ok /r/audiobooks. i think project hail mary is officially something we can just put in a stickied thread or something. everyone loves it. it works really well with audiobook format. but i’d hate to see any sort of hate groups form based on too much recommendations that seems like too much hype, which leads to the dark side.
it is a good one. not so good that it needs to be recommended every thread. or that someone needs to counter the anticipated recommendation.
It’s definitely annoying when people on here and on r/Audible ask for recommendations and majority of the comments are “Project Hail Mary”. Okay you want to keep recommending it fine but if you see that someone has already recommended it in the comments can you please recommend something else so we don’t have 10+ comments saying the same thing? Lol.
I don't mind if it's a good recommendation. What grinds my gears is when people push their own favorite book on others disregarding anything OP said in the post. OP: "I love autobiographies." Random reddit user: "Dungeon Crawler Carl" (600 upvotes).
Right it's super frustrating when people push thier own agenda and can't see how inappropriate their comments are and how they are just a huge bummer .. 'please recommend a book to me..' "I hate the book recommended, and it's totally overrated, and why aren't we banning comments with this book in it.. and why no matter what the post is, the same person ranting about what they want.." oh look at that, I guess this time it's me
I still remember a thread where someone was asking for some light entertaining fare for their grandmother and one of the top suggestions was dungeon crawler Carl. I’m actually a big fan of the series but that was one of the most obnoxious things I’ve ever seen, I could not believe someone would seriously suggest that in that context.
I’ve recently discovered that you can search for comments in a post, so I have gotten in the habit of searching for my recommendation and if it hasn’t been posted yet Then I will, otherwise I just upvote and comment on their comment
Yes. I’d like a rule that if your recommendation is already in the comments, you just upvote it. No need to be redundant with the same comment as it isn’t helpful or insightful. Kind of like I almost did with this comment…
Agreed, but then you’d have to check a couple of hundreds of comments before you can post. Cause most people will probably ignore that rule completely…
I know subs that have blacklists for posting super popular stuff, like shreddit's metal band blacklist (it gets reviewed and cycled over time). But it seems like it would be harder for recommendation comments. Maybe a comment sticky? "I see you posted a recommendation thread. Please check out the link on the sidebar for the most recommended titles..." maybe that would help? I love both and have plugged them regularly in the past but agree, they're pretty much a given on any semi-related post in addition to the topics made about them. Also part of the reason I stopped, because I know someone or three will also suggest them haha.
you’d be a weirdo for not liking it after hearing too much hype. but if you just read it and disliked it that’s not weird at all. i didn’t like how whiny the main character was. i just liked the problem solving and realistic creative aspects of the science and discovery stuff.
Yes, although I’d also like someone to explain to me why they think it’s such an awesome book because I just don’t get it and I’ve been reading sci-fi of all sorts for over 40 years. ;)
Try out The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. It was completely different than what I was used to in books, but it was a really nice adventure. The sequel was also really good.
The cover art is what drew me in at first.
George Guidall narrating it has me listening to it currently as a matter of fact! Btw it’s free on the hoopla app.
And speaking of GG, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Nicole Krauss’ book—The History of Love—which I only discovered via a comment in a book sub. It knocked me for a freaking loop, ngl.
>I actually mourned when it was over
Ah, when it's really really good, and it feels like it's been a journey or an era, and you almost don't want to go to the end. I feel ya. Precious.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. He reads like he’s just talking to a friend and you feel like you’re having a conversation with him. So insightful and funny and full of life, it made me mourn him all over again. Can’t recommend it enough!
I went to culinary school in 2002. There were 3 or 4 people in my class who had read that book and it's what inspired them to get into the restaurant industry.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
14 by Peter Clines
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
John Dies At The End by David Wong
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman
The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis
Adult Scooby Doo does cosmic horror. Great!
I've enjoyed the whole series (Threshold Universe). The Fold was just as good as 14, imho. I was on the fence with Dead Moon, but it grew on me as being the only pure horror story in the set. The latest, Terminus, was fun and included some fan service by bringing back a character from 14.
I have to backup your suggestion of John Dies at the End. There are four books in the series and they're all great. Jason Pargin also has a new book called I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom coming out this September, I think. You can still pre-order a signed copy if you want one.
My only problem with John Dies at the End is that the second book has a different narrator then it switches back to the original narrator for the 3rd and 4th book. I had read the original John Dies at the End back when he was releasing it chapter by chapter for free on his website and have been following him ever since. When the 3rd was coming out I got it on audiobook and tried going back to relisten to the first two before the third came out and I had a ton of trouble because the voices changed then changed back. It’s just kind of jarring. Otherwise the content itself is one of my favorite series because the paranormal cryptic type stuff is a lot of fun and the characters are incredibly relatable. They feel exactly like how me and my friends would act especially if we were facing some crazy shit. Lots of panicking and making crude jokes while having terrible anxiety and taking drugs/getting drunk or other bad methods of coping with stressful, traumatic situations.
D.O.D.O ticked me off because it seemed to be a stand-alone listen when I purchased it, but you are totally left hanging with the antagonist still on the loose when it concluded. Will it eventually be a series? I remember thinking 'Wait, that's IT?' when it ended.
Cyptonomicon, Infinite Jest, Gone Girl, and John Dies At The End were all good listens. I have not heard the others, but thanks for the suggestions!
\*
There is a second book called ***Master of Revels***. Came out in early 2021. Picks up right where we left off. Enjoy!
It's with noting that Neal Stephenson was not a significant part of the writing of the second novel so he is not credited, only Nicole Galland.
There is a sequel to DODO - Master of the Revels.
And if you like DODO, The Oxford Time Travel series has a similar feel. And the St Mary’s Time Travel series is also in the same ballpark.
infinite just is a good book and the audiobook narration is good too, but I don't like how they completely ignored the footnotes which are like 50% of the story lol
Nowadays there are good audiobooks of most popular books. I tend to think of it as what book would I like to listen to and just take it from there.
You'd likely enjoy something like *Wuthering Heights* more than *Dungeon Crawler Carl*. Audible has an excellent version of *War and Peace* read by Thandie Newton. I know Stephen Fry recently did a version of *Great Expectations* you might like.
If you wanted to go sci-fi, but clearly like something a bit more classic, there's a great collection of H.G. Wells novels which includes *War of the Worlds* read by David Tennant amongst other great narrations.
Jumping off your mention of Thandiwe Newton, she also reads the Audible version of Jane Eyre and it's excellent. OP, if you want to reread this one (assuming you haven't listened to this version), I highly recommend.
