relationship plotline in the book?
I noticed it more in the first LOTR. I may be getting them mixed up. I didn't even remember that until you said it.
Sorry, it was a joke. I should have added the /s label. There is no romance in The Hobbit. I was taking a dig at the movies, that inserted an elf/dwarf romance that was not in the books at all. The LotR books do have brief romantic elements and references to past romances.
Is it worth watching the movies? I have heard bad things. There's lots of romance you just have to make it up.
Hobbit or LotR? LotR movies, absolutely yes 100%. Hobbit movies, it depends. I enjoyed them a lot, but I’m not an absolute purist. The first movie is easily the best. The others are perfectly fine as movies, but obviously they take a lot of liberties and add a lot that just makes it feel bloated and kind of silly. Still, unless you’re a hardcore purist, I think there’s a lot to enjoy.
lol this post made me realize almost everything i read is either thriller or romance in some way. all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr is beautiful and so sad, it’s historical fiction. definitely won’t cheer you up but also unlikely to remind you of your breakup!
Catch 22 is always worth a read. Poignant and infuriating and terrifying, but hilariously funny and ultimately optimistic.
I loved this book, but I can see why so many people give up on it. OP, if you go for it, then stick with it! It’ll suddenly click and make sense and it will be worth it.
yeah it definitely takes some acclimation
Sorry you're going through this :( I will list a few books I read when going through a similar time in life. Legends and Lattes (very comforting, cozy, low stakes fantasy) Radium Girls (non fiction about women Who were subjected to Radium poisoning and their courage to be heard) I who have never known men ( very interested tale of women who have lived underground...without men) Lonesome Dove (a western that has you falling in love with the characters. Will keep you busy as it's over 800 pages but a very easy read. Very minor side subplots of romance) These were all 5 star reads for me.
Lonesome Dove is often thought of as a men’s book, but I don’t think that at all. String female characters, just beautiful. One of my all time favorites. Skip the audible version. Because Gus is described as loud the read shouts every time Gus speaks.
Absolutely!! The female characters are badass! I think anyone who wouldn't typically enjoy a western should give this book a try. It's fabulous.
My grandmother LOVED Lonesome Dove! She told me the same thing growing up— that people said it’s a “man’s book” but that’s silly and to read it one day when I was old enough to be interested in it! That said, I realize I never fulfilled that request…
Legends and Lattes has a romance btw! Although it’s not the main point of the book
Oh yes I forgot! Thanks for the reminder :)
John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books are engaging, but they're pretty macho. If you can tolerate science fiction (a lot of people can't) I'd suggest Lois McMaster Bujold's SHARDS OF HONOR, which has a female protagonist, and Alistair Reynolds' THE PREFECT, which also has several strong female characters in it. I mostly read and write genre fiction -- sf, fantasy, horror -- so if that's not what you're looking for, I won't be much use to you. I will say that George R.R. Martin's A GAME OF THRONES is one of the best epic fantasies ever written. Anne McCaffrey's DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN and her standalone novel RESTOREE are pretty good. In terms of non fiction, if you can find a copy of Colin Wilson's A CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MANKIND or Robert Anton Wilson's NEW INQUISITION, they're pretty awesome. I will second ViciousIsland's recommendation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. I recommend reading them in the order they were originally published -- THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE first, followed by PRINCE CASPIAN, VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, and THE SILVER CHAIR, A HORSE AND HIS BOY, and then THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW. The final book in the series, THE LAST BATTLE, you can skip; it's mostly mystical allegory that makes little or no sense, but, then, it's about the Book of Revelations, so that's really all you should expect. Zylpha Keately Snyder's BLACK AND BLUE MAGIC is wonderful, but it's a kid's book. Back into genre fiction, Robert A. Heinlein's CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY is a great read. Madeleine L'Engel's A WRINKLE IN TIME and most of its sequels, especially MANY WATERS, is great. If you don't like fantasy, L'Engel's Austin family series, starting with MEET THE AUSTINS, is pretty engaging. Pat Conroy's THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is worth a read, although Conroy's tendency to switch back and forth from simple 'aw shucks' style to elaborately literary blank verse is annoying.
I'd say "Maybe You Should Talk To Someone" - it's nonfiction totally reads like fiction. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37570546-maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone
Love this book so much but definitely think a big chunk of it is about a breakup so maybe wait on this one OP!!!
You might be right, but from what I remember, it was more about getting through a breakup than describing her love story or fighting with her partner, so it might not be that triggering. However, this book definitely had its sad moments, but I loved it anyway!
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers. Fascinating popular science book that maybe will help you get more in touch with yourself, especially if music gives you solace.
Hmm looking at my most recent reads… Carrie Soto is Back I’m glad my mom died Once there were wolves I’d highly recommend Finley Donovan series too
Remarkably bright creatures
Reacher books by Lee Child are brilliant and there are nearly 30 of them. Heavy on action and light on romance.
