22 ms·

Ask HN: Books you read in 2023 and recommend for 2024?

• peruvian 3y ago
  Paul Murray's The Bee Sting - very engrossing novel about a family in post-crash Ireland.
• RMPR 3y ago
  The 5 languages of Love by Gary Chapman. Very eye-opening with regards to oneself ways of expressing love, and more importantly receiving it. Edit: 7 -> 5 I counted 2 too many
  • the_common_man 3y ago
    Did this not use to be 5 languages? Now it's up by two?
    • RMPR 3y ago
      Thanks for spotting the typo!
• CharleFKane 3y ago
  Deadly Times: The 1910 Bombing of the Los Angeles Times and America's Forgotten Decade of Terror, Lew Irwin River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile, Candice Millard The Fleet That Had To Die, Richard Hough Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness, Neil Swidey
• easternbeast 3y ago
  Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr The Three-Body Problem Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
  • baz00 3y ago
    > Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand I'd recommend leaving that one in the bathroom in case you run out of toilet paper.
    • saltserv 3y ago
      [dead]
    • tayo42 3y ago
      I wish this book wasn't as massive as it is. I'd like to read to see why it's so polarizing, I'm just not that interested lol
      • ksherlock 3y ago
        It's actually not that long if you skip over the monologues.
      • baz00 3y ago
        It's so polarising because it creates poorly defined ideologues that don't exist in reality. It's a giant straw man. And what is left is held together with bits of sticky tape and string. It's just bad. In Rand's world, Musk (on a bad day) would be your god, your boss and your parent figure. I can see how it'd go down well with the rabid "I am the centre of the universe and all shall yield" types that seem to fall out of the American academic system into servitude friendly startups that are promoted on here like they are a good thing. Like I said, toilet paper. Put it next to Mein Kampf and Ready Player Two. Both are as morally and literarily offensive in the same way.
        • prepend 3y ago
          I remember my literature teacher describing it as a romantic fantasy and that helped quite a bit. It’s not meant to be realistic as it’s Rand’s belief system. It’s like complaining that Plato’s Cave isn’t realistic or something. It’s nowhere near Mein Kampf and it’s a bit offensive to equate this with Hitler (or Ready Player Two).
• godzillafarts 3y ago
  - Ballou, Brendan. Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America. - Smil, Vaclav. How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going. - Doucleff, Michaeleen. Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans.
  • TwoCent 3y ago
    Smil's recent "Invention and Innovation" is well worth reading, too. Anything by Smil, really, is excellent food for thought and deeply informative.
    • rmk 3y ago
      Are there any Smil books that are suitable for children?
• poetril 3y ago
  I mostly read fantasy, but had some personal favorites this year: The Blacktongue Theif - Christopher Buehlman Kings of the Wyld * Bloody Rose - Nicholas Eames Farseer Trilogy - Hobin Hobb
  • schultzie 3y ago
    Hey I read all those books this year as well, all great books. I'd add the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erickson to that list, if you like a grittier dark fantasy.
    • mbb70 3y ago
      Word of warning: only read Malazan if you have 400+ hours burning a hole in your lifespan. Those books are good, but they are _long_
      • thaumasiotes 3y ago
        I saw a lot of recommendations for that series and ordered the first book, but I wasn't able to get through it. There's something about it that makes it very boring to read rather than enjoyable. Something similar happens with Tad Williams.
        • 0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
          I am only on book three, but part of my issue is how much seemingly deus ex machina occurs. The world is alien, deep, and unknowable. At any moment, some previously unidentified entity can twist events on their head. Big baddie about to destroy town? When all hope is lost, a powerful, benevolent force sprouts from the ground to end the threat. Science fiction gets “one thing”. People are the same, but now you can backup your conscience onto a chip. How does humanity adapt? Erickson gets 1000 things that will be revealed the moment you think you know where the plot is headed. All that being said, it is interesting, layered, and a wild ride.
          • 3y ago
• tmshu1 3y ago
  Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch A Philosophy of Software Design, John Ousterhout
  • godzillafarts 3y ago
    You might already be aware, but Morgan Housel has recently released a new book titled "Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes."
• malshe 3y ago
  Chip War by Chris Miller. This is a well researched book on the chip war between the US and China Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. I loved this book because I learned so many new things about sleep. It also made me more disciplined about my sleeping habits. Kilo by Toby Muse. The book is about cocaine trade in Colombia. It is eye-opening and generated intense negative emotions at times. Tracers in the Dark by Andy Greenberg. I love to read about cybersecurity, hackers, etc. so this book was an amazing read. I read many more books which I loved but keeping this list short. Many of these books were mentioned in the comments on HN! Edit: fixed the spelling of Colombia
  • mparnisari 3y ago
    > Kilo by Toby Muse. The book is about cocaine trade in Columbia You mean Colombia?
    • malshe 3y ago
      Haha yes, Colombia. That's an embarrassing mistake!
      • pesfandiar 3y ago
        It's a common mistake, especially here in British "Columbia". They're the English and Spanish spelling of the same thing (a reference to the New World).
• misiti3780 3y ago
  Truman: https://www.amazon.com/Truman-David-McCullough/dp/1442387807 https://www.amazon.com/Truman-David-McCullough/dp/1442387807 Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Grant/dp/178854160X https://www.amazon.com/Grant/dp/178854160X The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt: https://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-Modern-Library-Paperback/dp/0375756787 https://www.amazon.com/Theodore-Roosevelt-Modern-Library-Pap...
  • wolftickets 3y ago
    Read all of those but wanted to chime in that when I was in college the rise of TR inspired me to get my life in order. Not that he was an ideal but it was a lens to see a life that was focused and what he could tackle. Stellar writing.
    • misiti3780 3y ago
      What he was able to accomplish from a young age was totally inspiring.
• browningstreet 3y ago
  The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism Novelist as a Vocation by Murakami The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier
  • lapcat 3y ago
    > The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier I started to read that but honestly had to stop on page 2, perhaps the earliest I've ever given up on a book. My initial impression was that it was written for children?
• DeathArrow 3y ago
  The Brothers Karamazov, FM Dostevsky Political Religions, Eric Voegelin The Warden, Anthony Trollope The Mystery of the Grail, Julius Evola
• TheAceOfHearts 3y ago
  Vita Nostra because it has an interesting magic system. Piranesi because it also has a weird magic system. I didn't read it this past year, but the first one that came to mind was Tigana. That book was rather weird for me, because the process of reading it wasn't very enjoyable, but after finishing I loved it. If anyone has suggestions for fantasy or sci-fi books with weird or non-standard magic systems I'd love to hear em. I've already read most of the big names like Sanderson.
  • em-bee 3y ago
    i don't know what is a weird or non-standard magic system (because i don't read much fantasy), but if you like science fiction with magic then i can recommend Glynn Stewart: Starship's Mage series
  • CobaltFire 3y ago
    Islington’s trilogy that starts with “The Shadow of What was Lost” is very much in Sandersen’s style and does its own thing.
    • spoiler 3y ago
      I second the Licanius trilogy! His new series (Hierarchy) is also great!
  • justyrusty 3y ago
    The March North by Graydon Saunders
• rordaz 3y ago
  Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity - Peter Attia
• troupe 3y ago
  Some of the books I've read this year that I'd recommend: The Divine Comedy by Dante - It is hard to underestimate how much it has influenced our culture. A Distant Mirror - The history of the 14th century, but engaging like a novel. Name of the Rose - Mystery novel set in Medieval times. On Lisp by Paul Graham - http://www.paulgraham.com/onlisp.html http://www.paulgraham.com/onlisp.html Seasoned Schemer - Kind of an interactive book that teaches computer science concepts in an interactive paper based way. Probably best to start with the Little Schemer first.
  • shanusmagnus 3y ago
    Curious -- people love those Little Schemer books. I've read SICP back in the day and loved that. I'd be interested in more of your impressions about LS/SS, if you care to share.
    • troupe 3y ago
      SICP is a textbook. The Little Schemer is a tutorial. You sit down with a pen, paper, and the book. Then you cover the answer column in the book, read the question / prompt and try to write an answer on your paper. You compare your results with the books suggested answer and work your way through it question by question. So it is kind of a way of create a Socratic dialog with a book. I found it to be a great way to engage with the material in a way that promotes understanding in a hands on way, but without putting a computer in the way. When you are writing your answers you have to be more intentional than just, "well lets see if this works."
  • wannabebarista 3y ago
    +1 for Barbara Tuchman (A Distant Mirror)
• coldpie 3y ago
  I randomly stumbled on the Proxima & Ultima duology by Stephen Baxter and they shot up to the top echelon of my favorite books list. Near-future sci-fi, interstellar travel, alternate histories, alien cultures, non-human cognition. Just wonderful stuff to randomly pick off the library shelf because they had a cool sounding name. I actually read the 2nd book first by accident, and thought it worked pretty well in retrospect. I also liked Eon by Greg Bear (RIP), for actually quite similar reasons.
