Best products from r/suggestmeabook

I have been super obsessed with Agatha Christie this summer! Here are three of my favorite novels so far:

The Secret Adversary: Really smart dialogue and the characters are just so refreshingly original. Tuppence is such a unique female detective. I like her a lot. There are so many twists in the plot that will keep you guessing. The book is very fun to read. I finished it in two days!

Amazon link: The Secret Adversary

The Poirot mystery series is really fun to read because it is both intriguing and humorous. I enjoy the dynamics between Hastings and Poirot. The dialogue is really witty and the plot is fascinating. I just finished the first two books in the series both are great reads. Hope you enjoy them!

Amazon Link: The Murder on the Links, The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Well, this one happens to be free for a while yet. Don't know how long though.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP5Z3W4

There's no simple short meaningful term I could use to explain what the book contains. But it does present a number of global problems and solve a number of them. Laying the foundation for possibly being able to produce an answer to what the meaning of life is, for you, without falling into pitfalls. If you lived in a time and place with very little freedom, for instance, one pitfall would be to just assume more freedom is a possible meaning in life. But then you're stuffed when you achieved a perfect amount of freedom. You wouldn't want to keep going to get more freedom, until a single isle in the store takes an hour to walk through because you have the freedom to choose between fifty million brands of ketchup. And then being able to choose between nine trillion different currencies, all with individual conversion rates which give you slightly more or less for your money.

Patriot Games by Tom Clancy. I could not believe how good this book was. The best thriller I've ever read, could not put it down. Hit me very hard emotionally. Easily the most "gripping" book I've read in many years, really and truly couldn't put it down. (and I really didn't expect to be hit that hard by it) It's overall really good, and there's tons of interesting facts in it, about English history (and the routines/rituals they still do every night at the tower of London that go all the way back to the medieval era), technology (both aircraft tech and also how satellites are, or were, used to analyze data) to all sorts of other things. But the real strength of the book is how much Clancy gets you to care about the main characters. Many of his books are very "gadget" heavy, but this one was not, it's no exagerration to say that it's a masterclass of emotion and psychology. Easily his best book, and one of the best books I've ever read. I enjoyed it WAY more than I thought I would. If you've never read Clancy and are somewhat skeptical of him, read this book to understand why he was such a big hit in his prime.

If that's a little too tame you might prefer the Mack Bolan series, the Mack Bolan book that was written as a direct answer to Patriot Games is Blood Strike, which is very similar, but WAAAAY action packed:
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Strike-Pendletons-Mack-Bolan/dp/037361439X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548414844&sr=8-1&keywords=Don+Pendleton++blood+strike

You might be interested in Pierce Brown's Red Rising series if you haven't tried it already. I felt it started slow, and had more of a YA feel than I would normally go for, but it shifted gears and became interesting. The second book, Golden Son is actually better than the first, and I'd say it's one of the top 3 SF of last year.

William Forstchen finally came out with One Year After, the sequel to his influential post-apoc One Second After.

Michael J. Sullivan's The Age of Myth is the first book in an enjoyable new series. It's set in the same world as his Riyria series, but in an earlier age.

Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer is a rich SF, dense with ideas. It's cultural immersion SF, so it takes a couple of chapters to really understand what's going on, but then you're off to the races. A shoe-in for the awards shortlists.

On the lighter side, David Wong's Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits is very enjoyable.

Hi, I'm an aspiring author and I've just recently published a book. I don't know if it fits your friend's genre but I think it's a really fun, distracting book to read because it has a nice, gripping adventure. The main characters are very determined so maybe reading about them can make your friend feel more confident? I'll leave you here a synopsis of the book: Arabella is a princess, going to Elysia on a diplomatic mission to avoid a terrible war. However just as she arrives, a series of mysterious life attempts begin to take place, and she will soon find out that her enemies have never been so strong. Never so close. The book is available in both paperback and kindle, but I'll leave you the link to the kindle version because there you can read the first 11 chapters for free =) Also, if your friend ends up giving it a try and wants to make fan-art about it, I'd be happy to take a look and post it on my facebook page (Alice Santia - Author) or twitter (@AuthorAliceS) =)
Link to the first 11 chapters: http://www.amazon.com/City-Gold-Legendary-Cities-Book-ebook/dp/B018EXL1MK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451344785&sr=8-1&keywords=city+of+gold+alice+santia

I'm reading Red Rising now, and I'm digging it (heh.) It's set on Mars, but it's far enough in the future that it's more fantasy than scifi. Much of the book gives off a Potteresque vibe to me, even if the plot sounds entirely different. There's also a lot of references to Greek and Roman mythology if you're a fan of that.

