My all time favorite book is Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. I’ve read it many times and will probably read it many more.
I’m currently reading Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz. Seems fairly good so far.
I’m currently re-reading my F. Scott Fitzgerald books; I’ve already finished “This Side of Paradise” and a whole bunch of short stories and am currently racing my way through The Great Gatsby for about the 8th time.
I’ve also recently re-read a bunch of non-fictions books:
The Perfect Storm - very quick, good read. And sooooooooo much better than the movie.
A Reporter’s Life by Walter Conkrite - It’s kind of funny/strange hearing his voice in your head as you read.
Personal History by Katherine Graham - the people she knew, the places she went!
Angela’s Ashes - like Conkrite’s book, you can hear the brogue in your head as you read.
try isaac’s storm, history and a griping story. galveston just comm. the storm this weekend.
steven saylor ( i hope i spelled his name correctly) has a series of mysteries that are set in roman times.
douglas preston and lincoln child have very interesting books that mix arch. and horrour. i just finished thunderhead and mount dragon. chilling.
tevya and shakey jake are right about bryson. i enjoy reading his books while traveling.
I have to second Tevya’s suggestion of She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I loved that one. I just finished I Know This Much Is True, also by Wally Lamb. It was amazing.
I also liked The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams and Pigs In Heaven, all by Barbara Kingsolver.
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian(sp?)
Anything by Ken Follett. A Place Called Freedom was especially good.
Yes, I know some of them were Oprah books (why is that bad?), but they were really good.
Swan Song and Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon were both great.
I also like Sue Grafton’s A is for Alibi series (she’s up to “O”) mainly because the main character and I have the same unusual name.
Try some Clive Barker - he’s one of the few true wordsmith’s left in the world.
Not your cup of tea? Try some philosophy then: The Trial Of The Man Who Said He Was God. Great read.
Classic? Dumas’ Count of Monte Christo.
Sci-fi? Ender’s Game. Though you should have read that by now if you like the genre.
Some of my favorite Sci-Fi books: the Venus Prime Series, (Arthur C. Clarke w/some other guy)
Friday, by Robert Hienlen (sp?)
and Bio of a Space Tryant.
I have read the Venus Prime series twice (7 books in all i belive)
Bio of a Space Tryant is a wonderfully written series by Piers Anthony, 5 books in all. Interesting, fun, and at some times quite disturbing.
And then there is my personal favorite megabook, The Illuminatus Trillogy (who’d a thunk?) Or the Schroddingers Cat Trillogy, Both by Robert Anton Wilson w/ Robert Shea,
Or there is, Jitterbug Perfume I cant remember the author atthe moment.
Well I hope you found soemthnig that peaked your interest
Yeah I know EVERYBODY has read the Illuminatus Trillogy, cant hurt to read again.
Partners in Necessity by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. I just got it on Sunday–I’m on page 775. After that, find Plan B by the same authors.
I’m also partial to L.E. Modesitt’s Recluce novels (I like them much better than Jordan). Modesitt’s Ecolitan novels are pretty good, too. Lisanne Norman’s Sholan Alliance novels and maybe David Feintuch’s Seafort Saga.
Oh, and Brust’s Jhereg novels.
I always get sucked into the ones that turn into series…
yamo1 writes:
> Anne McCaffery(sp?)–Tea With The Black Dragon
No, not Anne McCaffrey. It was R. A. MacAvoy.
If you can find it, try Anonymous Rex, by Garcia.
I had to get it online, as none of the bookstores I frequent carried it. (and it’s a fairly new release)
It’s written in the style of a gritty, first-person detective story, only the detective is a dinosaur, a velociraptor, posing as a human.
Thanks guys…I’ve probably got enough. I can weed out what I’ve already read.
I did try a couple of the Oprah books. Couple of ladies at work were doing those. “The Rapture of Canaan” was ok, just short enough not to get boring. But I did not care for “Songs in Ordinary Time” loved the titled, hated the characters.
Gonna print and carry this around with me…Anybody out there belong to a “book club”? One of those things were everyone reads the same book and then gets together for dinner and drinks to discuss how they liked it? I’ve always thought one of those might be fun.
Needs2know
Need2know writes:
> Gonna print and carry this around with me…Anybody out
> there belong to a “book club”? One of those things were
> everyone reads the same book and then gets together for
> dinner and drinks to discuss how they liked it? I’ve
> always thought one of those might be fun.