• wabbledwillow 3y ago
  The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
  • DyslexicAtheist 3y ago
    literally anything by Bryson
• DyslexicAtheist 3y ago
  The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon edit: lol downvotes?
  • wolftickets 3y ago
    They hate us because they ain’t us
    • lavixu123 3y ago
      Been looking for a book on roman empire, thank you for the recommendation.
  • hughdbrown 3y ago
    Surely the moment calls for something closer to: Cur suffragia malores dejiciuntur?
• _chimmy_chonga_ 3y ago
  Legends and Lattes is probably my favorite book i've read this year Set in the DnD universe a adventure retires and sets up a coffee shop in a large city. Except no one knows what coffee is, and her past follows her there. This is a quick read at around 200 pages, so if you read massive fantasy tomes like I do you'll knock this one out really quickly. Where it shines though is its world building and the sense of community you get from the characters as you make your way through the story. I've been recommending it to my friends and they have all loved it just as much as I did.
  • sciuromorpha_ 3y ago
    Love this book. It's not set in any of the D&D universes as far as I'm aware, though it is very clearly influenced by the fantasy trappings of D&D
  • bhdlr 3y ago
    If you liked legends and lattes, check out the Cradle series by will wight. Travis Baldtree narrates the audiobooks!
  • wannabebarista 3y ago
    Loved it as well. Big fan of coffee from the gnomes!
  • pbnjeh 3y ago
    The first pages have drawn me in -- thanks! And likewise, if and as it doubtless holds up to further reading, I'll be recommending it to some friends who will rather enjoy it. :-)
• rossdavidh 3y ago
  End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration by Peter Turchin. Instead of just bemoaning the current state of politics, Turchin uses a data-informed comparison to previous, similar cycles to see where we're headed. What if? 2 by Randall Munroe. The physics, biology, and chemistry textbook we should have had in high school. Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist by Frans de Waal. Primatologist with half a century of experience analyzes current gender identity debates from the viewpoint of someone who knows about more than one primate species (not just humans).
• zwieback 3y ago
  "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin, fantastic writing, touching and insightful "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy. I'm huge Hardy fan but hadn't read his masterpiece until this year
• HenryBemis 3y ago
  Halftime: Moving from Success... (this makes sense if you around 40 or over 40)(I read it a few years back and then again this year as a self-follow-up) Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money (it's NOT about making money - I found it more useful on "adding value" more than "making money - it changed my perspective on 'how to work, how to operate, how to see things, how to see/seek/grab opportunities' but ultimately how to add value - _and_ get paid handsomely for it)(ok it is about making money, but as a result, not as a driver) (if you ignore the "too much Judaism" bits, it is a great book)(I read it a few years back and then again this year as a self-follow-up) If you are a parent, Meg Meeker's - Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters - Strong Mothers, Strong Sons (if you ignore the "too much Christianity" bits, these are great books) I found them to be super useful manuals/cheatsheets to building strong loving and trusting relationships with my kid(s). I used it with/for my daughter and our relationship moved from a cold father-daughter-we-don't-understand-each-other to a thriving friendly loving respecting listening relationship where she ASKS to actually spend time with me. I cannot recommend it enough to any parent that asks me for books(again.. ignoring the "too much Christianity" bits) (Disclaimer: I don't want to proselytize anyone to either/or/both Judaism, Christianity or any other religion.)(it's just that I found the Prosper and Strong books so useful..)
• sinistersnare 3y ago
  - Everyday Utopia by Kristen Ghodsee - The Persuaders by Anand Giridharadas - No Bosses by Michael Albert Everyday Utopia was certainly a beautiful read, it is ultimately a book about hope and how we should be experimenting more in our world. The Persuaders had some really good insights into contemporary political persuasion tactics. No Bosses is very provocative in its argument for a change in the fundemantal division of labor in our age. Also I would recommend the "Monk & Robot" series by Becky Chambers. It takes place in a solar-punk style world that is more character driven and less conflict driven.
• a_c 3y ago
  How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425570-how-will-you-measure-your-life https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425570-how-will-you-me... I always feel uneasy with the notion of work-life balance. At the same time I always want more time and attention with my family. Family is part of life, work is part of life, everything you do is part of life. Why the two often appear to be opposing each other? The book offers much counsel on family, parenting and profession. Many of the business examples appeared in the book Innovation Dilemma and a talk at google https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rHdS_4GsKmg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rHdS_4GsKmg
• aestetix 3y ago
  I'm only halfway through it, but The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Absolutely fascinating insight into the political machinations of Nazi Germany.
• Semaphor 3y ago
  I re-read the 10 doorstopper long "Malazan Book of the Fallen" high fantasy series by Steven Erikson and enjoyed it just as much as I did originally, slightly over a decade ago. Still my favorite series of all time. This took up a pretty big chunk of the year, so most other books were rather light urban fantasy novels. But one other mini-series stood out (potentially going to be a trilogy, but both #1 & #2 can stand alone). Teixcalaan #1 & #2, "A Memory Called Empire" and "A Desolation Called Peace" by Arkady Martine for being very different feeling sci-fi books that are not your typical western-centric fare. Highlights are the language, and that the story feels both very small and contained, and also all-encompassing, at the same time.
  • vanilla_nut 3y ago
    A good reminder that I need to finish my Malazan readthrough! The universe is incredibly deep, the characters are incredibly rich, but I do wish Erikson would let us get a little bit comfier in the shoes of each character for longer stretches of time. I sailed through House of Chains so quickly because I didn't have perspective whiplash, but I find it difficult to keep all of the characters in my head during some sections -- battles in particular are a real challenge for me in the Malazan series. Highly recommend the series, but a warning: if you find yourself bouncing off book one, don't bother with the rest of the series. I find that the later books are slightly better written and slightly better structured, but the core writing style issues are still there (notably, perspective whiplash and a magic system that is so complex that it sometimes feels like deux ex machina).
  • bodantogat 3y ago
    I read Malazan for the first time this year after putting it off for decades. Loved it and will likely read it again
    • whoknew1122 3y ago
      I reread it every 2 years or so. There's so much in there that you see new things every time.
  • dallas 3y ago
• moss2 3y ago
  Differently Morphous by Yahtzee Croshaw. It's cute detective novel set in a fantasy version of modern-day London. It includes a ministry of magic (legally distinct from Harry Potter), Lovecraftian cosmic horror, a hive mind of slime monsters seeking asylum in England, and an outstanding cast of wacky characters. A very light and cosy read, highly recommended.
• kylecazar 3y ago
  Undermajordomo Minor -- Patrick deWitt This was a very entertaining novel, if you like them dark, funny and smart. I imagine (like me) there are a lot of non-fiction readers in this thread, I deliberately picked this to read as a break from the usual. Loved it and will read another book of his next.
• rightlane 3y ago
  The Apology by Plato. Short but insightful. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. If you like LitRPG this series is just so good. Paul's "Works of the Law" in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception by Matthew J. Thomas. If you are a theology nerd this is just exceedingly interesting.
  • marginalia_nu 3y ago
    > The Apology by Plato. Short but insightful. Most of early-mid Plato is very worth reading, and surprisingly accessible assuming you find a modern translation and don't cheap out by going for some inscrutable 150 year old public domain translation. They generally leave you feeling like you understand fewer things after you've read them than before (in a good way).
• velavar 3y ago
  This was the year I got my attention under enough control to be able to read voraciously again like I used to in my childhood :) * I'll always bring up The Three-body problem because I re-read it every year * Piranesi because of it's fantastical story-telling * The Covenant of Water - because it's a fantastic medical drama and a sweeping story spanning generations * Victory City - Salamn Rushdie's latest novel which is surprisingly readable * The Enchanted Forest/Kaikeyi/Palace of Illusions - because they cover the major Indian epics from the lens of the women characters (think Circe with an Indian background) * Trust - The same story told from different viewpoints with a setting in the early NY financial world, which makes it extra interesting I notice that I do tend to favour books with an Indian background because of my nostalgia for it as I live in a foreign land. Maybe I'll branch out more next year!
  • tobbe2064 3y ago
    What is it that draws you so much to the threebody problem? I honestly thought it was pretty much crap, but maybe i am missing something.
    • velavar 3y ago
      That's okay, different people can like different things :) As for myself, I liked reading about some bits of Chinese history that I was not very familiar with, and it also provides a really good foundation for the reason behind the lead character's far-reaching actions. I also do think the best parts of the story do come later in books 2 and 3 - I like the larger-than-life ideas and the imperfect characters.
