Free Republic Book Club (6/16/07): What's your favorite series?

[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.

[randita]

He was 16 when I read the last to him! LOL Wouldn’t tell his friends that, I’m sure.

I still read to my husband and he's almost 60! The last book I read to him was "Undaunted Courage", the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition - GREAT BOOK! Going to be a movie about it, I heard. When we travel, he does the lion's share of driving and I often read to him as he drives because reading in the car doesn't bother me like it does some people.

You're never too old to be read to. That's why so many people like books on tape.

[RobFromGa]

I have offered a free full length, professionally done Adobe eBook version fo the book to all Freepers. You are very generous Jeff, be sure to send me my 50% commission on each free download! :-)

[ironmaidenPR2717]

The Fire & Ice series by George R.R. Martin (haven’t read book 4 yet but will wait until 5 comes out to read both straight through).
Also, the hub & I are reading the 8 volume “Little Britches” series by Ralph Moody (classic!) about a youngster growing up out west at the turn of the century. Superbly written and will hold the attention of child or adult.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

While not necessarily my favorite series, it is high on my list....Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books.

Those books make me LOL. Number 12 is coming out in paperback, and number 13 is coming out in hardcover, both on Tuesday!

[Samwise]

Please add me to the ping list.

Thanks.

[daisyscarlett]

JANET EVANOVICH.COM has exerpts from the first few chapters of LEAN MEAN THIRTEEN. This is a great website with Q&A section and other features.

[henkster]

Holy Cow! Tom Swift Books!!!!!

I must have read 20 of them when I was growing up!

[henkster]

If I hav to list a fiction series, I also have a high opinion of Saberhagen’s “Berserker” series. Great insight into human nature; no matter how real and total the external threat, mankind still fell out with each other, fighting amongst each other when they should be united. Even a few traitors joining the enemy robots.

Kind of like America’s performance as a society in the war on terror, ya think?

[theFIRMbss]

>Holy Cow! Tom Swift Books!

------------------------------------------------

John Leyba: What initially got you interested in technology and science? When did you get started?

Steve Wozniak: Around 4th grade, I'd say. I started reading "Tom Swift" books. They were about this young guy who was an engineer who could design anything, and he owned his own company, and he would entrap aliens, and build submarines, and have projects all over the world. It was just the most intriguing world, like the first TV shows you ever watched.

Steve Wozniak, the son of a Lockheed engineer, grew up in Sunnyvale, where he dreamed of having his own computer. The rest is Silicon Valley legend.

[henkster]

I wanted an atomic earth drill for Christmas...I had dreams of my own metal-rich magma gusher in the backyard of Fall Creek Elementary School.

[CholeraJoe]

Holmes, Sherlock Holmes. JK Rowling should take note. Doyle killed off Holmes but had to bring him back by popular demand. Look for more tales of Harry Potter, Ministry Auror and new Leader of the Order of the Phoenix.

[theFIRMbss]

>I wanted an atomic earth drill for Christmas...

I've never gotten
the dream of graceful space flight
out of my mind. This

is still in my dreams--
cruising past Saturn riding
some kind of space kite ...

"A solution to the prohibitive cost of producing vehicles for further space explorations is Tom Swift Jr.'s new goal. But the success of the young scientist-inventor's project is threatened by the wily Li Ching, a renegade scientist. Banished from his native land because of rebellious acts, Li Ching is now the leader of a ruthless group intent on pirating scientific secrets. "But Li Ching and his nefarious confederates are only partially responsible for Tom's troubles. Olin Whaley, an unscrupulous international criminal, proves to be a second formidable obstacle. "Despite the ever-present threats of sabotage and piracy, Tom and his friend Bud Barclay are soon taking Tom's latest invention, the Space Kite -- a two-man craft for training future space pilots -- on its test flight. The experiment turns into a harrowing experience when the boys are nearly marooned in outer space. "Undaunted by the failure of the Space Kite, Tom quickly discovers the defect and decides to build a larger craft, the Cosmic Sailer. Certain that he has found the key to economical space explorations, the young inventor still has to conquer the sinister forces working against him. How Tom and the Cosmic Astronauts meet this challenge will keep the reader taut with suspense."

[Political Junkie Too]

I just finished reading the Holmes collection. They are available in the public domain now, 56 short stories and novelettes. You can find them as eBooks or as text files.

-PJ

[Tanniker Smith]

I don't know if Harry will die. Certainly people are prepared for it, but I think it'd be a real downer of an ending to the series. Besides the prophecy, without any contortions of the English language, plainly says that one of the two will live, so it has to be Harry. Otherwise the series has the wrong name on it.

That said, even though that is the end of that story, the world is so rich that she can do several more books in that setting very easily, and possibly craft a separate series of books with new or established characters. (There are enough Neville fans out there...)

TS

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

What's your favorite series?

The Babysitter's Club. Shhh - don't tell anyone.

[GOP_Raider]

The last series I read religiously was the Rogue Warrior series by Richard Marcinko. It's based pretty loosely (for lack of a better term) on his life and times as a Navy SEAL. He's also written a few books on business and leadership which were a little disappointing, but good reads nonetheless.

[Jack Deth]

Hi, Tanniker:

Dashiell Hammett’s “The Coninental Op” series.
Especially:

Red Harvest
The Big Knockover
The Dain Curse

Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe.

Joe Gores’ “Dan Kearney’ series.
Especially:

32 Cadillacs
Skip Trace
Gone. No Fowarding.
Contract Null & Void

Anything by Ross Thomas or his UK pen name, Oliver Bleek. Especially the Cyril “Mac” MacCorkle/Mike Padillo series by Ross Thomas:

The Cold War Swap
Cast Yellow Shadow
The Back Up Men
Twilight At Mac’s Place

Also the Artie Wu/Quincy Durant series.

Chinaman’s Chance
Out On The Rim
WuDu, Ltd.

The original 38 Mack Bolan tiles from Don Pendelton’s “The Executioner” series.

Most anything from Jack Higgins.

Especially his early pre “The Eagle Has Landed’ stuff, before he started badly plagerizing himself.

The Savage Day
Solo
Night Judgement At Sinos
Dark Side Of The Street

David Drake’s “Hammers’ Slammers” series.

Especially;

The Tank Lords
Paying The Piper
The Sharp End
Redliners (Non~”Hammer’s Slammers”, but very good!)

Jack.

[Paperdoll]

How could I ever have omitted Fannie Flagg’s books!
A Red Bird Christmas
Standing In the Rainbow
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl
Fanny Flagg’s Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man

And I just began reading:

Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven

If you need a real lift and lots of chuckles these days, these are all winners!

[TradicalRC]

The Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde