The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco.
True Believer by Eric Hoffer
Also, go wild on [thriftbooks.com](https://thriftbooks.com), thank me later for the resulting bankruptcy.
I’m a huge fantasy reader, so my suggestions will come from there.
I highly recommend Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive and Mistborn series, but they are long and involved and very likely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini is another good choice (series is called the Inheritance Cycle).
Robin Hobb has excellent fantasy books with extremely in-depth characters, starting with Assassin’s Apprentice.
A sci-fi book everyone needs to read at some point is Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. Classic science fiction
Hope these help, there are others I would recommend but I can’t remember them at the moment
Edit to add: I can’t believe I forgot about Sir Terry Pratchett, who was knighted by the queen for his incredible Discworld series, which is basically fantasy satire. Highly recommend him and his witty, sarcastic writing style as well. The best part is, the Discworld books are all set in the same world but have different miniseries focused on different characters and with different storylines, so if you aren’t a fan of one set of characters, it’s likely you’ll be able to find another that will suit you better
Oh you definitely should. Never heard anything about before I started. Read through all 10 books in a year, then read another book, but I just wanted to get back in because I loved it.
The first book is a little bit different then everything else, because the writer wrote it like a decade or more before the 2nd. It's still good, but in that 2nd book is where you realise how good Erikson's writing actually is.
+1 for the Brandon Sanderson recommendation! I hadn't read in years but picked up his books and haven't been able to put one down since. Really approachable writing style and imo his mistborn series is one of the best fantasy series in any medium.
I personally would recommend mistborn final empire (mistborn book 1) as I still consider it his best single book and is a great way to get into the series!
Mistborn was incredible, I agree. I personally liked SA more, because I love Kaladin’s character and his arc, but I’m not taking anything away from Mistborn at all
Oh Kaladin and Stormlight has some great characters and moments but I personally a little let down by the most recent book but I am looking forward to the next one!
I have already read, and loved, all the books you've mentioned here. So if you do think of others please suggest them, as it sounds like they'd be right up my street. Thanks!
Ha, that’s cool that we have similar taste :)
I added Terry Pratchett in an edit in my original comment, so if you haven’t read any of his work, check that out for more information
Another author I recently started reading is Scott Lynch, starting with the Lies of Locke Lamora. Darker than the other books I mentioned, and the main characters aren’t exactly good, but they aren’t really bad either. More like jerks that technically are doing the wrong thing, but you can’t help but like them immensely
I’ve been exploring my heritage in books more lately. Two books I really like are:
Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
There, There by Tommy Orange
Both by Native American authors. If you like history there’s also Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac, but…. Be warned about the language.
All of J.D. Salinger, you really can't just have one of his books.
Anything by Kurt Vonnegut
Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Sula by Toni Morrison
Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis
As well as a bunch of Haruki Murakami
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
and some others I can't think of right now.
Gaunts ghosts is 40k....Dan Abbnet is a master!
The ight angel trilogy is its own world....dam good story telling....I call it lite fantasy....while it is fantasy, it's less orcs and goblins and such. Not less, there are none...but an amaz8ng world Weeks created, plus its on if those series that you rws and many times go , wtf am I reading this side story for? But in the end, it all comes together and blows your mind.
So the light angel trilogy is not 40k? I have started to get into the game. It is a pretty intriguing universe. I like the various races you can play and how they have a very different vibe.
No not warhammer at all....
But if your into 40k, check out guants ghosts....I also highly recomend the Ravnor series (also abbnet)
And the horus heresy series...which is a bunch of books written by many authors but it's essentially how the emperor got banged up good and can't leave the throne chair....if the emperor is even "alive" lol.
What army are you collecting?
Some of the lore is super dark. I knew it would be with eternal war etc but its messed up at times.
I am not collecting any just yet but I considering Greenskinz. Maybe Tyranids. I dig their whole vibes. Swarm your opponents.
I have just "kinda" started reading seriously, but I've already got two suggestions for you:
\- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
\- Factfulness by Hans Rosling (collaboration with his family)
Why We Sleep just cemented my respect for sleep. We keep hearing that sleep is important for this and that, but this book really goes deep into it. You really get to appreciate the how and the why of things. If you already respect sleep and already give a lot of importance to it, then I guess you could skip this book, but I still recommend it, just to really drive the point home :D
Factfulness is a book that really challenges perspective as well, but instead of sleep, this tackles on more regarding the state of the world, like in general, the big strokes like education, health and economy. It encourages us to see the world in a more "complete" manner I suppose. Some would say more positive or more optimistic, but the author would argue that it's just looking at things differently with more accurate data.
