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Popcorn55 Seffen
What Should I Read? Book SuggestionsSo I used to read quite a bit, but until recently I just didn't have the time to anymore. I'm starting to get back into it and I've already got some books picked out. I'd like some suggestions on what else I should pick up to read. I have already picked up--

The Halo Novel Series
World War Z
Halo The Forerunner Saga
#1  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
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Radius55 Site Admin
Start Here. All the books are free and put out by the authors, so it's perfectly legal. I'd get the Mission of Honor CD, 1635: The Eastern Front CD, and the Eye of the Storm CD to start.

From Mission of Honor I'd recommend the Honor Harrington series, Dahak series, Starfire series, and In Furry Born. Honor Harrington is a pretty epic Space Opera with excellent Naval Battles. Dahak is a three part series about Humans being elevated to a galactic powerhouse. Starfire is a collection of loosely linked stories about Humanity fighting it's way through the stars. And In Fury Born is about more or less a female version of the Master Chief, complete with AI and Power Armor.

Most of The Eastern Front has to do with the Ring of Fire series. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but it's an Alt-History series. There are also some promising stand alone books in there.

Finally, my personal favorite, Eye of the Storm. Basically, everything here is awesome. A word of warning, though, a lot of the stuff is fairly hardcore. Legacy of the Aldenata is the best military SciFi I've ever read. Close second to Honor Harrington, but definitely the best. The Voyage of the Space Bubble series is more light hearted and has fewer moral dilemmas, but also awesome. Then there's Paladin of Shadows. Read it if you want a techno-thriller involving the complete and utter annihilation of various terrorist groups. Don't if you have a weak stomach for graphic violence and, in a few spots, near pornographic content. Empire of Man Series is fairly close to Voyage of the Space Bubble in the way it feels. Basically, a company of soldiers and a spoiled prince are marooned on a planet, and are forced to upgrade the stone age tech level of some friendly natives to fight their way out. I should also mention that The Last Centurion is a good read, but you'll want to stay away from it if you've ever voted democrat. It's a nice Conservative political commentary wrapped in a pretty good modern military setting.

Whew. That's about it. Let me know if you want any more suggestions of a similar type. These are most of the free ones, though.
#2  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Cool
Gingeyy Sponsor
I suggest The Wheel of Time Series if you're a hardcore reader who has time for a long long read. When I work the night shift I'm allowed headphones so I audiobook some chapters making it easier but I digress. So far (I'm on book 7) It's been the best read I've had. The story is so intricate and rich it's almost like reading a shows season book by book.
#3  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 2 Ditto
Tropes MadeUpWorlds
Wheel of Time is fantastic so far, I'm on book nine, but you do need a load of time. Even at one to two hundred pages a day, it's taking a very long time. Song of ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings and Discworld are also great. If you don't have a lot of time, Discworld is even better as all the novels are short, quick reads, funny as all Hell and don't need to be read as part of a sequence. No reason you can't start at Hogfather or The Fifth Elephant if you don't want to start at the beginning.

If none of those suit your style, I myself have written a short story for a recent publication that I will be plugging relentlessly until I publish my next thing. It's from In Delerium Bloom, so not only is the book nice and short, but if you like you can divide it into five smaller sessions! Even better, several of the stories, including my own, prominently feature zombies!
#4  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Cool
FantasyCore
There exists a series of five novels by Kelly McCullough that are great for Sci Fi/Fantasy fans in my opinion. Informally referred to as the Ravirn saga after the protagonist, the books follow a master computer hacker in a world where magic has gone digital (keyboards and code in place of wands and incantations) and the Greek pantheon still runs things behind the scenes. I just finished reading the third book, Codespell, a couple weeks back. The first book is titled WebMage (again the series doesn't have a formal title, so trying to find the books in order can get a little confusing if the bookstore's website doesn't have "Ravirn Book X" in parentheses next to the title like Amazon does or if you're looking for it inside a physical bookstore).
#5  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Cool
TCXX17872A
The Art of War.
#6  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
datalaughing Forum Mod
The Name of the Wind and The Dresden Files.

Post edited 1/18/12 8:57PM
#7  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
PyBro
Jurassic Park, if you haven't already read it do so. Fantastic book! Honestly the movie is really crappy compared to the book.
#8  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 2 Ditto
CapnShank Iloveguns
I was in a similar situation as yourself when a friend suggested I pick up Patrick O' Brian's Master and Commander.
For me my favorite parts of the Halo novels were the space battles and M&C brings that feeling back with tons of naval combat.
#9  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
TheGatekeep
If you're into fantasy I definitely recommend The Dresten Files and the Codex Alera series, both by Jim Butcher.

If you want a fresh, original vampire story then I recommend The Strain Trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
#10  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
PyBro
If you're into zombies there's always The Plague of the Dead series!
#11  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
The_Janitor
I also will suggest Jim Butcher.
Neil Gaiman is a fantastic writer.
My wife just got me interested in The Hunger Games.
Wheel of Time is very good, but its more like a marathon than a sprint.
And if you end up liking The Dresden Files, The Twenty Palaces series is also good.
#12  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
emPtysp4ce
Yeah, it's a bit of advertising, but my family's putting out a book, called Guess When I'll Puke. It's a humor book about all some of our travels over the years, like the time I threw up in the Library of Congress, or the time we went "Rafting with the Blessed Mother of White Trash Church" (actual chapter title). It's pretty funny and should be published soon, but you'll probably have trouble finding it outside of the Internet.
For stuff that's already out there, my top 3 are Into Thin Air, Atlantis Found, and Pacific Vortex!.
#13  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
Snuggernaut
PyBro has it right. Michael Crichton is a fantastic author. Some of my favorites from him are Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain.
I also highly suggest Clive Cussler's books, particularly his Dirk Pitt series.
#14  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
Church_Sarge
Alright, here's a list of the books I've read. If you already read them okay, if not they are pretty good.

