I've never been a reader until now

00ChevyScott

00ChevyScott

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Thanks to another member on this site who put his Kindle up for sale at a killer price, I have started reading, a lot.

The Kindle is a great way to read. I'm honestly very surprised. Also, the ease of buying e-books on Amazon makes it even better. I decided my first book on the Kindle would be the first Jack Reacher novel, Killing Floor. I loved it. I read it in less than a week, sometimes reading for 2-3 hours in one sitting. I decided to read the book that the movie was based on, One Shot, and am almost done with it. The writing style is easy to understand, easy to follow, and very entertaining.

Basically, I'll say this. If you have trouble reading books like I did, do yourself a favor and try out an e-reader such as the Kindle. I was always interested in reading, but would read a few chapters then set the book down and never get back. I bring my Kindle with me everywhere I go on the off chance I'll have a moment to read. Also, check out the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child, you won't be able to put the book/reader down.
 
I've always been a reader, but I'm a big fan of the Kindle (and Lee Child) as well. It helps that both my parents were librarians, so I quickly figured out that most public libraries now have a pretty extensive selection of e-books. Convenient, free and they neatly avoid the irritation of overdue fees.

On a side note, if you like Lee Child you may also want to check out Barry Eisler.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
On a side note, if you like Lee Child you may also want to check out Barry Eisler.
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I will keep that in mind. I was actually hoping for other author suggestions for when I either finish his Jack Reacher series, or decide to move to something else. Thank you!
 
00ChevyScott said:
I will keep that in mind. I was actually hoping for other author suggestions for when I either finish his Jack Reacher series, or decide to move to something else. Thank you!
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Happy to help! I don't think he writes quite as well as Child, but his combat descriptions feel more realistic and he's very readable. My dad also really likes John Sanford in the same vein, but I haven't read him yet.
 
I had a Kindle keyboard and replaced it for a Kindle fire. It sits there off much of the time, but my collection of books continues to grow. :)
 
Dean Koontz's books are always a fun read. I really like the Repairman Jack series by F. Paul Wilson. The Tomb is the first of the series. Great stuff.
 
Vince Flynn's series with Mitch Rapp is outstanding. Even better imho than the Reacher stories.

I LOVE my Kindle (mine is the basic e-ink version). I've had it just over 3 years. I find having to actually hold a normal book irritating now lol.

I do like to have/retain good hardcover books of certain types (History, the Classics, etc) but for just entertainment reading the Kindle is awesome.
 
Well, I finished One Shot a few minutes ago. It's so weird reading a book that you've seen the movie version of. You're constantly thinking about the differences between the two. I loved the movie, and thought the book was great too, although there are some major differences. I already downloaded the 3rd Reacher book (Tripwire), as I read some reviews of the 2nd one not being up to par compared to the rest of the series, so I skipped it.
 
I liked "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Lutrel. The movie just came to blu-ray but the book is way better. ...and it's a true story.
 
I'm like you. I used to read a lot but haven't in recent years because of grad school. I meant I haven't had a lot of time for leisurely reading. I read a lot in grad school, but it's dense, technical writing. That said, I actually had the first kindle. The battery is now dead. I got back into reading a few weeks ago but use an android ebook reader app. I read a wide variety of stuff and have the following recommendations.

Anything from Haruki Murakami if you like what can best be described as weird stuff. 1q84 (underlined because that is the convention for how you write the title of a book) borrows elements from George Orwell's 1984; it's a tale of alternate universes. His latest book, Colorless Tsukuru and His Years of Pligrimage is a bildungsroman and not as complex a read as 1q84. I'm currently reading an earlier work of his, published in 1985 I believe. It's supposed to be one of his best books. It's another book about alternate universes. Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

That said, I wasn't always into weirder works. My favorite genre is still fantasy, the kind with swords and sorcery not broomsticks like Harry Potter or metrosexuals like Twilight. If you like fantasy, I recommend the works of R.A. Salvatore, especially his Dark Elf Trilogy and Icewind Dale Trilogy. Lots of people recommend George R. R. Martin, but I beg to differ. His stuff is no where near as compelling a read as Salvatore's. I also like Stephen King's magnum opus, The Dark Tower series. Dark Tower is an 8 book series that comprises some 4200ish pages. It is a different kind of fantasy in that the setting is a kind of western (think cowboys), but also has some sorcery involved. Definitely one of my favorites. Douglas Niles Watershed Trilogy is also pretty epic.

Goodreads.com is a site you may like to use. It keeps track of your books and is sort of a networking site. You can connect to people that are readers and see what they read.

I stay away from tactical/black ops/soldier/army/etc novels because I feel like they've been done to death.
 
Bumping this back up. I'm currently reading Echo Burning by Lee Child, but feel like I may need to give the Jack Reacher series a bit of a break, so I put a few more books on the Kindle to throw some variety into the mix. My choices are:

Tom Clancy - The Hunt For Red October
- I wanted to give the Jack Ryan series a read, and the movie was great.

Stephen Hunter - Point of Impact
- The first of the Bob Lee Swagger books, as recommended by some here. I also liked the movie Shooter.

Michael Crichton - Jurassic Park
- I wanted to throw a little sci-fi into the mix.


I'm still sticking with more mainstream/established authors since I still consider myself a novice reader. Once I build up a substantial reading base, I'll start branching out to lesser known authors.
 
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I love my kobo, Been smashing through books since I got it, and its always in the bag when I travel, even if I don't think I'll get a chance to read, sometimes there is time to kill, and it beats flicking on the hotel tv.

There are lots of old books available for free from the gutenburg project, and a few other places what have good epub and mobi copies of public domain works.

A couple of author recommendations. if you like any kind of science, then read Mary Roach. She is a hilarious writer who looks at subjects like space travel, sex, food, death, and the search for the supernatural.
I would also highly recommend Terry Pratchett's diskworld series, especially to those who like monty python style absurd humor, or anyone trying to pick books for younger-ish readers (but they are great at any age) And of course there is always Douglas Adams.
I like to break up my fiction with non-fiction, so I will bounce back and forth. The next one on the reading list is Stephen Pinker's The Better Angels of our Nature.
 
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