I'm all about Stephen King and Jeffrey Archer. Come talk to me, especially if you're all about The Stand and The Long Walk and Prisoner of Birth
i mean, it's on my shelf, looking at me. it's not the sort of thing i'd think to tell someone to read, but it's not bad. it's, yunno, alright.
If you're open to young adult sci-fi check out William Sleator. The Boy Who Reversed Himself is my favorite. House of Stairs was another great one. For young adult fantasy, you could always read the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms books. I picked up the Wrinkle in Time series to read to my kids, I remember loving that series, as well as the Dark is Rising quintet. Unfortunately all my recommendations are easy reading, I haven't had much time to read for myself as of late.
The Quiet American, The Stranger, Major Barbara (a play), Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Faulkner stuff (Sound and the Fury / As I Lay Dying / The Reavers), Slaughterhouse 5, Robinson Crusoe, Tristram Shandy (in progress, but really good), and wouldn't usually recommend academic history books but Weimar Germany: Republic of the reasonable by Paul Bookbinder is solid and readable.
I don't read much fantasy but in general literature, i think my favourite book is The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. It is such a joy to read, crazy imaginative and fun, but also dark and set against a very serious historical backdrop. I also like 'Coming Up For Air' by Orwell though that might just appeal to my English pessimism.
idk if you're into space operas, but if you are, Peter F. Hamilton is one of my favorites. His Commonwealth series (Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained, The Void Trilogy, and his new trilogy) is phenomenal. Also, I couldn't help but notice the lack of Warhammer/40k in your list of read books. Get on that Bane Shift.
All of the WH books I have read were horribly written. Readable, absolutely, but formulaic and shallow. If you are after easy reading this might be an option, but if you are after goo books not so much
I have to ask which ones you read, since I'll agree with you on some of them. But the authors themselves vary pretty wildly in their writing styles, so I have to wonder if you perhaps managed to read some of the lesser works.
I might have. The one I remember most clearly was about a pikeman unit that fought a campaign against Orcs. The characters were members of said unit, one pyromaniac, one geezer, one psycho, stuff like that. Ended in a glorious battle that read like a 2500 pt battle report.
Hmmm... Yeah, most of the good ones go a bit more into the psyche behind the battling, rather than just listing off impressive battle stats. I'd really look into some of the 40k-type stuff about some of the more niche Space Marine chapters like the Grey Knights, the Space Wolves, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, etc. In the end, though, a lot of it comes down to taste.
Seriously, get on Discworld. Terry Pratchett was a genius, his understanding of the human psyche and his ability to transform incredibly complex and pressing issues into a fantasy world filled with human astounds me. Also: the assassins apprentice/quest etc - but dense but incredible.
I kinda went on a spending binge when I last went to the store. I got the second and 3rd Locke Lamora books (The first is kinda like oceans 11 but in medieval times), a box set of the Night Angel series (I have already read them but they were on sale and I didnt have physical copies myself. Mort (First of the death arc in discworld), I ordered The Book of the New Sun (Gene Wolfe), and 1 or 2 other books with names that escape me.
Shannara series is good fantasy. by Terry Brooks. They're making a tv series based off of them. Also The chronicles of Thomas covenant the unbeliever is a classic series. By Stephan R Donaldson. Probably unlike anything else you've read. It will explain why a lot of guys my age have white gold wedding rings. Another author you should look into is Michael Moorc0ck. He has several series that sort of tie together through an eternal champion theme, the best of which is Elric of Melinbone. Book of Swords series by Fred Saberhagen. And anyone who has read the Silmarillion should also read Unfinished Tales. Damn dude there are some serious gaps in your fantasy reading. Don't get sucked in to all that D&D derivative Bane Shift.