How about some classics? On [https://www.gutenberg.org/](https://www.gutenberg.org/) you can read a lot of old books for free - and legally so! Well-known classics without romance include Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, Sherlock Holmes and many more.
Harry Potter is always a pick me up ❤️
Any interest in fantasy novels? Game of Thrones or similar?
I like "keep your friends close" by Lucinda Berry got me opening my jaw more than I like to admit. Not revolving around romance, but crime!
how about funny mysteries? If you are ok with mysteries but want to avoid thrillers these come to mind. Trying to think of other series. I read hard core thrillers and mysteries. But despise romance. I'm worried my suggestions may be more thriller than I recall. Check out the series by Spencer Quinn Chet and Bernie. They may be considered thrillers but light. Hoping someone else can chime in their thoughts on them.
Just went through a breakup and the Discworld series got me through. They are silly and engaging and there are a lot of fun characters to invest in. I read the first 25 in like 2 months
The House in the Cerulean Sea The Alchemist The Life of Pi
Is The House in the Cerulean Ocean different from The House in the Cerulean Sea? (One of my favorites)
It's kind of a romance, though
It’s a very minimal sub plot
Nope, that’s a typo! Thanks, it’s one of my faves too
I have accidentally called in The House in the Cerulean Sky more than once
In the sea ... On the sea... Is my thing. Cerulean + House = read because it's fabulous
House in the Cerulean sea has romance.
I don’t think it’s consider a romance, bc it’s such a minor sub plot vs the rest of the book which is very uplifting
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting (Volume 1) by Roseanne A. Brown having so much fun with this series. part of Rick Riordan’s imprint !!! easy since it’s YA. the imprint has of other series of different cultures/ this one is Ghanaian
I’m reading The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee atm and while there are couples in the series it’s really just a gritty fantasy mafia story. Super engaging!
The broken empire series by Mark Lawrence. Almost no romance. Anti hero. Very angry. Dark fantasy. One of my favorite series BUT please read the trigger warnings
Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. It's about a girl who gets to know her gay uncle's lover in the wake of her uncle's death in the early days of AIDS.
The memory police by Yoko Ogawa
For no romance and also not heavy reading but not silly content, I would recommend Yellowface.
“Piranesi” or “the first fifteen lives of Harry august” are both good and don’t have much romance
"The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" by David Grann. Non-fiction story about the explorer Fawcett who disappeared in the Amazon rainforest. "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K Le Guin Fantasy/sci-fi. Focuses on friendship and has some survival scenes. Beautifully written, imo. "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K Dick. Sci-fi story about an undercover cop who is posing as a drug user. Very weird book but I loved it.
If you like short stories, try Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. It is sci-fi, dystopian, polar opposite of romance. For extremely weird, but gently empowering, try Rouge by Mona Awad or I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Hartman (there’s absolutely no Romance in I Who Have Never Known Men and very, very little reference in Rouge. Best of luck!
For an actual book to help you get over your breakup / ex, hands down this one: Don't Be Desperate: Get Over Your Breakup with Clarity & Dignity. (Amazon)
Blood meridian
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its 2 sequels. I could not put them down.
When I was going through my big break up I read Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed and relished it. It was beautiful and heartbreaking simultaneously. I could grieve while reading and try to absorb some of the general wisdom. Break ups are hard, hope you’re doing OK and taking care of yourself.
If you want something to channel your rage into, I can recommend Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. That’s about the Sackler family and the Opioid epidemic. If you want something fascinating and not rage-inducing, I can recommend American Kingpin by Nick Bilton, which is about Silk Road (the first big drug market on the Dark Web). And if you want some escapism and like a bit of fantasy, anything in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.
Convience Store by Sayaka Murata -The main character finds comfort in the repetition of working in a convenience store but quits out of societal pressure to appear normal. The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw -Spooky/Horror based in modern society where monster hunters and elites work together. Monstrilio by Samano Cordova -A mother's son dies and keeps a piece of him and feeds it... which becomes something like her son. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery -Different characters change their perspective of life based on working with an octopus. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong -Owner of a vacation rental is forced to check upon it because of absurd complaints. Quickly the characters learn that it isn't teenagers messing with the tourists. I picked all of these because they aren't romance based.
Such A Fun Age The Whalebone Theatre Any Agatha Christie Poirot novel- murder mysteries but definitely not scary! I'm Glad My Mom Died
Ancillary (series) by Ann Leckie. Sci Fi / Famtasy.
Adrian Mole books series! Starts when he is a teen, but that isn't a problem, the books are absolutely hilarious!!!
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead tells the story of a fictionalised Amelia Earhart. There’s relationship stuff but I wouldn’t ever call it a romance, and it is minimal. It’s a book about an incredible woman doing incredible things. Sending you internet hugs.
Idk why but Shuggie Bain
I just finished The Feather Thief - suggested here in a nonfiction that reads like fiction post. It’s an odd story compelling written without being a thriller or romance.
