Since you didn’t specify which genres you were interested in, I’ll just throw a couple out there:
For getting into fantasy, I would recommend The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher – it is about a wizard detective in modern day Chicago (he advertises in the yellow pages) – the first book is called *Storm Front*. It sets up interesting characters and a world that, if you enjoy, you can dive into in the later books.
For getting into science fiction, I would recommend *I, Robot* by Isaac Asimov – it is arguably a short story anthology, but they are threaded together through a framing device. What’s nice about *I, Robot* is that it builds on the concepts laid out throughout the book, so that the first stories are the easiest to follow and then the last ones let you see how human-robot relations have evolved over time. If a particular story or stories speak to you, you can come back and ask for more targeted recommendations based on that.
newsilverdad on
I’m always partial to military / combat memoirs. They are less about the history and more about the experience.
turtle_fella on
If you’re interested in diving into spy novels, the **Slough House series by Mick Herron** is a great, digestible introduction into the genre. It is much more modern than going right in on Le Carre, and offers a funnier, more engaging take. The first book in the series is *Slow Horses*.
It’s also an Apple TV+ show, so you can watch seasons after you finish the book.
4 Comments
Since you didn’t specify which genres you were interested in, I’ll just throw a couple out there:
For getting into fantasy, I would recommend The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher – it is about a wizard detective in modern day Chicago (he advertises in the yellow pages) – the first book is called *Storm Front*. It sets up interesting characters and a world that, if you enjoy, you can dive into in the later books.
For getting into science fiction, I would recommend *I, Robot* by Isaac Asimov – it is arguably a short story anthology, but they are threaded together through a framing device. What’s nice about *I, Robot* is that it builds on the concepts laid out throughout the book, so that the first stories are the easiest to follow and then the last ones let you see how human-robot relations have evolved over time. If a particular story or stories speak to you, you can come back and ask for more targeted recommendations based on that.
I’m always partial to military / combat memoirs. They are less about the history and more about the experience.
If you’re interested in diving into spy novels, the **Slough House series by Mick Herron** is a great, digestible introduction into the genre. It is much more modern than going right in on Le Carre, and offers a funnier, more engaging take. The first book in the series is *Slow Horses*.
It’s also an Apple TV+ show, so you can watch seasons after you finish the book.
**Ismael** by Daniel Quinn