# Need something to read



## apicius9 (Sep 16, 2011)

I am running out of stuff to read, does anybody have some good tips? I like reading mysteries, thrillers etc. For relaxing and winding down, but it looks like I read all the good ones already... Open for other things, too, as long as the word 'romantic' doesn't appear anywhere...

Stefan


----------



## oivind_dahle (Sep 16, 2011)

http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/...e-snowman-makes-the-best-seller-list/171879/1


----------



## sachem allison (Sep 16, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> I am running out of stuff to read, does anybody have some good tips? I like reading mysteries, thrillers etc. For relaxing and winding down, but it looks like I read all the good ones already... Open for other things, too, as long as the word 'romantic' doesn't appear anywhere...
> 
> Stefan


 Frank Herberts Dune series way better than the movie and I loved the movie.


----------



## tgraypots (Sep 16, 2011)

Have you read the Steig Larrsen trilogy?


----------



## oivind_dahle (Sep 16, 2011)

tgraypots said:


> Have you read the Steig Larrsen trilogy?




Yes. 

Great books


----------



## Lefty (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm a bit off, in that I love comedic novels full of sarcasm and impossible situations, made possible by fiction. If you have any interest in books like i'm describing, you can't go wrong with Cristopher Moore, Jasper Fforde, Craig Ferguson and Tom Holt.


----------



## cnochef (Sep 16, 2011)

How about a James Ellroy novel? I love his hard-boiled detective stories. He wrote LA Confidential amongst others.


----------



## cnochef (Sep 16, 2011)

Lefty said:


> I'm a bit off, in that I love comedic novels full of sarcasm and impossible situations, made possible by fiction. If you have any interest in books like i'm describing, you can't go wrong with Cristopher Moore, Jasper Fforde, Craig Ferguson and Tom Holt.


 
What about Tom Robbins?


----------



## cnochef (Sep 16, 2011)

Or if you're obsessed with the South as I am, anything written by James Lee Burke is fantastic.


----------



## ajhuff (Sep 16, 2011)

Anything by Harlan Coben, and he has a lot 

-AJ


----------



## Lefty (Sep 16, 2011)

Tom Robbins...I'll look into his stuff! Thanks!


----------



## shankster (Sep 16, 2011)

How about some food/kitchen/restaurant related reading?
Blood,bones and butter-Gabriella Hamilton
The devil in The Kitchen-Marco Pierre White
Heat- Bill Bruford
Kitchen Confidential-Anthony Bourdain

+ if you want a quick,funny read [email protected] My Dad says Justin Halpern


----------



## zitangy (Sep 16, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> I am running out of stuff to read, does anybody have some good tips? I like reading mysteries, thrillers etc. For relaxing and winding down, but it looks like I read all the good ones already... Open for other things, too, as long as the word 'romantic' doesn't appear anywhere...
> 
> Stefan


 
hi, there are quite a few options
a) Apple eco system via itunes or ipad.. download the free e-books available
b) Via thepiratebay.org you can download ebooks of any topics you like! I once dloaded a file that had 4000 novels arranged by authors. as i rarely read novels..deleted it. tehy are all in .pdf format (adobe)

c) audio books via itunes.. this is interesting.. just play it and listen

d) Itunes - university.. so many lectures.. my interests is psychology and its subset/ off shoot fields as I am a little psycho..

as i ma partially blind in one eye recently.. i pad is nto a good form factor to me. really need a 30 inch monitors. currently using 2 x 24 inch monitors as characters has to be LARGE...

SO depends on your interests really.. it is all there for you and does not cost too much and can be free if you look for it..

have fun.. oh I dloaded wayne goddards e book about a 50 cent worskshop for knife makers..! that shld get your attention

rgds

dl


----------



## ajhuff (Sep 16, 2011)

shankster said:


> How about some food/kitchen/restaurant related reading?
> Blood,bones and butter-Gabriella Hamilton
> The devil in The Kitchen-Marco Pierre White
> Heat- Bill Bruford
> ...



I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's fiction. Mindless easy reads that will have you smile and nod your head at times.

-AJ


----------



## kalaeb (Sep 16, 2011)

Your a psychologist, go back and make more sense of Jung.:dazed:

Collective unconscious/archaic remnants....great stuff...

But Margret Weiss also has some great stuff, Dragon Lance trilogy...and you can't go wrong with Terry Brooks and the original Shanarra trilogy. 

Hmm, Deception Point and Digital Fortress from Dan Brown are good...I just re-read the Hot Zone by Richard Preston and it gives me the chills every time.


