Here are 63 books that Solitary Man fans have personally recommended if you like Solitary Man. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Dynamo

Daphne Self Author Of When Legends Rise

From my list on captured my ADD personality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read. Reading since I was 3 years old, devouring book after book. As I grew, my taste expanded. Yet it was the sci-fi book, The Black Hole, by Disney that I discovered in second grade that captured my passion for writing and storytelling. I cannot count how many books I've read, but I can tell you the ones that have left a lasting impression on me. Because of that, I began to write my own stories. I've seven books written and published, the newest one releasing soon. While my tastes in books vary, only one thing remains consistent: finding the best books that capture me and hold me hostage!

Daphne's book list on captured my ADD personality

Daphne Self Why Daphne loves this book

Honestly, this book was one that is usually outside my reading preferences. Yet once I started, it captured me. The heartache and the perseverance that was written about echoed me. Reading and feeling as though I was transported to the horse races, I could hear the cheers, taste the dust, and feel the anguish. This is one of few books that truly left an impact on me.

By Eleanor Gustafson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dynamo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jeth Cavanaugh is searching for a new life along one of Pennsylvania’s mountain ridges when he stumbles upon a stable of show jumpers owned by Rob and Katie Chilton. Throw in a volatile stallion named Dynamo, and Jeth will do anything to work there. Jeth earns his living by training and showing Rob’s jumpers, but Dynamo is his primary passion.
Everything changes when God enters his life—in the unconventional form of a hard slap by an old girlfriend—and ignites a new, greater passion within Jeth. But along with fervor comes fear at the undeniable evidence of God’s hand on his…


If you love Solitary Man...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of The Trumpets of Tagan

Daphne Self Author Of When Legends Rise

From my list on captured my ADD personality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read. Reading since I was 3 years old, devouring book after book. As I grew, my taste expanded. Yet it was the sci-fi book, The Black Hole, by Disney that I discovered in second grade that captured my passion for writing and storytelling. I cannot count how many books I've read, but I can tell you the ones that have left a lasting impression on me. Because of that, I began to write my own stories. I've seven books written and published, the newest one releasing soon. While my tastes in books vary, only one thing remains consistent: finding the best books that capture me and hold me hostage!

Daphne's book list on captured my ADD personality

Daphne Self Why Daphne loves this book

This was my first introduction to a series that was started in the early 70s. I love Star Trek. And the author once wrote a few episodes of that show. This book steered away from stereotypes. And I fell in love with Marik, an alien taken from royalty to occupation to servitude within the system who conquered his home. Yet to see his rise through the ranks and how he became respected and honored…this is a book I’ve read countless times. 

By Simon Lang ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Trumpets of Tagan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When the only child of the empire's heir is kidnapped, the U.S.S. Skipjack's captain must act fast, especially when he discovers that the child's alien father is his second officer.


Book cover of The Blue Flower

Daphne Self Author Of When Legends Rise

From my list on captured my ADD personality.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to read. Reading since I was 3 years old, devouring book after book. As I grew, my taste expanded. Yet it was the sci-fi book, The Black Hole, by Disney that I discovered in second grade that captured my passion for writing and storytelling. I cannot count how many books I've read, but I can tell you the ones that have left a lasting impression on me. Because of that, I began to write my own stories. I've seven books written and published, the newest one releasing soon. While my tastes in books vary, only one thing remains consistent: finding the best books that capture me and hold me hostage!

Daphne's book list on captured my ADD personality

Daphne Self Why Daphne loves this book

This is an old and rare book. The short stories within are fantastical tales told in allegories to the Bible. Every page brought to me this wondrous world of words, capturing my attention, and keeping me spellbound throughout the pages. Using descriptions and settings that reminded me of Arthurian legend and Germanic folklore and Viking tales, this is one of the first vintage fantasy books I've ever read.

By Henry van Dyke ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Blue Flower as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.


If you love Eric Landfried...

