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I’ve read 600+ books—these are the ones that refused to leave my head.

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A handpicked mix of the stories that hooked me hardest—worlds I didn’t want to leave, characters that still live rent-free in my head, and series so good I’ve re-read them. If you have already read these, then you know what I'm talking about. If you ...
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Urban fantasy

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Hard Magic is like a 1930s gangster movie crashed into a superhero comic, then got dressed up in a fedora and lit a cigar. It’s got airships, magic, tommy guns, and enough swagger to make you wish history class had been this cool.
This is just book 1 of a great series.
Hard Magic: Book 1 of the Grimnoir Chronicles
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Dead Until Dark is everything I wanted True Blood to be—but with all the southern charm, wit, and atmosphere the HBO series left behind. Charlaine Harris gives us a small-town Louisiana setting that feels alive, with gossip swirling on the breeze and...
This is just book 1 of a great series.
Dead until Dark
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Monster Hunter International is what happens when your worst nightmare meets a heavily armed payroll. Vampires, werewolves, and things you can’t pronounce are out there—and some very well-trained, very well-armed people get paid to hunt them. It’s fa...
Monster Hunter International
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Fated kicks off a sharp, addictive urban fantasy series set in the hidden magical underbelly of London. Alex Verus can see the future—a neat trick when the city’s magical heavyweights would rather see you dead. It’s witty, dangerous, and impossible t...
Fated
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
God Touched doesn’t ease you into The Demon Accords—it throws you headfirst into a New York where supernatural trouble lurks around every corner. Rookie cop Chris Gordon has a divine edge in a fight, and John Conroe makes every battle feel cinematic ...
God Touched
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Ancient manuscripts, forbidden love, and magic lurking just beneath Oxford’s cobblestones—this darkly romantic fantasy brings witches, vampires, and daemons alive in every whispered spell and stolen glance. I listened on Audible, and the narration ma...
A Discovery of Witches
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Epic Fantasy

For when you want a book so big it needs its own map, glossary, and possibly a support group. Expect magic, kingdoms, impossible quests—and a serious case of “just one more chapter.”

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
It's like if Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Braveheart had a baby. It’s got the graceful, intricate martial arts worldbuilding of a wuxia epic mixed with the grit, heart, and defiance of a fight-for-freedom saga. My nephew has read the entire ser...
This is just book 1 of a great series.
Unsouled (Cradle, 1)

Satirical Fantasy

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
The start of Terry Pratchett’s satirical, wildly imaginative Discworld—a flat world on the back of four elephants standing on a giant turtle. The Colour of Magic kicks off a 57-book series that skewers fantasy tropes and human nature with razor-sharp...
The Colour of Magic: Discworld, Book 1

Science Fiction

From mind-bending “what ifs” to full-throttle adventures across space and time, these books push the limits of imagination—and make the impossible feel real.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
The Never Hero is a sharp, original twist on science fiction—epic in scope, personal in impact—and it’s just the first book in an incredible series. Self-published by T. Ellery Hodges, this proves you don’t need a big publisher to deliver a page-turn...
The Never Hero
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Jurassic Park is a masterclass in science fiction thrillers—smarter, scarier, and far more detailed than the movie (and that’s saying something). Michael Crichton’s mix of real science, edge-of-your-seat tension, and “what if” wonder makes this a mus...
Jurassic Park
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Alexander X is pure high-octane fun wrapped in razor-sharp wit. Edward Savio gives us a main character with more skills than seems fair, yet somehow makes him completely relatable. The pacing is relentless, the humor lands perfectly, and the mix of h...
Alexander X

LitRPG

Like playing a video game without the sore thumbs. Level-ups, loot drops, boss fights—and you don’t even have to remember to save your progress.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
The Earth’s still here—the surface just got completely flattened. Now humanity’s stuck in a kill-or-be-killed dungeon, and Carl’s only ally is a newly sentient, narcissistic cat who’s convinced she’s the main character. She might be right.
This is just book 1 of a great series.
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book 1)

Thriller / Psychological Drama

Twists that keep you guessing, tension that won’t let you breathe, and characters whose minds are as dangerous as the situations they’re in.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Callis Rose has that unmistakable Stephen King feel—small-town darkness, raw emotion, and tension that crawls under your skin. Tufo makes you care deeply about Callis, then throws her into situations that test every ounce of her will. It’s gripping, ...
Callis Rose

