69 posts tagged with books and stories.
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In search of lost time

Give me books, stories, media, anecdotes, anything, about people who went through a long and protracted period (5 years to decades at least, the longer the better) of severe mental health that caused them to withdraw and isolate from life and society. Topics like dealing with the aftermath, coping with feelings, rebuilding, etc. [more inside]
posted by wanderlost on Sep 19, 2024 - 11 answers

Good books about a long and difficult journey to competence and success

I'm looking for books/stories about the journey of a protagonist who is incompetent and unskilled, puts in a lot of work, makes a ton of mistakes, and slowly and painfully gains skill and competence. Snowflake details below.. [more inside]
posted by Taro on Oct 30, 2023 - 20 answers

dance with the devil

Tell me your favorite descent to hell stories! [more inside]
posted by allymusiqua on Aug 15, 2023 - 23 answers

Anything but The Canon.

Interesting, wholesome brief content for a 17 year old boy who's looking to improve his US-centric English skills? [more inside]
posted by Sheydem-tants on Oct 19, 2022 - 10 answers

Looking for spooky illustrated kids short storybook from the 80's

And it's not Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, but I do love that as well! The book is illustrated with black and white pencil drawings (one per story) that are as "realistic" as they can be given the subject matter. [more inside]
posted by Asbestos McPinto on Jul 25, 2022 - 2 answers

Seeking spooky short stories in translation

I'm looking for spooky (ghosts, creepy things, monsters, witches, supernatural - not serial killers or 'real' horror) short stories or novellas that have been translated into English. Failing that: will take reccs for any authors from outside the UK and USA. Bonus points if they're easily available through any UK retailer that is not Amazon.... [more inside]
posted by AFII on Dec 13, 2019 - 9 answers

More Lore (Olympus)

I have fallen deeply, intensely in love with Lore Olympus and need more comics/books like it. [more inside]
posted by thefang on Oct 2, 2019 - 2 answers

Help me find a series of semi-obscure YA Horror Short Story Anthologies?

When I was a kid I used to read these horror anthologies (probably aimed at teenagers?) that scared the shit out of me because the kids and their parents often were killed in the end. My feeling is that I most have found them at a book fair or something, so they're probably published by a well-known publisher, but I don't think they were ever very popular (not thinking about the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books). Can anyone help me figure out what these books were? I'm pretty sure my parents gave them away when I moved to college and no amount of googling has got me any closer to finding them. [more inside]
posted by coolguy#1 on Sep 25, 2018 - 7 answers

What are the best stories/novels about virtual reality?

Looking for anything from any time period, although I guess they weren't writing about virtual reality in 1890. I'm looking for stuff that really works in terms of style and idea. [more inside]
posted by angrycat on Jan 12, 2018 - 23 answers

What are good short stories to read aloud to 3rd graders?

What short stories would 3rd graders enjoy? I'm reading stories aloud to 3rd graders for 15 minutes once a week, and I need some good suggestions. For me, the stories that I remember from grade school where always the twists: The Monkey's Paw, The Necklace, etc. What great short stories do you remember from childhood? Or what great short stories have you read to 8- and 9-year-olds?
posted by mrgrimm on Oct 2, 2017 - 13 answers

What interesting detective stuff can my daughter read / watch ?

My daughter (7 yo) craves detective stories. I'm looking for books, comics, movies recommendations to build a collection of material suitable for her age.
posted by nicolin on Aug 26, 2017 - 47 answers

Why don't I enjoy fiction? What do people get from fiction?

I've been wondering lately why I don't enjoy fiction or stories, by and large. Furthermore, I wonder what most people do get out of fiction (books, movies, TV, or any other sort of story-based medium)? I ask this because I honestly don't know what sort of stories I might enjoy, or if I even enjoy stories at all. [more inside]
posted by arateaa on Mar 30, 2017 - 28 answers

Comics or exciting stories for a five year old

I'd like my son who is five and a half to enjoy reading. He doesn't enjoy the assigned reading books from school (Biff & Kipper) and struggles to be persuaded to get through one each week. [more inside]
posted by Stark on Mar 15, 2017 - 19 answers

Book recommendations for 6yo, with formatting snowflakes!

6yo is working through some vision problems, but his vision has improved enough that suddenly he wants to read everything he can get his hands on. We need recommendations for books that have sufficiently large and well-spaced print, but are also fun and interesting and have reasonably complex vocabulary. [more inside]
posted by telepanda on Mar 1, 2017 - 15 answers

Favorite editions/versions of fairy tales

What are some of your favorite editions, versions, or retellings of fairy tales or folk tales or other stories in adjacent genres? I'm interested in beautiful illustrations, or well-written prose, or any other reasons that you love that specific version. If you have one preference for younger kids and a different for older kids, tell me that too! [more inside]
posted by telepanda on Jan 18, 2017 - 26 answers

Help Me Find Better Fantasy Novels

I love the fantasy genre, but I am super picky, and lately I can't find anything to read. I'll be very obliged for your help. More info after the jump. [more inside]
posted by WalkerWestridge on Oct 6, 2016 - 51 answers

Strange, dreamy books set by the ocean

Dear Mefi, another ‘books with a feel like…’ post. This time I’m after novels set by the sea (or by a lake if we must), but with a fabulist, magical or eerie feel. Not looking for out and out horror, just a feeling of strangeness in the air. Ambiguity a plus, and many bonus points if set in a run-down seaside town. Examples below the line... [more inside]
posted by reynir on Aug 6, 2016 - 33 answers

Recommend books on enchancing poetry and short story craftmanship?

