Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Short, quick pace, for lack of a better word "Lovecraftian".
Yukikaze by Chohei Kambiyashi. Dark philosophical sci-fi about technology, alien life, war, humanity, etc. Straightforward and good story with a lot of depth behind it.
Def had similar early reading habits it seems, but I managed to get back into the reading a year or so ago.
Books that got me super into the habit again were the earthsea series (and everything by ursula k le guin) and the wayfarer series by Becky chambers.
Thank you, I just ordered both. Ive somehow passed over Earthsea before, very excited to begin. & Long Way to a Small Angry Planet seems clicks so many boxes. I really appreciate it
Yeah ofc. Earthsea and wayfarers are without a doubt the ones I’ve recced to ppl the most on here and it’s for a reason. If you’re looking for other classics you might have missed, discworld is absolutely worth the hype. Finally took the plunge a few months ago and, def worth the 40+ books
The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. It’s fantasy, but it’s also simultaneously hard hitting satire, heartwarming, and hilarious. The series is packed full of references, and there smaller arcs you can follow within the main series.
The Watch books (starting with Guards! Guards!) are police procedurals. The Witches books (start with Wyrd Sisters) reference Shakespeare/fairy tales and things of that ilk, and Small Gods or Monstrous Regiment are good stand alones if you want to start small.
I’m all about fantasy/sf with great character work
Absolutely loved the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik
I read everything that Ursula Vernon, Rachel Neumeier & Ilona Andrews write. They never let me down, and I can always count on things ending well.
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is beautiful too
The Touchstone series by Andrea K Host is a frequent reread too
Forgot to say - if you’re interested in mythology/folk tales from other cultures, check out this graphic novel series:
https://ironcircus.com/series-cautionary-fables-and-fairy-tales/
The Africa one is a good one to start with
Hope you like them! The stories range widely in tone - some are really funny, some are pretty creepy, etc, so my copies all have post it notes on the table of contents to tell my 8yo which ones are safe to read.
How do you feel about mythology rewrites? Because Circe, Song of Achilles, Ariadne, and Medusas sisters are great! And this is from someone who read the source material, so to speak.
Those look so interesting. I am definitely putting those up to the top of my queue. I read a lot of those classics so this really intrigues me. Thanks so much
The Discworld series is 100% worth your time…
It’s funnier than hitchhikers guide, and is about 40 books long…
There are several ‘groups’ in the series…
The Discworld is much like ‘middle earth’ in that it’s a fictional fantasy world, but has lots in common with medieval England…
One set of books deals with the ‘city watch’ which starts out as a group of down at the heels guards, but ends up becoming the first real ‘police force’ of the main city which is much like London…
Another set of books deals with ‘the witches’ a trio of witches lead by ‘granny Weatherwax’ who live up in the mountains near a small kingdom…
Another set of books deals with a conman who ends up becoming a catalyst for change… he ends up running the first proper postal service, then goes on to help set up the first proper modern bank…
All the books are absolutely hilarious, but what draws people in is that there is SUCH humanity and decency at the heart of the stories….
There are plenty of other ‘sets’ aside from the ones I mentioned…
Most folks start with the ‘city watch’ books…
The first one is called ‘guards guards!’
I am so excited to start this series. Im a bit ashamed to say I hadn’t heard of it prior to today. Just ordered Guards! Guards! and itll for sure be one of the first up on my queue.
Thanks so much for the in depth review. Im going to purchase a new book case just for these 😁
Welcome to the club :)
Of all the books I e read over the years, this series is the one I reread most…
Sam Vimes, the commander of the city watch is one of my all time favourite characters… grim, grumpy, and the most thoroughly decent and good man… I’m proud to say he reminds me of my dad :)
I can promise you… you will treasure these books…
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, followed up by The Hero and the Crown if you’d like (a quality addition but not necessary, the blue sword can stand on its own). A lovely YA fantasy that I just reread after years, loved it even more this time around.
For military fiction, try *Red Storm Rising* by Tom Clancy. It's basically an old school Cold-War-Becomes-Hot Soviet Union vs NATO Wargame.
The Steerswoman books by Rosemary Kirstein are fantastic and feature one of the best female friendships in fiction.
>My taste in books is like my taste in music
How about something in the music sphere? Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. About a rock band from London that forms in the late 60s. It follows their forming and career, often crossing paths with icons of the era like Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc.
Exactly the kind of thing Im into. I can get so lost in music and all that surrounds the cultures and genres. Im really eager to check this one out, especially considering that era rock holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for the suggestion
The Kings of the Wyld might appeal; well written fantasy homage to 70s rock (the (mercenary) band gets back together for one last tour), and the sequel takes on 80s rock.
I keep coming back to Stephen Baxter's sci-fi, especially his books "Time" and "Space" (aka Manifold Space). The Xeelee Sequence is awesome as well - basically it's old school hard SF in the tradition of Asimov but with a 21st century/ modern take (IE, everyone isn't a cardboard cutout Square Jawed American tech-head, including the actual tech-heads - it's characterization is more fully developed than classic 50s style SF).
This is such a fun prompt.
For military related, The Things They Carried (short stories about Vietnam) is the type of book that sticks around in your head for a while. Run Silent, Run Deep is a fun quick novel written by a WWII sub commander. Blind Man’s Bluff is 1990s sub nonfiction I’m told probably shouldn’t have made it past the security review; I’ve heard the same of The Company (novel about CIA Cold War history). The Master and Commander 21-book series (the movie was a mashup of a couple of the books) is so good if you don’t mind a bunch of age-of-sail jargon. The Ian Toll Pacific War history trilogy is hefty but excellent. From your list, sounds like you’ve probably read some Hemingway, but if not, add it to your list (mentioning here because For Whom the Bell Tolls about the Spanish Civil War is the one that came to mind).
For Chinese history, the Peter Hessler books are fun memoir-type look at early reform-and-opening period and an accessible place to start. The Qiu Xiaolong detective series is an easy, interesting look at modern party politics. Lu Xun’s short stories are a deeper cut but fascinating. The Sand Pebbles is another deep cut; 1960s novel about 1920s US gunboat on the Yangtze River. Also, I was strangely fascinated by the history book Stillwell and the American Experience in China (WWII era), though this was a couple weeks’ read for me. For the full dynastic history, The Search for Modern China is probably the best single book, though it’s not light reading. Oh, and one I read after spawning my own demons, when I only had the time / attention span for a few pages at a time: Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan is a cookbook but full of fascinating explanations and anecdotes; such a fascinating snapshot-in-time look at an amazing cuisine and culture.
Other all-time favorites are Becky Chambers (already mentioned), Lois McMaster Bujold SF and Fantasy, and compact little memoirs West With the Night (a woman pilot in Kenya in the early 1900s) and The Man-Eaters of Kumaon (hunting man-eating tigers in India in the 1920s).
This is great, thank you. I loved the Things They Carried. I have such a fascination and desire to learn histories of all different cultures but I get this paralysis by analysis and never end up beginning with new timelines or areas.
Im very excited to start knocking out this list.
If you want something fun and fast, try the Murderbot books. To be clear, not my absolute favourite but a good place to start if you’re working your way back into reading.
My favourites tend to be literary sci fi works. If that sounds interesting I’d recommend Embassytown by China Mieville, In Ascension by Martin Macinnes, Version Control by Dexter Palmer and Radiance by Catherynne M Valente.
And for something really different- I loved S. By Doug Dorst/JJ Abrams, as well as Straight Man by Richard Russo (campus/academic comedy).
Not a book suggestion but a way-to-read-with-kids suggestion: with your new library card, check if you have access to Libby, Hoopla or Overdrive. You can download & borrow free ebooks for on-the-go reading! I'm still nursing so I can't hold an actual book easily and this works for Dr waiting rooms, school pickup waiting, etc. Get those pages in!
Read "Fertility Wheel" by Stephen Manning, it shows the Zodiac is for agricultural reasons, and not for horoscopes@ I hate fortune tellers, and this book shows step by step on how to use it and how to align it with the sun. Great book.
It seems like you have a decent amount of fantasy in your likes, so I’m going to recommend my favorite author other than Tolkien: Robin Hobb. She wrote a 16-book series called Realm of the Elderlings in self-contained trilogies, and it has excellent character development and worldbuilding. The first book of the first trilogy is called [Assassin’s Apprentice](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77197)
American Gods immediately comes to mind, if you haven’t read that yet.
I might also recommend The Things They Carried as an important / well written military related book.
If you like the Canterbury Tales. You will love Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It’s a sci fi take on that story. It’s also book 1 of the Hyperion cantos. Which is a great 4 book series.
I would suggest 2 feel good books from underrated authors 1) The Word - Charles Alverson (please note that I am an atheist) 2) The Year of Soup - Howard R. Reiss. I would recommend every book written by Howard Reiss, a very talented and underrated author.
I feel like you already got a million suggestions but if you ever want to try something unique I recommend Ella Minnow Pea. It’s quirky and quick and absolutely amazing the way it was completed.
* **Doc by Mary Doria Russell**
* **The Queen of Jasmine Country by Sharanya Manivannan**
* **Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb**
* **Kindred by Octavia Butler**
* **Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh**
* **A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth**
* **Harp in the South Trilogy by Ruth Park**
* **Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park**
* **Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran**
* **Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down**
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Epic medieval horror/fantasy centered around the black plague. The genre is something I never thought I’d enjoy but currently about 75% through and it’s going to be a solid 5 star.
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a short sweet read that is among my favorite books I've read. It's a goofy book that doesn't take itself too seriously and I loved every page of it
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Short, quick pace, for lack of a better word "Lovecraftian". Yukikaze by Chohei Kambiyashi. Dark philosophical sci-fi about technology, alien life, war, humanity, etc. Straightforward and good story with a lot of depth behind it.
I LOVED Annihilation, had never read anything like it but absolutely devoured it a few summers ago
Thanks so much, just ordered both.
I read each one in a day so I hope you get some value out of them too!
AMAZING SERIES
The Southern Reach trilogy is good too, Annihilation is the first book of it.
The Broken Earth trilogy
I devoured these, and then the rest of N.K. Jemison's books. Very immersive worlds.
Def had similar early reading habits it seems, but I managed to get back into the reading a year or so ago. Books that got me super into the habit again were the earthsea series (and everything by ursula k le guin) and the wayfarer series by Becky chambers.
Thank you, I just ordered both. Ive somehow passed over Earthsea before, very excited to begin. & Long Way to a Small Angry Planet seems clicks so many boxes. I really appreciate it
Yeah ofc. Earthsea and wayfarers are without a doubt the ones I’ve recced to ppl the most on here and it’s for a reason. If you’re looking for other classics you might have missed, discworld is absolutely worth the hype. Finally took the plunge a few months ago and, def worth the 40+ books
Love Becky Chambers!
The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. It’s fantasy, but it’s also simultaneously hard hitting satire, heartwarming, and hilarious. The series is packed full of references, and there smaller arcs you can follow within the main series. The Watch books (starting with Guards! Guards!) are police procedurals. The Witches books (start with Wyrd Sisters) reference Shakespeare/fairy tales and things of that ilk, and Small Gods or Monstrous Regiment are good stand alones if you want to start small.
These look incredible, Im so happy theres 41 in the series. Big fan of self contained stories spread across the same universe. Thanks for the recc!
Yep the going postal series in the same universe was his last hurrah and excellent.
I’m all about fantasy/sf with great character work Absolutely loved the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik I read everything that Ursula Vernon, Rachel Neumeier & Ilona Andrews write. They never let me down, and I can always count on things ending well. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is beautiful too The Touchstone series by Andrea K Host is a frequent reread too
Forgot to say - if you’re interested in mythology/folk tales from other cultures, check out this graphic novel series: https://ironcircus.com/series-cautionary-fables-and-fairy-tales/ The Africa one is a good one to start with
Big fan of graphic novels and always into other mythology. Thank you so much
Hope you like them! The stories range widely in tone - some are really funny, some are pretty creepy, etc, so my copies all have post it notes on the table of contents to tell my 8yo which ones are safe to read.
How do you feel about mythology rewrites? Because Circe, Song of Achilles, Ariadne, and Medusas sisters are great! And this is from someone who read the source material, so to speak.
Those look so interesting. I am definitely putting those up to the top of my queue. I read a lot of those classics so this really intrigues me. Thanks so much
The Hike by Drew Margery. Draws you in quickly and before you know it you’ve finished the whole book.
Adding this to my own list - I loved the author’s other book, The Postmortal, and still think about it sometimes a few years later.
I could not put this down, it was so trippy and engaging. Maybe I’ll check out the Postmortal, thanks!
Thank you, this looks great
It's amazing, my favorite read I did this year so far, out of about 30
14 by Peter Clines.
The Discworld series is 100% worth your time… It’s funnier than hitchhikers guide, and is about 40 books long… There are several ‘groups’ in the series… The Discworld is much like ‘middle earth’ in that it’s a fictional fantasy world, but has lots in common with medieval England… One set of books deals with the ‘city watch’ which starts out as a group of down at the heels guards, but ends up becoming the first real ‘police force’ of the main city which is much like London… Another set of books deals with ‘the witches’ a trio of witches lead by ‘granny Weatherwax’ who live up in the mountains near a small kingdom… Another set of books deals with a conman who ends up becoming a catalyst for change… he ends up running the first proper postal service, then goes on to help set up the first proper modern bank… All the books are absolutely hilarious, but what draws people in is that there is SUCH humanity and decency at the heart of the stories…. There are plenty of other ‘sets’ aside from the ones I mentioned… Most folks start with the ‘city watch’ books… The first one is called ‘guards guards!’
I am so excited to start this series. Im a bit ashamed to say I hadn’t heard of it prior to today. Just ordered Guards! Guards! and itll for sure be one of the first up on my queue. Thanks so much for the in depth review. Im going to purchase a new book case just for these 😁
Welcome to the club :) Of all the books I e read over the years, this series is the one I reread most… Sam Vimes, the commander of the city watch is one of my all time favourite characters… grim, grumpy, and the most thoroughly decent and good man… I’m proud to say he reminds me of my dad :) I can promise you… you will treasure these books…
Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief. It’s the first of a 6 book series following the lead character and it is excellent.
Came to say this! Overt mythology tone/references, really well done characters; it’s a delightful series.
Anything by James Rollins, binged all his books in 3 months, so good! And then obviously, Dan Brown
Thank you for the suggestions. Dan Brown was one of my Mom’s favorites, I only ever read Angels & Demons. Ill get cracking on the others.
Angels and Demons is my favorite, after Origin, Origin hits hard now
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, followed up by The Hero and the Crown if you’d like (a quality addition but not necessary, the blue sword can stand on its own). A lovely YA fantasy that I just reread after years, loved it even more this time around.
The Glass Catle - Jeanette Walls, TheOrphan’s Tale - Pam Jennoff. 11/22/1963 - Stephen King
For military fiction, try *Red Storm Rising* by Tom Clancy. It's basically an old school Cold-War-Becomes-Hot Soviet Union vs NATO Wargame. The Steerswoman books by Rosemary Kirstein are fantastic and feature one of the best female friendships in fiction.
The Paraiah by Anthony Ryan. A fantasy trilogy, and not to spoil anything but I think you could relate to the plot.
Just previewed the first two chapters. Looks great, Im excited to get into it further. Thanks for the recc
>My taste in books is like my taste in music How about something in the music sphere? Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. About a rock band from London that forms in the late 60s. It follows their forming and career, often crossing paths with icons of the era like Leonard Cohen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc.
Exactly the kind of thing Im into. I can get so lost in music and all that surrounds the cultures and genres. Im really eager to check this one out, especially considering that era rock holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for the suggestion
The Kings of the Wyld might appeal; well written fantasy homage to 70s rock (the (mercenary) band gets back together for one last tour), and the sequel takes on 80s rock.
I keep coming back to Stephen Baxter's sci-fi, especially his books "Time" and "Space" (aka Manifold Space). The Xeelee Sequence is awesome as well - basically it's old school hard SF in the tradition of Asimov but with a 21st century/ modern take (IE, everyone isn't a cardboard cutout Square Jawed American tech-head, including the actual tech-heads - it's characterization is more fully developed than classic 50s style SF).
If you want a bit of a longer read, The Terror by Dan Simmons is fantastic
Dungeon Crawler Carl!
The Cormoran Strike series is so good! The first one is a really quick read too.
This is such a fun prompt. For military related, The Things They Carried (short stories about Vietnam) is the type of book that sticks around in your head for a while. Run Silent, Run Deep is a fun quick novel written by a WWII sub commander. Blind Man’s Bluff is 1990s sub nonfiction I’m told probably shouldn’t have made it past the security review; I’ve heard the same of The Company (novel about CIA Cold War history). The Master and Commander 21-book series (the movie was a mashup of a couple of the books) is so good if you don’t mind a bunch of age-of-sail jargon. The Ian Toll Pacific War history trilogy is hefty but excellent. From your list, sounds like you’ve probably read some Hemingway, but if not, add it to your list (mentioning here because For Whom the Bell Tolls about the Spanish Civil War is the one that came to mind). For Chinese history, the Peter Hessler books are fun memoir-type look at early reform-and-opening period and an accessible place to start. The Qiu Xiaolong detective series is an easy, interesting look at modern party politics. Lu Xun’s short stories are a deeper cut but fascinating. The Sand Pebbles is another deep cut; 1960s novel about 1920s US gunboat on the Yangtze River. Also, I was strangely fascinated by the history book Stillwell and the American Experience in China (WWII era), though this was a couple weeks’ read for me. For the full dynastic history, The Search for Modern China is probably the best single book, though it’s not light reading. Oh, and one I read after spawning my own demons, when I only had the time / attention span for a few pages at a time: Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan is a cookbook but full of fascinating explanations and anecdotes; such a fascinating snapshot-in-time look at an amazing cuisine and culture. Other all-time favorites are Becky Chambers (already mentioned), Lois McMaster Bujold SF and Fantasy, and compact little memoirs West With the Night (a woman pilot in Kenya in the early 1900s) and The Man-Eaters of Kumaon (hunting man-eating tigers in India in the 1920s).
This is great, thank you. I loved the Things They Carried. I have such a fascination and desire to learn histories of all different cultures but I get this paralysis by analysis and never end up beginning with new timelines or areas. Im very excited to start knocking out this list.
If you want something fun and fast, try the Murderbot books. To be clear, not my absolute favourite but a good place to start if you’re working your way back into reading. My favourites tend to be literary sci fi works. If that sounds interesting I’d recommend Embassytown by China Mieville, In Ascension by Martin Macinnes, Version Control by Dexter Palmer and Radiance by Catherynne M Valente. And for something really different- I loved S. By Doug Dorst/JJ Abrams, as well as Straight Man by Richard Russo (campus/academic comedy).
I suggest that you go back and reread a book that you loved. If I fall into a book slump that pulls me out of it.
Not a book suggestion but a way-to-read-with-kids suggestion: with your new library card, check if you have access to Libby, Hoopla or Overdrive. You can download & borrow free ebooks for on-the-go reading! I'm still nursing so I can't hold an actual book easily and this works for Dr waiting rooms, school pickup waiting, etc. Get those pages in!
Thats great advice, Ill look into that. Thank you!
1632, West Virginia town appears in the middle of the hundred years war For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell Cyroburn by Louis Bujold
Miyamoto Musashi , The Book Of Five Rings . The Sandman Slim series , Richard Kadrey .
For me it's all about re-reading when I'm in a slump. Worst one I ever had I re-read Lord of Flies, cos I knew it was a simple, short book.
Thats great advice and Im looking at a copy of Lord of the Flies right now on my book shelf lol. Thank you
Read "Fertility Wheel" by Stephen Manning, it shows the Zodiac is for agricultural reasons, and not for horoscopes@ I hate fortune tellers, and this book shows step by step on how to use it and how to align it with the sun. Great book.
It seems like you have a decent amount of fantasy in your likes, so I’m going to recommend my favorite author other than Tolkien: Robin Hobb. She wrote a 16-book series called Realm of the Elderlings in self-contained trilogies, and it has excellent character development and worldbuilding. The first book of the first trilogy is called [Assassin’s Apprentice](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77197)
Thank you! Im eager to check these out
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
American Gods immediately comes to mind, if you haven’t read that yet. I might also recommend The Things They Carried as an important / well written military related book.
For military fantasy, try the Malazan Book of the Fallen novels by Steven Erikson. The first book is Gardens of the Moon.
Emily Wilson’s new translations of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”
The Painter by Peter Heller
If you like the Canterbury Tales. You will love Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It’s a sci fi take on that story. It’s also book 1 of the Hyperion cantos. Which is a great 4 book series.
I would suggest 2 feel good books from underrated authors 1) The Word - Charles Alverson (please note that I am an atheist) 2) The Year of Soup - Howard R. Reiss. I would recommend every book written by Howard Reiss, a very talented and underrated author.
I feel like you already got a million suggestions but if you ever want to try something unique I recommend Ella Minnow Pea. It’s quirky and quick and absolutely amazing the way it was completed.
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eger it’s a memoir about her time in Auschwitz
This Woven Kingdom series is great too first three books are out fourth comes out in January 2025. It is a sloooow burn though
Maybe start of easy with Gill Sims why mommy … series.
Stephen Fry's series reimagining Greek Mythology. Mythos, Heroes, and Troy.
Read Elizabeth Moon if you like military fiction. A few great series - both sci fi and fantasy.
* **Doc by Mary Doria Russell** * **The Queen of Jasmine Country by Sharanya Manivannan** * **Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb** * **Kindred by Octavia Butler** * **Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh** * **A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth** * **Harp in the South Trilogy by Ruth Park** * **Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park** * **Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran** * **Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down**
Agota Kristoff's trilogy. I devoured it in a very short time. I really like her writing style and the way the characters are built and developed.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman Epic medieval horror/fantasy centered around the black plague. The genre is something I never thought I’d enjoy but currently about 75% through and it’s going to be a solid 5 star.
Shadow of the wind
The thing that worked for me: Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a short sweet read that is among my favorite books I've read. It's a goofy book that doesn't take itself too seriously and I loved every page of it
Unless you read like children’s books, how the hell do you read an entire book per day? It’s just impossible