Welcome Wednesday: Most recent 5⭐️ read? 📚

[#1]

Hello everyone! It’s time for readers to sound off in the comments: what are you reading? What was your most recent 5 star read?

As a self-proclaimed book person and an avid reader (mostly of mystery, romance, and fantasy) I love hearing new recommendations. Especially for books that changed your life and you can’t stop thinking about.

I’ll go first: Five Little Pigs (Hercule Poirot) by Agatha Christie was the last 5⭐️ I logged! I love an Agatha Christie mystery, and this one had me thinking I had it all figured out…until the end (of course) and everything was turned on its head.

[Natalie Beiler]

This has been about 2-3 years ago but I still think about this book often. Maybe because I'm a nurse or maybe because I know so many family and friends who have battled cancer or maybe because it is so well written...I couldn't put it down.

[Katie Lai - Seibert]

@Natalie Beiler I just added this to my TBR! Someone recently recommended Henrietta Lacks: The Woman Behind the HeLa Cells to me, have you read that one? It sounds like it might be similar.

[Anne Saunders]

I don't have a great way to explain this novel other than to say it's very, very Japanese. It's inspired by a real case, but I have not researched it enough to know where the true crime/fiction line is. (I assume it's pretty tenuous.)

I'm not much of a horror/thriller reader, and for me, this novel hit exactly the right amount of "Can the protagonist trust herself? Can I trust the narrator? Can I trust my interpretations?" in an incredibly subtle, slow-burn way.

[Robert Nadon]

Never Split the difference.  Changed my life.  Best book ever, second only to the Holy Bible. 

[Katie Lai - Seibert]

@Anne Saunders Woah, you have sold me on this book!! That sounds so fascinating! 

[Anahit Sukiasyan]

I absolutely love seeing book-related posts pop up in the forums! They're always a great excuse to add a few more titles to my already endless TBR. 😄

My most recent 5⭐️ read was The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. I went in expecting a good psychological thriller, but it completely exceeded my expectations. The atmosphere, the suspense, and especially that twist had me thinking about it long after I finished.

[Evelin Bayer - codefortynine]

I’m a big fan of magical realism. Recently, I rediscovered my love for Rushdie’s work while reading "The Golden House". Afterwards, I went looking for something new and had some extensive book recommendation discussions with ChatGPT - which mostly sent me in the wrong direction, but eventually came up with some good suggestions.

One of them is "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy: It combines magical elements with real-world life. Set in India, it portrays a family where every character has their very own way of doing things. Twin children struggling to navigate different worlds and identities—between mother and father, India and the West...

And speaking of people moving between the Global South and the Global North: "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A wonderful novel recommended by a close friend. 

Always a challenge to find good books — so I really appreciate you kicking off this book discussion. Thanks, @Katie Lai - Seibert !

          

[Jousef]

I love Agatha Christie books! In high school we were reading 4:50 from Paddington in our German classes (we read it in German of course) and I loved her writing style.

I am not a big reader but I'm trying to read more. If you consider comic books as reading, my last 5 star book is ODB: Oddities, Discord & B-Sides―Lyrical Ruckus in the City which doesn't really tell a story about ODB (the rapper) but tries to expand on some of his visions and messages from his music and his persona. Modern day New York City and all its beauty and problems with some fantasy and superhero vibes, social injustice, finding power within, and more. Loved it.

Currently I'm reading Andrzej Sapkowski's Sword of Destiny, one of the prequel books to Geralt The Witcher's adventures. I'm only 2 chapters in, literally just started reading and I am in love with the world building and the humor. I previously read The Last Wish and Season of Storms, former was phenomenal, latter was meh I think.

I have a lot of books on my to-read list but I'm too slow... :D

[Andy Gladstone]

It came as a recommendation from the PE firm that owns my company, and quickly developed into a manifesto on how to both harness the power of AI and drive adoption from my team members. 

The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions by Geoff Woods

I am a hardcover book lover, and I have been breaking the spine on this one every day. It has changed the way I view and interact with AI.

[Natalie Beiler]

@Katie Lai - Seibert Thank you for the suggestion of Henrietta Lacks: The Woman Behind the HeLa Cells to me! I will check this out.

Another great audio book - (yes, I do like to listen to a good book!) is Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis. This 2009 non-fiction book was written by Yale physician Lisa Sanders It delves into the challenges of medical diagnosis through real-life patient cases, highlighting the importance of listening to patients and thorough physical exams in solving complex medical mysteries. I just learned that the book, inspired the TV show House, M.D.! Despite modern technology, the art of medicine relies heavily on the doctor-patient relationship and detective work to uncover the truth behind baffling illnesses, advocating for better physician training in basic patient care. Being an OLD nurse (> 40 years!) I've strongly advocate for solid clinical assessment skills (hands on)!

[Lacy Saute]

Ohh love to read! Recently getting into some of the Brandon Sanderson books. My husband got me a set of collector editions that are so beautiful. Tress of the Emerald Sea is one of the best I've read in awhile.