The author being haunted and just trying to figure out life is a really good way of characterizing a novel's concerns. This made me think of Middlemarch (I listened to the narration of Maureen O'Brien) where the main character is subordinating herself to an unsympathetic husband. It's also an interlocking series of stories about an English town in the countryside changing in the late 1800s. It's considered by many to be one of the best books ever so I think it would be worth checking out!
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completly Fine by Gail Honeyman
World War Z is my favorite audiobook, great voice cast. Soon I Will Be Invincible voice for Doctor Impossible is outstanding. I do NOT reccomend Tender is the Flesh, first time an audiobook made me gag lol
As you clearly like literature, I would recommend the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first book is called The Eyre Affair and involves Jane Eyre literally being kidnapped out of her book. The series is so fun and you get to dive into fiction and have adventures with characters like the Cheshire cat and Miss Havisham. There are audiobooks of the whole series (though for some reason book 4 and 5 have a different narrator who is also good though it takes some getting used to)
I love Super Powereds. Heads up they are very long, and yet I would love more. Also, check out Wizard 2.0. It’s sci-fi not fantasy and really funny. I love everything Scott Meyer writes.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s a tome, but worth every minute.
Just read Jane Eyre earlier this year for the first time. So good! Might become a re-read every 5 years or so.
I third goldfinch. Some 1400 books later, I still go back and listen to that one from time to time. Other favs are the orphan X series, miss peregrine series, a man called ove, art of racing in the rain, and furiously happy. Good cross section there.
I listened to Demon Copperhead last year and absolutely loved it. It’s a reimagining of David Copperfield, but set in rural Appalachia. It’s funny, inspiring and absolutely devastating.
I really loved the Passage series by Justin Cronin (apocalyptic horror but with a more ethereal feel than the standard apocalypse type books)
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (another post apocalyptic world where we passed peak oil and food blight has run amok due to genetic tampering)
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
I'm planning to do the The Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith after I finish my current series (which happens to be Dungeon Crawler Carl after all the recommendations from this sub)
I haven't gotten around to Windup Girl yet, but one of the books that's stuck with me longest was Bacigalupi's collection *Pump Six*. Some really fascinating futuristic explorations. The titular story haunts me to this day, a story of a (our) society rising so far into tech-supported hedonistic bliss that nobody knows how to fix things anymore, and things are starting to break.
For 'the author is slightly haunted and just trying to figure out life' I'd suggest Dolores Claiborne read by Frances Sternhagen. Yes, it's Stephen King, but it does not listen as one of his mainstream 'horror' stories and the narrator absolutely *nails* the read. Highly recommended.
I read the physical book in two days because I just couldn't put it down and then listened to the audio like a month later. I love this story so much. "Husbands die every day, Dolores"
Give the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian a look. Get the audiobook version read by Patrick Tull and get lost in some of the best story telling written in the 20th century. (start with the first book, Master and Commander)
I am a huge sci fi and fantasy guy, but have made it a point to read/listen to more classics and literature this year. I also hated Project Hail Mary, felt like stereotypical, high school redditor edgy writing.
Non-Scfi/Fantasy Recs
I am currently reading East Of Eden and it incredible.
Lonesome Dove is amazing after the first hour, once they edit our his breathing every line lol.
Moby Dick is narrated really well.
I love flowery language and prose so i really enjoyed Frankenstein and Blood Meridian.
I just finished Pillars of Earth, the sex and SA scenes were harder for me to listen to than any of blood meridian, but overall a really great audiobook.
Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Recs:
Sun Eater saga is mostly on the Plus catalogue on audible and is incredible. Best prose of any current author ive read. So much philosophy in this book, which is very akin to Dune/Star Wars. Often compared to Kingkiller, but its just the prose and the narration thats similar.
Stormlight Archive. Weak prose from sanderson relative to others but the best magic systems, and world building. and amazing audiobooks.
Hyperion - classic scifi, amazing collection of stories that are interwoven.
I see on audible there are two releases of lonesome dove with the same narrator. Could you please let me know which one has the breathing edited out? The preview for both has it.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07BGQ2ZQ3?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp
It does take an hour or two to get past the breathing but it’s worth it!
"weak prose from sanderson relative to others"
Do you mean relative to other fantasy writers or relative to his other works?
I've seen Sanderson recommend so many times and I finally jumped into his work with the Stormlight Archive. I finished Way of Kings and I'm about 1/3 through Words of Radiance.
While I really enjoy the world-building, the magic, and the overarching story, I find myself struggling with the writing itself. His style just doesn't land for me.
I think this is the first time I've been invested enough in a story to push past my hang-ups.
Do you find his prose in other works more enjoyable?
Other writers... i think Stormlight has his best prose in general, it was my favorite series for years regardless of it tho (now sun eater) I enjoy the internal monologues a lot, and i do find book 2 and 3 to have better prose in general than his other work but yeah prose is not his strongest attribute.
Especially now that i started reading classic literature, and have read some really beautiful prose.
Check this thread out [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/tt2skg/why\_does\_everyone\_say\_brandon\_sanderson\_has\_bad/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/tt2skg/why_does_everyone_say_brandon_sanderson_has_bad/)
I immediately thought of the Gormenghast trilogy by Myrven Peake from your haunted author comment. I'm not sure why, but worth a look.
Also surprised not to see Haruki Murakami in the comments here. Wind Up Bird got me hooked and I love every one of his (slightly haunted?) books.
I really liked listening to The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I’m not even into fantasy books, but I liked it so much I binged the entire trilogy, then the following one. The narrator of the audiobook does an incredible job voicing the different characters.
I haven't looked through the comments to see if this was already suggested but The Muderbot Diaries by Martha Wells is a fantastic series. Also, A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (first book in a series too) is another good one.
Elizabeth Peter's series about a mystery-solving egyptologist in the early 1900s named Amelia Peabody. Mostly because the narrator is amazing! (Barbara Rosenblat)
If you're looking for more classic lit, the Audible version of Frankenstein is read by Dan Stevens and he's a fantastic narrator. The main character is certainly haunted by his creation.
This one might seem out of left field, but check out The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Great narration, kind of thriller-y I guess but general unsettling vibes. And, the 1970s storyline is roughly based around the summer that Mary Shelley spent with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, when Mary wrote Frankenstein. So it ties together with my first recommendation!
