Top products from r/booksuggestions

We found 166 product mentions on r/booksuggestions. We ranked the 5,438 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top comments that mention products on r/booksuggestions:

u/grome45 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

I've fallen on a deep sci-fi binge, so I'm going to recommend what I've read so far (lately) and loved:

Ender Series: The sequels to "Ender's Game" are not on par with the first, but they're compelling nonetheless (except maybe Childrens of the Mind), and the Bean series (Ender's Shadow and the sequels) is GREAT. I would recommend reading the sequels, and if not, to stay with the same Ender's Game vibe, then at least read Ender's Shadow, as it opens up the story a lot more.

Foundation (Isaac Asimov): One of the groundbreaking sci-fi series. I've currently read only the first one (Foundation) and absolutely loved it. It takes up several character's point of view over the course of a lot of years. But don't worry, each character get their spot lights and they shine in it. And the universe he creates is one I'm anxious to get back once I finish with...

Leviathan Wakes (James S.A. Corey): This one I'm still reading, so I won't jump up and say: READ IT, IT'S AMAZING! But I will say this, it's long and full of twists, but it's two central characters are fun and interesting. Someone said it's like reading the best sci-fi movie there is. And it kind of is. It's full of action, suspense, some horror and fun writing. I would check it out if I were you.

Spin: I enjoyed this one. Not fanatical about it, but still enjoyable. It's a little bit too long, but the mystery around the event that occurs in the book is interesting and compelling enough to continue. The characters feel real, and the drama around it is fun.

A while ago I also read: The Forever War which I liked a lot. I like seeing humanity evolve, so this book was awesome. I hear it's a lot like Old Man's War, but I've heard better things from Forever War than Old Man's. Might be worth checking out.

Hope I was helpful!

u/littlebutmighty · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I highly recommend:

  1. The Orphans of Chaos trilogy by John C. Wright. He really pushes the boundaries of the imagination by writing about a universe in which there are 4 different paradigms of magic/power, each of which cancels one of the others out and is canceled out by one of the others. It's an epic Titans vs Olympic Gods fantasy, and I've read it several times--which is rare for me to do.

  2. Obviously read the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin if you haven't already done so! I delayed reading it a long time but then read all of them in a week and a half when I finally succumbed.

  3. ALWAYS recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

  4. ALSO always recommend Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequels by Scott Lynch.

  5. The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. It's YA, but pretty mature YA, and IMO could easily transition to the regular fantasy section.

  6. Books by Diana Wynne Jones. She writes YA, but fantasy that I wouldn't call immature. The best word I could use to describe it would be "whimsical." If I could compare her style of fantasy to anyone's it would EASILY be the filmmaker Miyazaki. (His films include Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, etc.--he even adapted one of her books!) I think her best work is her Chrestomanci series which has 3 volumes (each volume is made up of several novellas), but she is best known for Howl's Moving Castle, which I also highly recommend (along with its sequels Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways).

  7. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. It's fun, original, often dark, often humorous, fast-paced, and FILLED with action. As noted by someone else, there are vampires in the universe, but they're not the central motif. There are also other scary things, like fairies, goblins, witches/wizards, demons...the list goes on and on.

  8. Terry Pratchett's Discworld canon. There are many, MANY books, and they're not written in series so you can jump in almost anywhere. I recommend Small Gods to start.

  9. The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier, starting with Daughter of the Forest. There are also spin-off novels, though I haven't read them all. Her writing is beautiful and mystical. She almost makes me believe magic/fae could exist.

  10. The Passion and The Promise (a duet) and, separately, The Alchemist by Donna Boyd. These are really, really excellently written. "Lush" would be the word I'd use. They're not hugely well known, and I find that utterly boggling considering how good they are.
u/ohnoesazombie · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

I think the best way is to suggest a few that got me into reading. One or two are YA, but well-written enough that I find it as worthwhile a read at 28 as it did at 14.

Ender's Game - Earth Has made contact with an alien species, and... It didn't go well. A program is started to teach a new generation of soldiers how to fight this alien threat. Children are not allowed to be children for long when the future of mankind is on the line. Also, it's being adapted into what is shaping up to be a pretty badass movie.

Snow Crash - Written in the 90's, but it essentially pioneered the concept of the online avatar, and predicted the rise of the MMO. Also, pizza-delivering ninjas. Trust me on this. It's good stuff.