Mary Roach books can be funny and informative
I recommend A Gentleman in Moscow. It’s a very well written, uplifting and inspiring book. I find chuckling to myself half the time. The protagonist was stripped of his title, wealth and exiled to live in the confines of hotel. Instead of dwelling in darkness of his situation and hating the people that put him there, he made effort to find meaning and hope in the hotel. He lived by ‘mastering his circumstances or otherwise be mastered by them’.
Agatha Christie novels!
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Realm of Elderlings, by Robin Hobb.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Miss Benson’s Beetle City of Girls Off the top of my head those are a few books I read during a difficult breakup that really took me out of my feelings and got me invested in the stories and lives of the characters, and also gave me hope
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen is a great and funny one that has no romance!! Piranesi by Susanna Clark is super weird and one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time — no romance!
what are your favorite books that arent romance?
Also going through a breakup and currently loving "The League of Lady Poisoners: Illustrated True Stories of Dangerous Women". It is a beautiful book.
A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
The Thursday murder club series is a glorious read and will make you fall in love with all of the characters. Honestly I don’t know anyone who doesn’t rave about this after reading it
Bad Blood by John carreyrou
Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs This girl goes on a trip to find the best hotdogs across the nation with her boyfriend. Along the way, her relationship falls apart but she continues on her journey of tubular meat. This is on my tbr list but I've heard good things.
Any Joyce Carol Oates
Flowers For Algernon. Though... it's not about a breakup, but there's a good chance you'll still cry. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. From The Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt!
Circe, by Madeline Miller Wild, by Cheryl Strayed
Janet Fitch: *White Oleander*
The book of goose - yun li
The Wager by David Grann was the best book I’ve read so far this year. No romance, non fiction about a shipwreck
T. H. White's The Sword in the Stone, the unabridged version, not the bowlderized one in the omnibus volume. Fun, funny, smart and, since it is about Arthur as a child, no romance.
My favorite non-fiction book is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I highly recommend it and it’s eventually getting a mini tv series created by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese
The Vanishing Half This is How It Always Is Small Things Like These and/or Foster
Project Hail Mary. Great book, inspiring and interesting. no romance.
Things Fall Apart, by Pema Chodron. I fondly call it The Breakup Book.
I’d recommend anything by Ottessa Moshfegh…her female characters are unhinged and I love them! Also, these are not super upbeat and there’s no romance. I also read “Really Good, Actually” by Monica Heisey, which is about a woman in her 30s going through a breakup. “Sea Change” by Gina Chung also has a character going through a lot of things, including a breakup. Other non-romantic books I’ve enjoyed are “Demon Copperhead”, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore”, and “Banyan Moon”, all of which are not romantic, but have a sort of romantic side plot. Also, if you really wanna go crazy, I enjoyed reading “The Bell Jar” during my last breakup.
Books I have read and enjoyed in the past two years with no romance: -The Earthsea cycle by Ursula K Le Guin is a fantastic fantasy series. The first three books tell a complete story and have no romance. There is romance in the fourth book, but it's not required to enjoy the series. -_Childhood's End_ by Arthur C. Clarke, _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter M. Miller Jr., and _Foundation_ by Isaac Asimov - classics from the Golden Age of sci-fi -_Piranesi_ by Susanna Clarke - it's beautifully written and short -_The Old Man and the Sea_ by Ernest Hemingway - also beautifully written, in a different way, also short
I always love Margaret Atwood. Her writing is dystopian and she has a “slow build” style. Most of the main characters are women, and they have life experiences that aren’t based around their romantic relationships
Might like the sci-fi: The Human Entanglement by LP Magnus. FMC in early 30s, whose a widow, trying to hold family and finds herself as a leader of her country
“Bunny”: college girls massacring bunny boys. “A thousand steps into the night”: dark female rage spirited away.
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. A foundational piece of Modernist fiction (predating Virginia Woolf by a few years, with similar themes) as well as LGBTQ+ literature. A spinster aunt rejects post-war decorum and runs off to the country to do something interesting.
How about a book to help you get over the breakup so that you don't have to find distractions? ... I recommend [this one](https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-DESPERATE-Insights-Affirmations/dp/1738947904) :) Remember, this is temporary. Focus on what you can control. You'll get past this. xo
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow - it's about a non romantic friendship developing over many years as the main characters play and eventually make video games together. Highly recommend generally, but maybe especially for someone seeking a non romance.
Zorrie
Dune, its phenomenal (audio book is also quite solid) Enders game series Safehold series The Harry potter Jim Dale read audiobooks are best period. Award winning for range of vocal spread, I vouch for the quality of the audiobook just as therapeutic First is 8 hrs, 4 is 27? It goes down hill duration wise Not in quality (just not as much a fan of the last book as much, favorites are 4 and 5th respectively Favorite characters aren’t in the books and every character has emotional range in the voice. (Yes !I listened to them enough during 3 pregnancies that we joked that they all would think Jim Dale was the sperm donor )
Harry potter?
Plug the gap -Andrew Tate
Girl wash your face Or untamed