You were on the edge of your seat, weren't you?
Waiting with baited breath for my unsolicited book recommendations?
No?
Well, here they are anyway, the next installment of the best books to read
As a reminder:
Many books are worthy but had to be excluded because I have not read them.
I limited myself to using each author only once, but if you like them you should keep reading, almost all of them have many works to chose from.
This list is mostly fiction because its what I read.
This list is designed to make you both well read and interesting at parties, and is in no particular order.
and without further ado:
11. Machiavelli - The Prince
Genre: Non-Fiction
You know he's no mere mortal author when you only need the last name to know exactly who it is. The man became the byword for cut-throat. Prioritizing your self interest above all moral considerations using 'by any means necessary' tactics, manipulation of others, its what the man is about.
12. Homer - The Odyssey
Genre: Epic Poetry
Continuing the more classically oriented theme time to wade into the world of Greek myth where the heros are larger than life but still deeply flawed (in that way the Greeks loved) and there are a bevy of jealous gods running around causing chaos.
13. George R.R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Genre: Fantasy
Most authors, once you meet all the central characters, you can be pretty certain what ever binds they get themselves into they're coming out of it alive because the author doesn't want to put in the work of creating and introducing new cast members. Not so with GRRM.
This guy kills off his characters left and right, there is a constant flow of new people to meet with their own origin stories and competing motivations. GRRM is also not one to be overly precious about his characters and even the heroic ones can be killed for the very things that make them heroic. His is a hard scrabble dog eat dog world that is fantastically interesting.
If you get sucked into the series the one note I'd interject is that you don't have to read the one book in the middle that follows only boring characters. Someone can remind me which one that was but it was a true slog.
My self delusion had me thinking the entire way through: surely the next chapter we're going to jump back to one of the interesting characters. But nope, never happened.
14. Isaac Asimov - Foundation
Genre: Sci-Fi
I loved the first book way more than I liked the rest of the series but the whole thing is excellent as you might expect from one of the founders of the sci-fi genre. Isaac Asimov was a man born before his time and it is legit shocking how well his works stand up considering how long ago her wrote them.
15. Tolstoy - War and Peace
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Russians are famous for slow long winded tales and this is the epitome of that. However it would be a mistake to confuse long winded with dull.
This is a tale like a marathon through the woods every corner is new and unique, no two pieces of trail the same.
The theme of the novel is countering the great man of history theory and that actually the figure heads just happen to be in the right place at the right time, that they are merely acting out the will of the masses.
That and his observations about human nature are fascinating. I was especially amused by a particular paragraph where he broke it down by national origin.
16. Dostoevsky - Crime and Punishment
Genre: Fiction
A book I've heard described as more true than truth. Dostoevsky takes us into the inner most reaches of a man's soul where we watch as it writhes under the tortures of its own guilty conscience. Profound.
Also you get to sound like a genius telling people you've read a Russian with a multisyllabic name, makes you seem wicked smaat.
17. Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged
Genre: Fiction
Who is John Galt?
Read this tome to find out. Tough as nails lady main character making it work in the business world with a compelling story.
My one piece of advice/confession is: skip the radio address at the end.
It goes on for basically a full chapter, just a recapitulating the book's message and by that stage you've already got the point.
18. Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn Trilogy
Genre: Fantasy
You really need the to see the whole trilogy through to get the payoff but Sanderson is a fantastic writer who is excellent at world building. If you like this and want to really nerd out you should read his stuff about how to construct a magic system in a fictional world. Yes its all made up, but the principals he lays down, if you have thoughts of writing yourself are gold.
19. Terry Goodkind - Wizards First Rule
Genre: Fantasy
Goodkind comes out firing on all cylinders. Lots of different cultures and characters and settings to explore. The series goes on forever, my recommendation there is to keep going until he runs out of ideas (which he does), there is some cool stuff at the end, emphasis here on some, but by that point, if you're like me you're just reading in a sunk cost fallacy of going: well, I've already come this far dammit, I'm gonna see this thing to the bitter end.
Learn from my mistake, stop when you get bored, the first 6 or so books are dynamite but when the enthusiasm peters out, just stop.
20. Tom Wolfe - Bonfire of the Vanities
Genre: Fiction
And now for something completely different!
I couldn't tell you exactly what it is about Wolfe's writing that I find compelling but it is different from what I might ordinarily read and interesting to boot.
Admittedly Wolfe has many more works than I've read but for a full sampling of what's out there in the world you should give Wolfe a read to see if its something that appeals to you and explore around from there.
Ok, well that does it for part 2
Anyone on here you think doesn't rise to the level of the other greats?
Anyone you think I've thus far neglected who might make an appearance in part 3?
Let me know.
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