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Trying to get into reading, need suggestions (self.books)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by pathief to c/[email protected]

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I, 35M, have never been much into reading. I just never found that one book that I thought was fantastic. Everything felt OK at best.

How can I ask you for advice when I don't even know what I like myself? I don't know. I think a fantasy or mythological theme would work best. Something fast paced and with a non sad ending. I'm open to pretty much everything, though.

Maybe by listing what books I have read and what I found displeasing about them you can suggest me a book or two to try? Give me some feedback!

Books I remember reading:

Circe - I like the mythological theme, I think this was the book I enjoyed the most. I found it a bit bland, like the story pretty much lead to nothing of interest.
The Hobbit - I love the lord of the rings movies (never tried the books), I thought maybe I'd enjoy this book. I didn't enjoy the plot, don't really wanna spoil why.
Da Vinci Code - I thought it was fine, I guess I enjoy plots with some mystery.
Angels and Demons - honestly felt like the same book, I don't know if I even finished it
Digital Fortress - as a software developer, i thought the theme would pull me in but it didn't. It actually felt like the same book again and I have tried reading it three times without success.
100 years of solitude - I read this a long time ago so I don't really remember why I didn't enjoy it. I remember it being a slog with long and very detailed descriptions of situations that didn't feel to matter at all.

Thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I can highly recommend basically anything written by Brandon Sanderson, especially the Cosmere series. It consists of a lot of books (and many on the way), that describe multiple worlds. What makes his books special is the way magic is integrated into the world. It's not just 14th century Europe with wizards here and there, magic makes an impact on the society in a way that's realistic. His books are easy to read, with a few exceptions (more on that below).

As for what to start with, I'd recommend two series:

Mistborn - a series revolving around a dystopian world. The first book in the series is somewhat a fantasy heist story. Easy to read, though you can tell it's one of the earlier Brandon's books, his style of writing improves in time.
Stormlight Archives - this is the series Brandon outdid himself TBH. The world is at the very alien, but in a way that makes sense. The books suck you in and don't let go, making you want know more about the world and the characters. Be wary though, getting through the first few chapters takes some determination, as it starts slowly. And since the world is very different to our own, some words don't make sense at start, which can be slightly offputting. But getting through the first chapters is worth it.

[–] pathief 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks a bunch for the long reply. I'm going to order Mistborn and see how it goes, it looks good!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

This is a good suggestion. Even Sanderson haters like me will agree that he has strong technical storytelling skills and that his books are probably the best low-bar-of-entry fiction you can find.

[–] pathief 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hey friend, I know it has been a while. Just wanted to let you know that I have been reading the first Mistborn book (The final empire) and I have been enjoying it a lot. I think this is the first time I'm actually looking forward to my reading session so I can find out what is happening next.

Thanks a bunch!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Hey, great to know you liked it! Thanks for the update!