While my book club tends towards fairly serious literature, when I'm reading for myself I love a good whodunnit or spy novel, a page-turner. Here are 13 books or series from my bookshelf:
1. (Almost all of) Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series. The earlier ones were definitely better though. The last one I read (The Bear and the Dragon - I read them slightly out of order) the editing was horrific, I spent the entire book aggravated at characters who were acting completely OUT of character, so to speak. Completely distracting. A shame too, because the earlier books were so strong.
2. Several of Clancy's Op-Center books. These never really did it for me. I was reading Tom Clancy for the characters and the plot, not all the military mumbo-jumbo.
3. Robert Ludlum's Bourne Trilogy - so so so much better than the movies, albeit with less eye candy.
4. Other Robert Ludlum books - The Aquitaine Progression, The Prometheus Deception, The Holcroft Covenant and the Chancellor Manuscript - oldies but goodies
5. Robert Kellerman - a bunch of the Alex Delaware series
6. Faye Kellerman - Prayers for the Dead - I like the Rina/Decker novels, it's not often that you see an Orthodox Jewish woman as a main character, especially one that is trying to walk in two worlds
7. Batya Gur - Murder on a Kibbutz, A Communal Case - not great, but not terrible either
8. Dan Brown - The Da Vinci Code - ok fine, a bit over the top, but a definite stay up to late reading page turner
9. Sue Henry - Murder at Five Finger Light - again, not fabulous, but interesting for its peak into Alaskan life
10. Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose - love this book.
11. G.M. Ford's Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca. I admit I haven't read this one yet, but I loved the title. I found it in a used book store shortly after returning from the Pacific Northwest and, yes, the Juan de Fuca Straight
12. Tony Hillerman's The Fallen Man - murder, native American style
13. And saving the best fun for last, The Story of Elijah, written by TT's very own Nicholas Temple-Smith. Chock full of colorful characters with a plot twist that you will definitely not figure out on your own, this one keeps you reeled in until the very last page. Good stuff indeed.
Sorry for the lack of links - it's late and my husband is waiting for me to start watching season 2 of Gray's Anatomy. You'll have to google if you're curious.
Happy Thursday everyone.
Visit the Thursday Thirteen hub to see what everyone else is up to this week.
45 comments:
Random FYI: I went to college with Tom Clancy's son. He was a Freshman when I was a senior. I wasn't friends with him, but we ran in the same circles and we acted together once. He had to catch me in a scene.
FTR, I'm not a fan of Clancy's books.
I have so much I want to read, but my time is usually consumed by parenting and homeschool books.
I haven't read any of the books on your list. I'm a romance and fantasy junkie. Happy TT!
Ooh - I LIKE your list and am bookmarking it to share with my book club girls. :)
I enjoyed Dan Brown's work. I will have to check out some of the others! Happy TT.
wow..you read a lot :D I also like to read, but since i move here. I don't much read. My favorite books are Harry Potter serial and danielle steel :D
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You have similar taste in books to my dad. Sadly, that's the only reason I've heard of most of those authors. Enjoy your reading!
Well, bless your heart! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, thank you for the recommendation! Mwah!!
I really liked the first two Bourne books but the third one diappointed me. Happy TT.
I love the rich and textured quality of Ludlum's writings. He was so detailed you could see everything he was seeing.
The only book I've read from your list is Da Vinci Code... I want to read some Clancy but never got through the first few pages. Hmm...
I agree I had sleepless nights with Da Vinci Code. I have to check out the other books in your list.
Great list, I read lot too. But more James Patterson, Stuart Woods type books. I do love the Alex Delaware series though.
Some of these are new to me - I'll have to check them out. Thanks for putting together a great list.
Im a John Saul, VC Andrews, and Stephen King fan myself:) Happy TT and thanks for stopping by.
