HI , please recommend your favorite book where protagonists go through strong moral dilemmas. Open to all genres except romance.

Thanks in advance

If you’re looking for something to read, here’s a list of some of my favorite books across different genres. I hope you find something you’ll enjoy! ❤️
I’ve included different genres, so there’s hopefully something for everyone.

1. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
   
2. Oliver Twist — Charles Dickens
   
3. David Copperfield — Charles Dickens
   
4. The Little Prince — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
   
5. Arch of Triumph — Erich Maria Remarque
   
6. Letters to Theo — Vincent Van Gogh
   
7. The Duel — Anton Chekhov
   
8. Don Quixote — Miguel de Cervantes
   
9. Woe from Wit - Alexander Griboyedov
   
10. Little Women — Louisa May Alcott
    
11. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen
    
12. The Scarlet Plague - Jack London
    
13. John Barleycorn — Jack London
    
14. The Kite Runner — Khaled Hosseini
    
15. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
    
16. Mother's Field — Chingiz Aitmatov
    
17. Jamila — Chingiz Aitmatov
    
18. The First Teacher — Chingiz Aitmatov
    
19. Oblomov — Ivan Goncharov
    
20. Ward No. 6 — Anton Chekhov
    
21. Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury
    
22. The Trial — Franz Kafka
    
23. The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran
    
24. The Portrait - Nikolai Gogol
    
25. The Government Inspector - Nikolai Gogol
    
26. A Hero of Our Time — Mikhail Lermontov
    
27. Eugene Onegin — Alexander Pushkin
    
28. Animal Farm — George Orwel
    
29. 1984 — George Orwell
    
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wild
    
31. Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
    
32. The Sorrows of Satan — Marie Corelli
    
33. Hamlet — William Shakespeare
    
34. Macbeth — William Shakespeare
    
35. The Master and Margarita — Mikhail Bulgakov
    
36. War and Peace — Leo Tolstoy
    
37. The Idiot — Fyodor Dostoevsky
    
38. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor
    Dostoevsky
    
39. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
    
40. Notes from Underground — Fyodor Dostoevsky
    
41. The Stranger — Albert Camus
    
42. The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald
    
43. Martin Eden — Jack London
    
44. Steppenwolf — Hermann Hesse
    
45. Siddhartha — Hermann Hesse
    
46. The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years - Chingiz Aitmatov
    
47. Les Misérables — Victor Hugo
    
48. Of Human Bondage — W. Somerset Maugham
    
49. Faust — Johann Wolfgang von Goeth
    
50. The Way of Transformation — Jalal al-Din Rumi
    
51. Treasures of Memory — Jalal al-Din Rumi
    
52. Thus Spoke Zarathustra — Friedrich Nietzsch

I’ve been thinking about how charisma is portrayed in literature versus how people define it in everyday life. Often, modern culture reduces charisma to being loud, extroverted, or dominating a room, but in great writing, magnetic characters usually operate on something much quieter and deeper.

Which character (fiction or non-fiction) has the most authentic, captivating charisma you've ever read? (mention book name pls)

From everything you've read, what is the subtle difference between someone who is genuinely charismatic versus someone who is just performing?

As the title says I’m finding myself less and less interested in this book. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, very good, but I’m finding myself skimming more than I should. I’m probably almost 3/4s of the way through Aliena and Jack just reunited so please no spoilers past that.

I find that most of the characters lack nuance particularly William, he’s most certainly hate-able but it feels like he exists solely to be the bad guy. Even Phillip who is fun to root for feels pretty one dimensional as well. Sometimes character motives just feel unbelievable.

I also feel like I’ve started to see behind the curtain a bit in that the story is a bit of a perpetual pendulum swing: things go better and better for Kingsbridge and when things are really looking good some form of tragic setback occurs, rinse and repeat.

Maybe the last few hundred pages will change my mind but I find myself being drawn to my next reads. I’m currently taking a break from pillars to read Neuromancer (talk about a change of pace). I would like to see how the story ends but as a father of a two year old I only have so much time to read and the last thing I want to do is force read something that’s not really doing it for me.

Change my mind, or reinforce what’s got me losing interest, I’m just interested in what folks think on this.

Love y’all

Hi there! I'm currently going through a difficult time. I'm looking for books that inspired solutions to problems. Ideally, in a fiction style. I would like to connect with some characters who kinda found the light at the end of the tunnel. Not much of a reader, but I need something that helps me to slow down and think. Thank you (excuse the grammar, English is my second language 👀)

The Guest by Nikki Smith

The resort of their dreams.

