I haven’t read much read stuff that has been published after 2000s and have barely liked what I have.
I ask this bcz most of the time I look up ‘Best new books’ or ‘popular books’, the recommendations are mostly smut, fantasy smut or cheap romance.
Idk if I just keep getting the wrong books recommended or that’s how today’s books are.
Also, recommend me some more recent books with good prose, well written characters, medium/slow paced.
From the past, only the best truly survive, all books that were not worth it are slowly less and less mentioned. But you take the books released in 2025 and the amount is just overwhelming. It’s not that they are worse now, its just that the best haven’t yet gotten over the rest, so the chances of ending on a bad one is higher.
I think the real issue you need to consider is how you choose the books, how you search for them and why are the lists you find so bad.
Maybe you are ending in pretty bad webpages written more to advertise whatever the editorials want or not you kind of book. Maybe try finding some recommendations website that works depending on what books you have read and liked.