Tag Archives: science fiction

Recommending Your Next Read [Based on Overly Specific Genres] Pt. 1

January 21, 2021Booksbook genres, book recommendations, books, Goodreads, historical fiction, reading list, science fiction, thrillers, young adult, your next readBeth Berger

Welcome back to Finding Delight! I’m here today to give you some options for your next read. I put together a collection of some of the most popular overly specific book genres. Then, I scoured my shelves and the internet to find the perfect books that fit these categories. (If you don’t see a good fit here – do leave a common below with an overly specific book genre you love and I’ll be sure to reply with some choices!)

So, let’s get right into it…

Book set in a creepy house…

My pick: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Others to check out:

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

The Good House by Tananarive Due

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Magical realism in the American south…

My pick: Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Others to check out:

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Southern Mystical Moments by Patricia H. Graham

A book that follows a family through different periods of life…

My pick: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Others to check out…

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Science Fiction featuring characters you can fall in love with…

My pick: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Others to check out…

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Historical Fiction about a female artist…

My pick: The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Others to check out…

Rodin’s Lover by Heather Webb

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Isadora by Amelia Gray

A book to help you feel happy…

My pick: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Others to check out…

The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Teens battling it out in a dark game (similar to The Hunger Games)…

My pick: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Others to check out:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Final Six by Alexandra Monir

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Thriller that tackles social issues…

My pick: When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Others to check out:

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

A Science Fiction with a spreading sickness…

My pick: Blindness by Jose Saramago

Others to check out:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

Severance by Ling Ma

Book set in the circus…

My pick: Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

Others to check out:

Death of a Circus by Chadra Pasad

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Pantomime by Laura Lam

So there you have it! I hope you found an absolutely perfect book for your next read! If any of these overly specific genres are your fave, do leave me a comment below and let me know if you think these suggestions might work for you.

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TV Recommendation: Westworld

January 19, 2017MediaAmazon Channels, Anthony Hopkins, binge watching, Evan Rachel Wood, HBO, Michael Crichton, science fiction, Thandie Newton, thriller, westernBeth Berger

Have you seen the TV show Westworld yet? The series takes place in a futuristic, Wild West-themed amusement park full of lifelike robots called “hosts”. Tourists pay a premium for access to the park and are allowed to live out their fantasies amidst the hosts without consequence or fear of retaliation. But things are changing…

Westworld was created for HBO and is based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by Michael Crichton. This show’s ever-unfolding plot will keep you on the edge of your seat. And in case you thought you didn’t need science fiction western thriller as a television genre…trust me, you do.

Here’s a trailer, if you’d like to see…

Obviously Anthony Hopkins, who plays a founder of the park, doesn’t disappoint. He’s a veteran and this role is perfect for him. But the rest of the cast seems to be right up to Hopkins-level snuff. I thought Thandie Newton, especially, was exquisite. (Evan Rachel Wood was also BAE. Even though for the entirety of my viewing experience I thought she was the same person as Rachel Brosnahan, who was in House of Cards and Manhattan, and was like, “How is this chick in so many good TV shows??!” My bad! Still impressed, just not AS impressed. LOL!)

Pro-tip: If you don’t have HBO but you DO have Amazon Prime you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of HBO on Amazon Channels. 30 days is plenty of time to watch this series (and honestly you could probably squeeze in 2 or 3 more shows after that!).

P.S. 5 other binge-worthy television shows.

The book I couldn’t put down

August 20, 2015Books, Brainpowerbook recommendation, dystopian fiction, Emily St. John Mandel, novel, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, Station ElevenBeth Berger

Are you reading anything cool these days? I just finished the book Station Eleven and L-O-V-E, loved it. Real talk: Y’all have GOT to read this book. Kickass novelist Emily St. John Mandel tells the tale of a traveling Shakespearean actress 20 years after a lethal flu pandemic sweeps across the world, leaving few left in its wake. Even if you’re not quite into dystopian/science fiction, I still think you’ll find this book a page turner as it’s pace, imagery and beautifully imagined intertwining cast of characters are all pitch perfect. Heroine Kirsten Raymonde is spunky and smart, and her, albeit fictional, story serves as a beautiful reminder of the ability of art to endure.

I also loved how the plot skipped seamlessly before, during, and after outbreak of Georgia flu, leaving me looking for clues in the past and connecting dots between survivors. The subject matter is dark — death, the shady underbelly of survival, taking the creature comforts of modernity for granted — but the themes of hope and gratitude shine through throughout.