ScreenXSurfer
Ain't no bitch who can do it like me
For all the readers and bibliophiles of this forum, what currently has your attention? Non-fiction, fiction, whatever floats your boat.
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Personally I've always been a big non-fiction fan. Whether it's some book about the history of something, a political book, philosophy, current events, or science/math related. I've got recommendations for people in all those 'genres'. However from time to time I have to reset all that with a good fiction book.
I recently finished the 3-Body Trilogy by Cixin Liu. I wanted to sample the growing Chinese fiction literature and 3-Body was one of the few acclaimed ones. It was by far the most fascinating, deep & mind boggling Scifi story I've ever read. And it's mostly hard science, which is very hard to write well because there are so many challenges in physics. However Mr. Liu is the best I've ever read in doing it. Every book escalates beyond what you think is possible. Every conflict appears to be insurmountable. The challenges come from within and without in this story and it's a wonder how the protagonist will ever win. It's a real page-turner.
I'm a reader that will get thru about a 3rd of a book, get a bit bored and read an "off book" a 3rd of the way thru, then return back to the first book. Not with the books in the 3-body trilogy. Multiple times I stayed up late burning candlelight to see what was going to happen next. A few hundred pages every time.
I'm currently reading two books. A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell. He's an interesting person & podcast host, even if I only agree with him about 25% of the time. Somebody I enjoy listening to when I'm sick of the usual echochambers. This book is covering a lot of the untold history of the US. The parts that aren't glorified by old historians, or the parts that are ignored by the new breed of historians. It's covering the parts of American culture that were created by the outcast of society. Alcohol runners, hookers, pirates, immigrants, slaves & freemen, etc. Definitely a must read for anybody who wants to see another side of history that isn't taught in schools or common literature. The only 'mainstream' equivalent would be Drunk History I'd say.
The other book is Dear Reader: the Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il by Michael Malice. Michael Malice is another one of those thinkers I enjoy imbibing whenever he puts out content or a podcast because he's relentless against mainstream politics and his jokes are savage. He's the AnCap equivalent to Chapo Trap House, but way more self-aware. In regards to North Korea, I really love his take. In this book in particular his humor and the tragic humor of North Korean history & society comes through the pages extremely well. The opening line of the book is, "I remember the day of my birth perfectly" (lol) and then proceeds to highlight the mythology & propaganda behind the ruling Kim dynasty & Korean history. I'm only about 20 pages in since it's my current off book.
Lastly I've been really into the audiobook Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday. It covers the scandal and lawsuit that brought down a rising independent media giant. The story of a a battle between a scorned billionaire and a fearless journalist, and the conspiracy that brought down Gawker media. It deeply explores all the actors involved and the architect behind it remains anonymous to this day. I'm just getting into the section where the die has been cast and am continuing to listen while at work.
--
Personally I've always been a big non-fiction fan. Whether it's some book about the history of something, a political book, philosophy, current events, or science/math related. I've got recommendations for people in all those 'genres'. However from time to time I have to reset all that with a good fiction book.
I recently finished the 3-Body Trilogy by Cixin Liu. I wanted to sample the growing Chinese fiction literature and 3-Body was one of the few acclaimed ones. It was by far the most fascinating, deep & mind boggling Scifi story I've ever read. And it's mostly hard science, which is very hard to write well because there are so many challenges in physics. However Mr. Liu is the best I've ever read in doing it. Every book escalates beyond what you think is possible. Every conflict appears to be insurmountable. The challenges come from within and without in this story and it's a wonder how the protagonist will ever win. It's a real page-turner.
I'm a reader that will get thru about a 3rd of a book, get a bit bored and read an "off book" a 3rd of the way thru, then return back to the first book. Not with the books in the 3-body trilogy. Multiple times I stayed up late burning candlelight to see what was going to happen next. A few hundred pages every time.
I'm currently reading two books. A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell. He's an interesting person & podcast host, even if I only agree with him about 25% of the time. Somebody I enjoy listening to when I'm sick of the usual echochambers. This book is covering a lot of the untold history of the US. The parts that aren't glorified by old historians, or the parts that are ignored by the new breed of historians. It's covering the parts of American culture that were created by the outcast of society. Alcohol runners, hookers, pirates, immigrants, slaves & freemen, etc. Definitely a must read for anybody who wants to see another side of history that isn't taught in schools or common literature. The only 'mainstream' equivalent would be Drunk History I'd say.
The other book is Dear Reader: the Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il by Michael Malice. Michael Malice is another one of those thinkers I enjoy imbibing whenever he puts out content or a podcast because he's relentless against mainstream politics and his jokes are savage. He's the AnCap equivalent to Chapo Trap House, but way more self-aware. In regards to North Korea, I really love his take. In this book in particular his humor and the tragic humor of North Korean history & society comes through the pages extremely well. The opening line of the book is, "I remember the day of my birth perfectly" (lol) and then proceeds to highlight the mythology & propaganda behind the ruling Kim dynasty & Korean history. I'm only about 20 pages in since it's my current off book.
Lastly I've been really into the audiobook Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday. It covers the scandal and lawsuit that brought down a rising independent media giant. The story of a a battle between a scorned billionaire and a fearless journalist, and the conspiracy that brought down Gawker media. It deeply explores all the actors involved and the architect behind it remains anonymous to this day. I'm just getting into the section where the die has been cast and am continuing to listen while at work.