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The last book I read that I really remember being glued to was "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

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The last book I read that I really remember being glued to was "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.

Meh, I'll skip the obvious Nikki joke.

 

I might have to put this on my list.

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Just as a little background... I've read about everything decent out there for scifi/fantasy... all the Xanth, Robert Jordan's Wheel, The Dunes and sequels by his son, Ender series, Bolo Series, Raymond E. Feist's stuff, Simon R. Green's stuff, all the Star Wars series, the Forgotten Ream's stuff, the Drangonlance Stuff, Salvatore's stuff, David Drake's stuff, Kevin Anderson, Poul Anderson, Mercedes Lackey, SM Stirling, Jim Butcher's stuff, Bujold's stuff, Glen Cooks Garret stuff and the Black Company stuff, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, George R.R. Martin's series... well the list goes on... I've read a lot of stuff over the years.

 

That being said.. here's my recommendations for newer great books.

 

Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard Series is probably some of the best new fantasy I've read in years. Starts with the

 

The Lies of Locke Lamora and then

Red Sea's Under Red Skies

 

Patrick Rothfuss's - The Name of the Wind - WOW... that book... very very good. One of my new fav authors and it was his first book.

 

John Scalzi's - Old Man's War - (Excellent Military Scifi and you'll probably like it if you liked Ender)

 

John Ringo - GREAT author that does quite a bit of military scifi lots and lots of good books.. a heavy favorite.

 

His March Upcountry series... fantastic

his Legacy of the Alldenata series starting with A Hymn Before Battle is almost unbeatable as far as military scifi goes

I'd say watch out for his Ghost series though... a little out there and not for everyone.

 

Jack Campbell's newer series about a space commander that gets found floating in space after a battle 100 years in the past. I think the first one is Dauntless.... excellent military Scifi.

 

Christopher Paolini's - Eragon series... horrible movie... pretty good book series.

 

Song of Fire and Ice series... good stuff and the 5th book finally came out after like 10 years.

 

Brian Sanderson's "Mistworld" series is good.

 

There's a ton more... but those are good for now.

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Different strokes for different folks I guess. I remember reading a story called Maggie Money Eyes and another one called Shattered Like a Glass Goblin that I liked a lot in that book. Maybe check them out, if you haven't given up on Ellison altogether. I think he's a great writer but maybe not for everyone. Sci-fi also normally isn't my thing.

I'll finish it, since I got it from a friend. It's not like it's a long book. And like I said, the first couple were good, as was "I have no mouth..."

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More sci/fi fantasy:

 

Tad William's Otherland trilogy, Memory, Thorn and Sorrow series, and Shadowmarch trilogy

 

Stephen Donaldson"s The Chronicles Thomas Covenant series (actually three trilogies)

 

CS Freidman's Coldfire trilogy

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Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Boy gets wrapped in literary mystery in Franco's Spain

 

The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

Look at Afghanistan through an Afghani's eyes

 

John Irving writes great books

Stephen King: I like Insomnia, The Talisman and all of his short story colletions Four Past Midnight, Skeleton Crew etc

 

Raymond Feist wrote an awesome Magician series

 

Another vote for Pillars of the Earth

and Aztec, by Gary Jennings

 

Tom Clancy is great, Red October and Cardinal of the Kremlin, Sum of All Fears and Patriot Games. Without Remorse is a little more wild than those.

 

One Flew Over the Cuckoos is fun.

 

My brother in law loves Chuck Palahniuk, and he's not alone in that.

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Thrilled that my oldest loves to read. He read the entire Harry Potter series by the time he was 9 or 10 or so.

 

Can't wait for him to be old enough to read The Stand (he is 13 today is his birthday actually). He read Kings Eye of the Dragon and loved it. He reads sci fy which is not my cup of tea. I remember he finished a series and almost cried when he realized te series was over and he would not revisit this set of characters. Thought that was special.

