5 on Friday: Books You Should Read
I think I’m going to make Friday’s list days. I’m usually a little over the week by Friday and this is a simple way for me to share things I like with you. Plus, I just really like making lists.
This week’s list is of books I think you should read that you may not have yet. I’m not good at knowing how to describe books without giving too much away, so these are going to just be brief introductions to the premise.
- Daemon by Daniel Suarez – Pick this one up for a weekend, because you’re going to want to read straight through it. Basically, it’s about a programmer/CEO who leaves a daemon that activates upon his death. The goal of this daemon is to start a war against society as we know it. The thing that sets this book apart from the rest of the near-future cyberpunk is that it was written by an IT professional. It gives the book a certain tone that makes it feel more real.
- Burning Chrome by William Gibson – This one is for you short story fans. I know we all don’t have time to get through a book without losing our place or the story line. This is a collection of 10 short stories and contains Johnny Mnemonic (which is way better than the movie was).
- Robopocalypse By Daniel H. Wilson – What happens when the 3 Rules of Robotics go out the window? This, apparently. It’s a fun and quick read. It also has been picked up to be a Spielberg movie, so you know it has a good story. I was torn between listing Robopocalypse or Amped from Wilson, but since I had talked about Amped previously I went with Robopocalypse.
- Ready Player One by Earnset Cline – What if we all willingly entered the Matrix? And could get out anytime we wanted, but chose to stay in? That in a nutshell is the world of Ready Player One. Shopping, school, work, in essence all of life takes place inside a massive open-source virtual world. When the creator of the game dies, he reveals there is a hidden Easter Egg that will allow you to be the next owner of this universe. The clues are all around the pop culture of the 80s. Individuals race against massive corporations to keep this world in the hands of the people.
- Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow – Continuing the trend of having writers who actually know a thing or two about technology is Cory Doctorow’s first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. I loved this book, but it’s been a year since I read it and I find myself a loss for how to describe it without telling too much. But, you can get it DRM free, for free so what do you have to lose.
2 Responses to “5 on Friday: Books You Should Read”
You wanted to know when I read some of these, and what I thought.
Well, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is on hold, because the free PDF from his website doesn’t format correctly on my Nook. However, I was able to pick up Daemon, Robopocalypse, and Ready Player One today from the library. I started with Ready Player One at around 4PM or so.
It’s now 10:22PM and it’s finished.
This book is now on my “To Own” list. Not for the Nook, but an actual hardcopy. Very good read!
I believe I’ll be moving to Robopocalypse next.
Thank you for these recommendations!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It was so refreshing and fun. There is this copy of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom on Nook for $2.99. It’s the version I bought: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/down-and-out-in-the-magic-kingdom-cory-doctorow/1100352901?ean=9783655078396