If there's an author you just can't stand, but whom everyone else seems to love, Reddit might be able to help you see the light. Over at the Suggest Me a Book subreddit, redditors have suggested books to read by authors you hate, and I've got nine great selections from the thread — which has more than 500 comments at the time of this writing — for you to check out below.
For every popular author with a millions-strong fanbase — here's looking at Stephen King and J.K. Rowling — there's at least a handful of people who simply can't get into their work. You have no reason to feel bad for not liking the same things as someone else. Some authors don't even like their own books! But if you want to figure out what all the fuss is about regarding a super-popular writer, the thread that redditor GEARHEADGus started in r/suggestmeabook is a great place to start.
Some redditors had trouble finding reading suggestions for certain authors, Stephenie Meyer in particular. Many writers have offered up opinions on why Twilight gets such a bad rap — spoiler: it's because it's something teenage girls like — and although there are valid criticisms of Meyer's books, hating them because you dislike their audience isn't entirely fair.
Redditors in r/suggestmeabook were able to recommend books for nearly every other author mentioned, however. Check it out below:
If You Hate Jodi Picoult, Read 'The Storyteller' or 'Leaving Time'
Redditors suggested two novels for a reader who hates Jodi Picoult's writing. The Storyteller centers on a young baker, still reeling from her mother's death, who is asked to help a new friend die. Leaving Time focuses on a woman who enlists the help of a psychic and a P.I. to track down her missing mother.
If You Hate Charles Dickens, Read 'A Tale of Two Cities' or 'Bleak House'
If Charles Dickens isn't your cup of tea, try reading his French Revolution novel, A Tale of Two Cities, or Bleak House, which focuses on the widespread conflict surrounding a long, drawn-out legal battle in the English court system.
If You Hate Margaret Atwood, Read 'Cat's Eye'
If you can't get into Margaret Atwood, try Cat's Eye. When she returns to Toronto for an art gallery opening, artist Elaine revisits her childhood in the city, which was spent in the company of three other girls: Carol, Grace, and Cordelia.
If You Hate George Eliot, Read 'Silas Marner'
If Middlemarch just wasn't your cup of tea, try Silas Marner on for size. The story here concerns George Eliot's title character, a rich miser, who loses his money and adopts an orphan who shows up at his door.
If You Hate Terry Pratchett and/or Neil Gaiman, Read 'Good Omens'
A few redditors had been unable to enjoy anything by Terry Pratchett and/or Neil Gaiman, but GEARHEADGus' thread delivered the suggestion of Good Omens, about an angel and a demon who team up to prevent the Antichrist from playing his destined role in bringing about the end of the world.
If You Hate Jane Austen, Read 'Pride & Prejudice' or 'Emma'
Several commenters didn't understand others' love for Jane Austen's novels, so redditors recommended the romantic comedies Pride & Prejudice and Emma to reluctant readers.
If You Hate Haruki Murakami, Read 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'
Finally, if Haruki Murakami has never been your favorite writer, check out this weird little gem of a novel. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World tells two surreal stories: one concerning a human computer who encrypts information, and another about a narrator who has cut off his shadow as a prerequisite to moving into a mysterious Town.