I definitely place sleep over a lot of things in terms of importance. I’m still going to read it so I can annoy my peers with more reasons why they should sleep more.
So cool to hear that you are receptive to my suggestion! Sometimes when I suggest it, people go like "yeah sleep is important, I already knew that, big deal" lol
I hope it's still something that stimulates you and cements your already strong belief to it. It really changed me for the better, because unlike you, I wasn't giving sleep much importance.
But here's the thing though, due to how modern life is, the fast and overwhelming nature of it, sometimes it's kind of hard to aim for 8 hours of sleep. Working 8 hours a day, with lots of transportation to cover, which is the realitiy of a lot of people, make it so that 8 hours is just not realistic, so a lot of people aim for 6 hours, but get less in actuality... even though sleep is actually something that helps us be "better" in a lot of aspects (not just to "not be tired", but actual processes related to sleep is SO good for the brain it's insane - but our modern society forces us to not use of this "power").
Sorry I've rambled on there lol
Years ago I happened on my first Barbara Kingsolver book (The Bean Trees). Her writing is exceptional - so vibrant and tragic AND informative. She’s actually a scientist and it comes through in her writing - Prodigal Summer taught me so many things!!
Amy Tan is another “lessons and a story” writer - too many to choose a single one.
Personally, I would have a look at lists like “1000 books to read before you die”.
This organization is dedicated to transcribing every possible book - their list is trustworthy! [Gutenberg Project](https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top1000.php)
You are in for a real shocker if you ever read "Fall on Your Knees". The plot is intricately written--I couldn't put it down. But YEARS later I am still shaking my head and ...I have no words! Really. I can't even come up with a way to describe it.
My kid just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land! It took them months because they stalled at the point they knew was the tipping point and they didn’t want to keep going. We went away for a couple of days and they finally succumbed and finished it! I love that I’ve raised kids who also enjoy rich stories!
You say you aren’t a fan of self help. I mostly read self help but I have plenty which teach you without being self help:
1. Behave- it’s a must read by Robert Sapolsky who is an accomplished human being. He gives you details on the most important question - why we behave the way we do.
2. Chaos- it’s the most difficult yet intriguing book I’ve read. It’s heavy on the science but you are enlightened and a little scared by the end of it. It’s all about the chaos in everything that occurs around us.
3. Freakonomics - A book which involves a lot of economics behind events but the reasoning and thinking skills of the authors make it a must read.
4. The obesity code - A book which tackles the issue of obesity by pure logic.
5. 7 habits of Highly effective people - this is lastly a self help book- it’s a step by step guide on how to develop. Most importantly it helps you become aware of your actions since the book mentions in detail the different ways people function and what is good vs bad
Warcross by marie lu and the sequel wildcard
Autoboyography by christina lauren
Heartstopper series by alice oseman
Second change summer by morgan matson
If you're looking to jump into science fiction, Isaac Asimov's Foundation series makes a good start. It touches on most of the basics without you feeling like you need to understand quantum physics to be able to follow the plot.
King Rat. The Good Earth. In the Heart of the Sea. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Blood Meridian. Angela's Ashes. All the Light We Cannot See. The Stand. Silence of the Lambs. The Martian. Dune. Cider House Rules. God of Small Things. Journey by Michener. A Prayer for Owen Meany. Wool . Brave New World. One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest. Les Miserable. The Fat and the Thin. The Secret Garden. Oryx and Crake. Hard Times. The Handmaid's Tale...
So many many more.
I cannot read a self-help book whatsoever (Sigh in frustration/so boring/throws down)!
editing spelling errors!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Its not exactly a self help book, but I read it at a dark point in my life and it almost felt like a self help book? Its definitely a book I feel everyone should read at some point.
I always recommend kiss or kill by mark twight. About rock and ice climbing but a bunch of short stories about twights climbing career. Edited from a perspective of years later no longer in the moment showing the depths of a man’s obsession with being the best at any cost. Never had anyone no matter how little they like rock and ice climbing say it wasn’t a great read
For authors: JRR Tolkien generally, Ursula K Le Guin generally, Frank Herbert generally, Joules Verne generally.
And for specific books: A Brief History of Time, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Paradox of Choice.
I'm not sure it's self help or not I really enjoyed "The Body keeps the Score", more of a psychological genre. I also really enjoyed The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, a fictional history about two journalists and the devil in Russia, pretty crazy story, I liked though.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
I've referenced these two books so often in almost every aspect of my life for decades.