I'm trying to find some valuable works of advice to improve my craftsmanship on writing poetry and short stories. If you can recommend any advice books, poetry, novels, and short stories that can help contribute to better writing in the genre of: science fiction, southern Gothic literature, classic literature, modernism, and modern ligature works, that would be most appreciated. [more inside]
posted by RearWindow on May 19, 2015 - 3 answers

Seeking interesting stories of starting small businesses

I've wanted to start a small business (ideally a side business that I can run while keeping my day job) for a long, long time. Both for extra income, and for fun. But I don't know what I should do, and it's scary too! One thing I've found helpful so far is reading the stories of other people who have started businesses. I'd love to find more of these kinds of stories, so please suggest books, blogs, articles, or anything else I should check out! [more inside]
posted by primethyme on May 16, 2015 - 2 answers

The Anti-Paranoid Protagonist vs. the Accumulating Coincidences?

There's a particular device or pattern or plot-type that I *think* might be an actual thing, but I'm not sure. It involves a character who *ends up* entangled in Deep Weirdness of some sort, after experiencing a series of seemingly mundane coincidences, but who never really becomes paranoid about the coincidences and only starts to believe Something Is Up when things get *really* weird. I'd love to read more stories about characters like this. [more inside]
posted by aecorwin on Nov 13, 2014 - 18 answers

Child reading books in the summer

Hi, My 10 year old girl loves to read. When she gets started, she loves it, but it's the "getting her started" that I have a problem with. [more inside]
posted by lynnie-the-pooh on Jun 27, 2014 - 33 answers

SF/Fantasy books with a 'big reveal'?

RecoFilter: I'm looking for recommendations of books, preferably in the sci-fi/fantasy genres, that have a 'big reveal' somewhere in there that changes the whole perspective of the book or protagonist. Examples would be The Inverted World, The Prestige, or Ender's Game, for example, or the first Star Trek film, or some Lovecraft stories — the whole thing, and all events narrated, appear in a different light after, you know? [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront on Apr 18, 2014 - 42 answers

Young Adult Detective Bookfilter

Need help identifying a book from childhood. [more inside]
posted by Ham Snadwich on Feb 13, 2014 - 11 answers

Not just revenge, but REVENGE.

I'm looking for stories featuring grand, visceral, over-the-top, self-indulgent revenge. Why not suggest a few? [more inside]
posted by Willie0248 on Dec 16, 2013 - 52 answers

Several characters in search of a plot

I'm looking for an example novel(s) that features several separate third person viewpoint characters with seemingly different plot strands at the beginning but whose plots converge as they go on and they end up meeting further on in the novel (if only briefly). I want to see how the author handles these meetings and the meta narrative of several stories merging into one. I would prefer mainstream rather than literary as I'd like to seem something straight forward rather than overly tricky and would prefer sf but please don't let that constrict you as I'm more interested in the mechanics rather than the background and any genre would do.
posted by fearfulsymmetry on Nov 14, 2013 - 49 answers

You know where you want to go, but you don't know for sure...

[Book filter] Please recommend stories about people who find out (through trail and error) what they really want, and eventually get there (after a bunch of detours). [more inside]
posted by fix on Oct 13, 2013 - 23 answers

An illustrated post apocalypse.

A few years ago I saw a series of illustrations about a post apocalyptic Earth. The people had regressed to medieval life and there were still advertisements and cars and passenger planes from the previous era. [more inside]
posted by Our Ship Of The Imagination! on Aug 28, 2013 - 7 answers

Books of stories to read aloud

We're looking for books of fairy tales well-suited to bedtime reading. [more inside]
posted by The Notorious B.F.G. on Jul 29, 2013 - 11 answers

How do I search for books that have been blurbed by certain authors?

I'm a fan of certain authors, critics, and academics whose taste and sensibilities are similar to my own. I'm currently looking for a way to search for books based on the blurbs or editiorial reviews about them from authors that I admire and trust. Example: 1. Philip Roth's recent assessment of Jonathan Franken's writing was prominently blazed on the latter's most recent book. 2. Warren Buffett has referred to Dale Carnegie's book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" as one of the few books that changed his life. 3. Charlie Munger, Buffett's partner in arms, referred to John Cialdini's book on influence as one having a permanent influence on his thinking on that topic. 4. Harold Bloom, the critic, has impressive recommendations on Henri Cole's newest volume of verse. Is there a database that I can use to help me scour who's been recommending what and how. Thanks
posted by RapcityinBlue on Jul 12, 2013 - 3 answers

Looking for classic children's literature to read to my class of five year olds

Please recommend me classic children's literature to read aloud to five-year-olds. [more inside]
posted by schmoo on Sep 15, 2012 - 32 answers

Reccomend me where to start my lunchtime reading

I have never been a reader. I want to be. Recommend where I can start; online at lunchtimes at work. Bonus points for shorter stories (at first). [more inside]
posted by Cogentesque on Sep 7, 2012 - 27 answers

Please help find a source for a specific ghost story

Please help me ID/ find a source for a specific ghost story about starved ghost children eating the new occupants of a house! Quickly... [more inside]
posted by Jeanne on Aug 15, 2012 - 0 answers

Old books on how to write stories?

After enjoying a 1920 screenwriting book by the flapper humorist Anita Loos, I am wondering what other pre-WW2 writing advice books might be fun and interesting to read. Any suggestions?
posted by steinsaltz on Jul 27, 2012 - 15 answers

Can you help find a misremembered book?

Another lost book question: I though FOR SURE it was Kick in the Head Stories, but upon rereading, it's not. Possibly misremembered, mildly NSFW. [more inside]
posted by Grandysaur on Jun 5, 2012 - 1 answer

Need help finding a book of short stories from my childhood...

I read this book of creepy short stories when I was younger and I can't find the book. One story was about a kid who is turned into a plant and another was about a guy being buried in the Hoover Dam. [more inside]
posted by theuninvitedguest on May 31, 2012 - 4 answers

How A went from thinking B to C

Please recommend stories about mental battles. Specifically, people overcoming deep-seated fears or beliefs. [more inside]
posted by fix on May 3, 2012 - 7 answers

Recommend good horror novels and short story anthologies

Recommend good horror novels and short story anthologies [more inside]
posted by GlassHeart on Apr 14, 2012 - 27 answers

How to read and talk about a book?

How do I communicate my thoughts about books I have read? [more inside]
posted by v.barboni on Apr 1, 2012 - 14 answers

Fiction about a musician

Looking for fiction books about musicians, especially with a single musician as the main character [more inside]
posted by grokfest on Jan 1, 2012 - 15 answers

I figured out what it was, now where was it?

Where did I read Ursula K. LeGuin's short story "Solitude"? [more inside]
posted by endless_forms on Nov 14, 2011 - 8 answers

Help me find some books for my baby's room.

I'm having a baby soon and I want to buy a few children's books to have something to put in the new bookshelves and later on read to my baby. What books do you recommend? [more inside]
posted by CrazyLemonade on Nov 1, 2011 - 60 answers

What clean humor book should I get for my fundie grandmother's birthday?

It's my grandmother's birthday next week, and I'd like to give her some sort of book with cute and funny short stories/jokes, a la Reader's Digest. It should also be clean humor only. Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by iamfantastikate on Sep 21, 2011 - 22 answers

Bedtime stories

Suggest your favorite short autobiographical humorous stories. [more inside]
posted by mutt.cyberspace on Jun 19, 2011 - 11 answers

LIBERTARIAN ENGINEER SAVES THE WORLD

Give your best examples of the SF/ Survivalist/ Wish Fullfillment sub-genre "libertarian engineers do everything better" or "objectivist superman saves history". More specifically ones where someone is the last man on earth/sendt back in time and constructs a free market utopia through sheer smarts and rationality ( with himself on the top of it, of course). [more inside]
posted by The Whelk on Jun 9, 2011 - 28 answers

help find book of short stories

Help find me a Book of Short Stories that you could use as introductions for various talks/discussions/presentations... [more inside]
posted by fozzie33 on May 26, 2011 - 6 answers

Graphic Novels Without the Graphics, Please

I love superhero fiction. I love stories that look into what superhero powers would be like--its psychological and social ramifications. I love the mythology that has developed around superheroes. I love the darkness and moral complexity many modern superhero stories involve.... But I just cannot get into comics or any visual storytelling of that sort. So, can you point me to any good novels about superheroes? [more inside]
posted by meese on Feb 6, 2011 - 33 answers

Escaped in the nick of tine!

Pulpfilter: Trying to find a story (possibly Doc Savage?) involving the protagonist buried up to his head and given only a fork-full of water/day to survive. [more inside]
posted by swashedbuckles on Jan 6, 2011 - 4 answers

Who are your favorite travel writers?

What is your favorite travel book/essay/blog? Who are your favorite travel writers? [more inside]
posted by rinosaur on Oct 29, 2010 - 30 answers

Stories about sudden terrible incidents which overturned a life

Looking for books written by someone who lived a normal stable life and due to a tragic unexpected event beyond their control, their life was turned upside down. [more inside]
posted by vizsla on Oct 11, 2010 - 22 answers

Looking for some good sf pulp fiction

Looking for suggestions for stories, novels, or comics in the vein of Mervyn Peake and China Mieville. [more inside]
posted by Ritchie on Sep 28, 2009 - 11 answers

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