As for a novel with a good perspectives from various characters with Steampunk elements. The Aeronauts Windlass by Jim Butcher is very good. It has talking cats, strong characters both male and female, airships, drama, suspense, adventure and intrigue. Very cool.

If you would like a novel of epic proportions and quality, then I would suggest the Kushiels Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey. The first book is called "Kushiel's Dart". It is a epic novel which has drama, adventure, betrayal, intrigue, romance and naughty bits. It takes a bit to warm up to but it turns out to be a very good story about a courtesan who ends up saving a nation.

If that's too much too read then I would suggest authors such as Neil Gaiman (Stardust, American Gods, Neverwhere, The Ocean At The End of The Lane), Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files Series, The Aeronauts Windlass), Patricia Briggs (The Mercy Thompson novels and Alpha and Omega series) and Charlaine Harris (just about anything from her is pretty good.)

If you haven't read these yet, definitely Jurassic Park and it's sequel the Lost World.

I love to read. Ready Player One was excellent. I just finished Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine and loved it. I’m into reading mostly the same genres as you are this is outside of that but still a great read. Others that come to mind are The Night Circus, The Girl Before, The Girl with all the Gifts, The Girls by Emma Cline, The Odd Thomas series, The Girl on the Train and Red Queen.

Neil deGrasse Tyson astrophysics for people in a hurry

Ishmael is about our place in the world as told through the eyes of a sentient Gorilla. Good and quick read that might just change your world view ?

Have you tried Ishmael by Daniel Quinn?

I highly recommend The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. It won the Hugo Award for best novel in 2016, the sequel won the same in 2017, and the third book in the series is currently nominated. Probably the most impressive new science fiction since Wool (which of you haven't read, I also highly recommend).

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series is my absolute favorite. Anything by Kurt Vonnegut is also great. There was also a good fantasy book with wolves called The Sight that I read years ago but it was amazing.

Milagro beanfield wars

kim by kipling and shantaram by roberts

capone [ biography]

Watership Down
The Persian Boy
Shogun
A Tale of Two Cities
Crime and Punishment
East of Eden
The Unincorporated Man
Bicentenial Man
The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Interview With A Vampire
The People of the Wolf: The First North Americans series
Hatchet
Cujo
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Sound of Waves
A Game of Thrones
The Butcher's Boy
The Hobbit
A Long Way From Chicago

I tried to think of titles I enjoyed all by different authors, so as you discover new authors you will have lots more books to chose for future reading.

Panzram a journal of murder by Henry Lesser. this is a fantastic book about a man brought up by religious people in the 19th century who hated everyone including himself. it's a true story and though brutal I did kind of respect and understand Carl Panzram feeling the way he did.

Tell us a few that you like and then we can give you a few more.

You're in luck! My sci-fi novel SCAPEGOATS is due out RSN. There are plenty of animals, and if you look closely, a naturalistic prime cause of the universe.

The immortal instruments series. House of night. I have a few others give me a few hours