fiction books

After mixed results with the 1st rounds I did manage to land, I recently picked up reading again to improve my writing and vocabulary for law school. It's probably been around 5 years since I read anything outside of school or work related texts, and finally taking a break from non-fiction has reignited my passion for reading.


Over the past few days I've read Brave New World and Dune, what are some others you guys would recommend?

 
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I could recommend a number of books in a number of different genres to become well-read, but for relaxation I normally go for sci-fi. Here are a few must-reads:

  • The original Foundation trilogy by Asimov. It's quick and also includes a touch of philosophy
  • All five books of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'trilogy.' Don't judge them by the horrible movie, the books are hilarious
  • Older Niven like Ringworld and Mote in God's Eye. They're really profound

(As to other fiction, I'd say Gatsby, Old Man and the Sea, and Grapes of Wrath are the most seminal 'great american novels.'  I've got a soft spot for HST and Kerouac, but I don't feel they've hit the same cultural chord as the former books)

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 

Love Adam Douglas' humor. In the past weeks I read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul. Both I highly recommend for the absurdity and the expert storytelling. In the beginning, nothing makes sense and the people seem crazy. But then every little detail ties neatly together for the finale. 

Array
 

*Douglas Adams is the author. I do agree that the Dirk Gently series is great.  I'm not sure if I'd read them before Hitchhiker though.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 
HanzNFranz

On the same wave of the Foundation Trilogy, the Dune book series is also absolutely killer sci-fi reading. I can't seem to recommend Foundation enough to people

You know, I am sort of against going further with the Dune series than the original book.  I feel like the quality of writing falls off sharply, and it just isn't satisfying.  I'm not going to disagree with the original, (It's great) but it does drag Frank Herbert down as an author in my mind.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 

For fantasy/sc-fi I’d recommend anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, my favorite of his works is Lions of Al Rassan. A fantasy version of moorish Spain and reconquista. I also enjoyed Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks. It’s a part of much longer series but the I only read the first book.

Augustus by John Williams was a great read. It is an account of the rise of Augustus, but told through the writings and diary entries of  his close friends and confidants. Maurice Druon’s Accursed Kings is great as well, George RR Martin called it the ‘original GoT.’ It’s about the Capet Dynasty of France and their downfall.  

 

If you want cerebral thrillers, read Chess Story by Stefan Zweig and The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis. Head's up, they have themes of isolation, ptsd, and addiction but thats what makes them so good.

 

So many great recommendations to give. Here is my list:

- Foundation Trilogy (I.Asimov): Great strategic intergalactic science fiction

- No Country for Old Men (C. McCarthy): Call it a modern western but it is one of the few times the book and movie are eerily similar

- Hobbit+LOTR (Tolkien): Must read. Classic and real fun to read even in lieu of watching the movies first

- The Alchemist (Coelho): Easy read about worldly journey and understanding. Pretty existential.

- Dune (F. Herbert): Currently cutting through these books but movie coming in December. Great sci-fi series and reminds me of Foundation Trilogy a lot

Love a good fiction book every now and then

 

The Appeal - John Grisham

This is an amazing Fiction story about a company that was negligent and caused damage to a town/person. I don't want to spoil anything. I am not a big reader AT ALL and I could not stop turning the pages. 

 
AXIS495

Tons of great suggestions out there:

The Sound and the Fury (William Faulkner)

Oh my

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I feel like a lot of really great scfi recs are going unsaid here, so I'll throw in my 2c:

A lot of the books being thrown out here are great (foundation, dune, hitchhikers), but they've become a bit dated.

A couple of reads that get slept on but are comfortably some of the best books I've read:

Annhiliation - Vandermeer

Borne - Vandermeer

The Three Body Problem - Cixin Liu (best book I've read in the past decade)

"one for the money two for the better green 3 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine" - M.F. Doom
 

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