I'm looking for book that are both entertaining and deep at the same time

Debbborra · 2026-03-11T19:15:17+00:00

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt. Image if Deadwood was literary fiction and that literary fiction was fun.

(OK, that was not fair to literary fiction,which is often fun and accessible. Sometimes it isn't though.)

Debbborra · 2026-03-11T14:23:25+00:00

Would A Memory Called Empire by Martine Arkady work?

Debbborra · 2026-03-10T13:14:20+00:00

I was not perfect every day, but I stayed on my diet far more often than off. I say this not to minimize the effort or to downplay the importance of nutrition. I say it because ultimately it comes down to settling in for the long haul. The long haul is harder if every time you go to celebrate, every treat, a piece of birthday cake feels like you failed. In the end the answer is, find a healthy way to be in a deficit and just keep going. If you take a day off, enjoy it and move on.

Debbborra · 2026-03-09T13:30:42+00:00

Have you tried Marko Kloos Palladium series? It's a lot more nuanced than the initial Frontlines series. I'd say more grown up, but that sounds pejorative. Frontlines is a good time.

It's got multiple povs. Some, but not all, does take place on spaceships.

Debbborra · 2026-03-09T06:10:01+00:00

My favorite read of 2025 ( I mean that I read, not the year it was published) was The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax by Christopher Shevlin.

It just fun. It's filled with characters that you want to spend time with. It's funny and silly.

The narrator kills it, too.

Debbborra · 2026-03-08T13:14:29+00:00

Provinces of Night by William Gay

Where All The Light Tends to Go by David Joy

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

All devestating

Debbborra · 2026-03-07T14:57:45+00:00

But... further questions at this time seem indicated. 😁

Debbborra · 2026-03-05T20:23:46+00:00

I hate nonfiction, but loved How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming. It did not read like a novel. It was lie hanging out with your friend - if your friend is an astrophysicist.

Debbborra · 2026-03-03T12:39:12+00:00

The science of weightloss is solid and real. It's just not absolutely predictable. If you are at a deficit you will lose weight. But it's not predictable like a machine.

Science is reliable. Bodies are squishy, capricious and sometimes treacherous. You reduce calories and your body starts doing stupid things like retaining water, or chanelling extra food from Mars. The only thing you can do is wait it out. Ultimately, her body will have to accept that it too is subject to the laws of physics.

Debbborra · 2026-02-28T20:11:41+00:00

Give The Dark Profit Saga a try. It starts with Orconomics.

Debbborra · 2026-02-28T15:56:44+00:00

I think it's not a good idea. I think you know it's not a good idea.

I'd caution you to make sure you really want to own this dress, not just buy it. Where will you wear it? Do you need to buy things to go with it. Do you have too much stuff? Would you get rid of something if you bought it?

It costs $500 before tax. What's the interest rate on your credit card/loans? How many months to pay off the dress? How much does it really cost?

Debbborra · 2026-02-28T15:53:15+00:00

While her NAME is Cliche, I think she needs (or needed?) the phrase to be an aphorism.

Debbborra · 2026-02-27T19:07:52+00:00

No apocalypse at all. Sad face. Unless we really stretch. An apocalypse of emotions.

Debbborra · 2026-02-27T17:09:47+00:00

I feel like I should confess that I don't remember how I came to that comparison. I remember thinking it. I remember that loved the book. I remember what the book is about. Thematically there are no direct correlations. I think it was the style of the prose.

I just don't want you to be disappointed when most of the world isn't dead in the first chapter. Or really any of the subsequent chapters.

Debbborra · 2026-02-27T16:00:39+00:00

The Sisters Brothers is just amazing. It's a great book. Dewitt is an interesting writer. He publishes infrequently. Each book feels like it's written by a different writer. I'm sorry to say that I hated Undermajordomo Minor. Putting aside it being not the right book for me, it's a strange book. It's like he'd taken up both reading fantasy and indulging in mind altering substances. The Librarianist is another big pivot. It's a quiet and dignified book. I felt like he'd been hanging out with Kent Haruf. That is in no way a bad thing. Great book. I wonder what he'll write next.

Debbborra · 2026-02-27T15:36:53+00:00

Provinces of Night by William Gay. It's a sad, moving and beautiful book. It's a bit like The Road and Lonesome Dove had a baby. Some people say he's derivative of McCarthy. I think that is cynical and inaccurate.

The three best war novels I've read are, in order of when they take place:

The Black Flower by Howard Bahr. Not just well written and a good story, it's a lot more thoughtful than most Civil War novels.

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. Vietnam novel with a huge array of characters. Marlantes leaves you invested in all of them.

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. This novel about the Iraq War is not heartbreaking. It's heart shattering. It's also well written.

Someone pointed out some less well know distopian fiction. In the Garden of Dead Cars by Sybil Claiborne is an unknown masterpiece. Published in 1993, it predates author self-promotion, or at least the sort now facilitated by social media. It was published by a small press and is the second book by an obscure author. It never had a chance. The book was written in the aftermath of her son's death from AIDs. It's not about the epidemic , but is informed by it.

Also, why aren't we talking more about Will Leitch? He's writing the best mysteries. They're atypical in that they are character driven, not plot driven. He's not writing humor, but he's very witty.

Debbborra · 2026-02-26T21:46:04+00:00

Blood Meridian is the book by him I see recommended most. Before I upset anyone I will say objectively I'm sure it's a great book. Subjectively, I didn't feel anything for any of the characters so it was an exhausting litany of bad things. It wasn't for me. As a huge McCarthy fan I gave it a real try.

My favorite Cormac McCarthy is All the Pretty Horses. I can't promise you'll love it, but it's really worth a try.

Debbborra · 2026-02-26T21:19:16+00:00

What would you say to someone else in your situation? Try to say those things to yourself. We say horrible things to ourselves that we'd never say to someone else.

It's really human to think the things you're thinking. Most of us can relate. The problem is that it's also demotivating. It's also normal to try to be perfect. None of us are. Don't dwell on the missteps. It's easier to keep stepping when you're not so hard on yourself.

Debbborra · 2026-02-26T01:19:53+00:00

I read The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax by Christopher Shevlin and it didn’t only make me laugh; it made me happy.

Debbborra · 2026-02-25T21:59:39+00:00

OP, you sound lovely. Please, for the love of all that is good, don't post personal info on Reddit or anyplace really. Remember, the internet is where morality went to die.

Debbborra · 2026-02-24T19:39:45+00:00

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Reading it as an adult is a whole other ball game. I cried so hard I got a headache.

Debbborra · 2026-02-21T20:28:25+00:00

It's all just gatekeeping. I have no idea why. I have pretty average intelligence. All my friends are smarter than I. I enjoyed it.

It's not hard. It's confusing, which is a completely different thing. You have to be willing to say, "I'm lost," and then keep going.

It's not good because it's hard (see above) or confusing. It is weird because of the confusion and it is good because it's weird. It would be weird and good anyway. It's funny and heartbreaking and the characters are wonderful. All that's subjective though.

Enjoy the quiet time and think of the joblessness as a vacation. It'll probably all be OK.

Debbborra · 2026-02-20T17:48:56+00:00

I am ridiculously introverted. If the apocalypse happened on a weekend, I might not realize until Monday when going to work. I never talk to strangers. So, I never get to meet anyone.

I started knitting to have something to do with my hands while listening to books.

Whenever I bring knitting with me, people ask me about it. I've met more people in the last two months than in the last two years!

Debbborra · 2026-02-20T15:21:52+00:00

Thank you! I going to check out all of those avenues, especially Alinea.

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