      • tobbe2064 3y ago
        I did like the tid its about Chinese history as well, and the ending quote about whos winning was very memorable:)
    • derwiki 3y ago
      It felt similar to Foundation series, and I liked the focus on the overall ideas being presented and not any individual characters. I think I’ve heard this called philosophical science fiction but am not sure that’s the most accurate subgenre. Anyway, as OP says adjacent to this answer, I agree that books two and three are far better than book one. Like 30 plot twists per book; real page turners.
• artimaeis 3y ago
  "Immune: A Journey Into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive" by Philipp Dettmer I never really clicked with biology in school - but learning about systems is always fun. A bit of a pop-sci read on the subject that's very approachable. Most chapters are <10 pages. Dettmer manages to distill information very effectively though, he paints a fascinating picture of the complicated machinations of the human immune system.
  • rmk 3y ago
    This is a phenomenal book. Fascinating information for the layperson (and young children also) about the immune system!
  • michael_leachim 3y ago
    would love to read that, I find immune system fascinating.
• thicknavyrain 3y ago
  The Identity Trap by Yascha Mounk, a mostly even handed, sensible and necessary read for right now.
• tobbe2064 3y ago
  A deepness in the sky, really nice story about aliens, spiders, culture. Both light, enjoyable, dark and thoughtprovoking
  • veidr 3y ago
    That is one of my favorite books! I stumbled across it years ago and read it without even reading the summary on the book jacket — I highly recommend the book, and also going into it knowing as little about the story as possible.
  • lapcat 3y ago
    Coincidentally, I also read it this year (first time).
  • dublinben 3y ago
    This is an excellent book to devote yourself to (600+ pages) if you've got some quiet time over the holidays. One of the most satisfying sci-fi books I've read in a while.
• tsujamin 3y ago
  A pair of books I’d recommend for 2024, which I didn’t get the chance to reread this year, would be: - The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Gaiman), which is beautiful in a way I can’t quite describe - Century Rain (Reynolds), which is best described as a hard boiled 1930’s noir hard science fiction novel. Books I read this year which I really enjoyed:’ - Exploding The Phone (Lapsley): Super engrossing description of the phone phreak scene almost from its start to its end - Hyperion and sequels (Simmons): Probably one of my favourite science fiction series now, and I’ve already felt the need to go back and re-read passages from it. Also really enjoy how each part of the series (Hyperion, then Fall of Hyperion, then the Endymion books) re-invent the style and the story. - The Annotated American Gods (Gaiman, Klinger): 1000’s of footnotes is a great way to revisit the story :)
  • vanilla_nut 3y ago
    Hyperion was a big surprise for me this year as well. I expected it to be good, but the way the first book unfolds a larger universe is incredible. I'm not sure I've read science fiction that feels quite so... planned, and intentional? Especially the way it incorporates Keats' poetry. Thanks for tipping me off about the Annotated American Gods! I read it ages ago, and I've been yearning to get back into Gaiman lately. This sounds like a good way to do it.
    • tsujamin 3y ago
      Not to spoil too much of the rest of the Hyperion Cantos if you’ve not read it, but I found the way each book brought into question the “reliability” of previous parts of the story super interesting. On the one hand - it can feel like a lazy rewriting of history to suit later stories, but I think it actually works super well because you pretty much have to re-evaluate the entire story multiple times. I came away feeling like I’d experienced 3 different, but equally-compelling versions of the story by the end!
    • lotsoweiners 3y ago
      I love that first Hyperion book so much but haven’t read it in close to 2 decades. The individual stories of each traveler were so interesting.
• beretguy 3y ago
  Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by Liu Cixin. Sci-fi.
• YWall39 3y ago
  Illusion of Control, Jon Danielsson The Last Emperor of Mexico, Edward Shawcross Super-Infinite, Katherine Rundell Stasiland, Anna Funder
• NoNotTheDuo 3y ago
  Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides, The Bonehunters, Reaper's Gale, Toll the Hounds, Dust of Dreams, and The Crippled God - aka Malazan Book of the Fallen - all by Steven Erikson. Talk about a renewed interest in reading. After getting through Gardens of the Moon, I realized that I didn't really know what was going on or why these characters were doing what they were doing. I found a readalong podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-very-big-books-a-malazan-readthrough-podcast/id1461716128 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-very-big-books-a-m...), which really helped me put into context the storylines throughout the series. It's the most epic fantasy series out there. The stories are based on GURPS games that Erikson and his gaming partner Ian Cameron Esslemont ran in the 1980s on archeological digs. And there are an additional 16 novels, written both by Erikson and Esslemont, which continue to flesh out the universe. I became completely enamored with the books. I couldn't put them down. It took me from about February through October to finish all 10. There's so much content, and they really shine on a readthrough.
  • skydhash 3y ago
    One of my top series. Alongside it stands Shadows of the Apt and The Stormlight Archives.
    • disgruntledphd2 3y ago
      > Alongside it stands Shadows of the Apt I dunno if there's something wrong with me or the books, but I just can't read his fantasy. I keep trying, but have bounced off both Shadows and the Bear/Serpent one. I adore his sci-fi and other shorter works, but even though I prefer fantasy overall, I just can't stick with them.
• cimm 3y ago
  This year, I discovered "The Invincible" by Stanisław Lem (after seeing a video of the game based on the novel).
  • hombre_fatal 3y ago
    I read Solaris after watching the movie and I loved it. I really need to read more of his stuff.
• Brajeshwar 3y ago
  Most of the books I read are influenced by similar threads on HN. This year has not been good overall and it impacted my reading. I need to finish writing the post https://brajeshwar.com/2023/books/ https://brajeshwar.com/2023/books/ “How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question” by Michael Schur is a fun book that opens with a good question, “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” I have been meaning to and this year I finally read The Diary of a Young Girl. For 2024, here are some of the ones from my list (sorry for the formatting, copied Markdown from my notes); - [Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_War:_The_Fight_for_the_World%27s_Most_Critical_Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_War:_The_Fight_for_the_Wo...) by [Chris Miller](https://www.christophermiller.net https://www.christophermiller.net) - [First Principles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Principles_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Principles_(book)) by [Thomas E. Ricks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Ricks_(journalist) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_E._Ricks_(journalist)) - [Greenlights](https://greenlights.com https://greenlights.com) by [Matthew McConaughey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_McConaughey) - How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region by Joe Studwell - [Poor Economics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Economics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Economics): A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by [Abhijit V. Banerjee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhijit_Banerjee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhijit_Banerjee), and [Esther Duflo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Duflo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Duflo) - Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child The Heart of Parenting by [John Gottman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gottman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gottman), and Joan DeClaire - [The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read](https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wish-Your-Parents-Read/dp/1984879553 https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wish-Your-Parents-Read/dp/198487...): (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by [Philippa Perry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippa_Perry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippa_Perry) - [The End Of The World Is Just The Beginning: Mapping The Collapse Of Globalization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_World_is_just_the_Beginning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_the_World_is_just_t...) by [Peter Zeihan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Zeihan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Zeihan) - [The Tatas: How a Family Built a Business and a Nation](https://www.amazon.com/Tatas-Family-Built-Business-Nation/dp/9352779371 https://www.amazon.com/Tatas-Family-Built-Business-Nation/dp...) by [Girish Kuber](https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/गिरीश_कुबेर https://mr.wikipedia.org/wiki/गिरीश_कुबेर), and English translation by Vikrant Pande. - [Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming](https://www.amazon.com/Windfall-Booming-Business-Global-Warming/dp/1594204012 https://www.amazon.com/Windfall-Booming-Business-Global-Warm...) by [McKenzie Funk](https://www.mckenziefunk.com https://www.mckenziefunk.com) - [Dieter Rams: The Complete Works](https://www.amazon.com/Dieter-Rams-Complete-Klaus-Klemp/dp/1838661530/ https://www.amazon.com/Dieter-Rams-Complete-Klaus-Klemp/dp/1...) by [Klaus Klemp](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Klemp https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Klemp)
• thraxil 3y ago
  Determined: Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky. He's a Stanford biologist/neuroscientist. You may have come across lectures from his class on Human Behavioral Biology which is on Youtube for free and highly recommended. The book basically lays out his argument that our actions are entirely the result of a deterministic combination of our genes, chemicals during fetal development, epigenetic factors during childhood and adolescence, brain trauma, diet, sleep, recent stress exposure, etc. Much of it motivated by his work as an expert witness in criminal trials, and concluding with his take on the "now what?" question on the moral/ethical implications of deciding that we don't really have as much (or any) control over our actions as we like to imagine.