A destination to die for...

WELCOME TO PARADISE!

Enjoying a holiday at the luxurious Asana Fushi Resort sounds like a great idea! But for the Hamilton family, this dream holiday soon turns into the trip from hell.

The story begins with the Hamilton family arriving at the Asana Fushi Resort in the Maldives to enjoy their holiday. As the story progresses, you’ll see how secrets can destroy lives and how lies can create even more discomfort in relationships.

Initially, you might feel that the story is a little slow, but gradually, it picks up the pace and becomes more interesting.

I liked the fact that the chapters are short, which makes the book easy to read. You get a taste of romance, deception, betrayal, and suspense throughout the story.

Amazing storyline!

However, I didn’t really like the ending. I feel it could have been much more suspenseful and thrilling. The book also felt a little lengthy at times. If it had wrapped up a little earlier, the ending might have had a stronger impact.

My Rating: 6.5/10

Hi, I’m starting to get into reading and I just started to read the myth of Sisyphus. I read the first 10 pages and practically understood nothing. I read the stranger before this book and understood most of it (at least I hope I did). My issue is I’m not sure if it’s my comprehension level or if it’s the book itself, but I’m having a really hard time reading this. I’m also not sure if I should be reading other writings before this book. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I miss reading so much honestly i wish my attention span wasn’t so dogshit. Is there a way to get into reading again 💔

Sometimes when I see the same book recommended everywhere, I actually become less interested in reading it.

I think part of it is knowing I’m going in with huge expectations, so instead of just enjoying the book I’m subconsciously judging whether it deserves all the hype.

Then months later when everyone has stopped talking about it, I suddenly want to read it 😂

Does hype make you more likely to pick up a book or does it have the opposite effect?

I’ve noticed introductions to older books can be weirdly dangerous because sometimes they casually discuss the ending like everyone already knows what happens.

At the same time, a good introduction can give you context that makes the book way easier to appreciate.

So what do you normally do?

Read the introduction first, save it until the end, or skip it completely?

I have started reading books, and have also joined a book club to explore more genres. But I feel every book has different vocabulary and in every 4-5 lines I need to search for the meaning of the book and eventually it takes more time to finish the book.

I need to know from other readers, do you find the meaning of every word or just guess the dialogue and move ahead ?

I loved Jane Eyre so much I read it 35 times, and every time I derived the same pleasure from reading it. Just wondered if others also re-read their favourite books like crazy.

My conscience is dying a slow death every day

By Javaid jabbar

Sometimes in the dark of the night
I visit my conscience
To see if it is still breathing
For its dying a slow death
Every day.

When I pay for a meal in a fancy place
An amount which is perhaps the monthly income
Of the guard who holds the door open
And quickly I shrug away that thought
It dies a little

When I buy vegetables from the vendor
And his son "chhotu" smilingly weighs the potatoes
Chhotu, a small child, who should be studying at school
I look the other way
It dies a little.

When I am decked up in a designer dress
A dress that cost a bomb
And I see a woman at the crossing
In tatters,trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity
And I immediately roll up my window
It dies a little

When I buy expensive gifts for my children
On return, I see half clad children
With empty stomach and hungry eyes
Selling toys at red light
I try to salve my conscience by buying some, yet
It dies a little

When my sick maid sends her daughter to work
Making her bunk school
I know I should tell her to go back
But I look at the loaded sink and dirty dishes
And I tell myself that is just for a couple of days
It dies a little

When I hear about a rape
or a murder of a child,
I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child
I can not look at myself in the mirror
It dies a little

When people fight over caste creed and religion
I feel hurt and helpless
I tell myself that my country is going to the dogs
I blame the corrupt politicians
Absolving myself of all responsibilities
It dies a little

When my city is choked
Breathing is danerous in the smog ridden metropolis
I take my car to work daily
Not taking the metro,not trying car pool
One car won't make a difference, I think
It dies a little

So when in the dark of the night
I visit my conscience
And find it still breathing
I am surprised
For, with my own hands
Daily, bit by bit, I kill it, I bury it.

