In Cold Blood

What Hacker News says

1. garciasnOct 2026
   It always blows my mind that Lonesome Dove is recommended across so many different communities, especially nerd-related ones like HN. I read ~100 books a year on average and it continues to top my all time favorites list; but, in all honesty, I cannot believe it appeals to the wide audience it does due to its content.

   That said, here are some of my all time favorites (no particular order):

   01. Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

   02. Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry)

   03. A Painted House (John Grisham)

   04. A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles)

   05. The Great Alone (Kristin Hannah)

   06. All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

   07. Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer)

   08. The First Law Trilogy (Joe Abercrombie)

   * this encompasses three long books; however, I consider them one long epic novel

   09. Mailman (Stephen Starring Grant)

   10. Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

   11. Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus)

   12. Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots)

   13. Personal Librarian (Marie Benedict)

   14. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)

   15. Life We Bury (Allen Eskens)

   16. Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger)

   17. God of the Woods (Liz Moore)

   18. Maid (Nita Prose)

   19. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (Robert Dugoni)

   20. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (James McBride)

   Show morethread
2. garciasnApr 2025
   I used to be VERY into police procedurals: John Sanford, Lee Child, and William Kent Krueger. I still read them, but during lockdown I made a conscious decision to widen my horizons.

   Some of my favorites over the last year:

   All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

   Most of Joe Abercrombie; particularly the First Law series.

   God of the Woods by Liz Moore

   In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

   Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

   Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

   Show morethread
3. mudilDec 2021
   "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. It's a masterpiece.
   thread
4. wrnrAug 2020
   Store your private key on a paper wallet all you want, but what are you going to do during a tiger kidnapping? People look at me weird when I bring this up, but know nothing about real security. I could advice some ISO certified procedures to keep your money safe but your family is going to be the weak link. Go read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote to get an idea on what could go wrong.
   thread
5. photon_linesDec 2019
   - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Great overview of how we got here and how our shared 'delusions' keep us where where we are).

   - Founders at Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days (Great interviews by incredibly successful start up founders. Lesson 1: determination was the number one predictor of start up success. Lesson 2: most of the founders had no idea on how huge some of the companies would become nor the huge amounts of revenue their ideas would generate. Their number one focus was always grounded in solving a problem or delivering something great; everything else was secondary.)

   - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (Great crime story. It shows how small things can make a big difference. A seemingly inconsequential and small prison event where a man spreads a rumor about a family having lots of wealth in their household leads to a series of robberies which nightmares are made of. Completely true story and incredibly well written by Mr. Capote. It convinced me that life is ruled by chaos. Small things and seemingly small events play a vital role in determining its outcome).

   - The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook (Amazing book showing that a lot of personality disorders stem from childhood trauma / experiences).

   - Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (Great overall book on UI design which definitely had an effect on how I approach designing user interfaces).

   - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Great thoughts from a great mind).

   - How to Develop Superpower Memory by Harry Loraine (Great advice on how to drastically improve your memory using your visual cortex – as well as a great general overview of the methodology current world memory champions use to remember large volumes of information).

   - Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger (Worldly wisdom from one of the world’s greatest investors).

   - The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan (Great thoughts and advice from Carl Sagan. The last chapter had a profound effect on the way I think of the US constitution).

   - The Things They Carried (Great novel about the hell of war, as well as incredible prose writing).

   - Mindfulness in Plain English (Great book about mindfulness meditation).

   - My Voice Will Go with You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson (Great teachings and stories from the grand master of hypnosis).

   - How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease (Great book with great advice on healthy eating).

   - Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (It taught me how incredibly important exercise is when it comes to brain development / general health. If you could bottle its effects in a pill form, people would pay hundreds of dollars to unlock the incredible stuff it delivers).

   - A Mathematician's Lament: How School Cheats Us Out of Our Most Fascinating and Imaginative Art Form (Great overview of what’s wrong with the current state of mathematics and the way that its taught. I completely agree with with the sentiment and the message).

   Show morethread
6. mjrbrennanDec 2019
   The best books I've read in the last decade (that I can remember, I've only been keeping reading lists since ~2015) are mostly important because they have contributed to my inspiration and style as a writer.

   * The Road - Cormac McCarthy

   * Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy

   * No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy

   * On Writing - Stephen King

   * 11/22/63 - Stephen King

   * The Stand - Stephen King

   * Hell's Angels - Hunter S. Thompson

   * East of Eden - John Steinbeck

   * Slouching Towards Bethlehem - Joan Didion

   * In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

   Show morethread