Recommend a book!

Travis McGee series by John D MacDonald was really great. Atlas Shrugged, Stranger in a Stange Land is my favorite all time ficture. I loved all of Egar Rice Burrough's books (Tarzan, John Carter of Mars series). Then there was Richard Prather's Shell Scott detective series. Clancy's books are very good and are Vince Flynn (The Last Man) and Brad Thor (Black List). Robert Parkers Spencer series was good and another guy has taken over and written a coupld of new Spencer books that were pretty good. Patricia Cornell, James Paterson are good. I also like almost anything by Clive Cussler. I have read every John Sanford book. J. D. Robb futuristic cop (Delusion in Death the lastest). Stuart Woods Stone Barrington books make a nice entertaining read. Dean Koontz is good, I liked the Odd Thomas series very much. I used to like Steven King but could not get into his last few books for some reason. Harlan Coben is pretty good most of the time. I think I have read every Lee Child Reacher book, but I did not go to the movie "Reach" because Tom Cruise would ruin my idea of the character.
Randy Wayne Whites Doc Ford series is the closest thing to Travis McGee. They are in Florida, Doc lived in a marina and his best friend lived on a boat. Doc Ford is a marine biologist who happens to also take assignments from the CIA. It's not as good as Travis McGree which for me was not only entertaining but also a philosphy.
On second thought I am not sure if I liked Stranger in a Strange Land or Steven King's The Stand best. Both are classic's
Currently reading Amity and Sorrow. It's a fascinating perspective on polygamy.
Gone with the wind
The thorn birds
Authors Spider Robinson and Robert heinlein
Poetry by Sylvia Plath

Shakespeare Sherlock Holmes Sylvia plath
jbravo_123's Avatar
Finished a reread of Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. It wasn't as good as Ender's Game but there were still some very powerful moments in the book.

Continuing on the series, I started my reread of Xenocide last night!
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Lords of Chaos by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind Originally Posted by zerodahero
thanks for this one..... just started it
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It's not as good as Travis McGree which for me was not only entertaining but also a philosphy. Originally Posted by Jdriller
Ah, the Busted Flush.

I assume you've read Cape Fear and Condominium, also by MacDonald.

I suppose Jack Reacher would be a loose approximation of TM, sans boat, Meyer and the young bunnies.
Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho.

Passion by Jude Morgan.

The Carnivorous Lamb by Agustin Gomez-Arcos

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
jbravo, I liked those books especially Ender's Game. I am looking forward to the movie version of it this fall. I am thinking you probably like the same types of books I do so I would highly recommend Armor by John Steakley. It's a pretty thick book separated into two sections but man is it a fun read.
And The Wheel of Time is probably the best sci-fi fantasy series ever in my opinion. If you like Star Wars I recommend The X-Wing Rogue Squadron series by Michael A. Stackpole or any of the series by Timothy Zahn (Heir to the Empire)
Factotum - Buwkowski
Most of my favorites are fantasy-fiction, my all time favorite is the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, I read these repeatedly, probably read the entire series over 50 times. I also have the audio versions on my mp3 player, I like to listen before bedtime or while falling asleep. Its way different from his other novels and really shows his range as an author, sad to see it over. I have also read the wheel of time series by Robert Jordan and agree with a lot of the comments post here already about it, lots of loose ends and long winded sections to stay focused on, especially near the end after Jordan passed away. If your into that type of writing, I can recommend the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind, its amazing, and 12 installments and still going http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sword_of_Truth
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  • oden
  • 05-08-2013, 10:47 AM
On second thought I am not sure if I liked Stranger in a Strange Land or Steven King's The Stand best. Both are classic's Originally Posted by Jdriller
I thought The Stand was like fumbling on the goal line. So great but for the finish.
Started reading this thread today...thanks PoT! I got through the first page an realize it'll take me a whole to cat h up so I thought I'd jump right in!

Some of you know that I am ADD which makes it very difficult for me to stay with a book for very long. Some of my recommendations will be books I read as a child, but most of the others are ones I began reading but never finished. It takes quite a bit of interest on my part to finish (lol)...and a lot of stimulation from the author to follow through

"The sleeping beauty trilogy". By Anne Roquelaure (AKA Anne Rice): started reading this at Barnes & Noble one day and started drooling and getting wet...couldn't afford to buy it at the time, and by the next time I went it was gone. Haven't been able to find it on shelves since.

Any travel books by Kira Salak. Started reading at a book store...same story as before, she's hard to find in shelves. I love how honest she is about the person she is, due to her past, struggles with intimacy and relationships, etc. You wouldn't expect this kind of candidness in a travel book but it's captivating how much of herself she reveals. You realize on her travels that she may have a secret death wish, and her travels and risky behavior are her way of dealing with her past. Sometimes I see myself in her character.

"The Jungle " by Upton Sinclair: started reading in high school for an advanced English class...deals with the oppressed and exploited immigrant situation in Chicago during the industrial period. The culture shock that one family experienced and the clash in their community was utterly fascinating.

"A Farewell to Arms," by Hemmingway. Romantic and full of symbolism...societal, political, and insanely human. Again, I love the struggle between cultures.

Burned Alive: A Survivor of an "Honor Killing" Speaks Out, by Souad- amazing account of the life of a woman who survives and escaped her family who tried to kill her. Wow...just wow.

"The Dark is Rising Series," by Susan Cooper. Read this when I was 10 or 11. It was a fantastical battle between the dark and the light with Will Stanton, a boy as the Chosen One. Very Harry Potter meets Frodo Baggins. Made me feel that one day I too would be special...that I was different because I had a purpose in life that had not yet been revealed to me. It was very consoling for me as a misfit girl...not to mention that reading was a great escape.

"Great Expectations," far better than Ethan Hawke and Gweneth Paltrow could ever truly portray.

"The Last Picture Show," by Larry McMurtry. The main character grows into a man. Very much a coming of age with a Mrs. Robinson to guide the way. Also it deals with the pressure on young beautiful women to please everyone in life...at the highest price of course.

"Lonesome Dove," McMurtry again...classic western. So long it felt like Gone With the Wind in that it spanned decades.

Self Help:

"The Surrendered Wife," by Laura Doyle. The title seems submissive and demure, but it is the opposite. It is about expressing wants and needs and trusting the man in your life to provide them. It also speaks to truly making a man FEEL LIKE A MAN. Maybe I should re-read this...my inner control freak does not like being in the passenger seat, and it's always my downfall in relationships.

"Sink Reflections," by Marla Cilley: a great way to recapture your home and disorganization one task at a time. I feel it is more suited for stay at home types, but when taken at a slower pace, her thoughts can be truly helpful.

Will think of more when I get some time and my texting fingers are recovered!

Properly inspired to read a good book now!