Looking for new books to read as I am preparing to head out on a much needed vacation and want to dig into some good reading. Can be fiction or nonfiction, just so long as it hooked you and made you want to keep reading and reading until the end.
here are a few of my favorites
Susanna Clark
- Piranesi
- The ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories
Vonnegut
- Cat’s cradle
- Slaughterhouse Five
Douglas Adams
- literally anything he ever wrote
Mark Haddon
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Margaret Atwood
Oryx and Crake
Ursula K. Le Guin
The Lathe of Heaven
Some great books there, that reminds me I need to read some Susanna Clark.
Great list. Piranesi was also a very fast read for me. I loved the way she painted pictures with her words.
The expanse. I’m on book 8 right now and it’s been going fast. The world building is so good. It makes you wish you were there with them. If you’re into hard scifi, then you’ll love this series
Same, when I was reading The Expanse I read every moment I had available, even sacrificing sleep time. I just couldn’t stop. The last book I read cover to cover without stopping, spending even the whole night reading without sleeping lol
I tried watching the TV series and couldn’t get into it. I finally tried the first book and it is so much better.
Wait til you get further in. Things just keep building and it gets even better. The books I mean. I liked season one of the tv show and that was it. But the books. Only one book out of the series so far has been a struggle. The rest I’ve blinked and finished because of how good they were.
Those books are sooooo good. Cannot recommend them enough
I read almost exclusively fantasy and sci fi. Here’s a few favourites.
Sci fi: Red Rising Trilogy Bobiverse The Martian and Project Hail Mary
Fantasy: The First Law Trilogy (my absolute favourite of everything I’ve read) Brandon Sanderson (literally any of his stuff. If you’re looking for a trilogy, start with Mistborn and if a stand alone, Warbreaker). Don’t be overwhelmed by his Cosmere world, if you only read mistborn era 1 it wraps up in a nice bow. Robin Hobbs first trilogy is a nice introduction to her series. If you don’t love it it wraps up nicely after the first trilogy.
Dystopian: Unwound by Neal Schusterman Arc of the Scythe by Neal Schusterman
I’ve read the entire Robin Hobbs Elderlings series, all of Sanderson’s cosmere books, and Abercrombie’s First Law series.
If I had to pick and start all over again, I’d go with the Elderlings series. It’s complete and it’s amazing. Cosmere would be next. The first law series wasn’t as enjoyable for me.
You have EXACTLY the same taste as me. I definitely need to read First Law.
Nice!
I haven’t read Joe Abercrombie’s stand alone novels that follow after The First Law but apparently they’re even better. My favourite stuff used to be Sanderson until I read this.
My lemmy name is also my favourite character from that trilogy as well
Project Hail May by Andy Weir was fantastic.
I feel like I have read quite a few books that I felt that way about, but it’s always hard to bring them to mind when someone asks. That said, the first few that popped into my head:
- Cradle (series)
- Wool (series)
- The Martian (Audio book is especially well narrated!)
- Murderbot Diaries (series)
- The Bobiverse (series)
If you love The Martian, you are going to love Project Hail Mary. The audiobook is really good as well.
+1 for Project Hail Mary, the paper edition at least. Had me gripped.
+1 for Cradle, I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I was going to
Absolutely love cradle. Sad that it’s over now
The Bobiverse (series)
4th book was such a disappointment.
Overall message too, somehow went from “we are the avantgarde of transhumanism and the universe is our playground” straight up to something like “i wish 50’s back”. Every single Bob turned to either flat meme or boomer.
Anything by Blake Crouch I’ve flown through (Dark Matter, Recursion, Upgrade). As others have mentioned, The Martian and Project Hail Mary are really great as well. A few others I couldn’t put down over the past few years:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
Brother by Ania Ahlborn
Mistborn 1 - 3 (The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, & The Hero of Ages) by Brandon Sanderson
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Monk and Robot Series by Becky Chambers
The Fisherman by John Langan
I scrolled all the down the comments and didn’t see Discworld by Terry Pratchett. Don’t listen to anyone and just start reading it. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.
Maybe the wrong way is to start with Book 1. I’d say try ‘Witches’ first, as I found the first book a bit offputting.
A Short History of Chinese Philosophy by Fung Yu-Lan. I spent pretty much all of my time off work reading it. I found it insanely interesting since I knew almost nothing about Chinese philosophy, and the book is written specifically for people like that. The way their schools of thought developed through the ages and were influenced by each other constantly as one became dominant was very fascinating.
Imajica by Clive Barker.
Reading this right now, and a little over halfway through. Enjoying it, but it took a long time for me to really sink my teeth into it. It’s a very long book and a slow burn.
It’s so intricate and intimate - I just disappeared into the book and isn’t that what we need sometimes?
I actually read it in 2 weeks. It gripped me in a way that any free time, I was reading it. Every meal, break and bathroom trip 🤪 I sometimes struggle with fantasy stories because it’s hard for me to picture the world they are set in. Clive has a way of creating worlds that when you’re done reading the book, it takes a while for me to process that world doesn’t actually exist somewhere.
Weaveworld is another great one! Actually any Clive Barker book is great to me. Mister B. Gone it’s probably my favorite quick read by him.
Yes another great book that seems so bizarre when you read the summary but is just so well written and believable!
for some reason i only get this with biographies or memoirs because i am very stupid - it’s easier to process and internalize the writing when you know it’s about the real world and you already perhaps know some of the facts
End of the World running club. As someone the UK the concept of a massive apocalyptic event set in the uk was intriguing. I loved the book.
Also Sphere by Michael Crichton. In my own head canon, I seem to recall reading this in one sitting over a single night I was doing an all nighter. It was just super gripping!
Not sure if your into light novels, recently I’ve been addicted to Acendence of A Bookworm.
What is a light novel?
Fairy Tale by Stephen King. I wish I could forget it and read all over again.
Since his work hasn’t been mentioned yet:
Any of the Discworld Novels by Sir Terry Pratchett. My personal favorites are the ones following the Wizzard Rincewind. But, I’m a sucker for the reluctant hero style story. These start with the the novel The Colour of Magic. One of the more popular series within Discworld are the books which follow Sam Vimes. They play on the Noir genre and start with the novel Guards! Guards!. There are several other threads within the Discworld which can be followed independently, though they all do tend intersect from time to time.I’m finishing up book #15 - Men at Arms.
I’m going to be so sad when I finish. Sam Vimes is in this one.
I can’t wait to hear from Rincewind again.
Between Two Fires. If you’re into fantasy and dark/horror then this is right up your alley.
I literally just finished this book last night and wow what a ride.
Something about the atmosphere this book created was just mesmerizing. I absolutely loved it.
