41–50 of 111 posts
- The Lord of the Rings
- Siddhartha
- Chaos: Making a New Science
- The Death Gate cycle books
- Neuromancer
- Head First Design Patterns
- Valis
- Dune
- The name of the rose
I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones off the top of my head.
I read East of Eden every couple years. I find it settles me and makes me believe in the goodness of Humans every time I read it.
_timshel_
Harry Potter (comfort series)
Charlie Wilson’s War (it’s hilarious and informative),
Game Change (a sobering reminder of the 2008 election and how we got to today),
Lincoln’s Melancholy (on his depression).
I’ve read lots of books twice, but the above are the only I can find in my library I’ve read 3 or more times. Outside of Harry Potter, I view the figures in those books most responsible for turning points in our nations history.
it's covertly a book about statistical reasoning, but with no dry statistical language, subversive in a way. we need more statistical reasoning in the world, particularly around risk assessment, to subdue fear and panic.
edit: as for fiction,
james clavell's asian saga[0] series is entertaining historical fiction, which i've read twice.
pat conroy's southern portraits, particularly the lords of discipline and the prince of tides, both wrenching, haunting, and beautiful.
also in the historical/cultural fiction realm: anna karenina, crime and punishment, a tale of two cities, les miserables.
I listen to or read Snow Crash at least once a year. I just enjoy most everything about it. Anathem required a couple listens, and a third listen was just for comfort food.
The Altered Carbon trilogy has depth and sublime world-building that I have now enjoyed at least a half dozen times.
I second mentions of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (and will mention The Long, Dark Tea Time of the Soul as well).
Ender’s Game is also comfort food for me.
Breaking from the speculative fiction reco’s above... The Power of Vulnerability (Brené Brown) is more lecture series than audiobook, but as for non fiction I’ve recently given multiple listens to, that tops the list.
I borrowed “Landline” from the local library, read it twice and then bought it so I could continue to read it when I want to. I think I was in just the right age group and life situation for this novel to hit home for me. Your mileage may vary, but IMO read it without knowing anything about it in advance if you’re going to read it. That means don’t read the back cover etc.
(Blind borrowing of books from the library is fun and can be eye opening, try it sometime! Most places, you can borrow eBooks and even digital audiobooks without even leaving your home as long as you have a library card.)
The excellent series on Lyndon Johnson by the same author as The Power Broker
The Three Body Problem series
DO IT!: Scenarios of the Revolution, by Jerry Rubin.
The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking A Spy Through The Maze Of Computer Espionage, by Cliff Stoll.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.
Logicomix, by Apóstolos K. Doxiàdis and Christos Papadimitriou.
Other books that I strongly recommend can be found here (some of them are in French): https://pablo.rauzy.name/miscellaneous.html#books
Update: Pirates de tous les pays, by Marcus Rediker is a translation of Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age which you can thus read in English :). It really is an awesome read! After I finished it I immidiately ordered 5 more copies to give them to friends.