I also just read the Martian, which was really good (I guess I'm on a Mars kick.) It's basically the Hatchet but on Mars (it follows an Astronaut stranded on Mars having to survive.) I expected it to be sort of dry, but it was the opposite - extremely entertaining and often pretty hilarious.

It's one of my guilty pleasure books that I try to reread each year - Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my favorite books, so hopefully you'll like Circle of Friends. Unlike the Perks movie, which I really liked, don't watch the Circle of Friends movie...they started with a great book and took a huge dump all over it and released it in theaters.

Also, Lamb. http://www.amazon.com/Lamb-Gospel-According-Christs-Childhood/dp/0380813815

The Outlaw King, a Dark Tower-inspired fantasy gunslinger epic, is still free for today. Here's a recent five-star review inexplicably shouted at the top of the reviewer's lungs:

> I WASN'T SURE IF I WOULD LIKE THESE TWO BOOKS OR NOT BUT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. I ALREADY STARTED THE SECOND BOOK AND HAVE TOLD MY FRIENDS ALL ABOUT THEM. I LOVE THE WAY THE AUTHOR PULLS YOU INTO HIS WORLD. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THE 3RD BOOK.

If you liked Dan Brown, you could give Umberto Eco a try with Foucault's Pendulum or In the Name of the Rose - His books are more intelligent and were written before Brown was around.

I read a lot of historical fiction, if that is of interest you could start with The Gates of Fire by Pressfield or The Last Kingdom by Cornwell

Mystery, action, and fantasy all rolled into one - Dresden Files might be of interest to you - it is kind of a detective noir mixed with fantasy. Also, the series vastly improves as it progresses.

If you would like a coming of age story, The Power of One follows a boy in turn-of-the-century South Africa and examines class and race relations in a very accessible way.

If you want to try reading some of what are considered "The Classics" I would recommend All Quiet on the Western Front and To Kill a Mockingbird

Tried to think of some of my favorites across several very different genres...If any of these appeal, I can expand on them with more similar suggestions.

I can't stress this enough, This entire book is pure satire. Again, satire. That being said it is also very well informed and rather witty.

You've asked for basically something akin to a bible textbook it sounds like and not an entertaining story, I'm only suggesting this because it's the book responsible for me actually going on and finally reading the bible. Much like you said, I also found the bible itself to be a pretty difficult read by today's standards.

Anyways. If you'd like something light and honestly really good to read in your downtime check out Lamb, by Christopher Moore.

Not a specific recommendation, but see if your local library has access to the Overdrive app which will allow you to read ebooks from them for free.

Wool by Hugh Howey is a sci-fi-ish book you might like. Quick and easy read with a compelling plot.

Success Has No Place Here by Jaclyn Parker is a great book! Once you start reading it, you can't stop!

https://www.amazon.com/Success-Has-No-Place-Here/dp/0692184880/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1569258473&sr=

kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/Success-Has-No-Place-Here-ebook-dp-B07XXN4R8J/dp/B07XXN4R8J/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1569258473

Sex and the Single Girl by Helen Gurley Brown is also great!

End Of Aeres: Sacrifice is the beginning of a series that will have that kind of development to it. One character is seen mostly as a burden and a responsibility at the beginning but as she grows she becomes a hero in her own right. Only one novel is out right now but the second one is coming soon.

Plus, it's free on Amazon right now.

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

This may be a little outside of what you're looking for, but I found it pretty interesting. Have you seen S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst? Hard to describe, but it's like a story in a story. There's the main book, and then two people talking about it and to each other in the margins... Ha, it sounds weird, but it was unique if nothing else.

S. (www.amazon.com/S-J-Abrams/dp/0316201642/) would be a good example. It's a story about two people who read a book and they tell their story by means of annotations. It also comes with tons of inserts that add to the story, like postcards and maps. Here's a picture:

http://i.imgur.com/Qm4Tmje.jpg

There was a picture, which had watermark illustrations, not sure of the name anymore. There are also tons of cool up-market editions by publishers. I'd say the folio society would be a good example, being a publisher who specializes in such editions. Look at their limited editions - they are beautiful.

http://www.foliosociety.com/limitededitions

She sounds like a strong reader. You might look into The Waters of Nyra if you think she'll like dragons :)

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

It is a stand-alone science fiction novel that will lift you up, excite you, and help you appreciate the life you have.

I had a lot of fun reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, like I did when reading The Martian and Ready Player One. I genuinely didn't know where the story was going to go or how it was going to end with this one.

Also, Andy Weir has a new one coming out on November 14th called Artemis

Wool by Hugh Howey or anything else by Hugh Howey. I've been eyeing Sand for quite awhile.