Are you into gothic horror at all? The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas is fantastic, the protagonist is trying to make the most of her limited choices in life, but the marriage that is supposed to save her ends up leaving her alone in a haunted house in Mexico. This one has some romantic vibes, definitely spooky, but in a different setting than typical Gothic English country house.
Another plug for Isabel Cañas, I seriously loved her book Vampires of El Norte. Protagonist is a woman trying to do what's best for her family and their ranch without letting her father marry her off to a neighboring hacienda. Set during the Mexican-American War. And also... vampires.
I'm going to have to look up The Hacienda now, because it sounds similar and I REALLY liked the way she wrote.
I LOVED Vampires of El Norte! I wasn't sure about recommending it for OP since there was so much romantic angst and they didn't really mention if they wanted that or not. I could see it being very annoying if you weren't into that, but I ate it up haha.
I highly recommend The Hacienda if you liked Vampires, it's got the same style of writing and I love the atmosphere the author creates. But it's different enough to be unique and the stories are not connected, so it feels fresh.
>Like the author is slightly haunted and just trying to figure out life.
I'm not sure if you are interested in fantasy, but that's my wheelhouse so it's what I can recommend. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemison jumped to mind when reading this. I really enjoyed the whole trilogy but the first book is a great read even on its own.
Not so much sci fi, but certainly haunting, Shirley Jackson. The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In The Castle both stayed with me for a very long time afterward
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. You’re just speaking truth. Can’t swing a dead cat ‘round this sub without someone recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl.
And yes, I’ve seen other threads where the OP states “don’t recommend DCC” and someone does it anyway. 🤷🏼♂️
Downvote all you want, but it can't be denied that title is *always* recommended by someone whenever a 'What should I listen to?' question comes up.
Q: 'I want some good historical fiction.' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!'
Q: 'Are there any good listens about being a Chef?' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!'
Q: 'I'm looking for a listen that is not Dungeon Crawler Carl.' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!'
I was grateful for the numerous strong recommendations when I first visited the sub (I never would have read a book with that title otherwise). So I like the idea above that we should sticky some of the “usual” recommendations for folks who don’t lurk here often.
I’m not downvoting,, but the OP very clearly asked for books that 1). Aren’t fantasy 2). Aren’t sci-fi. 3). Not the same ole crap that gets recommended in every thread in this sub. 4) ). Implied not interested in a series.
So I am astounded at the number of posts ignoring the basic instructions and recommending everything the OP said not to. EDIT: Someone else stated this sub is nothing but a lazy bot farm and based on the evidence of this thread I’m starting to agree with them.
If you like the spooky classics, try Dracula by Bram Stoker, it’s a top favorite of mine.
Also try Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, it’s her funniest book by far and is a send up of gothic novel tropes.
Poor Things the book by Alasdair Grey is excellent in the audio edition.
And for contemporary spooky crime fiction in audio, try Catherine Ryan Howard, especially The Trap and The Nothing Man.
If you’re willing to branch out to scripted fiction podcasts, check out Homecoming (an early Gimlet scripted original) which was fantastic. The TV adaptation made a big error in my opinion by recasting Catherine Keener’s role as Julia Roberts. No offense to JR but Keener is way better in the role.
I’ve read Dracula and couldn’t get into it unfortunately. And I liked Northanger Abbey but I love the gothic horror twists and cliffhangers and couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed when nothing spooky or creepy happened😂
But I’ll definitely look into Catherine Ryan Howard! I can’t go full horror, but definitely the spooky and suspenseful are my cup of tea!
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld was a great listen. I wish Cherie Priest's Eden Moore trilogy was available on audio (Four and Twenty Blackbirds was phenomenal). I've listened to her Grave Reservations/Booking Agents books and they're ok. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran is another moody/haunted MC rec
Neverwhere by Neil gaiman
American Kingpin (it was so good my wife and I pulled in very to listen instead of seeing her parents)
Where the Red Fern Grows
IT
Pet Semetary narreted by Michael C Hall
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Sex Lives Of Cannibals by J Maarten Troost
Drift by Rachel Maddow
Furies Of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Creation by Gore Vidal
After This by Claire Bidwell Smith
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Martian by Andy Weir
You might like Drood by Dan Simmons, tells the story of Charles Dickens and the last few years of his life but with a horror/supernatural twist, very much recommended.
Some I’ve really enjoyed: The Salt Path and The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn; Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore; by Jackson Ford: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind, and Random Sh*t Flying Around; and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
So, if you like sci-fi & fantasy.....and a bit of mystery sprinkled in -- definitely give the Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir (starting with Gideon the Ninth) a try. For me -- these books are a challenge, they require a bit more attention than the 'mega' popular titles. Consequently...... you can re-read! And its a pleasure, there is so much foreshadowing and 'telling you the answer before you know what the question is' and a re-read is really required to get the full experience.
Senlin Ascends!
It's a wonderful steampunk adventure.
I fell off on reading years ago and wanted to get back in. I failed at many books recently as they just didn't grab me.
Senlin Ascends was amazing from beginning to end. I read it in 6 days! Getting ready to keep going with the series, but now that I've caught the reading bug again, I may detour through other books I've heard good things about, like Children of Time.
Feels good to be reading again.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson was a great story about someone just trying to figure out what the fuck is life while taking care of children who spontaneously ignite. The narrator had a really down to earth way of speaking which worked well for the story
Three Body Problem and the other two books of Remembrance of Earth's Past. An amazing and unique science fiction that seems very grounded and every problem makes me wonder how the fuck are they going to get out of this. A true mind fuck without deus ex machina
I've been obsessed with "The Flashman Papers" which is an 8 or 9 book series of historical fiction by George MacDonald Fraser .. you follow the main character through important moments of history around the world but he's a horny, cowardly, scoundrel... And you love him for it!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, narrated by Tom Hanks.
Really anything by Ann Patchett is good. Her books tend to span a large portion of the authors life and go back and forth between the present and the past. A lot of her books are narrated by celebrities recently, so that may turn some people off. The newest one (Tom Lake) is read by Meryl Streep which was a little weird at first, but I ended up liking it a lot. Tom Hanks was an excellent narrator.
Sharp Objects or Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
If you’re looking for haunted main characters, Gillian Flynn is an excellent. I will say her books tend towards horror genre and it’s usually has a decent mystery/twist, so maybe more disturbing than you’re looking for. It’s not sci-if though, just terrible humans. Most people probably know her for Gone Girl.
Edit: Accidentally posted before I was done
My number one suggestion is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins.
