Read A Good Book Lately? What About A Bad One?

[1277255]

I'm an avid reader, I love all things books. However, I'm having great difficulty getting through a book I've just started due to the (in my opinion) atrocious writing style. It gets great reviews, so I'm just going to suck it up and move through.

Recently I've finished the House of Shadows series by Darcy Coates, and it's was delightful for a somewhat creepy novel.

I'm moving more towards horror and away from my previous obsession with Psychological Thrillers. So, if you have any suggestions outside of King for those, that would be lovely.

Really though, what have you been reading lately? Anything you've loved or hated?

Please, keep this to actual books, not smut or erotic stories you found online. I have nothing against those, and I often enjoy them. That's just not what this thread is about. Thanks

 

[iamsam4x]

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

 

[1277255]

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

Good or bad? Also, without spoiling it, what was it that you liked or hated about it?

 

[halcyondays]

Sphere by Michael Crichton.

My fave sci-fi psychological thriller.

 

[deleted1547822]

Over the years, for just fun fiction, The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. It's written mainly in first person. It's awkward at first. Once you get into his head (which is the point of first person...), it's amazing. Cliff note: Local wizard for hire in modern Chicago. Helps the cops with the weird supernatural stuff. He's at over a dozen books now and has created a whole world.

Non-fiction? I read a lot of academic stuff, but two books I enjoyed are:

Moonwalking With Einstein - Basically a journalist examines "memory competitions", but goes on to learn how to do it, how the ancients maximized their memories, and he ended up competing a couple of times. Crazy stuff. Very interesting.

A Billion Wicked Thoughts - Two data wonks got hundreds of millions of internet searches related to porn. They narrowed it down and categorized 55 million or so. They were given access to anonymous demographics too. They begin to explore the complexity of human sexuality, based on what people actually search for. It's fascinating, insightful and educational.

 

[iamsam4x]

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

Definitely good.
It stimulates self analysis, reflection, what's our dream, and how do we follow it.