Recs if you like Fundamentally...

You loved Patrick Bateman. You wanted to be Jay Gatsby. You know all the rules about Fight Club. Well, do I have the list for you! Um, actually... is a list of books where the whole point went over people's heads. These novels handed readers a mirror and they wore it as a name badge instead. Always taking recommendations! (p.s. I am begging you to watch Um, Actually on Dropout TV... um, actually please watch anything/everything on Dropout TV)

Books We Love from NPR began in 2013, always boasting over 200 books (almost 400 in recent years) featuring genres from memoirs, to cookbooks, to graphic novels, to children’s literature, to nonfiction, to novels. Check out NPR’s website to filter this massive list.

The list is in reverse alphabetical order directly from NPR.

Novels for when you want to explore religious trauma and the impacts of religion through fiction. For nonfic, see my list “From saint to sinner: religious deconstruction”

Suggestions are welcome!

Fiction books by Arab authors and/or books starring Arab characters (and as always, Free Palestine)

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.

Books about feminine power and rage. Inspiring, enraging, validating. Let us rise, my sisters.

Shamelessly yoinked from a certain other reading app that shall not be named... this is a list of recently published (2025-2026) LGBTQ+ fiction across a spectrum of genres and identities!

(Disclaimer: I haven't read most of these, but so many compelling covers made me want to save them all in a list to continue referencing into the future.)

2019-2026

Yael van der Wouden's 'The Safekeep' won the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction. Here's what else was longlisted in case you're in need of more great books by women!

Books that are considered "weird girl" lit or have "unhinged" women.

Reading list

2026 will be my third year actively trying to read as many Women's Prize For Fiction nominees as I can, and seeing as I have a really high rate of enjoyment I'll be continuing to try and fill in and read the backlist also. I hope this can be a list that I add to that anyone interested in the prize who has similar taste to me can dip into!

Any book I found during the year that I want to read at some point.