Recommendations based on Candyby Luke Davies

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Junky

    by William S. Burroughs
    A gritty, autobiographical account of a man's descent into the underworld of addiction.

    Before his 1959 breakthrough, Naked Lunch , an unknown William S. Burroughs wrote Junky , his first novel. It is a candid eye-witness account of times and places that are now long gone, an ... (Goodreads)

  2. Naked Lunch

    by William S. Burroughs
    Surrealist exploration of addiction, delusions, and reality.

    Naked Lunch is a non-linear narrative without a clear plot. The following is a summary of some of the events in the book that could be considered the most relevant. The book begins with the ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Requiem for a Dream

    by Hubert Selby Jr.
    A tale of four characters and their struggles with addiction, leading to a devastating climax.

    This story follows the lives of Sara Goldfarb, her son Harry, his girlfriend Marion Silver, and his best friend Tyrone C. Love, who are all searching for the key to their dreams in their own ways. In ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

    by Tom Robbins
    An eccentric story of freedom and adventure, exploring themes of identity, fate and love.

    Sissy Hankshaw, the novel's protagonist , is a woman born with enormously large thumbs who considers her mutation a gift. , The novel covers various topics, including free love , feminism , drug use ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Exquisite Corpse

    by Poppy Z. Brite
    An exploration of love, sex, and death through the lives of four interconnected characters.

    The novel unfolds in alternating chapters from the points of view of the four main characters. Andrew Compton, a convicted serial killer (based on serial killer Dennis Nilsen ), escapes his UK prison ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Enduring Love

    by Ian McEwan
    A story of obsession and its consequences, as two men clash over a woman's affections.

    Joe planned a postcard-perfect afternoon in the English countryside to celebrate his lover's return after 6 weeks in the States. The perfect day turns to nightmare however, when they are involved in ... (Goodreads)

  7. Days Gone Bye

    by Robert Kirkman
    Small-town sheriff's journey to survive a zombie-filled apocalyptic world.

    The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. The Green Mile

    by Stephen King
    A prison guard discovers the power of redemption, and miracles, when he meets a mysterious inmate.

    Featuring a first-person narrative told by Paul Edgecombe, the novel switches between Paul as an old man in the Georgia Pines nursing home writing down his story in 1996, and his time in 1932 as the ... (Wikipedia)

  9. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

    by Dave Eggers
    An autobiographical account of a young man dealing with grief and responsibility.

    'When you read his extraordinary memoir you don't laugh, then cry, then laugh again; you somehow experience these emotions all at once.' "Well, this was when Bill was sighing a lot. He had decided ... (Goodreads)

  10. Skeleton Crew

    by Stephen King
    Collection of short stories that explore horror and the supernatural.

    From the Flap: The Master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy–tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Evil that breathes ... (Goodreads)

  11. Wizard and Glass

    by Stephen King
    A journey of love, loss, and horror as a group of misfits face a mysterious enemy in a world of dark magic.

    Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Jake’s pet bumbler survive Blaine the Mono’s final crash, only to find themselves stranded in an alternate version of Topeka, Kansas, one that has been ravaged by ... (Goodreads)

  12. Atonement

    by Ian McEwan
    A tale of the consequences of a child's mistake, and how its effects ripple through generations.

    Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old English girl with a talent for writing, lives at her family's country estate with her parents Jack and Emily Tallis. Her older sister Cecilia has recently graduated from ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Fuck-Up

    by Arthur Nersesian
    A young man's life spirals out of control as he struggles with addiction, relationships, and finding his place in the world.

    Arthur Nersesian's underground literary treasure is an unforgettable slice of gritty New York City life. This is the darkly hilarious odyssey of an anonymous slacker. He's a perennial couch-surfer, ... (Goodreads)

  14. Shakespeare's Christmas

    by Charlaine Harris
    A mysterious holiday tale of a family's secrets and a chance at redemption.

    Even in a sleepy Arkansas town, the holidays can be murder. Lily Bard is going home for the holidays. More comfortable in baggy sweats than bridesmaid's frills, Lily isn't thrilled about attending ... (Goodreads)

  15. Shakespeare's Trollop

    by Charlaine Harris
    A small-town librarian investigates the murder of a local woman with a scandalous reputation.

