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Ask HN: What Books Do You Recommend Reading for 2022?
Just looking for suggestions from all topics, not just programing. A better question might be what books are you reading this year, I guess you can respond to either.
- andrei_says_ 5y agoI’m reading A Few Short Sentences About Writing and am loving it.
- godzillafarts 5y agoI really enjoyed Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
- inphovore 5y agoDisillusioned toward novel modernity, I prefer reading more deeply the remnants of our intellectual lineage. We have lost so much. I found this on HN yesterday, a curated list of scattered esoteric topics: https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/index.html https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/index.html
- graderjs 5y agoGreat! I share your feeling: sometimes we just got to get out of this contemporary age and take refuge in some kind of classics. Refreshing :)
- billfruit 5y agoIt does not seem that curated, seems it is sorted by most downloads. I have had better luck looking up reading lists of people from the past like of Gandhi, Tolstoy, Anthony Burgess etc.
- 3dm4r 5y agoWhile I was reading "How to read" by Mortimer Adler I discovered this list called "Great Books of the Western World": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books_of_the_Western_World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books_of_the_Western_Wor... It sounds like something you would like to try.
- itsrajju 5y agoI'm currently going through a science fiction phase and recently completed reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy [0] by Cixin Liu. It's a page-turning space opera thriller I can highly recommend. If you are into fantasy crime fiction (think Godfather with some fantasy elements), do check out The Green Bone Saga [1] by Fonda Lee. [0] https://www.goodreads.com/series/189931-remembrance-of-earth-s-past https://www.goodreads.com/series/189931-remembrance-of-earth... [1] https://www.goodreads.com/series/216281-the-green-bone-saga https://www.goodreads.com/series/216281-the-green-bone-saga
- markus_zhang 5y agoI'm preparing to enter a similar phase in ten years too. Should have more time by then~
- jagermo 5y agoI recommend the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. Good stories, great worldbuilding and well worth the time and money. Start with "A long way to a small, angry planet". https://www.goodreads.com/series/170872-wayfarers https://www.goodreads.com/series/170872-wayfarers
- rybosworld 5y agoPersonally, this is the best science fiction I've ever read.
- Breza 5y agoA nice thing about Remembrance of Earth's Past is that nobody can ruin the ending for you. Years after finishing the last book, I still don't fully understand it. Still an enjoyable series.
- throwawayvibes 5y ago
- bierjunge 5y agoTom Clancy's Jack Ryan books are up to date again with the current political situation between NATO and Russia. On the other hand, H.P. Lovecraft is always a good read.
- T-A 5y ago> Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books are up to date again In that vein, there's now also https://ken-follett.com/books/never/ https://ken-follett.com/books/never/ (though it's US vs China, not Russia).
- janandonly 5y agoI've recently read some old sci-fi "classics" and can recommend them all highly: * A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge * A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge * Hyperion by Dan Simmons * The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons * Endymion by Dan Simmons * The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons * Exhalation by Ted Chiang
- brezelnbitte 5y agoLess is More by Jason Hickel and The Day the World Stops Shopping by JB MacKinnon to explain the true state of capitalism and why we never can work less despite being more productive, why wages have stagnated, and why companies and choose profits over sustainability. The history of capitalism at start of Less Is More is eyeopening to say the least.
- orobinson 5y agoI'm planning to read a mixture of classic 20th century novels, sci-fi (which has some intersection with 20th century classics..) and historical non-fiction. So far I've read one from each of those categories: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, The Doomed City by the Strugatsky Brothers and October by China Mievelle. I like to roughly alternate between fiction and non-fiction. It keeps things refreshing. I also find reading fiction after reading non-fiction makes it easier to glean the ideas the fiction book is trying to convey as you're still in the information processing mindset of reading a non-fiction book. This adds an extra layer of appreciation beyond enjoying the story. In terms of choosing a book to read - just think of things you've always been interested in and then ask for recommendations for books (fiction or non-fiction) that discuss the topic, or use that topic as a major plot point. A good general rule of thumb I've found is not to bother with books with less than a rating of 4 on Goodreads unless it's a subject you really think is going to interest you, or an author you know you like already.
- mustardgreen 5y agoI’m reading The Critique of Pure Reason right now. If anyone else is interested we can start a book club, it’s slow going.
- is0tope 5y agoI recently got into the "Revelation Space" series having missed it earlier. I was always a big fan of "the culture" novels by Iain M Banks, and this to me feels very similar (though darker).
- andrei_says_ 5y agoI read Galactic North, Beyond the Aquila Rift, and House of Suns - all by Alaistair Raynolds and loved all of them.
- jefc1111 5y agoI recently finished Rosewater by Tade Thompson and am about 20% of the way through Neal Stephenson's latest, Termination Shock. I recommend both. They are super fun and irreverent but with character depth and interesting sci-fi / future elements.
- thebigspacefuck 5y agoI read “Man’s Search for Meaning” after someone recommended on another thread and it felt like a great time to read it as the pandemic comes to an end.
- 3dm4r 5y agoThis book had a great impact on me as well. I come to back to reread it each couple of years.
