What books do you recommend?
And when I say book, I mean book, not podcast. I've just finished 'The Blunderer' by Patricia Highsmith. I've enjoyed most of the Highsmith books I've read, I especially enjoyed 'Deep Water' and 'The Talented Mr Ripley'. Another book I'd recommend is 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters. The BBC did a dramatisation of it, but I couldn't watch past episode 1 as it was so bad.
My wife reads much more than me - she reads constantly. In fact I'll get her to become a member here and get her to post a list of what she likes. She has very good taste... but then I would say that wouldn't I?
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Books
Personally I prefer horrific, or suspenceful books/podcasts (which is why I found OATS, and HoM). In hard copy I love to read Dean R. Koontz, or the classic horror author Stephan King. However, I also like to read legal thrillers by John Grisham. Recently I have completed "Strangers", "Phantoms", and "Hideaway" by Koontz, "The Skeleton Crew", and "Cell" by King, and I am currently reading "The Rainmaker" by Grisham. And my collection of bookcases continues to grow.Reply to J.G.
Of Koontz, I also liked 'Phantoms', and I remember tearing through 'Shattered'. Of Mr King, I read and loved everything up to Gerald's Game, which I didn't like. I've heard that 'Cell' is a return to form so I keep meaning to get that. My favourite King books would have to be 'The Shining', 'Salem's Lot', and 'Pet Sematary'. I also enjoyed all his early story collections. From Grisham I read and enjoyed 'The Firm', but that's all so far. Have you read Michael Crichton? I think you would really enjoy his work. 'Jurassic Park' is the obvious thrill-fest, but I think I may have enjoyed 'Timeline' more. It's a pity the movie was such a disappointment.Of the newer SK stuff, Bag of
Of the newer SK stuff, Bag of Bones is the absolute best. Cell was good, but BoB was better. The only book of his that I thought was crap was Dreamcatcher.Stephen King Stuff
have you guys read the dark tower books? absolutely the best work stephen king has ever done. ever. in his life. if you haven't read them, get them and do so. if you have read them, come join me at thedarktower.com and i'll join you more often here. promise. :)Dark Tower etc
Re: the Dark Tower series: I liked book 1, loved 2, really liked 3, didn't like 4 - that was me out. I haven't read 'Bag of Bones' or 'Dreamcatcher', but I seem to remember I liked the 'Dreamcatcher' movie.I forgot...
I forgot about the "Gunslinger" series by King. I thought that that collection was absolutely amazing, especially the first.come play with us j_gower
sorry, a little shining reference there. anyway, i think that's why i like mike's stuff so much. cause he can write more than just one type of story. and he can do it well. not a lot of writer's can do that - jump genres easily, i mean. mike's stuff is funny, scary, and sometimes downright terrifying. it's hard to be all those things. you should pop by thedarktower.com sometime and see us. we love new people. they are very tasty! :)dark tower series
lots of people didn't like four mike. but you have to keep reading - trust me, it's worth it in the end. and bag of bones is one of the most spectacular things he's written. personally, i hated dreamcatcher.OK...
I'll get Five on your recommendation, and Bag of Bones is coming up as a strong recommendation, so I'll get that too. Many thanks all. Oh, can I get a plot catch-up thingy at this Dark Tower site? After ten years or so I can't remember who's who.plot catch up
yeah. but you have to watch out for spoilers. don't want to ruin the ending now do you. :)Books
I read The Ruins recently, and thought it was cool. The story itself isn't really what got me, but how the author did a great job of conveying the utter hopelessness of the characters.the ruins
i thought the ruins was wonderful. i could actually feel my heart pounding through the last hundred or so pages. i agree with your assessment of smith's ability to convey the utter hopelessness of the situation. i felt that way about jeff long's the descent and deeper. the descent was a masterpiece of not only horror but of human experience and evolutionary design. deeper was the next step (figuratively and literally) and though it wasn't as good it was still stunningly put together.books.
okay. here's some recs. we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver sookie stackhouse series by charlaine harris 20th century ghosts by joe hill lullabye by chuck palahniuk lamb by christopher moore (really anything by him since he rocks my world) a good and happy child by justin evans life of pi by yann martel (i'm sure you've read it but it's always worth mentioning) dexter series by jeff lindsay magic street by orson scott card in the woods by tana french company by max berry the memory of running by ron mclarty (this may only be an audiobook) the cloud of unknowing by thomas h. cookYou liked Lullabye? I read
You liked Lullabye? I read Invisible Monsters a long time ago, kind of liked it, and spent years pretending to try to like Chuck Palahniuk, because I thought I should for some reason :) Lullabye was the last thing of his I read, and is without a doubt, the last I ever will.lullabye
it's one of the best books he wrote. i never read fight club - although most chuck p fans insist i should. i loved lullabye. also, haunted. i refuse to read his newest - snuff. just don't see the point. i have rant but haven't started it yet (i have so many yet to read). :)Good Books
I'd recommend The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever are my personal favourites, 6 amazing books if you're into fantasy Anything by Minette Walters, I haven't read all of hers but I've read a lot and liked every one. I suppose they'd best be described as crime novels but they're definitely not your straightforward story. Tom Sharpe is another winner for me. If you haven't read anything by him they're well worth getting, they're quite short and hilarious. If war stories interest you then Sven Hassel is worth checking out. Though they are rather grim, they're action packed and look at WW2 from the point of view of a German frontline soldier rather than the allied side which is the usual story.Sven
Can you still buy Sven Hassel? He was everywhere when I was a kid, but I haven't seen his stuff in shops for years now. I've read a lot of Tom Sharpe and completely agree with you, though the Thomas Covenant series is a new one on me. I'll investigate on your recommendation.Forgot to say that the Thomas
Forgot to say that the Thomas Covenant books are by Stephen Donaldson Sven Hassel was out of fprint for quite a long time I think but they're available again now (on Play.com at least) but Ebay's where I've bought them most recentlyI recently read again "Upon a
I recently read again "Upon a Winter's Night A Traveler" by Italo Calvino.... I've read it over and over for years now. I guess it is a little common... but I enjoy it.Wish List
Thanks for the tip (and the gallery pic) Ms M, I just put it on my Amazon wish list (the book, not your neighbour).The Historian
I've just finished reading "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. It was quite and interesting book about the original legends and folklore of Vampires, and how "Dracula" came to be... well "Dracula"! I recommend this book for those of you who like a little twist in a story here and there, and some serious suspense in a story. Cheers Big Ears!Recommended books
Here are a few I recommend: The 'Foundation' series of books by Isaac Asimov - An astounding S.F. series 'The 'Rama' series by Arthur C. Clarke - another amazing S.F. series 'The Way of Wyrd' - I was introduced to this very good book by a thrash band called 'Sabbat' who made an album based on the story. 'The Mother Tongue' by Bill Bryson - an interesting and amusing book on the history of the English language. 'Girl Genius' - a graphic novel also available free online. 'Cujo' by Stephen King - I think this was the first horror novel I ever read. I read it all in one session as I couldn't put it down (320 pages), something I have never done since. 'Doctor Syn' by Russell Thorndike - another book introduced to me by a metal band, this time Cathedral in the song 'Captain Clegg'. Also a Hammer Film.The books are hard to get now though.Captain Clegg
AKA Night Creatures. Looks daft as a brush. Shame we can't get it on Amazon here in Region 2 or wherever we are.Iain Banks
I really enjoyed The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks and also a few other books by him (namely The Bridge and Complicity).
My two pence worth
Mike, have you tried any of the novels by Robert McGammon? I highly recommend "Swan Song", an epic novel that (IMHO) Rivals Kings "The Stand" and "Wolfs Hour", a brilliant combination werewolf and Nazi spy story. Also notable from McGammon are Mine Ushers Crossing (Based on the Usher family of Poes "The fall of the House of Usher") Night Boat Mystery Walk Just to name a few. If you don't like Swan song or Wolfs Hour, I'll eat the oldest unidentifiable thing in my fridge.Thanks for the tip
Thanks for the tip, Swissbuddha. I'll definitely put him on my list. Right now I'm reading David Liss's "Conspiracy of Paper" and a book on advanced yoga practices. Cosmic!