  • andrei_says_ 3y ago
    If you found this perspective impactful I’d like to recommend taking a look at the teaching of Advaita (“not-two”), or nonduality. Wayne Liquorman does free weekly satsang via zoom at Advaita.org. A book I recommend is I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj - a transcript of his Advaita talks and also one of the most influential books for 2023 or any other year in my life. An Advaita pointer (a question to sincerely investigate - which investigation brings realization) that has been productive for me, has been to observe my choices and see what caused them. I have been doing this for years and still haven’t observed an independent force which one may call “free” will. Wayne’s take on “authorship” vs “doership” introduces the concept of “false sense of authorship”. https://youtu.be/GXtQXxJU6NY?si=cJVcX4mZZ8tASZui https://youtu.be/GXtQXxJU6NY?si=cJVcX4mZZ8tASZui
    • Wonnk13 3y ago
      What if any are the differences between Advaita and something like Dzogchen meditation? I've really enjoyed Sam Haris's take on non duality.
      • andrei_says_ 3y ago
        No experience with Dzogchen. The Advaita teaching does not seem to recommend a specific practice. It provides pointers which may bring out awareness. I’ve only interacted with books and satsang with Wayne Liquorman who I believe to be a carrier of the teaching. My approach so far is as practical as it gets, through sincere inquiry and presence in the moment.
• allturtles 3y ago
  The best thing I read this year was "The Last Lion", a three-volume biography of Winston Churchill. I don't know that I would recommend it to most people, it's a hell of a lot of words to read about one guy: volume 1 alone is 850 pages in hardcover, covering 1874-1932. The writer (William Manchester) is also very fond of his subject, so those who consider Churchill a villain (or even a deeply flawed hero) will likely not care for it. But man, could Manchester write. This is history as literature. He's especially good at long, dramatic, paragraphs that build to a crescendo over hundreds of words and close with a flourish. The last volume was finished by another author after Manchester died, so it isn't as good.
• werber 3y ago
  Down The Drain by Julia Fox, fun memoir of a nyc fashion icon, it's a beautiful mess, "I know the influence, I know the impact, and I know the vibes, and the girlies love the vibes, and that's just what it's about." How To Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell, recommended by Julia Fox in an interview, similar book, if you're interested in fashion, publishing or beauty and where it intersects with addiction. Super funny, super sharp, super bitchy, reading her 2nd book now Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black by Cookie Mueller, if you like Nan Golden or John Waters you know who Cookie is, a really fun and crazy ride, made me wish I was best friends with Cookie. Black Friend by Ziwe Fumudoh, if you like Ziwe, then obvi. An interesting mini memoir, has some of the bite of her talk show but pulls back the mask and makes you realize how damn brilliant she is, really interesting refection of the experience of a 2nd generation Nigerian I Was Better Last Night by Harvey Firestein, a fun look back at the alt theater scene in NYC, still listening on audible, he has the best voice ever, something that is a must listen Feeding the Soul (Because it’s my business) by Tabitha Brown, if you fell in love with Tab’s vegan soul during the pandemic like me this audio book was like a warm hug from a super nice auntie. I don’t share a lot of the same beliefs as her, but it was interesting look at one person’s faith and how it made them the person they are The Fuck Up by Arthur Nersesian, if you ever dreamed of living in the East Village in the 1980s this book was great, paints a lively picture of NYC at that time The New Animals by Pip Adams, a kiwi fashion scene slice of life, like if Virgina Wolf had written Bret Easton Ellis' Glamorama. Some interesting musings on social media and it's place in the fashion world Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis, re-read after 20 years, really appreciated the non stop references, if you want to live in the late 90s fashion world for a bit it’s a great book I Am Not Ashamed by Barbara Payton, old hollywood starlet who ended her life broke and addicted, an interesting look at the dark side of the old studio system and the seedier parts of Los Angeles. Picked up at Mast Books in the East Village (along with a few others on this list), highly recommend the book store, great selection of artsy fartsy stuff The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis, didn’t finish it, mostly because it’s massive and I never could bring myself to pack it, intend to finish to next year, but if you like his other books, especially less than 0, it’s worth reading. Picked up at Literati in Ann Arbor, great bookstore near a few other great bookstores on the edge of Kerrytown, highly recommend Eve's Hollywood by Eve Babitz, if you want to fall in love with a Los Angeles even more, great writing An Attempt at exhausting a place in Paris by George Perec, a quick read can’t remember if it was the first book I bought from Wakefield Press at Artbook Hauser & Worth LA, but thankful for that bookstore introducing me to that press Psychology of the Rich Aunt by Erich Mühsam, another Wakefield title, funny and still felt modern despite being a century old. The authors real life was really interesting to me, he was one of, (if not the first, I remember reading somewhere but can’t find the source), victim of the Nazis The Sundays of Jean Dézert by Jean de La Ville de Mirmont, another Wakefield title, I read it one sitting (easy to do with this press, they publish almost entirely novellas from what I can gather), made me think of Notes From Underground and Seinfeld Honey I'm Homo by Matt Baume, A really wonderful guided tour of LGBT representation in television. Was not expecting this book to hit so hard. I cried more times reading this than anything else this year. If you grew up gay in the 1900s, it's a really powerful reminder of how vital accurate and compassionate representation is. Made me realize how much things have changed for the better, really made me appreciate being alive today. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, really romantic crime non fiction about a prolific art thief, his girfriend, his family, extremely cinematic, would be shocked if it's not made into a movie very soon Paris by Paris Hilton, a really dark look at the troubled teen industry, made me really respect Paris Hilton as a cultural engineer (she was mostly in on the joke) and abuse survivor. Also, a really dark look at revenge porn, consent, and technology in the aughts Mean Baby by Selma Blair, really enjoyed the parts about her childhood, a very specific look at the Jewish Detroit suburbs at the last quarter of the 20th century Unprotected by Billy Porter, if you watched Pose, and wanted to know more about the actor that brought Pray Tell to life . A memoir about demanding your place in the world Spinning Plates by Sophie Ellis Bextor, read at the start of the year, but love that with Saltburn coming out “Murder on the Dancefloor” is everywhere again. Loved the early parts of the book and the britt pop teenage stories, the obvious music career throughout, and then interesting look at motherhood. She’s so charming, smart and talented, I’ve always wondered why she wasn’t as big as the other pop stars of her era but her podcast Spinning Plates is also great, and most recent album Hana is a charming love letter to japan. Pageboy by Elliot Page, really made me want to go Nova Scotia, feels like a long late night conversation on a porch chain smoking cigarettes in college while a party is going on inside but the conversation is more compelling When We Cease To Understand The World by Benjamín Labatut, suggested to me in last years version of this, really beautiful and thoughtful, lots of very specific truths in a fictional history I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy, a look back at being a child star, written as if it’s all happening in the present, interesting reflections on Mormonism and Nickelodeon Atomic Habits, nothing earth shattering but a pleasant, picked up a few things from it i started doing day to day that increased my quality of life Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry, a really dark look at what addiction combined with fame does to a person, didn't enjoy reading it, but when Matthew Perry died I was glad I had. The Woman in Me (Le Femme en Moi), currently enjoying this as an audio book in French, if you're learning another language and love pop culture, the vocab is simple, being able to slow down the speed on audible is really nice. Read the book in English first and it was a really interesting look at sexism in the media and the commodification of celebrity, super sad Valid by Chris Bergeron, currently reading, trans dystopian sci fi in a near future Montreal. Enjoying it so far Bunny by Mona Awad, also currently reading, reminds me of Heathers if it was made by Wilt Stillman The Love of Singular Men by Victor Heringer, also still reading, really visceral writing, one of those books that really makes you feel like you are seeing what the author is writing about, was suggested by the staff at De Stille in Montreal on Duluth, a great english language bookstore highly recommend
• qkeast 3y ago
  I keep track of my reading list on my website: https://quinnkeast.com/reading https://quinnkeast.com/reading. I’ve mostly been reading fiction this year. On reflection, I think my favourite book of 2023 was “The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi” by Shannon Chakraborty. The “Wool” series by Hugh Howey was also a highlight.
  • thealchemistdev 3y ago
    Thank you. Any non-fiction? I do the same. https://thealchemist.dev/reading-list/ https://thealchemist.dev/reading-list/
    • qkeast 3y ago
      Possibly “Family Lexicon” by Natalia Ginzburg or “Steering the Craft” by Ursula K. Le Guin. Thanks for sharing!
• swed420 3y ago
  Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky It picks up where "Behave" left off.
• voisin 3y ago
  Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant. It is ostensibly about the 2016 Fort McMurray, Alberta wildfires, but the background is broadly interesting as context for this last summer’s historic wildfire season and the ones sure to come.
• pauljonas 3y ago
  1. Doppleganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein — have read other titles by this author & they were mostly meh, but this is an incredible book, hard to describe, better to experience. Ostensibly is about how the author is often confused with Naomi Wolf who went down conspiracy rabbit holes but it is so much more than that. 2. The Myth of Christian Beginnings by Robert Wilkin — an older title (1971), short well written book on how Christians mythologize early Christians, & frame it as some static model of heavenly perfection that they're always trying to get back to, or maintain 3. Everyday Utopia by Kristen Ghodsee — on the surface, a book about utopian community experiments but is so much more, imaginative conjuring on thinking outside the box, how we blindly just accept things the way they are, so dismissive of nonorthodox ideas 4. Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris — just as the title advertises, have read a lot of history but the 19C on California presented here was so interesting
• coumbaya 3y ago
  The Waygarers series by Becky Chambers. I'm usually not into space operas and more into hard SF, but this one was a superb experience, far away from the too-gritty things I read usually, really positive.