Thriller / Espionage

For when you want heart-pounding action, shadowy back alleys, and the constant question of “friend or foe?” These are the books that make you check over your shoulder, trust no one, and maybe start practicing a fake passport signature—just in case.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
This is espionage at full throttle: danger in every shadow, allies who might not be what they seem, and a constant sense that time is running out. Ludlum’s pacing keeps your heart racing while his layered mystery pulls you deeper with every chapter.
This is just book 1 of a great series.
The Bourne Identity

Science-Based Fiction

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
One Second After is the first book in William R. Forstchen’s gripping post-apocalyptic series—and it’s terrifyingly believable. Forstchen, a historian with deep connections to military and policy experts, builds his story around the very real possibi...
One Second After
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Popular History

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Understanding the course of history helps us appreciate our place in the present, and The Miracle of Freedom delivers that in spades. By spotlighting 7 critical moments that shaped the world, this book will leave you drop-jawed and deeply grateful fo...
The Miracle of Freedom
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Social Science

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Freakonomics takes questions like that—questions you didn’t even know you wanted answered—and uses real data to uncover the surprising truths behind human behavior. It’s smart, funny, and impo...
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores
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Biography

True stories of remarkable lives—leaders, rebels, innovators, and everyday people who left an extraordinary mark on the world. These books don’t just tell you what happened; they put you in the room, in the moment, living the life alongside them.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
When you picture a world-changing innovator, you probably imagine a polished public figure in a crisp suit. But in his early career, he was barefoot, unshaven, and often unshowered—wandering offices with that same “Steve Jobs aura” of intense vision ...
Steve Jobs
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson is an unfiltered, front-row pass into the mind of one of the most fascinating and polarizing innovators alive. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk through Tesla’s EV revolution, SpaceX’s rocket launches, the AI race, an...
Elon Musk
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Ben Rosequist profile picture
The Snowball isn’t just the story of Warren Buffett’s billions—it’s the most complete, human look at the man behind “The Oracle of Omaha.” Alice Schroeder had unprecedented access to Buffett, his family, his friends, his business partners, and even h...
The Snowball: Warren Buffett & Business Life
 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
The Everything Store is the inside story of how Jeff Bezos turned a small online bookseller into the company that changed retail forever. Brad Stone had rare access to Bezos’ family, friends, and Amazon insiders, giving this book the kind of behind-t...
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos & Amazon

Post-Apocalyptic - Zombies

When the world ends, the dead don’t rest. These stories drop you into ruined landscapes where survival means outwitting hunger—both yours and theirs. Expect relentless tension, desperate alliances, and the constant knowledge that in this new world… y...

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
A bearded loner with a taste for good whiskey, a shotgun, and swearing at the undead. Grizzled survival, dark humor, and gore-soaked grit—this is zombie apocalypse done right. I devoured the Audible version, and the narration made every tense, bloody...
The Mountain Man Omnibus: Books 1-3
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Self-Help & Personal Development

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
College (Un)Bound was eye-opening when it first came out, but in the age of AI, its insights feel almost prophetic. Jeffrey Selingo pulls back the curtain on how higher education is shifting—why the old “get a degree, get a job” formula isn’t as stra...
College Unbound: Future of Higher Education
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Ben Rosequist profile picture
Think and Grow Rich is the original success blueprint—the one that launched a thousand motivational speakers. Napoleon Hill spent 20 years interviewing 504 of America’s most successful people—names like Ford, Rockefeller, Edison, and three U.S. presi...
Think and Grow Rich
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Ben Rosequist profile picture
Timeless money wisdom wrapped in ancient parables. From “a part of all you earn is yours to keep” to letting gold work for you, this classic turns Babylon’s dusty streets into a masterclass on building lasting wealth. My all-time favorite book on mon...
The Richest Man in Babylon

Young Adult (Classic)

Timeless stories that shaped generations—coming-of-age adventures, unforgettable characters, and lessons that stick with you long after the last page. These are the books you can hand to a teenager or reread as an adult and still feel their magic.

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
Where the Red Fern Grows is one of those rare books that hits just as hard no matter how old you are. I still remember my mom reading it to me, both of us in tears by the end. Years later, I watched my wife read it to our sons, and there they were—sn...
Where the Red Fern Grows

Young Adult (Fantasy)

 
Ben Rosequist profile picture
A city where closing your eyes can turn you into your worst fear. Cult whispers, crooked streets, and a girl just trying to survive her nightmares—both the ones in her head and the ones walking beside her. I listened on Audible, and the eerie narrati...
City of Nightmares