Suggest a book for me to read

[Fred Burroughs]

I haven't read a good book in awhile and with the millions of books out there it's hard to decide what to go for next. I love perusing Half Priced Books from time to time, but I could spend hours in there and have no idea which one I want to buy. So I'd like to hear some suggestions from you guys.

I'm looking for a good mystery or thriller, something not too wordy, but not overly simplified either. I'm also looking for a good book series (not Twilight!).

[mrsphyllistorgo]

My husband loves the Dark Tower series. I read the first one and am intruiged enough to move on to the second.

Dorothy Sayer's Lord Peter Whimsey stories are good, but it's best to read them in order and it can be hard to find her early stuff (used, at least, you can always order on Amazon, of course.)

I really like Ian Pears An Instance of the Fingerpost, and especially recommend Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club. Good fast paced mysteries that use thier historical settings well without bogging down in "See, I did my research!" descriptions.

[Fred Burroughs]

I've been wanting to read the Dark Tower series. I guess I'll have to use Amazon because I can never find all the parts in stores.

[doctorz]

I like Neil Gaiman's books a lot. They are a great summer read. They all have sort of the same plot: A lonely/nerdy person is going nowhere in life then meets up with a mythical or magical being. Adventure ensues and it usually comes out all right for the protagonist in the end. Try "Anasasi Boys" or "Neverwhere."

[Captain Hygiene]

Even though it's more a kids' book, I liked Gaiman's Coraline better than any of his other novels.

[callipygias]

I just finished that^ the other day. I liked it too. Haven't read anything else by him though.

[Torgo]

Personally, if you find it anywhere, I'd recommend Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. I just had the pleasure of reading that after becoming obsessed with the movie rather recently. Quite intense and compelling.

The manga series that spawned from it was pretty good too, though be warned that it's very violent and pornographic (especially considering the main characters are 15 year olds), so that's a tougher recommendation. Probably best to stick with the original novel.

[Chuck]

Give Touch and Go by Studs Terkel a try. VERY entertaining. He was an amazing guy with an incredible career.

[Chuck]

Ever read Raymond Chandler? The Big Sleep makes sense.

[spidervodka]

How about a science fiction mystery/detective story - first in a series - by one of sci-fi's "grandmasters, Isaac Asimov?

The Caves of Steel (I would have used the wikipedia entry, but it's full of spoilers)

Murder, 100% human-looking robots, Earth's population living in huge enclosed/semi-undergound cities, and some moral lessons thrown in for good measure. Asimov really was an *excellent* storyteller.

It's sci-fi, but the basic story and especially the human & psychological elements described so well by Asimov, is IMO what can really make this interesting for just about anyone.

[jkazoolien]

Not so much a mystery or thriller, but Joe Bob Briggs' Evidence of Love (written by his "alter ego" John Bloom with some other guy) is a fascinating non-fiction account of a female axe murderer who gets away with it through unbelievable means.

[Chuck]

See if you can find a copy of William Lindsey Gresham's incredible Nightmare Alley.

[TobyMobias]

I reccomend the Artemis Fowl series. Some good humor, mixed with the recommended daily dose of action and intelligence doctors recommend. Also, I want to recommend the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 'trilogy' if you want something deliciously absurd.

[angilasman]

I'm gonna go out on a limb:

Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser

This is the first of the Flashman series and the only one I've read so far (the second is on my to read list and I'll probably get to it in the next few weeks). It's the first part of the "autobiographical" papers by fictional Harry Paget Flashman's, who, in his 80s, decides to set things straight about the story of his life. Flashman is a renowned (perhaps the most renowned) British war hero of all time who fought in just about every war across the globe in the 1800s.

The catch: Flashman is a horrible person, a coward, and possesses every other negative traight you can think of. It is only through sheer luck and occassional quick thinking that whenever an event ends it seems to all those who view the outcome that Flashman was the hero of the moment. All those who find out Flashman's true nature are killed or have to hold their tongue for various reasons.

The first book covers the begining of Flashman's career, from his expulsion to his enlistment to (this is the big part) the war between Britain and Afghanistan.

The amount of research done for this book is astounding. Very often Flashman is the only fictional thing in an otherwise completely historical situation. Despite the educational value it is always entertaining and the book is not too short and not too long (as Goldilocks would say: "just right")

[Continuing Legend]

the Dark Tower series is pretty good, though it starts off weak. I'm not a huge fan of the first book, but it gets pretty excellent pretty fast (the next few are great), then starts to get weak again. It is worth reading all the way through, though. It helps if you're familiar with Stephen King's other work, as the Dark Tower "mythos," if you will, stretches throughout his other stuff. Also, look out, as he worked on the Dark Tower, he realized he needed to make some revisions to the first book, so there are two different editions out there. Just something to be aware of.

John Dies at the End is one of the best books I've read recently. It was free online for a while, but it's out in book form now (and no longer online). But I prefer it this way - I'd rather read a book on paper than on a computer screen. It's kind of a sci-fi/horror story and although it's genuinely creepy, it never loses this awesome sense of humor.