• monkeypicks 3y ago
  Fiction: Victory City- new Salman Rushdie book. Great retelling of the history of one of the great medieval South Indian kingdoms. Not his best, but his writing is still top notch. Sea of Tranquility- speculative fiction from Emily St. John Mandel (of Station Eleven fame). It's a series of interconnected stories spanning centuries from the near past to the near future. Beautifully written. Read when I was down with COVID earlier this year and it invaded my dreams (in a good way). Short and easy read. Giovanni's Room- story of an American expat in Paris caught between his love for a man and his duty to his girlfriend. This is the first James Baldwin book I have read but will definitely check out more of his work in 2024. Theory of Bastards- speculative fiction by Audrey Schulmann. Literary sci-fi similar to Station Eleven. It's about a woman researching primate behavior set in the near future where the earth is ravaged by the effects of climate change. Very well researched, beautifully written and nothing like I have ever read before. This won the 2019 Philip K Dick Award. Invisible Cities- literary fiction by Italo Calvino. It's less than 200 pages but a very dense and tough read. It's a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan where MP is describing cities in KK's vast empire. It's a strange, strange book that I think I will return to often. If you liked the world building in Piranesi and want more, this is the book for you. Calvino describes 55 cities in under 200 pages, with each one feeling very different. Again, first Calvino book I have read and will definitely check out more of his works in 2024. Non-fiction: Thinking in Systems: A Primer- by Donella Meadows. Read this based on HN's recommendation. Thank you! On Intelligence- by Jeff Hawkins. This was on my shelf for years and am glad I got to read it this year. The creator of the Palm Pilot presents his theory of intelligence and how the brain works. It's compelling. I hope to read his follow up book in 2024. Would love HN's recommendations of similar books. A Primate's Memoir- by Robert M. Sapolsky. Enjoyable read of the author's research on Savannah baboons and his adventures in Africa. His love for primates and humans alike come through clearly. Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making- by Tony Fadell. A great business book by the co-founder of Nest. Draws on his experience both as a startup founder and leading innovative teams at large tech companies (Apple, in his case). Just as any business book, this could have been shorter and less repetitive but thankfully, there is enough good material here to be a book rather than a blog post.
  • shove 3y ago
    Also read Giovanni’s Room this year. So good.
• sshine 3y ago
  The subtle art of not giving a fuck
  • thorncorona 3y ago
    Blogspam, perfected.
  • nicbou 3y ago
    I liked the idea of the book and it stayed with me, but it could have been a blog post, like a lot of non-fiction.
    • wan23 3y ago
      This one actually did start as a blog post.
      • nicbou 3y ago
        Wait, I got the titles confused. The LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC of not giving a fuck was great. The idea of Konmari applied to obligations was clever. The Mark Manson one was not good.
  • prepend 3y ago
    This book was a blogpost extended 100x too long. It’s ok, but if you can read the title you get every point made in the book. The author must be very handsome or something.
• say_it_as_it_is 3y ago
  "Breaking Through: My Life in Science", a memoir by Katalin Karikó.
• racktash 3y ago
  * Operators And Things – a fascinating account of a woman's journey through (and out of) schizophrenia. Also, some very interesting insight into toxic office politics. * Philosophical Investigations – I've wanted to read and understand Wittgenstein's PI for a while now. This year I've made a serious effort and it has been very worthwhile. Best read with a companion text (I used Routledge Guidebook to Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations).
  • timeagain 3y ago
    PI is so good even if you don’t “understand” it all. In it he pretty much demolishes any notion that language is composed of words that refer to objects. This idea was as old as Plato and an often un-explored assumption of almost every philosopher henceforth. Plato might ponder the nature of “love”. Wittgenstein asks, “what is love in this particular context?” Loving chocolate, loving your partner? Love between fictional characters? Was the speaker being sarcastic? Could a person born without language “love” without the framework of words and mutual understandings we get through culture, or would it be something different? Surprisingly relevant to programming.
• shpx 3y ago
  Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. It was super straightforward.
• jess-desu 3y ago
  I've only gotten through two short books this year: Forget the Funnel by Claire Suellentrop and Georgiana Laudi - concise and insightful overview of modern marketing thought, moving beyond MQLs Pocket Guide to Product Launches by Mary Sheehan - a nice introduction to product launches from a product marketing perspective or a helpful refresher with lots of fresh insights. I've also been really enjoying the podcast "If Books Could Kill," which questions and fact-checks many poplit "airport books" with a lighthearted vibe.
  • ryloric 3y ago
    Love that podcast! the dynamic between the hosts is very entertaining.
• syldarion 3y ago
  Fiction: "Yumi and the Nightmare Painter" and "Tress of the Emerald Sea" - Two of Brandon Sanderson's "secret projects" that he released this year and easily my favorites of the bunch. Tress is just such a fun adventure and Yumi left me an emotional wreck by the end. "There Is No Antimemetics Division" - I had a brief period where I wanted to read some stories about clandestine operations around odd anomalies, SCP-adjacent if you will. This, alongside "Agents of Dreamland", is rather short and great for getting through in a couple sittings. It's all about taking on an entity that you actively can't remember the existence of. Non-Fiction: "Letters to a Young Poet" - This is a collection of ten letters sent from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to a younger aspiring poet in the early 1900s. As a creative that sometimes struggles with the whole "what am I doing this for?", I found this a highly inspiring and comforting read. "On Writing" - I'm sure most of you know the book, or at the least know Stephen King. The info in here on writing (at least in the style of King) is fantastic, but I think the memoir portions are the killer part of this book. The man certainly has a storied past, for better or worse.
  • ashton314 3y ago
    +1 for Yumi and Tress. You don’t have to be deep into the rest of his books to appreciate them. (Unlike Sunlit Man) The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England was a total hoot—if you want something light and silly, go for that.
  • dinkleberg 3y ago
    "There Is No Antimemetics Division" is a bit of a mind bender, it is definitely worth a read. I hadn’t read any SCP stuff before fwiw.
• ivanche 3y ago
  "A man for all markets" by Edward O. Thorp - a remarkable story of a brilliant mathematician from the Great Depression to beating Las Vegas casinos by card counting to practically becoming founding father of quants and beating Wall Street. "The ultimate ETF guidebook" by David Stevenson & David Tuckwell - still reading but the book that goes deep into ETFs, way (and I mean way) above laconic "oh just invest in S&P500 and forget it" approach.
• rmk 3y ago
  A few books I read this year (or perhaps late last year), and wholeheartedly recommend: - Typee: A peep at Polynesian Life by Herman Melville - Fatu-Hiva, Back to Nature by Thor Heyerdahl - The lost world: being an account of the recent amazing adventures of Professor E. Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Professor Summerlee and Mr Ed. Malone of the 'Daily Gazette'
• tmtvl 3y ago
  Do light novels count? If so, I particularly enjoyed 戦国小町苦労端 (Sengoku Komachi Kurou Tan, Story of the Hardships of a Beauty in the Warring States Period), the story of a girl who likes history and agriculture being sent back in time and meeting Oda Nobunaga, who assigns her the task of making a failing village produce enough crops. I find its portrayal of Nobunaga interesting, making him about as likeable as you could expect a 16th century warlord to be.
• lamp_book 3y ago
  On Writing by Stephen King - contains a lot great advice and interesting anecdotes for writing fiction but is easily applicable to other mediums, including software development. And, of course, well written. 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burke - deconstructs the hustle/productivity mindset and rejects it in favor of an existential view of accepting your finitude and prioritizing accordingly. I wouldn’t say the book changed my mind but reassured some of my feelings and put some words to why trying to pursue too many goals or experiences typically fails or is unfulfilling. Sort of ironically takes its main point a little too far by the end in my opinion but I recommend it anyway, it’s pretty short. Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner - still in progress but clearly a great book so far. I recommend it to anyone living in western US/MX.
• grafelic 3y ago
  The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. This book somehow stayed with me for a long time after having finished it. For me it encapsulates how we sometimes get stuck in systems which are unhealthy, but safe and feels better than an uncertain alternative. Also how pain and suffering binds people together in interesting, and in other circumstances, unlikely relationships. I enjoyed the humour as well.
• reducesuffering 3y ago
  World Order by Kissinger Whatever you think of the man and his decisions, you will learn deep history and what's at stake in the increasing world chaos evidenced by the invasion of Ukraine, current Israel-Hamas war, impending Venezuelan invasion of Guyana, Sudanese Civil War, Myanmar Civil War, and the fate of Taiwanese lives.
