Book Recommendations

[nwhoopfan]

Red Rising (Pierce Brown)

I must've missed this post before. I love this series. Started as a trilogy but now he's expanded it. Book 5 due later this year.

 

[nwhoopfan]

More sci fi stuff--

I've gotten hooked on a short 4 book series of novellas, quick reads, called the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I cruised thru #1 and #2, just got #3 and #4 from the library and should finish soon.

This one will take A LOT longer. I enjoy the tv series The Expanse. It's based on a series of novels. I think there are 8 of them, and they're each in the 500 to 600 page range. I've read the first 2 but taking a break for a bit.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just finished book 5 (Dark Age) of the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Holy cow, that was EPIC! 752 pages, biggest book I've ever read. In his typical fashion it was breakneck, non stop pacing. The series has always contained some violence and brutality, but he cranks up the dial in that department in this one. This is not for sensitive or easily offended readers. But the guy can tell a story. Although I haven't read any GRRM, I think it's kind of like Game of Thrones...in space, and on Mars and Mercury and throughout the solar system.

 

[Walker11]

Going through Cryptonomicon currently and really liking it, so thanks @nelsonmuntz. I enjoyed Tana French's crime series beginning with In The Woods for a breezy read.

 

[billythekid]

Just finished book 5 (Dark Age) of the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Holy cow, that was EPIC!

You are a faster reader than I am. I am around half-way through with Book 5 and have really been enjoying it. I liked, but didn't love, Book 4. I find Book 5 to be a welcome return to the Reaper in all his baddassery.

 

[CL82]

Just finished the Old Man's War series. Good summer reads.

Just read the lastest installment in the Reacher series. Very good read. It is the definition of page turner. I think I went through it three days. Really looking forward to the next one which is coming out in October.

 

[nwhoopfan]

You are a faster reader than I am. I am around half-way through with Book 5 and have really been enjoying it. I liked, but didn't love, Book 4. I find Book 5 to be a welcome return to the Reaper in all his baddassery.

The multiple point of view characters in Book 4 was kind of clunky. Switched w/ every chapter, was a bit disjointed, and some of the character arcs just weren't as interesting as others. In Book 5 he follows an individual character for several chapters, until he reaches a more natural stopping point before switching. Also I found all of the character's stories more interesting this time around.

About a third of the way thru I was kinda wrecked, had to take a break for about a day. But then I couldn't put it down and plowed thru the rest of the way. Stayed up too late several nights working on it.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Just finished the Old Man's War series. Good summer reads.

John Scalzi is another author who is a heck of a storyteller. I've enjoyed some of his stand alone novels in addition to that series.

 

[8893]

I really only read for pleasure on vacation. Knocked off two during our vacation a few weeks ago: Where the Crawdads Sing and Jeff Tweedy's memoir, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back).

The former was a good summer fiction read. Different than I was expecting, more of a "chick book" imo (and every woman I know who has read it loved it), but definitely interesting enough to recommend, with the added bonus of a decent murder mystery and courtroom drama.

The latter was much better, funnier and more interesting than I expected. Very interesting guy with several good insights and laugh-out-loud observations. If you are a Wilco fan it's a must. If not, still a very interesting read.

 

[Deepster]

I only read non-fiction. Two recommendations there would be:

Live from New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told By It's Stars, Writers and Guests

Interview style storytelling through all the years of SNL, up through I think about 2014-2015. Great if you're mid-40's to mid-50's and grew up with SNL.

A History of the World in Six Glasses

A great look at the impact of the world's economy through 6 beverages -- beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. For instance, Coca-Cola was the first beverage you could produce the syrup, then anyone with a seltzer gun or bottling plant could produce it. And they feel it was important to our success in the WWs because the soldiers could hold the iconic bottle, sip a familiar taste and feel like they were home for a brief moment.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

I only read non-fiction. Two recommendations there would be:
Live from New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told By It's Stars, Writers and Guests

Interview style storytelling through all the years of SNL, up through I think about 2014-2015. Great if you're mid-40's to mid-50's and grew up with SNL.
A History of the World in Six Glasses

A great look at the impact of the world's economy through 6 beverages -- beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. For instance, Coca-Cola was the first beverage you could produce the syrup, then anyone with a seltzer gun or bottling plant could produce it. And they feel it was important to our success in the WWs because the soldiers could hold the iconic bottle, sip a familiar taste and feel like they were home for a brief moment.

I saw the Six Glasses book at B&N the other day and was really interested by it. Added it to my list.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I just picked up Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and goshdarn if this isn't a page turner.

I'm plowing thru his newest offering, "Recursion." This one is quite a mind screw. Toys with the notions of time, memories and reality.

 

[jdb50]

"Embers of War" by Fredrik Logevall. How we wound up following the French into Vietnam. They refused to give up the concept of Colonialism and then we bankrolled their war and their mistakes. Dulles was heavily involved in this march to fiasco. Quite a book.

 

[Walker11]

I'm plowing thru his newest offering, "Recursion." This one is quite a mind screw. Toys with the notions of time, memories and reality.

65 % through and started Thursday. Love it. Good rec.

 

[mike012]

Imaginary Friend on Audible. Just came out in October, I am 12 hours in and there hasn't been a boring part in the book yet. It is a horror story, along the lines of IT I would say. But on a town wide scale.

 

[CL82]

Ever read any of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child? Ex-military police, now free lance tough guy that gives the bad guys the comeuppance they so badly need. The author is prolific, as far as I know they are all pretty much stand alone, so you could just randomly pick up any of them. What I call brain candy or an airport book.

Love them. I look forward to it when a new comes out. They definitely are compelling and entertaining.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Boom Town by Sam Anderson - History of OKC told thru lense of the Thunder, just finished this morning, excellent history, current events and sports!

Red Notice by Bill Browder is good non-fiction in a different vein. Super important I think given the current world.

 

[Steelerone]

What have all you read recently that you recommend? My current mood is easy crime reads and I have between reading Lehane, Pelacanos and Leonard but a good book is a good book.

Try John Sanford, either is Prey series or his Virgil Flowers novels. Most take place in, of all places, Minnesota, but you are dragged in by page two or three. Also, he combines humor with great police work.

 

[8893]

I took a trip to San Francisco last week and grabbed Here and Now and Then, a book I bought on a whim a few months ago, to bring just in case the spirit moved me on the flights to and from. I was planning to do some work on the plane but the wifi was down for the flight there, so I ended up reading half on the the way there and the other half on the way home. It's part sci-fi fiction/mystery novel that involves an interesting twist on time travel and reminded me a bit of what I recall of A Wrinkle in Time, which I loved as a kid. But the more interesting aspect to me, and the part that kept me hooked, was the father-daughter relationship at the center of the story. It is the first novel from the author, Mike Chen, and although there are a few times when I could detect that, for the most part it is well done and an interesting, easy read. Unexpected bonus for me was that it takes place in San Francisco, which I had totally forgotten when I grabbed it from by bookshelf for this trip.

Definitely recommend for any fathers of daughters.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Try John Sanford, either is Prey series or his Virgil Flowers novels. Most take place in, of all places, Minnesota, but you are dragged in by page two or three. Also, he combines humor with great police work.

Prey series is platinum. I was going to say Gold but Golden Prey is a book in series.

Sanford is right up there with Lee Child’s Reacher series and anything by David Baldacci

 

[CL82]

I just read the new Reacher book In Too Deep. It's solid, but something is lacking a little bit.

It is a promising premise. Reacher wakes up, handcuffed to a steel table, concussed, and with a broken arm. He has no idea how he got there, he only knows he's going to make them regret what they've done to him. That sits the table for an interesting novel which focuses on Reacher's brain, rather than his brawn. Without giving too much away, the co-authors give up on that intriguing premise far too quickly.

In the inevitable physical confrontations, even a concussed, one armed Jack Reacher is more than a match for every other character. That ends up taking the drama and interest out of the physical confrontations in the long run.

Overall, this was still an interesting read, but I feel as if the Reacher series is becoming more one-dimensional with Reacher, essentially becoming a superhero.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the Bosch TV show is very underrated. Fantasy recommendations are welcome as well. I am listening to The Name of The Wind right now. I burnt myself out plugging through non fiction and now am trying to binge through page-turners.

I'll recommend what I always do in that Genre, the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Starts slow in book one but gets much better. There are several other good ones of course, Misborn by Sanderson, the Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka. If you want lighter fantasy, with a dose of raunchy, The Hollows by Kim Harrison. Characters are well done. Another one like that is the Kate Daniels series by Iolna Andrews. Both have rather unusual urban fantasy interpretations.

 

[CL82]

I'll recommend what I always do in that Genre, the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher

The question is when will we get the next book? Will he actually marry Lara? Apparently the plan is some more case file stories and then he will finish the series with a big trilogy.

Thanks for getting me started on these. I've enjoyed them.