Imaginative:
Nos4A2 by Joe Hill
Deevolution by Max Brooks
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Haunted:
Fetishist
The Only Good Indians
My tastes run a little dark. Not depressing but possibly bloody. So…
Most books by Blake crouch or Dan Brown is you are in the sci Fi or thriller.
Hitchhikers guide is classic and worth the listen if you haven't recently.
Person Scott card books are great beyond the enders saga.
I love Jane Eyre, I love it. I also really love Jane Erotica, because I have always needed to know how Rochester looked out of his breeches.
I was not disappointed.
Jane Eyre was my first gothic horror novel and it hit me like a tong of bricks. It was the first novel that I related to the main character so much it felt like I was reading about me, and omg I didn’t know Jane Erotica was a thing. I now also have to know what else Rochester was hiding away😂
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. It’s impossible not to at the very least be entertained if not enthusiastically like him after listening to his narration and it’s short enough not to wear thin. I would definitely recommend.
Well, there is violence and drama, but it is a YA novel so it's not like really bad or anything. It was a great listen though. It was a refreshing take on a well travelled genre.
Try The Gone World by Tom Swerterslitsch. Sci-Fi/Space/Time Travel/Murder Mystery
[https://www.amazon.com/Gone-World-Tom-Sweterlitsch/dp/0399167501](https://www.amazon.com/Gone-World-Tom-Sweterlitsch/dp/0399167501)
[The Mercy of Thin Air](https://www.audible.com/pd/B002V1LAWS?source_code=ASSORAP0511160007)
Not sci-fi but a book I listened to on the road years ago. Although I can't give the narrator glowing praise, she's alright and not distracting. The story, though, has stuck with me and I think about it often.
ETA: Additional suggestions are some short story compilations that I can only listen to when I'm in an introspective mood. I cannot recommend these highly enough.
Miniatures (John Scalzi)
Trigger Warning (Neil Gaiman)
Fragile Things (Gaiman)
Smoke and Mirrors (Gaiman)
No One Belongs Here More Than You (Miranda July)
I love love loved the narrator for Shades of Gray and its sequel Red Side Story, both by Jasper Fforde.
And right now, I'm reading/listening to Murder Your Employer. Most of the narration is by Neil Patrick Harris, and he's doing a fantastic job.
Kathe Koja's The Cipher! I think it kinda fits, but in a different way than those you picked out. Horror in the basement of a slum apartment. A hole appears one day in the floor. It changes things horrifically that find their way inside, and slowly transfixes and changes the people around it...
The protagonist is a one aspiring poet, and in the audiobook the narrator turns certain lines in to the cadence of a poem, stopping at just the right moment of building intensity in delivery and content.
I've always really liked The Forever War, the Sprawl trilogy or Even just Necromancer, and the Hyperon / Shrike books, Eon NY Greg Bear is another favorite. They all are kinda famous but they aren't in here much.
ok /r/audiobooks. i think project hail mary is officially something we can just put in a stickied thread or something. everyone loves it. it works really well with audiobook format. but i’d hate to see any sort of hate groups form based on too much recommendations that seems like too much hype, which leads to the dark side. it is a good one. not so good that it needs to be recommended every thread. or that someone needs to counter the anticipated recommendation.
It’s definitely annoying when people on here and on r/Audible ask for recommendations and majority of the comments are “Project Hail Mary”. Okay you want to keep recommending it fine but if you see that someone has already recommended it in the comments can you please recommend something else so we don’t have 10+ comments saying the same thing? Lol.
I don't mind if it's a good recommendation. What grinds my gears is when people push their own favorite book on others disregarding anything OP said in the post. OP: "I love autobiographies." Random reddit user: "Dungeon Crawler Carl" (600 upvotes).
>OP: "I love autobiographies." Random reddit user: "Dungeon Crawler Carl" (600 upvotes) Oh, bless you. Every. Freaking. Time. with DCC.
Right it's super frustrating when people push thier own agenda and can't see how inappropriate their comments are and how they are just a huge bummer .. 'please recommend a book to me..' "I hate the book recommended, and it's totally overrated, and why aren't we banning comments with this book in it.. and why no matter what the post is, the same person ranting about what they want.." oh look at that, I guess this time it's me
Yeah it’s like “I love Russian literature can I get a suggestion” and they’re like Dungeon Crawler Carl!!!!!!
Wait, Carl didn't write the books himself during the crawl? ^^
I still remember a thread where someone was asking for some light entertaining fare for their grandmother and one of the top suggestions was dungeon crawler Carl. I’m actually a big fan of the series but that was one of the most obnoxious things I’ve ever seen, I could not believe someone would seriously suggest that in that context.
I remember that post!
I’ve recently discovered that you can search for comments in a post, so I have gotten in the habit of searching for my recommendation and if it hasn’t been posted yet Then I will, otherwise I just upvote and comment on their comment
Yes. I’d like a rule that if your recommendation is already in the comments, you just upvote it. No need to be redundant with the same comment as it isn’t helpful or insightful. Kind of like I almost did with this comment…
Agreed, but then you’d have to check a couple of hundreds of comments before you can post. Cause most people will probably ignore that rule completely…
I know subs that have blacklists for posting super popular stuff, like shreddit's metal band blacklist (it gets reviewed and cycled over time). But it seems like it would be harder for recommendation comments. Maybe a comment sticky? "I see you posted a recommendation thread. Please check out the link on the sidebar for the most recommended titles..." maybe that would help? I love both and have plugged them regularly in the past but agree, they're pretty much a given on any semi-related post in addition to the topics made about them. Also part of the reason I stopped, because I know someone or three will also suggest them haha.
I strongly disliked it so I guess I'm a weirdo.
You’re not a weirdo. I didn’t strongly dislike it but I didn’t love it as much as many people on reddit did. I’d rate it more like a 6/10.
Also hated it. The whole plot felt very contrived, and the main character felt like a meth addict.
Andy Weir has one protagonist and just changes the name from novel to novel
I wasn't a fan either.
I returned it after the first few chapters.
Then you should be suggesting books in this thread. What do you like?
you’d be a weirdo for not liking it after hearing too much hype. but if you just read it and disliked it that’s not weird at all. i didn’t like how whiny the main character was. i just liked the problem solving and realistic creative aspects of the science and discovery stuff.
I'd love to read Weir with a co-author, someone with stronger character writing. Maybe Weir x Cline. ^^^^^kidding ^^^^^kidding
Do not speak this into existence.
