I've been in such a reading slump lately... (1 Viewer)

centen · 23 July 2025

But finally breaking out of it today after starting Brandon Sanderson's newest book, Isles of the Emberdark. The short, brisk chapters helped pull me in, and it's so entertaining, I love the magical world so much.

What are you all reading lately?

Tickita · 23 July 2025

Just finished The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey. I've been in a slump since May, so I'm proud of myself.

Selfmate · 23 July 2025

I mean it's understandable considering a tree fell on your house recently...

centen · 23 July 2025

Selfmate said:
I mean it's understandable considering a tree fell on your house recently...

I've been feeling a bit run down the last few days, and I'm like, oh yeah, the constant stress of having a damaged house will do that.

Roofer is coming tomorrow, thankfully, so that will be one big thing put back together!

Selfmate · 23 July 2025

centen said:
I've been feeling a bit run down the last few days, and I'm like, oh yeah, the constant stress of having a damaged house will do that.

Roofer is coming tomorrow, thankfully, so that will be one big thing put back together!

you must have read too many books before the incident so God was like here's a tree for your troubles!!!

StirFriedPanda · 23 July 2025

I do miss reading...

centen · 23 July 2025

Selfmate said:
you must have read too many books before the incident so God was like here's a tree for your troubles!!!

My TBR stack is kind of out of control right now...

I'm at 117 completed books this year (and I DNF pretty aggressively, so I've started way more than that), and I have 11 books on my shelf that I haven't started yet. It's fine~

centen · 23 July 2025

SirPandalot said:
I do miss reading...

Reading is fun.

Do you need recommendations? If you like kind of morbid nonfiction or not necessarily morbid scifi/fantasy (not romantasy!!), then I can help!

rayhere · 23 July 2025

centen said:
Reading is fun. Do you need recommendations? If you like kind of morbid nonfiction or not necessarily morbid scifi/fantasy (not romantasy!!), then I can help!

I could use some recommendations! just keep in mind I'm 12... but my reading level is that of a 12th grader so that helps

dark_tranquility · 23 July 2025

nothing much
I want to get back into it though

centen · 23 July 2025

xrayy said:
I could use some recommendations! just keep in mind I'm 12... but my reading level is that of a 12th grader so that helps

For accessible scifi, I really like:

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, starts with All Systems Red. Despite the intense name, it's about a cyborg/human hybrid with a kind of morbid observational sense of humor who just wants to be left alone to watch TV shows, but has to do its job and keep saving humans. The books are all very short, so easy to get into. It's my favorite series of all time, because it's fun on a surface level -- aliens! explosions! taking out bad guys! -- but as you get into the series, it's about what it means to be a person and finding community.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Kaiju are things like Godzilla. It's about a regular Joe type character who gets hired into an "animal care facility" as a general worker (e.g. load these boxes, bring these over to this building) and discovers the animal care is for Kaiju in a parallel dimension.
To Be Taught, If Fortune by Becky Chambers. It's about four scientists who go to other planets and are just doing environmental surveys. I think it really captured the awe of being one tiny part of a whole universe.

For fantasy:

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede, starts with Dealing with Dragons. I think I originally read this around your age, and reread it a couple years back, and it still holds up. It's about a princess who doesn't want to get married off, so she decides to be "captured" by a dragon instead.
A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon. If you like Sailor Moon at all, then this is basically that. Magical girls are a known thing in society, and they are trying to find the greatest magical girl of all time. There are a couple of kind of intense scenes: it opens on the main character being very depressed, and later, there's a scene where a man treats one of the magical girls badly (like physically cruel), but she gets him back. It's pretty short and doesn't overly dwell on those things, though.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. He was inspired by The Princess Bride movie and decided: what if, when Princess Buttercup heard her beloved was in danger, she decided to go rescue him? It's a magical pirate adventure, and it just had so much warmth and heart.

Hopefully one of these sparks for you!

rayhere · 23 July 2025

centen said:
For accessible scifi, I really like:

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, starts with All Systems Red. Despite the intense name, it's about a cyborg/human hybrid with a kind of morbid observational sense of humor who just wants to be left alone to watch TV shows, but has to do its job and keep saving humans. The books are all very short, so easy to get into. It's my favorite series of all time, because it's fun on a surface level -- aliens! explosions! taking out bad guys! -- but as you get into the series, it's about what it means to be a person and finding community.

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Kaiju are things like Godzilla. It's about a regular Joe type character who gets hired into an "animal care facility" as a general worker (e.g. load these boxes, bring these over to this building) and discovers the animal care is for Kaiju in a parallel dimension.

To Be Taught, If Fortune by Becky Chambers. It's about four scientists who go to other planets and are just doing environmental surveys. I think it really captured the awe of being one tiny part of a whole universe.

For fantasy:

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede, starts with Dealing with Dragons. I think I originally read this around your age, and reread it a couple years back, and it still holds up. It's about a princess who doesn't want to get married off, so she decides to be "captured" by a dragon instead.

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon. If you like Sailor Moon at all, then this is basically that. Magical girls are a known thing in society, and they are trying to find the greatest magical girl of all time. There are a couple of kind of intense scenes: it opens on the main character being very depressed, and later, there's a scene where a man treats one of the magical girls badly (like physically cruel), but she gets him back. It's pretty short and doesn't overly dwell on those things, though.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson. He was inspired by The Princess Bride movie and decided: what if, when Princess Buttercup heard her beloved was in danger, she decided to go rescue him? It's a magical pirate adventure, and it just had so much warmth and heart.

Hopefully one of these sparks for you!

Thank you!!!! I love fantasy especially those books all sound amazing i'll read them as soon as I can!

StirFriedPanda · 23 July 2025

centen said:
Reading is fun. Do you need recommendations? If you like kind of morbid nonfiction or not necessarily morbid scifi/fantasy (not romantasy!!), then I can help!

I need time. I have a bad habit of buying books and then not reading them.