• znpy 3y ago
  Not sure if it was 2022 or 2023 but I read “master and margarita” by Bulgakov after hearing a tear-dropping description of the story by Alessandro Barbero. Even with all the spoiler, a really great book.
• themadturk 3y ago
  All of Mick Herron's Slow Horses books, after watching the first two series on Apple TV. By far the most fun spy fiction I've ever read. Rose/House, a novella from Arkady Martine, a surprisingly deep little murder mystery involving an A.I. My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell. I started this not long after finishing Nabakov's Lolita. It's the same story, seen from the victim's POV -- though for whatever reason, she doesn't see herself as a victim. A good, post-MeToo contrast to Nabakov.
• e28eta 3y ago
  “The Nature & Art of Workmanship” by David Pye. I picked it up related to my woodworking hobby, but also thought it was an interesting way to think about Risk in a tech company, and how (for example) more and more structure is built around releasing software to minimize risk and increase certainty of success. I also really enjoyed: “Joinery, Joists and Gender: A History of Woodworking for the 21st Century” by Deirdre Visser “Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back” by Cory Doctorow, Rebecca Giblin “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World” by David Epstein “How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States” by Daniel Immerwahr (this one prompted by honeymooning in Panama and learning the US used to control the canal)
• snake_Camel 3y ago
  A Fortunate Man - John Berger G. - John Berger A Painter of Our Time - John Berger And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief As Photos - John Berger Cloudsplitter - Russell Banks Continental Drift - Russell Banks Affliction - Russell Banks The Polymath - Peter Burke
  • sirohsis144 3y ago
    happy to see Berger's name mentioned here
• CobaltFire 3y ago
  Two series that helped me immensely during some rough times that finally ended in 2023: “Beware of Chicken” “Mother of Learning” Read those in the hospital with my son. I found them to be excellent stories and they gave me a lot to think about as far as major decisions I was making. A trilogy I ended up finally reading and really enjoyed after pushing through the first half of the first book was “The Shadow of What was Lost” by James Islington. It started out feeling like a love child of WoT and Sandersen’s writing, but after that first half of the first book it went it’s own way to excellent effect.
• riidom 3y ago
  1984.
• Sarisafari 3y ago
  Read both fiction and non-fiction but really got back into fiction this year. I was job searching for the majority of the year and as cheesy as it may sound, it feels like reading brought childlike magic back into my life. Here are my favorites: 1. The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh 2. The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews 3. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 4. Daughter of the Moon Gooddess by Sue Lynn Tan 1. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy 2. Eat & Run by Scott Jurek 3. Center Center by James Whiteside 4. The Color of Water by James McBride (Two books I recommend that I read last year: The Signature of All Things and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert)
• wannabebarista 3y ago
  Each year, I put up a list of the books I've enjoyed during the year but haven't gotten this year's list up. Here are my lists from prior years: https://bcmullins.github.io/interesting-books-2022/ https://bcmullins.github.io/interesting-books-2022/ Here are two I've enjoyed so far this year: "Slouching Towards Utopia" by J. Bradford DeLong (2022). This is a narrative economic history of the 20th century. It heavily focuses on the interaction between policy and economic thought. "Lost Continents" by L. Sprague de Camp (1954). This book looks at Atlantis and other lost continents as rhetorical devices in ancient history and philosophy, 20th century pseudoscience/pseudohistory, and science fiction.
• rufus_foreman 3y ago
  Recommended: Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer. Fiction? Non-fiction? Had to be made up. A guy born in England to poor circumstances ships out to New Orleans, jumps ship, fights in the Civil War on the confederate side, gets captured, fights in the Civil War on the union side, gets wounded, ends up fighting in the union navy. After the war, becomes a journalist in the American west. Then organizes an expedition to the Ottoman empire...OK he's 26 years old at this point. Sure there's some stuff later but...that's a pretty good resume for a 26 year old. Unbelievable. Lou Reed: The King of New York Same thing. Just completely real but also unbelievable. The songs he had written by 1965. Hitler: A Biography, by Ian Kershaw. Completely real, also unbelievable. The German people voting against democracy. Unbelievable. Escape From Rome, Walter Scheidel, "The gripping story of how the end of the Roman Empire was the beginning of the modern world". I think about the Roman Empire a lot, so basically it was a military slave state and it fell and that's bad? The Great Depression: A Diary, I thought I would hate this, let's read a diary, right? Reading a diary of the Great Depression happening in front of you, it's amazing. The dread, and the bargaining. He's like bargaining against reality that the depression will end.
• nittanymount 3y ago
  it will be nice, if this thread can be summarized into a book list. :-)
  • e28eta 3y ago
    I assume they’ll show up on https://hackernewsbooks.com/ https://hackernewsbooks.com/ - I’m not affiliated and only rarely check it, but I appreciate that it exists.
    • nittanymount 3y ago
      did not know this, thanks for the info !
• dyingkneepad 3y ago
  Invincible Compendium 1 and 2. I read a lot of things this year, but for most of them, after around 22:30 I'd get super sleepy and fail to pay attention, so I had to close the books. Except for Invincible! This book is amazing! So many plot twists, such an interesting story! Can't wait to read the final Volume 3 in a few weeks.
• eatrocs 3y ago
  Plato's Republic + Dr Michael Sugrue's podcast/youtube channel
• sirohsis144 3y ago
  The Glass Bead Game, Hermann Hesse The Road, Cormac McCarthy Sometimes a Great Notion, Ken Kesey Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion
• steven_noble 3y ago
  "Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World" by Emma Marris. Can't recommend it enough. Also: - "The Battle of Midway", by Craig Symonds - "Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna" by Edith Sheffer
• lapcat 3y ago
  I recently read "Quiet Street" by Nick McDonell, a memoir of growing up with extreme privilege. It's eye-opening, though rather short.
• __rito__ 3y ago
  Fiction: - "The Dark Forest" by Liu Cixin and the whole Three Body Problem/Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. Truly massive, grand SciFi. Would recommend 10/10. [HN] - "Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy. Made me face deeper parts of my mind. Attempted to answer some questions I had. Great story. Huge book. Historical fiction is something I like across languages. - "Candide" by Voltaire. Genuinely fun and entertaining, besides it being- you know- Voltaire. - "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson. Very good story, world buulding, nice technology. Great thinking by the author. Non Fiction: - "Fermat's Last Theorem" by Simon Singh. Was very happy to see a Popular Math book where there are so many Popular Science books. Great book. Goes over FMT's solving history, with many many fun anecdotes, short biographies, etc. Truly enjoyable to read. - "Code Book" by Simon Singh. Genuinely fun and learned a lot. Cryptography's history, progress, and so much more. [HN] Self-Help: - "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig. Truly marvelous book and nice to read. This book requires the reader to be of certain kind attaining a certain level. Without that, this book will seem a fluff and overrated hugely. Fundamentally changed my thinking. [HN] - "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Bourkeman. Thought this was about saner time management with some wisdom. But was much deeper than that. Will recommend. Bengali: - "Abhajaner Mahabharat" by Mahbub Lilen. A fun and serious retelling of the Mahabharata. Goes deep, too. Really fun to read. - "Khana Mihirer Dhipi" by Bani Basu. An account of feminism in the light of female-dominated inner part of Bengali elite households- and that in the light of female dominated, fully maternalistic hunter-gatherers of early human history. Very thought provoking and unique. [HN]- chose primarily because recommendation in some past HN threads. Read 23 so far. Target is 25. Currently reading Snow Crash and Exhalation.
  • kapilkaisare 3y ago
    > "Abhajaner Mahabharat" by Mahbub Lilen Is there a purchase link to this book, you could share? I was unable to find this on Amazon.
    • __rito__ 3y ago
      I see you are based in Tennessee. I don't know how to get it there. The best way would be to buy the book through Books of Bengal/ReadBengaliBooks (if you have friends based in India/Bangladesh) or Rokomari/Batighar (Bangladesh). I see it for sell here- https://booksofbengal.com/in/product/9789848825754/ https://booksofbengal.com/in/product/9789848825754/ . So when a friend has received it, I would recommend they FedEx it to you. (India only- https://readbengalibooks.com/k29780000000098.html https://readbengalibooks.com/k29780000000098.html - I can vouch for ReadBengaliBooks) If this is not an option, consider "other ways".
• gordon_freeman 3y ago
  - The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem - Solaris by Stanislaw Lem - The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes - Moneyball by Michael Lewis - 1984 (re-read again!)
