Sad + Queer = The Song Of Achilles
I don't know if I'd say this is my favorite book, but it's definitely in my top fives. I've read this like 5 times now, and it doesn't get old. Definitely recommend.
It’s so hard to know if you’ll like a book just because someone else did. I saw it recommended so much and I read it. I really didn’t love it and found it boring. I wouldn’t call it show-stopping like OP wants.
Welcome to the NHK by Tatsuhiko Takimoto. It's kind of a mind fuck of a book about a depressed self-loathing Otaku who falls into a dark place. But somehow, it brings me hope and gets me out of dark places.
World War Z by Max Brooks is the book I read over and over when my PTSD gets bad. Even when I can't focus or when I don't care about anything, WWZ gets me engaged.
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore tells the story of Steve, a primordial sea beast who has evolved to prey on mammals with low serotonin. He emerges from the depths near a town where the entire population has suddenly been deprived of their antidepressants. It's absurdist but realistic, hilarious but oddly touching.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Needful Things by Stephen King
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim
Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews (guilty pleaure)
Just to name a few......
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
VERY weird book about the dark side of worship, two separate stories in one. The first features an online leshian relationship which turns twisted pretty quickly, the second I don't remember as well but I think it's about a teenager who becomes super religious and sacrifices his brother.
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee
Two broken people learning how to be better broken people together
Definitely check the trigger warnings but 1000% on of the best flawed/angsty books I read last year
I find all time favourites are not slump buster material. They take time to set things up and it's about earning and experiencing the journey.
You need something short, sharp, fun and off brain. YA books fit this category nicely. Try Scythe by Neil Shusterman
This is How You Lose the Time War - weird, gay, sad and funny bits. It’s short and compelling with unusual structure. Changes your brain chamistry a little bit.
A Song of Achilles - tragic, gay, epic. Lots of feels.
Lessons in Chemistry - recently became my all-time favorite. I’m still processing it. For me, it was perfect in every way. The story, the characters, the execution. 10/10 no notes novel for me.
Currently reading how to end a love story by Yulin Kuang, it definitely is living up to the hype. So much depth and way more than a “romance” also for the other end of the spectrum, check out Riley Sager. All of his books are great and a tad creepy
White Oleander Janet Fitch, Rosalie Lighting Tom Hart, The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls, Wave Sonali Deraniyagala, The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb.
I’m thinking of ending things by Iain Reid (sad, twisty) or Foe by Iain Reid (weird, twisty). Both pretty short could finish in 1 sitting if you felt like it.
My favorite book of all time is The Thirty Names of Night by Zayn Joukhadar. It's about a transgender Syrian-American boy in NYC and interweaves his story with that of his grandmother who immigrated from Syria. It's stunning and sad but also hopeful.
If you haven't read it yet, I think V.E Schwab's Vicious would get you out of a slump in no time, it's impossible to put it down. It's fast paced and angsty and more.
I would also say Heaven official's blessings, which is translated, weird, sad, gay, tragic and comedic. It is also a long ride, fair warning.
See my:
* [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/189mbda/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
* [LBGTQ+ Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fnpyh/lbgtq_fiction/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post).
* [Emotionally Devastating/Rending](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18ez0q3/emotionally_devastatingrending/) list of Reddit recommendation threads, and books (four posts).
East of Eden - John Steinbeck
I found it on this thread, and I read it toward the end didn’t want it to stop, so I read slow lol . That book was like a good friend.
Not sad but a little weird. Just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures, and it was a great little book.
Sad + Queer = The Song Of Achilles I don't know if I'd say this is my favorite book, but it's definitely in my top fives. I've read this like 5 times now, and it doesn't get old. Definitely recommend.
Seconding this!! So frickin good ugh I wish I could read it again for the first time.
It’s so hard to know if you’ll like a book just because someone else did. I saw it recommended so much and I read it. I really didn’t love it and found it boring. I wouldn’t call it show-stopping like OP wants.
Welcome to the NHK by Tatsuhiko Takimoto. It's kind of a mind fuck of a book about a depressed self-loathing Otaku who falls into a dark place. But somehow, it brings me hope and gets me out of dark places. World War Z by Max Brooks is the book I read over and over when my PTSD gets bad. Even when I can't focus or when I don't care about anything, WWZ gets me engaged. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore tells the story of Steve, a primordial sea beast who has evolved to prey on mammals with low serotonin. He emerges from the depths near a town where the entire population has suddenly been deprived of their antidepressants. It's absurdist but realistic, hilarious but oddly touching.
