Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes by Daniel Everett. It’s about a Christian missionary who goes to try to convert members of the Pirahã tribe in the Amazon, and he ends up losing his faith in God and becoming obsessed with linguistics instead. The Pirahã language and culture are fascinating. They have no counting system, no fixed terms for color, no concept of war, and no personal property. I read this after State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Loved both books.

You’re getting downvoted, but I agree because I would assume anyone who puts Lolita or American Psycho as their favorite book in a dating profile is trying to be edgy, and I’m not here for it.

Tyra Banks wrote an absolutely unhinged novel called Modelland about a girl named Tookie De La Crème who is kidnapped and forced to attend a modeling boarding school.

Ivana Trump wrote romance novels.

Stacey Abrams writes romance under a pen name (Selena Montgomery) and thrillers under her real name.

Molly Ringwald wrote a book of short stories.

BJ Novak from The Office wrote a legitimately hilarious children’s book called “The Book with No Pictures.” Always a laugh riot when you read it to kids.

I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.

I got Covid last year after Thanksgiving. I was also feeling heartbroken about all the anti-LGBTQ sentiment and violence that was ramping up last year. While I was sick and sad, I read Legends & Lattes, which is a cozy fantasy story about an orc named Viv who retires from dangerous mercenary work to open a coffee shop. There’s also a very sweet sapphic romance, and no homophobia exists in the world of the story. It was exactly what I needed in that moment.

One of Daenerys’ dragons, obviously. 🔥

Oh, your post breaks my heart. 💔 I’m a librarian, and I hope you are able to read peacefully now, at whatever pace is comfy for you and whatever books you find fun and interesting!

I was always shocked at my lowish scores in “reading comprehension” as a kid, because I LOVED to read and thought I was good at it. I had the same problem as you. I was paying attention to different things than the number of dang apples.

My best recommendation for adults is to go to a library. They are judgement-free book palaces where you can borrow whatever books you want, ask the librarian for book suggestions, and sit and read (often in a beautiful environment) for as long as you please. My favorite library was built in the 90s and has a 90s vibe to it that reminds me of when I was a kid. It is a place of healing. ☺️

We wouldn’t want teens in Georgia to read a realistic and empathetic portrayal of what it’s like to be a kid who is bullied for being gay, now would we?

Tape for the Turn of the Year by AR Ammons - a long poem written entirely on a roll of adding machine tape.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - hard to explain, but the audiobook version has 166 different voice actors, and it is magnificent. The book almost reads like a play or screenplay.

Fox 8 by George Saunders - a longish short story written entirely from the perspective of a fox, complete with creative spelling.

So Much Cooking by Naomi Kritzer - the story of a bird flu pandemic, as told through a cooking blog. You can read the whole thing here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_11_15/

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtal - just read it, if you haven’t already. It’s short. Then read it again.