Here are 13 books that Ra fans have personally recommended if you like Ra. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Delenda Carthago Author Of Nature Against

From my list on how we build absurd societies and keep justifying them.

Why am I passionate about this?

My greatest passion? Human nature and the endless cycles we repeat, different on the surface yet identical at their core. We build systems, cultures, and rules, destroy them, then rebuild everything in remarkably similar forms, as though we possessed no memory of the past. I have studied human nature throughout my life, but this passion took shape at university through cultural anthropology and comparative theology. Over thirty years, it has guided my work in developing human potential and talent, and has been refined further through working with thousands of people from more than 200 countries and territories. It is now the lens through which I write speculative fiction.

Delenda's book list on how we build absurd societies and keep justifying them

Delenda Carthago Why Delenda loves this book

Don't panic.

Science fiction can be hilarious without becoming merely ridiculous. It can bend the genre’s conventions without losing its way, and unleash its imagination while still taking sharp aim at human arrogance.

I read this book before it was widely recognized as a classic, and immediately loved its mixture of adventure, unforgettable characters, and jokes so brilliant that they became cultural touchstones around the world.

Most of all, I loved never being able to imagine what would happen on the next page. Few books offer the same combination of speed, adventure, unpredictability, and genuine laughter. Ever since I finished it, I have kept a small towel nearby, just in case the world ends.

By Douglas Adams ,

Why should I read it?

46 authors picked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This box set contains all five parts of the' trilogy of five' so you can listen to the complete tales of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Bebblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android! Travel through space, time and parallel universes with the only guide you'll ever need, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Read by Stephen Fry, actor, director, author and popular audiobook reader, and Martin Freeman, who played Arthur Dent in film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He is well known as Tim in The Office.

The set also includes a bonus DVD Life, the Universe and…


If you love Ra...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World

Todd Dufresne Author Of The Future Belongs to Those Who Fight

From my list on waking up from dogmatic slumber.

Why am I passionate about this?

A dozen years ago or so, I started teaching climate change instead of consumer culture. That’s because the very same Marxist critique of capitalism helped explain both the problems of unsustainable consumption and climate catastrophe. I did this work for my students, and I did it for me – and it "woke me from my dogmatic slumber," a term Kant used when he was shocked out of complacency by Hume.  Because once I really understood the seriousness of climate change, I realized that nothing about the way we live – and think – will remain the same as before. So I addressed it in a 2019 book and in the new one.

Todd's book list on waking up from dogmatic slumber

Todd Dufresne Why Todd loves this book

I learned things in this book that I didn’t know, for example, about the history of the UBI, and I respect the politics overall. 

It has an admirably accessible tone, and the message that we should aim for utopia is so very needed today. It helped me realize that we must all think about life after the end of work.  

By Rutger Bregman ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Utopia for Realists as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Universal basic income. A 15-hour workweek. Open borders. Does it sound too good to be true? One of Europe's leading young thinkers shows how we can build an ideal world today.

"A more politically radical Malcolm Gladwell." -- New York Times

After working all day at jobs we often dislike, we buy things we don't need. Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian, reminds us it needn't be this way -- and in some places it isn't. Rutger Bregman's TED Talk about universal basic income seemed impossibly radical when he delivered it in 2014. A quarter of a million views later, the…


Book cover of Recursion

Jeremy D. Baker Author Of The Guilty Sleep

From my list on books to gift your dad on Father's Day.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wear many hats:  veteran, PTSD-survivor, gardener, national security and law enforcement worker, certified beer judge, gardener, husband, and father. These last two are the most important by far. So, for my list, I wanted to pick my top five reads that your dad absolutely won’t be able to put down if you were to gift him one of these for Father’s Day! There are all kinds of reading dads out there, from History Dads to Thriller Dads to Fantasy Dads. This list has wonderful, unput-downable, slightly under-the-radar books for all the reading dads you know!

Jeremy's book list on books to gift your dad on Father's Day

Jeremy D. Baker Why Jeremy loves this book

I love books with lots of twists and turns, I love realistic, near-future science fiction, and I love books with a beating, emotional heart at the center of even the wildest and action-packed storyline. 

This book is a twisty-turny, mind-bending look at time travel where the science actually makes sense but doesn’t take a back seat to the propulsive narrative. Blake Crouch is a master of the modern thriller with a tech-heavy edge, while keeping a truly beating heart at the center of each story.  

