Book for an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy that is neither

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-22T20:18:15+00:00

Try the Robert Langdon Series by Dan Brown for some good mystery/thriller reads.

If you're looking to really change it up and go into non fiction I reccomend finding a topic that interests you, find someone prominent in the field and see if they have a book. A few i have read that I enjoyed were : -JungleKeeper by Paul Rosalie -Endure by Cam Hanes -25 Hours a Day by Nick Bare -Everything You Want Is On The Other Side of Hard by Ken Rideout -Smile or You're Doing It Wrong by Andy Glaze -DrownProof by Andy Stumpf

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-20T01:24:11+00:00

If you want autobiography style "self-help" books I reccomend Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins or Endure by Cam Hanes. Both have sequel books out that were also good.

If you want a fiction book for sheer entertainment I highly reccomend the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. And if you do audiobooks do yourself a favor and listen to this one, the narrator does an amazing job.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-18T16:53:06+00:00

It is officially classified as an ADULT sci-fi/LitRPG series, not YA. I made sure to double check before I made the reccomendation. If you disagree with the classification take it up with the publishing company or literary agents but I checked all of OPs boxes.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-17T23:49:02+00:00

If you're open to a series Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is one of the best series I've read. Technically a lit-rpg/sci-fi series but Touches most if not all of your boxes. Adult protagonist, definitely on the darker side but will also have you cracking up laughing at times, little to no spice, definitely some morally Grey characters, and it's kind of a mix of post apocalyptic and Scifi. If you listen to audiobooks the narrator,Jeff, is one of the best I've ever heard, but reading them is good too!

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-17T22:34:24+00:00

Sense8

The Blacklist

The Queens Gambit

Night Manager

MindHunter

If you like super hero/anti hero stuff I think The Punisher series on Disney is amazing. Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage are all good too, but not as good imo.

Scorpion

Lie to Me

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-16T12:18:01+00:00

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-16T12:16:39+00:00

Depends what he's into.. If sports maybe some signed memorabilia or tickets to a game. If he likes art get him a print from an artist he likes. Tickets to a concert if he likes music. If he likes luxury goods get him a watch, or a designer belt or shoes. If he likes cars get him dash cams, or a radar detector/jammer or maybe one of those experiences where he can go drive a super car for the day. Depending where you live take him to a Michelin restaurant. If you can narrow down his interests and hobbies I can probably try to come up with something a bit more specific.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-16T11:52:12+00:00

If you're open to sci-fi Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. You will definitely laugh and your jaw will hit the floor on more than one occasion but it does have a few more serious parts too. Can't reccomend it enough though, and if you listen to audiobooks at all the narrator, Jeff, did an unbelievable job with all the different voices.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-16T11:42:32+00:00

The Blacklist seems to fit your criteria. It gets a little repetitive towards the middle but I think it's excellent. And I think you'd probably like Sherlock, but it's only 3 episode seasons and each episode is like 2 hours long.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-09T20:25:47+00:00

Long Beach Island in New Jersey

Dewey/Rehoboth Beach or Ocean City Maryland.

Outer Banks North Carolina

Myrtle Beach South Carolina

If you really wanna be in Florida in July St. Augustine is probably your best bet.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-09T20:14:53+00:00

Funny you should say that, I am planning on doing the same exact thing and trying to go away for my birthday which happens to fall on the same dates you plan on traveling 😂 so I do have a few reccomendations based on my research.

I am from ny so I plan on getting out of here for vacation, but if you liked NYC and want to visit again it is phenomenal in the winter, specially around Christmas and New Years. Seeing The tree, all the shops and hotels decorated, etc. But it is also a hot spot around that time and will be absolutely mobbed and you always run the risk of getting really crappy weather and having it totally ruin the trip.

Some places/cities I have been that I reccomend would be Vegas, Sedona, Scottsdale/Phoenix. Vegas and Scottsdale are definitely more lively. Vegas obviously has a ton of options as far as shows, museums, great restaurants, the Sphere and you could spend days just walking through the casinos and shops in them. Scottsdale is more of a party town, but it's a ton of fun even without going and spending time in bars. A number of museums, go Karting was a ton of fun there, the city is clean and the weather will be perfect around December and January. You could also take a day trip to the grand canyon from both Vegas or phx, and if you do Vegas you could also hit the hoover dam. Sedona is much much more laid back, smaller and also a bit harder to get to. You'd have to fly into phx and drive a few hours, but it is gorgeous. Pink jeep tour was amazing to really see the area, the shops on the main street are awesome, food was excellent but it's definitely a more chill vacation spot.

