# Catch me up on five years of books!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887 "2012-06-12T06:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amasia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Amasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amasia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/1 "2012-06-12T06:28:16Z")
Over the last five years, I’ve been in graduate school and done very little pleasure reading. Previous to school I travelled for business non-stop and read tons of books, sometimes averaging 5 a week. Now I’m done (yay) and will be starting up my dream job in September, with a few months off to read and relax. So, since 2007, what would you recommend generally as must read books? I’m putting out a list of books I read and really enjoyed and/or appreciated during the last five years (although not necessarily from that time period and some were audio books to help this driving-hater survive cross-country trips). - The Wind-Up Girl (Paolo Bacigalupi) - In Cold Blood (Truman Capote) -Travels with my Aunt (Graham Greene) -Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) -The World Without Us (Alan Weisman) -The Road (Cormac McCarthy) -BossyPants (Tina Fey) ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/2 "2012-06-12T07:04:38Z")
_Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir_ by Jenny Lawson was one of the few books that actually managed to make me laugh out loud. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, you can check out her blog (thebloggess) and see if she’s someone whose work you would enjoy reading. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/3 "2012-06-12T14:09:45Z")
I came to recommend _The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay_ by Michael Chabon, which I’ve read in the last five years, but I see now came out in 2000. Well, if you haven’t read it, do. It’s a great adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/4 "2012-06-12T17:36:12Z")
[The Mistborn trilogy was released and kicked butt. Read them.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistborn_series) ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/5 "2012-06-12T17:57:14Z")
[The Magicians](http://www.amazon.com/The-Magicians-Novel-Lev-Grossman/dp/0452296293/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339523754&sr=8-1) is my favorite novel. It’s like Harry Potter, but with sex, drugs, and Narnia. Ok, there’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s just what I tell people. Read the first chapter or so, if you don’t like it then give up. I think it’s great, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/6 "2012-06-12T18:40:31Z")
Since you listed \*Hunger Games \*, you might want to check out another YA series: [Chaos Walking](http://www.goodreads.com/series/44939-chaos-walking)The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness - tho the plot is almost, but not quite entirely unlike _Hunger Games_, it does features strong characters in a desperate situation. If you’re at all into audiobooks, I’d highly recommend checking this series out in that format, as the written dialect can be a bit tricky to catch on to at first. I also quite enjoyed [Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children) by Ransom Riggs - which features time travel, odd happenings and vintage photography. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/7 "2012-06-12T20:00:37Z")
[**Wool**](http://www.amazon.com/Wool-Omnibus-Edition-Hugh-Howey/dp/1469984202/). Everyone should read **Wool**. Second for **Chaos Walking**. If you liked **The Road** , you may like [**Hater**](http://www.amazon.com/Hater-David-Moody/dp/B003F76IFQ/). Won’t take you long to read, at least. There are two more books in the series. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/8 "2012-06-12T20:10:31Z")
I third Chaos Walking, and suggest [Ready Player One](http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448/ref=pd_sim_b_1/186-1788190-6931848). Light and fun. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/9 "2012-06-12T20:11:50Z")
**Ready Player One** by Ernest Cline is probably my favorite book that was written in the last couple years. It has some similarities to the Hunger Games, but is intended for a more mature audience. I’m currently halfway through the first **Mistborn** book and it’s pretty good so far. ETA: Dung Beetle beat me to it while I was typing. ---
**Author:** ![Amasia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Amasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amasia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-me-up-on-five-years-of-books/624887/10 "2012-06-12T20:53:26Z")
Thanks so far for the input everyone! These all look like fantastic selections and I am placing holds at my library as I type this.