By Blake Crouch ,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Recursion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Dark Matter and the Wayward Pines trilogy comes a relentless thriller about time, identity, and memory—his most mind-boggling, irresistible work to date, and the inspiration for Shondaland’s upcoming Netflix film.

“Gloriously twisting . . . a heady campfire tale of a novel.”—The New York Times Book Review

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time • NPR • BookRiot

Reality is broken.
 
At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life…


If you love qntm...

Book cover of The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall

The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall by Paul Wilborn,

It’s 1985, and Ronald Armstrong, known in the magic mushroom trade as “Trip,” takes a “sober” job as a driver for a retired Tampa mobster. His boss, Charlie Wall, has survived four attempts on his life, the last one in 1955. When Charlie falls into depression, Trip rebuilds his boss’…

Book cover of The Gone World

schmavery

From Avery's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Avery loves this book

A new one for the favorites list!

This book ended up being way better than I hoped. I've been disappointed a few times in my search for a certain brand of horror sci-fi, but this nailed it. It ended up being more technical/sci-fi than I thought it would be, given the crime/thriller FBI angle.

But wow, lots to dig into here. By the end, I wasn't following 100%, but that's basically a positive in this genre. It's somehow firmly grounded while also having a couple mindblowing twists. It's gory and dark but with a depth (that I miss from some Blake Crouch scifi thrillers)

It has such an iconic and distinct, somehow very visual, branding that it has the potential to be a great movie or mini series. Lets blow some crime-thriller-lovers' minds

By Tom Sweterlitsch ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Gone World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Silence of the Lambs meets Interstellar. The terrifying, thrilling and ingenious science-fiction thriller from Tom Sweterlitsch. Film rights bought by Twentieth Century Fox with Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) to direct.

'Thrilling . . . [a] dark, page-turning thriller' The Guardian

A murdered family. A missing girl. Time is running out...

1997. Shannon Moss of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is assigned to solve the murder of a Navy SEAL's family - and to locate the soldier's missing teenage daughter. When Moss discovers that the SEAL was an astronaut aboard the spaceship U.S.S. Libra - a ship assumed lost…


Book cover of There Is No Antimemetics Division

dragon

From Dragon's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Unknown Author Why Dragon loves this book

An original and compelling science fiction novel.

By qntm ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked There Is No Antimemetics Division as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They’re all around us, hiding in plain sight.

One could be in the room with you now, just to your left. You could be seeing it right now—but from this second to the next, you’ll forget that you did. If you managed to jot down a note, the paper would look blank to you afterward.

These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you—and you’ll never even know anything changed.

They can turn you into a living ghost—make it so you’re standing next to your spouse, screaming in their ear, and they won’t know…


Book cover of Solaris

Peter Cawdron Author Of Apothecary

From Peter's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Peter's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Peter Cawdron Why Peter loves this book

As this is a classic from the 70s, the characters and dialogue can be a little flat, but the originality of the story and the emotional angles that were explored were quite extraordinary.

By Stanislaw Lem , Steve Cox (translator) , Joanna Kilmartin (translator)

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Solaris as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface he is forced to confront a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others suffer from the same affliction and speculation rises among scientists that the Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates incarnate memories, but its purpose in doing so remains a mystery . . .

Solaris raises a question that has been at the heart of human experience and literature for centuries: can we truly understand the universe around us without first understanding what…


If you love Ra...

Book cover of Glimmer of the Other

Glimmer of the Other by Heather G. Harris,

Delve into this internationally best-selling series, now complete! A fast paced laugh-out-loud mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery.

I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time. I’m Jinx, a PI hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar–yet my gut…

Book cover of 1984

Paul Clark Author Of The Omega Course

From my list on novels of ideas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved stories, and I love the clash of ideas – political and philosophical, religious and atheistic. And if you can put them together in a novel, so much the better. But I insist that it has to be a real story, with real characters, not ciphers. They must be inconsistent, their ideas half-formed and subject to change. And they must be allowed to put their point of view with their own voice, so I’m never entirely sure what the author thinks. The characters have to be people I can care about, people I can love or hate, people whose fate can cause me anxiety, sorrow, or joy.

