(Part 3) Top products from r/suggestmeabook

Bit late, but seems we have similar taste, so here are some things I really love:

House of Leaves - not a straightforward read, but it's worth sticking with it; the labyrinthine structure of the narrative mirrors that of the house, and is an overwhelming presence, a character in its own right. The story itself is ambiguous, fragmented, ultimately unresolved, and stubbornly avoids any traditional narrative satisfaction, an exercise in open-ended uncertainty, so if you crave narrative closure, this probably isn't for you. But if you can tolerate the ambiguity, it's a book you can get thoroughly lost in.

Good Omens - since you're a Pratchett fan, you've probably read this collaboration with Neil Gaiman. If you haven't, you're in for a real treat - one of his best.

Anything by Phil Rickman. The Merrily Watkins books are essentially supernatural detective stories, based on the traditional folklore of the borderlands between England and Wales, with a little exorcism on the side. My favourites are his early books, especially The Man in the Moss and December.

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury classic evoking the fears and freedoms of childhood. Wonderfully and weirdly atmospheric. If you like it, you should also read Dandelion Wine - not genre, but in Dandelion Wine he perfects his evocation of childhood, and personally, I think it's his best book. The realities of life, death and mortality, along with its wonder and mystery, seen with the clarity of childhood. And none of the usual rose-tinted 'innocence'.

If you liked Dan Brown, you could give Umberto Eco a try with Foucault's Pendulum or In the Name of the Rose - His books are more intelligent and were written before Brown was around.

I read a lot of historical fiction, if that is of interest you could start with The Gates of Fire by Pressfield or The Last Kingdom by Cornwell

Mystery, action, and fantasy all rolled into one - Dresden Files might be of interest to you - it is kind of a detective noir mixed with fantasy. Also, the series vastly improves as it progresses.

If you would like a coming of age story, The Power of One follows a boy in turn-of-the-century South Africa and examines class and race relations in a very accessible way.

If you want to try reading some of what are considered "The Classics" I would recommend All Quiet on the Western Front and To Kill a Mockingbird

Tried to think of some of my favorites across several very different genres...If any of these appeal, I can expand on them with more similar suggestions.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood would be an excellent choice. Her language is beautiful. This one's about a capitalist future controlled by corporations, social stratification, and rampant genetic engineering where a genius wipes out humanity and his best friend gets to pick up the pieces. Bonus: it's going to be an HBO series, so you'll be ahead of the game.

In Search of Respect is often used in modern cultural anthropology classes as a first hand look at the culture and life of drug dealers and associated characters. It's a bit dry in some points, but it's pretty detailed. The author depicts things sort of 'from the ground up', as he slowly gains the trust of the neighborhood, and access to more influential figures in the trade.

Good Omens is a book that was co-written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It's kind of in a similar vein of a humorous fantasy novel with a bit of social commentary, only with angels and demons. Very good, I highly recommend it.


I keep saying this one over and over, but Mogworld by Yahtzee Croshaw is another novel in a similar vein I simply can't put down. It takes place in a World of Warcraft-style MMORPG, but it builds a really interesting world with it's own lore, so even if you're not into games, I think you could really enjoy it.

Check out the Honor Harrington series its got a strong female lead and its just pretty dam cool what with the space ships and stuff :) https://www.amazon.com/Basilisk-Station-Honor-Harrington-Book-ebook/dp/B00ARPJBS0

My junior high school library had this book. It's beautifully illustrated and, as a weirdo kid who read all of the mythology texts he could get his hands on, I was impressed by the fact that it presents the most widely accepted versions of the myths (only slightly sanitized) without any odd, out-of-place variations in such an accessible and fun style.

It's the only book on Greek mythology I ever recommend to people.

You might also enjoy Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me which was very popular some years ago. My husband was in college learning to be a history teacher and absolutely loved it.

Not sure if these are appropriate, or if she's read these already but here's a few off the top of my head:

• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
  
  
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
  
  
• The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
  
  
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
  
  
• Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
  
  
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
  
  Am I on the right track?

No one's mentioned Margaret Atwood yet? I love [Oryx and Crake] (https://www.amazon.com/Oryx-Crake-Margaret-Atwood/dp/0385721676/ref=la_B000AQTHI0_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505948514&sr=1-3), and of course, there's The Handmaid's Tale, along with so many others


Also Joan Slonczewski - her best known is [A Door Into Ocean] (https://www.amazon.com/Door-Into-Ocean-Elysium-Cycle/dp/0312876521), but every one I've read is amazing

Read The Hot Zone - it's the scariest book you'll probably ever read because it's completely true. Trust me. It's also just a really good read.

