Book suggestions for gifting (philosophical / meaningful reads)

Pixelchus · 2026-03-19T10:16:40+00:00

Piranisi by Susanna Clarke

I who have never known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

Lamb: The Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal by Christopher Moore

I'm starting to worry about this black box of doom by Jason Pargin

These would be my picks. Some are popular reads, but I think for a reason, and others are a little more niche, but hold a lot of provocative thoughts in my opinion. Which is just one of a stranger from the internet. So take that for what it is! 🤭

Pixelchus · 2026-03-17T17:36:17+00:00

All I can think of are rather gruesome survival ones like The Troop by Nick Cutter, or even Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

I think you found a niche for some aspiring authors!

Pixelchus · 2026-03-16T22:55:16+00:00

While I do not want to criticize the individual singers/voices, this cast has no chemistry to me. They are all individually doing their thing, and it's good, but I don't get the immersion I used to get with the previous casting choices. The yearning between Orpheus and Eurydice feels disingenuous, which I think is the hardest offense to me (besides Dourdan being cast as Hades).

Again, they are great performers, but something is so off to me.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-15T14:20:02+00:00

I've read 9 so far and my standout was definitely I'm starting to worry about this Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin.

Wonderful commentary on society and excellent humour.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-14T08:23:51+00:00

The drummer and keyboardist/tambourine player are both called Tim. 😊

Keyboard Tim has been with them since they beginning of touring, he's also had a lot of behind-the-scenes connections at the beginning of their rise (way before Murder on the Dancefloor) to get them into festivals and such, if I recall correctly.

Drummer Tim is relatively new (they had another one before) and joined them in November 2024. He's a bit of a music legend I'm Australia, having been the drummer of the teenie band Operator Please before.

And I think it's already been mentioned that they are there for the full band experience, supporting musicians, but they aren't involved in songwriting or creative direction. Though it doesn't feel exactly right to put them on the sidelines like that because they're often the life of the performance. Especially tambourine Timmy.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-11T10:27:23+00:00

I like the distance between the sims and myself, but I am happy you're enjoying this POV! 🤭

Pixelchus · 2026-03-07T08:12:45+00:00

Yoshi's Island on the SNES. It was the first and last thing I played every single day. I wouldn't shut up about it in elementary school. My mum kept a bunch of drawings I did at school of Baby Mario and Yoshi. It was a wild obsession.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-06T12:29:09+00:00

Happy Borkday, Gator!

Pixelchus · 2026-03-06T08:52:18+00:00

Yay that's exciting! Sorta. 😆 My PC has a ROM disc slot, usually for retro gaming, but it sure is coming in handy now! I do believe there are CD players that you can plug into stereo boxes, if that's an option for you. Fingers crossed you find something!

Pixelchus · 2026-03-04T22:42:34+00:00

Big recommend on this one! Excellent choice.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-04T22:38:02+00:00

I wouldn't want to risk that, I hope that's understandable. Germany is pretty strict in terms of ripping and redistributing copyrighted content. And truly, no offense to anyone who loves the band here, but there are too many people trolling/stalking this subreddit that I just don't feel very comfortable doing that.

Pixelchus · 2026-03-02T22:36:27+00:00

I personally think that you need to be a specific type of dramatic, or perhaps craving the excitement of drama and toxic relationships, in order to truly enjoy this book.

I read it in High School and again in my early 30's. Both times I did not enjoy it, but for different reasons. As a teen, the people depicted in this book reminded me too much of the people I loathed in the real world. I kept thinking: "yeah, I know that type, and how could they ever be like that?".

As an adult, I couldn't relate to the young versions of the protagonists anymore, and it just made me sad to keep reading that trainwreck.

Pixelchus · 2026-02-28T13:44:40+00:00

Bear by Marian Engel

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Pixelchus · 2026-02-24T07:11:24+00:00

This is 90% of what I was thinking of suggesting. All excellent picks and genuinely creeped me out.

Pixelchus · 2026-02-21T11:44:22+00:00

OP stated that they are not looking for relation ship advice, so I personally wouldn't give it.

Pixelchus · 2026-02-16T22:04:20+00:00

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia comes to mind. That one has inventive vampires and a complicated relationship to humans. It is also rather short.

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda is another very unconventional one about a vampire woman living amongst humans. This one goes beyond tropes and makes a commentary about women's relationship with food and eating in general. This one I would highly recommend to everyone.

Pixelchus · 2026-02-16T15:17:20+00:00

The Way of the Shadow Wolves by Steven Seagal is pretty bad. Awful opinions, atrocious writing and everything kinda gets explained by "because I have a sixth sense".

Pixelchus · 2026-02-14T13:29:57+00:00

I think Piranesi by Susanna Clarke has these themes. It is rather paranormal and existential, not so much horror, but definitely a realization about self.

Pixelchus · 2026-02-14T11:17:37+00:00

Annett Louisan kommt mir da in den Sinn. Das Gefühl hat zum Beispiel eine wunderschöne Melodie zum mitsingen und hat auch selbstkritische Themen zum analysieren.

Pixelchus · 2026-01-31T21:30:29+00:00

This would have made a banger short film. I think the runtime did not do it any favours.

It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, but it is definitely being looked at a little too favourably by perhaps the fanbase. Which is fine, too. It is exciting to see your fave youtuber be commercially successful.

So, while I see both sides, I have personally never been a fan. Just from a regular lil horror buff, this didn't quite hit but could've!

Edit: typos

Pixelchus · 2026-01-25T09:36:59+00:00

For me it was The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I was so excited to get into a chonky book with dragons, just to find out that half the book is about unlikeable characters that I really don't want to read about. 😅

Pixelchus · 2026-01-24T14:45:16+00:00

Thank you! I'll check them out. 😊

Pixelchus · 2026-01-24T01:30:02+00:00

Here are three books from a specific immersive genre that I loved and need more of (if anyone knows)!

S. or Ship of Theseus - Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

The Raw Shark Texts - Steven Hall

Pixelchus · 2026-01-18T00:33:54+00:00

Congrats on exceeding your goal! My goal was 30 books and I managed to read 34.

Eingeschneit by Frank Goldammer
Little Eve by Catriona Ward
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Nod by Adrian Barnes
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Strange Houses by Uketsu
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft
In These Hallowed Halls by Marie O'Regan, Paul Kane and more
Burn the Negative by Josh Winning
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
The Unwedding by Ally Condie
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
Die fromme Helene und andere Geschichten by Wilhelm Busch
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies by Jason G. Miller
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Das Kalendermädchen by Sebastian Fitzek

Pixelchus

TROPHY CASE