----------



## JohnnyChance (Sep 16, 2011)

Ever try the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child?


----------



## geezr (Sep 16, 2011)

shankster said:


> How about some food/kitchen/restaurant related reading?
> Blood,bones and butter-Gabriella Hamilton
> The devil in The Kitchen-Marco Pierre White
> Heat- Bill Bruford
> ...



"The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller - liked the 1st book :knight:


----------



## bikehunter (Sep 16, 2011)

Plus 1 on James Lee Burke, even if you're not obsessed with the South (Ideally, these should be read in order of publication). Plus 1 on Christopher Moore ...quirky and funny...start with ....Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (That is, if you aren't offended by more than a little humor in the story of Christ, where he was all those years he disappeared from the scene. It helps if you're somewhat familiar with the Bible). 

Also by Moore....the quirkiest of Vampire tales, about a couple of vampires in S.F. who are new to the vampire game....and have _no clue_ what they are about. .Also better read in order.....Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story, You Suck: A Love Story , Bite Me: A Love Story. Also by Moore, 

More Moore.....The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror. If you like Moore as much as I, you'll likely track them all down. ;-)

If you like Sci/Fi, space ship and such, try the Honor Harrington series by David Weber....keep you busy for a long time. Also Sci/Fi the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold.

I go crazy if I can't find a new author, who preferably has written a dozen or so, especially in a series.


----------



## James (Sep 16, 2011)

kalaeb said:


> But Margret Weiss also has some great stuff, Dragon Lance trilogy...and you can't go wrong with Terry Brooks and the original Shanarra trilogy.



+1; lord of the rings is also great if you haven't seen the movies


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Sep 16, 2011)

Robert B. Parker's Spenser series

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series

John Sandford's Lucas Davenport series (The Prey Series) and the Kidd series

+1 for Lee Child's Jack Reacher series

Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm series (out of print)


----------



## ajhuff (Sep 16, 2011)

Don't forget Stephen Hunter. I don't care for the whole series but I can read Point of Impact over and over and over.

-AJ


----------



## WildBoar (Sep 16, 2011)

Henry Petroski is a good writer, and his books typically contain interesting thoughts/ insights. Yeah, he's an engineer, but the books are easy to digest:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?field-keywords=henry+petroski&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=henry+petros


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 16, 2011)

Great, thanks, there are some names I don't know, yet. I love the ones that come in series where ideally characters develop over time. I have pretty much read everything by Sandford, Pearson, Connelly, Deaver, Burke, Parker, Patterson, Coben, Lehane, Child, Kellerman, Hillerman, Stabenow, plus some of the older 70s classics. Also read Dexter, Rankin, Francis and a few more fron Britain as well as the ones by Larsson, Mankell, Sjowall & Wahloo from Skandinavia. Actually, I re-read many of them, and in my desperation I even read stuff by Woods, Baldacci or Tannenbaum... Looks like I can read much faster than these guys can write  I love Startrek but have never been a huge sci-fi person, but I only read some Aasimov and Clarke 30something years ago, maybe I should give that a try again. Which reminds me of another one, something like hitchhiking through the galaxy, have to look that up, never read it. Read Lord of the rings as a teenager in German, might be worth reading it again in English, even if I saw the movies.

I'll follow up on some of the names mentioned, but if you can think of anything else, please let us know.

Stefan


----------



## jheis (Sep 16, 2011)

cnochef said:


> What about Tom Robbins?


 
Tom Robbins is more than "a bit off." :whistling:

Just re-read "Even Cowgirls get the Blues" and then 'Skinny Legs and All" which I missed first time around. Love his stuff - inspired lunacy. 

James


----------



## kalaeb (Sep 16, 2011)

Hmm, for the truly sick (which we all are) how about Hunter S. Thompsen?


----------



## geezr (Sep 16, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> Read Lord of the rings as a teenager in German, might be worth reading it again in English, even if I saw the movies.
> 
> I'll follow up on some of the names mentioned, but if you can think of anything else, please let us know. Stefan


 
A long, long time ago - in a place not too far away a guy suggested I read the Lord of the Rings. He read it in German and said it should be ok even in English :biggrin:
My kids and I read the books and have the dvds, in English :happyyes:


----------



## El Pescador (Sep 16, 2011)

Lee child...

Or naval history series...Alexander Pope, Dudley Kent write some great stuff and both are series.

WEB Griffiths write great stuff also in series.


----------



## swarfrat (Sep 16, 2011)

apicius9 said:


> .... Which reminds me of another one, something like hitchhiking through the galaxy, have to look that up, never read it....



_The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ series by Douglas Adams.

It's an absolutely _*must*_ read!

It's a four part trilogy:
_The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, the Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish


Well, apparently there's a "fifth book in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhikers Trilogy" (I haven't read this one):
_Mostly Harmless_
But it doesn't seem to be as universally loved as the first four.


----------



## Pensacola Tiger (Sep 16, 2011)

Stefan, have you read Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series?


----------



## SpikeC (Sep 16, 2011)

Ray Bradbury.


----------



## JohnnyChance (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm surprised the audio book addict Del hasn't dropped by this thread yet.


----------



## dbesed (Sep 17, 2011)

If you like long series where characters develop over time, try A song of fire and ice by George R. R. Martin.


----------



## ecchef (Sep 17, 2011)

Orwell, just for the laughs. Kevin Coogan's _Dreamer of the Day_...'cause you can't make-up sh*t like this.


----------



## Eamon Burke (Sep 17, 2011)

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig
American Gods, Gaiman
Dune, Herbert
The Idiot, Dostoyevsky(slow reading)
Mere Christianity, Lewis
The Watchmen, Moore(not a book)
Through Painted Deserts, Miller
The Gunslinger, King

Those are my best reads of late. I've also run the literary well dry. I wish I could find a good book.


----------



## thistle (Sep 17, 2011)

I mostly read mystery/thrillers, same as your list. Once, many years ago, I was visiting a friend & the only novels they had were sci-fi, I picked up William Gibson's 'Neuromancer', & I've been a fan ever since. I just finished 'Zero History', pretty good, but it helps to have read 'Pattern Recognition' & 'Spook Country' first...


----------



## cnochef (Sep 17, 2011)

ajhuff said:


> Don't forget Stephen Hunter. I don't care for the whole series but I can read Point of Impact over and over and over.
> 
> -AJ


 
I loved Pale Horse Coming!


----------



## bikehunter (Sep 17, 2011)

Don't forget Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey.


----------



## Vertigo (Sep 17, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig


Nice. I'll have to dust that off and read it again, been years.


----------



## MadMel (Sep 18, 2011)

I'd go for Peter F. Hamilton for Sci-fi and L.E. Modesitt Jr for fantasy. Terry Brooks would be good if you like Tolkien.


----------



## ecchef (Sep 18, 2011)

How 'bout Alan Watts? I prefer his lectures to his books though.


----------



## marcr (Sep 18, 2011)

I'm reading this now and enjoying it,
Blithe Tomato by Mike Madison, An insider's wry look at Farmer's Market society.


----------



## Andrew H (Sep 18, 2011)

You said you are open to other things...
Extremely interesting and well written:
Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow
Titan: The life of John D Rockefeller Sr, Ron Chernow.

Laugh out loud funny:
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Toole. If you haven't read this book yet it really is a must. I read it on a plane and got lots of weird looks when I burst out laughing.


----------



## Daniel Fairly (Sep 18, 2011)

cnochef said:


> What about Tom Robbins?


 
+1 to that!


----------



## mc2442 (Sep 19, 2011)

If you want to go the fantasy route, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will keep you occupied for a good while. Someone mentioned Web Griffon, and his are entertaining though each of the series repeats a lot of things in every book. Was rereading his Brotherhood of War series recently and was reminded of it. Picked up American Assassin by Vince Flynn in the airport, about half way through and is entertaining.


----------



## apicius9 (Sep 19, 2011)

Just following up here: I started reading 'Nemesis' by this author, very nicely written so far. Unfortunately, several of the earlier ones are not yet available in English, but I will look for them in German also. Talking about Scandinavian authors: I also enjoyed The Keeper of Lost Causes, by Jussi Adler-Olsen. A bit transparent in the way that the solution was pretty obvious half way into the book, but I did like the writing.

Stefan

P.S. Ooops, this was meant to quote Oivind's link, the 'Nemesis' author is Jo Nesbo.


----------



## sachem allison (Sep 19, 2011)

mc2442 said:


> If you want to go the fantasy route, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will keep you occupied for a good while. Someone mentioned Web Griffon, and his are entertaining though each of the series repeats a lot of things in every book. Was rereading his Brotherhood of War series recently and was reminded of it. Picked up American Assassin by Vince Flynn in the airport, about half way through and is entertaining.


 
+1 wheel of time, i haven't been able to find the final book. towers of midnight.


----------



## ajhuff (Sep 19, 2011)

I'm enjoying Three Seconds by Rolslund and Hellstrom. It's slow but good. They are apparently a top writing team of crime fiction out of Sweden.

-AJ


----------