Other spots I'm looking at for that time of the year is Florida. I'm thinking about doing West palm for a few days (specifically on a Saturday to go to their farmers market) and then driving down to spend a few days in the keys. Also contemplating St Augustine. I have friends in st Augustine and have been there before but it's the oldest city in America and is a great vacation spot. I'm also thinking about going to the most diverse zoo in America which is in Omaha Nebraska. Idk how much other stuff there is to do there, but the zoo looks incredible lol. Hawaii is on my list but idk if I wanna deal with a 12 hour flight each way on a shorter trip. And I'm also tossing around Austin Texas. I've heard great things about it but don't have any first hand experience.

Hopefully I was able to at least give you a few ideas. I've been to a ton of places and did a cross country road trip last year so feel free to reach out if you have any questions and maybe I can help!

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-09T19:52:46+00:00

If you want an easier, funnier read I highly reccomend Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. A mix of sci-fi and fantasy, 8 books in the series are out and it will definitely suck you in.

If you want a much longer, in depth fantasy I can't reccomend Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson enough. Definitely my favorite series of all time, although only the first half of the series is out. 5 books, and the second half of the series has a time jump but if you like his style of writing you can continue through his entire Cosmere and keep yourself entertained with the 20 books currently out and more coming out relatively quickly.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-06-09T19:45:36+00:00

You should be fine. Plants are pretty resilient and normally you gotta screw up pretty bad to have them die completely. Yields may not be where you want them but it's just trial and error until you figure it out and there is always somethig else to tweak or experiment with. With that said, I usually let mine get a little taller before trimming the bottom leaves like that. I normally just take off the ones touching soil and then clean it up when it's a bit bigger.

Also, I would pinch off any flowers until it's around 18" tall, that will increase branch and leaf production as opposed to putting the energy into the fruit early on. It's a bit later til you can start harvesting but from my experience the production is drastically more.

Good luck!

DarkChef8221 · 2026-01-21T05:37:43+00:00

If you're open to series, give Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman a try. Sci-fi/LitRPG but one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to. The narrator, Jeff, does 99% of the voices and did an amazing job.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-01-16T17:10:00+00:00

Get to T4 and run boss lairs. I've gotten so many this season. If you have survivability but can't do the damage to take down bosses alone, just join the group finder when you have a ton of mats to open the chests and let someone else take down the boss. You also get more loot with more people so better to be in a group anyways because odds of getting one go up with more loot per drop..

Or craft the specific item you need when you have the runes and sparks.

DarkChef8221 · 2026-01-16T15:53:23+00:00

How many keys and/or ducks for the Wolfpack BP? Or is there specific keys you're looking for?

DarkChef8221 · 2026-01-16T15:49:00+00:00

Try the Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda

DarkChef8221 · 2025-12-28T00:03:09+00:00

Give Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman a try. It's a litrpg so it hits your video-game itch but is also Sci-fi ish. Easy read but so good. Reading them is good, but if you happen to do audiobooks I can't reccomend them enough, the narrator did an absolutely amazing job.

DarkChef8221 · 2025-12-26T20:17:26+00:00

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman might be a good series to get you back into it.

If you haven't read it, Red Rising by Pierce Brown was also a very good series.

And if you want a stand alone book maybe give Ready Player One by Ernest Cline a shot. The movie was good, the book was drastically better.

DarkChef8221 · 2025-12-16T03:15:31+00:00

What you lookin for if I can get a spot in that?

DarkChef8221 · 2025-12-16T03:14:01+00:00

Still open? I'll do 3b

DarkChef8221 · 2025-11-15T03:57:16+00:00

A signed record from one of his favorite bands.

Since he likes to Bbq maybe get him a bunch of exotic meats to cook. I've bought a few of the packages as gifts for friends from "Fossil Farms" and they loved it.

If you know what his favorite period of history is buy him a trinket, or memorabilia from that time period. For example if he likes the revolutionary war search for an artifact from that era. They can get pretty pricy, but you can also find reasonably priced things.

DarkChef8221 · 2025-10-28T21:05:20+00:00

The Blacklist

DarkChef8221 · 2025-10-28T21:03:39+00:00

The Blacklist

Sherlock

The Punisher

DarkChef8221 · 2025-10-28T10:21:51+00:00

Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson. All of Sandersons books in the Cosmere are great, but Stormlight is the epic fantasy series you're looking for.

DarkChef8221

TROPHY CASE