What a great list. I feel like you have actually read these books and are not trying to sell them :).I am not much of a fiction reader, but mant do sound interesting. Happy TT.
i'm a bookoholic! you should join my new book message board:
www.re-told.net
she
http://www.shebecameabutterfly.net
Okay, I got to say that eye candy is important. Just saying. Great list here. Have a wonderful TT. :)
I tried Batya Gur. I did. Rochelle Krich (have you read HER yet? Talk about Orthodox Jew as main character, straddling worlds!) blogged about Gur after she died, so I tried and... failed.
I'll have send more good stuff your way. Or what *I* consider good stuff, anyway! Interested? You know where I am...
Gosh, we have very similar tastes in books.... I'm tempted to ask you if you'd be a reader for my novels.
Oh, Robert Ludlum. He's a real favorite of mine. sigh... I don't remember if John Le Carre is on your list but he's way up there for me.
Happy TT, Robin - I hope you are well and safe in your neck of the woods.
I'd be delighted Claudia, and very honored.
One author I like for an entertaining read is Elmore Leonard. Always a page turner.
I seem to see some reading trends in there :)
Excellent list of books though, and thanks for visiting the Cafe this week.
Great TT! How sad for me I have only read #8 :( I will have to look into the others.
I've only read the Dan Brown novels but will prob have to pick up one or more of these others. Thanks!
aw. it really makes me want to stay home and read today, but I have to go to work, come home, and go back for play practice...thankfully it's almost over. This summer I'll read, and some of these look really appealing.
Thanks for visiting my TT. We share a lot of books in common, and I found a few that I hadn't heard of that I have put on my to read list.
I'm re-reading all the Alex Delaware novels right now. Great list.
Yay, some new books to check out. I am with you on the Bourne series and Da Vinci Code. I got a chunk of my dad's book collection and he really likes Ludlum and Clancy. Now I just must read them! Thanks!
a good list of books! I've noted a few for my next trip to the library!
Happy T13!
Blessings,
Karla
Thanks for sharing your book titles...they really give a glimpse into what you like to read. I am not sure I have heard of any of them.
Happy TT! Stop by Sassyfrazz if you get a chance!
Your taste in literature matches my husbands. I think I have seen half or more of those books in his hands. Happy T.13 - Jen
I used to love Clancy's books, though I haven't read them in a while--but having been in the military, the op-center books were too full of inaccuracies for me to like them. :)
Loved The Name of the Rose, too, and I liked Murder at Five Finger Light, though I wasn't as fond of others by Sue Henry.
I've put The Story of Elijah on my wish list. :)
I need to take up more reading! But I could go for watching Gray's Anatomy though. :)
My Thursday 13.
I'm in a book club too, so that's the only time I've read a who-dunnit! I've never read any of these authors.
I agree with you on a lot of those!!
Thanks for visiting my inspiring people TT.
What a great and informative list. Me too prefere pageturners before sleeping. Often wake up with the book in the bed. LOL.
Quite the serious reading list.
Thanks for acknowledging Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. For a book that did so well, it's amazingly difficult to find someone who admits to enjoying it and staying up to read it!
Happy Thursday Robin :)
~X
Your reference to the Eco book is the second one I have come across this week. I am going to put it on my reading list.
How do you feel about standardized testing? I've posted 13 Anti-NCLB Sentiments to mark the end of a stressful testing week.
Happy TT!
Hmm . . . I'm with you on reading something a little less serious for yourself, but the only whodunnit books I've been able to get into were John Grisham's books. In my spare time, I'm a big fan of British chick lit, which D has discovered and LOVES because it makes buying me presents really easy. I love the list though! Any thoughts about giving us a few more Shakespearean insults? ;-)
great list - i love to pepper my reading with all sorts of kinds of books...so i love new links. have you read the books by daniel silva? it might be too close to home but they're about a "mossad" (they don't call it that) agent...they are wonderful, page-turning, buy-it-the-day-it-comes-out kind of good. i've seen him speak too and he was really lovely in person.
I never find the time to read anymore...Poor me:(
i agree on the da vinci code--i read that thing in like a day and a half! couldn't wait to find out what happened! :)
Great list! I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I've been so busy with the 5 Minutes for Mom blog party. It's been crazy! Thank you for stopping by.
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