Recs if you like Long Way Down...

you can enter a space. you are a regular guy, you can enter a room. you are a regular guy, you can do that transaction. you are a regular guy, you know how to answer the phone. you are a regular guy, you know what sleep is. you are a regular guy, you know what it means to be you.

all of these books have regular people as the protagonist doing all sorts of things, from kissing to killing!

as always, open to all suggestions!

Books written in unconventional and experimental styles and formatting.

Books about death, dying, grief and what remains.

Short, quick reads that still pack a punch and wake you from your numb slumber

audiobooks where the narrator is the author! any book goes, no matter the genre. there may be multiple versions of the audiobook, but at least one version has the author as narrator. please suggest more in the comments!

Books that take place mostly if not entirely on public/private transportation

Combo of new and older fiction written by talented Black and African writers ranging from adult to YA to middle grade. Thriller, fantasy, literary fiction and everything in between!

Feel free to make suggestions!

Don't let the poor zombies starve, feed your brain, make it plump and ripe with knowledge and critical thinking skills. It might also be useful if the zombies never come, who knows. You better be ready.

Stories told in connected poetry! For lovers of poetry, yes, but also an accessible way to get into poetry as a medium for storytelling. Please do feel free to send suggestions!

In which a main character sees ghosts 👻

A variety of books recommended by a librarian (appropriate for students aged 11-16 as well).

Stories beautifully told in comic book form, poetry & verse

Books where an entire narrative unfolds within a single, time-bounded encounter between people, forcing all revelation and complexity into one sustained conversation, meal, or 24 hour period.

Complete as of August 2026.

Books that were nominated for the John Newbery Medal for distinguished contributions to juvenile literature but did not win Currently lists nominees up to 2024

Novels, novellas, and novelettes in verse

I am very passionate about Young Adult Literature as a high school English teacher. I think people often pass books by simply because they're labeled "YA". Here are some of the best YA books I've read over the past 10 years of studying to become a high school English teacher and teaching 9th graders.

Books that have main characters who deal with real issues, from losing friendships to racial violence, as they come of age.