Neuromancer Classic cyber-punk. Most sci-fi is like you see in star trek. Clean and sterile. Cyberpunk is the dirtier side of sci-fi. Organized crime, computer hacking, and a heist on a space station. And Molly. This book is the reason I have a thing for dangerous redheads.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Considered by most to be the very best in sci-fi humor. Lighthearted, hilarious, and I find I can read it in the course of about two days. It is absolutely, completely, and utterly amazing.

American Gods - What happens to the old gods when we start worshiping the new ones? Can the likes of Odin or Anubis compete with our new objects of worship. like television or internet? Remember, Gods only exist as long as folks believe in them. The old Gods aren't going down without a fight, though...

Hope some of these strike your fancy. It's admittedly more sci-fi than anything, but it's all soft sci-fi (Where the science isn't as important as the fiction, so story comes first), and nothing too out there. Please let me know if you decide to try any of these, and especially let me know if you enjoy them. I always like to hear if I help someone find a book they love.

u/mitchbones · 10 pointsr/booksuggestions

Most of the time I am "in the mood" for a certain genre or type of book. I will recommend some of my favorites that are easy to read and enjoyable. With a super short summary to see if it sparks your interest.

Fantasy:

  • Name of the Wind : Great fantasy novel which follows a single character, Kvothe, who is an old innkeeper with a mysterious and illustrious past telling the story of how he became a legend. It is very well written and highly entertaining, the book is all about Kvothe as a teenager just trying to survive and becoming an arcanist. Highly recommended.

  • Mistborn Trilogy : I've only read the first one. A dystopian world where ash falls from the sky every day with a centuries old tyrannical ruler. The story follows a young girl who is just trying to survive on the streets any way she can but gets caught up with revolutionists. Very enjoyable, and a unique magic system.

    Scifi:

  • Ender's Game: This an Dune are always recommended for anyone looking to get into scifi...as well as Foundation series (which I haven't read :/). Earth has been attacked by an alien species of bugs...twice. We barely survived last time, so in order for us to prepare if it happens again Earth has started training military geniuses. Ender is one of the children chosen for training, and he is the best of the best. The story focuses on him and his story about rising through the ranks to try and save earth.

  • Dune: If you want to experience a sand world with giant worms, extreme political tension, plot twists, feints within feints. I could say more, but simply saying that it is in my Top 3 favorite books says enough.

  • Hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy: Probably one of the funniest books I've ever read. It is highly regarded among this community and geeks as a whole. Do not judge it by the movie, this is a must-read book if you want a laugh.

u/getElephantById · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you want a straightforward page-turner, try The Descent by Jeff Long. Turns out, a species of hominid diverged from homo sapiens a long time ago, and continued to evolve deep below the earth, in underground caves and tunnels. All of a sudden they seem to be coming to the surface to attack people, and we've got to stop 'em. To paraphrase one of the characters, "we've declared war on hell".

If you want something more challenging, how about House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. It's hard to describe this book, but if you get a chance to pick it up in the bookstore, flip through the pages and look at how it's laid out. The fonts and layout change, some pages only have a couple of words on them, some pages are printed diagonally, others reversed. The book itself is a mystery about a mystery. It may be a horror story, or it may not be, but it will definitely give you an uneasy feeling when you're out there in the woods.

If you want a book that may inspire you while you're out there, pretty much anything by John Muir would do, but how about The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures. I haven't read this book, but it's a compilation of his writing and I'm sure I've read many of the stories that go into it. Muir is a great lover of and writer about nature, and had a lot of adventures to draw from.

Have fun on your trip!

u/apostrotastrophe · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you're a Nick Hornby fan, here's what you should do - he's got three books that are little collections of the column he writes for The Believer called "Stuff I've Been Reading". They're hilarious, and each one gives you 5 or 6 great suggestions from a guy whose taste is pretty solid.

Start with The Polysyllabic Spree and then go to Housekeeping vs. the Dirt and Shakespeare Wrote for Money.

He's always saying his favourite author is Anne Tyler - I can corroborate, she's pretty good.

This isn't really "literature" but you also might like Mil Millington. He's funny in the same way and even though as I'm reading I'm like "huh.. this isn't that great" his novels are the ones that I end up reading in one 8 hour sitting.

You might like David Sedaris - I'd start with Me Talk Pretty One Day

And someone else said John Irving - he's my very favourite.

