Best products from r/booksuggestions

I highly recommend:

1. The Orphans of Chaos trilogy by John C. Wright. He really pushes the boundaries of the imagination by writing about a universe in which there are 4 different paradigms of magic/power, each of which cancels one of the others out and is canceled out by one of the others. It's an epic Titans vs Olympic Gods fantasy, and I've read it several times--which is rare for me to do.
   
   
2. Obviously read the Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin if you haven't already done so! I delayed reading it a long time but then read all of them in a week and a half when I finally succumbed.
   
   
3. ALWAYS recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
   
   
4. ALSO always recommend Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequels by Scott Lynch.
   
   
5. The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. It's YA, but pretty mature YA, and IMO could easily transition to the regular fantasy section.
   
   
6. Books by Diana Wynne Jones. She writes YA, but fantasy that I wouldn't call immature. The best word I could use to describe it would be "whimsical." If I could compare her style of fantasy to anyone's it would EASILY be the filmmaker Miyazaki. (His films include Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, etc.--he even adapted one of her books!) I think her best work is her Chrestomanci series which has 3 volumes (each volume is made up of several novellas), but she is best known for Howl's Moving Castle, which I also highly recommend (along with its sequels Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways).
   
   
7. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. It's fun, original, often dark, often humorous, fast-paced, and FILLED with action. As noted by someone else, there are vampires in the universe, but they're not the central motif. There are also other scary things, like fairies, goblins, witches/wizards, demons...the list goes on and on.
   
   
8. Terry Pratchett's Discworld canon. There are many, MANY books, and they're not written in series so you can jump in almost anywhere. I recommend Small Gods to start.
   
   
9. The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier, starting with Daughter of the Forest. There are also spin-off novels, though I haven't read them all. Her writing is beautiful and mystical. She almost makes me believe magic/fae could exist.
   
   
10. The Passion and The Promise (a duet) and, separately, The Alchemist by Donna Boyd. These are really, really excellently written. "Lush" would be the word I'd use. They're not hugely well known, and I find that utterly boggling considering how good they are.

First, thanks to you for taking up the vocation of teaching – a supreme art in which one person alone can make a boundless difference. Now, if I ask you to remember one teacher from your high school, who would it be? And the reason that person’s name came to you is probably because he/she had unselfishly devoted themselves for your betterment. You need to be such a person to be remembered by your students. You need to inspire, motivate, educate them in good character building and put them in the right path with correct principles and values. And the best way to do that is giving them the right books to read.

I would suggest you to check out this book It's all about the decisions we make. It is fun, interesting, illuminating, inspiring, instructive and a valuable learning experience in developing one’s character and mindset. In addition, it uses a revolutionary context-based learning technique to improve one’s vocabulary and is immensely rewarding to high school and college students preparing for SAT/GRE. Here is the amazon link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RMKL3NQ

I love the Chronicles of Egg series, fun pirate adventures!

Has he read anything by Brandon Mull? He has several fun series, Fablehaven was his first and still most popular, I believe.

I loved the Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones growing up, about a nine-lived enchanter in a world similar to ours. The best part was Ms. Jones was a prolific writer so if he likes these there are a lot more where that came from.

For an interesting new sci-fi series try The Search for WondLa. Kind of Alice in Wonderland with aliens.

And one of my favorite MG books for boys is Peter Nimble. It's just fantastic. I sold tons of copies when it first came out.

Well if that doesn't work you can go to amazon here,

http://www.amazon.com/Queen-in-Exile-ebook/dp/B009K7DCF4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375107497&sr=8-2&keywords=queen+in+exile#_

Then click on the cover of the book on the left and it will allow you to read the first 3 chapters and a bit of the fourth for free.
You don't need a kindle and if you want to download the whole thing to read on your computer the kindle software for the PC is free.

On Smashwords there a few formats you can download, PDF is a good one and the software is free from adobe for you to read it with (if you don't have it already).
But Amazon is very easy user friendly in my opinion and I like the way they make it easy to just click on a book to sample it straight away.

If you're a Nick Hornby fan, here's what you should do - he's got three books that are little collections of the column he writes for The Believer called "Stuff I've Been Reading". They're hilarious, and each one gives you 5 or 6 great suggestions from a guy whose taste is pretty solid.

Start with The Polysyllabic Spree and then go to Housekeeping vs. the Dirt and Shakespeare Wrote for Money.

He's always saying his favourite author is Anne Tyler - I can corroborate, she's pretty good.

This isn't really "literature" but you also might like Mil Millington. He's funny in the same way and even though as I'm reading I'm like "huh.. this isn't that great" his novels are the ones that I end up reading in one 8 hour sitting.

You might like David Sedaris - I'd start with Me Talk Pretty One Day

And someone else said John Irving - he's my very favourite.

A good psychology book (and I'm a major layperson, so it's definitely accessible) is The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks and Mad in America by Robert Whitaker.

Sister Wendy's Story of Painting by Wendy Beckett is a nice one. I've had it for years and enjoy looking through it every once in a while.

A nice quote for no reason at all: "The story of painting is one that is immensely rich in meaning, yet its value is all too often hidden from us by the complexities of historians. We must forget the densities of 'history' and simply surrender to the wonder of the story." -Sister Wendy Beckett

The Illustrated History of Art by David Piper is another that was gifted to me that I enjoy immensely.

Here are a few more that I've picked up at yard sales and thrift shops: A Treasury of Art Masterpieces: From the Renaissance to Present Day by Thomas Craven and Art of Ancient Greece by Claude Laisne.

And more for fun than for art history, though it does qualify, I suppose, is Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali, and the Artists of Optical Illusion by Al Seckel. It's a lot of fun to look through and a great conversation starter with its full page artworks.

I quite liked it. It definitely starts to drag some in books 3-5, but I thought it was completely worth it. Book 1 (The Gunslinger) is absolutely fantastic, and he ends the series perfectly in Book 7.

As far as really good fantasy series go, you can't get better than the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. It's an utterly brilliant story.

Lord of the Rings goes without saying, of course, but have you read Terry Brooks? His early work in the Shannara series is great.

Hope you don't mind if I also suggest my Legend of the Elementals series. Book 1 is FREE on Amazon, Smashwords, and elsewhere. It's been well-reviewed, and I'm doing the final editing for Book 5 starting next month.

Either way, I hope you enjoy your next fantasy read!

If you want another Dresden-like book series, check out the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. I'd say they are almost sue-ably similar. Main character is flippant and sarcastic, but also honorable and relies heavily on improvisation. I think these would be exactly what you're looking for.

I can also second the suggestion for Weeks' new Lightbringer series.

For your Night Angel fix, I recently read and loved Blood Song. The author is fairly new, but the book is absolutely solid and wonderful.

Another good book series is the Kingkiller Chronicles.

I'll stop the list there before I get carried away. But I think Iron Druid and Blood Song will be spot on as far as similarity. The other two are books I think you'll really enjoy, but aren't necessarily as similar.

So I have a friend in jail that I regularly send books to. This doesn't cover every situation, but I assume the circumstances will be similar.

He says that the (meager) prison library is very skewed towards religious books, classics, GED materials, and low-difficulty grocery store novels. Anything other than that will be appreciated. The books most requested are thick fantasy books, activity books (sudoku, physics workbooks, etc), science non-fiction, and coffee-table books or magazines with lots of pictures. These will be swapped with other inmates so that anyone interested has a chance to read.

Some things to keep in mind:

• There is often a limit on how many items can be kept. 3-books-in-1/omnibus editions help get around this.
  
• There may be monetary limits on gifts. Shop for deals and choose the cheaper mass market paperbacks whenever possible.
  
• Mail a receipt ASAP! She might not be able to pick up any books until she has that.
  
• Mail books through a big company (e.g. Amazon, B&N) or they might be destroyed. No third-party Amazon sellers or used book stores in most cases.
  
  Books that have gone over well and can be found in cheap forms:
  
  
• Mistborn trilogy
  
• His Dark Materials trilogy
  
• The Name of the Wind
  
• The Best American Science Writing/The Best American Science and Nature Writing anthologies
  
• Sudoku
  
• Hyperbole and a Half
  
• A Song of Ice and Fire

(Edit: I didn't read the whole post and didn't know you weren't looking for self help books. Maybe these will change your mind though.)

Here are two fantastic books that can help you deal with depression and the fickle human mind. One focuses on mindfulness and the other focuses on reason. Enjoy!

The Happiness Trap (mindfulness)

https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start-Living/dp/1590305841/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541600072&sr=8-1&keywords=the+happiness+trap

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (reason)

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541600123&sr=8-1&keywords=a+guide+to+the+good+life

I hope these help, I can answer any questions you have about them as well.

If you liked Musicophila, I would definitely recommend some of Oliver Sacks' other books, such as The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which is collection of case studies about people with unique neurological disorders. Understanding how the brain falls apart gives an entirely new perspective into what's going on when the brain is working.

I also love the book The Most Human Human by Brian Christian. It's a fascinating mix of tech and philosophy and psychology - one of my favorite non-fiction books.

Maybe look into some of Malcolm Gladwell's books too. They're pretty quick reads - entertaining and thought-provoking, very sociology/social psychology based.

I'd like to start off by apologzing for the format. My formatting is always terrible and I've no idea how to fix it. That being said here goes. This first book I read in grade school and it was a pain in the butt to find. It was pretty good but it is definitely a kids book. The two after it by Raymond Benson are pretty similar to their respective games. The last three are the Splinter Cell books. I enjoyed all three of these although I didn't read past the third one. They are all in the same vein of novels and I can guarentee you'll enjoy at least the first two Splinter Cell novels. I learned after the fact that authors Raymond Benson and David Michaels are the same person. Links to everything below:

Metal Gear

MGS1

MGS2

Splinter Cell 1

Splinter Cell 2

Splinter Cell 3

I recommend getting The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It contains all 5 books in the "Trilogy" + a short story "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe". Really cheap on Amazon as well. Great value for a great series from a great writer.

you mentioned being a fangirl; i've been reading some amazing, recent sci fi works written by women authors lately, maybe you'd find them interesting? all 3 of these are among the absolute best sci fi i've ever read:

the time traveller's wife by audrey niffenegger

^ forget about the movie, the book is fantastic

oryx and crake by margaret atwood

^ nice and dark

lilith's brood by octavia e. butler

^ amazon reviews calls it "profoundly evocative, sensual -- and disturbing", which sums it up pretty well

I just released a novel on Amazon called End of Aeres: Sacrifice that's heavily inspired by the works of Tolkien, Matthew Sturges (Midwinter) and Amderzej Sapkowski (The Witcher).

Bonus, it's free right now. I'd love it if you took a look :)

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07X3X5RJB/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_apa_i_QYzzDbPR0XMVQ?fbclid=IwAR2G26c17Foh3ig1CZHYMjzrMNYOFqD07Scs7stHtCAAWirGvEqv21YiU-0

If you're interested in improving your relationship with yourself (which is where it all begins) I recommend this self - help book. Best of luck!

Try Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters, Survivor or Lullaby. They aren't super long and are gory enough to keep most people grotesquely attentive. If you don't read much they might help you get back into it. Palahniuk has really gone downhill in his recent books (haven't read the newest one because the last few were so bad) but his old stuff is phenominal.
I agree that the Harry Potter books are good but they don't really capture you until the third book. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series is a good choice- you can usually get all the books in one bound edition for cheap at Barnes and Noble or amazon.

Are you (or your SO) interested in cooking? You might consider Modernist Cuisine at Home. It's very cool, informative, geeky and beautiful.

Also, you might want to check out Edward Tufte's books (The Visual Display of Quantitative Information; Envisioning Information; Beautiful Evidence) to see if they are of interest to you.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is one of my all time favorite books. If you want something more lighthearted, check out any book in P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series. The Code of the Woosters is probably my favorite one.

Sounds like you'd benefit from Stoicism. This isn't fiction but a guide to wanting what you have. A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374614/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_nhM4wbXH2GV1R

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. absolutely fantastic, very little in the way of politics, and i was hooked by the end of the first page.

also, the Discword series is a lot of fun, but it's a comedy fantasy. still, very funny.

Based on your favorites Sophie's World and Siddhartha you may like this recent book on practicing the Stoic philosophy:

• A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Braxton Irvine
  http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614/

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks is an interesting collection of case studies of people with unusual neurological conditions. Oliver Sacks is both a brilliant scientist and a great storyteller.

Not quite the same as your examples, but some of my favorite non-fiction science are...

The Coming Plague

And The Band Played On

The Disappearing Spoon

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

I could probably come up with a few others if any of these seem to be what interests you.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Metal Gear


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Spain|www.amazon.es||
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||
|Italy|www.amazon.it||
|India|www.amazon.in||




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

If you haven't read Beowulf, I highly recommend reading it! It's like THE classic when it comes to fantasy. It's such a great story!

But if you have read Beowulf and you want something similar, check this out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HBBWHW7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i4

The Waters of Nyra has a female protagonist and is void of romance. Nothing in her character arc is motivated by romance.

I just finished reading the first 2 in the birthmarked.. they didnt look like much but as soon as i started i couldnt stop! Im going to buy the 3rd this weekend!

also the maddaddam trilogy is amazing! The 3rd one doesnt come out till sept though!

It's usually the first one suggested:
-"The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles)

Whilst different in terms of scope and story, the world building is on par with ASOIAF. I was a little skeptic, being in the same position as you are in, when I picked it up, but now I'm anxiously awaiting both Winds of Winter and the third book in the Kingkiller Chronicles.


I've also started Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastards series). So far I'm enjoying it A LOT. I do love having an anti-hero protagonist, and the world so far is pretty engrossing. But I can't officially recommend as I'm not even half way through.

If you like fantasy, check in with the folks over at r/fantasy. That being said, Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind is phenomenal epic fantasy with beautifully crafted storytelling. If you want fast paced urban fantasy, check out Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, which is about a magic wielding private detective with an irreverent sense of humor.

Maybe a long shot, but try Margaret Atwood's MaddAdam trilogy? I've read only the first so far Oryx and Crake and it definitely has a story with biology and the cultural impact. Give it a try! It's one of my favorites.

Dante & His Search for Meaning tackles the concept of artificial intelligence in a way where the afterlife is now just a normal thing. People die and their consciousness is stored into an afterlife simulation. It's pretty freaky but fun sci fi adventure.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VLN1GS1

Terry Pratchett - all of them, but in particular, Night Watch

Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon I've linked to a book with the short story rather than the novel as I think the former is better.

Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series

Oliver Sacks' exploration of mental illness has an existential bent to it that I've always appreciated. His book, "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat" is fascinating and touches on how simple faculties of the mind make up our consciousness, our existence. One of his patients literally cannot distinguish his wife from his hat (the title story), and Sacks discusses how this inability shapes his patient's understanding of himself and the world.

Years later and I'm still geeking out about it.

https://smile.amazon.com/Man-Who-Mistook-His-Wife/dp/0684853949/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M7R0DJM18914&keywords=the+man+who+mistook+his+wife+for+a+hat&qid=1573405204&sprefix=the+man+who+mist%2Caps%2C226&sr=8-1

This one had me and my friends laughing out loud (embarrassingly so): http://www.amazon.com/The-Boundary-Wall-Kanaaho-ebook/dp/B00BRYF2RE/

Check out The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's fantasy, not as violent or graphic as Game of Thrones, but I really enjoyed it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746

Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series deals with people with "super" powers and is pretty darn good. The first on is Control Point.

I used to spend hours looking at Masters of Deception - it's a collection of optical-illusion art/artists, and a great coffee table book.

Thus is an absolutely fantastic modern examination of Stoicism: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/0195374614

This book has wonderful exercises http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0195374614?pc_redir=1407091974&robot_redir=1

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle's) sounds perfect for you.. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746