The Broken Earth series, Enders game series (the first 5 books about Ender), American Gods, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and the follow up A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, The Kingkiller Chronicle (we've been waiting 10+ yrs for the final book 3, some folks are pretty irked atp, but it will be ok). If you want YA beach reading, anything by Seanan McGuire / Mira Grant for easy fun books about fairies, cryptids, and zombies.
this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
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"Best" often is a literary work that can be slow to read and/or very long. You want stuff that is short and quick, which is fine, I read a lot of fanfiction for that purpose. But I'm going to recommend Pohl and Kornbluth's "The Space Merchants" and their other short novels from that era (1950s). Their cynicism is absolutely prescient. The Space Merchants is about a world run by advertising agencies. A quick read while hard hitting.
My favorite easy fiction that helps me unwind is Agatha Christie mysteries. There is a reason she is the greatest mystery ŵritwr of all time. She sets up compelling situations and makes her way to a damn satisfying conclusion by the end.
A few of her shorter but still excellent stories: The Secret Adversary N or M The Unexpected Guest 3 Blind Mice Halloween Party Murder of Roger Akcroyd
Also if you like Mysteries I have to plug my all time favorite: 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
It is a great mystery in which the protagonist wakes up with no memories and has 8 chances to solve a murder.
The Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal. The first book is called The Calculating Stars. Basically, an alternate history where (spoiler for the opening chapter) It follows a Jewish computer (a woman who literally runs calculations for NASA, as seen in Hidden Figures) who wants to become an astronaut, and her struggles with the racism and misogyny of the 1950s.spoiler
a meteor wipes out the east coast and kick-starts climate change, causing the Space Age to start 10 years early.
The Fifth Season may take a bit longer than a day, but it’s worth it.
I was entranced by the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien. Sailing ships, adventure, and a little romance.
The Hornblower stories are also excellent. They might hit a bit simpler -- the characters are a bit more heroic, a bit less complicated. IMO both are worth reading, but they hit a bit different even though they sail through similar waters (I was going to say 'covers the same ground', ha!)
Best? Hard to say. But favorite?
Galactic Pot-Healer by Philip K. Dick. It's quite short, like many of his books, and you could absolutely knock it out in a day.
Raymond Chandler's novels, esp The Lady in the Lake
The Pirx the Pilot stories, 8 in 2 volumes
Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key
2nd the Hitchhiker's Guide and they're easy to rejoin
A A Fair's novels are short and have odd western us lore in them, one has a great way to bet in Vegas, others name spots in Mexico, they were Gardner's fun books that he liked to write more than other series.
Lots of great recommendations here. I'd also add Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Her Penric novels are quite fun, too.