Help, I'm running out of things to read! Suggestions?

Options
vypeters
vypeters Posts: 475 Member
in Chit-Chat
I'm pretty much a non-fiction reader; not so much self-help, mostly things like essays, history, lots of areas of science, social science, popular statistics, business books if they're more along the lines of stories of what happened (like what happened in the financial collapse or what happened to Enron or the story of New Coke, etc.) I even get into things like stories of the discoveries of treasure ships.

Not big on popular biography (show-biz figures) but do enjoy historical biograhies sometimes, when I'm in the right mood.

Problem is I read a lot and new books in my areas of interest don't seem to come out fast enough.

I need books available as E-books because I need to be able to make the print larger to be able to read for any period of time.

So: what should I read next?
«1

Replies

  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Options
    I'm finishing a book called "What is the What" by Dave Eggers. It is biographical fiction (based on a true story) and details the journey of one of Sudan's "Lost Boys." It is very interesting from a political as well as emotional perspective. I've learned a lot about the crises in Sudan and Somalia, and it is quite inspiring. Dave Eggers is a great writer, too.
  • hareraising
    hareraising Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I am reading book one in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I read all five of his fist series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I was very surprised I like it but very well written. Very vivid you can almost put yourself in the story as an onlooker. I would suggest starting with the Percy Jackson books, that will give you a little back ground but they do not have to be read in order although it helps.

    Although they were written for a young adult audience the story was very good. I hope you enjoy.
  • Cheryl188
    Cheryl188 Posts: 114 Member
    Options
    I tend to prefer fiction. I'm currently reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Larson...SO FUNNY! I also highly recommend "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant.
    Please share any recommendations you might have. I'll read anything. :)
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Options
    I tend to prefer fiction. I'm currently reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Larson...SO FUNNY! I also highly recommend "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant.
    Please share any recommendations you might have. I'll read anything. :)

    Loved "The Red Tent" as well!
  • katrwal
    katrwal Posts: 336 Member
    Options
    From a non-fiction perspective, i've really enjoyed the books by Erik Larsen (Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts) - he has a great talent for telling a historical story. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum was also very interesting. I especially loved reading that one on my Kindle and the look on my husband's face when I told him the title :devil:
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Options
    From a non-fiction perspective, i've really enjoyed the books by Erik Larsen (Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts) - he has a great talent for telling a historical story. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum was also very interesting. I especially loved reading that one on my Kindle and the look on my husband's face when I told him the title :devil:

    LOL, I might use that one on my husband as well. It's kind of an inside joke with us. We met on the internet and at first my sister was afraid he might be an axe murderer. Then, about 6 months ago a young man left some threatening voice mails for my daughter. When the police went to talk to them, he told the guy I had "threatened to cut his throat" (note: I faint at the sight of blood so if I did cut someone's throat, I wouldn't get away!). So we've had great fun back-and-forth about our mutually murderous propensities...so poison...hmmm.

    I've read Devil in the White City, might look at some of his others. Will checkout the Poisoner's Handbook too, never heard of it.
  • Dub_D
    Dub_D Posts: 1,760 Member
    Options
    Shampoo bottle.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Options
    I tend to prefer fiction. I'm currently reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by Jenny Larson...SO FUNNY! I also highly recommend "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant.
    Please share any recommendations you might have. I'll read anything. :)

    I love Jenny Lawson!! That book is great & so is her blog!


    As for the OP, The Spirit Catches You & You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. I just got done reading that one.
  • possibri
    possibri Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    I tend to stick to fiction, but one of my favorite non-fiction books is The Hiding Place by Corrie tenBoom, which is all about her experience during the Holocaust. The Ancestor's Tale by RIchard Dawkins is also really good according to my old roommate, but it's likely you've already read that.
  • thektturner
    thektturner Posts: 228 Member
    Options
    I would suggest anything by Augusten Burroughs (mostly memoirs) or Sarah Vowell (mostly history, but written in a very accessible, semi-personal way).