- specialist 5y agoJust finished (audiobook) Projections by Karl Deisseroth. Each chapter a personal story about a distinct mental disease, using narrative and neuroscience to span the gulf between patient and caregiver. Deisseroth worked on innovative diagnostic techniques like optogenetics. A brilliant, deeply empathic writer. Left me both melancholic and weirdly optimistic. https://www.amazon.com/Projections-Story-Emotions-Karl-Deisseroth/dp/1984853694 https://www.amazon.com/Projections-Story-Emotions-Karl-Deiss... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optogenetics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optogenetics After David Graeber's Debt: The 5000 Years reprogrammed my brain, I've been binging on anarchistic-libertarian and adjacent ideas. Such as The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow, everything by Jill Lepore such as If Then and These Truths. Next up is Mine! by Heller and Salzman. I'm slowly chewing thru the podcast The History of Philosophy without Any Gaps. Penance for ignoring this stuff in my youth. Highest recommendation for the podcasts Know Your Enemy, Volts (David Roberts), 5-4 (fivefourpod.com), You're Wrong About, Capitalisn't, Corecursive. Really, there are so many worthy podcasts. These are most notable to me for how much they've influenced and changed my thinking.
- MrYellowP 5y agoAll books from Robert Anton Wilson, but especially the Cosmic Trigger series and Quantum Psychology. Also: The Goal. If you're intellectually capable, they're life changing. If you're more for leasure, consider reading the longest running science fiction series in history: Perry Rhodan. It's been running for ... 60? ... years now. A new 60 page booklet every week. There's the silver books, as well, instead of having to buy them all separately.
- 3dm4r 5y agoBy The Goal you mean "The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement"? Just asking because I though it was a surprising mix with Robert Anton Wilson.
- MrYellowP 5y agoYes! Next time I will be more accurate. Thanks for making me aware. Curious! Why do you consider it surprising? I consider it as well-rounded, actually.
- cpach 5y agoOne title that I really look forward to reading is John Markoff’s new book: Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand. Due for release in 02022-03-22. (See what I did there?) It ought to be an interesting read. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554161/whole-earth-by-john-markoff/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/554161/whole-earth-...
- cpach 5y agoAddendum: If anyone is looking for book inspiration, just grab a copy of The Economist at the nearest news stand. They have reviews of new interesting books every week.
- FumblingBear 5y agoI just finished a Web Serial that's in the process of being edited and published called Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic. So far, only the first arc has been formally published, [0] but the entire story is available for free online. [1] It's a fantasy story about a young mage attending an academy to study magic when he finds himself stuck inside a time loop that lasts a month before resetting. The worldbuilding is very well realized, it has a fascinating magic system that rewards ingenuity, and most importantly, has one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read in any medium. It takes a few chapters to pick up, but there were times where I laughed, cried, and even moments where I thought deeply about the philosophical implications of the narrative. Overall, it solidified itself as one of my favorite books of all time, and I would recommend it to nearly any fan of fantasy. I can't possibly do it justice, but it's the #1 rated story on Royal Road and the most favorited story on Fiction Press. (at least in it's genre) [0] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59661342-mother-of-learning https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59661342-mother-of-le... [1] https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/1/Mother-of-Learning https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2961893/1/Mother-of-Learning
- Abishek_Muthian 5y agoThank you, Not just for the book recommendation but for introducing Royal Road and Fiction Press. I've been wondering occasionally on how people discover web novels, Do you know of any successful blog type web novel authors? i.e. Those who write web series on their own blog, I guess one has to be already well established to create web series on their own blog.
- FumblingBear 5y agoThanks for sharing the feedback! Glad my post was helpful :) A few web serials that are very good and self-hosted via blog that I can think of off the top of my head are: The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba [0] This is a story about a college student who randomly gets teleported into a fantasy world one day when going to the restroom. She stumbles upon an inn and takes over as the innkeeper. It's a fun story with great worldbuilding that spans multiple continents. Starts off pretty slow and is hit or miss for a lot of people, but I personally think it's a fantastic series that just takes a while to hit it's stride. Worm by Wildbow [1] This story is a rather grimdark take on a realistic world that has superheroes and villans. It follows a high school girl named Taylor who gains the power to control bugs and her attempts to become a hero. Well regarded in rational-adjacent circles because all of the characters make decisions that are both intelligent and in honest pursuit of their goals. Some of the most inventive use of powers I've seen in superpowered fiction and despite the bleak nature of the world, there is a lot of exploration of the human condition. The author has also released a sequel to this named Ward, and has two other on-going stories named Pact and Twig. All are beloved by fans. Finally, there's A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata [2] This is a story that is actually a deconstruction of many fantasy tropes which I really appreciate about it. It follows a young woman who meets a Name—someone who represents the platonic ideal of whatever their name actually is—who is one of the most feared villans of all time. The protagonist, Catherine, realizes the futility of fixing society through good works, and instead chooses to become the Named villan's apprentice. Her goal throughout is to fix society and make it more equitable—just through becoming a powerful Name in her own right. Hopefully this gives some ideas for other self-hosted blogs for web serials. My list is far from comprehensive—there's a huge world of web serials out there to explore. I just listed some that I've personally enjoyed greatly. Also, as far as I know, none of those authors were known before starting their blogs, but are now some of the most popular web serial authors. A great community that I've enjoyed for finding similar works is on Reddit at /r/Rational. There are a lot of great discussions about up-and-coming works that fit within the genre. (rational fiction—I promise it's not as cringe as it sounds lol) [0] https://wanderinginn.com/ https://wanderinginn.com/ [1] https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ [2] https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/ https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/
- skinney6 5y agoI would suggest A Confederacy of Dunces in any year.
