When I
started running and training for triathlons I started listening to audiobooks. Here are a few books I've read and listened
to recently. I typically listen to audio versions of books while running or
biking, though I also like to get the hard copy of the book to read at
night as well.
My
ratings are 1-5, 1 being I wouldn’t read it again, 5 being I recommend it
to everyone. I tend to like most books I read, your mileage may vary.
Strategy,
economics and innovation:
The Ten Faces of Innovation, Tom Kelley with Jonathan
Littman. All entrepreneurs should read this book. 3
Made to Stick, Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Everyone should read this book. 4
The Long Tail, Chris Anderson. New Market economics. 4
The Black Swan, Nassim
Taleb. Welcome to Extremistan
- how life in a non-ergodic world is distorted by
the human need to explain what we cannot know. If you invest your own
money, you should read this. 4
Getting to
Yes, Roger Fisher
and Bruce Patton.
Excellent negotiation book. 4
General
Fiction:
Empire Falls, Richard Russo. 4
Running with Scissors, Augusten
Burroughs. 4 Strange, rich characters, fairly linear plot
lines.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled
Hosseini.4 Linear plot, interesting story, uncomplex.
The Time Traveler's Wife,
Audrey Niffenegger. 4 Fun novel.
Well told story.This could also go under Fantasy.
Until I Find You, John Irving. 5 I've read most of
John Irving's other works while in graduate school. (My favorites were A
Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules, though they
were all worth reading)
Life of Pi, Yann
Martel. 3
The Crying of
Lot 49, Thomas
Pynchon. This
is Hilarious! 5
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy. 5
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson. 5 A must read
for anyone working in VR or HCI. Punk Function.
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov. 5 Interesting psychological novel.
Angels and
Demons, Dan
Brown. 4 A page turner, but not overly complex plot lines
and very linear.
The Davinci
Code, Dan
Brown. 4 A page turner.
As I Lay Dying, William
Faulkner 5 A family of interesting characters dealing with death
and last wishes of the mother. Stream of consciousness style,
existential angst, colorful characters, family, determination, and a
chapter consisting only of "My mother is a fish.".
The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand 5 Individualism in a world of second-handers. An excellent philoshical discourse woven into an interesting tale. The mingling of plot and philosophy reminded me of War and Peace, though the story line was considerably less involved.
My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult,
4. Predictable storyline, but compelling and thought provoking.
Epic
Fiction: These
are must-reads. Long, but well worth the investment
Against the
Day, Thomas
Pynchon. A modern-day War and Peace. 5
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy. 5
The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky 5
Fantasy:
Eragon Trilogy by Christopher Paolini:
A Brief History of Alagaësia
(short prequel),
Eragon, 3
Eldest. 3
Tales of the Otori
Series by Lian Hearn:
Across the Nightingale Floor.4
Grass for His Pillow .4
Brilliance of the Moon.4
The Harsh Cry of the Heron.4
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,
Susanna Clarke, 4
Orson Scott Card:
Ender's Game, 5 (one of the best sci-fi
stories of all time, some say)
Speaker for the Dead, 5 (I liked this better than EG,
but both were great fun)
Xenocide, 4
Children of the Mind, 3
Ender's Shadow, 5
Shadow of the Hegemon, 4
Shadow Puppets, 4
Shadow of the Giant, 4
The Crystal City, 4
Enchantment, 4
Hart's Hope. 4
Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time
Series: (JRR Tolkien style fantast, with additional political intrigue,
magic, complex plot lines, interwoven stories in the style of War and
Peace. Great fun to read)
New Spring: The Novel,4
The Eye of the World, 5
The Great Hunt, 4
The Dragon Reborn,5
The Shadow Rising, 4
The Fires of Heaven, 4
Lord of Chaos, 4
A Crown of Swords, 4
The Path of Daggers,4
Winter's Heart, 4
Crossroads of Twilight, 4
Knife of Dreams, 4
J. R. R. Tolkien:
The Hobbit, 5
The Fellowship of the Ring, 5
The Two Towers, 4
The Return of
the King.
5
Terry Goodkind
Wizard's First Rule,5. Great start to the Sword of Truth series...
and I like the first rule...
Stone of Tears, 3 ,
Blood of the Fold, 3,
seems like these books borrow many characters/topics from the WOT series. ,
Temple of the Winds, 4 ,
Soul of the Fire, (in Process) ,
Lois McMaster Bujold
The Curse of Chalion,4. Interesting exploration of theology and
free will
Paladin of Souls ,5.