 

Most of what read is mainstream but I really like series -

 

Read all

 

Jason Bourne series ( only by Ludlam will catch up on Lustbaure stuff)

 

Alex Cross - Patterson

 

David Baldacci's Camel club - other Baldacci series I need to catch up on

 

Tom Clancy Jack Ryan series - in the middle of reading it in chronological order not published order - halfway through

 

Tom Clancy Op Center complete - hoping for a new installment

 

W.E.B. Griffin Presidential Agent series - also hope for more

 

Sue Graffton - letter is for blank (A is for Alibi etc)

 

There may be more series.....

 

 

Then everything by

Chriton

Robin Cook (medical thrillers)

King

Dean Koonz

 

Was on a biography kick as was the publishing world - Ozzy Clapton Slash Tom Coughlin Keith Richards Sammy Hagar Belinda Carlise (actually a good read) Nikki Sixx Craig Fuergenson Jay Mohr - these were all recent

 

Geek club or Book Club : cheers:

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Stephen Donaldson"s The Chronicles Thomas Covenant series (actually three trilogies)

 

When I was young, my father bought me Lord Foul's Bane (first book). I think it was an impulse purchase; he saw it at the grocery store and knew I liked to read. I maybe had read LOTR, I don't recall, but I certainly wouldn't say I was an avid fantasy reader. This book and the entire trilogies set me down the path of reading the genre.

 

I've always wondered if I liked it because I inherently liked the genre, or if the fact that my Dad bought it for me influenced me to like it. Guess I'll never know. It is however considered an excellent fantasy series by objective standards. :thumbsup:

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When I was young, my father bought me Lord Foul's Bane (first book). I think it was an impulse purchase; he saw it at the grocery store and knew I liked to read. I maybe had read LOTR, I don't recall, but I certainly wouldn't say I was an avid fantasy reader. This book and the entire trilogies set me down the path of reading the genre.

 

I've always wondered if I liked it because I inherently liked the genre, or if the fact that my Dad bought it for me influenced me to like it. Guess I'll never know. It is however considered an excellent fantasy series by objective standards. :thumbsup:

 

In one of the books ive read, i think it was a Tad Williams book, that he thanks his dad for getting him into reading, not by making him read, but by being an avid reader himself and making the author curious what all the fuss was about. Ive always liked that. Both my kids (15 and 12) read semi-voraciously, and i have never made them read a single book.

 

Thomas Covenant was the first set of books i read (i was in my mid to late teens when i read the first novel) that dealt with a hero so fundamentally flawed as Covenant was, which made the series so real for me. He was my very first anti-hero :) I had read Tolkein and Terry Brooks Shannara series and a few others by then, and Covenent was no goody two shoes hero. Ive been waiting for my oldest to get mature enough to deal with the subject matter so i can pass them down. I suppose i was about his age when i read them. Maybe i'll dig out my copies today :)

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Stephen Donaldson"s The Chronicles Thomas Covenant series (actually three trilogies)

 

I read the first trilogy years ago. Been meaning to reread it. Are the subsequent ones on par with the first?

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I read the first trilogy years ago. Been meaning to reread it. Are the subsequent ones on par with the first?

 

Its been a really really long time since i read the first two. I dont remember the second being significantly better or worse. Its very different, without giving too much away, its definately not just a sequel to the first. And honesty i havent even finished the third. I read the first book, and then life got in the way and i havent had time to go back and finish it. Now that im thinking about it again, maybe i'll make the time.

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Something tells me hefty-set lost interest a few seconds before hitting "post new topic". :unsure:

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In one of the books ive read, i think it was a Tad Williams book, that he thanks his dad for getting him into reading, not by making him read, but by being an avid reader himself and making the author curious what all the fuss was about. Ive always liked that. Both my kids (15 and 12) read semi-voraciously, and i have never made them read a single book.