Book cover of Memento: A Novel in Dreams, Thoughts, and Images

Memento by Cordelia Schmidt-Hellerau,

Sine, a professor of creative writing, accompanies Sam, a neuroscientist, on a conference trip to a Hotel Castle. Sam wants to present a new device, the "monitor." Sine hopes to recover from tending to her mother who just passed away. 

When they arrive, Sine is in a dream-like state. Real…

Book cover of The Walking Drum

Richard Paolinelli Author Of Escaping Infinity

From my list on superversive fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am both a writer and a publisher of Superversive fiction. Even before I encountered the term and the official definition of it, my fiction writing has always tended to be Superversive. Which makes sense as I am drawn to Superversive stories as a reader. I want to read and write about heroes and heroines. I want to be drawn into incredible universes and taken along on amazing adventures. I want stories where evil appears to be winning but good eventually finds a way to triumph in the end.  

Richard's book list on superversive fiction

Richard Paolinelli Why Richard loves this book

A book about the Medieval times written by a writer more known for his stories of the American Old West seems out of place, but this in my mind is his greatest work. I can only imagine the time he spent researching it and he definitely put in the time as he really transports you to the times and the lands involved in this story. One of these days I hope to write something that is as good as this book is.

By Louis L'Amour ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Walking Drum as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As part of the Louis L’Amour’s Lost Treasures series, this edition contains exclusive bonus materials!

Louis L’Amour has been best known for his ability to capture the spirit and drama of the authentic American West. Now he guides his readers to an even more distant frontier—the enthralling lands of the twelfth century.
 
Warrior, lover, and scholar, Kerbouchard is a daring seeker of knowledge and fortune bound on a journey of enormous challenge, danger, and revenge. Across Europe, over the Russian steppes, and through the Byzantine wonders of Constantinople, Kerbouchard is thrust into the treacheries, passions, violence, and dazzling wonders of…


Book cover of Tender Is the Flesh

HP Newquist Author Of Behemoth

From my list on horror masterpieces from a horror writer.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by scary movies, creature features, and books that tell tales of the strange and supernatural. Years later, my own books explored those things that scare us, from monsters of the deep and the ways we die to the mythology of blood. Research for those books led me into realms that explained why we fear the things we do. Many of those fears are found in horror novels, which provide an endless source of fright, release, and entertainment within their haunting pages. I can’t think of any other genre of writing that takes its readers on such a joyously terrifying ride.

HP's book list on horror masterpieces from a horror writer

HP Newquist Why HP loves this book

There isn’t another horror novel written in the past ten years that scratched at my brain as much as this one. Baztericca’s brilliance lies in her writing a story that no one else has thought of before. The subject matter–humans have run out of animals to eat–seems like an obvious one.

What is striking about the book is that it is told in an almost clinical fashion, observing horror with a detachment that is precise and unemotional. The plot follows one man through the routines of his life, but it’s the world in which he exists that haunts you. By the time I finished, it was easy to imagine the world of “Tender Is The Flesh” becoming all too real.

By Agustina Bazterrica , Sarah Moses (translator) ,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Tender Is the Flesh as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It all happened so quickly. First, animals became infected with the virus and their meat became poisonous. Then governments initiated the Transition. Now, 'special meat' - human meat - is legal.

Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans - only no one calls them that. He works with numbers, consignments, processing. One day, he's given a gift to seal a deal: a specimen of the finest quality. He leaves her in his barn, tied up, a problem to be disposed of later.

But she haunts Marcos. Her trembling body, and watchful gaze, seem to understand. And soon, he becomes…


Book cover of Habitat

Sophie Goldstein Author Of The Oven

From my list on for speculative fiction lovers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a compulsive reader and writer of speculative fiction, in love with the genre’s capacity to extrapolate our present social, economic and technological into horrifying/astonishing futures. That being said, I need strong writing and compelling characters to pull me into a world and make it feel lived in and real. It’s this kind of emotional realism that I seek out as a reader and try to create as an author.

