Temple Doni Raffle

[RicFule]

If you want a series that will take a while to read through? Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. It's a fourteen book series, with an additional prequel to make it 15. Elaborate world-building. Magic, of a sort. Battle of Good versus Evil.

[Aolasai]

My next book recommendation is another series that I thought was absolutely charming and downright adorable, it's called Monstrous Meet Cutes by Wendi Guff. The books individually on their own are super stinking cute and the series as a whole is just plain Awesome. If you're looking for a modern day, take on your more uncommon monsters such as an Anubis, Wendigo, Cthulhu and more with girls that are down to earth and average looking than this is the series you definitely need to take a look at.

[dahliais]

I would recommend Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. It's kind of hard for me to finish this one, since it is more about sociology and humanity than science fiction (thou labelled as sci-fi).
I can't exactly say whether the story has a good ending or not, and only kept thinking of it several days after finishing reading. The description is touching, and different people will generate different feelings about the book.
The movie adaptions are also great

[Aolasai]

Back Again! with another series, this time from the Amazing Jaymin Eve (this won't be the last time I bring her up, she's an amazing author). I can't begin to go into how much I love this series. It's amongst my top 10 easily, hands down no question. It's considered an Upper YA/NA RH Fantasy. There are 6 books and each and every one is simply a pleasure to read. Our heroine is a ditz and at times you want to choke her out and other times just hug her and give her head pats because it'll be okay. The guys in the book each bring their own flavor to the table, and it can be spicy at times in a multitude of ways. I loved reading about their world and watching the characters grow over the course of six books. I honestly could not suggest this one enough because the writing is just positively exquisite, and Jaymin Eve is just plain skilled at her craft.

[dahliais]

My second recommendation is Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. It almost perfectly combines Hindu mythology and science fiction. The book does not only emphasize the sense of high-tech metal but also builds a whole mythical future world. This work is as grand and intelligent as the mythology itself. Instead of magic, it uses science to explain the mythology. A collision of ancient and modern as a result. And, of course, the detailed triumph of good over evil at the end just makes me feel great.

[CinnaminDraconna]

This time I'm suggesting a classic; Foundation by Isaac Asimov. It's the first book in a long series that spans many, many, many years in a huge galactic empire. The story covers different eras, the rise and fall of empire and how humanity changes socially and politically (without getting stuck on the politics).

[dahliais]

If you prefer something amusing and relaxing, just skip this one.
My third book recommendation is Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexandravna Alexievich, a nonfiction. I knew this book from Chernobyl the TV series. Some segments were just adapted from it. The book consists of dozens of real interview records of those who experienced that disaster: farmers, scientists, cleaners, firefighters' wives and so on. There's plenty of dark humor (and I was amused unethically), while some records are so cruel that I almost couldn't bear to continue reading. It‘s a classic of contemporary documentary literature I'd say.

[Altairia]

Another recommendation from me is Sciencia: matchematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy for all. It teaches about a wide variety of topics of said subjects in a very condensed manner accompanied by illustrations, and is a good way for people of all ages and skill levels to learn about science.

[dahliais]

The fourth recommendation: How about My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk? It can simply be considered as a romance novel or a detective one. Each chapter switches between different characters (even including the death and nonliving), all written in first-person narrative point of view, just like they are telling you their own experience. If you want to dive into it, there are also tons of detailed description about Ottoman Miniature skill, Islamic culture and culture clashes, as Orhan Pamuk is an expert in them.

[Altairia]

Maybe a so called easy pick, but the Lord of the Rings is a cornerstone of fantasy. The way Tolkien describes things is great, giving you enough details to feed your imagination to picture everything out in your head, not drowning you in them to give the reader an exact description. Following the story along from the point of view of a humble hobbit is something I at least can easily relate to, as well. I also have a great appreciation for his worldbuilding in general.