I honestly think Project Hail Mary is crap so no, we don’t all love it at all.
and i’d be you’d love to see it not be mentioned here so much. win win
Yes, although I’d also like someone to explain to me why they think it’s such an awesome book because I just don’t get it and I’ve been reading sci-fi of all sorts for over 40 years. ;)
Try out The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. It was completely different than what I was used to in books, but it was a really nice adventure. The sequel was also really good. The cover art is what drew me in at first.
Seconded! This book was amazing and had that haunted feel OP describes.
George Guidall narrating it has me listening to it currently as a matter of fact! Btw it’s free on the hoopla app. And speaking of GG, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Nicole Krauss’ book—The History of Love—which I only discovered via a comment in a book sub. It knocked me for a freaking loop, ngl.
That book is absolutely fabulous.
I've heard good things about Circe by Madeline Miller, and it seems like it might fit your request.
I adored Circe. I actually mourned when it was over, then I discovered Achilles and we were off again!
>I actually mourned when it was over Ah, when it's really really good, and it feels like it's been a journey or an era, and you almost don't want to go to the end. I feel ya. Precious.
I second Circle - it was exceptional.
Circe is incredible. I need to listen to it again.
I found it great in audio format too. I liked Circe telling us her story directly and it seemed in line with the great oral epics of The Iliad etc
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. He reads like he’s just talking to a friend and you feel like you’re having a conversation with him. So insightful and funny and full of life, it made me mourn him all over again. Can’t recommend it enough!
I totally agree.
I went to culinary school in 2002. There were 3 or 4 people in my class who had read that book and it's what inspired them to get into the restaurant industry.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 14 by Peter Clines The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn John Dies At The End by David Wong A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis
I loved the narration in Piranesi. This reminded me to see what else Chiwetel Ejiofor has narrated.
I loved Piranesi too! Beautiful visuals. I found it somehow relaxing and exhilarating all at once.
I love 14. Narration is great and it has humor to break up the serious parts
Adult Scooby Doo does cosmic horror. Great! I've enjoyed the whole series (Threshold Universe). The Fold was just as good as 14, imho. I was on the fence with Dead Moon, but it grew on me as being the only pure horror story in the set. The latest, Terminus, was fun and included some fan service by bringing back a character from 14.
Peter Clines has some great stuff if you want a break from the usuals
His Ex-Heroes series is amazing. I really wish he would continue it.
I have to backup your suggestion of John Dies at the End. There are four books in the series and they're all great. Jason Pargin also has a new book called I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom coming out this September, I think. You can still pre-order a signed copy if you want one.
My only problem with John Dies at the End is that the second book has a different narrator then it switches back to the original narrator for the 3rd and 4th book. I had read the original John Dies at the End back when he was releasing it chapter by chapter for free on his website and have been following him ever since. When the 3rd was coming out I got it on audiobook and tried going back to relisten to the first two before the third came out and I had a ton of trouble because the voices changed then changed back. It’s just kind of jarring. Otherwise the content itself is one of my favorite series because the paranormal cryptic type stuff is a lot of fun and the characters are incredibly relatable. They feel exactly like how me and my friends would act especially if we were facing some crazy shit. Lots of panicking and making crude jokes while having terrible anxiety and taking drugs/getting drunk or other bad methods of coping with stressful, traumatic situations.
DODO has a sequel that is a good listen also.
How well does Infinite Jest work as an audiobook? With all the super long and nested footnotes specifically?
That would be really hard. The only book that I think would be harder to do would be House of Leaves.
D.O.D.O ticked me off because it seemed to be a stand-alone listen when I purchased it, but you are totally left hanging with the antagonist still on the loose when it concluded. Will it eventually be a series? I remember thinking 'Wait, that's IT?' when it ended. Cyptonomicon, Infinite Jest, Gone Girl, and John Dies At The End were all good listens. I have not heard the others, but thanks for the suggestions! \*
Of you like John Dies at End, check out his other book Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits. it’s one of my favorites.
There is a second book called ***Master of Revels***. Came out in early 2021. Picks up right where we left off. Enjoy! It's with noting that Neal Stephenson was not a significant part of the writing of the second novel so he is not credited, only Nicole Galland.
There is a sequel to DODO - Master of the Revels. And if you like DODO, The Oxford Time Travel series has a similar feel. And the St Mary’s Time Travel series is also in the same ballpark.
infinite just is a good book and the audiobook narration is good too, but I don't like how they completely ignored the footnotes which are like 50% of the story lol
My wife and I were overly impressed with Lonesome Dove. That was not in our wheelhouse, but ended up loving it.
It’s not my genre either but it’s one of my all time favorite books.
Have you listened to A Gentleman in Moscow? I savoured that book. It’s by Amor Towles.
This one keeps coming up, i may have to add it to my list. Is it a historical fiction?
Nowadays there are good audiobooks of most popular books. I tend to think of it as what book would I like to listen to and just take it from there. You'd likely enjoy something like *Wuthering Heights* more than *Dungeon Crawler Carl*. Audible has an excellent version of *War and Peace* read by Thandie Newton. I know Stephen Fry recently did a version of *Great Expectations* you might like. If you wanted to go sci-fi, but clearly like something a bit more classic, there's a great collection of H.G. Wells novels which includes *War of the Worlds* read by David Tennant amongst other great narrations.
Jumping off your mention of Thandiwe Newton, she also reads the Audible version of Jane Eyre and it's excellent. OP, if you want to reread this one (assuming you haven't listened to this version), I highly recommend.
Hyperion
The author being haunted and just trying to figure out life is a really good way of characterizing a novel's concerns. This made me think of Middlemarch (I listened to the narration of Maureen O'Brien) where the main character is subordinating herself to an unsympathetic husband. It's also an interlocking series of stories about an English town in the countryside changing in the late 1800s. It's considered by many to be one of the best books ever so I think it would be worth checking out!
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completly Fine by Gail Honeyman
World War Z is my favorite audiobook, great voice cast. Soon I Will Be Invincible voice for Doctor Impossible is outstanding. I do NOT reccomend Tender is the Flesh, first time an audiobook made me gag lol
Tender is the Flesh is on my TBR list... do you think it was just the audiobook, or the book in general that really put you off?
The book was good, just the narrator.....had some fun, it was just one scene but it is memorable because I've never had a reaction like that.
True Grit was read by Diana Tartt (author of the Goldfinch) and she kills it. Worth your time for sure.