Sophie's book list on for speculative fiction lovers

Sophie Goldstein Why Sophie loves this book

A generational ship fallen to ruin and tribalism? Sign me up! Roy spares no effort in bringing to life his vivid, action-packed book. The fun here is less the characters than the world-building and how artfully the past is revealed plot-point by plot-point like a delicious sci-fi strip-tease. Plus, Roy drew the shit out of this book.

By Roy Simon ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Habitat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

All his life, Hank Cho wanted to join the ranks of the Habsec - the rulers of the orbital habitat his people call home. But when he finds a powerful, forbidden weapon from the deep past, a single moment of violence sets his life - and the brutal society of the habitat - into upheaval. Hunted by the cannibalistic Habsec and sheltered by former enemies, Cho finds himself caught within a civil war that threatens to destroy his world.

A new barbarian sci-fi adventure from SIMON ROY (Prophet, Jan's Atomic Heart, Tiger Lung). Collecting installments originally serialized in ISLAND MAGAZINE…


If you love Solitary Man...

Book cover of Salvation in the Sun

Salvation in the Sun by Lauren Lee Merewether,

In an age of splendor, a heretic king strips Egypt bare—forcing his queen to quell rebellion and plunging his children into a conspiracy against the crown.

Salvation in the Sun follows Nefertiti as she ascends the throne beside Pharaoh Amenhotep—soon to become Akhenaten—just as he declares war on Egypt’s ancient…

Book cover of The Wastelander

Lena Gibson Author Of The Edge of Life

From my list on apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love reading and writing books set in the near future in apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic settings. These days, they don’t feel far away or unlikely. I like the idea that even if the world falls apart and things are terrible, one of the things worth fighting for is love. Love, beauty, and hope can be found in expected ways and make life worth living. As someone who grew up reading about dark historical times and dark future times, I’ve wanted to find ways to connect to less bleak versions of a possible future. While there are dozens of stories about survival and hardship, these stories of love and hope fill me with optimism.  

Lena's book list on apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic romances

Lena Gibson Why Lena loves this book

In this dystopian romance, I love how the society Claire lives in is not ours, but a futuristic, prescribed society where she does her best to fit in, but she never feels comfortable.

Sometimes I’ve felt that way about my life, too. Outside the walls, where the Wastelanders live, is violent and unknown, with a reputation like the badlands in a Mad Max movie. When a rebellion happens, and Claire is exiled, she’s immediately on her own.

I like that the people who rescue her are not what she expected and that living with them forces her to examine her beliefs. I enjoyed her character arc and look forward to seeing where John and Claire go next. 

By E.S. Luck ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wastelander as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Old World is dead. Alone and starving, her only salvation is him.


Born in a secure compound amidst the ashes of a world long dead, Claire Ainsley knows her place in the world: work her assigned job, live with her assigned husband, and keep her head down and her mouth shut. She knows what every compound resident has been taught: the world outside is a Wasteland, and the only thing more terrifying than leaving the compound is being forced to confront those who live outside-the ones left behind.

But her safe, contained life is destroyed when she narrowly survives…


Book cover of The Road

H Critchlow Author Of The Tomorrow Project

From my list on tear-jerking post-apocalyptic books about parental sacrifice and love.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been obsessed with apocalyptic and dystopian stories for over a decade. For me, they are the books that strike right at the heart of what it means to be human. Reading about characters facing the very worst scenarios possible brings love, resilience, survival, and hope into sharp relief. Not to mention that they are often the most powerful page turners—I have lost so much sleep over these cautionary tales, staying up until the early hours, unable to put them down.

H's book list on tear-jerking post-apocalyptic books about parental sacrifice and love

H Critchlow Why H loves this book

I’ve read this book twice and cried buckets both times.

It is a masterpiece – brutal and unflinching but also maintaining a kernel of hope as the man crosses a devastated landscape with his son, trying to keep him alive against the odds. The prose is stunning and piercing. There are some very disturbing parts of the story, but what shines through for me is human resilience, determination, and love.