- carapace 5y agoVaclav Smil, "Growth, From Microorganisms to Megacities" It's a fascinating subject, of great and current import, treated in an astonishingly informed and clear manner. It's hard to describe the refreshing feeling of being exposed to such a mind. It's like reading a book written by Spock. - - - - Bill Mollison, "Permaculture Designer's Manual" Pretty much the best book on design (of all kinds, not just farms) that I've ever run across. It's also a manual for creating ecologically harmonious, profitable farms that improve the environment and biodiversity and all that good stuff. - - - - Christopher Alexander, "A Pattern Language" et. al. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pattern_Language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pattern_Language
- ryanchants 5y agoI'm currently reading "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Robert Glover. I'm most of the way through, and it has been a real paradigm shift in the way I view myself and my interactions with other people. I've actually owned it for years, but kept putting off reading it because the title convinced me it was some pro-"alpha bro" mentality. But it has been nothing of the sort. So far I haven't done any of the exercises, I've just been reading it and processing it. I'll probably reread it after the first read through and do the exercises.
- troyvit 5y agoI'm in the middle of The Ministry For the Future[1] by Kim Stanley Robinson. I keep conflating what I read in the news and what I read in the book. It gets in your head that well. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future
- andrei_says_ 5y agoLoved the sci fi aspect of this book - especially the economic solutions presented. Found the writing style mediocre at best.
- stuxnet79 5y agoThis has been my opinion of Kim Stanley Robinson as well. His niche is one that I'm fascinated by but his narratives aren't exactly page turners. I would rather read a textbook at that rate.
- perrygeo 5y agoJust finished The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow - highly recommended if you're into human history. You've probably read some variation on this idea: our simple hunter-gatherer ancestors lived an egalitarian life, until we discovered agriculture and started down the path of hierarchy, domination and all the inevitable ills of civilization. This book does an expert job of picking that argument to pieces and presents a tome of empirical evidence to the contrary - the story of our ancestors was far more complex and interesting.
- thundergolfer 5y agoSeconded. I’m 300 pages in, and find that it is, like Debt The First 5000 Years, a properly mind expanding book.
- sinyug 5y agoAnything by Wodehouse. Only started reading him a couple of years back. Some of the funniest stuff I have ever read.
- blablabla123 5y agoSnow Crash which has been the inspiration for the name Metaverse. Just ordered it, while not using it I might at least stay a bit up-to-date
- JSONderulo 5y agoAtomic Habits if you haven't read it. I re-read it at the beginning of the year.
- andrei_says_ 5y agoAny reason to read the book if I’ve heard an interview with the author summarizing the mechanics of creating atomic habits? I do like the concepts in pop psychology but dislike writing that is 80% filler.
- le-hu 5y agoyou'll be fine with this summary -> https://www.chrisbehan.ca/posts/atomic-habits https://www.chrisbehan.ca/posts/atomic-habits
- oversocialized 5y agoGulag Archipelago Abridged version
- hulitu 5y ago1984 by George Orwell. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strenght.
- graderjs 5y agoClassic!
- dang 5y agoA Life of One's Own by Marion Milner.
- t0bia_s 5y ago• Friedrich Hayek - Law, Legislation and Liberty (1973) • Gerhard Buchwald - Vaccination - A Business Based on Fear (1994)
- aristofun 5y agoNassim Taleb’s ones
- oqb23 5y agoSuperforecasting by Philip E. Tetlock Completely changed how I look at political and financial pundits.
- topologie 5y ago- Herodotus: The Histories (Landmark Series version highly recommended). - Any book by Nassim Taleb (I'd recommend starting with Antifragile). - The Count of Monte Cristo (Most fun novel I have ever read). - Moby Dick or The Whale (One of the top two novels I've ever read). - Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness in the West (Tied with Moby Dick for best novel I've ever read). - The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Epic reading... worth the commitment).
- graderjs 5y agoThanks for these, sounds like good suggestions! :) BTW I loved Moby Dick. Read one summer when I was 15 on the Gold Coast. Body boarding every morning and reading Moby Dick every afternoon. So much salt water, great days.
- andrei_says_ 5y agoOut on the wire: the storytelling secrets of the new masters of radio by Jessica Abel. It is a book-long conversation on storytelling with some of the best storytellers alive, in comic book format. Can’t recommend it enough.
- deephdave 5y agoYou can check my 2022 to-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/22253621?shelf=2022 https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/22253621?shelf=2022