getting things started Musk book was good and if you like that sort of thing you may also like Burn Book by Kara Swisher. Terry Hayes followup to I am Pilgrim (Year of the locust) was beyond awful, Recursion by the author of Dark Matter was pretty good but ending was a little tedious.
All genres and book types (audio/regular) welcome. Do your thing bbi!
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver. One of my fav fiction audio books of all time. Excellent narrator. This is a must-listen.
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown. Excellent Non-Fiction, discussed earlier this week on BBI. Must-listen.
Facing the Mountain - Daniel James Brown. Non-Fiction. Not as captivating as Boys in the Boat but hits hard. A history of Japanese-American Patriots during WWII. If you don't know how poorly the USA treated Japanese-Americans during this period this is an eye opener.
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving. Narrator took some getting used to and it is LONG, but overall a great listen.
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir. Must listen sci-fi about an interstellar journey. Very unique.
The whole Red Rising series if you are into sci-fi is great. I am on the 5th book of the series and just finished one of my favorite sequences from the whole series. I suggest reading or listening to something else between books to avoid series fatigue when listening to LONG books like this.
The Women: A Novel - Kristin Hannah. Historical Fiction about nurses during the Vietnam War. I have not listened, but my wife just finished and said it is on par with Demon Copperhead as a must-listen.
Print Books:
Salt - Mark Kurlansky. A world history of salt. I took some good history from this but found myself wanting it to end before I was halfway through. Would not recommend.
And always, the whole Gray Man, Reacher, and Bosch series if you are not familiar and want books that keep you turning pages.
If you get a chance to read this beauty...please do. I have read it 5 times. It is amazing!!!
Also three cheers for I am Pilgram
Right now I am reading "The Will Trent Series" by Karin Slaughter that is pretty captivating stuff.
In comment 16532503 GiantBlue said:
If you get a chance to read this beauty...please do. I have read it 5 times. It is amazing!!!
Also three cheers for I am Pilgram
Right now I am reading "The Will Trent Series" by Karin Slaughter that is pretty captivating stuff.
Some other light reading I have recently finished was Liberty and Property by Ludwig von Mises. it was great and seriously light reading, it's 50 pages and $5 on Amazon. Should be read by every US high school student.
The End of the World is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan, a look at how geography dictates geopolitical dominance and a theory on the end of globalization being near.
After by Bruce Greyson, about near death experiences
i think year of the locust was the biggest heaping pile of stupid i've ever read. the first half was fine but after that, yikes.
Quote:
in a book as Year of the Locust since Angels and Demons.
i think year of the locust was the biggest heaping pile of stupid i've ever read. the first half was fine but after that, yikes.
Agree
All are well written and challenging for the mind.
I recommend starting with any of them, you will end up owning all of them.
A.G. Riddle - ( New Window )
Cloud Cuckoo Land (by Anthony Doerr). Novel that ties in a plotline regarding smuggling an artifact out of Constantinople in 1452, present day and a futuristic storyline. Same author as All the Light We Cannot See. An easy read despite it's large scope.
Station 11 and the Glass Hotel (by Emily St. John Mandel). Station 11 is post-apocalyptic and Glass Hotel sort of looks at a Bernie Madoff type of character from the pov of the perps as the scheme collapses and the pressure gets turned up.
Red Rising series (Pierce Brown). Dystopian sci-fi book series with a touch of hunger games but adult males are the audience. Violent but lots of plot twists and is good.
Great call on this! I loved Essex Dogs. Didn't realize there's a sequel!
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver. One of my fav fiction audio books of all time. Excellent narrator. This is a must-listen.
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown. Excellent Non-Fiction, discussed earlier this week on BBI. Must-listen.
Facing the Mountain - Daniel James Brown. Non-Fiction. Not as captivating as Boys in the Boat but hits hard. A history of Japanese-American Patriots during WWII. If you don't know how poorly the USA treated Japanese-Americans during this period this is an eye opener.
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving. Narrator took some getting used to and it is LONG, but overall a great listen.
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir. Must listen sci-fi about an interstellar journey. Very unique.
The whole Red Rising series if you are into sci-fi is great. I am on the 5th book of the series and just finished one of my favorite sequences from the whole series. I suggest reading or listening to something else between books to avoid series fatigue when listening to LONG books like this.
The Women: A Novel - Kristin Hannah. Historical Fiction about nurses during the Vietnam War. I have not listened, but my wife just finished and said it is on par with Demon Copperhead as a must-listen.
Print Books:
Salt - Mark Kurlansky. A world history of salt. I took some good history from this but found myself wanting it to end before I was halfway through. Would not recommend.
And always, the whole Gray Man, Reacher, and Bosch series if you are not familiar and want books that keep you turning pages.
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir. This book was ver cool. I enjoyed it
Nice, these sound right up my alley
Almost finished with The Wager, by the author who wrote Killers of the Flower Moon. True story of a mutiny that occured after the shipwreck of a British man of war in the 1700s
Good read for those who enjoy stories along the lines of Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander and ensuing series
THUNDERBOLT KID
A memoir
by Bill Bryson
smile, chuckle and laugh out loud
we were so lucky to have our childhood in that decade
Great Book
Supermob by Gus Russo - details Sidney Korshack and his business/criminal netowork.
Operation Underworld by Matthew Black - details how the mob helped our government win WWII
Also loved all Andy Weir’s books……but yes Project Hail Mary was excellent with a very satisfying ending.
If you get a chance to read this beauty...please do. I have read it 5 times. It is amazing!!!
Also three cheers for I am Pilgram
Right now I am reading "The Will Trent Series" by Karin Slaughter that is pretty captivating stuff.
Shantaram - Great Book. Can’t agree more
My tastes may not match others, but if I were suggesting summer reading for me, and avoiding the well known books and series, I would suggest:
DETECTIVE
All of the Tana French books, especially the last two, The Searcher, The Hunter, a two book series (so far) that is really, really enjoyable. Can read those separately from her other books, which should be read in published order.
Dervla McTiernan's Cormac Reilly series. Not sure why, but I have a thing for Irish detective stories.
Peter Grainger has two intertwining detective series, centered around DC Smith, and the young investigators he mentors. DC Smith series and Kings Lake Investigation series. Really excellent stuff. (Or maybe for me it's more broadly, the UK). He has a 3rd series that is semi-related, but not quite as strong. Nearly all of these are free audiobooks for Audible subscribers, as part of the Audible Plus catalog.
Rolling it back a century, Will Thomas' victorian London detective series, Barker & Llewelyn, starting with "Some Danger Involved" is super fun. Barker is kind of like Bruce Wayne Batman + Sherlock Holmes, or maybe victorian Aloysius Pendergast, and if you get that reference, you are done here. Just go get those books and come back in a month or two.
A little further back in setting, is His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet. Again with the UK, this is presented as if it is a true crime, historical fiction, but it is not, just written in that style. This isn't "detective" so much as legal, courtroom thriller, but definitely an excellent crime book.
Rolling it back by nearly a millennium, I really liked Mel Starr's Chronicles of Huge de Singleton. 15 books of medieval england detective adventures where 'villien' doesn't mean a bad guy.
I'm not as much into modern US detective, not by choice, just often don't find truly enjoyable stories (though I love TV Bosch, TV Reacher and similar).
But, to give some love to the US, try Amy Stewart's series The Kopp Sisters. Loosely based on the true story of the first female deputy in NJ, around the turn of the (last) century. Pretty funny stuff, actually. I think these are also in the Audible Plus catalog right now.
A couple of modern US detective series that I did like are the Boone Daniel series by Don Winslow and especially the Alex McKnight series by Steve Hamilton. These aren't as great as Longmire or Cork O'Conner serieses for example (again, staying away from the very well known), but definitely enjoyable.
Kind of a one-off, because I didn't really like the next book so stopped reading them, but this one is really good, with an interesting premise: Allen Eskens' The Life We Bury.
I just mentioned Cork O'Conner. This next book suggestion is not a detective story, but by the same author. William Kent Krueger wrote a really nice general fiction, or I guess sort of a suspense book, Ordinary Grace. About two brothers growing up in Minnesota in the 1960's and some stuff that happens to them and the people in their town.
POST APOCALYPTIC
If I'm not reading detective, I'm reading prepper, end of civilization stuff. Not so much into zombies, vampires, and similar. Mine are basically EMP, plague, terrorist scenarios.
Trying to avoid the well-known series, so how about...
Nicholas Sansbury Smith's The Trackers, which is available as a four book set in Audible. Not the best, far from the worst, this is an enjoyable series.
I wouldn't say Joshua Gayou's Commune series is not well known, but if you don't know it and you like this stuff, it's really great, don't miss it.
Another really great series is James Howard Kunstler's The World Made By Hand. Preposterous setup (terrorists -> emp AND a human plague AND a wheat plague) but once everything has gone to shit, it's really interesting and entertaining to read how things settle out and people regroup and get by.
John Winchester's Journey Home series, is sort of heading off into prepper porn territory, but if you like prepper books, this is one to check out.
I could give so many recommendations here, but probably my two favorite end of the world books, in a two way tie, are: C.A. Fletcher A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, and Dusty's Diary by Bobby Adair. Audiobook narrated by the great Ray Porter (see also: Hail Mary). This right here, Dusty's Diary, this is prepper crack. You won't be able to stop until you are done. Holy crap this is one of the funniest books I have read.
