In desperate need of great reads

SilverTrain

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I found The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns to be two of the great reading highlights of my life. I've read some criticism of these books, which really comes down to: they're too entertaining to be considered great literature. To which I say: Bollocks.
 

atlclgurl

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I found The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns to be two of the great reading highlights of my life. I've read some criticism of these books, which really comes down to: they're too entertaining to be considered great literature. To which I say: Bollocks.


LOVED "Kite Runner"!

*makes notes to self... BUY "Suns"
 

redz_rule

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I'll second:

The early Anita Blake books by Laurell K Hamilton - these books started off soooo good... but the later books are just embarrassing

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books - I really had to be pestered into reading these because the blurb really didn't do it for me. I'm so glad I read them and god help any tall red-headed Scotsmen that cross my path ;)

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books - completely agree, they are laugh out loud funny!

Considering you just finished Game of Thrones... hmmm... I don't really read the pure 'fantasy' genre, but I do like the 'urban fantasy' books. I'd add to the above list:

Karen Marie Moning's Fever series - the series is complete now but each book had a cliffhanger ending and it was frickin torture to wait for the next one. I adore these books and the male lead is seriously Alpha...

Ilona Andrews Magic series - these can be quite dark, but I think they are excellent - I love the author's 'voice'

Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series - my fave at the moment. These are dark Urban Fantasy. Lead character is a drug addict, so it took me a while to pick it up, but don't let that put you off, the author handles it really well. I can't recommend these books enough - they are so original. Oh, and I have a complete author crush on Stacia Kane - she is made of awesome.

I'm pretty sure the above 3 authors post sample chapters on their websites.
 

Bbucko

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Back before the internet took over my life, I used to be an avid reader of books and collected them by the thousands. I had yearly reread cycles of several authors, including Anne Rice who's been mentioned previously.

Of all these, I probably found Jacqueline Suzanne the most entertaining if probably the least well-written. The Love Machine and Once Is Not Enough are both excellent examples of breathless turgidity frozen on the page, and Delores is a riot of empty clichés. For the record, I believe that I was nine the first time I read Every Night, Josephine!

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Fitzgerald, whom I idolized (and still do): to date, Tender Is the Night remains my personal favorite piece of fiction ever, and the compilations of short stories are just marvelous even if Hemingway thought they were a whoring of his talents. He's much, much more than The Great Gatsby.

I don't know what your tolerance for gay plot-lines is, but I'd recommend John Rechy's classic City of Night, first published in the early 60s and therefore groundbreaking. It is second only to Tender Is the Night in my estimation and probably even more influential in my work as a writer. His books Rushes and The Sexual Outlaw were also highly influential and are criminally under-read IMO.
 

UncleBob

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I'll second:

The early Anita Blake books by Laurell K Hamilton - these books started off soooo good... but the later books are just embarrassing

Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books - I really had to be pestered into reading these because the blurb really didn't do it for me. I'm so glad I read them and god help any tall red-headed Scotsmen that cross my path ;)

I a couple books behind in the Anita Blake series; I have to admit that the only reason I'm still reading is Asher . . . I've got a little crush . . .

Seriously, Jamie Frazier. Where do I get one of those?
 

D_Hey Sailor

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ya can always go the books my favorite movies were based on.

Requiem for a Dream - Hubert Selby Jr.
Fear and Loathing - Hunter S. Thompson

both awesome reads.

Both awesome flicks!
(there is also a great Hunter S. Thompson documentary on Netflix... ):idea:

If ya liked those books (or just the films), this might add a welcomed scrambling to your brainbawkz :01:. I started it yesterday afternoon and have made it about half way through.... spectacular in that captivating/depressing/drug themed way. :paranoid:

They made a movie based upon it too... must watch after reading. :squint:
 

redz_rule

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I a couple books behind in the Anita Blake series; I have to admit that the only reason I'm still reading is Asher . . . I've got a little crush . . .

Seriously, Jamie Frazier. Where do I get one of those?

Meh, Asher is whiny... you can have him ;)

As for Jamie Fraser - hands off, he's mine!
 

vince

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I found The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns to be two of the great reading highlights of my life. I've read some criticism of these books, which really comes down to: they're too entertaining to be considered great literature. To which I say: Bollocks.

LOVED "Kite Runner"!

*makes notes to self... BUY "Suns"
If anything, A Thousand Splendid Suns was even better than The Kite Runner. Well maybe not "better", but it'll break your heart.


In the same vein is Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie.
 

Pendlum

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Have you read the Dark Tower series? I only just started it a little bit ago, and I read the first book in like a day. :tongue: I have the second one, just haven't found a good time to start it yet.

I'll definitely have to keep my eye on this thread since I've been wanting to read more lately. The only problem I have when it comes to reading is when I start to read something, like 10 hours will go by without me noticing. :tongue:
 

D_Hey Sailor

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Have you read the Dark Tower series? I only just started it a little bit ago, and I read the first book in like a day. :tongue: I have the second one, just haven't found a good time to start it yet.

I finished book one of the series today... Stephen King is a pretty meh writer, which is a shame because there was a lot to like. :ponder:

Also half way through I am Legend! Good book, except I get Will Smith from the movie spillin' over into my brain every once in a while an it pisses me off. I dig the post-apocalypse stuff... would fit in well there! :smirk:
 

B_curiousme01

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Lucinda, Darkly by Sunny! Stunning, sexy, strong lead and amazing adventure/growth. 2008 Prism Award. I sat and read the entire book and then started it again. I've reread it so many times. It's got incredible sex, strong female lead, hot sex, compassion, sci-fi, amazing sex, horror. Everything! :) I've never read anything like it.

The author has another series "Mona Lisa." They're "different" too and the lead basically collects a harem of warriors along the way. Some of the books are better than others. I have most of them and haven't reread any.
 

Lucienremo

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The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
Saga of Seven Suns by Kevin J Anderson
seven suns starts of slow and night angel is just generally a great read
:smile: