I am stuck with my reading in 2026 and need some help.
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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.
@ClumsyGolem you’re absolutely welcome to answer and I appreciate your help
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@HollyGoDarkly I’ll have to add that to reading pile! Currently have Hemlock & Silver lined up.
@Chigaze @HollyGoDarkly wow what an excellent group of recommendations, I haven’t heard of any of them! Yay! Thank you!
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@britt oops. You said no romance. That last one is that.
@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 A few suggestions.
How about Canadian author: Heather Marshall, “Looking for Jane”? This historical fiction l, novel details women’s reproductive rights in Canada. I found it really informative and impactful.
I also like Lianne Moriarty - but perhaps her novels include too much romance for you?! I found “What Alice Forgot” to be particularly funny.
I also always enjoy Kristin Hannah. “The Women” is packed with strong female characters.
I read a wide variety of genres but often feel stuck trying to find a novel to suit my mood. Sometimes it is a case of the right book but the wrong time and I need to revisit at a later date. Good luck! I will follow to see if there are other recommendations that I might enjoy.
@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.
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@Chigaze @HollyGoDarkly wow what an excellent group of recommendations, I haven’t heard of any of them! Yay! Thank you!
@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?
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I am stuck with my reading in 2026 and need some help.
I’m dyslexic, and mainly read with the help of audiobooks. Sadly, I’ve only read one book this year but I’ve started at least a dozen… I am having trouble getting anything to stick! I usually read 20-30 books per year - but - I don’t count everything I read because it’s not about numbers for me. I read for information, learning, escapism, and to challenge my own experiences and beliefs.
First: Please recommend authors and series to me for people who cant get into Sanderson. (I *adored* the Mistborn series but can’t get into his other books.)
Second: I can’t read dystopian fiction right now because it’s too close to real life.
Lastly: I like Susanna Clarke, V.E. Schwab, Octavia Butler, M. L. Wang, Ursula K Le Guin, Andy Weir, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, etc. I enjoy satire, humour, historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism. I don’t care for romance, dark themes or harsh environments. I enjoy reading about a strong female protagonist’s journey.
THANKS! #books #reading #readingcommunity #bookstodon
@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
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I am stuck with my reading in 2026 and need some help.
I’m dyslexic, and mainly read with the help of audiobooks. Sadly, I’ve only read one book this year but I’ve started at least a dozen… I am having trouble getting anything to stick! I usually read 20-30 books per year - but - I don’t count everything I read because it’s not about numbers for me. I read for information, learning, escapism, and to challenge my own experiences and beliefs.
First: Please recommend authors and series to me for people who cant get into Sanderson. (I *adored* the Mistborn series but can’t get into his other books.)
Second: I can’t read dystopian fiction right now because it’s too close to real life.
Lastly: I like Susanna Clarke, V.E. Schwab, Octavia Butler, M. L. Wang, Ursula K Le Guin, Andy Weir, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, etc. I enjoy satire, humour, historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism. I don’t care for romance, dark themes or harsh environments. I enjoy reading about a strong female protagonist’s journey.
THANKS! #books #reading #readingcommunity #bookstodon
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.
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I am stuck with my reading in 2026 and need some help.
I’m dyslexic, and mainly read with the help of audiobooks. Sadly, I’ve only read one book this year but I’ve started at least a dozen… I am having trouble getting anything to stick! I usually read 20-30 books per year - but - I don’t count everything I read because it’s not about numbers for me. I read for information, learning, escapism, and to challenge my own experiences and beliefs.
First: Please recommend authors and series to me for people who cant get into Sanderson. (I *adored* the Mistborn series but can’t get into his other books.)
Second: I can’t read dystopian fiction right now because it’s too close to real life.
Lastly: I like Susanna Clarke, V.E. Schwab, Octavia Butler, M. L. Wang, Ursula K Le Guin, Andy Weir, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, etc. I enjoy satire, humour, historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism. I don’t care for romance, dark themes or harsh environments. I enjoy reading about a strong female protagonist’s journey.
THANKS! #books #reading #readingcommunity #bookstodon
@britt I'm late to the party, as usual, but I re-read The Riddle Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip recently and enjoyed it. It's meandering, but I enjoyed it for that.
The characters are human, the worldbuilding is neat, and there are several strong women characters who (unfortunately) revolve around the male hero.
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@britt I'm late to the party, as usual, but I re-read The Riddle Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip recently and enjoyed it. It's meandering, but I enjoyed it for that.
The characters are human, the worldbuilding is neat, and there are several strong women characters who (unfortunately) revolve around the male hero.
@asolitarybear sounds like a good one, thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it on a re-read. That bodes well.