Inheritance Cycle: Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Harry Potter series: Sorcerer Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King, the Hobbit (I know it isn't in the trilogy but still) by JRR Tolkien

the 13th Hour (a pretty cool thriller) I don't remember by who, sorry =(

By Stephen King
Under the Dome
the Dark Tower series--7 books

By Steve Alten he is a good author, I enjoy his books
Meg: a novel of deep terror ( and it's sequels)
Domain (if you like that 2012 end of the world thing) and it's sequel Resurrection, Suppose to be a third but not sure if it's out yet.
Goliath (about a AI running submarine that goes crazy pretty cool)
#15  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
Yomokita
I'd go with
A Song of Ice and Fire
Harry Potter
The Hobbit
Night Angel trilogy
Gears of War books

#16  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
Limond Sponsor
I couldn't recommend The Lord of the Rings enough. Was my first fantasy book series and the greatest in my opinion. If you are a purist I would start with The Hobbit. It eases you into the universe and sets up a major player in Gollum as well as giving you a taste of the universe. Plus it is not a hard read at all. Then move on to the trilogy. If you really like it read The Silmarillion afterwards. It is a super hard read but he considered it his masterpiece and is a really good book.

Next I would recommend Harry Potter. I also grew up with this and had LOTR not gripped me so, I would probably be obsessing about this series.

Next I some series I don't see to often mentioned by The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I've not read the last few books yet but the series is strong and fantasy based. Lots of sex, violence and magic involved.

Another good series is A Song of Ice and Fire, only a few books in, lots of twists and turns. A big fantasy political thriller.

Series I would not recommend: A Wheel of Time. Super cliched, and super boring. I couldn't get past chapter three of the first book. I really detest books that have a heavy religious element. This book is chock full of "By the light", "Light be praised", etc. Just blech. Another book I would not recommend. Enders Game. Bleh, just Bleh. I was insulted by this book. Plus the author is a terrible person in my opinion.

If you like historical books at all I Stephen Ambrose is who you want to search for. Most notably Band of Brothers, but I really like all his World War 2 history books.
#17  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
pomites
I really liked the following SciFi novels:

Dune - Frank Herbert
Glory Season - David Brin
Anything written by Robert A. Heinlein
Ringworld - Larry Niven

... and The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
#18  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
mavrick1301
If you enjoy adult dry humor I would suggest Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Its an autobiography about a homosexual male and his everyday life every chapter is sure to make you laugh.
#19  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 1 Ditto
paguhwaguh
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson (really good, but I must say. The 4th book SUCKS)

Inheritance Cycle ( Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, Inheritance) by Christopher Paolini
#20  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
BrYuhn
A song of ice and fire series( game of thrones for ye tele-communication visual peoples,

I would also suggest Slabscape:reset its an amazing science fiction book about the future of man and it journey to home
#21  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
OliverMiller Fossil Hunt
I would recommend any book by Iain M banks, his SciFi books are fantastic. Consider Phlebas is a very good book to start with as it introduces you to "The Culture"
#22  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
Spookygirl Sponsor
Janet Evanovich- One for the money (the Stephanie Plum series"
Tamora Pierce- "the protector of the small" and "The Immortals"
#23  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
Ember FoxGirl
Very dark fantasy called The Black Jewel trilogy by Anne Bishop. My favorite series ever. The first book is Daughter of the Blood. Followed by Heir to Shadows, and Queen of Darkness.

Another good one is Moth in Darkness by Frances Pauli. An urban fantasy/mystery.
#24  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
CBeitz
I've just finished reading Tucker Max's I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell I have no idea how the fuck I have never read this book before now, and it is a must read, if you are a man, if you are an asshole, if you like to drink, if you like to fuck, or if you're a disgrace to the human race in general, this book is for you.

It's probably one of the funniest books I have ever read, it's a wonderful collection of tales of debauchery and mayhem, and if it doesn't make you fall down laughing then you have had your funny bone surgically removed which would beg the question as to how you ended up at roosterteeth.com

Post edited 3/18/12 9:09PM
#25  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply  |  + 0 Lame
jacopoli55
In reply to paguhwaguh, #20:

definitely the Inheritance cycle, but the hunger games is so over hyped.
#26  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
pomites
In reply to jacopoli55, #26:

Do you have any recommendations that have a similar theme? (Dystopian societies)
#27  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
jacopoli55
In reply to pomites, #27:

Urm, try Gone, by Micheal Grant. thats a series, but Gone is the first book.
#28  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
SrSmile
The book of lost things- John Connolly
Down the rabbit hole- Peter Abrahams
Tell No One- Harlan Coben

All great. All are kinda creepy. I suggest them tho.
#29  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
pomites
In reply to jacopoli55, #28:

Thanks! I just got the series :D
#30  Posted 1 year ago  |  Reply
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