• pipes 3y ago
  The status game by Will Store, non fiction, heard about it on Sam Harris pod cast. Once I'd read it I started seeing status games everywhere. Alcohol explained, this changed my mind on booze. Basic theory is that it gives you a mild high followed by anxiety that is relieved by having another drink. This plus the Huberman podcast episode on alcohol have resulted in me going from always boozing on weekends and finding it a struggle not to, to not having drunk in nearly 3 months. Edit, honestly I've read other give you alcohol books and they don't even come close. This one just clicked. It has a sequel too.
• k2so 3y ago
  Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - This was best read of 2023 for me. The narration is very immersive and the author makes you very invested in the story. Shows the messy, complicated human side of things. And another plus was that it was about game dev, quite fun to learn about it through fiction.
• hyperliner 3y ago
  [dead]
• kristianp 3y ago
  Re-read Iain Banks' The Algebraist. Titanium Noir, Nick Harkaway Built to Sell, John Warrilow
• thorin 3y ago
  The Fellowship of the ring. What I found was that reading these stories that I think I know so well to my children (8 and 9) is that you get a new appreciation and understanding by reading them to someone else, particularly a child. I find my self recapping and explaining the story multiple times and become far more aware of the details than I would re-reading it myself.
  • v-erne 3y ago
    I noticed the same thing. We are at the end of Two towers and thanks to forcing those books onto my children (lets face it - they are quite slow and "boring" in comparison to normal children books) I have found new appreciation for stories contained in them. But be advised that there are downsides to this - this time around I won't be able to stop myself from buying Frodos/Bilbos "Sting" when attending Fantasy Covent here in Warsaw (and its comming this weekend)
    • thorin 3y ago
      I think they are willing to put up with / indulge me reading something I enjoy to have a bit of close time together. The like the challenge of it being a massive book, but I remember finding the two towers pretty boring as a kid myself. I may stop for a bit after fellowship as I always thought that was the most readable of the books myself. I suppose that makes me not a true fan. I found the Silmarillion completely unreadable, but I do like middle earth.
  • jmstfv 3y ago
    username checks out. it's my first time reading it, and i'd recommend it to anyone who has an interest in LotR and has only seen the movies; it adds so much context and nuance.
    • v-erne 3y ago
      >> username checks out Only tentatively :) Thorin is from Hobbit and was long gone when plot of LOTR started.
• d4rkp4ttern 3y ago
  Benjamin Bickman - Why we get sick. A life changer. Makes a compelling case that insulin resistance is at the root of many illnesses. Clarified my nagging questions about added sugar vs sugar in fruits (both are bad) and gave me a simple way to make food choices. Convinced me to finally go LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) or Keto.
  • generalenvelope 3y ago
    I don't mean to rain on your parade - but the reason I've heard of this book is red pen reviews: https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/why-we-get-sick/ https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/why-we-get-sick/ Which didn't give it a particularly favorable review in terms of scientific accuracy
    • d4rkp4ttern 3y ago
      Not at all. It’s always good to see skeptical takes !
• ssowonny 3y ago
  Effectuation - I felt comforted knowing that I wasn't the only one struggling. Purple Cow - It's classic but seems quite relevant to AI era.
• deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
• SnoJohn 3y ago
  Books in Charlie Munger's Library: Influence by Robert Cialdini, Einstein by Walter Isaacson, Go East Young Man (memoir of William O. Douglas), Eugene Meyer bio (Father of Kay Graham, Chair of Fed in 30s), Max Planck bio, John Kenneth Galbraith’s Ambassadors Journal, Set of the Harvard Classics, Copey of Harvard by James Donald Adams, Autobiography of Mark Twain, Federalist Papers, Capital (history of Capital Group) by Charley Ellis, Current Value Line Binder, Set of Shakespeare at the top, Possibly a set of Balzac. From a photo of his last interview in the WSJ.
  • ironlake 3y ago
    Son of a Senator hires grandson of a Federal Judge and they are the best investment duo in history. I bet the key to his success is on the bookshelf.
• chamoda 3y ago
  Little off topic but if you are finding that you are reading less books per yer than you actually would like to, I would suggest to use tracking + reading challenge in Goodreads or in any other way (I know Goodreads is not perfect after amazon acquisition) You can create a reading challenge usually at start of a new year and then follow progress. Start slow, one book per month is a good starting point IMO. I started doing this in 2016 and completed the challenge each year and it motivate in kind of strange way to complete the challenge each year.
• jtwigg 3y ago
  Wasteland by Oliver Franklin-Wallis https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/63251764 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/63251764 This is at times shocking but it really helped me get your head around the waste problem.
• eb0la 3y ago
  "The little book of exoplanets" - Really well written - explains a lot of the tricks used to discover exoplanets and how it changed a lot of pre-stablished thoughts in planetary formation theory.
• eps 3y ago
  The Library at Mount Char. https://www.amazon.com/Library-at-Mount-Char/dp/0553418629 https://www.amazon.com/Library-at-Mount-Char/dp/0553418629
• Glench 3y ago
  Two books inspired by Tibetan Buddhism were incredibly inspiring and helped my practice a lot: - Awakening Through Love by John Makransky: https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Through-Love-Unveiling-Goodness/dp/0861715373 https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Through-Love-Unveiling-Good... - The Heart of Unconditional Love by Tulku Thondup: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Unconditional-Love-Loving-Kindness-Meditation/dp/1611802350 https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Unconditional-Love-Loving-Kindn...
• cyrialize 3y ago
  "Southern Reach Trilogy" by Jeff VanderMeer [0]. I absolutely loved every book. "Annihilation" is probably my favorite. What hooked me about the series were two things: 1) It was very, /very/ weird and 2) it often times felt like the characters had no power. "Bliss Montage" by Ling Ma [1]. The short stories felt dreamy - drifting in perspectives, places, and times. Many of the stories had a supernatural aspect to them. "Invisible Cities" by Italo Calvino [2]. This book is a puzzle. You could read it front to back, or you could read it in the various different orders. There is no intended order. Again, very dreamy and weird. This book is a conversation, where Marco Polo is telling Genghis Khan of the cities within his kingdom. I was introduced to this book by Jacob Geller's video essay "Cities without people" [3]. "Ring" by Koji Suzuki [4]. One of my first horror book reads, and also the first in the Ring series. The "Ring" movies are based off of this book. I also read the 2nd one, which provides a very different view on the series and gives the horrors in the book a scientific backing. This year for me has been the year of strange novels. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Reach_Trilogy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Reach_Trilogy [1]: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374717124/blissmontage https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374717124/blissmontage [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Cities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Cities [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBBuoD9eL5k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBBuoD9eL5k [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_(Suzuki_novel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_(Suzuki_novel)
  • unaindz 3y ago
    Last year Annihilation and the rest of the trilogy rekindled my passion for reading after almost a decade. Vandemeer really has a way with words but specifically in this novel he manages to describe what I though was indescribable. It was only fair that I tried another one of his trilogies, Borne, The Strange Bird and Dead Astronauts. With Borne being pretty normal (for Vandermeer standards) and the other two reading like pretty ramblings at times if you lack the context. I still loved them but they may not be for everyone. You should read them in the order above so that you have as many pieces of the prose puzzle when you reach Dead Astronauts. But even if you end up not liking the writing of the last two books, Borne can still be enjoyed independently. As for this year. "Blood music" by Greg Bear. Biology scify with a pretty weird concept. "Firefall" trilogy by Peter Watts Usually a scify story revolvs around one core idea, this one does too, but it kept surprising me with new secondary but interesting ones until the end. Read The Colonel between the two main books. "Rifters" trilogy by Peter Watts Exploring sexual abuse, empathy "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang Short story about a linguist learning the recently arrived aliens language. Liked the humor depicting the different perspectives between scientists and military. Pretty emotional. I'm not sure what it tells about me but all of these are bittersweet scify with good prose.
• lencastre 3y ago
  Of what I read and finished and liked: Fiction: The Handmaiden’s Tale — a dystopian future where a certain group of women are selected for their breeding capabilities within an oppressive regime. This novel wastes no sentences with fluff and it is sometimes too fantastic to imagine that society would come to this. I compare it to KV Siren’s of Titan where beauty is forcibly normalized. Non-fiction: 4000 Weeks — a really trip! It challenges your assumptions, often times relatable and in short just trying to tell you that it is OK not to micro manage all, plan all, execute all, know all, actually what matters is presence and trying to enjoy the ephemeral.
• felipesabino 3y ago
  The entire "Murderbot" series by Martha Wells is amazing, the writing style, humor and the whole story line is a must-read for sci-fi fans The "Silo" series by Hugh Howey is excellent, I read it after watching the TV series from Amazon, and no regrets. "Recursion" and "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch is also really great
  • lotsoweiners 3y ago
    The "Silo" series by Hugh Howey is excellent, I read it after watching the TV series from Amazon, and no regrets. I read this one this year too. I quickly read the first one before watching the show. I thought the 2nd book was a bit of a slog and kinda took the wind out of the series a bit but the 3rd one finished pretty strong. The show does a good job of displaying what I had in my head while reading the first book.
