foolm0r0n posted... Perfume
I'm pretty sure I've had this one spoiled for me. Do you think it would still be worth reading?
Maniac64 posted... Theft of Swords by Michael J Sullivan
Long way to a small angry planet
Vatta series by Elizabeth Moon
Added to the list!
banananor posted... Congratulations! I'm in a similar boat- I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to.
My favorite book is probably The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe. I can also vouch for the quality of Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Because I discussed it on this board at some point, I have to mention that Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir was a fun romp. A relative lent me their old sf & fantasy books when I was a kid, so I have a soft spot for Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, and Fritz Leiber. The Caves of Steel (a detective story with optional sequels) in particular, along with its various optional sequels and his short stories. I consider those three authors foundational to modern fantasy & sci fi. The d&d spellcasting system isn't called "Vancian" for nothing. Anything of his about Rhialto the Marvelous is peak. I thought Glen Cook's The Black Company was the best thing ever when I was a teen, but I'm scared to re-read as it probably wasn't actually all that great.
Recently... The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz was recommended to me and was pretty good. It has a strong voice and salient references, even if I did lose a bit of interest by the end. I finally plunged into Iain Banks's Culture series after decades of recommendations, and it's sporadically very good, even though I dislike that it seems to have been embraced by AI chuds.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien was my favorite book I was required to read in school.
Inferno by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven (from what I've heard Niven is normally awful but Pournelle kept him reigned down) was another favorite.
I was in a bad spot a few years ago and some litRPGs were a guilty pleasure that burned the time. I'm pretty sure they're not available at libraries and- while I do have a favorite- I'm not sure I'd actually recommend any of them unless someone was already interested in the genre.
Thanks for all the recs! I will look into these further when I have a chance.
LiquidOshawott posted...
you actually dont really need to read Kafka, its simply the name of the protagonist.
my favorite is actually wind up bird chronicle, would go with that (Kafka is also very good but a bit abstract, took me like three or four times to get into it haha)
Maybe not, but I would like to! I'll add the Wind Up Bird Chronicle to my list as well.
Cavedweller2000 posted... Watchers by Dean Koontz
Added. This cover is fucking amazing lmao
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/bd50c667.jpg