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  • Bldck@beehaw.orgtoAsklemmy@lemmy.mlWhat books do you consider must reads?
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    13 days ago
    • All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing are beautiful western novels by Cormac McCarthy. Both are very much “a boy and his horse” kind of stories about learning to be yourself. They’re loosely related and there’s a third book that brings the boys together and concludes their stories

    • The Jungle and Oil! by Upton Sinclair are novelizations of Sinclair’s investigative journalism work in the meat packing industry and the nascent workers rights movement respectively. Oil! was very loosely adapted into the film There Will Be Blood (the film covers maybe the first 3-4 chapters by greatly expanding upon the material

    • Hatchet by Gary Paulsen was a very impactful book for me as a child. It’s a YA novel, but still worth a read. The main character Brian survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness and is forced to find a way to survive on his own

    A few more recent novels that I enjoyed:

    • Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Won the 2024 Booker Prize (best English language novel) about an authoritarian government taking power in Ireland and how that unfolds from the perspective of a mother with young children. It’s a hard read, but very well written

    • Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. Translated into English. A friend described it as “sexy witches in South America deal with authoritarian rule.” And that’s pretty close…

    • Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park. A semi-fictionalized history of the Korean Peninsula and the desire to have a unified identity. Many people come to the peninsula (same bed) with very different goals for its use (different dreams). Really fascinating book and engaging

    • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Follows a trio of friends as they explore the world of video game design. Starts in the early 80s and runs through the 2000s. Reminder me very much of the show Halt and Catch Fire.

    • My Friends by Hisham Matar. Follows a Libyan immigrant living in England in the 80s through 2010s as he wrestles with his identity, his homeland, his friends and family. Khaled’s closest friends serve as foils to his own feelings, reacting to the same circumstances very differently from himself





  • Not OP, but I almost exclusively read novels and non fiction via audiobooks. For context, I’m on pace for 70 books this year.

    My main reason for audiobooks is I having a driving commute. Two hours a day round trip. Audiobooks keep me sane in a way that podcasts or music do not. I also do audiobooks when doing chores around the house.

    Second, I struggle to focus on reading a book on my phone. Too many distractions and I think the reading experience is subpar. I do have an eInk reader, but I haven’t charged it in years because it’s easier to do audiobooks.

    Physical books are rare in my home, but that’s a self-reinforcing cycle since I enjoy audiobooks so much.







  • Bldck@beehaw.orgtoBooks@lemmy.mlFalling out of love for fantasy
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    11 months ago

    Have you tried The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe?

    It is a compelling blend of science fiction and fantasy, following the journey of Severian, an exiled torturer, through a richly imagined and decaying future Earth. The series is renowned for its intricate world-building, philosophical depth, and lyrical prose.

    In contrast to LOTR, The Book of the New Sun presents a morally complex and enigmatic world, where the boundaries between right and wrong are often blurred.

    Compared to “Game of Thrones,” “The Book of the New Sun” offers a more introspective and surreal narrative, where reality itself is questioned.






    1. I went to grad school during the ‘08 housing crisis because there were not many jobs available for early career folks. The program was a combination of technical networking (Cisco) and business acumen.

    2. Classes were longer seminars, much harder than undergrad with an intense focus on the subject matter rather than superficial discussions. Projects were also longer/harder including a thesis (~100 pages, 6 months of work)

    3. I learned A LOT. I networked with industry folks and continue to engage with the alumni community. I’ve helped 5-6 grads land their first job.

    4. After a few years working, I did an MBA part time (nights and weekends). That was similarly challenging and I also learned a lot.

    5. I would recommend working professionally before a grad degree unless you’re in a specific industry like bio/chem research, math, psychology etc. basically industries where you require a Ph.D to do anything.

    6. Do your best to get a graduate assistantship to offset the expense of the program OR work with an employer for continuing education.