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looking for recommendations (fiction)

Posted by zephyr

posted

Forum: Books and Stories

im looking for book, comic, webcomic, graphic novel, and manga recommendations! middle grade up to college level reading skills. kindle books and downloadable ebooks are ok. no NSFW recommendations and no spoilers or trigger warnings please.

if you find your recommendation doesn't fit very many criteria, don't worry, recommend it anyway. these are fairly loose guidelines, except for the 'what i dont like' section. the 'what i like' section is simply things that would make me more likely to read something, it's not necessary for more than one to apply to one book.

what i like:

  • fantasy, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, dystopian present/future, suspense/horror, isekai, some YA fiction (combinations of these are a plus)
  • books around 200-500 pages each, preferably in a series
  • comics/webcomics/graphic novels/manga of any length
  • stories that feature furries or talking animals (with a serious tone/theme)
  • stories that predominantly focus on queer characters (i prefer there to be some discussion or conflict, so not just an anecdote about the character, but a major part of their life experience. genderqueer, aspec, and lesbian characters are mostly what im looking for. im not looking for stories focused on cisgender gay men right now.)
  • stories that focus on relationships between characters and the way they grow and/or change over time (can be platonic, familial, romantic, etc)
  • stories with socially ostracized characters (due to queerness, looks, spiritual beliefs, etc, basically anything people are marginalized for in the real world - as long as its not set in the real world)
  • stories with violence (i don't mind if it's graphic, just let me know in rating terms - PG-13 vs R vs unrated, etc)
  • stories where characters overcome great challenges (mental, emotional, and physical. well written deaths and intense sadness/anguish are a plus, but not if theyre the only themes in the book)
  • romance as a subplot (feel free to recommend romance-themed books without unnecessary or romanticized abusive dynamics, but please let me know how much focus is on the romance.)

what i dont like:

  • audiobooks
  • historical fiction
  • mythology focused fiction of any pantheon
  • YA fiction that is focused on romance or clearly derivative of previous works
  • dystopian fiction with misguided or outdated ideas (subjective, use your own judgement)
  • silly or over the top furries or talking animals
  • stories with no challenge, struggle, or negative emotional impact to characters
  • unfinished series or books/series that end on a cliffhanger unresolved by later entries (unless it's horror or generally focused on deep anguish)
  • stories that focus mostly or entirely on romance

examples of what i like:
  • warriors series (favs: power of three, crookedstars promise)
  • foxcraft trilogy
  • the chaperone by m. hendrix
  • flowers for algernon
  • x-men
  • uzumaki, glyceride, the enigma of amigara fault, and the human chair by junji ito
  • elfen lied
  • death note
  • homestuck


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Reply by Gluma

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ZOOMING IN HERE TO RECOMMEND MOB PSYCHO 100. I kinda suck at recommendations so I'll try to tackle each bullet that fits:

  • It's a completed manga series that's in the comedy/slice-of-life genre with some action in it as well! I'd say it's YA since the main character (Mob) is a middle schooler and the entire story focuses a lot on his struggles throughout life and his social + emotional growth.
  • It's been a while since I last reread it but the main chapters go up to, well, 100 chapters (lol) but some chapters go into decimals (ex: 95.1 and 95.2), though I don't think it's done a lot to the point that the manga as a whole is longer due to them.
  • MP100 is ALL about relationships, man :DDDD the story revolves around Mob's interactions towards the people around him. Includes platonic, familial, and romantic!
  • If you haven't noticed, Mob's name is pretty much self-explanatory: it's meant to signal him as the "background character." He's a socially-awkward, shy, and quiet kid who obviously isn't very popular in his school due to those traits. He's not bullied all that much, but it's clear he's an outcast. There's also other major characters in the series that have themes of loneliness and the inability to fit in, too. However, the setting takes place in real life (well....in a reality where psychic powers exist but is otherwise the same....lol (not a spoiler; literally the first thing that's told in the manga haha))
  • Like I said, there's action in the series! I wouldn't say it's the main focus but it's definitely one of its genres. Because of that, some fighting scenes get a bit intense but I personally don't think they're that graphic since I can't recall any tremendously bloody scenes. PG-13 for the most part, I think? The target audience is supposedly middle/high-schoolers so definitely nothing bad.
  • There's definitely mental, emotional, and a bit of physical development for a multitude of characters :DDDDDD that's the whole point, babyyyyyy!!!!!! It's why I love the series <33333 idk what the criteria is for intense sadness/anguish but...the manga deals mostly with prepubescent emotions so...you know haha
  • Romance is definitely a subplot here! Mob's main goal throughout the series is to ask out a girl (not a spoiler, this is established pretty early on). He's trying to work up the courage as the series progresses but obviously you see that there's more growth going on with his character than just his courage. Aside from that, I don't think there's any major romances that happen? Literally the only "romance" I can think of is when background girl characters start crushing on one of the major characters lmao
  • Doesn't seem to hit any of your dislikes!
I'm very limited on time atm but I could genuinely gush on and on about this series THAT'S how much I love it omggg I'm telling you, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!! I tried not to spoil much of anything but I apologize if I was too vague on stuff and I'm 100% ready to answer ANY questions you have


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Reply by zephyr

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thank you SO MUCH for the rec gluma!! you went into a perfect amount of detail for me, and its definitely going on my read list. its been a good while since i read a new manga so im excited to start reading. again tysm!!


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Reply by zephyr

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bumping cause im still lookin!!


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