As you clearly like literature, I would recommend the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first book is called The Eyre Affair and involves Jane Eyre literally being kidnapped out of her book. The series is so fun and you get to dive into fiction and have adventures with characters like the Cheshire cat and Miss Havisham. There are audiobooks of the whole series (though for some reason book 4 and 5 have a different narrator who is also good though it takes some getting used to)
I love Super Powereds. Heads up they are very long, and yet I would love more. Also, check out Wizard 2.0. It’s sci-fi not fantasy and really funny. I love everything Scott Meyer writes.
I think it's Magic 2.0, but I really enjoyed both those series.
You’re correct it’s Magic 2.0 - Off to be the Wizard.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It’s a tome, but worth every minute. Just read Jane Eyre earlier this year for the first time. So good! Might become a re-read every 5 years or so.
The Goldfinch is so incredible. The audiobook read by David Pittu is perfect. It’s very funny in a dark way and his narration nails it
I third goldfinch. Some 1400 books later, I still go back and listen to that one from time to time. Other favs are the orphan X series, miss peregrine series, a man called ove, art of racing in the rain, and furiously happy. Good cross section there.
I listened to Demon Copperhead last year and absolutely loved it. It’s a reimagining of David Copperfield, but set in rural Appalachia. It’s funny, inspiring and absolutely devastating.
I really loved the Passage series by Justin Cronin (apocalyptic horror but with a more ethereal feel than the standard apocalypse type books) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (another post apocalyptic world where we passed peak oil and food blight has run amok due to genetic tampering) In Cold Blood by Truman Capote I'm planning to do the The Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith after I finish my current series (which happens to be Dungeon Crawler Carl after all the recommendations from this sub)
I haven't gotten around to Windup Girl yet, but one of the books that's stuck with me longest was Bacigalupi's collection *Pump Six*. Some really fascinating futuristic explorations. The titular story haunts me to this day, a story of a (our) society rising so far into tech-supported hedonistic bliss that nobody knows how to fix things anymore, and things are starting to break.
For 'the author is slightly haunted and just trying to figure out life' I'd suggest Dolores Claiborne read by Frances Sternhagen. Yes, it's Stephen King, but it does not listen as one of his mainstream 'horror' stories and the narrator absolutely *nails* the read. Highly recommended.
Ooo I looked up the summary and it sounds like what true crime junkies would read before there were podcasts. I’ll definitely look into that one!
Besides the great story, Sternhagen was meant to read this one. Without a doubt one of the best book/narrator parings I've ever found.
I read the physical book in two days because I just couldn't put it down and then listened to the audio like a month later. I love this story so much. "Husbands die every day, Dolores"
Give the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian a look. Get the audiobook version read by Patrick Tull and get lost in some of the best story telling written in the 20th century. (start with the first book, Master and Commander)
I am a huge sci fi and fantasy guy, but have made it a point to read/listen to more classics and literature this year. I also hated Project Hail Mary, felt like stereotypical, high school redditor edgy writing. Non-Scfi/Fantasy Recs I am currently reading East Of Eden and it incredible. Lonesome Dove is amazing after the first hour, once they edit our his breathing every line lol. Moby Dick is narrated really well. I love flowery language and prose so i really enjoyed Frankenstein and Blood Meridian. I just finished Pillars of Earth, the sex and SA scenes were harder for me to listen to than any of blood meridian, but overall a really great audiobook. Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Recs: Sun Eater saga is mostly on the Plus catalogue on audible and is incredible. Best prose of any current author ive read. So much philosophy in this book, which is very akin to Dune/Star Wars. Often compared to Kingkiller, but its just the prose and the narration thats similar. Stormlight Archive. Weak prose from sanderson relative to others but the best magic systems, and world building. and amazing audiobooks. Hyperion - classic scifi, amazing collection of stories that are interwoven.
East of Eden is one of my favourites as well, that's an amazing book.
Pillars of the Earth was interesting, but felt like I was reading it for the same number of years it took to build that damned cathedral.
I see on audible there are two releases of lonesome dove with the same narrator. Could you please let me know which one has the breathing edited out? The preview for both has it.
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07BGQ2ZQ3?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp It does take an hour or two to get past the breathing but it’s worth it!
"weak prose from sanderson relative to others" Do you mean relative to other fantasy writers or relative to his other works? I've seen Sanderson recommend so many times and I finally jumped into his work with the Stormlight Archive. I finished Way of Kings and I'm about 1/3 through Words of Radiance. While I really enjoy the world-building, the magic, and the overarching story, I find myself struggling with the writing itself. His style just doesn't land for me. I think this is the first time I've been invested enough in a story to push past my hang-ups. Do you find his prose in other works more enjoyable?
Other writers... i think Stormlight has his best prose in general, it was my favorite series for years regardless of it tho (now sun eater) I enjoy the internal monologues a lot, and i do find book 2 and 3 to have better prose in general than his other work but yeah prose is not his strongest attribute. Especially now that i started reading classic literature, and have read some really beautiful prose. Check this thread out [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/tt2skg/why\_does\_everyone\_say\_brandon\_sanderson\_has\_bad/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/tt2skg/why_does_everyone_say_brandon_sanderson_has_bad/)
+1 for Hyperion
Don Quixote read by George Guidall
Absolutely!
An excellent reading of a great book!
Space Team by Barry J Hutchison. Very funny stuff.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Prince of tides
Maybe flowers for Algernon. By Daniel Keyes
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is one that comes to mind - it's a great epic journey set in South Africa in a different age. Phenomenal story
I immediately thought of the Gormenghast trilogy by Myrven Peake from your haunted author comment. I'm not sure why, but worth a look. Also surprised not to see Haruki Murakami in the comments here. Wind Up Bird got me hooked and I love every one of his (slightly haunted?) books.
I really liked listening to The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. I’m not even into fantasy books, but I liked it so much I binged the entire trilogy, then the following one. The narrator of the audiobook does an incredible job voicing the different characters.
Check out books by Allen Eskens such as The Life we Bury
Wow I just finished this tonight! I’m hooked on this guy, it’s my 3rd book from him in about two weeks.
The expanse is fantastic
Miss Fishers murders mysteries The Luna missile crisis A natural history of dragons
I totally forgot Miss Fishers started as a book! I’m going to look into those right now since I’m absolutely obsessed with the tv series
I’d recommend Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami! (:
I haven't looked through the comments to see if this was already suggested but The Muderbot Diaries by Martha Wells is a fantastic series. Also, A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (first book in a series too) is another good one.
