I’m a pretty strict book rater, so I don‘t have a ton of five star books but I’m going to list a few of my favorites in a variety of genres in case you haven‘t read them yet:
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut - This is one of those books that if I could read any book for the first time again, it would be this one.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - This one is true crime and it kind of broke my heart but that’s also how you know the writer did a good job sometimes, especially with non-fiction.
Crush by Richard Siken - This one is one of my favorite poetry collections. I also love the collected poems of T.S. Eliot for poetry.
Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh - The story of a young sociologist studying a Chicago gang from the inside. Super unique read.
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - If you haven’t already read it, it’s such a good read. I know Sherlock Holmes is something that’s been re-adapted so many times in media but the actual books are so well-written, fun, witty.
And if you read one of these you totally have to come back and let me know what you thought!
Jan 21, 2025
Related Recs
I answered someone’s ask with my favorite books but thought I would make a post with them, too. I’m a pretty strict book rater, so I don’t have a ton of five star books but I’m going to list a few of my favorites in a variety of genres in case you haven‘t read them yet. I’m going to link a couple that I especially loved:
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut - This is one of those books that if I could read any book for the first time again, it would be this one.
We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin - Such an amazing book, mystery/thriller/contemporary suspense.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - This one is true crime and it kind of broke my heart but that’s also how you know the writer did a good job sometimes, especially with non-fiction.
Crush by Richard Siken - This one is one of my favorite poetry collections. I also love the collected poems of T.S. Eliot for poetry.
Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh - The story of a young sociologist studying a Chicago gang from the inside. This is a very unique read.
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - If you haven’t already read it, it’s such a good read. I know Sherlock Holmes is something that’s been re-adapted so many times in media but the actual books are so well-written, fun, witty.
And if you read one of these you totally have to come back and let me know what you thought!
Jan 21, 2025
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credentials: 92% of the way done with my bachelors degree, i’ve read a LOT of books.
if anyone sees this and reads any of these please tell me how you like them
the rum diary - hunter s thompson
not a particularly niche author, but it seems like this is one of his least read novels. published posthumously, it’s the first novel he ever wrote about his, or paul kemp’s (depending on who you ask), time working at an english language sports newspaper in puerto rico in the late 1950s. super engaging read, you can really see where the writing style of fear and loathing developed.
breakfast of champions - kurt vonnegut
written to himself as a birthday present, this is just anything and everything in vonneguts head onto paper. he is a self-insert character in this book. lots of silly little drawings, and it immediately sucks you in. vonnegut is never really that much in reality but this is definitely on the “what the fuck?” end of the spectrum.
geography of nowhere - james kunstler
ok now an academic book. basically, why are the suburbs like that? a historical review of how suburbs developed in america, and more specifically, how does the physical and social geography of the suburbs create the american culture of isolationism and the loss of community we experience today.
stranger in a strange land - robert heinlein
THEE freaky sci-fi book. as a non-sci-fi fan, it’s the only one i’ve ever enjoyed. sort of half grounded in reality, but beautiful and awesome. it’s kind of hard to describe but it did inspire a real world cult so that’s pretty fun.
the screwtape letters - c.s. lewis
he’s the devil from the bible and oh boy is he writing some letters. a fun read about christianity and the idea of hell. it’s been a hot minute since i’ve read this but i remember enjoying it a lot, enough to call it one of my favorites.
Jan 29, 2025
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I've finished five books so far - my favorite of them being The Martian by Andy Weir (he's a genius! i recc all his books!) and Legends and Lattes by Travis Baltree (very cozy core)
Jan 23, 2025
Top Recs from @saylor
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I know I’ve ranted about AI before but! Just saw another writer who was doing peer reviews as she was writing chapters with another person; until she found out the other person was using AI for their NOVEL! Blows my mind. She removed this person from her document and sent her a kind but straightforward message about how she won’t be working with her going forward due to the AI usage. I feel like using it for novel writing is one of the most insane uses because #1 this person told me that the AI generated parts of the work weren’t even as good as the other person’s normal writing was. #2 let’s say no one noticed and you published with the AI work, so you would be okay if the book did well but it wasn’t even truly your writing that people would be praising?? Not to mention of course the morality and environmental impact.
Also, I was shopping around today for a custom leather stamp to start stamping the leather journal covers I make. Thought I found someone to make it until they said to send the logo file over and they’ll send back AI created renderings of a mockup to approve. Now I am starting the search all over🙃
6d ago
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So we all think it’s sketchy that Tik Tok is already back right? And that they posted a statement kissing Trump’s ass and making him out to be the one saving Tik Tok when he isn’t even sworn in yet? And now Trump wants the US government to have a 50% ownership, aka turning Tik Tok into state owned media just like I thought was happening. And I’m sure most people won’t be able to stay away from Tik Tok and Meta which is so disappointing. I want nothing to do with Tik Tok now because I know the app as we knew it is already gone at this point.
Jan 19, 2025
3d ago