I will absolutely read The Road again, but I have to leave a recovery gap between reads!

By Cormac McCarthy ,

Why should I read it?

42 authors picked The Road as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • A searing, post-apocalyptic novel about a father and son's fight to survive, this "tale of survival and the miracle of goodness only adds to McCarthy's stature as a living master. It's gripping, frightening and, ultimately, beautiful" (San Francisco Chronicle).

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if…


Book cover of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

Tyrolin Puxty Author Of Esteemed Vampire Cat

From my list on middle grade books adults and kids can laugh at.

Why am I passionate about this?

Look, it’s simple really. Peter Pan visited me when I was young, abducted me, and showed me that remaining a big kid is much more beneficial than becoming a boring adult with too many responsibilities. I’ve published multiple MG books and prefer this genre’s colourful, exciting stories. I’m also Australian, and we have a weird sense of humour, so I’m not sure if that classifies as expertise on this particular subject, but let’s go with that. 

Tyrolin's book list on middle grade books adults and kids can laugh at

Tyrolin Puxty Why Tyrolin loves this book

Children will find this funny. How could they not, when the entire book is through the perspective of an actual imaginary friend, getting up to mischievous antics? For adults though, it's more like Toy Story 3 as you realise the imaginary friends are contemplating their own mortality, wondering how they could possibly survive when their friends literally disappear once the human stops 'believing' in them. So, look, 50/50 from a comedic level. Solid 90 for overall enjoyment. 

By Matthew Green ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Budo is Max's imaginary friend. He and his fellow imaginary friends watch over their children until the day comes that the child stops imagining them. And then they're gone. Budo has lasted a lot longer than most imaginary friends - four years - because Max needs him more. His parents argue about sending him to a special school. But Max is perfectly happy if everything is just kept the way it is, and nothing out of the ordinary happens. Unfortunately, something out of the ordinary is going to happen - and then he'll need Budo more than ever...


If you love Eric Landfried...

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

Book cover of The Last Plague

David Moody Author Of Dawn

From my list on the inevitable bleakness of the apocalypse.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing about the end of the world for years, so I know my way around the apocalypse! It’s not as dark as it sounds – it’s not the end of the world itself that I find fascinating, it’s imagining the reactions of the people who inhabit these nightmare scenarios. I’m a people watcher at heart, and these days it seems we’re increasingly restricted by the polarization of society, almost forced to pick a side. Come the apocalypse, all the preconceptions and regulations will be stripped away, and folks will behave as they genuinely want to, not how they think they should. Now that would really be something to behold!

David's book list on the inevitable bleakness of the apocalypse

David Moody Why David loves this book

Take the body horror nightmare of John Carpenter’s The Thing and substitute the remoteness of that film’s Antarctic setting for the densely populated familiarity of the UK. When a deadly infection strikes, four friends must cross a chaotic, war-torn England to reach their families. The infection turns people into vile, cannibalistic monsters that are almost Lovecraftian in their grotesqueness. There’s something about the juxtaposition of the normality of UK life and the unrelenting horror of the infection that really hits home. This is a vicious book that pulls no punches and spares no one. Beautifully written, and bleak as hell.

By Rich Hawkins ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last Plague as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A pestilence has fallen across the land. Run and hide. Seek shelter. Do not panic. The infected WILL find you. When Great Britain is hit by a devastating epidemic, four old friends must cross a chaotic, war-torn England to reach their families. But between them and home, the country is teeming with those afflicted by the virus - cannibalistic, mutated monsters whose only desires are to infect and feed. THE LAST PLAGUE is here.


Book cover of Dynamo
Book cover of The Trumpets of Tagan
Book cover of The Blue Flower

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in cannibalism, US Navy SEALs, and dystopian?

Cannibalism 30 books
US Navy SEALs 32 books
Dystopian 697 books