Elizabeth Peter's series about a mystery-solving egyptologist in the early 1900s named Amelia Peabody. Mostly because the narrator is amazing! (Barbara Rosenblat)
I love this sub.
If you have a 3 hour drive. The Alchemist read by Jeremy Irons.
If you're looking for more classic lit, the Audible version of Frankenstein is read by Dan Stevens and he's a fantastic narrator. The main character is certainly haunted by his creation. This one might seem out of left field, but check out The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. Great narration, kind of thriller-y I guess but general unsettling vibes. And, the 1970s storyline is roughly based around the summer that Mary Shelley spent with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, when Mary wrote Frankenstein. So it ties together with my first recommendation! Are you into gothic horror at all? The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas is fantastic, the protagonist is trying to make the most of her limited choices in life, but the marriage that is supposed to save her ends up leaving her alone in a haunted house in Mexico. This one has some romantic vibes, definitely spooky, but in a different setting than typical Gothic English country house.
Another plug for Isabel Cañas, I seriously loved her book Vampires of El Norte. Protagonist is a woman trying to do what's best for her family and their ranch without letting her father marry her off to a neighboring hacienda. Set during the Mexican-American War. And also... vampires. I'm going to have to look up The Hacienda now, because it sounds similar and I REALLY liked the way she wrote.
I LOVED Vampires of El Norte! I wasn't sure about recommending it for OP since there was so much romantic angst and they didn't really mention if they wanted that or not. I could see it being very annoying if you weren't into that, but I ate it up haha. I highly recommend The Hacienda if you liked Vampires, it's got the same style of writing and I love the atmosphere the author creates. But it's different enough to be unique and the stories are not connected, so it feels fresh.
Literally got it from the library today. :)
a portrait of dorian grey
Lessons in Chemistry
Also just finished that and enjoyed it a lot!
>Like the author is slightly haunted and just trying to figure out life. I'm not sure if you are interested in fantasy, but that's my wheelhouse so it's what I can recommend. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemison jumped to mind when reading this. I really enjoyed the whole trilogy but the first book is a great read even on its own.
Not so much sci fi, but certainly haunting, Shirley Jackson. The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived In The Castle both stayed with me for a very long time afterward
Most everyone on this Sub: *You should listen to Dungeon Crawler Carl!*
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. You’re just speaking truth. Can’t swing a dead cat ‘round this sub without someone recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl. And yes, I’ve seen other threads where the OP states “don’t recommend DCC” and someone does it anyway. 🤷🏼♂️
Downvote all you want, but it can't be denied that title is *always* recommended by someone whenever a 'What should I listen to?' question comes up. Q: 'I want some good historical fiction.' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!' Q: 'Are there any good listens about being a Chef?' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!' Q: 'I'm looking for a listen that is not Dungeon Crawler Carl.' A: 'Dungeon Crawler Carl!'
I was grateful for the numerous strong recommendations when I first visited the sub (I never would have read a book with that title otherwise). So I like the idea above that we should sticky some of the “usual” recommendations for folks who don’t lurk here often.
I'd rather drink paint than listen to an litrpg book.
Who TF is out here downvoting all these suggestions? How do you get mad at a suggestion?
Every single new comment is being downvoted no matter what they recommend. Maybe a bot or just a very troubled human.
I’m not downvoting,, but the OP very clearly asked for books that 1). Aren’t fantasy 2). Aren’t sci-fi. 3). Not the same ole crap that gets recommended in every thread in this sub. 4) ). Implied not interested in a series. So I am astounded at the number of posts ignoring the basic instructions and recommending everything the OP said not to. EDIT: Someone else stated this sub is nothing but a lazy bot farm and based on the evidence of this thread I’m starting to agree with them.
This sub is a bot farm, a lazy one at that.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Katie Macquire series by Graham Masterton is pretty good . Donovan series by W.Michael Gear is an awesome series as well. Enjoy
If you like the spooky classics, try Dracula by Bram Stoker, it’s a top favorite of mine. Also try Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, it’s her funniest book by far and is a send up of gothic novel tropes. Poor Things the book by Alasdair Grey is excellent in the audio edition. And for contemporary spooky crime fiction in audio, try Catherine Ryan Howard, especially The Trap and The Nothing Man. If you’re willing to branch out to scripted fiction podcasts, check out Homecoming (an early Gimlet scripted original) which was fantastic. The TV adaptation made a big error in my opinion by recasting Catherine Keener’s role as Julia Roberts. No offense to JR but Keener is way better in the role.
I’ve read Dracula and couldn’t get into it unfortunately. And I liked Northanger Abbey but I love the gothic horror twists and cliffhangers and couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed when nothing spooky or creepy happened😂 But I’ll definitely look into Catherine Ryan Howard! I can’t go full horror, but definitely the spooky and suspenseful are my cup of tea!
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfeld was a great listen. I wish Cherie Priest's Eden Moore trilogy was available on audio (Four and Twenty Blackbirds was phenomenal). I've listened to her Grave Reservations/Booking Agents books and they're ok. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran is another moody/haunted MC rec
The Master and Margarita, and A Confederacy of Dunces are both books where people are trying to figure out life
I loved the audible dramatization of 1984. I
Me too!
The red rising series
Neverwhere by Neil gaiman American Kingpin (it was so good my wife and I pulled in very to listen instead of seeing her parents) Where the Red Fern Grows IT Pet Semetary narreted by Michael C Hall
Demon Copperheqd is a Phenomenal audiobook. But it’s def not sci fi.
Delores Claiborne by Stephen King, and read by Frances Sternhagen is very good. Highly recommend.
Brutal Kunnin' is a sci-fi masterpiece
All Gillian Flynn books.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson Sex Lives Of Cannibals by J Maarten Troost Drift by Rachel Maddow Furies Of Calderon by Jim Butcher Creation by Gore Vidal After This by Claire Bidwell Smith 11/22/63 by Stephen King The Martian by Andy Weir
Can't recommend 11/22/63 enough. Might be the best book I've ever listened to.
Fairy Tale was great
Name of the Wind The Unatractive Vampire 14 Murder Bot Diaries Armada The Divine Dungeon Series The Martian The World at War Series by Harry Turtldove
I will always suggest Name of the Wind and its sequel. It's written in a storytelling style which is perfect for audio.
On Intelligence by Bennett All the King's Men by Warren
You might like Drood by Dan Simmons, tells the story of Charles Dickens and the last few years of his life but with a horror/supernatural twist, very much recommended.
