Read any good books lately?

[LA_MERC_eX1|eS' ch1|d]

I read some of the major authors in the fantasy worlds and I've noticed an unusual trend. I don't know maybe they all hit the same seminar or something but it's kinda weird. The first is Terry Goodkinds newest book "Pillars of Creation", which has all of 1 chapter about the main character. Personally I always thought the main charater was...well...the main charater. I know that it's essential to have the supporting roles but in "Pillars of Creation" the whole book is about new supporting charaters. There is also few action sequences with actual battle, I like some poltical and mind games but I also enjoy well written battle scenes. While one dissapointment in a series I like was bad enough, I just finished Robert Jordan's latest in the Wheel of Time series "Crossroads of Twilight." This is almost an exact duplicate of "Pillars of Creation." Although with 2 chapters and a few paragraphs in the epiloge devoted to the main character it was better than "Pillars of Creation." I'm aware of the fact that these are setup books for things to come. Hopefully it will pay off in the end and this is not a new trend in writing, or in mass marketing.


I've read all of R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden series, which is probably my favorite character, but his last two books have been sub par IMHO. Both "The Sea of Swords" and "The Thousand Orcs" just didn't go into as much detail with the battle scenes. They were both abnormally short too, only about 300 pages. With "The Thousand Orcs" it really leaves you hanging, he usually ends a book with a fairly clean finish. It's almost like TV where you have to tune in next week to see what's going to happen. That's not a new trend in most markets but with books there is usually a closing at the end with an opening to the next book.

Anyway that's just my rambling, I'd like to know of any good books anyone has read recently. Hell I'd like to know if you read it 20 years ago and it was good.

[LA_MERC_Dirge]

Michael Crichton's new one "Prey" is very good.

I need to get off my arse and pick up David Frum's "The Right Man" book about G.W. Bush and "Bush at war" has been critically acclaimed as a great look inside the government during a crisis. Those may not be of much interest to you, but that's what is on my agenda. Other than that, "Cannery Row" and "Tortilla Flat" by Steinbeck are surprisingly good and extrememly funny books by one of America's most celbrated writers. I'm telling you they are FUNNY!

[LA_MERC_Mercy]

if you have already heard of George R.R. Martin, then you need to get his books...very good and you will want to keep reading to see who he kills off next...his current series is called A Game of Thrones. Very good reading..

i also just finished Jordans Twilight, and i must say that i am extremely dissappointed in it..he is dragging it out a little to long and from what i have heard, he is planning on now making it 15books...way to long for this series...he should have stuck to the 10 books that he had orginally planned.

I havent read Salvatore's newest books, his last couple have been all that great IMHO..but his ealiest wooks were great.

Have you read anything by Raymond E. Fiest? if not you need to go pick up his first book Magician:Apprentice and start from there..very good books with a ever evolving story line that spans several generations of an empire and the life of the main character Pug and his descendants.

There are a couple of others that i just started reading works by, but i cant remember their correct names...i will post on them later tonite.

[LA_MERC_eX1|eS' ch1|d]

Thanks for the info guys, I need some more authors to read, I've bought a fair number of books that weren't too good. Only because the author is fairly new I think, so these authors and books will help me occupy myself at work a little more.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

My fav authors right now are James Patterson and Jefery Deaver. Both of them write REALLY well. James Patterson wrote Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider (if you saw the movies, read the books...they are 100000 times better). Most of Patterson's books revolve around a character named Alex Cross (a detective of sorts). And Deaver's books surround Lincoln Rhyme (The Bone Collector) who is a quad (can't move any limbs) and is also a detective. Great cops vs smart bad-guys.

Right now, I am reading The Windchime Legacy by A.W. Mykel. It is an excellent book (I've read it probably 20 times in the last 10 years) about an all powerful computer system that the Russians are trying to get thier hands on. Very cloak and dagger kind of stuff. The problem with this book and his other one (The Salamandra Glass) is that NOBODY has ever heard of him! It took me 5 years of looking in antique bookstores to find a hardback of Windchime Legacy. Still looking for Salamandra Glass.

Then, there are other great authors like Dale Brown, Richard Morell, Tom Clancy, Larry Bond...man, I could go on and on.

LaTech...literary guru

[LA_MERC_Onji]

ive never read the lord of the rings trilogy, so i have started on that, im just about finished with the first one now

[SnAkEbItE]

Onji that is a great set of book, I also love reading the Left Behind Series...

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Yeah, I read the Trilogy, and the first book in the Left Behind Series. I need ot get the second one and start on that

[LA_MERC_Mercy]

my wife has all those books too Snake...she loves them


here is another Author that i like

Chistopher Stasheff

He writes scifi/fantasy type books and they are good...his best series so far is the Wizard in Rhyme series that is about a Doctorate student that gets caught up translating an ancient scroll, that had been sent through the space/time contiuum from another parallel earth in which it is still in the middleages...but here is the twist...

the battle between good and evil is a tangible force thoughout medival europe..with several countries controled by demons in human form...its a very good series with the battle between good and evil being very much out in the forefront and not disguised in anyway...

check him out if you get the chance...oh and they are very funny too.

[SnAkEbItE]

Yeah the last book I read in one day couldn't put it down.