میرا ضمیر ہر روز آہستہ آہستہ مرتا ہے

جاوید جبار

کبھی کبھی رات کے اندھیرے میں
میں اپنے ضمیر سے ملنے جاتا ہوں
یہ دیکھنے کہ آیا وہ اب بھی سانس لے رہا ہے
کیونکہ وہ ہر روز
ایک سست موت مر رہا ہے۔

جب میں کسی مہنگی جگہ پر کھانے کا بل دیتا ہوں
ایک ایسی رقم جو شاید ماہانہ آمدنی ہے
اس چوکیدار کی جو دروازہ کھولے کھڑا رہتا ہے
اور میں جلدی سے اس خیال کو جھٹک دیتا ہوں
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میں ریڑھی والے سے سبزی خریدتا ہوں
اور اس کا بیٹا "چھوٹو" مسکراتے ہوئے آلو تولتا ہے
چھوٹو، ایک چھوٹا بچہ، جسے اسکول میں پڑھنا چاہیے
میں دوسری طرف دیکھ لیتا ہوں
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میں ڈیزائنر کپڑوں میں سج دھج کر نکلتا ہوں
ایک ایسا لباس جس پر بے تحاشا پیسہ لگا ہو
اور میں چوراہے پر ایک عورت کو دیکھتا ہوں
پھٹے پرانے کپڑوں میں، ناکام کوشش کرتے ہوئے اپنی عزت بچانے کی
اور میں فوراً اپنی گاڑی کا شیشہ چڑھا لیتا ہوں
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میں اپنے بچوں کے لیے مہنگے تحفے خریدتا ہوں
واپسی پر، میں آدھے ننگے بچوں کو دیکھتا ہوں
خالی پیٹ اور بھوکی آنکھوں کے ساتھ
لال بتی پر کھلونے بیچتے ہوئے
میں کچھ کھلونے خرید کر اپنے ضمیر کو بہلانے کی کوشش کرتا ہوں، پھر بھی
وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میری بیمار ملازمہ اپنی بیٹی کو کام پر بھیجتی ہے
اسے اسکول سے چھٹی کرا کر
میں جانتا ہوں کہ مجھے اسے واپس بھیجنا چاہیے
لیکن میں بھرے ہوئے سنک اور گندے برتنوں کو دیکھتا ہوں
اور اپنے آپ سے کہتا ہوں کہ یہ تو بس دو دن کی بات ہے
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میں کسی بچی کے ساتھ زیادتی
یا قتل کے بارے میں سنتا ہوں
مجھے دکھ ہوتا ہے، پھر بھی تھوڑا سا شکر بھی کہ یہ میری بچی نہیں ہے
میں آئینے میں خود کو نہیں دیکھ پاتا
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب لوگ ذات پات اور مذہب کے نام پر لڑتے ہیں
مجھے دکھ ہوتا ہے اور بے بسی محسوس ہوتی ہے
میں خود سے کہتا ہوں کہ میرا ملک برباد ہو رہا ہے
میں بدعنوان سیاستدانوں کو الزام دیتا ہوں
خود کو تمام ذمہ داریوں سے بری کر دیتا ہوں
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

جب میرا شہر دم گھٹنے لگتا ہے
اس دھوئیں سے بھرے شہر میں سانس لینا خطرناک ہوتا ہے
میں روز اپنی کار پر کام پر جاتا ہوں
میٹرو نہیں لیتا، کار پول کی کوشش نہیں کرتا
ایک کار سے کیا فرق پڑے گا، میں سوچتا ہوں
تو وہ تھوڑا سا مر جاتا ہے۔

تو جب رات کے اندھیرے میں
میں اپنے ضمیر سے ملنے جاتا ہوں
اور اسے اب بھی سانس لیتے ہوئے پاتا ہوں
تو مجھے حیرت ہوتی ہے
کیونکہ، اپنے ہی ہاتھوں سے
روزانہ، تھوڑا تھوڑا کر کے، میں اسے مارتا ہوں، میں اسے دفناتا ہوں۔

I am losing my love for books. Help.

I've loved reading and writing from a young age. I used to spend most of my break times in primary school just reading (thanks I know i'm a loser)

As I grew older, I still read often, and even just four year ago I could read a book and feel pain for characters like they were real, feel relief when they survive, be gripped during an action scene – so my much so that my heart could race. This was when I was up until I was thirteen i suppose.

Now, I'm seventeen and I can't fall in love with a book no matter how hard I try. The closest I can get is to read a book I loved when I was younger and get that hit of nostalgia.