 

Thomas Covenant was the first set of books i read (i was in my mid to late teens when i read the first novel) that dealt with a hero so fundamentally flawed as Covenant was, which made the series so real for me. He was my very first anti-hero :) I had read Tolkein and Terry Brooks Shannara series and a few others by then, and Covenent was no goody two shoes hero. Ive been waiting for my oldest to get mature enough to deal with the subject matter so i can pass them down. I suppose i was about his age when i read them. Maybe i'll dig out my copies today :)

I was younger than that, and I've thought about re-reading it now that I have more life perspective. Unfortunately with the way my reading list is growing, I should get to it by the time I'm about 98735832 years old. :(

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Thrilled that my oldest loves to read. He read the entire Harry Potter series by the time he was 9 or 10 or so.

 

Can't wait for him to be old enough to read The Stand (he is 13 today is his birthday actually). He read Kings Eye of the Dragon and loved it. He reads sci fy which is not my cup of tea. I remember he finished a series and almost cried when he realized te series was over and he would not revisit this set of characters. Thought that was special.

 

Most of what read is mainstream but I really like series -

 

Read all

 

Jason Bourne series ( only by Ludlam will catch up on Lustbaure stuff)

 

Alex Cross - Patterson

 

David Baldacci's Camel club - other Baldacci series I need to catch up on

 

Tom Clancy Jack Ryan series - in the middle of reading it in chronological order not published order - halfway through

 

Tom Clancy Op Center complete - hoping for a new installment

 

W.E.B. Griffin Presidential Agent series - also hope for more

Sue Graffton - letter is for blank (A is for Alibi etc)

 

There may be more series.....

 

 

Then everything by

Chriton

Robin Cook (medical thrillers)

King

Dean Koonz

 

Was on a biography kick as was the publishing world - Ozzy Clapton Slash Tom Coughlin Keith Richards Sammy Hagar Belinda Carlise (actually a good read) Nikki Sixx Craig Fuergenson Jay Mohr - these were all recent

 

Geek club or Book Club : cheers:

 

 

I am deep into Griffen's Honor Bound series. Deals with the OSS in South America and Germany during WW II. Really good.

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I am deep into Griffen's Honor Bound series. Deals with the OSS in South America and Germany during WW II. Really good.

That is on my radar. It is not in my library - paper nor digital - that is what is holding me up

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A lot of mine have already been mentioned. I'd have to add

 

King's Dark Tower series

 

Jaws

 

Swan's Song

 

Unbroken ( biography but great story)

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A lot of mine have already been mentioned. I'd have to add

 

King's Dark Tower series

 

Jaws

 

Swan's Song

 

Unbroken ( biography but great story)

MY wife liked that Unbroken one alot. I like the Hunger Games books, Game of Thrones books, Percy Jackson and the lightning thief series (awful movie), The other series with the Heros by Riordan also.

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Last Friday I was out with a friend who is a huge SF/fantasy fan -- has often voted on Hugo's in the past, but will only do it if he has read every nominated book. Anyway, I asked him if he had read Ellison and he said he is one of his favorite writers; he has had dinner with him a few times :unsure: and has some signed books. He loaned me a (unsigned) copy of Deathbird Stories. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and so far... meh. First two stories were pretty good, but then I seemed to enter his stream-of-consciousness phase. :unsure:

 

Also: hey Greedo, if you are following this thread, I plan to lend him your first book. :thumbsup:

 

Thanks JK - always appreciate a little exposure.

 

I'm reading the Dragon Tattoo, Hornet's Nest, etc. series now - on book 2 - it's reasonably good, though book 1 was yawming in stretches, and I don't love it.

 

I'd second those that recommended WEB Griffin's Presidential Agent Series - fantastic. But wasn't a big fan of Instance of the Fingerpost, though I know many others liked it.

 

I'd add 1984 and Catch 22, and LOTR never get old for me.

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Lonesome Dove. I think I've read it five times over the last 20 years.

 

Having never read McMurtry would it be wise to start with Lonesome Dove?

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Having never read McMurtry would it be wise to start with Lonesome Dove?