Yes, I’ve been in one for 16 years. We meet after dinner though, except in December. In December we meet at a restaurant on a Sunday afternoon without a book choice and just talk.
I must second the recommendations for the Sir Francis Richard Burton Bios, the man had a life that could fill many novel length volumes and , amazingly, managed to die at home in his own bed…quite against the odds I think. I also came to Burton via the Riverworld series by Farmer; the first two are GREAT, the rest read like a contractual obligation.
I also would unreservedly recommend Caleb Carr’s The Alienist, a tremendous read w/ elements of historical fiction, a breathless read that kept me turning the pages well after midnight, but do not bother with the sequel, The Angel of Darkness, it stinks out loud, I do not think that anyone with a blue pencil came anywhere near it, a long rambling disappointment.
Also the Flashman series , by Fraser, are hilarious beyond my powers of description, and anything by Bill Bryson,but particularly The Lost Continent…I was laughing SO HARD reading this that I had to lay down in a dark room with a damp washcloth over my face in order to regain my composure and not swallow my tongue…a highly recommended read!
hey there needs…
i don’t really like any fantasy, sci fi, or ‘popular’ books. i’m more into classic and contemp lit. i took a southern lit course that was incredible…
William Faulkners “The sound and the fury” is one of my favs, but i warn he is unbelievably hard to read. i’ve read it 3 times and still don’t understand it all, but it has some amazing symbolism, and his prose is beautiful. very dark and depressing tho.
Dorothy Allisons “Bastard out of carolina” is a pretty disturbing book about a 12 yr olds upbringing in s.c. very traumatic story, but interesting in both tone and plot development.
Toni Morrisons “Belinda” recently made into a really shitty movie. ‘Magical realist’ type story, set in the slave days. Spooky at times, incredible storyteller.
okay, you have enuff suggestions…
El Infidel writes:
> Toni Morrisons “Belinda”
Surely you mean Beloved.
Did Toni Morrison write “The Color Purple” and the sequel, can’t remember the name of that one? I’ve read both of those. I like her. I loved an interview I saw with her a few years ago. She went back to her home, it was a shack. The interviewer asked her what her brothers thought of her being a famous writer and what they thought of her portrayal of men in her novels. She cracked me up. She said “My brother’s have no opinion, you’re assuming that they read!”
Needs2know
Lots of good suggestions.
I agree, the Flashman books are quite entertaining, and contain a surprising amount of pretty accurate history. A good choice to try, because if you like one, you may enjoy more in the series.
Also, record my vote for Sherman Alexie.
Alas, count me in the apparent minority that considers “Confederacy” worthless.
Now, for my recommendations, at the top of the list, styart working through just about eveything by Harry Crews. Start with “The Gypsy’s Curse.” While not technically fantasy or horror, it is about a legless deaf gymnast who was adopted by an aged strongman who runs a boxing gym. Maybe follow with “Feast of Snakes”, a madcap romp of a bunch of rednecks getting ready for and participating in the annual rattlensake roundup. If some of the scenes in this novel don’t stick with you, I’d be surprised. Also among Crews’ best are “The Gospel Singer” and “The Knockout Artist.”
Madison Smartt Bell is another author not enough people read, IMO (tho his books may somewhat exceed your 300 page guideline). I especially recommend “Save Me Joe Louis” and “Soldier’s Joy.”
Jim Harrison is tremendous. Start short with the “Legends of the Fall” trilogy of novellas. Then get into “A Good Day to Die,” “The Hawk is Dying,” “Farmer,” … I prefer his earlier books to his most recent, tho all are worth reading IMO.
Graham Greene is a great author to try if you don’t mind things that are not immediately current. He writes brilliantly, and his books contain wonderful plot. Also, he was prolific, so you can spend some time working through your library’s collection.
Walker Percy is a must read. “The Moviegoer,” “Lancelot,” “The Second Coming,” “The Last Gentleman.” Can’t beat those troubled Catholics (see GG above.)
As far as classics are concerned, two of my favorite all time books are “The Mayor of Casterbridge” and “Far from the Madding Crowd.”
If anyone reads any of these, I’d appreciate hearing what you thought of them.
The ghost threads reminded me of another book:
The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Careers of Ed and Lorraine Warren by Gerald Brittle.
The only book that ever gave me nightmares.