A good psychology book (and I'm a major layperson, so it's definitely accessible) is The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks and Mad in America by Robert Whitaker.

u/the_beer_fairy · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Okay, so what I'm recommending is not necessarily aimed at adults, but I got a lot of enjoyment out of these texts.

A few years ago, I taught Percy Jackson and the Olympians with my students. I truly love that series. In conjunction with that, I pulled from D'Aulaire's Book of Myths, and I bought the 3 books of The Greek Mytholopedia for them to peruse. The mythlopedia is definitely aimed at students, but I'm not going to lie.... I really enjoyed reading them. I never truly found one definitive source for Greek myths that would be accessible at the level I was teaching. I mostly cobbled together what I could find from teacher's books and the sources above.

This text seems to have been released after I taught that unit. It looks promising.

u/Das_Mime · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

I quite liked it. It definitely starts to drag some in books 3-5, but I thought it was completely worth it. Book 1 (The Gunslinger) is absolutely fantastic, and he ends the series perfectly in Book 7.

As far as really good fantasy series go, you can't get better than the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. It's an utterly brilliant story.

u/Vengeance164 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

If you want another Dresden-like book series, check out the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. I'd say they are almost sue-ably similar. Main character is flippant and sarcastic, but also honorable and relies heavily on improvisation. I think these would be exactly what you're looking for.

I can also second the suggestion for Weeks' new Lightbringer series.

For your Night Angel fix, I recently read and loved Blood Song. The author is fairly new, but the book is absolutely solid and wonderful.

Another good book series is the Kingkiller Chronicles.

I'll stop the list there before I get carried away. But I think Iron Druid and Blood Song will be spot on as far as similarity. The other two are books I think you'll really enjoy, but aren't necessarily as similar.

u/SlothMold · 14 pointsr/booksuggestions

So I have a friend in jail that I regularly send books to. This doesn't cover every situation, but I assume the circumstances will be similar.

He says that the (meager) prison library is very skewed towards religious books, classics, GED materials, and low-difficulty grocery store novels. Anything other than that will be appreciated. The books most requested are thick fantasy books, activity books (sudoku, physics workbooks, etc), science non-fiction, and coffee-table books or magazines with lots of pictures. These will be swapped with other inmates so that anyone interested has a chance to read.

Some things to keep in mind:

u/mementomary · 14 pointsr/booksuggestions
  • Naked Statistics by Charles Wheelan is a great overview of the science of statistics, without being too much like a lecture. After reading it, you'll have a better understanding of what statistics are just silly (like in ads or clickbait news) and what are actually important (like in scientific studies).

  • You on a Diet by Roizen and Oz is touted as a diet book, and it kind of is. I recommend it because it's a great resource for basic understanding the science behind the gastrointestinal system, and how it links to the brain.

  • All of Mary Roach's books are excellent overviews of science currently being done, I've read Stiff (the science of human bodies, post-mortem), Spook ("science tackles the afterlife"), Packing for Mars (the science of humans in space), and Bonk (sex), and they are all very easy to understand, but scientifically appropriate. I'm sure "Gulp" is good too, although I haven't read that one yet.

  • "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming" by Mike Brown is a great, accessible overview of exactly why Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet, told by the man who started the controversy.

  • "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking is a little denser, material-wise, but still easy to understand (as far as theoretical physics goes, at least!). Hawking explains the history of physics and the universe, as well as the future of the discipline. While there is a bit more jargon than some pop-science books, I think an entry-level scientist can still read and understand this book.
u/CyborgShakespeare · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you liked Musicophila, I would definitely recommend some of Oliver Sacks' other books, such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which is collection of case studies about people with unique neurological disorders. Understanding how the brain falls apart gives an entirely new perspective into what's going on when the brain is working.

I also love the book The Most Human Human by Brian Christian. It's a fascinating mix of tech and philosophy and psychology - one of my favorite non-fiction books.

Maybe look into some of Malcolm Gladwell's books too. They're pretty quick reads - entertaining and thought-provoking, very sociology/social psychology based.

u/robynrose · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Robin Mckinley - anything by her though specifically Sunshine. If you haven't read Mercades Lackey than you would probably like her since you like Tamora Pierce. Start with Arrows for the Queen or Magic's Pawn. Raymond E Feist writes another good fantasy series that has tons of books in it. You might even like the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time books since you like the Game of Thrones. If you haven't read the Ender's Game books by Orson Scott Card they are very good. Some classical sci-fi - Foundation series by Issac Asimov.

edit: also because it looks like you like some historical romance The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and Peony in Love.

u/Darth_Dave · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

What about checking out some of Arthur C. Clarke's stuff? Rendezvous with Rama and 2001 spring immediately to mind, although I'm quite partial to A Fall of Moondust. It doesn't have any aliens, but it is one of the most intense sci-fi books I've ever read.