 

Honestly, I have not read much McMurtry other than Lonesome Dove (have never even read Terms of Endearment or The Last Picture Show). But as far as the Lonesome Dove story, yes, start with Lonesome Dove. There are some prequels and sequels, but everything flows from Lonesome Dove.

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OM, did you ever get around to reading American Psycho? Curious what you thought of it and BEE generally.

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OM, did you ever get around to reading American Psycho? Curious what you thought of it and BEE generally.

Yes, I did... I really enjoyed it-enough to look up some of his other stuff. Had no idea he wrote Less Than Zero. :wub:

 

 

 

Just recently finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy, and was pleasantly surprised.

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Yes, I did... I really enjoyed it-enough to look up some of his other stuff. Had no idea he wrote Less Than Zero. :wub:

 

 

 

Just recently finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy, and was pleasantly surprised.

Haven't read Less Than Zero yet, but it's on my list.

 

Recently read Survivor by Chuck Pahlaniuk. Pretty good.

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You dug up a thread from a year and half ago to ask about Lonesome Dove?

 

Didn't really dig it up. It came up on the search results. Very informative thread. Some good titles in here. :bandana:

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Didn't really dig it up. It came up on the search results. Very informative thread. Some good titles in here. :bandana:

 

 

True......that King book i recommended on page 1 is excellent if you havent read it.

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Awesome book.

 

The sequel was quite disappointing tho.

 

I haven't read it but I heard that.

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Favorite all time book: The Matarese Circle - Robert Ludlum

 

Current Favorite books: Anything by Vince Flynn

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Just recently finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy, and was pleasantly surprised.

You're Welcome.

 

I just recently started Game of Thrones.

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You're Welcome.

I just recently started Game of Thrones.

Yay!!! :clap:

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Yay!!! :clap:

I like it but it is a little slow going for me. Already love the story and can't wait to see where it goes from here. So many characters to keep track of with oddball names. :lol:

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Robin Cook (medical thrillers)


If you like Cook, you might want to read "The Magic Bullet" by Harry Stein. :thumbsup:

Daniel Logan has the world at his feet. As the most gifted young doctor at New York City's top medical facility, he's been aggressively wooed to join an exclusive, lucrative private practice in the city. Money, celebrity status, and great perks--but Logan turns it all down. For he's more interested in a different kind of fame. Logan wants to help find a cure for cancer, and is accepted into the prestigious American Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C., to do research with some of the best minds in medicine--and also some of the most ruthless, cut-throat scientists, who will stop at nothing to protect their own cancer-combative drug studies.



In The Magic Bullet, Harry Stein brilliantly depicts the brutal, deadly competitive world of the A.C.l, where egomaniacal senior scientists jealously guard their research turf from up-and-coming young doctors like Logan and the other new researchers. When Logan and two of his colleagues unearth a component that may effectively help fight breast cancer, he learns first-hand just how desperate these scientists are. As the doctors at A.C.I. use all their influence to sabotage his research, Logan frantically searches for more information about this wonder drug, the missing piece in the breast cancer puzzle, before the A.C.I. destroys his career. But the show-down between Logan and the A.C.I. has even greater implications--the life of a highly-placed woman in American politics is in jeopardy, and only Logan's compound can help.



The Magic Bullet is a first-rate, gripping medical thriller, filled with fascinating--and terrifying--details about the cold-blooded world of high-stakes cancer research. Harry Stein takes a disturbing look at the ivory tower world of medicine, where hubris, not commitment and compassion, is the rule.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Bullet-The-Harry-Stein/dp/0440613892

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Fiction mostly

 

John D, McDonald - Travis Mcgee novels

Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch books

Also enjoy the Jack Reacher - Lee Child novels.

 

Best book - Magnificant Creatures about discovery of fossils in the 1800's by an English girl named Mary Anning Fictioalized account of a real person.

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If you like Cook, you might want to read "The Magic Bullet" by Harry Stein. :thumbsup:

 

 

 

Will put that on my radar ............ backed up right now !!

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