Oh, and how could I forget (skimming my audible library), Odd Billy Todd!! By N. C. Reed. This is an outstanding post-apocalyptic stand alone book.
SCI-FI
I used to be into hard core sci fi, but not so much anymore. Mostly now it's time travel and aliens.
Victor Zugg Ripple in Time Series is not a waste of your time. Pretty enjoyable.
Olan Thorensen's Destiny's Crucible series is one of my favorites (Mr Thorensen, will you get to the damn aliens already??). Go to another human world, "back in time", invent the safety pin, become a gazillionaire.
John Twelve Hawks' Fourth Realm Trilogy is super good. Audiobooks read by Scott Brick. I am really surprised it isn't a TV series yet.
Steve Carlson's Sorrow Falls series is a kind of silly series about an inscrutable flying saucer landing in a teenage girl's town and everyone is like ok, that's fine, except she's still "normal" and like WTF Guys?? The series is a light and enjoyable read.
Jeremy Robinson's The Didymus Contingency is really interesting and entertaining. Jewish physicsts argue about the divinity of Jesus, so they invent time travel and go see for themselves. What could go wrong? Well Jesus could be a manly man with charm and charisma off the scale, who instantly knows what's going on, and then they could battle Legion together... Good stuff. This book depicts the Jesus that I believe in.
For this group, BBI specifically, I most strongly recommend the Blue Gemini series by Mike Jenne. It's not really Sci Fi per-se, it is a fictional account of a 1960's US secret space program based on contemporaneous technology, where the US uses its early manned orbital craft to disable Soviet satellites. There is actual realistic Sci, and of course it's Fi, but it's not out of this world or impossible stuff, it is grounded in 1960's reality.
For some Sci-fi throwbacks, I think in Audible Plus right now are David Brin's Glory Season and Niven's Destiny's Road. I really enjoyed those a few decades ago, not sure how they will have aged though, nor present as audiobooks.
WTF
This should go in the previous section, but this is truly a WTF book. It's so good, but seriously WTF. I'm really upset there are not sequels. RR Hayward's A Town Called Discovery. If you like Blake Crouch (Dark Matter, Wayward Pines) you'll love this. It's bonkers.
HONORABLE MENTION
This is basically a suspense book, that I really enjoyed, and have listened (I do audiobooks) to this a number of times, Royce Scott Buckingham's The Impasse. It's about a kind of milquetoast fellow, a lawyer, who gets tricked into going on a hunting trip in remote Canada where he is purposefully abandoned. The setup is kind of goofy, but there is a visceral satisfaction from reading about this sort of loser getting on his big boy pants, actually developing real skills and turning into a capable survivalist, and handing out some decent lawyerly comeuppance at the end. Kind of a guilty pleasure book.
MY FAVORITE AUTHOR
Well I have overdone it as usual, and not even gotten to fantasy and suspense yet. I'll wrap this up with my favorite author. Not saying he's the great american writer or anything, but I really like Peter Heller's work.
His post-apocalyptic book, The Dog Stars, is probably my favorite book, or right up at the top.
His other books are not post apocalypse, not sci fi either, just modern stories generally about outdoorsy people, usually having sort of wilderness adventure type stuff. Check them all out. They are all very good.
BONUS
I know there are WW2 history buffs here on BBI. If that's you, consider the Crash Dive series by Craig DiLouie. Thrilling submarine warfare. Really excellent books.
Ok, you people probably now think I am nuts, but in audiobook format, nearly all of the above would be a summer's reading for me. I've only done about 8 books, since beginning of May, because I've been too busy to really dig in.
Complete agreement on Peter Heller. Really good reads as outdoor adventure stories. The Guide and The Last Ranger were very good stories set in the Yellowstone area.
Don Winslow has a three book series that is based on Irish-Italian OC conflict beginning in Rhode Island. The "City of" series then moves on to CA and las Vegas. Pretty light summer reads. The third installment, City in Ruinsjust came out and is only short list.
Just read Hue1968 by Mark Bowden. Very enlightening read of events leading up to and throughout the siege as seen through the eyes of several individuals from both sides of the conflict. This was a good followup to Last Stand at Khe Sanh by Gregg Jones. One of the Marines who contributed his experience was one of my high school football coaches, Dennis Mannion. Less than four years after the battle he was coaching my sorry ass in Connecticut high school football. Amazing guy.
Rural White Rage was interesting but flawed. Well researched but some data points were tortured to fit a preconceived idea. I'll leave it there. A rather sophomoric effort but entertaining nonetheless.
