Heh, this served more as a reading rec list for me - Now I have a bunch of books to check out from the library!
We have some similar tastes, though I read much more fiction than nonfiction. Here are a few books I've read recently; hopefully you find some of them interesting.
The Orphan's Tales (series) by Cathereynne M. Valente: My go-to books for recommendations. Valente's prose is gorgeous and her strong feminist beliefs make this collection of myth-like tales profound in addition to touching.
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: The characters attempt, and fail, to escape from the status quo viciously maintain by New York's uppercrust. Beautiful and melancholy.
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larrson: Holy crap. I'm on the third one now - Burnt through book 2 in a single day because it was impossible to put down. I generally avoid thrillers because I find their tropes often annoying, but Larrson is a master of plot, pacing, and character. In fact, his Lisbeth Salander is now one of my favorite characters: smart, wily, brutal, and ultimately incredibly sympathetic, I think she's a great example of strong and realistic female leads - Especially noteable in this genre. His books are unabashedly feminist; the overall plot of the series is about the victimizing and strength of women.
Anything by Carl Hiassen, but particularly Suck PuppyLucky You, Basket Case, or Double Whammy: Fast fun reads about Florida, the environment, and evil bad guys whose just deserts are delicious. If only the BP executives could be so justly punished.
The Bas-Lag Trilogy by China Mieville: Since you liked Un-Lun-Dun, you might want to give this series a try. The second book, The Scar is my favorite, partially because of its female lead character. It also has the coolest monster of the group.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest: A steampunk novel set in Seattle. With zombies! Irresponsible drilling releases a toxin that destroys the city. An interesting read, even without the connection to the BP oil spill.
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We have some similar tastes, though I read much more fiction than nonfiction. Here are a few books I've read recently; hopefully you find some of them interesting.
The Orphan's Tales (series) by Cathereynne M. Valente: My go-to books for recommendations. Valente's prose is gorgeous and her strong feminist beliefs make this collection of myth-like tales profound in addition to touching.
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: The characters attempt, and fail, to escape from the status quo viciously maintain by New York's uppercrust. Beautiful and melancholy.
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larrson: Holy crap. I'm on the third one now - Burnt through book 2 in a single day because it was impossible to put down. I generally avoid thrillers because I find their tropes often annoying, but Larrson is a master of plot, pacing, and character. In fact, his Lisbeth Salander is now one of my favorite characters: smart, wily, brutal, and ultimately incredibly sympathetic, I think she's a great example of strong and realistic female leads - Especially noteable in this genre. His books are unabashedly feminist; the overall plot of the series is about the victimizing and strength of women.
Anything by Carl Hiassen, but particularly Suck Puppy Lucky You, Basket Case, or Double Whammy: Fast fun reads about Florida, the environment, and evil bad guys whose just deserts are delicious. If only the BP executives could be so justly punished.
The Bas-Lag Trilogy by China Mieville: Since you liked Un-Lun-Dun, you might want to give this series a try. The second book, The Scar is my favorite, partially because of its female lead character. It also has the coolest monster of the group.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest: A steampunk novel set in Seattle. With zombies! Irresponsible drilling releases a toxin that destroys the city. An interesting read, even without the connection to the BP oil spill.