Orson Scott Card is an author whose books are not too difficult and they are sci fi fantasy, some of his books have Christian themes but it's pretty subtle.

Many sci fi books are based on real life political issues and are actually a commentary on our times. It's also ok to just read for fun:)

Check out r/cormacmccarthy they have links to the Spanish translations.

Besides that, as someone else said, just push through and come back to it later.

Edit: here it is anyway actually: http://cormacmccarthy.cookingwithmarty.com/wp-content/uploads/CrossingTrans.pdf

Octavia Butler is great, too! She was a modern author who wrote in pretty standard prose. Her stuff is fantastic and weird.

That alone is your benefit then.

One of the best books I read last year. None of the things that bother other people here bothered me. My friend hated it because of the description of the >!monkey brains thing!<

Yes. Because I don't know how it ends, I intend to read it, and I would have more fun doing so if I didn't already know how it ends.

Anyways, I'm just saying, in a thread literally dedicated to being frustrated about unnecessary book spoilers, it's sort of counterproductive to share the spoilers you personally were frustrated by without marking them as spoilers.

Same with the summary on the back of the book. I don't need a summary of the entire book

The Sparrow for sure!

Beside vocabulary and communication skills, reading fiction helps develop empathy.

As an aside most fantasy themes have folkloric or mythological roots, if you really feel like you have reached the boundaries of knowledge available in the novels you read you could lookup some of those themes in the world mythologies.

So now we're getting upset about "spoilers" in a book that has been part of the public consciousness for 145 years?

I can see why some people think it‘s corny but I think that’s part of the earnestness of the tone, and it’s supposed to be earnest because it’s supposed to be a shameless confessional letter written to his Ma, who is unable to read. I loved this book, especially the last half. One of my fave quotes:

“Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence - but that violence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it.”

I read the first two as a child and I loved them but I just tried Jo’s Boys and couldn’t get through them, I know it was a different era but I just didn’t like the classism and in general the so rigid roles, I just couldn’t do it.

I just pushed through those sections going on what little Spanish I know. Anything that went over my head, so be it. I don’t feel like it diminished the overall impact of the novel for me.

I read all of them when I was younger and enjoyed them, although Little Women is the only one I've gone back to re-read. My favorite book of hers was always An Old Fashioned Girl - I'd recommend checking it out. It still contains a lot of moral lessons but is a bit less explicitly "Christian" if I remember correctly. I always felt like the romances in Little Women felt a bit forced, like the girls grew up a bit too fast and just had to end up with someone. An Old Fashioned Girl is, IMO, a bit better paced on the growing up and growing into romance side. Eight Cousins is also delightful but I was not a fan of the sequel.

These are amazing. Made my night

Yeah, that'll probably be it. I have to admit I avoid the romance genre like the plague. It's like frosting on cakes - I don't mind a bit as part of a more balanced cake, but I don't want my cake to be mostly frosting.

True, thanks!

Yeah honestly the fact that it helps with communication and social interactions is great, also thanks for commenting!

I started to read that, got a few pages in, remembered seeing what your spoiler mentions, and decided that made everything weird enough that I don’t want to finish it. Surprises me that halfway in, it hadn’t been mentioned yet.

I do believe reading is beneficial whether or not the plot teaches you something because the simple act of reading gives you new vocabulary and grammar constructions that would help you in our future interactions. Reading also helps with comprehension, understanding and empathy.

Fantasy and science fiction increase creativity, open-mindedness, and imagination.

Fiction in general improves theory of the mind and empathy.

Good points, and sadly a lot of them are lacking in the current generation. Critical Thinking for example. So yeah, I feel like reading is essential either way!

Also great standpoint with the differences of Fiction and Non-Fiction! And wow, amazing job on getting to law school and having a successful career! That's amazing! And the fact that reading contributed to it makes it even better

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Thank you for spending the time and commenting, I truly appreciate it!

>Politics and philosophy are not missing just because the world is
fictional, it can even allow you to explore it in ways that you can’t if
you are tied to reality.

Sure, but it's not really what we see in the real world. Similar, but not the same logic and philosophy behind it necessarily! It could also be allegory but it's not really pragmatic or something you could really learn as much from as a non-fiction book.

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I agree with the other parts nonetheless! Reading DEFINITELY helps you with a lot of things, some of which you mentioned!

The more you read things you enjoy, the more you’re engaging with the story and the better you become at understanding and processing what you’re reading. Reading comprehension, critical thinking, and analysis are skills that you can apply in every area of your life. I also think being exposed to different ways of thinking and writing styles helps you develop better communication skills. I find nonfiction books to be more for reference or introduction to an idea because I’m usually not going to remember most of the facts of what I’ve read down the road. However, the ways of thinking and understanding you develop from literature of any kind stays with you throughout your life.

For me, I’ve used those skills to get a full ride to law school, to go far in my career, and of course for greater enjoyment in my leisure reading.