Maybe check out Leviathan Wakes by a couple of writers going under the pseudonym James S. A. Corey. It's pretty good with the science, is set in our solar system in the near future, and features a weird alien attack. It also has a bit of a Firefly vibe, I thought, so if that's your thing I'd heartily recommend it.

There's always the Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton, starting with The Reality Dysfunction. They're big space opera books, although it's obvious Hamilton knows a bit about physics, and they can get very creepy. Probably one of the best written and enjoyable series I've ever read, although the ending is a bit flat.

Finally, I'd look at Midshipman's Hope by David Feintuch. It's been a while since I've read it and it's basically a Napoleonic era battleship setting transferred onto a spaceship, buy I recall that the second half of the book was one of the most exciting and nail-biting examples of trying to save a damaged spaceship all alone in space that I'd ever read. Anyway, give it a go, I suppose.

u/adifferentusername · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

I recommend getting The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It contains all 5 books in the "Trilogy" + a short story "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe". Really cheap on Amazon as well. Great value for a great series from a great writer.

u/messiahwannabe · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

you mentioned being a fangirl; i've been reading some amazing, recent sci fi works written by women authors lately, maybe you'd find them interesting? all 3 of these are among the absolute best sci fi i've ever read:

the time traveller's wife by audrey niffenegger

^ forget about the movie, the book is fantastic

oryx and crake by margaret atwood

^ nice and dark

lilith's brood by octavia e. butler

^ amazon reviews calls it "profoundly evocative, sensual -- and disturbing", which sums it up pretty well

u/Swift_Reposte · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Check out Drood by Dan Simmons. I picked it up on a whim, and couldn't be happier that I gave it a chance. It's a total trip, and suspenseful in a laid-back / behind-the-scenes sort of way.

Also, I find anything by Michael Chrichton to be utterly "un-put-downable". I'd recommend starting with Congo or Prey, but definitely give Sphere a shot before you move on.

Edit: Sorry I meant Micro instead of Prey. Prey was "meh" but Micro is great. Also definitely check out Timeline! (Sorry, I'm basically obsessed with Chrichton)

Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, is another favorite of mine. But, it's been so long since I last read it that I can't really remember why. I'm going to be rereading that one again soon.

u/Cdresden · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Fantasy.

Engraved on the Eye by Saladin Ahmed. Fantasy stories. Free.

Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos. SF.

Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey. SF. (Part One, free.)

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. SF.

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. Fantasy.

----

You also can check in at /r/FreeEBOOKS, /r/freekindle, /r/KindleFreebies and /r/kindlebookdeals occasionally. There are lots of self-published ebooks nowadays, and lots of them are offered free or very cheap, especially if the writer is a new author. Lots of them aren't very good, but there's also some hidden gold. Some writers will offer their ebook for free for a limited time (like, a week or less) in hope of encouraging some people to write them a good review.

u/Skyldt · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

World War Z is, by far, the best zombie book i've ever read. don't let the shitty movie scare you away, the book is a huge, sprawling story covering all of humanities reactions to the zombies, very often with a very sociological slant to the stories. highly recommend reading it.

the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant is also very good. it starts with Feed, with two sequels. it is a pretty fascinating look at a zombie apocalypse, with humanity basically having recovered from it, and blogs being the primary form of news. the series follows a brother and sister who run a news site and are following a presidential candidate in the latest election. very good, massive amounts of world building, and solid characterization.

u/wafflelord · 0 pointsr/booksuggestions

Try Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters, Survivor or Lullaby. They aren't super long and are gory enough to keep most people grotesquely attentive. If you don't read much they might help you get back into it. Palahniuk has really gone downhill in his recent books (haven't read the newest one because the last few were so bad) but his old stuff is phenominal.
I agree that the Harry Potter books are good but they don't really capture you until the third book. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is a good choice- you can usually get all the books in one bound edition for cheap at Barnes and Noble or amazon.

u/ifurmothronlyknw · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Its funny because I actually came here to suggest another Bryson book called In a Sunburned Country which chronicles Bryson's visit to Australia- thought this was relevant as OP's love interest is either en route to or already in Australia I figured she'd get a kick out of it.