• lotsoweiners 3y ago
  Finally got around to reading Lonesome Dove and it is one of the best things I’ve ever read. Will likely check out the sequels.
• mooreds 3y ago
  I got into some interesting fantasy/SF: * The Locked Tomb Trilogy -- the first book is so good and the second and third books are good and unique. * The Great Cities Duology (first book was stronger) * The Paladin's Legacy (sequel series to The Deed of Paksenarrion, great to be back in that world) * The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett * The Up and Under series by Deborah Baker is super whimsical * The Redwinter Series by Ed McDonald If you're into the genre, all of these are great (at least the ones I've read, haven't finished all the series).
  • sverona 3y ago
    If anyone else is going to read Nona, I strongly recommend you read it immediately after Harrow and immediately before Alecto. And keep a Pynchon-style notebook. Neither I nor a friend could make heads or tails of what was going on without drawing a diagram. Gideon is amazing. Harrow is amazing. Both are good casual reads. Nona is far more demanding of the reader.
    • mooreds 3y ago
      I read your comment and was like "Alecto is out!" but no, still not released. I did find Nona difficult going, agreed. Love how the author keeps switching up styles.
• shove 3y ago
  James Baldwin’s early novels and short stories: sublime William Gibson, Neuromancer: finally went back and read this. It’s so culturally entrenched now, it’s hard to remember that it wasn’t always. Great example of a cautionary tale turned into a corporate roadmap. Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five: first Vonnegut I’ve ever read, definitely more in 2024 Rick Ruben, The Creative Act: A successful guy trying to sound wise for hundreds of pages. It was ok, but ultimately boring.
  • photon_lines 3y ago
    James Baldwin as a writer is master class. He writes incredible stories and incredible prose. If you like him, I'd also recommend Fernando Pessoa and Primo Levi as well.
• bwb 3y ago
  My favorite 3 of the year: Tom Swan and the Head of St George (By Christian Cameron) I fell in love with the lead character, who is like a 15th-century Indiana Jones wandering the Mediterranean and getting into trouble. He bumps into key historical figures and events along the way. I Am Pilgrim (By Terry Hayes) This is the best thriller I've read in 5 years. I read this book in one go as I could not put it down. Thief of Souls (By Brian Klingborg) The series is about a policeman named Lu Fei who lives in rural China. He ends up with a rural posting after stepping on some powerful toes. The author does a fantastic job describing what it is like to work in that power system and how he has to navigate the realities of modern China. I shared a full list of these 3 here: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/ben-fox https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/f/ben-fox I also interviewed 1,201 authors (more coming) and asked them for their 3 favorite reads of the year. Then I tabulate the results: https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023 https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023 I break it down by section with things like nonfiction (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/nonfiction https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/nonfiction), best audiobooks (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/audiobooks https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/audiobooks), and genres like hard sci fi (https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/hard-science-fiction https://shepherd.com/bboy/2023/hard-science-fiction).
  • level87 3y ago
    Looking forward to reading I Am Pilgrim, thank you.
    • bwb 3y ago
      Np! Sequel due in 2 months too :)
• photon_collider 3y ago
  These are my favorites for this year. Fiction: "Wool" and "Shift" (by Hugh Howey) - Fell in love with this series when the TV show debuted on Apple TV. I just had to read the book to find out what happens next. Still need to read the third book in the series. Non-Fiction: Algorithms to Live By (Brian Christian and Tom Griffith) - An interesting take on how to apply algorithms to regular day-to-day living. Crucial Conversations (Kerry Patterson et. al) - A good primer on how to have difficult conversations The Effective Engineer (Edmond Lau) - This book provided me a good framework on how to be more effective at prioritizing my work. Programming Phoenix LiveView (Bruce A. Tate and Sophie DeBenedetto) - I found this very helpful for getting acquainted with Phoenix and LiveView.
• ezekg 3y ago
  I recently read The Mote in God's Eye and its sequel, The Gripping Hand. Mote is now one of my favorite first-contact books.
• croo 3y ago
  The Red Rising saga is something I stumbled on by chance and slowly consuming it for relaxation. It is a great and often extremely fast paced pop sci-fi (if there is a genre called that). Lots of action, interesting world and hierarchy with political maneuvers often turning into bloodbaths. There is a big quality improvement starting from book 4, where the focus goes from the constant action to flesh out the characters still alive.
• AGivant 3y ago
  Fiction: 1. First Law cycle by Joe Abercrombie - too much violence for me is first books, but last trilogy is quite interesting. 2. Dark Tower by Stephen King - do I need to say more? 3. Old Man's War by John Scalzi, like this guy writing. 4. The Farseer trilogy and The Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb - pure pleasure. 5. Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E.Schwab, re-read, preparing to read new cycle. 6. Some Terry Prachett books. Non Fiction: 1. Ghost Map by Steven Johnson, about cholera outbreak in London in 1854, but more about society and life of that period. 2. Donnie Brasco - FBI guy infiltrated to one of five Mafia families and bring many people to justice, worth reading. 3. Oppenheimer by Kai Brid - didn't watch movie yet, prefer to start with book. 4. Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality by Christopher Ryan, Cacilda Jethá - interesting stuff about our sexuality and how we became who we are.
• lavixu123 3y ago
  2023 has been a good year with regard to reading. This has been year of History, Memoirs and Mythology. Some books I liked and would recommend are: 1) Nothing To Fear - This book is about the Great Depression in the USA and how president JFK took steps to bring the economy back. 2) Digital Minimalism - This is one book I would like to revisit every two years. About digital distractions and how to minimize it. 3) The Odyssey By Emily Wilson- This was a surprising easy read with author's notes on the backdrop. Helps you understand Greek mythology and some unraveling of human emotions. Pretty deep. Highly recommend. 4) Long Walk to Freedom - Autobiography of Nelson Mandela plus a good history of events in South Africa during his time. 5) Lies My Teacher Told me - This is about lies that usually are represented in US high school history and the author debunks some myths. This is also a USA history primer, but all the tones associated are negative. 6) India After Gandhi - Sneak peak into some Indian History and political environment after Independence, events leading to formation of states etc. 7) Lend Me Your ears: Great Speeches in History - This is a great collection of speeches grouped by events. Highly recommend. Nice way to learn some history through speeches.
• pjmorris 3y ago
  'The Path To Power', Caro, first volume of his LBJ biography. Elsewhere ('Working'), Caro has explained that his career in writing is to make clear how power is acquired and used. I think he achieves this goal here and am looking forward to the remaining volumes. 'Spiritual Formation', Henri Nouwen. A deep, Catholic, thinker with much to offer those who are looking in this direction. 'In A Sunburned Country', Bryson. Bryson is an ideal travel companion. 'The Information', Gleick. A tour of the ideas and technologies underneath how we became so dependent on bits. 'Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons'... the most worthwhile part was how my son and I bonded over working through the lessons.
• darkest_ruby 3y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Money https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Money
• cheyp 3y ago
  Fiction: 1) Betty Smith "A tree grows in Brooklyn". Maybe a bit too sentimental, but still very pleasant to read. Apparently this book was a WWII classic, but I never heard about it before. 2) Kazuo Ishiguro "An artist of the floating world". Maybe, not as strong as his other best two novels, but pretty interesting anyway. 3) Olga Tokarczuk "The Books of Jacob". An extremely long, but at the same time incredibly interesting book. It tells the complex story of a Jewish sect in Central Europe in the 18th century. It was a long read but it was definitely worth it.
  • daltont 3y ago
    The book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", is handy is you are Bugs Bunny and your are cornered by pack a dogs in New York. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XFFqbr27Vc&t=148s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XFFqbr27Vc&t=148s )
• koliber 3y ago
  Anna Karenina. The book was fascinating for many reasons. It made me realize how much people’s concerns, worries, and perspectives from over 100 years ago from Russia are similar to the ones in todays western world. The book is timeless.
• ElCapitanMarkla 3y ago
  My favourite book this year: Doom Guy: Life in First Person - John Romero.
• thoughtpalette 3y ago
  I tend to steer towards Fantasy & Sci-fi. [0]: The Will of the Many: A fun take on the genre. You get magic, academia, mystery, etc [1]: Jade City: My favorite series I've read in the last year or so. Super bummed it's over. Highly recommend. [0]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58416952-the-will-of-the-many https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58416952-the-will-of-the... [1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43587154-jade-city https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43587154-jade-city
• grwthckrmstr 3y ago
  Came here to comment that I sincerely thank everyone for sharing such great recommendations. I haven't heard of most of the authors or books in the recommendations. Thank you! Also came here to share my recommendation, which isn't mentioned here by anyone. The #1 book I read in 2023 that has been deeply impactful to my life. Courage to be Disliked - by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi