Ruby Under a Microscope is the first and only technical book I will finish; if you like Ruby and are curious about how things work under the hood it's a joy to read. You need to look for something that actually interests you. Reading some bible on design patterns with hundreds of useless Java or C++ examples often IS boring. And let's be honest it probably won't make you a better software developer. A close second to me was Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erikson. It's a great introduction to low level stuff and how basic hacks are formed. Really loved it though I admit I never finished it.