Thread: a challenge

Here you go...recommend books to me. No fantasy or romance please. I won't read them. Same with YA. Otherwise I read most genres. If it's science fiction or horror, I've probably read it, but give it a shot.
Tell me why you like it, what's good about it, and why I should spend money on it. Or steal it, or whatever.

Sibs, by F. Paul Wilson.

Starts with a blonde picking up two brothers in a bar shortly before she takes a header out a twelve story window. Hijinks ensue. A twist from hell, and the writer actually manages to use first, second and third all in the same book, and somehow it works. Not a literary masterpiece, but a fun read.

By the author of The Keep and a horde of YA novels. I'll keep an eye out-I haven't read that one. Thanks!

Blackout, by John J. Nance.

Quite simply one of the most page-turning books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Just don't take it with you on a plane.

The Book with No Name, by Anonymous.

Everyone who reads The Book with No Name dies when they finish it. This self-published Internet sensation is actually one hell of a read, though. Funny and interesting from the intro to the denouement.

The Day After Tomorrow, by Allan Folsom. No, not that shit thing about the weather. This was written well before it and has one of the most jaw-dropping final twists you will ever read. Literally, it will leave you with your mouth hanging open.

Shutter Island, by Denis Lehane. A tough book to get through, but the last five chapters are among the best I've ever read, with a twist that you will never see coming.

The Vanished Man, by Jeffery Deaver. Page-turning suspense at its best, from the king of the psychological thriller.

That enough for you, Mod?

I have the second one bookmarked-BBWNN
The others I'll look for. Isn't Dennis LeHane one of the co-authors of those ridiculous Left Behind books?

What genres do you actually like and haven't read all of?

Mysteries. Mainstream fiction. Litfic. Historical fiction. Anything except romance, fantasy, YA anything. I'm omnivorous.

Originally Posted by moderan

By the author of The Keep and a horde of YA novels. I'll keep an eye out-I haven't read that one. Thanks!

If you go for a Wilson book, I'd reccomend his space opera trilogy An Enemy Of The State, Healer and Wheels Within Wheels.

Read those, but thanks

By romance do you mean anything with a romantic plot? Or Romance, as in the genre where everything is the same as the next book?

Originally Posted by moderan

I have the second one bookmarked-BBWNN
The others I'll look for. Isn't Dennis LeHane one of the co-authors of those ridiculous Left Behind books?

I think that was Tim LaHaye.

I assuming you've read all three of these. No point in tryin' to sell it, if you've already read it.

The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, by Herman Wouk.

Walkers, by Graham Masterton.

Originally Posted by moderan

Here you go...recommend books to me. No fantasy or romance please. I won't read them. Same with YA. Otherwise I read most genres. If it's science fiction or horror, I've probably read it, but give it a shot.
Tell me why you like it, what's good about it, and why I should spend money on it. Or steal it, or whatever.

Hi Mod. The sort of challenge I can't refuse.

In mainstream, the most engaging thing I've read in a decade or two is DFWallace's Infinite Jest. It's pretty fat, so you might get caught if you try to steal it. I cadged it pristine off some unsuspecting yuppies, who buy all the best sellers but didn't need it for their display anymore. If I suspected you of being a literal minded reader I would not suggest this. It takes someone willing to be a bit at sea all the time, but the writing style distills modern into freshness and exciting. Maybe not distills. Probably Wallace never really distills anything.

In sort of the same vein, I recently checked out Barth's first novel from the library. This is a good library book, old enough that they always have it and easy enough to finish in the allotted time. And it's fun to read a hardcover sometimes. It's called The Floating Opera. Remarkable first effort, doubt anyone would publish it today. Suicide angst with the clever metafiction which Barth does so perfectly.

I'll try you on a SF just for fun. The Dazzle of Day, by Molly Gloss. Molly is a country western pony girl writer who I subsequently saw speaking at the library. She wouldn't talk about Dazzle, seemed to consider it some sort of abberation. Very nice structurally, with 3person ancient and future bookends around multiple 1person present accounts. About pastoral concensus anarchy on a life raft spaceship which is approaching possible planetfall and decides to go for it. She sort of reminded me of the way Gary Will must have felt, right after writing Nixon Agonistes, but on her the conversion didn't take.

That's three. I got a million though. pp

Originally Posted by NathanBrazil

I assuming you've read all three of these. No point in tryin' to sell it, if you've already read it.

The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, by Herman Wouk.

Walkers, by Graham Masterton.

Yes.

Originally Posted by Sam W

I think that was Tim LaHaye.

Yeah. My bad.

Originally Posted by BitofanInkling

By romance do you mean anything with a romantic plot? Or Romance, as in the genre where everything is the same as the next book?

Genre. I've even read a few, but they don't make it for me. I can deal with a gothic ( a real one, like, say Tom Tryon's Crowned Heads) but bodice-rippers are not for me.

Originally Posted by ppsage

Hi Mod. The sort of challenge I can't refuse.

In mainstream, the most engaging thing I've read in a decade or two is DFWallace's Infinite Jest. It's pretty fat, so you might get caught if you try to steal it. I cadged it pristine off some unsuspecting yuppies, who buy all the best sellers but didn't need it for their display anymore. If I suspected you of being a literal minded reader I would not suggest this. It takes someone willing to be a bit at sea all the time, but the writing style distills modern into freshness and exciting. Maybe not distills. Probably Wallace never really distills anything.

In sort of the same vein, I recently checked out Barth's first novel from the library. This is a good library book, old enough that they always have it and easy enough to finish in the allotted time. And it's fun to read a hardcover sometimes. It's called The Floating Opera. Remarkable first effort, doubt anyone would publish it today. Suicide angst with the clever metafiction which Barth does so perfectly.

I'll try you on a SF just for fun. The Dazzle of Day, by Molly Gloss. Molly is a country western pony girl writer who I subsequently saw speaking at the library. She wouldn't talk about Dazzle, seemed to consider it some sort of abberation. Very nice structurally, with 3person ancient and future bookends around multiple 1person present accounts. About pastoral concensus anarchy on a life raft spaceship which is approaching possible planetfall and decides to go for it. She sort of reminded me of the way Gary Will must have felt, right after writing Nixon Agonistes, but on her the conversion didn't take.

That's three. I got a million though. pp

I'll keep on the lookout. If my internet connection gets blown up again I'll have more time for reading.

Moderan- I'm curious. Did you enjoy Walkers?