Recs if you like Build Your House Around My Body...
never the same river twice
books that are so changed by the end that they're entirely different books on the re-read. books best entered blind, with a twist or gradual reveal that is not just surprising, but retroactively rewrites everything you've already read – the meaning, tone, genre, or intention of every page before it.
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
recs so so welcome!
Books that feel like an A24 film
Books that are atmospheric, emotionally unsettling, beautifully written, a little weird, and linger long after you finish them.
Post-colonial Fever Dreams
tangled narratives and re-formed genres sprouting from the toxic ground of colonialism
magical realism: the classics & niche
my favorite genre! the grit of the everyday alongside the possibility for something more, a veil thinning, serendipity bending reality to its whimsy and beauty. this is a smaller list due the brittle nature of the genre. it's up to interpretation, but i like my magical realism on the more realistic side with very slight tints of magic/fantastical elements. recommendations are welcome!
Survival Fabulation
Love casts a spell; the real monster is oppression. Modern magical realism, urban fantasy, and fabulism: books that use supernatural elements to explore themes of family, desire, history, and society.
Hooked by the title
Novels with intriguing titles (that I read or that sound interesting) in English (either originally or translated); a mix of genres. Mostly 4+ words in the title, with some select 3-word-titles but no shorter ones. No parts of series except for the first book.
South East Asian books
Book set in or inspired by South East Asia. This is specifically for @mangopopsicles but everyone else is welcome to use this too lol!
Belletrist Book Club
A compilation of all of Belletrist’s monthly picks
Fae & Flame Society Women’s Prize Nominations
2019-2026
split-timeline historical fiction
sweeping, split-timeline historical fiction that is often multi-generational, or at the very least follows the interconnected stories of multiple characters. the books are deeply emotional, often focusing on the theme of trauma. the list includes what i've read so far, so i'm happy to add suggestions.
Set in Vietnam
Fiction books set in Vietnam