    Welcome back to Shakespeare - a charming Arkansas town with endless back roads, an eclectic mix of residents, and a dollop of noir. Featuring cleaning woman/karate expert Lily Bard, Charlaine ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Lullabies for Little Criminals

    by Heather O'Neill
    A young girl's struggles to survive and find a place in a broken world.

    The novel revolves around the twelve-year-old protagonist named Baby and follows her for two years. Baby lives with her father Jules, who has a worsening heroin addiction. The two move frequently, to ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Glue

    by Irvine Welsh
    A gritty portrait of characters struggling with poverty, addiction, and violent crime in Edinburgh.

    Glue is the story of four boys growing up in the Edinburgh schemes, and about the loyalties, the experiences - and the secrets - that hold them together into their thirties. Four boys becoming men: ... (Goodreads)

  18. She's Come Undone

    by Wally Lamb
    A young woman's trial-filled journey to self-acceptance and self-preservation.

    Dolores Price is heartbroken when her handsome, but irresponsible father, Tony, leaves their suburban home for another woman. She and her mother, Bernice, move into her uptight Catholic grandmother's ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Wideacre

    by Philippa Gregory
    A historical novel set in 18th century England, following the life of a strong-willed woman who will stop at nothing to inherit her family's estate.

    Beatrice Lacey is the daughter of the Squire of Wideacre, an estate situated on the South Downs , centred around Wideacre Hall. Devoted to her father, at the age of five years she falls in love with ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Women

    by Charles Bukowski
    A collection of stories exploring the lives of various women and their relationships with men.

    Women focuses on the many dissatisfactions Chinaski faced with each new woman he encountered. One of the women featured in the book is a character named Lydia Vance; she is based on Bukowski's ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Rant

    by Chuck Palahniuk
    A darkly humorous and surreal look into a world of chaos, taking on societal norms and conventions.

    Buster Casey is born in the rural town of Middleton with the senses of smell and taste far more advanced than any other human. He acquires the nickname "Rant" from a childhood prank involving animal ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Call of Cthulhu

    by H.P. Lovecraft
    A tale of horror and mystery, as a man investigates an ancient cult's dark secrets.

    The story's narrator, Francis Wayland Thurston, recounts his discovery of various notes left behind by his great uncle, George Gammell Angell, a prominent professor of Semitic languages at Brown ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    by Michael Rosen
    A retelling of the classic tragedy of two young lovers from feuding families, set in modern times.

    The bard's quintessential love story — retold in an elegantly illustrated volume that will appeal both to aficionados of Shakespeare's play and to readers discovering it for the first time. The story ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    by Mark Twain
    Adventures of two boys on a journey down the Mississippi River, testing the limits of their freedom.

    Tom Sawyer, an orphan, lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri sometime in the 1840s . A fun-loving boy, Tom skips school to go swimming ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Tender Is the Night

    by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    A young couple's tumultuous journey through love, wealth and tragedy.

    Dick and Nicole Diver are a glamorous couple who rent a villa in the South of France and surround themselves with a circle of friends, mainly Americans. Also staying at the nearby resort are Rosemary ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Less Than Zero

    by Bret Easton Ellis
    A young man returns to his hometown of Los Angeles and becomes disillusioned with the empty and hedonistic lifestyle of his wealthy friends.

    The novel follows the life of Clay, a rich, young college student who has returned to his hometown of Los Angeles , California for winter break circa 1984. Through first-person narration , Clay ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Timequake

    by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
    A man is forced to relive the life he lived before, discovering the beauty of second chances.

    Vonnegut uses the premise of a timequake (or repetition of actions) in which there is no free will . The idea of determinism is explored—as it is in many of his previous works—to assert that people ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    by Hunter S. Thompson
    A wild and hallucinatory journey through the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.

    The basic synopsis revolves around journalist Raoul Duke ( Hunter S. Thompson ) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo ( Oscar Zeta Acosta ), as they arrive in Las Vegas in 1971 to report on the Mint 400 ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Foundation and Chaos

    by Greg Bear
    A thrilling sci-fi saga set in a distant future, exploring the fate of humanity.

    The novel is the second part of The Second Foundation Trilogy and takes place almost entirely in the same time frame as " The Psychohistorians ," which is the first part of the novel, Foundation, . ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories

    by Ernest Hemingway
    Collection of short stories exploring the human condition and the consequences of life choices.

    The ideal introduction to the genius of Ernest Hemingway,, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories, contains ten of Hemingway's most acclaimed and popular works of short fiction. Selected from, ... (Goodreads)