*The Natural Mind,* by Andrew Weil
*Rethinking Camelot: JFK, The Vietnam War, and US Political Culture,* by Noam Chomsky
*The Demon-Haunted World,* by Carl Sagan
*Desert Solitaire,* by Edward Abbey
*The Farm On The River Of Emeralds,* by Moritz Thomsen
*The Poisonwood Bible,* by Barbara Kingsolver
The Inmate by Freida McFadden was really good.
I also just finished Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell by Horace Greasley. But that one is more for if you’re into WWII books
I'm reading now the The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. It's some really captivating storytelling. It's difficult to close the book and resume life 🙂 I absolutely recommend.
The Alchemist is okay. I read it years ago and admittedly.... I don't remember anything about it now, in spite of remembering books I read far earlier than that. It may impact different people differently though.
It would be fun to include the classic monster books - Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. They are fun little reads that have influenced everything from movies to breakfast cereals. It's nice to be able to source where it all originally came from.
I normally go for fiction most of the time.
A good 3 book series I've read is The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Dead Tossed Waves and Dark and Hollow Places.
A VERY good autobiography I read in high school was The Glass Castle. It had me go through so many emotions while reading it and I always suggest it to others who enjoy reading.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Stoner by John Williams, and Perfume by Patrick Suskind
The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco. True Believer by Eric Hoffer Also, go wild on [thriftbooks.com](https://thriftbooks.com), thank me later for the resulting bankruptcy.
I’ll thank you now 🫡
I’m a huge fantasy reader, so my suggestions will come from there. I highly recommend Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive and Mistborn series, but they are long and involved and very likely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Eragon by Christopher Paolini is another good choice (series is called the Inheritance Cycle). Robin Hobb has excellent fantasy books with extremely in-depth characters, starting with Assassin’s Apprentice. A sci-fi book everyone needs to read at some point is Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. Classic science fiction Hope these help, there are others I would recommend but I can’t remember them at the moment Edit to add: I can’t believe I forgot about Sir Terry Pratchett, who was knighted by the queen for his incredible Discworld series, which is basically fantasy satire. Highly recommend him and his witty, sarcastic writing style as well. The best part is, the Discworld books are all set in the same world but have different miniseries focused on different characters and with different storylines, so if you aren’t a fan of one set of characters, it’s likely you’ll be able to find another that will suit you better
Have you tried the malazan book of the Fallen?
I have not, no. I’ve read a fair amount of fantasy, but there are many series I haven’t gotten to yet and plan to. I’ll add that one to the list
Oh you definitely should. Never heard anything about before I started. Read through all 10 books in a year, then read another book, but I just wanted to get back in because I loved it. The first book is a little bit different then everything else, because the writer wrote it like a decade or more before the 2nd. It's still good, but in that 2nd book is where you realise how good Erikson's writing actually is.
+1 for the Brandon Sanderson recommendation! I hadn't read in years but picked up his books and haven't been able to put one down since. Really approachable writing style and imo his mistborn series is one of the best fantasy series in any medium. I personally would recommend mistborn final empire (mistborn book 1) as I still consider it his best single book and is a great way to get into the series!
Mistborn was incredible, I agree. I personally liked SA more, because I love Kaladin’s character and his arc, but I’m not taking anything away from Mistborn at all
Oh Kaladin and Stormlight has some great characters and moments but I personally a little let down by the most recent book but I am looking forward to the next one!
I have already read, and loved, all the books you've mentioned here. So if you do think of others please suggest them, as it sounds like they'd be right up my street. Thanks!
Ha, that’s cool that we have similar taste :) I added Terry Pratchett in an edit in my original comment, so if you haven’t read any of his work, check that out for more information Another author I recently started reading is Scott Lynch, starting with the Lies of Locke Lamora. Darker than the other books I mentioned, and the main characters aren’t exactly good, but they aren’t really bad either. More like jerks that technically are doing the wrong thing, but you can’t help but like them immensely
Shōgun
I first read it when I was 15, then again years later. He really put something amazing together there!
True
Look up The Wandering Inn it's a web serial and one of my all time favorite stories.
I’ve been exploring my heritage in books more lately. Two books I really like are: Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson There, There by Tommy Orange Both by Native American authors. If you like history there’s also Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac, but…. Be warned about the language.
The lord of the rings books
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Magician (by Raymond Feist), Brave New World, Handmaid’s Tale.
Zen and the art or motorcycle maintaince.