The Fire Within My Heart!

You can read the first three chapters for free as a taster to see if you like it on Kindle/Kindle App.

Kindle

Paperback

That's a tall order!

Some books that similarly acknowledge the book you're holding as complicit in the story, or bring in multimedia elements, might include Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, A Humument by Tom Phillips, or S by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. The Raw Shark Texts also plays with words on the page in an interesting way.

I also liked Danielewski's Only Revolutions. It's not on par with House of Leaves but it is a unique read: two protagonists tell the same story from their own perspective. As the book progresses, each chapter gets shorter and the font gets smaller, like the tale is spiraling in on itself. And when you've finished one character's story you literally flip the book upside down to start the other's. (Danielewski recommends reading one chapter from one side, then the corresponding chapter from the other, as you go. The hardcover includes two bookmarks for this purpose.)

Ship of Theseus by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams (yeah, that JJ) seems like it might fit your interests - it's not aesthetically wild from the outside, but the main story takes place in marginalia, post-cards, written letters, and I think at one point a napkin that all happen around the grounding typed text. There are literally papers stuffed into the book that fall out as you read, which is a really fun experience and aesthetically different than anything I've encountered before or since!

Lamb by Christopher Moore is a fictional retelling of Jesus' life from the point of view of his childhood friend Biff. Parts of it are very funny, others are much more serious, and it pokes fun at the Bible without ever being disrespectful.

Try reading Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore. It's a book about Jesus Christ told through the viewpoint of his childhood friend, Biff. The book contains the wisdom and the intelligence of a true coming of age novel while simultaneously using crude and sacrilegious humor to keep you laughing through the whole thing. This book is light-hearted, but also deals in some serious, even dark emotions.

Both the book and Christopher Moore are highly acclaimed by readers so if recommend looking up other reviews for this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Lamb-Gospel-According-Christs-Childhood/dp/0380813815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411261257&sr=8-1&keywords=lamb+the+gospel+according+to+biff

Dante & His Search for Meaning by A. Aures Garrido is an adventure where the boy travels to a city on wheels, plays a game that's like parkour in a five-story cube, it has exoskeleton technology, etc. Worth checking.

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

The Wool series by Hugh Howey. Ebook of the 1st part is free, so you can see if it's something you like.

The Red Rising series by Pierce Brown.

Both these series are excellent, and will keep you up at night. Both these series have been optioned for films, and are in development.

Here's something trippy, and something you may not expect...S by JJ Abrams. Its' a puzzle, mystery, drama, love story, mission, action/adventure....all while being a book within a book wrapped in a riddle.....literally! Have a look and have fun, there is no end to what you can uncover in this mess.

['S' the Book] (http://www.amazon.com/S-J-Abrams/dp/0316201642)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/055338368X/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1457226526&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=the+gates+of+hell&dpPl=1&dpID=51lyDQ8xPdL&ref=plSrch

I'm on mobile, sorry for the long link. It's a good book, I've read it a couple times and have since passed it around to family & friends.

All of his books are hilarious. I actually came here to suggest Lamb, which is slightly heavier, but is mostly just hilarious.

Check out Red Rising by Pierce Brown. It is set in a future where we've colonized the solar system. Society has a strict hierarchy, like a caste system, and ancient Roman culture has been idealized.

Ship of Theseus by JJ Abrams seems similar to HoL in it is a physical reading experience. If that makes sense.

Also if you like footnotes & meandering you could try Infinite Jest.

It's not the same as Lost in terms of character development but the overall strange vibe while you're trying to work out a mystery is covered pretty well in Wool.

Pierce Brown - [Red Rising] (http://www.amazon.com/Red-Rising-Book-Trilogy/dp/034553980X)

It came out in July and is awesome. Book 2 just came out, too.

The book S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. Its a book that is about two people communicating through a book. So you are reading what they are writing in the book. I haven't read too far into it but it's really interesting.

http://smile.amazon.com/S-J-Abrams/dp/0316201642/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411962881&sr=8-1&keywords=s.+book

Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan in Blood Strike is set in the 90s, pretty rip-roaring rather than "whodunit", in case that matters.

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Strike-Pendletons-Mack-Bolan/dp/037361439X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548414844&sr=8-1&keywords=Don+Pendleton++blood+strike

I enjoyed the Wool series by Hugh Howey.

If I remember correctly "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" is without dialogue and I really liked the story.

Dark Matter is good. I generally do not read thrillers, but this one was well written and had an interesting thing going with a sci fi twist. It kept my attention when I was feeling the same sort of apathy towards reading and having a hard time feeling patient enough to get into the stuff I'd usually pick up.