I’ve seen Ringo’s name come up a lot on this thread. Could you recommend a good place to start? Do his series books stand alone or should I really start at volume 1?
If you want Space Opera, start with "Through the Looking Glass".
If you tend towards semi-fantasy, go with "There Will Be Dragons".
And if you want the male equivalent of a Harlequin Novel, where the men are manly beyond belief, the women fey, the action over the top, and the good guys ALWAYS win, no matter how wierd it gets. . .try "Ghost".
A Warning on Ghost, however. IT is NOT family-friendly reading. John wrote it to basically get it out of his system. . .and it gets pretty sexual. If you can be considered, by anyone, uptight. . .pass "Ghost" by. It's a wild ride, but parts of it approach triple-x rated. . .
Google "Oh John Ringo NO!", and read the review from the Concrete Tomb of Hradska if you're not sure. . . "Hymn" and "Dragons" are available for free at the Baen Free Library. . .