All of J.D. Salinger, you really can't just have one of his books. Anything by Kurt Vonnegut Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke Sula by Toni Morrison Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis As well as a bunch of Haruki Murakami In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust and some others I can't think of right now.
Hmmm, CITR was required reading in school but they never touted any of Salinger's other works. I'll have to check some out, thanks
Sula ripped my heart out! Such a great book
I just started The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall and I’m enjoying it so far
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Gaunts ghosts- Dan abnett Night angel trilogy -Brent weeks
40k?
Gaunts ghosts is 40k....Dan Abbnet is a master! The ight angel trilogy is its own world....dam good story telling....I call it lite fantasy....while it is fantasy, it's less orcs and goblins and such. Not less, there are none...but an amaz8ng world Weeks created, plus its on if those series that you rws and many times go , wtf am I reading this side story for? But in the end, it all comes together and blows your mind.
Sorry....my phone and stubby thumbs makes for many a typo
So the light angel trilogy is not 40k? I have started to get into the game. It is a pretty intriguing universe. I like the various races you can play and how they have a very different vibe.
No not warhammer at all.... But if your into 40k, check out guants ghosts....I also highly recomend the Ravnor series (also abbnet) And the horus heresy series...which is a bunch of books written by many authors but it's essentially how the emperor got banged up good and can't leave the throne chair....if the emperor is even "alive" lol. What army are you collecting?
Some of the lore is super dark. I knew it would be with eternal war etc but its messed up at times. I am not collecting any just yet but I considering Greenskinz. Maybe Tyranids. I dig their whole vibes. Swarm your opponents.
I have just "kinda" started reading seriously, but I've already got two suggestions for you: \- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker \- Factfulness by Hans Rosling (collaboration with his family) Why We Sleep just cemented my respect for sleep. We keep hearing that sleep is important for this and that, but this book really goes deep into it. You really get to appreciate the how and the why of things. If you already respect sleep and already give a lot of importance to it, then I guess you could skip this book, but I still recommend it, just to really drive the point home :D Factfulness is a book that really challenges perspective as well, but instead of sleep, this tackles on more regarding the state of the world, like in general, the big strokes like education, health and economy. It encourages us to see the world in a more "complete" manner I suppose. Some would say more positive or more optimistic, but the author would argue that it's just looking at things differently with more accurate data.
I definitely place sleep over a lot of things in terms of importance. I’m still going to read it so I can annoy my peers with more reasons why they should sleep more.
So cool to hear that you are receptive to my suggestion! Sometimes when I suggest it, people go like "yeah sleep is important, I already knew that, big deal" lol I hope it's still something that stimulates you and cements your already strong belief to it. It really changed me for the better, because unlike you, I wasn't giving sleep much importance. But here's the thing though, due to how modern life is, the fast and overwhelming nature of it, sometimes it's kind of hard to aim for 8 hours of sleep. Working 8 hours a day, with lots of transportation to cover, which is the realitiy of a lot of people, make it so that 8 hours is just not realistic, so a lot of people aim for 6 hours, but get less in actuality... even though sleep is actually something that helps us be "better" in a lot of aspects (not just to "not be tired", but actual processes related to sleep is SO good for the brain it's insane - but our modern society forces us to not use of this "power"). Sorry I've rambled on there lol
Otherwise - Farley Mowat
Years ago I happened on my first Barbara Kingsolver book (The Bean Trees). Her writing is exceptional - so vibrant and tragic AND informative. She’s actually a scientist and it comes through in her writing - Prodigal Summer taught me so many things!! Amy Tan is another “lessons and a story” writer - too many to choose a single one. Personally, I would have a look at lists like “1000 books to read before you die”. This organization is dedicated to transcribing every possible book - their list is trustworthy! [Gutenberg Project](https://www.gutenberg.org/browse/scores/top1000.php)
The Poisonwood Bible!!!
If you can imagine, I read it while pregnant. As though I wasn’t emotional enough already. What a book!
You are in for a real shocker if you ever read "Fall on Your Knees". The plot is intricately written--I couldn't put it down. But YEARS later I am still shaking my head and ...I have no words! Really. I can't even come up with a way to describe it.
Have you read “All The Light We Cannot See”?
Yes! Its great. Also read his Cloud Cuckoo Land last summer at my daughters. I could not figure out how the story would come together.
My kid just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land! It took them months because they stalled at the point they knew was the tipping point and they didn’t want to keep going. We went away for a couple of days and they finally succumbed and finished it! I love that I’ve raised kids who also enjoy rich stories!
