Posted on 06/16/2007 7:45:51 AM PDT by Tanniker Smith
The Free Republic Book Club is an informal gathering of readers and lovers of all genre of books, which meets on an irregular basis, which would whenever I remember to post something. The last meeting, Free Republic Book Club: (1/16/07) What's on Your Reading List for 2007? was quite a while ago. Sorry about that.
If you would like to be on this ping list -- or if you are on it and wished to be removed -- please send me mail.
This "week's" topic: What's your favorite Book Series?
For the sake of argument, let's define a "series" as any collection of books by an author (or authors) with the continuing characters or a continuing conflict/situation/whathaveyou that is longer than a trilogy.
For fans of British mysteries, JOHN HARVEY has a character, Charlie Resnick, of whom he has written nine or 10 books. Great series. It is completed now and the books are outaprint but available on Amazon.com under the used books section.
One more “series” that I discovered last year, although they have different characters in each, the same themes are carried throughout these four books— the idea that American businessmen are not all scoundrels and thieves. I highly recommend these four books to anyone who loved Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead by Rand:
Cash McCall by Cameron Hawley
Executive Suite by Cameron Hawley
The Lincoln Lords by Cameron Hawley
The Hurrican Years by Cameron Hawley
All are available used through Amazon, or on Ebay for pretty cheap. All are very good even though they are set in 40’s/50’s America and thus a little dated. Try the first one CASH MCCALL (also a movie with James Garner that I haven’t seen) and if you like it move on from there. In the same vein Calumet K (one of Rand’s favorite books) is also excellent published at the turn of the century.
For a super read, try Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. Time travel with lots of history--in Scotland, England and especially US early history.
What’s THAT about becoming a READER?
Actually it was NOT all that difficult. :~)
God Bless you for taking in your son, and making him a man. When you can take a troubled boy, and nurture and love him, there is a special place in Heaven for you.
I think, remembering back, those times reading with my son are my favorite memories. When we weren't reading HP, we would read the classics. They have "easy reader" classics out that we loved. The Time Machine, and War of The Worlds were our favorites, and without HP starting that tradition back up, I don't know if he would have gone along with it.
Thank you for saying that. It was a real hard pull at times, let me tell you, but he's turned out very well if I do say so myself. Going to college now. Majoring in music. Plays superb piano. I enjoyed the readings just as much as he. We also got very much into video games together, starting with Super Mario Bros on Nintendo (his occupational therapist suggested it to help with his eye-hand coordination ... must have worked or piano wouldn't be successful today!) No girlfriend yet though, that I know of!
A couple more:
John D. McDonald's 'Travis McGee' series
Ross MacDonald's 'Lew Archer' series
I remember reading his Berserker series.
-PJ
Let's see, who else? Narnia and The Hitchhiker's Guide and Flashman and one by an Irish author named Maurice Walsh that very few people have ever heard of. Very much worth checking out.
The Harry Potter series
Any of the W.E.B. Griffin series.
I love the Miss Read Books
Both series, I have them all in hard cover
Thrush Green series
The Fairacre Series
I read the first three way back in the early 70s.
I read them again in the late 80s and the 4 additional books as well. They got too weird for even me at the end.
I would not ever even consider reading the "House Atreides" or any of the books by other authors, related to FH or not.
The Azimov Foundation series was fun, and the later combining of that with the old "Robot" series was while intriguing and readable, definitely a challenge for rationalizing diverse Sci Fi histories.
If you like that sort of stuff, I'd recommend some "punk Sci Fi" for you. Bruce Sterling comes to mind. "The Difference Engine" was a fun read. His "Crystal Express" collection of short stories is awesome, particularly..."The Swarm."
David Zindell's "Neverness" was very fun, especially if you like winter sports.
Nothing beats Robert Heinlein though.
More later on this subject when I have time.
I liked the first two Hitchhiker’s books. Sadly, after that they started to go seriously downhill. The final book was just awful — I think that there was one section that was laugh out loud funny. The rest was scattered grins and chuckles.
Read this Years ago, saw the movie too. Both are outstanding. I especially like Ray-Jay, Jay-Ray, and JF buying a half-acre of Kandinski's, a quarter-acre of Marat, and the rest of an acre of the 'kinda Fuzzy' ones." (refering to paintings) Chill Wills was one of them, and he was hilarious! Garner was perfect, and Damn I wish I could find that on DVD.
Thanks for a great memory!
I remember reading his Berserker series.
I read those too, but they didn't grab me like Vlad Tepes did. Dunno why, I love SF most.
Please ping me.
I like good ol’ HARRY POTTER. I also recommend Lynn Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series. It is very witty (& raunchy). A 3-way satire on the fantasy, detective, & chick lit genres.
Does anyone remember John Jakes “The Kent Family Chronicles”?
We loved that series so much that my son’s middle name is Kent.
It was an 8 book series about an English immigrant to our country in it’s infancy. A historical fiction series that should inspire the patriot in you.
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