I'm about halfway through book 1 and it's been a very enjoyable listen. Definitely give it a try.

SpreadsheetAg said:

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Ever read Watchers by Dean Koontz? That's a really good one

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Have not. Only Koontz books I've read are his Frankenstein series which was really good.

YouBet said:

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SpreadsheetAg said:

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Ever read Watchers by Dean Koontz? That's a really good one

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Have not. Only Koontz books I've read are his Frankenstein series which was really good.

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Koontz can be great (as in Watchers) or terrible (as in House of Thunder).

His Odd Thomas books are very good as well. I would recommend them for fun reads.

But Watchers is my favorite Koontz book of all.

Yep, a big fan of the Odd Thomas series. It's been years since I finished those, so it may be time for a re-read.

Actually own the first Odd Thomas. Bought the paperback years ago and never have picked it up.

Do it! Loved them

Finished Recursion. Great book. By the time I hit the halfway point I could not put it down. Had to know what was going to happen next all the way until the end. I agree that I like Dark Matter a bit more, but that's no incrimination to Recursion. Just a testament to how bad ass Dark Matter is.

Clavell said:

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1st Quarter Reads:
1) "Shadowland" by Peter Straub (C+)
2)-4) "The Island of Dr Moreau", "The Food of the Gods", and "The First Men in the Moon" by H. G. Wells (B-)
5) "The Magic Circle" by Katherine Neville (B)
6) "The White House Years" by Henry Kissinger (A)
7) "The Ferryman" by Justin Cronin (A-)
8) -9) "Paris" and "Munich" (Shadowseer #2 & #3) by Morgan Rice (B)

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2nd Q:
10) The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne (B)
11) Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne (B)
12) The Long Walk by Stephen King as Richard Bachman - when on treadmill I set at 4 mi/hr, but imagine walking at least that rate for days (B+)
13) Where the Birds Never Sing: The True Story of the 92nd Signal Battalion and the Liberation of Dacha by Jack Sacco (B-)
14) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - Was a bit worried going in since really only one character, but worth the read (A-)
15) Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini (B)
16) Sabriel by Garth Nix - like author so thought would be better (B-)
17) The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson - learned a lot (A)
18) Night Chills by Dean Koontz (C)
19) Rome (Shadowseer #4) by Morgan Rice (B)
20) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - a bit tough to make it through, but learned a lot of history (B-)
21) Old Bones (Nora Kelly #1) (B+)
22) Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson - just too much woe is me for my taste (B)

Started two books today as an added pause before jumping back into book 4 of Red Rising (Iron Gold). Starter Sing Backwards and Weep (Mark Lanegans autobiography) and A Boys Life (Robert McCammon). Another of those books referred to me as best read ever. After finishing off Red Rising have so many decisions. On deck to chose from:

The Book Thief
Wayward Pines trilogy
Will of Many
Sun Eater books
Leviathan books

Here's a vote for Wayward Pines.

They're really good and you'll knock them out quickly.

Went to B&N today. Found the lone Koontz book in the place and it was Watchers. Took that as fate considering earlier conversation and bought it.

Also picked up Red Rising since that seems to be the hot book right now on here.

America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

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My friend made the cut at #97

nai06 said:

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Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

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My friend made the cut at #97

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I'm guessing you've read Ghost, so what were your thoughts?

Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

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Thanks for posting. I've read 28, I think. My all-time favorite novel comes in at #15.

Always drives me nuts to see 100 Years of Solitude on these all-time lists. Terrible book.

YouBet said:

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Always drives me nuts to see 100 Years of Solitude on these all-time lists. Terrible book.

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Yeah, some really horrible books that are considered classics, some on this list. I just don't get it. It's like once someone decides a piece of drivel is a classic, everyone has to continue to keep that label on it indefinitely.

Kaiser von Wilhelm said:

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YouBet said:

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Always drives me nuts to see 100 Years of Solitude on these all-time lists. Terrible book.

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Yeah, some really horrible books that are considered classics, some on this list. I just don't get it. It's like once someone decides a piece of drivel is a classic, everyone has to continue to keep that label on it indefinitely.

