Need something to read

[JohnnyChance]

I'm surprised the audio book addict Del hasn't dropped by this thread yet.

 

[dbesed]

If you like long series where characters develop over time, try A song of fire and ice by George R. R. Martin.

 

[ecchef]

Orwell, just for the laughs. Kevin Coogan's Dreamer of the Day...'cause you can't make-up sh*t like this.

 

[Eamon Burke]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig
American Gods, Gaiman
Dune, Herbert
The Idiot, Dostoyevsky(slow reading)
Mere Christianity, Lewis
The Watchmen, Moore(not a book)
Through Painted Deserts, Miller
The Gunslinger, King

Those are my best reads of late. I've also run the literary well dry. I wish I could find a good book.

 

[thistle]

I mostly read mystery/thrillers, same as your list. Once, many years ago, I was visiting a friend & the only novels they had were sci-fi, I picked up William Gibson's 'Neuromancer', & I've been a fan ever since. I just finished 'Zero History', pretty good, but it helps to have read 'Pattern Recognition' & 'Spook Country' first...

 

[cnochef]

Don't forget Stephen Hunter. I don't care for the whole series but I can read Point of Impact over and over and over.

-AJ

I loved Pale Horse Coming!

 

[bikehunter]

Don't forget Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey.

 

[Vertigo]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig

Nice. I'll have to dust that off and read it again, been years.

 

[MadMel]

I'd go for Peter F. Hamilton for Sci-fi and L.E. Modesitt Jr for fantasy. Terry Brooks would be good if you like Tolkien.

 

[ecchef]

How 'bout Alan Watts? I prefer his lectures to his books though.

 

[marcr]

I'm reading this now and enjoying it,
Blithe Tomato by Mike Madison, An insider's wry look at Farmer's Market society.

 

[Andrew H]

You said you are open to other things...
Extremely interesting and well written:
Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow
Titan: The life of John D Rockefeller Sr, Ron Chernow.

Laugh out loud funny:
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Toole. If you haven't read this book yet it really is a must. I read it on a plane and got lots of weird looks when I burst out laughing.

 

[Daniel Fairly]

What about Tom Robbins?

+1 to that!

 

[mc2442]

If you want to go the fantasy route, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will keep you occupied for a good while. Someone mentioned Web Griffon, and his are entertaining though each of the series repeats a lot of things in every book. Was rereading his Brotherhood of War series recently and was reminded of it. Picked up American Assassin by Vince Flynn in the airport, about half way through and is entertaining.

 

[apicius9]

Just following up here: I started reading 'Nemesis' by this author, very nicely written so far. Unfortunately, several of the earlier ones are not yet available in English, but I will look for them in German also. Talking about Scandinavian authors: I also enjoyed The Keeper of Lost Causes, by Jussi Adler-Olsen. A bit transparent in the way that the solution was pretty obvious half way into the book, but I did like the writing.

Stefan

P.S. Ooops, this was meant to quote Oivind's link, the 'Nemesis' author is Jo Nesbo.

 

[sachem allison]

If you want to go the fantasy route, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will keep you occupied for a good while. Someone mentioned Web Griffon, and his are entertaining though each of the series repeats a lot of things in every book. Was rereading his Brotherhood of War series recently and was reminded of it. Picked up American Assassin by Vince Flynn in the airport, about half way through and is entertaining.

+1 wheel of time, i haven't been able to find the final book. towers of midnight.

 

[ajhuff]

I'm enjoying Three Seconds by Rolslund and Hellstrom. It's slow but good. They are apparently a top writing team of crime fiction out of Sweden.

-AJ