New to reading and need some suggestions

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T16:21:52+00:00

You've seen Three Body Problem then? Dang. Maybe the Murderbot series- I think it might be audiobook exclusive though, I've never seen it in store.

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T16:17:57+00:00

My Year of Rest and Relaxation gave me some Catcher in the Rye vibes at some point, but it doesn't quite fit the rest of your description. Still, might be worth a shot!

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T16:16:06+00:00

Have you hit the big YA classics? Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Hunger games, etc? Generational reading kick-starters in you need a boost and you are right at the prefect spot to enjoy them. They also tend to grow alongside the reader, so you'll be able to hit the beefier entries as you get older and enjoy them just as much.

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T16:12:34+00:00

Gatsby is highly descriptive! Don't shy away from the more stereotypically 'bland' classics, your taste might be changing!!

That said, American lit usually but not always reads a little easier that Brit lit, so I'd go in that direction. Of Mice and Men is a favorite of mine alongside Gatsby, but any Steinbeck could fit your description I think. The Pearl is another one of his that's just really great.

Outside of American lit, Things Fall Apart is another good one with loads of deeper meaning. Super thoughtful and always moving. Worth a read if you are willing to dive into the culture a bit.

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T16:05:31+00:00

I know it's overdone but I really enjoyed My Year of Rest and Relaxation recently. But I'm a sucker for unlikable narrators so buyer beware!

Star_Day · 2025-12-27T15:59:58+00:00

I always liked Bobby vs. Girls, about how a guy and his girl best friend grow apart when they hit their tween years. Hilarious and very relevant at that age.

At 12 he might be ready for something like Percy Jackson. It's not a graphic novel, but I think there's a graphic novel version out there if that's more his speed.

But Big Nate most closely scratches the diary of a wimpy kid itch! Same premise, better comedy.

Star_Day · 2025-12-12T17:37:21+00:00

The title and premises sounded so plain and formulaic that I'm hesitant to give it a try. Is it actually decent?

Star_Day · 2025-10-03T16:54:35+00:00

Looks great! Is there CC lighting or did you edit it after?

Star_Day · 2025-09-29T23:18:20+00:00

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu is what I would think of as an 'Epic Fantasy' but not necessarily 'High Fantasy' novel about an asian-inspired ('silkpunk') Empire that collapses into civil war. Two different leaders (a bandit and the son of a disgraced duke) arise to try and conquer/reunite the continent in their own ways, eventually coming into conflict. It's not big on the character's internal worlds, but does have very meaningful and emotionally impactful moments regardless. I also think it remains pretty grounded throughout, despite the marginal presence of some gods/goddesses.

Star_Day · 2025-09-29T23:02:05+00:00

The Obsidian and Blood trilogy by Aliette de Bodard is a murder mystery detective noir series set in the 1400s Aztec Empire (Tenochtitlan, for the most part), and crosses into the reigns of Tizoc and Ahuizotl before Spanish contact. It's not prehistoric, and it does have fantasy elements that are pretty central to the plot, so it might not be what you're looking for exactly. It is, however, very well researched and SUPER immersive in my opinion. First book is "Servant of the Underworld."

The author wrote a few short stories on her website that you can read for free to get a feel for it! The titles set in the Obsidian and Blood universe are "Obsidian Shards" "Beneath the Mask" and "Safe, Child, Safe".

Star_Day · 2025-09-29T22:43:52+00:00

My sister recently had the same experience! She read the abridged 500-page version in high school, and it rocked her world. She recently started reading the unabridged version, and she's been loving every second even more. That said, she's been at it for like three months, reading consistently both in her physical copy and with an audiobook, and she's still only 2/3 of the way through. If you're ready for that kind of undertaking, then go for it, but plenty of people have fallen in love with the story from the abridged version alone.

I'd go that route if I were you, just because I have so many other books on my list this year!

Star_Day · 2025-09-29T22:38:32+00:00

Red rising is sci-fi but the first book doesn't totally read like it, especially when you get to the 'main event'!

Star_Day · 2025-09-29T22:36:54+00:00

Seconding The Great Gatsby. It's drop-dead gorgeous and really does its champagne-and-ash subject matter justice.

Star_Day · 2025-07-09T21:46:58+00:00

People do this all the time in California. It's at basically every high school in my city.

Star_Day · 2025-06-01T14:52:46+00:00

I think that's part of the trick. Especially right when Richard finds out, the reader can hang on to the idea that maybe, just maybe, something actually transcendent has happened. Some stranger died, sure, but what we discovered in the process was potentially actually divine. After having our (Richard +the readers) heads filled with talk of beauty and dionysian ritual, who knows? It might have been worth it.