    Or "Life's That Way" by Jim Beaver. He is a character actor who lost his wife to cancer. AMAZING book. Helped me get through the death of someone close to me.
  • kahuna75
    kahuna75 Posts: 2
    Options
    I am a huge fan of Ross King - he combines history with a good story - Michael Angelo and the Popes Ceiling is a great one by him
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    Options
    "Karate-Do: My Way of Life" by Gichin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan Karate.) Good story, has some interesting history.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    Options
    you may have already read some of these, but here are some good ones:

    The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
    - Mlodinow
    The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-eye View of the World
    - Pollan
    Predictably Irrational
    - Ariely
    Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The secret World of Corporate Espionage
    - Javers
    Connected: How your Friends' Friends affect Everything You Do
    - Christakis & Fowler
    The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
    - Caro (this goes beyond a just biography to talk about the rise of suburbia in America)
    Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
    - Heath and Heath (the title sounds sort of self-help but it has a lot of behavioral economics)
    Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
    - Roach
    A History of Pi
    - Beckmann
    Rising '44: The battle for Warsaw
    - Davies ( or anything by Norman Davies, actually)

    Enjoy!
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Options
    I am a huge fan of Ross King - he combines history with a good story - Michael Angelo and the Popes Ceiling is a great one by him

    Neither of those two is available for Kindle, but he has a new one coming out 10/30 on Leonardo. I've added it to my Wish List, which is where I slot books I want to remember to look at in the future.

    Thanks!
  • Raw_Bean
    Raw_Bean Posts: 293 Member
    Options
    Outlander - Diana Gabaldon!
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Options
    you may have already read some of these, but here are some good ones:

    The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
    - Mlodinow
    The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-eye View of the World
    - Pollan
    Predictably Irrational
    - Ariely
    Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The secret World of Corporate Espionage
    - Javers
    Connected: How your Friends' Friends affect Everything You Do
    - Christakis & Fowler
    The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
    - Caro (this goes beyond a just biography to talk about the rise of suburbia in America)
    Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
    - Heath and Heath (the title sounds sort of self-help but it has a lot of behavioral economics)
    Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
    - Roach
    A History of Pi
    - Beckmann
    Rising '44: The battle for Warsaw
    - Davies ( or anything by Norman Davies, actually)

    Enjoy!

    I've read all but three of these - seems like we have very similar tastes in reading. History of Pi isn't available for Kindle, but I've added 'Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy' to my Wish List.

    Thanks!
  • stephc0711
    stephc0711 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Options
    I've been reading Sin in the Second City, I'm not sure if it's available as an e-book, but it's good. It's about the Everleigh Club, a Victorian-era brothel, in Chicago. The other one on my list is Devil in the White City.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    From a non-fiction perspective, i've really enjoyed the books by Erik Larsen (Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts) - he has a great talent for telling a historical story. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum was also very interesting. I especially loved reading that one on my Kindle and the look on my husband's face when I told him the title :devil:

    LOL, I might use that one on my husband as well. It's kind of an inside joke with us. We met on the internet and at first my sister was afraid he might be an axe murderer. Then, about 6 months ago a young man left some threatening voice mails for my daughter. When the police went to talk to them, he told the guy I had "threatened to cut his throat" (note: I faint at the sight of blood so if I did cut someone's throat, I wouldn't get away!). So we've had great fun back-and-forth about our mutually murderous propensities...so poison...hmmm.

    I've read Devil in the White City, might look at some of his others. Will checkout the Poisoner's Handbook too, never heard of it.


    Devil in the White City is amazing! His other books are also good. I don't usually read this type of novel, but In Cold Blood was also excellent.
  • Ghostpoo
    Ghostpoo Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses are amazing books.
  • elisabeisme
    elisabeisme Posts: 308 Member
    Options
    I've read all but three of these - seems like we have very similar tastes in reading.

    wow, I guess we do have similar taste! Any recos for me?

Categories