I've been on a huge audiobook kick lately. I love good contemporary fiction. I've read/listened to a ton of good stuff in the past year. I've also had a fair share of massive duds.

Not a huge Steven King fan, but I did listen to "The Long Walk" and it was mind shattering good. I've had his "11/22/63" audiobook on the wait list forever. Anxiously awaiting that one.

Anyone have any good books or authors to share?

It's pretty obvious I'll recommend damn near anything by Stephen King. However, you should check out the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. These guys are gold together; I strongly recommend going in chronological order, Relic is the first one: https://www.prestonchild.com/books/series/

I have sinfully not been reading any books lately...Been on a research kick the past year, but it's long overdue time to curl up to a great novel.

A friend of mine turned me onto the Omega Force series by Joshua Dalzelle. It's sci-fi adventure.

RolandDeschain wrote:It's pretty obvious I'll recommend damn near anything by Stephen King. However, you should check out the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. These guys are gold together; I strongly recommend going in chronological order, Relic is the first one: https://www.prestonchild.com/books/series/

It's weird, I'm not big into series. I usually always go for good standalones. But I'll give it a shot. Looks good on goodreads.com. Isn't Relic based on that late 90s movie? Can't remember if I ever saw it, but I think it came out around the same time as Mimic with Mira Sorvino.

Aros wrote:I have sinfully not been reading any books lately...Been on a research kick the past year, but it's long overdue time to curl up to a great novel.

I was in the same boat, man. I read Descent by Tim Johnston last year in January and I couldn't stop putting books down. It was ridiculous. A lot of it was probably due to everything that was going on this time last year. But it made me realize how much I love reading. I've probably read/listened to 30 or so books since. But Descent was such a good read. Highly recommend, especially if you are looking for a good read in a long time.

I am a voracious reader, although not at all a speed reader. My sister taught me to read and write, well before I went to school - she is 7 years older than me. I never went to kindergarten. We got our first Readers in day one of Grade 1 in Primary school, and I read them all that night. They bumped me to Grade 2 immediately, so I was forever the smallest, runtiest kid in my class, until I was 15 or so!

Anyway, I can't cope with audio books. I simply can't concentrate. And (sorry, Roland) the great Stephen King is IMHO an appalling audio reader, with his "muddy" voice.

I've been mostly an e-book reader for many years - it is one technology I readily embraced, right from the very start. I've been doing quite a bit of well-worn re-reading lately.

Tom Clancy - re-read "Sum of all Fears", "Red Storm Rising" and currently "Executive Orders." Will then re-read "Rainbow Six" and eventually his older books as well. The "spin-offs" (Tom Clancy's Op Center, etc) aren't nearly as good; nor are the Jack Jr. books.

Canadian sci-fi author Eric Thomson (a pseudonym) has a new book out, which always excites me! He's written several series. They are easy-reading, with characters you get to care for, but it isn't "heavy". Nor is it too "light." Just... great reading, again IMHO. If you like "space opera" easily served, you've come to the right author!

The brother of a good friend of my son has released his first book, which I've read (book two of the trilogy due next month). His name is L J Duncan (Luke) and the series is called "The Soteria Trilogy." Book One is called "End of Pride" and the upcoming Book Two is "Dawn of Envy."

These books are very much obviously from a new author; there's some clunky bits in it, truly. It is set in a dystopic future Australia, ruled by a despotic group of thugs. Maybe it sounds yawnish, but I enjoyed it, warts and all. I've discussed the books with my son's friend, but have not yet contacted Luke himself. I'm on his email list, though.

He asks for readers' recommended dystopic/post-apocalyptic books, and provides a list of his own, which I haven't even looked at yet. However, I will soon be writing to him with a list of my own... so, anyone, please recommend YOUR suggestions, for me and for him! I will pass anything on to him, after removing any sender details, of course... and will post any resultant, additional recommendations back here.

Thepeelsessions wrote:It's weird, I'm not big into series. I usually always go for good standalones. But I'll give it a shot. Looks good on goodreads.com. Isn't Relic based on that late 90s movie? Can't remember if I ever saw it, but I think it came out around the same time as Mimic with Mira Sorvino.

No, but there was a crappy TV movie made from this book, Relic. Whether you're into series-style narratives or not, give Relic a try.

History and historical fiction is my favorite literary genre, so these are the books I've read over the past six months or so.

Erik Larson is a bad ass when it comes to historical fiction, so I highly recommend his books if you also dig this genre.

Devil in the White City (DiCaprio and Scorsese are making a film now about this book)


In the Garden of Beasts, about a jewish family living in pre-Germany as a diplomat as h!tler was coming into power.


I've read all of Larson's books, but these would be the two I'd recommend.

I also just finished Empire of the Summer Moon, a great historical book about the Commanche Indians in the early to mid 1800's.



This time period has always fascinated me considering as an American kid growing up this period of our nation's history was glossed over, or not even told at all. All our history books went from Go West Young Man!! to the industrial revolution without ever talking about what actually happened as we exterminated entire civilizations of native americans.

This book does the Commanche and other tribes of the era proud. Definitely doesn't pull any punches, from either side of history......while still being a VERY compelling read.

I will definitely be reading Empire of the Summer Moon, thanks Sgt for the recommendation. I have always felt an empathy for Native Americans from an early age. To the point that I wasn't a big fan of my own race for a long time.

Have you read Jack Carr? He has 3 out so far, 4th is coming next month. I've read them all twice, great stuff.

Chris Pratt bought the rights to them, and will be filming a tv show soon for Amazon, he'll be the main character, James Reece.

https://www.amazon.com/Terminal-List-Th ... 1501180819

https://deadline.com/2020/05/chris-prat ... 202925459/

PS the audiobooks are great too, read by Ray Porter.

Aros wrote:I will definitely be reading Empire of the Summer Moon, thanks Sgt for the recommendation. I have always felt an empathy for Native Americans from an early age. To the point that I wasn't a big fan of my own race for a long time.

Definitely empathy, but Gwynne gives us a history lesson wrapped around a very remarkable story weaved in and out of the Comanche history.

He also doesn't sugar coat the Comanche's either, they were one of the most brutal tribes to ever walk the earth. Which is why by the early 1800's they controlled what now is 10 western states and most of northern Mexico. So brutal that Mexico was so tired of dealing with them they gave us Texas just to create a buffer.

Anyway, highly recommended for US history or wild west buffs.

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John LeCarre is an unquestioned legend, and I enjoyed Olen Steinhauer's Tourism trilogy.