Here we are,
the final edition of the Top Books to read.
All of this sparked because when I looked up the top books people were reading the lists rapidly devolved into garbage. This surely means that I alone have the right way of thinking about authors.
That or my list is similarly garbage, but hey
I'm having fun writing it so whatever!
The rules:
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.
**NOTE**
In this, the final installment, I have inverted the order of author - title for many of our entries.
This because for many of the books here I am focused on the singular work, rather than recommending the author generally. Mostly this is because I have not read any of their other works and am not familiar with the authors more broadly, outside of these particular works.
But let us proceed to the first entry.
41. The Dictator's Handbook - Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith
Genre: Non-Fiction
Ever wonder why it is dictatorships invest their money so bizarrely? Like a hugely expensive works project that benefits only a few while the rest of the population lives in squalor? This book illuminates the reasoning behind why dictators spend their capital the way they do, and how it translates into them maintaining power and authority. A wonderfully clear eyed look at the way things work.
42. How to be Miserable - Randy Patterson
Genre: Non-Fiction
Another book in the proud line of taking a big topic and breaking it down into simple things that I find super useful. I also love the way the author inverted expectations and instead of explaining how to be happy he goes over the research on what makes people deeply unhappy in ways they don't always notice outright. Anyway, great book with practical take aways.
43. What Every Body is Saying - Joe Navarro
Genre: Non-Fiction
The author is at pains to say, repeatedly, there is no 'tell' for lying or deception, rather that a gesture is either high energy or low energy and by taking a look at how a person is positioning or moving their body can give you a lot of signals about how they are feeling even if they aren't necessarily aware that they are sending such signals. We are super social creatures after all.
Funny side story: years ago when I read this I think the author had his email in the book. And for reasons I can't remember, in my excitement about the book I emailed him some dumb question thinking there was no way in hell someone with his credentials would even see it.
Well, he did, not only that, he even answered, a gesture of kindness that has forever put him in my good graces.
44. Jordan B Peterson - 12 Rules for Life
Genre: Non-Fiction
Controversial pick, but one I stand behind. His rules are practical, actionable, and more importantly: they're right. I have a poster with the rules printed out right by my desk as I write this. I found this work cut right to the heart of things. If you like that I also recommend his biblical lectures, this coming from a guy without a religious upbringing, who has not read the Bible (hence it's absence from this list). If you find yourself in a hole and you can't get out and you can't figure out why. If there was one book I could hand you, it'd be this one.
45. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Fiction
From one controversial novel to another. I don't know, is this novel still controversial? Not sure, but it'll sure make you feel disgusting. If you haven't encountered an unreliable narrator before now, here you go, tossing you straight into the deep end. And you'll never guess the plot, turns out this guy is super into young gals, like real young gals.
Yes, it will turn your stomach, but you should read the work everyone casually references, that and even though the subject matter is vile those opening lines are exceptional.
46. House of Leaves - Mark Danielewski
Genre: Horror
I rarely find horror books actually frightening, but this book, starting with such a simple premise, is magnificent. You have to read this in the real 'book made out of paper' form, no audio books, no ebooks. It is an experimental novel that went right in all the best ways. Read this as part of a book club because it was way outside my wheelhouse but man oh man did this pay off. I think the reason this book works so well is because it allows my own imagination to do all the heavy lifting. Wonderful book.
47. Edgar Allan Poe - The Cask of Amontillado
Genre: Horror
Speaking of Horror, one of the greats here. The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tell Tale Heart, all classics you should read, Poe is a master. Indeed, The Raven, possibly his most famous work I would rate less than all these others I've named.
Unrelated but if you like Poe you should also read The Yellow Wall Paper, a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
48. Alan Moore - The Watchmen
Genre: Comic Book
Or as some might term them: graphic novel. Alan Moore is a writer's writer who went into comic books, his plots and his characters are complex and interesting. No rock'em-sock'em BOOM-POW superheroes here. I think additionally this entry is good because I do not believe you need to turn your nose up at graphic novels to be a serious literati and Alan Moore is proof positive of that point.
49. Stieg Larson - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Genre: Fiction
Interesting to bring in the Nordic perspective. The central character (the titular Girl) is maybe a bit overdone from what I remember in that the book will go: tech problem! Genius girl: taps furiously at keyboard. Solved!
Ok it isn't that simple and its a fun ride with unexpected twists, so I enjoyed it, and it can get pretty brutal and real.
50. Pierce Brown - Red Rising
Genre: Sci-Fi
Audible was recommending this to me endlessly before I finally gave in and read it, though ironically I read it in paper form as a loan from my local library. Could not put it down. Is it complicated, and nuanced, with rich character development? Maybe it won't last the centuries but it is an awesome time.
Think game of thrones in space for maybe a slightly younger crowd, maybe Ender's Game level (lots of games here).
Anyway here is another author who is not afraid to kill off characters which makes it interesting, but then when I finished the original trilogy I refused to read the follow on novels because I was too afraid he would take the characters I liked, that managed to survive, and kill them and I wasn't emotionally prepared for that. Still haven't read them. But if you are bolder than I you should consider them.
And just like that our list is complete.
Of the 50 how many have you read?
Was there anyone that I should have included? (You're going to list both author and title because they're exclusion from this list may mean I haven't actually read their work)
Is there any author you tried from this list that had you deep dive into their material?
Next up I think I'll compile a list (much shorter) of either books I didn't like or ones that I perhaps might like if I were cleverer.
Until next time, let me know!
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