Have you read any of King's early fantasy? Eyes of the Dragon is one I can definitely recommend.

I think American Gods or anything by Gaiman would be of interest to you. Also look at Iain Banks -- I can't recommend a specific book as I've been told they would traumatize me (I'm a bit timid) but I occasionally hear friends raving about him and if you like King, you're probably braver than I am (IT horrified me).

Finally, if you're interested in fantasy still, you should look at Greg Bear's Songs of Earth and Fire. I remember it being quite haunting.

I highly recommend [Ishmael by Daniel Quinn] (https://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-Novel-Daniel-Quinn/dp/0553375407/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505685091&sr=8-1&keywords=ishmael+daniel+quinn) and [Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac] (https://www.amazon.com/Dharma-Bums-Jack-Kerouac/dp/0140042520/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505685168&sr=8-1&keywords=dharma+bums+by+jack+kerouac).

The narrators of both books are looking to understand life, or to put their existence in some sort of context. Over the course of their adventures, they find out how to exist in the world in a way that empowers them and celebrates their uniqueness.

Honestly I am not sure if this applies or not, but when I read your question I immediately thought of Gaiman's American Gods. Standalone novel that deals with the moving of gods/legends from other countries to the U.S. and their the effect modern culture/technology has on them. sorry if that is a little vague. Been a little while since I've read it and I didn't want to spoil anything. Perhaps the amazon listing would do a better job describing it HERE

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen was an eye-opener for me. I read it years ago, and haven't read the updated version, but I did find that one interesting.

Also Michio Kaku's "Hyperspace" is thoroughly entertaining and educational.

I thought they were pretty well written. The early books are pretty much Hortio Hornblower in the 33rd century, so I enjoyed that a lot. The latter books are more ASoIaF-ish, with large empires at war and Harrington becomes just one POV of many. You can download the first for free from Amazon so give it a try.

If you like How to Kill a Mockingbird, you should like other classics like The Pillars of the Earth or Grapes of Wrath. But sometimes it's good to take a break from fiction entirely and read a good biography or science book.

The Honorverse series is exactly what you are looking for - start with the first book - On Basilisk Station.

Not quite so militarily focused (more about politics, espionage, and the individual stories of the characters), but also a great read, you might check out The Vorkosigan Saga - start with Shards Of Honor.

In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio, by Philipe Bourgeois, is an ethnography of street-level drug dealers written by an anthropologist. It's very readable for an academic analysis.

Makes Me Wanna Holler, by Nathan McCall, is an autobiography written by a gang-member-turned-journalist. It offers an unapologetic look at his experiences.

Public Enemies, by Bryan Burroughs, doesn't focus on the personal experiences and perspectives of gang members in the same ways. But it offers an interesting account of some of the big-name gangs and gang members of the 1930s and the FBI response.

You might like The Sparrow


I found it really compelling and thought provoking (though very dark at times!). It was a good balance of scifi and theology/philosophy.

The Big Short, by Michael Lewis

Lewis has a gift for explaining complicated concepts. And before he became an author, Lewis actually started his career working on Wall Street (which he chronicled in the book Liar's Poker). In The Big Short, Lewis explains what caused the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you're looking for something a little shorter to give you an idea of how Lewis writes, here's Wall Street on the Tundra, which is an article about how Iceland apparently became one of the richest nations on earth . . . on paper. And how that led to its own financial meltdown.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

Arms and Dudes

The skies belong to us

One of us

https://smile.amazon.com/Evicted-Poverty-Profit-American-City/dp/0553447459/)..)

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Never forget to smile again | ^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Even though the subject matters is on the disturbing side, Capote really does a wonderful job of capturing the bleak beauty of the Midwest and its communities.

Orxy and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Read it my senior year of high school for a random book group. It was awesome!

Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent

If you are scientifically minded, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a book on virology, to really learn what "going viral" means and how it maps to biology. Here's what's on the top of Amazon for that topic:

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terrifying-Story-Origins/dp/0385479565/ref=zg_bs_16311221_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BQBE4ZZH0SS166VDGPEV

Not yet, but it's on my list!