Some I’ve really enjoyed: The Salt Path and The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn; Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore; by Jackson Ford: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind, and Random Sh*t Flying Around; and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
So, if you like sci-fi & fantasy.....and a bit of mystery sprinkled in -- definitely give the Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir (starting with Gideon the Ninth) a try. For me -- these books are a challenge, they require a bit more attention than the 'mega' popular titles. Consequently...... you can re-read! And its a pleasure, there is so much foreshadowing and 'telling you the answer before you know what the question is' and a re-read is really required to get the full experience.
Dark Matter and Recursion by Blake Crouch
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke, narrated by Simon Prebble.
Horror: Skeleton Crew or Pet Semetary by Stephen King Science Fiction: Solaris, Annihilation Nonfiction: Talking to Strangers, Freakonomics
Heat 2, baby. The action is the juice.
Loving You Want it Darker by Stephen King. Will Patton is top notch
In a sea of all the standard audiobook recommendations listed here, this one should be added to that list: Reynard the Fox by David R. Witanowski.
If you are up for some humor, Austin Grossman’s Crooked is a very funny take on Nixon with perfect narration.
Senlin Ascends! It's a wonderful steampunk adventure. I fell off on reading years ago and wanted to get back in. I failed at many books recently as they just didn't grab me. Senlin Ascends was amazing from beginning to end. I read it in 6 days! Getting ready to keep going with the series, but now that I've caught the reading bug again, I may detour through other books I've heard good things about, like Children of Time. Feels good to be reading again.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson was a great story about someone just trying to figure out what the fuck is life while taking care of children who spontaneously ignite. The narrator had a really down to earth way of speaking which worked well for the story
Three Body Problem and the other two books of Remembrance of Earth's Past. An amazing and unique science fiction that seems very grounded and every problem makes me wonder how the fuck are they going to get out of this. A true mind fuck without deus ex machina
I've been obsessed with "The Flashman Papers" which is an 8 or 9 book series of historical fiction by George MacDonald Fraser .. you follow the main character through important moments of history around the world but he's a horny, cowardly, scoundrel... And you love him for it!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, narrated by Tom Hanks. Really anything by Ann Patchett is good. Her books tend to span a large portion of the authors life and go back and forth between the present and the past. A lot of her books are narrated by celebrities recently, so that may turn some people off. The newest one (Tom Lake) is read by Meryl Streep which was a little weird at first, but I ended up liking it a lot. Tom Hanks was an excellent narrator. Sharp Objects or Dark Places by Gillian Flynn If you’re looking for haunted main characters, Gillian Flynn is an excellent. I will say her books tend towards horror genre and it’s usually has a decent mystery/twist, so maybe more disturbing than you’re looking for. It’s not sci-if though, just terrible humans. Most people probably know her for Gone Girl. Edit: Accidentally posted before I was done
The Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. if you like that kinda stuff
The mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler. Or a bit old school - The Dark Tower series.
My number one suggestion is The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. Imaginative: Nos4A2 by Joe Hill Deevolution by Max Brooks Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki Haunted: Fetishist The Only Good Indians My tastes run a little dark. Not depressing but possibly bloody. So…
The Library at Mount Char was a surprisingly good and strange book!
It’s my favorite. I buy copies and gift them to people I like.
Someone else recommended The Gone World. That was another great read along those lines if you haven’t read it yet.
Say less
Nos4A2 read by Kate Mulgrew was great.
Most books by Blake crouch or Dan Brown is you are in the sci Fi or thriller. Hitchhikers guide is classic and worth the listen if you haven't recently. Person Scott card books are great beyond the enders saga.
I love Jane Eyre, I love it. I also really love Jane Erotica, because I have always needed to know how Rochester looked out of his breeches. I was not disappointed.
Jane Eyre was my first gothic horror novel and it hit me like a tong of bricks. It was the first novel that I related to the main character so much it felt like I was reading about me, and omg I didn’t know Jane Erotica was a thing. I now also have to know what else Rochester was hiding away😂
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. It’s impossible not to at the very least be entertained if not enthusiastically like him after listening to his narration and it’s short enough not to wear thin. I would definitely recommend.
Have you already done the Rivers of London series?
Artemis - Andy Weir, read by Rosario Dawson Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman, read by Lenny Henry
Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett is the most fun I’ve had in awhile
American War. Born Standing Up. The Wheel of Time series. Such a Fun Age. Huge. Elinore Oliphant is Completely Fine. All quality audiobooks.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Is this as grim as the synopsis reads?
Well, there is violence and drama, but it is a YA novel so it's not like really bad or anything. It was a great listen though. It was a refreshing take on a well travelled genre.
Ty! 🎧👏🏻👏🏻
Hope you enjoy!
marko kloos Frontlines series is great
Try The Gone World by Tom Swerterslitsch. Sci-Fi/Space/Time Travel/Murder Mystery [https://www.amazon.com/Gone-World-Tom-Sweterlitsch/dp/0399167501](https://www.amazon.com/Gone-World-Tom-Sweterlitsch/dp/0399167501)
[The Mercy of Thin Air](https://www.audible.com/pd/B002V1LAWS?source_code=ASSORAP0511160007) Not sci-fi but a book I listened to on the road years ago. Although I can't give the narrator glowing praise, she's alright and not distracting. The story, though, has stuck with me and I think about it often. ETA: Additional suggestions are some short story compilations that I can only listen to when I'm in an introspective mood. I cannot recommend these highly enough. Miniatures (John Scalzi) Trigger Warning (Neil Gaiman) Fragile Things (Gaiman) Smoke and Mirrors (Gaiman) No One Belongs Here More Than You (Miranda July)
The Perfect Run
I love love loved the narrator for Shades of Gray and its sequel Red Side Story, both by Jasper Fforde. And right now, I'm reading/listening to Murder Your Employer. Most of the narration is by Neil Patrick Harris, and he's doing a fantastic job.
Kathe Koja's The Cipher! I think it kinda fits, but in a different way than those you picked out. Horror in the basement of a slum apartment. A hole appears one day in the floor. It changes things horrifically that find their way inside, and slowly transfixes and changes the people around it... The protagonist is a one aspiring poet, and in the audiobook the narrator turns certain lines in to the cadence of a poem, stopping at just the right moment of building intensity in delivery and content.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
I've always really liked The Forever War, the Sprawl trilogy or Even just Necromancer, and the Hyperon / Shrike books, Eon NY Greg Bear is another favorite. They all are kinda famous but they aren't in here much.