Right now I’m reading The Beautiful Mrs Seidenman by a Polish author whose name I can’t spell. I’m finding it extraordinary. It’s about life in the Warsaw ghetto during WWII, but it’s not solely about the horrors visited upon the Jews. It’s more about how the Nazi-occupation affected life for both Jew and non-Jew alike, telling the story through vignettes of various ordinary people.
Some other short mentions of recent reads:
Hard by a Great Forest by Vardashvili, set mostly in Tbilisi. Very atmospheric and the plot contains a bit of a puzzle.
I also recently read another WWII book about the Nazi occupation, this one set in Normandy. Again, it’s not specially concerned with the plight of the Jews, more about ordinary day-to-day life among those not being hunted. It’s called The Kites by Roman Gary. Oddly enough it’s more uplifting than oppressive and has some wonderful characters.
Lest you think I only read Holocaust fiction (although I would also recommend Martin Amis’s Zone of Interest, upon which the recent film was based), I’d highly recommend two Irish writers, both named Barry - Sebastian and Kevin. I recently read Seb’s most recent, Old God’s Time, about characters who are irreparably damaged as children growing up being abused by priests in orphanages. Not for the faint of heart, though. His Days Without End, set in the Civil War era, would be a better place to start. And his A Long, Long Way, set in Dublin during WWI on the day of the Irish uprising against the Brits may be my fave of his.
Kevin’s books are generally not nearly as heavy. He has a new one out in the UK this week that I just ordered from a Blackwell’s, which has become my go-to place to buy books - great prices, free shipping. His last was Night Boat to Tangier, highly recommended. Beatles one is set in Galway about a mad character on a jaunt to an island off the coast, and features a cameo about a psychedelic experience with John Lennon. His fist was also wonderful, a post-apocalyptic Western called City of Bohane featuring some very memorable characters.
For those who like historical fiction series I loved the Cicero Trilogy by Robert Harris, starting with Imperium. Addictive and highly readable.
Too many books, too little time. But my offer of a free drink and book is a serious one and my email is in my BBI profile. Just catch me when I’m at home in the Village and not at my GF’s place in Santa Monica where I spend about half my time.
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver. One of my fav fiction audio books of all time. Excellent narrator. This is a must-listen.
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown. Excellent Non-Fiction, discussed earlier this week on BBI. Must-listen.
Facing the Mountain - Daniel James Brown. Non-Fiction. Not as captivating as Boys in the Boat but hits hard. A history of Japanese-American Patriots during WWII. If you don't know how poorly the USA treated Japanese-Americans during this period this is an eye opener.
Doing Bosch aain on audio . You can never go wrong with a Baldacci book. Also emjoying Harlen Coben
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving. Narrator took some getting used to and it is LONG, but overall a great listen.
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir. Must listen sci-fi about an interstellar journey. Very unique.
The whole Red Rising series if you are into sci-fi is great. I am on the 5th book of the series and just finished one of my favorite sequences from the whole series. I suggest reading or listening to something else between books to avoid series fatigue when listening to LONG books like this.
The Women: A Novel - Kristin Hannah. Historical Fiction about nurses during the Vietnam War. I have not listened, but my wife just finished and said it is on par with Demon Copperhead as a must-listen.
Print Books:
Salt - Mark Kurlansky. A world history of salt. I took some good history from this but found myself wanting it to end before I was halfway through. Would not recommend.
And always, the whole Gray Man, Reacher, and Bosch series if you are not familiar and want books that keep you turning pages.
Thanks, if you want qnother good historical fiction recommendation, i enjoyed "A place of greater safety" by hillary mantel. Recommend bridging o on your french revolution a little beforehand to get the most out of it. It is really well done in audible btw.
Burke was an agnostic engineer who became interested in Near Death Experiences (NDEs). After researching NDEs for a while he became a Christian and then a pastor. He's since interviewed thousands of people who've had NDEs.
These aren't hallucinations or chemical reactions. People who had no brain activity have accurately described things in detail they observed while out of their bodies during rescues, resuscitations, etc.
Also, some have met deceased relatives who they didn't previously know about. For example, a girl met an older sibling who died young that the parents hadn't told her about. Another had assumed her stepfather was her biological father until she met her real biological dad at the gate of Heaven during her NDE. Parents in both cases confirmed what had been discovered.
Those are just a couple examples. I found the books very interesting.
Yes, of course I've read those. I do recommend a place of greater safety. It's really good.
Rich you seem like an interesting guy. I'd like to take you up on your offer one day.
I read the book.
Then it came up on Jeopardy!
I read the book.
Then it came up on Jeopardy!
Everyone raves about Project Hail Mary
My opinion: i found it enjoyable overall and definitely original. That said, I think the long sides on the engineering and physics are really trying at times and this is coming from someone with a science background who loves scifi. It's a bit much imo and would put off some people with no background.