I thought of a couple others: Evicted, Dreamland, and Missoula. While they're by no means m favorite nonfiction books, I think they're all incredibly important books to read.

I've been on a YA Sci Fi kick lately. Some of the ones I've enjoyed:

• [Starbound Trilogy] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00YSEB8ZK/ref=dp_st_1423171217)
  
• Across the Universe Trilogy
  
• Illuminae
  
• Tin Star
  

In Search of Respect if you’re into anthropology at all

• Dune by Frank Herbert.
  
  
• Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer - somewhat of a longshot, but something made me think of it.
  
  
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
  
  
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
  
  
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.
  
  
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
  
  
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand .
  
  
• Neuromancer by William Gibson.
  
  
• The Running Man by Stephen King.
  
  You might even get a kick out of The Hunger Games or Divergent... And of course 1984 :)

I recommend Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, written by an author with Autism.

You really need to read John Steakley's "Armor". It's a little older now, but the book itself won't seem dated, and you should be able to get it on Amazon.

Edit: Here's the link.

You're probably right, but I don't assume a book about business dealings would have a "morally reprehensible main character" especially considering this was ghost written.

Read the reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

If it was really "reprehensible" then there would be something on it, yes?



Eh you guys are fucking jerk offs. Find something to talk about that isn't Trump.

Neuromancer https://www.amazon.com/dp/0441569595/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_ixV8AbZ5SWX6N

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terrifying-Story-Origins/dp/0385479565

https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

Totally different genre, but Keiko reminded of the protagonist from this book: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Try this one out. Armor by John Steakley. Had kind of Halo/Starship Troopers feel to it.

What about mythology? D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is a classic.

• [True Believer by Eric Hoffer] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_True_Believer)
  
  
• [Howl by Ginsberg] (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl)
  
  
• [Lies My Teacher Told Me] (https://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0743296281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537914422&sr=8-1&keywords=lies+my+teacher+told+me)

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.

Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

Take a look at the book The Sparrow

Pillars of the Earth

oh man what a request. Read: Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco or Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

Ishmael
http://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-An-Adventure-Mind-Spirit/dp/0553375407

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Leguin.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City https://www.amazon.com/Evicted-Poverty-Profit-American-City/dp/0553447459/ref=nodl_

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America https://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0312626681/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=nickel+and+dimed&qid=1566530665&s=gateway&sprefix=nickel&sr=8-1

We have this, that they like well enough, but it's not super exciting for them:

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407342144&sr=8-2&keywords=greek+myths

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.

AND

Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance By Robert Prsing

Both books have ideas that influence the way I think since I have read them. Zen Art also is a character with a mental illness and how it influences his really deep thoughts about life.

The Big Short. Although not necessarily about politics exclusively, this is a fascinating narrative of the 2008 financial crash.

Armor by John Steakley. It's what I wanted Starship Troopers to be.

Also The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Ship to ship space combat at relativistic speeds!

I’ll be gone In the dark:
https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Be-Gone-Dark-Obsessive/dp/0062319787

In cold blood
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Blood-Truman-Capote/dp/0679745580

Bad blood
https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Startup/dp/152473165X

sure!

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America
The Working Poor: Invisible in America
Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives
Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand Clothes

I recommend Armor: http://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687.

Although it is about combat in power armor, the real conflict is in the mind of the guy inside the suit as he is thrown into battle after pointless battle.

In no particular order, here are several non-textbooks that were either required or recommended for higher level economics courses that I have taken:

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis
by Bethany McLean

Fool's Gold: The Inside Story of J.P. Morgan and How Wall St. Greed Corrupted Its Bold Dream and Created a Financial Catastrophe by Gillian Tett

Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk among Us by John Quiggin

ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism by Yves Smith

You might also have success looking through the "Customers also bought" sections for these books.

Try In Cold Blood from Truman Capote. It’s nonfiction, but reads like a fiction novel (and this is coming from someone who prefers fiction). Very detailed - Capote spent a lot of time researching.

Without giving much away, I will tell you that it meets your criteria of a murder mystery set in a small town. It is set in the early ‘60s. The only differences from what you wanted is that the murder happens in Kansas, and it’s not your typical mystery because you learn very quickly who (most likely) did it - but not how and why. And there’s still some doubt about who exactly did it.

It’s a bit hard to get into at first, but trust me, it’s well-worth the read.