I am stuck with my reading in 2026 and need some help.

[lastrobot@writing.exchange]

@britt oops. You said no romance. That last one is that.

[britt@mstdn.games]

@Deidzoeb this is a super creative suggestion, I really appreciate it.

[luce@eldritch.cafe]

@britt Maybe Becky Chambers could be something you might like, especially the wayfarers series or the murderbot series by Martha wells! N K Jemisin is also so so good and R.F Kuang is also an author I like, I really enjoyed Babel and Katabasis. For historical fiction she who became the sun by Shelley Parker chan comes into my mind, I liked that story a lot too.

If you’re currently into not so much scifi:
I also really enjoyed the audiobooks of Elif Shafaks books „there are rivers in the sky“ and „the island of missing trees“ (the second one also contains some romance), the storytelling is so beautiful.
There’s also tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin which is about friendship and developing games.
I also recently liked the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo by taylor Jenkins Reid, although it does contain some romance but I feel like it’s not the main focus.

And sometimes I just need to listen to a favourite of mine I already know, or something that makes me feel nostalgic. And that easy listening gets me back into the habit

[hollygodarkly@wandering.shop]

@Chigaze
@britt

I heartily second the T Kingfisher recs! But the World of the White Rat books (which includes Clockwork Boys & The Wonder Engine) do have a romance mixed into each book along with the adventure.

My fave of hers is Summer in Orcus because portal fantasies are my fave.

[chigaze@mstdn.ca]

@HollyGoDarkly I’ll have to add that to reading pile! Currently have Hemlock & Silver lined up.

@britt

[chigaze@mstdn.ca]

@luce @britt Jemisin is amazing but can be pretty dark at times. Particularly the Broken Earth trilogy. Some of the best SFF I’ve ever read but not really happy books.

[luce@eldritch.cafe]

@Chigaze @britt There’s also the books about New York that are more cheerful (although also somewhat dark at times)

[meyltje@beige.party]

@britt I second the Greta Helsing series by Vivian Shaw! I don't see Terry Pratchett among the recommendations. Loads to choose from and a lot of strong female characters too...

[clumsygolem@mstdn.games]

@britt

I don't feel particularly qualified to answer, but here are some books that came to mind:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - fantasy, strong female lead, dragons.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - fantasy, strong female lead (and just like several strong female characters all around), and more dragons (I like dragons, what can I say?)

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - lesbian necromancers in space, need I say more?

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - A much cozier read than the other titles. If you like stories of the Fae Folk, deffs worth a read.

[sar@social.elderlogs.net]

@britt
I've literally just started in on the Mistborn Trilogy boxset

If you haven't, I'd give the original Pug (the main character) trilogy a read, by Raymond E Feist:

Magician
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon

All written in the 80's, and as such standard fantasy fare, but one I've begun re-reading through. I finished Magician last week, and jumped to Mistborn as a palette cleanser before carrying on with Silverthorn.

There's also cosy fantasy series, such as:

Tomes & Tea series by Rebecca Thorne, a fantasy series about a royal bodyguard on the run and her mage GF running a bookshop in a fantasy D&D style setting.

Similarly there's Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes series, about an Orc warrior and her Elven GF running a coffee shop in a fantasy D&D style setting...

You may be getting a feel for the type of cosy fantasy I like to read

[tapi@mastodon.online]

@britt We are legion, We are Bob. Its smart and funny. There is some legitimate end of the world stuff in there but it doesnt delve too deep into it, mostly a hopeful, how do we do the best for everyone from here

[dhampirdamsel@corteximplant.com]

@britt
A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova. A five book magical adventure series with a strong female protagonist. Her journey is the focus but there is a romantic sub-plot.
Kova's whole "Air Awakens" universe is stunning.

[britt@mstdn.games]

@sar hey!! Thanks a lot, these are great recommendations. I’ll have a dig into them this week.

I hope you enjoy Mistborn!

[britt@mstdn.games]

@ClumsyGolem you’re absolutely welcome to answer and I appreciate your help

[britt@mstdn.games]

@Chigaze @HollyGoDarkly wow what an excellent group of recommendations, I haven’t heard of any of them! Yay! Thank you!

[britt@mstdn.games]

@lastrobot hey, no worries, appreciate you taking the time to make a list for me. I don’t mind romance, I just don’t want to read it as the central theme.

[britt@mstdn.games]

@douglal What a great list, thank you! I do have “The Women” in hardback hanging around the house but I was worried it might be too real/serious given the current world events. I will very likely come around to it eventually.

[hollygodarkly@wandering.shop]

@britt @Chigaze I enjoy the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers a lot. I think of it as comfort-sci-fi, but it might be a little too dark for you? Maybe look at a description and see if any of them look interesting. They're only loosely connected so you could read any of them as stand-alones. My fave is #2.

She also has the Monk & Robot Series, which was *too* gentle for me, and I bounced off it as boring/philosophical, but my friends adore it so maybe take a look at those?

[odin@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@britt Have you read Becky Chambers? I read the “Monk & Robot” books (A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first of two) in December and liked them quite a bit. There are some elements of romance in the second story, but it’s not the focus of either book. I found the books to be very gentle stories. Both are pretty short and have good audiobooks, the main character is non-binary and afaik the narrator is as well

[colorblindcowboy@mastodon.art]

@britt

That “can’t get to stick” is a tough place to be in. Often I go back a reread something. It helps get my confidence back with less effort.

Or Young Adult (chapter) books like “The Phantom Tollbooth” or “Charlotte Sometimes.”

You might like “Travel Light” by Naomi Mitchison. Badass female protagonist and a real philosophical hero journey. “Circe” by Madeline Miller is also very engaging with BFP.