Paul's book list on novels of ideas

Paul Clark Why Paul loves this book

I first read Orwell’s dystopian nightmare as a teenager and have gone back to it several times since.

Apparently, it is such a brilliant description of life under totalitarianism that, during the communist era, some Eastern Europeans refused to believe that an inhabitant of a democratic country could have written such a book. 

Even today, I find the book very relevant, as Orwell develops themes of truth, propaganda, doublethink, and the misuse of language that you can find in Homage to Catalonia, written a decade earlier. And the ubiquitous and intrusive telescreen has a parallel in our age of surveillance capitalism and the way the Chinese authorities are using information technology to cement their rule.

By George Orwell ,

Why should I read it?

63 authors picked 1984 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU . . .

1984 is the year in which it happens. The world is divided into three superstates. In Oceania, the Party's power is absolute. Every action, word, gesture and thought is monitored under the watchful eye of Big Brother and the Thought Police. In the Ministry of Truth, the Party's department for propaganda, Winston Smith's job is to edit the past. Over time, the impulse to escape the machine and live independently takes hold of him and he embarks on a secret and forbidden love affair. As he writes the words 'DOWN WITH BIG…


Book cover of The Library at Mount Char

Alia Luria Author Of Geri o Shimasu

From Alia's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Alia's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Alia Luria Why Alia loves this book

This book was absolutely insane in the best possible way. It almost felt like you were reading an action movie. It was extremely fast-paced. At the same time, the narrative perspective was really distant, so you have almost no idea about the characters' feelings and motivations. Only the most surface thoughts are shared with the reader. It was a very unique novel, and I felt like I learned a lot about the craft from this book, while enjoying a funny, gruesome, and wildly unique novel.

By Scott Hawkins ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Library at Mount Char as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Wholly original . . . the work of the newest major talent in fantasy.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Freakishly compelling . . . through heart-thumping acts of violence and laugh-out-loud moments, this book practically dares you to keep reading.”—Atlanta Magazine

A missing God.
A library with the secrets to the universe. 
A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.
 
Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the…


Book cover of The Night Circus

Lisa Redfern Author Of Crossing: A Chinese Family Railroad Novel

From Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Lisa Redfern Why Lisa loves this book

The magical beauty of this fantastical place feels like walking into one of your best dreams. Vividly written, one can almost smell the sweet treats it contains.

By Erin Morgenstern ,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked The Night Circus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE TIKTOK SENSATION

Rediscover the million-copy bestselling fantasy read with a different kind of magic, now in a stunning anniversary edition to mark 10 years since it's paperback debut.

The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon an iron gates reads:

Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn

Full of breath-taking amazements and open only at night, Le Cirque des Reves seems to cast a spell over all who wander its circular paths. But behind the glittering acrobats, fortune-tellers…


If you love qntm...

Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection and…

Book cover of A Scanner Darkly

Sonya Deulina Williams Author Of Mirrors

From my list on mind-bending novels that blur the lines between science and the supernatural.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been interested in the metaphysical and in psychology, so I have always gravitated to how the mind creates our perception of reality and how that can be stretched. Coming to this country as a refugee with my family and watching the struggles of my family has given me a keen interest in the human mind, resilience, and mental health. My artwork and writing lends itself towards magical realism and the blurring between reality and the supernatural. I truly believe that things are often not what they seem and I aim to prove it. 

Sonya's book list on mind-bending novels that blur the lines between science and the supernatural

Sonya Deulina Williams Why Sonya loves this book

This story completely threw me for a loop and I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, so I am not easily mislead.

When you think you know where it’s going, it takes a completely different turn. And it’s not only that you are being fooled, it’s the main character who is fooling himself.

Perception shapes reality 100%, and so do mind-altering drugs. I loved this one so much. It pops up in my mind often.

By Philip K. Dick ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked A Scanner Darkly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A brilliant sci-fi novel from one of the last century's most influential pop culture figures

Substance D - otherwise known as Death - is the most dangerous drug ever to find its way on to the black market. It destroys the links between the brain's two hemispheres, leading first to disorentation and then to complete and irreversible brain damage. Bob Arctor, undercover narcotics agent, is trying to find a lead to the source of supply, but to pass as an addict he must become a user, and soon, without knowing what is happening to him, he is as dependent as…


Book cover of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Book cover of Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World
Book cover of Recursion

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?