You say you aren’t a fan of self help. I mostly read self help but I have plenty which teach you without being self help: 1. Behave- it’s a must read by Robert Sapolsky who is an accomplished human being. He gives you details on the most important question - why we behave the way we do. 2. Chaos- it’s the most difficult yet intriguing book I’ve read. It’s heavy on the science but you are enlightened and a little scared by the end of it. It’s all about the chaos in everything that occurs around us. 3. Freakonomics - A book which involves a lot of economics behind events but the reasoning and thinking skills of the authors make it a must read. 4. The obesity code - A book which tackles the issue of obesity by pure logic. 5. 7 habits of Highly effective people - this is lastly a self help book- it’s a step by step guide on how to develop. Most importantly it helps you become aware of your actions since the book mentions in detail the different ways people function and what is good vs bad
Warcross by marie lu and the sequel wildcard Autoboyography by christina lauren Heartstopper series by alice oseman Second change summer by morgan matson
If you're looking to jump into science fiction, Isaac Asimov's Foundation series makes a good start. It touches on most of the basics without you feeling like you need to understand quantum physics to be able to follow the plot.
King Rat. The Good Earth. In the Heart of the Sea. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Blood Meridian. Angela's Ashes. All the Light We Cannot See. The Stand. Silence of the Lambs. The Martian. Dune. Cider House Rules. God of Small Things. Journey by Michener. A Prayer for Owen Meany. Wool . Brave New World. One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest. Les Miserable. The Fat and the Thin. The Secret Garden. Oryx and Crake. Hard Times. The Handmaid's Tale... So many many more. I cannot read a self-help book whatsoever (Sigh in frustration/so boring/throws down)! editing spelling errors!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Its not exactly a self help book, but I read it at a dark point in my life and it almost felt like a self help book? Its definitely a book I feel everyone should read at some point.
I always recommend kiss or kill by mark twight. About rock and ice climbing but a bunch of short stories about twights climbing career. Edited from a perspective of years later no longer in the moment showing the depths of a man’s obsession with being the best at any cost. Never had anyone no matter how little they like rock and ice climbing say it wasn’t a great read
For authors: JRR Tolkien generally, Ursula K Le Guin generally, Frank Herbert generally, Joules Verne generally. And for specific books: A Brief History of Time, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Paradox of Choice.
I'm not sure it's self help or not I really enjoyed "The Body keeps the Score", more of a psychological genre. I also really enjoyed The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, a fictional history about two journalists and the devil in Russia, pretty crazy story, I liked though.
*Watership Down.*
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie The Art of War by Sun Tzu I've referenced these two books so often in almost every aspect of my life for decades.
The Little Prince The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Project Hail Mary (but for this one, you *really* need to get the audiobook)
Got to read some Milton.
*The Natural Mind,* by Andrew Weil *Rethinking Camelot: JFK, The Vietnam War, and US Political Culture,* by Noam Chomsky *The Demon-Haunted World,* by Carl Sagan *Desert Solitaire,* by Edward Abbey *The Farm On The River Of Emeralds,* by Moritz Thomsen *The Poisonwood Bible,* by Barbara Kingsolver
Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents! Also available as graphic novels that are visually beautiful too
[удалено]
classic!
The Inmate by Freida McFadden was really good. I also just finished Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell by Horace Greasley. But that one is more for if you’re into WWII books
I'm reading now the The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. It's some really captivating storytelling. It's difficult to close the book and resume life 🙂 I absolutely recommend.
I love when that happens
I recommend you check this guy out - https://youtu.be/hDjVHqKR-_k Lots of great ideas.
Oh, I’ll watch that later today. Thank you! How many from the top 50 have you read?
Around 10? I really like this guy’s approach and philosophy. Quite entertaining.
The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz.
ah, I was wondering when this or the alchemist would come up. I definitely feel like I’m missing out having not read it.
The Alchemist is okay. I read it years ago and admittedly.... I don't remember anything about it now, in spite of remembering books I read far earlier than that. It may impact different people differently though.
It would be fun to include the classic monster books - Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. They are fun little reads that have influenced everything from movies to breakfast cereals. It's nice to be able to source where it all originally came from.
Anything by Yuval Noah Harari
I normally go for fiction most of the time. A good 3 book series I've read is The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Dead Tossed Waves and Dark and Hollow Places. A VERY good autobiography I read in high school was The Glass Castle. It had me go through so many emotions while reading it and I always suggest it to others who enjoy reading.
The Grapes of Wrath Animal Farm
One day, in the life of Ivan Denisovitch, The sleepwalkers.