If you want something that has a mix of love/romance, action, thrill, check out The Shadow of the Wind. I thought this was a good book and is very well written. Zafon is able to paint images with his words in a way that puts you in the story like no other author i've encountered.

u/pantherwest · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

One of my all time favorites is Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, about a climbing season on Mount Everest where a lot of things went wrong.

I also enjoy Mary Roach - she has a great gift of being able to convey information while being really entertaining in the process. Stiff is my favorite of hers, but I also really enjoyed Packing For Mars.

u/camp45 · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

I recommend the novel The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. About a post apocalyptic world where a guy and his dog have a small plane and survive in and around the mountains of Colorado.

Just thought of some non-fiction as well, that also parallels the sailing aspect of Robinson Crusoe. The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told. Not all of the are survival, but quite a few are. I enjoyed them all!

There are also loads of other books about survival in the world wars as well as other wars. I am sure with some digging several good ones could be found.

Lastly, as said above, Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild is another great non-fiction recounting of survival in the world, not just the Alaskan wilderness.

u/lmartks · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is one of my all time favorite books. If you want something more lighthearted, check out any book in P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series. The Code of the Woosters is probably my favorite one.

u/ajh09g · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

I absolutely loved this book. It is set in the Amazon and is jam packed with action and adventure. Amazonia
Also, I just finished this book last night. One of the best books I've read in a while!
Ready Player One

u/OhEdibleness · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

[Ready Player One] (http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline-ebook/dp/B004J4WKUQ) by Ernest Cline. One of the most talked about books on r/booksuggestions and a fantastic read. Really easy reading, well written and bucket loads of fun.

u/mswas · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oh if you like dystopian, then check out Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Awesome fantasy - Patrick Rothfuss The Name of the Wind. And a really cool non-fiction survival story is The Tiger by John Vaillant, about a man-eating tiger terrorizing a village in Russia.

Totally check out the library, most these days do inter-library loans within counties or regions, so if they don't have any of the above, you can request them for free. Enjoy!

u/Ressha · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is an extremely readable tour through natural history and scientefic proccess from the very beginning of the planet. Probably my favoruite 'overview' non-fiction book.

If you want to read fiction that will make you more knowledgeable, read anything by Umberto Eco. The research he does on any time period his work is set in is outstanding and it really shows. I finished Prague Cemetery today by him, which is focuses on 19th century conspiracy theories, where every event and character that appears in the book apart from the main character is historically accurate. It's amazing how he blends a fascinating plot with historical accuracy.

u/didyouwoof · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks is an interesting collection of case studies of people with unusual neurological conditions. Oliver Sacks is both a brilliant scientist and a great storyteller.

u/Y_pestis · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Not quite the same as your examples, but some of my favorite non-fiction science are...

The Coming Plague

And The Band Played On

The Disappearing Spoon

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

I could probably come up with a few others if any of these seem to be what interests you.

u/funkybside · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

I enjoyed Daemon by Daniel Saurez. Freedom was worth the follow up as well. Might not be exactly the VR world you have in mind, but I thought it fun.

u/J4K3TH3R1PP3R · 13 pointsr/booksuggestions

I just finished Salem's Lot by Stephen King; it was a good read and totally changed the way I feel about strange dark rooms. Just don't research the storyline. I went in not knowing what it was about and was pleasantly surprised about halfway through. If you do plan on getting this book, I suggest the illustrated edition, it is beautiful.

I'm waiting for House of Leaves to arrive in the mail, from what I'v heard, this will do the trick.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

Sirens of Titan makes me feel very not dead inside.


Rant by Palahniuk might also fit the bill, it's dark and weird and some sci-fi elements.


I just read The Dog Stars, it was very good.


