Books you're reading now...or then...

Gary W. Graley

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 2, 1999
Messages
27,503
A seasonal type of thread, one to spark the interests of books we might not
have access to or have heard about.

I've lately been reading a lot of Dean Koontz and on a recent trip to FL I picked
up a nice thick hard back book, not realizing that it was a collection of
short stories, so the read is quick and intersting. and it's a 624 page turner...:)

It's called Strange Highways link to Amazon's page about it.

So far a nice read, also the Odd Thomas books that Dean Koontz isn't known
for making trilogies/or higher sets of, but this character has his imagination
working overtime and he can't seem to end his tales. Some of the books were
so so, I liked the first one the most and the last one was ok.

Odd Thomas link to Amazon's page about it, ya gotta love a guy that sees Elvis ;)

so, there's quick start, list em' if you've got em'
G2
 
Right now I am reading Snowball:Warren Buffet and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.

Good read, but almost 1000 pages with the notes.

Nod off holding it up reading in bed, and it'll give you a concussion! :D
 
i have read most of Koontz's books including the Odd Thomas series. looks like the next one is a graphic novel which kind of bums me as i normally don't read that kind of thing
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/k/dean-r-koontz/in-odd-we-trust.htm
btw Gary check out Koontz's The Taking next. it is my favorite of his.

for my recommendation i would go with Bernard Cornwell's saxon chronicles
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/bernard-cornwell/
if sword on sword combat is your thing you will love this. the stories revolve around a fictional character Uhtred who is raised by the viking Danes but helps King Alfred and the Saxons. all of the battles are as historically accurate as possible.

after the thread in the W/S i went and got The Road yesterday. good but very difficult to read imo. seems like you are reading someones thoughts who has ADD instead of a story:o
 
Imagine if John D MacDonald's character Travis Magee had been abandoned as a child and raised by the state, growing up in NY and learning to walk on the other side of the law...

You would have Burke, the central character of the series of books written by Andrew Vachss. Vachss is a bit of a character himself. A lawyer but one of the few "good guys" in the profession. He write for a living but spends his time before the bar putting child molesters in jail. He specializes in helping children bring their tormentors to justice. His character Burke does much the same but is also involved in various other projects as well. If it can't be done within the confine of the law Burke will cross the line and get it done outside those boundaries. You can read about both Vachss and Burke here...

http://www.vachss.com/

He has excerpts from quite a few of his books and complete shorts stories posted there for free, read a few and you will get hooked on his hard style of writing.

I also read quite a few of Koontz's book, he is another favorite of mine. His Frankenstein series is well done as is the Odd Thomas books. Tick-Tock was a fun read as well. All of his books have been enjoyable, I have about 20 of his in my personal library.
 
I'm about to read Vince Flynn's Extreme Measures. Bought it for my dad a week or so ago, and now am borrowing it:rolleyes:
 
crossada said:
...btw Gary check out Koontz's The Taking next. it is my favorite of his...
Click to expand...

Yep, read that one already, good one too, I think he adds quite a bit of
wit and humour in his books.

G2
 
If you're interested in a gripping account of the action LRPs/Rangers saw in Vietnam, I highly recommend The Eyes of the Eagle and Behind Enemy Lines by Gary A. Linderer.
 
I've enough of war lately, my dad wrote two novels, both about Vietnam, he was
a master sargent in the army and I an army brat ;)
G2
 
Where White Men Fear To Tread, by R. Means.
The book is an interesting take on life and America by an Native American.
 
I'm working my way through Bernard Cornell's Sharpe's series. Right now I'm reading Sharp's Escape. Only 11 more books left. :D

I read almost all of Cornwell's other books. My only complaint is that it's hard to put them down.:thumbup:
 
currently reading "the road" by cormac macarthy. i just saw it is going to be released in theaters before the end of the month.

also just picked up the latest by chuck palahniuk (fight club), though the title escapes me.
 
The Trouble with Physics - Lee Smolin. Death of String Theory and postulations on Quantum Gravity. Light reading to say the least.:eek:
 
I just finished the books required for uni this semester, so now I'm reading Georg Büchner's "Wozzek" and "Leonce and Lena," and my girlfriend just gave me Schillers "Wilhelm Tell" for when I finish Büchner :)

The Road looks interesting though, I had not heard of it before now.
 
Cabinet of Curiosities by Doug Preston and Lee Child. Next on the agenda is Eaters of the Dead and other Crichton novels in honor of his passing.
 
I alternate between fiction & non-fiction.

Currently, Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, by David Kennedy. One of the longest books I've ever read, 850+ pages. Can be very dry at times, but it's good to get back in touch with what the grandparents went through.

thx - cpr
 
Currently back to an Oldie King Rat by James Clavell. Set in Ghangi POW camp it shows the daily struggle to survive. It was where my Grandfather spent WWII.

Modesette, Spell singer series.

I usually read two books at once and it winds up my wife for some reason.
 
I had no idea who James Clavell was untill now, he has written some good movies - The Fly, The Great Escape - not what I would normally look for in a book but if they are even nearly as good as his movies then they're worth a shot.
Sounds like he had an interesting (...terrible) time in the World War 2, also...
 
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