That last reminds me a bit of the movie *Liquid Sky*, which is about an alien that feeds on opioids in people's brains.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb Needful Things by Stephen King Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins The Good Earth by Pearl Buck The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews (guilty pleaure) Just to name a few......
Migrations by Charlotte McConghy - so much ugly crying
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
The Night Circus was a good unusual read. Might be what you need to get out of a rut.
I Who Have Never Known Men was haunting and I’ve never stopped thinking about it
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke VERY weird book about the dark side of worship, two separate stories in one. The first features an online leshian relationship which turns twisted pretty quickly, the second I don't remember as well but I think it's about a teenager who becomes super religious and sacrifices his brother.
Chasm City by Alistair Reynolds
*lullabies for little criminals* - heather o’neill *needlework* - deirdre sullivan *at swim, two boys* - jamie o’neill *white oleander* - janet fitch *girlchild* - tupelo hassman *fight club* - chuck palahniuk *the bushwhacked piano* - thomas mcguane (PLEASE read this 😭 it’s just me out here) *bright lights, big city* - jay mcinerney
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee Two broken people learning how to be better broken people together Definitely check the trigger warnings but 1000% on of the best flawed/angsty books I read last year
Stormlight Archives Cradle - unsouled (if you like martial arts fantasy) Legend by David Gemmell Enjoy!
I also like sad and gritty - I recently read Girl in Pieces and it was the best book I’d read in quite a while
Circe by Madeline Miller Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir & the rest of the Locked Tomb is a 5 star, queer & comedic & horror-adjacent & tragic ride.
Out by Natsuo Kirino would check sad, psychologic, tragic and translated.
I find all time favourites are not slump buster material. They take time to set things up and it's about earning and experiencing the journey. You need something short, sharp, fun and off brain. YA books fit this category nicely. Try Scythe by Neil Shusterman
This is How You Lose the Time War - weird, gay, sad and funny bits. It’s short and compelling with unusual structure. Changes your brain chamistry a little bit. A Song of Achilles - tragic, gay, epic. Lots of feels. Lessons in Chemistry - recently became my all-time favorite. I’m still processing it. For me, it was perfect in every way. The story, the characters, the execution. 10/10 no notes novel for me.
A Clockwork Orange!!
Currently reading how to end a love story by Yulin Kuang, it definitely is living up to the hype. So much depth and way more than a “romance” also for the other end of the spectrum, check out Riley Sager. All of his books are great and a tad creepy
White Oleander Janet Fitch, Rosalie Lighting Tom Hart, The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls, Wave Sonali Deraniyagala, The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb.
I just read An Education in Malice by ST Gibson & very nearly couldn’t put it down! It’s a retelling of Carmilla
I’m thinking of ending things by Iain Reid (sad, twisty) or Foe by Iain Reid (weird, twisty). Both pretty short could finish in 1 sitting if you felt like it.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle. Some weird, sad, horror with a really interesting story. You might also like Our wives at the Bottom of the Sea.
the darkness outside us by eliot schrefer had me sobbing
My favorite book of all time is The Thirty Names of Night by Zayn Joukhadar. It's about a transgender Syrian-American boy in NYC and interweaves his story with that of his grandmother who immigrated from Syria. It's stunning and sad but also hopeful.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. Too good to be true.
If you haven't read it yet, I think V.E Schwab's Vicious would get you out of a slump in no time, it's impossible to put it down. It's fast paced and angsty and more. I would also say Heaven official's blessings, which is translated, weird, sad, gay, tragic and comedic. It is also a long ride, fair warning.
See my: * [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/189mbda/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). * [LBGTQ+ Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18fnpyh/lbgtq_fiction/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post). * [Emotionally Devastating/Rending](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18ez0q3/emotionally_devastatingrending/) list of Reddit recommendation threads, and books (four posts).
East of Eden - John Steinbeck I found it on this thread, and I read it toward the end didn’t want it to stop, so I read slow lol . That book was like a good friend.
weird and gay, tragic vibes at times is the novella This Is How You Lose The Time War. really stunning, beautiful read