Maybe this thread from a while back will have some good suggestions for you.

u/delerium23 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I just finished reading the first 2 in the birthmarked.. they didnt look like much but as soon as i started i couldnt stop! Im going to buy the 3rd this weekend!

also the maddaddam trilogy is amazing! The 3rd one doesnt come out till sept though!

u/sporkubus · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths sounds like what you want. If that's too easy for you, I remember liking Bulfinch's Mythology as a kid, though I think it contains more analysis.

u/_vikram · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you like fantasy, check in with the folks over at r/fantasy. That being said, Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind is phenomenal epic fantasy with beautifully crafted storytelling. If you want fast paced urban fantasy, check out Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, which is about a magic wielding private detective with an irreverent sense of humor.

u/TIME_Keeper15 · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

Maybe a long shot, but try Margaret Atwood's MaddAdam trilogy? I've read only the first so far Oryx and Crake and it definitely has a story with biology and the cultural impact. Give it a try! It's one of my favorites.

u/mrlr · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Terry Pratchett - all of them, but in particular, Night Watch

Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon I've linked to a book with the short story rather than the novel as I think the former is better.

Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

u/disputing_stomach · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

For non-fiction, try Endurance, about Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. Absolutely true, and an amazing story.

u/gglebq · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Daemon by Daniel Saurez

Might interest you in that case , It's a scifi thriller about a computer software which goes out of control , If I'm not wrong it's 400 pages long with a nice twist punch at the end.

u/harperrb · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Well so much depends on everything. Some basic suggestions:.

Contemporary Science Fiction:
Ted Chaing, Stories of Your Life and Others his short stories are science fiction gems. https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Your-Life-Others-Chiang/dp/1101972122.

Classical: Vladimir Nabokov Short Stories, amazing prose. Though English was his second language he wrote a good number, especially the later half, in English, often challenging themes from dubious narrators.
https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Vladimir-Nabokov/dp/0679729976.

International Fiction: Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore, reductionist, clean prose, with symbolic/metaphorical imagery that blends hard-boiled noir, Japanese animism, and surrealism. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400079276/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RxntybB7PYK93

Post Modern: Roberto Bolano, 2666: A Novel, perhaps the odd relative of Murakami in structure if not style. Sometimes rambling, though powerful prose with surrealist moments within graphic and "visceral" scenes. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312429215/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZAntybTW2XXJX.

Deconstructionism: Mark Danieleski, House of Leaves, carefully crafted entangled adventure horror of a story, explained in the footnotes of an essay, edited by a tattoo artist, written by a blind man of a homemade video of a house gone awry. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375703764/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XMntyb3RT3RKQ

A start

u/fletch407 · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

If she is interested in science than Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything would be great for a summer read.

u/ashlieeexoxo · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I read the Newsflesh trilogy a few months ago, and thought it was pretty interesting. The premise of it is something I hadn't seen before, where bloggers have become the most reliable news source as opposed to traditional media.
Here's the link to the amazon page so you can peruse the reviews over there.

I also read 21st century dead a zombie anthology. The stories were pretty good, and I enjoyed them, but it wasn't super memorable.

u/waitingforbatman · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions
  • Invisible Man vs. Native Son; each takes a different approach to the same topic and time period
  • Beowulf (any translation) vs. Grendel; alternate perspectives on the same event... for example, you could talk about how modern literature has ultimately become more character-centric and detailed rather than actions-based
  • Following this train of thought, you could also do The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Wicked.
  • Any two novels dealing with the Holocaust (e.g. Night and The Painted Bird)
  • In Cold Blood and Devil in the White City; compare and contrast dramatic nonfiction execution
  • Interview with the Vampire and Dracula; detail how portrayal of vampires parallels societal attitudes towards homosexuals and how vampire novels from different time periods deal with vampires differently; PM me if you'd like more info on this, as I'm currently taking a class on it. Alternatively, you could do Interview and then The Vampire Lestat, the next book in the Vampire Chronicles, and analyze how the vampire characters change after the post-AIDS crisis.
  • I second the suggestion of The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises.
  • Prozac Nation and The Bell Jar; two women of two different decades writing about their depression. Of course, The Bell Jar is fictional, but thought to be highly autobiographical.

    Please let us know which ones you end up doing!
u/hwilsonia · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oliver Sacks' exploration of mental illness has an existential bent to it that I've always appreciated. His book, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat" is fascinating and touches on how simple faculties of the mind make up our consciousness, our existence. One of his patients literally cannot distinguish his wife from his hat (the title story), and Sacks discusses how this inability shapes his patient's understanding of himself and the world.

Years later and I'm still geeking out about it.

https://smile.amazon.com/Man-Who-Mistook-His-Wife/dp/0684853949/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M7R0DJM18914&keywords=the+man+who+mistook+his+wife+for+a+hat&qid=1573405204&sprefix=the+man+who+mist%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1

u/dudetothebro · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Check out The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's fantasy, not as violent or graphic as Game of Thrones, but I really enjoyed it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746

u/officemonkey · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths was one of my favorite books when I was in fifth and sixth grade.

I bought the book when I was an adult and it was just as good as I remember.

u/ISlayTitans · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I would say Leviathan Wakes would be right up your street. Well written, keeps you interested and wanting to turn pages. Praised by George R. R. Martin no less.

u/scaredofplanes · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

Endurance. Everything you've gone through or are going through pales in comparison to what Shackleton and his men went through. But I hope things get better for you, anyway.

u/Cagn · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Daemon and it's sequel Freedom by Daniel Suarez would probably be a good recommendation if you like those two books you mentioned in the title.

u/ericaamericka · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

This was my introduction and I loved it. I was also much younger, though.

u/tigerraaaaandy · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

Not all of these have cannibalism, but most:

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Poe, The Boat, In The Heart of The Sea (this is a really awesome book, as are the authors other works), Endurance, Desperate Journeys, Abandoned Souls, The Wreck of the Medusa, The Wreck of the Dumaru, Life of Pi

A couple non-fiction (with a legal focus) books about the Mignonette incident and the resulting famous case of Regina v Dudley and Stevens: Is Eating People Wrong?, and The Custom of the Sea

u/magnificentbastard · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle's) sounds perfect for you.. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746

u/pear1jamten · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

If anyone is interested in older science fiction books The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress Is a fantastic book that is still relevant today.

u/BobBeaney · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oh definitely check out Endurance. It's harrowing!

u/SaintSorryass · 11 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Devil In The White City, is maybe not quite what you are looking for, It is written 90 or so years after everything actually went down, and is reconstructed from sources that could possibly be bullshit to one degree or another, but it really is a great piece of storytelling.

u/Cooleycotton · 10 pointsr/booksuggestions

I just finished Leviathan Wakes by James Corey and thought it was an enjoyable read.

u/Essiethememonster · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

It's about how overpopulation coupled with bioengineering ruin the planet from the view of a man called Snowman (his real name is Jimmy) who survived the plague along with a new human species he calls the Crakers. Seriously awesome book, and its a 3 book series. Just finished the second book and am dying waiting for the third.

u/emilygraves05 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Third!
Please read Wool. I didnt see anyone else mention the author, Hugh Howey.

I was a little confused when i started reading this too. If you use kindle, make sure you get the Wool Omnibus not the individual pieces. There are also two sequels, Shift and Dust.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1476733953/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524573306&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=hugh+howey+silo+series&dpPl=1&dpID=61bOJkwcVCL&ref=plSrch

u/moby323 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I would recommend House of Leaves if you want kind of trippy psychological stuff.

Very creepy book.

u/NattieLight · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, if you haven't read it. One of my favorites.

u/ergonomicsalamander · 10 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oliver Sacks is a neurologist who writes gripping nonfiction about bizarre conditions. Two great ones to check out are The Island of the Colorblind and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

u/smarty_skirts · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. You are both probably getting into your college/post HS planning stage, and as smart younguns, would see all the allusions to modern-day life taken to the extreme (and now 10 years after it was published, not so extreme).

u/zeppelinfromled · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I would recommend getting the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide which has all the books in the series, instead of just the second one.

u/fierywords · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

You might like Daemon by Daniel Suarez.

u/mrbarky · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It takes place in Spain in the 20's and 30's. It's a cool mystery.

u/xandr00 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

House of Leaves

Novel by Mark Z. Danielewski

ISBN-10: 0375703764

ISBN-13: 978-0375703768

u/JohnFell · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Endurance by Lansing

http://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/078670621X

Incredible. Life changing adventure read. Really. Go seek it out.

u/Connguy · 11 pointsr/booksuggestions

I'm shocked that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams hasn't been mentioned yet. 5 books for $11, the most fun I've had reading something in a long time.

u/undercurrents · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Not quite mountaineering disaster books, but still may interest you: Endurance - there are two versions, one is the captain's journal and the other is a nonfiction novel; and No Picnic on Mt Kenya is the autobiography of a man who broke out of a WWII POW camp in order to climb Mt Kenya and then snuck back into the camp

u/mruttan · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. Which could also be titled, Nothing is so Shitty, it can't get Shittier.

u/The_Thane_Of_Cawdor · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

A short History of Nearly Everything- http://www.amazon.com/A-Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X

>“Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this ancient remnant of the Big Bang. The next time you complain that there is nothing on, remember that you can always watch the birth of the universe.

