Favorite books?

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chaucer

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With fourth year winding down and several long weeks to kill before match day, I'm hoping to distract myself a bit with a good book or two. Any recommendations? And please, no medical books, and no Chaucer.
 
Blindness, or anything else by Saramago. Growing Up, by Baker or Banks, I can never separate those two. Most anything by Ed Doctorow, especially Ragtime. Try 'A Moveable Feast' by Hemingway. I also like Tom Wolfe if you REALLY have time on your hands and don't mind 900 pages. 🙂 A Man in Full was really well written. Any of these will give you a great read, or pick a genre and I'll offer some others. D712
 
I love the above titled book. It's full of great mystery stories and the best part of it is that because they're short stories, you can actually finish them, unlike reading 900 page book, which is great too if you have time for that.
 
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Are you talking classics or new releases?

My wife just read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson and she really liked it. I started reading it too. I don't usually go for thrillers, but it's good so far.
 
Bringin down the house by ben mezrach, highly recommended, fun book quick and easy read
 
+1 for Atlas Shrugged. Throw in The Fountainhead for good measure as well.👍👍

Here's another to consider:

41jfLi9hE6L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg


This is a well written novel (by an anesthesiologist) about an anesthesiologist who deals with an encounter that will hit home for many in a lot of ways. The way she writes, you can definitely tell she knows what she is talking about. It is refreshing to see a writer get the details correct (unlike on TV). But then, why wouldn't she; she's an anesthesiologist.

I have recently gotten the Malcolm Gladwell library and have started with "Outliers" which is an interesting read. "Blink" is next on my list followed by the rest ("Tipping Point" and "What the Dog Saw").

I also give the endorsement for House of God.

I also like the Dan Brown novels, though I own but have not yet read his new one.

For a classic, you can't go wrong with "To Kill a Mockingbird."

For another physician writer, consider Verghese's "The Tennis Partner" or My Own Country"

If you liked the musical "Wicked" with its overall comedy and whimsical nature, you probably would find the book upon which the play is based to be nothing at all like the musical. If you are a Wizard of Oz fan, you may find the plot twists and dark and gloomy plot interesting. It takes an interesting look at the story of the "Wicked" witch.
 
house of god is also a must read. i liked blink and freakonomics. i know these are all old suggestions but the only thing i have been reading lately is anesthesia....
 
To balance the serious high-brow suggestions above, if you have any kind of fantasy bent ...

Patrick Rothfuss series - The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear (not yet released)
George R R Martin's series - Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows

Apart from the Wheel of Time series, which got disappointing around book 5 when Jordan got lost in the woods and distracted by his own overly complex creation before dropping dead with the series unfinished, the above two are the only series I can remember really impatiently waiting for the next book.

Both of those guys are taking their sweet ****ing time with the sequels. If either one pulls a Jordan and dies before finishing I'm going to need therapy.
 
pgg said:
To balance the serious high-brow suggestions above, if you have any kind of fantasy bent ...

Patrick Rothfuss series - The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear (not yet released)
George R R Martin's series - Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows

Apart from the Wheel of Time series, which got disappointing around book 5 when Jordan got lost in the woods and distracted by his own overly complex creation before dropping dead with the series unfinished, the above two are the only series I can remember really impatiently waiting for the next book.

Both of those guys are taking their sweet ****ing time with the sequels. If either one pulls a Jordan and dies before finishing I'm going to need therapy.
Click to expand...

You could always go with the ever classic LOTR. No need to worry about Tolkien's health as the series is finished (and he's already dead).


For lighter fantasy, read anything by Terry Pratchett. The Discworld series is pretty damn funny and you can pick up any one you want without worrying about an over-arching story thread. Light reading for sure.
 
pgg said:
To balance the serious high-brow suggestions above, if you have any kind of fantasy bent ...

Patrick Rothfuss series - The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear (not yet released)
George R R Martin's series - Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows

Apart from the Wheel of Time series, which got disappointing around book 5 when Jordan got lost in the woods and distracted by his own overly complex creation before dropping dead with the series unfinished, the above two are the only series I can remember really impatiently waiting for the next book.

Both of those guys are taking their sweet ****ing time with the sequels. If either one pulls a Jordan and dies before finishing I'm going to need therapy.
Click to expand...

George RR Martin books are really good, dark but good.

It's true that the Wheel of Time Series hit a lul around book 6 or 7 but got better again later on. I thought the most recent book 'The Gathering Storm' (Book 12) was as good as the first few. It's good to know that they'll be finished well with the co-writer Sanderson. I also think the series is far better than LOTR if anyone likes fantasy.
 
Gern Blansten said:
41jfLi9hE6L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg


This is a well written novel (by an anesthesiologist) about an anesthesiologist who deals with an encounter that will hit home for many in a lot of ways. The way she writes, you can definitely tell she knows what she is talking about. It is refreshing to see a writer get the details correct (unlike on TV). But then, why wouldn't she; she's an anesthesiologist.
Click to expand...

Agreed with the above. 👍
 
If you want really light reading, fantasy and time travel to the past, check out "The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, by Sally Smith O'Rourke.
 
Last edited:
GypsySongman said:
George RR Martin books are really good, dark but good.

It's true that the Wheel of Time Series hit a lul around book 6 or 7 but got better again later on. I thought the most recent book 'The Gathering Storm' (Book 12) was as good as the first few. It's good to know that they'll be finished well with the co-writer Sanderson. I also think the series is far better than LOTR if anyone likes fantasy.
Click to expand...

My favorite thing about Martin is how he'll just abruptly kill off major characters. Characters that he's spent 1000 pages developing, that I figured would have a major role right up until the end of the series. I wouldn't be half surprised to see those books finish with everybody dying as evil sweeps over the land, The End.

Sanderson did a great job with #12. After I read that I got his Mistborn series, first two were pretty good, just started the third.
 
Most anything by Nick Hornby.

chaucer said:
With fourth year winding down and several long weeks to kill before match day, I'm hoping to distract myself a bit with a good book or two. Any recommendations? And please, no medical books, and no Chaucer.
Click to expand...
 
Anything by John Steinbeck. Some of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories are good, too. I particularly like "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" and "Young Goodman Brown" (from whence my username comes).
 
Gern Blansten said:
+1 for Atlas Shrugged. Throw in The Fountainhead for good measure as well.👍👍

Here's another to consider:

41jfLi9hE6L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg


This is a well written novel (by an anesthesiologist) about an anesthesiologist who deals with an encounter that will hit home for many in a lot of ways. The way she writes, you can definitely tell she knows what she is talking about. It is refreshing to see a writer get the details correct (unlike on TV). But then, why wouldn't she; she's an anesthesiologist.
Click to expand...

Sweet! My library has this book. Picking it up at lunchtime today.
 
My personal favorites

The Religion by Tim Willocks
Shawdow of the Wind and The Angel's Game by Carlos Zafron
Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Rand

I highly recommend the above. The Religion is long but worth the read. The Zafron books are great.
 
pgg said:
To balance the serious high-brow suggestions above, if you have any kind of fantasy bent ...

Patrick Rothfuss series - The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear (not yet released)
George R R Martin's series - Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows

Apart from the Wheel of Time series, which got disappointing around book 5 when Jordan got lost in the woods and distracted by his own overly complex creation before dropping dead with the series unfinished, the above two are the only series I can remember really impatiently waiting for the next book.

Both of those guys are taking their sweet ****ing time with the sequels. If either one pulls a Jordan and dies before finishing I'm going to need therapy.
Click to expand...

I agree. I have been waiting a while for the next in the series for both of these guys. Seems like a long time since Feast for Crows came out. I was surprised by the Rothfuss book and am looking forward to the next one.
 
How about "On the Road" by Keroac; I always reevaluate my priorities after reading this. Also, "Johnny Got His Gun", "Catch-22", "Crime and Punishment", Shakespeare.

Ann Rand is terrible. If you want to read about a fortunite person who B&Ms about how terrible our current government is then just read Buckley, atleast its shorter.
 
Essays:
First Love, Last Rites
by Ian McEwan

When Engulfed in Flames
by David Sedaris


Fiction:
Atonement
by Ian McEwan

Midnight's Children
by Salman Rushdie

White Teeth
by Zadie Smith

The Death of Ivan Ilyich
By Leo Tolstoy


Thought/Philosophy
The World as Will and Representation
by Arthur Schopenhauer

Thus Spoke Zarasthustra
by Frederich Nietzsche

Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis


On Evolution
The Blind Watchmaker
by Richard Dawkins

Finding Darwin's God
By Kenneth Miller

The Language of God
by Francis Collins, MD/PhD


Science
A Brief History of Time
by Stephen Hawking

The Elegant Universe
by Brian Greene


Politics/Government
When Character was King: A life of Ronald Reagan
by Peggy Noonan

Ron Paul: A Manifesto
by Ron Paul

End the Fed
by Ron Paul

Economic Policy
The Shock Doctrine
By Naomi Klein

No Logo: No space, no choice, no jobs
by Naomi Klein


Just a few of my favorite things...
 
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Since there's a lot of serious literature on here already, I will advocate for something more lighthearted: anything by Robert Benchley, Dave Barry, or James Thurber.
 
