Here are some books I found worth recommending.
Absolute Gold
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
Agatha Christie’s best work. Even though the story hints at the ending from the beginning, the eerie suspense builds up layer by layer.
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin.
An undisputed classic of Chinese science fiction. I like it even more than Foundation. While Foundation is filled with grand imagination, The Three-Body Problem portrays the complexity and greatness of humanity in a more profound way.
The Voyage of Discovery: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy by William F. Lawhead.
A rigorous yet accessible history of philosophy. Its descriptions are so vivid and weighty that, after finishing this textbook, I experienced the same kind of post-finale emptiness one feels after completing a long-running TV series.
Looking Out, Looking In by Ronald B. Adler and Russell F. Proctor.
A book on communication. It does not attempt to oversimplify the complexity of communication or overstate the effectiveness of its methods. Instead, it honestly presents just how intricate communication is, while offering concrete and practical ways to improve one’s communication skills.
Models: Attract Women Through Honesty by Mark Manson.
A self-help book that every man struggling with relationships should read. If it were merely about how to attract women, I wouldn’t recommend it. In reality, this book teaches how to become a genuine and charismatic person.
By Genre
Classics & Literary Fiction
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
- Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦) by Cao Xueqin
- Legends of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传) by Jin Yong
Mystery & Crime
- Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino
- Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
Science Fiction
- The Foundation Series (7-Book Set) by Isaac Asimov
- The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
- The Last Question (short story) by Isaac Asimov
- The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
- The Nine Billion Names of God (short story) by Arthur C. Clarke
- The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Philosophy, Political & Strategy
- 厚黑学 by Li Zongwu
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu
- The Voyage of Discovery: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy by William F. Lawhead
Business & Entrepreneurship
- Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- Mastering Blockchain by Lorne Lantz
Self-Help, Communication & Personal Development
- Looking Out, Looking In by Ronald B. Adler and Russell F. Proctor
- Models: Attract Women Through Honesty by Mark Manson
- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus by John Gray
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
- Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Fitness & Health
- Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe
- Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body by Michael Matthews
Others
- Mastering Your PhD: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond by Patricia Gosling (et al.)
- 明朝那些事儿 by 当年明月