Ask HN: Great nontech book that you read recently?

Hugo and Nebula award winner Ancillary Justice is pretty good, though perhaps not great. Before that I reread No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy is definitely great and I enjoyed it far more this time than when I read it nine years ago. Right now I am rereading Dune for the first time in at least twenty and possibly thirty years partially because Ancillary Justice reminded me of it, partially because it might be something I recommend trying to my son and partially because being able to read previously read books in new ways is turning out to be a pleasure of getting older. Anyway, Dune is great in ways that Dino Delaurentis and subsequent film makers had made me forget.

Langston Hughes' Weary Blues is amazing, but I'm no expert on poetry.

Just recently finished "Seveneves" by Neal Stephenson. It's sci-fi, but fantastic.

For non-sci-fi, my favorite fantasy book I've read recently was "The Lies of Locke Lamora" (and its sequels) by Scott Lynch. Another is "Dirty Jobs" by Christopher Moore, a bit on the Pratchett-inspired side of things.

I also recently finished Felicia Day's memoir, "You're Never Weird on the Internet," which I highly recommend.

Great science fiction book covering the topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age

Ideas from that book come up once a week in conversations.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Excellent storytelling, humour and slice of life human drama. It's just amazing how Junot Diaz tells of the tragedy of one family and the fukú curse that haunts them over generations.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brief-Wondrous-Life-Oscar/dp/15944...

"In the Interests of Safety: The absurd rules that blight our lives and how we can change them" - Tracey Brown & Michael Hanlon

http://www.amazon.com/In-Interests-Safety-absurd-blight/dp/0...

I'm going through the audiobook of Cryptonomicon, its my first Neal Stephenson book and I am quite enjoying it.

"Meet Your Happy Chemicals: Dopamine, Endorphin, Oxytocin, Serotonin" by Loretta Graziano Breuning

http://www.amazon.com/Meet-Your-Happy-Chemicals-Endorphin/dp...

"God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens. http://www.amazon.com/God-Is-Not-Great-Everything/dp/0446697...

"Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard. It's an incredible play which explores some of the foundational concepts of Chaos Theory as literary themes. I'm not a huge fiction reader, but this one gets me every time I read it. The ending is really beautiful.

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64341.The_Metamorphosis_o...

Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl

http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0...

"A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution: 1891-1924" by Orlando Figes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014024364X

"Annihilation" by Jeff VanderMeer and the rest of the Southern Reach trilogy.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. Don't know if "great", but quite interesting and fun free book at hpmor.com

"The Fabric Of Cosmos" by Brian Greene

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.

Gorgeous, funny writing. The story spans roughly half a century and moves between Europe and the United States.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke.

Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham

Gold by Isaac Asimov

"Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World" by Ian Bremmer

"The Potato Factory: The Australian Trilogy" - Bryce Courtenay

Brothers Karamazov by FD

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Richard Feynman

'Zen and the Art of Archery' by Eugen Herrigel

Slightly-techy fiction: Amnesia by Peter Carey.

Dune - Frank Herbert. Just an amazing book.

Population: 485 from Michael Perry

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle.

Super-Cannes - JG Ballard