Chatting About 20 Years of Wasted Web Novels (Not Just Book Recommendations) 1
From the ages of 13 to 32, I've struggled to find a partner, and my career feels like it's going nowhere, compounded by the challenging economic landscape. Life seems to be getting worse, and sleepless nights have become common as I ponder my situation. I thought I'd share some thoughts, although if you're just looking for a book list, it might take me a while as I can't remember all the titles. Let me reminisce based on a timeline.
Every time I see someone recommending a huge list of books, I get overwhelmed by the sheer number—how could I ever read them all? To keep it simple, I'll limit my recommendations. This list will consist of three categories:
1) Books that left a lasting impression on me, ones I still think about.
2) More subjective choices. Our tastes in books change with age; some titles may not hold up under current scrutiny, yet they felt incredible back then.
3) Popular web novels, where I'll share my personal take.
For those who share my reading preferences, this might help you avoid some missteps in your literary journey.
Novels on this list
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- Mos from the modern world dies after being hit by a truck in a subway station. He awakens as a young female rat in a sewer nest, retaining his human memories. He discovers two status screens: one for his rat body with locked values and another human one labeled "Name: Mos" with values too low to unlock. The world has changed by the appearance of World Gates, bringing demonic creatures...
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- Su Ran is a transmigrator endowed with the unique Double Treasure Chest talent, allowing any treasure chest he owns to be opened twice, with the second opening yielding higher-value items tied to his dungeon performance. Growing up in an orphanage, he learned silence and caution, began working in a restaurant kitchen at fourteen, and saved every credit. At sixteen, his mental power ada...
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- Lu Chen awakened an F-Rank talent called "Rice Bucket," drawing laughter and mockery from the entire school. Zhao Tai, a wealthy student, openly insulted him, suggesting he shovel manure for a living. Lu Chen remained silent, hiding the truth: his retina displayed an S-Rank Talent called Gluttony, which ignored toxins and converted all matter into energy with perfect efficiency. He lef...
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- Shen Wan, once the legitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister of the Great Gan Dynasty, was renowned in the capital for her insatiable greed and tyrannical temper, universally despised by noblewomen. Her marriage was to the crippled Prince Xiao Jingheng, the former God of War whose legs had been broken, whom she viewed as a burden and wished dead. The narrative begins with the impe...
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- Qin Feng, a transmigrator from Blue Star who has spent eighteen years in this world, is a low-level follower of Qin Yanran, the Young Sect Master of the Azure Profound Sect. He accompanies her to the Ye family mansion in East Rock Town on a single mission: break off her engagement with Ye Chen, a former genius who lost all his cultivation three years ago and became a cripple. Recognizi...
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- Tempest Blood, reincarnated into nobility from a modern world, possesses a magical talent shaped by her powerful imagination, honed through her past life as a manga and anime enthusiast. She finds the oppressive etiquette of aristocratic society suffocating and desperately desires the freedom of an adventurer. Her parents, eager to secure a political alliance, deceive her into a marria...
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- Wen Hao, the mute second miss of Wen Manor, is stabbed to death on a snowy street after seeking the truth about her elder sister's suicide from a former maid. A masked man dies with her, leaving her with only a glimpse of his eyes. She wakes from the darkness to find herself three years in the past, falling from a wall and landing in the arms of Prince Jing's son, Qi Shuo. The shock of...
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- Lu An, the youngest son of the Zhenbei Marquis Lu Xiao, is not a normal six-year-old child. He carries the soul of a seasoned mercenary from a previous life and has transmigrated into this feudal household. From the original novel, he remembers the plot that will lead to the extermination of the entire Lu family. The story begins as he hides behind a screen in the main hall, observing...
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- In the tenth year of Chun Jia, the second branch of the Ruyang Bo Mansion hosted a flower viewing banquet. A shabby carriage with a straw canopy and an old, mangy horse stopped at the entrance. The driver, an ugly, coarse old woman named Zhang Ma, refused to move and shouted at the steward. She announced that the madam and young master of the mansion were inside, demanding the main gat...
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- Xu Jingyang was the eldest daughter of General Xu. At fourteen, she disguised herself as a man and took her father’s place in the army. Over ten years, she won twenty-nine battles without a single defeat. She lifted a siege, captured enemy generals, recovered lost territory, and finally captured the enemy king alive, forcing him to shave his head and commit suicide, avenging the Empero...