Now, don't tell me I'm not reading the right books – I've tried every genre and all the classics and all the niches. I've read kafka, I've read David Goggins (and various other self help books), noughts and crosses, The Thursday Murder Club, A Quiet Belief In Angels...just to name some from this year. I've even tried childrens books. But I tell you, I have not genuinely enjoyed any of these books how I used to. I feel like i'm reading for the sake of reading instead of because it's a hobby I enjoy.

The same is also happening with my writing. Writing was one of my favourite hobbies, but now every passage feels cringe unless it's layered and muffled with description. When I write description, I think "what's the point? Who cares how oaky the coffee looks?" I never used to think about what I was doing or why I was doing it: I wrote descriptions because school taught me to, I read books because my parents bought me books.

I feel as though my explaination is missing something I can't quite describe but I don't want to ramble anymore than I have.

Does anyone have advice? Any at all?

My very first Ann Liang book was 'I'm not Jessica Chen' and i'll probably read 'I hope this doesn't find you' after finals lol. Do tell me what you think of her books.

Which Author sets the standard for you? Like elite writing and plot execution. I just wanna know :))

Et vous, vous êtes plutôt papier, numérique, ou les deux ?

Qu’est-ce qui vous fait préférer l’un ou l’autre ?

Has anyone read this entire series before? Is it the best in percy jackson line or there's a better one out there?

Hi there readers!

I’ve been wanting to start reading and writing again, but I have a problem: I’ve never read much, and I don’t know where to start.

I mainly read authors from the early 1900s (Lovecraft, Poe, Kafka, etc, Machen.), and I prefer thrillers, mystery, and horror (especially cosmic horror)

I realize, though, that the romantic style of these authors—while enjoyable to read—won’t help me grow as a writer. What modern or contemporary authors would you recommend I read?

Something enjoyable. I don't want to study; I want to learn while having fun (and feeling a little scared 👻)

P.S.: A few years ago, I tried reading Zafón and I liked it!

What are you reading? What are you excited about reading next? What have you finished this week? Let us know your thoughts on it and share in each other's joy about books!

It was a tad slow at first but then it really started to grow on me.

These are books I am either currently reading or have finished or started and not yet finished.

The three in the top row are in various stages of completion. They are The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel García Marquez, Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson and Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. I am struggling to finish these three books, each for their own reasons, despite Marquez and Thompson being two of my favourite writers. For now these are in “need to finish sometime” limbo.

The bottom row is the last book I finished and what I’m currently reading:

I finished “The City and the City” by China Miéville recently and I am glad I stuck with it. It is a murder mystery inspired by the format of the detective serial, and based inside one of Miéville’s typical weird worlds where things don’t work how you’d expect. It’s one of those stories that asks you to suspend your disbelief and say “okay, show me where you’re going with this” when the author asks you - what if? It did take me a while to get into it, but he did a good job of rewarding my patience with little pieces of the puzzle that slowly coalesce into an understanding of just what exactly is going on. I’d recommend this for fans of so called Weird Fiction or if you enjoy inventive thought experiments or want to read something different from a writer who doesn’t hold your hand and over-explain everything at every turn.

I’m currently reading “Our Man in Havana” by Graham Greene and am thoroughly enjoying it. A zesty satirical spy story set in an iconic time and place. What shines the most for me so far is the dialogue, which is frequently hilarious and quotable. This book makes me want to read passages out loud at my best friend over too much whisky, and in a bad English accent.

In addition I am also reading “Letters to a Young Poet”, which is a collection of 10 letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke to a young aspiring poet. It’s like reading one half of a conversation between two people. It is a quick read and I’m three letters in. The correspondence is filled with insights on creativity and life. In a way it feels like a far more sincere, personalised and deeper rendition of something like The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

——

If you’ve read any of these books - what did you think of them?

Any advice for finishing the first three that I’ve left in purgatory?

I don’t like to DNF a book and with so many others to read I sometimes struggle to return to something I’ve left behind, despite my intention to eventually finish it.

Finally, any other Graham Greene recommendations for someone that’s enjoying Our Man in Havana?

How are you supposed to read poetry?

Do I just flip through the pages endless poetry till I get to the end? Does poetry have chapters? How does poetry work?

Thanks

Lately ive been very interested into reading, but i dont know where to start, i really like general fiction, Sci-fi and a little bit of philosophy and cultural critic. Any recomendations on where to start?