>It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you

u/KaJedBear · 8 pointsr/booksuggestions

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is good, but I'm not sure if it's quite what you're looking for.

u/electric_oven · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

"The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller and "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy are both part of the modern canon, IMO.

u/celticeejit · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Didn't see House of Leaves

  • and We Need to talk about Kevin is on there twice
u/thelostdolphin · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

This isn't quite what you're asking for, but it sounds as though it will be up your alley: [Devil in the White City] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0375725601?pc_redir=1412772479&robot_redir=1)

u/black_omen6 · 0 pointsr/booksuggestions

If I understand correctly, I found that Bill Bryson had written a decent book. Of course, I may not have understood correctly.

u/microcosmic5447 · 14 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you read one scientific/historical laugh-riot this year, make it:
Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.

u/IClogToilets · 16 pointsr/booksuggestions

Wool by Hugh Howey. I was not a huge dystopian fan ... but this booked sucked me in and now I am looking for others.

u/rocketsocks · 1 pointr/booksuggestions
u/mark90909 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

I'm 3/4 of the way through the The Last Man Standing by Davide Longo. It's a little bit different to your usual post-apoc in that the apocalypse happens very slowly instead of a massive apocalyptic event. Set in a rural area of italy it slowly charts the breakdown of society into anarchy. An awesome slow burner.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Standing-Davide-Longo/dp/1623650348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397683579&sr=8-1&keywords=davide+longo

Also check out The Dog Stars. It's very similar to The Road.

http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Stars-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307950476/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397683690&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dog+stars+by+peter+heller

u/crashdmj · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Try The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. While not as bleak as The Road, I wouldn't call it happy:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dog-Stars-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307950476

u/wizardomg · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon. You're welcome... about Shadow.. It's mystery someones burning copies of a book and the kid in the bookstore tries to figure out who's behind it. It's soooo goooood. For the other request maybe Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

u/PatricioINTP · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

This is the edition I have…

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/0375703764/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0&isremote=0

… which has all coloring, including the ultra-rare purple. It’s a large paperback with the front cover smaller, as seen in the pic. Alas that seems to be the more expensive one (library binding). On the 5th or 6th page of the ‘look inside’ preview, it tells what version of book it is.

u/glide_si · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

This may not be what you're looking for but its along the same line:
Oryx and Crake

It's a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place in a world destroyed by bioengineering.

u/mistral7 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson. It has the added benefit of being based on historic fact.

u/plzsendhalp · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Expanse series is the closest I've been able to find.

It follows a small scrappy crew and their struggles to stay flying amid civil war and lots, lots more. I don't want to spoil anything. It's a great read.

u/ac91 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Devil In The White City. The parallel stories of the planning and execution of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the serial killer on its edges

u/nond · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

No problem! Also, I was mistaken: It’s technically called the Silo Trilogy with the first book called “Wool”. The three books are

Wool https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476733953/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hO0DAb555Q9GC


Shift (Silo Trilogy) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544839641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4P0DAbB8T1NB3


Dust (Silo Trilogy) (Volume 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544838262/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yQ0DAbM9HWYV8

u/Draulable · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Newsflesh Trilogy.

It has zombies but they aren't really the main focus of the story. It takes place in the post zombie apocalyptic world where the media is discredited as a reliable source of information and instead bloggers are where most people get their news. Its about a group of blogger/journalists who are chosen to follow around a senator campaigning for President of the United States. Lots of politics involved and a little zombie action.

Amazon description: "Twin bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason and their colleague Buffy are thrilled when Sen. Peter Ryman, the first presidential candidate to come of age since social media saved the world from a virus that reanimates the dead, invites them to cover his campaign. Then an event is attacked by zombies, and Ryman's daughter is killed. As the bloggers wield the newfound power of new media, they tangle with the CDC, a scheming vice presidential candidate, and mysterious conspirators who want more than the Oval Office."

http://www.amazon.com/Feed-Newsflesh-Book-Mira-Grant/dp/0316081051/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347370840&sr=8-3&keywords=Feed