Fiction: Anything by Hemingway (my alter ego wants to be traveling Europe wasted).

Nonfiction: anything by Malcome Gladwell or Richard Dawkins.
 
Eta Carinae said:
Essays:
First Love, Last Rites
by Ian McEwan

When Engulfed in Flames
by David Sedaris


Fiction:
Atonement
by Ian McEwan

Midnight's Children
by Salman Rushdie

White Teeth
by Zadie Smith

The Death of Ivan Ilyich
By Leo Tolstoy


Thought/Philosophy
The World as Will and Representation
by Arthur Schopenhauer

Thus Spoke Zarasthustra
by Frederich Nietzsche

Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis


On Evolution
The Blind Watchmaker
by Richard Dawkins

Finding Darwin's God
By Kenneth Miller

The Language of God
by Francis Collins, MD/PhD


Science
A Brief History of Time
by Stephen Hawking

The Elegant Universe
by Brian Greene


Politics/Government
When Character was King: A life of Ronald Reagan
by Peggy Noonan

Ron Paul: A Manifesto
by Ron Paul

End the Fed
by Ron Paul

Economic Policy
The Shock Doctrine
By Naomi Klein

No Logo: No space, no choice, no jobs
by Naomi Klein


Just a few of my favorite things...
Click to expand...


I worked under Francis Collins at the NIH when I was a fellow after college. Amazing guy. Would be there for us whenever we needed him. Tireless worker yet would always sit down with us once a week to teach medical genetics. I do, however, side more with the Dawkins point of view.
 
If you want to prepare for the absurdity of intern year, I don't think you do much better than Kafka and "The Trial."

+1 on anything Dawkins, though he tends to be almost unbearably smarmy
 
pgg said:
To balance the serious high-brow suggestions above, if you have any kind of fantasy bent ...

Patrick Rothfuss series - The Name Of The Wind, The Wise Man's Fear (not yet released)
George R R Martin's series - Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, Storm of Swords, Feast for Crows

Apart from the Wheel of Time series, which got disappointing around book 5 when Jordan got lost in the woods and distracted by his own overly complex creation before dropping dead with the series unfinished, the above two are the only series I can remember really impatiently waiting for the next book.

Both of those guys are taking their sweet ****ing time with the sequels. If either one pulls a Jordan and dies before finishing I'm going to need therapy.
Click to expand...
Martin will never release another book. There’s still hope for Rothfuss. His problem is the first two were so awesome and thus hard to live up to.

Edit: and just now realized how old this thread is lol
 
This past year I have read

A hundred years of solitude (highly recommend)
Crime and Punishment
For whom the Bell Tolls
Billion Dollar Whale
Buddenbrooks
Don Quixote (highly recommend - Rutherford translation)
Taste (by Stanley Tucci - good if you're hungry and has some recipes; very light read)
A Farewell to Arms
Three Musketeers
Brave New World
Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go, When we were Orphans - all by Ishiguro

Currently reading Moby Dick. I found out I enjoyed reading the classics more than modern nonfiction books. I also read The Story of Britain by Roy Strong by I was struggling to stay awake.
 
Everyone on here needs to read

A Short History of Nearly Everything​

by Bill Byrson

(or listen to it)

Such a fun and enjoyable book.

Amazon product ASIN 076790818X
I have also enjoyed recently

Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell

Ender's Game universe (all the books in the series. The last one was just released this year)

I am working my way through Danial Silva's Gabriel Allon series. These are great fun spy novels.

I am currently reading (which I would highly recommend)

China's Great Wall of Debt

The Undoing Project (by Michael Lewis - who wrote Money Ball, The Big Short, Blind Side). It is about a psychologist who won the Nobel price for economics....go figure....and wrote the book Thinking Fast and Slow, a pretty famous book.
 
Straight2eight said:
Martin will never release another book. There’s still hope for Rothfuss. His problem is the first two were so awesome and thus hard to live up to.

Edit: and just now realized how old this thread is lol
Click to expand...

Wow I can't believe that it's been 11 years since dance of dragons. I remember getting through feast of crows and was so excited when dance was about to come out. Then I had a hope that the books would be finished before the series finished. But the ending of the tv show was a complete disaster and ruined the entire thing. Not sure that I would even read the next books even if they come out.
 
Nice zombie thread. I’ll roll with it.

Sci-fi:
Anything by Ted Chiang. His short stories are nearly perfect little packages of sci-fi. “Story of Your Life,” which was the basis for the movie Arrival, is a fantastic read.

Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke…a classic

Non-fiction:
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe…infuriating (also check out Say Nothing by him)

Fiction:
Stoner by John Williams…and oddly compelling book about an unassuming man leading an unremarkable life.
 
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