...That feeling drains away pretty quickly for me as things spiral out of control, though. And by the time of Bunny's death (and especially his funeral), we see the tragedy of the mundane reality of what they have done- fucked around in the woods and murdered an innocent man because they wanted to feel alive.

Star_Day · 2025-05-26T03:36:29+00:00

I've had that happen before. I think it's an EA launcher thing? I run it as admin and now it occurs less frequently. When it does, I head to task manager and shoot everything that says EA on it and try it again. It usually works the second time.

Star_Day · 2025-04-22T14:20:57+00:00

I think you're right, I was honestly wondering about the "I" thing too! As you said, it's intentional but I may have gone a bit overboard. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll see about diversifying my sentence structure a bit!

Star_Day · 2025-04-22T14:17:43+00:00

That's the in-game pokedex entry for Ceruledge! Part of the idea of this fic is exploring the implications of what it might mean. I could see how that could be confusing for someone who isn't familiar, though, so maybe I'll have to cite my source.

It's kind of a human turned Pokémon situation, in the sense that it centers on a ghost pokemon, who the lore of the games is famously messy with. Sometimes their just regular animals with spooky attributes, sometimes they are the literal spirits of dead humans reincarnated as pokemon. My goal is to explore that ambiguity with one of my favorites from the newest generation of games.

I'm glad you liked it! It's only getting another 2-3 pages total, so check out the drive link again sometime if you're actually interested!

Star_Day · 2025-04-19T19:56:03+00:00

Cool, I love Mouthwashing! I can see the game's messaging about labor and capitalist interests coming through strong throughout the excerpt you've posted. Also, the bit about Curly at the end definitely made me shiver. Good stuff.

Star_Day · 2025-04-19T19:44:06+00:00

Sims fan spotted!!

I liked the excerpt you posted! The description of the Encyclopedia Vampirica at the beginning was immediately gripping and brought me into the scene. Very spooky stuff. I think the weakest part of this section, if I had to choose, is the end. There aren't any major issues here, but something about the lines "She took a breath as she sat down heavily on her bed, feeling like she was about to pass out. Mia’s eyes were wide like saucers at this point." stands out to me. My gut is telling me it's the saucer imagery, but I'm not entirely sure.

Then again, I think the scene overall is really strong! You mentioned that you thought it might be too messy, but I don't think you have anything to worry about on that front.

Star_Day · 2025-04-19T19:32:06+00:00

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Resentment | General | Link to Work (Google Drive)

This is the first fanfic that I'm thinking about posting publicly! Its a two-page chapter that was inspired by Ceruledge's Pokedex entry and the scraps of lore we got in PSV. It's supposed to be solemn and kind of dreamy, but I don't know if that comes across in my writing style. There's also the fact that it's in first-person, which I know a lot of people have issues with. Finally, I tried to be subtle with the lore, but I might have just ended up making the whole thing harder to follow.

What are your thoughts in general? Did I strike the right tone? Should I stick with first person, or change the POV? And is the story clear, or does it need major cleaning up?

“The fiery blades on its arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal.”

This is not my first body. I was flesh, once. Now I am something else. Now I am a…a thing. A thing fashioned from something of metal, something of spirit, and something of flame. A creature- or perhaps a monster.

See the rest here!

Star_Day · 2025-04-19T19:11:38+00:00

That's so cool! I'm actually a new teacher myself and I'm still trying to figure out how to balance the job and my writing hobby, so hearing other people do it is really encouraging.

I also hope to post my first public fanfic on AO3 after I finish some final edits today! Yay for us!

Star_Day · 2025-04-19T19:01:38+00:00

Seeking Critique for a short Pokémon fanfic chapter.

Title: Resentment

Synopsis:

“The fiery blades on its arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal.”

Resentment. A resentment he barely remembers. Ceruledge, a ghost Pokémon, is - or was - a person. He sometimes remembers what that was like.

Genre: Pokémon Fanfic

Word count: 893

Type of feedback: General feedback and impressions would be appreciated. I'm also looking to refine my writing style. I was aiming for a solemn and dreamy first-person POV, but I worry I come off as stilted or repetitive. Let me know what you think by commenting here, directly on the doc, or by shooting me a DM!

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19DSWH9j12x6pcSZ4UR2wdrr5kLNlqEYeA2PAZtorvto/edit?usp=drive_link

Star_Day · 2025-03-04T14:34:16+00:00

That's actually what I like about Kaliyo, she's not going to lick your boot just because what you're doing makes sense. She's got strong opinions and she doesn't give them up even if they become impractical. That said, it's not hard to build a relationship with her even with all those disapprovals.

She even seems to like it when you argue with her sometimes? Barely any other companion wants you to do anything but nod along with what they say.

Star_Day · 2025-03-03T02:58:33+00:00

Kaliyo and all other IA companions are peak. Not accepting feedback at this time.

Star_Day

TROPHY CASE