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I'm surprised its not on the list, because Stoner definitely fits this category. Considered a classic, and by many the best book ever written. It was a light read, enjoyable, but drama-less. Nothing of it for me checked any of the boxes of praise it has received. I can say there are a few that definitely passes muster. Lonesome Dove, LOTR, and SOFAI are undoubtedly some of the best ever written.

Seems a strange list to me.

Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

---

I started strong with 10 of the top 20, but only finished with 27.
I didn't count the one Alex Cross book since it was listed as a series nor Moby Dick, since I bailed on it.

There's a lot to question about the list. No Faulkner, Steinbeck, or Verne, but 50 shades of Gray and The Hunger Games make the list? Granted I haven't read either of them, so I shouldn't judge, but I am.

StinkyPinky said:

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Kaiser von Wilhelm said:

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YouBet said:

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Always drives me nuts to see 100 Years of Solitude on these all-time lists. Terrible book.

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Yeah, some really horrible books that are considered classics, some on this list. I just don't get it. It's like once someone decides a piece of drivel is a classic, everyone has to continue to keep that label on it indefinitely.

---

I'm surprised its not on the list, because Stoner definitely fits this category. Considered a classic, and by many the best book ever written. It was a light read, enjoyable, but drama-less. Nothing of it for me checked any of the boxes of praise it has received. I can say there are a few that definitely passes muster. Lonesome Dove, LOTR, and SOFAI are undoubtedly some of the best ever written.

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"Stoner"? Never heard of that. Who wrote it?

YouBet said:

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StinkyPinky said:

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Kaiser von Wilhelm said:

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YouBet said:

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Always drives me nuts to see 100 Years of Solitude on these all-time lists. Terrible book.

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Yeah, some really horrible books that are considered classics, some on this list. I just don't get it. It's like once someone decides a piece of drivel is a classic, everyone has to continue to keep that label on it indefinitely.

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I'm surprised its not on the list, because Stoner definitely fits this category. Considered a classic, and by many the best book ever written. It was a light read, enjoyable, but drama-less. Nothing of it for me checked any of the boxes of praise it has received. I can say there are a few that definitely passes muster. Lonesome Dove, LOTR, and SOFAI are undoubtedly some of the best ever written.

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"Stoner"? Never heard of that. Who wrote it?

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John Edwards Williams. For some reason it has been making the rounds recently by all of the social media book reviewers as their favorite book ever. The prose are outstanding, vivid, and top notch. But the story itself is about as vanilla and binary as you get. I equate it to a master painter painting a simple sunflower.

I read Gulliver's Travels in high school... it was a good read for sure.

Re: Pillars of the Earth... got that book circa '94 via one of those 10 books for a penny offerings. I still have that first edition.

Reminds that I need to read a lot more Ken Follett. Eye of the Needle is on my list. For sure.

lurker76 said:

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Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

---

I started strong with 10 of the top 20, but only finished with 27.
I didn't count the one Alex Cross book since it was listed as a series nor Moby Dick, since I bailed on it.

There's a lot to question about the list. No Faulkner, Steinbeck, or Verne, but 50 shades of Gray and The Hunger Games make the list? Granted I haven't read either of them, so I shouldn't judge, but I am.

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You have to remember that it was voted on by people, so they're going to be some disappointments.

The Twilight series and 50 Shades (Twilight fanfic) are examples of this.

No Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club/Invisible Monsters) also surprised me.

Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

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26 for me. No expert but my one big question is choosing a Vonnegut book are you really picking Sirens of Titan over Slaughterhouse Five?

Read Golden Son in 3 days.

AgHawkeye said:

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Backyard Gator said:

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America's 100 most loved books, per Great American Read

Some of them are series.

I think I've read 24 of the titles (counting some series once).

---

26 for me. No expert but my one big question is choosing a Vonnegut book are you really picking Sirens of Titan over Slaughterhouse Five?

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Had that exact thought. I love SoT but S5 is a masterpiece.

I would venture that even Mother Night is ahead of SoT

I've only read 22 on that list and have desire to only read a handful more that I haven't.

Read 31 on list for sure. A couple more I think, but so long ago not certain.

I see "Clan of the Cave Bear" on that list.
Anyone read it? Thoughts?

Apache said:

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I see "Clan of the Cave Bear" on that list.
Anyone read it? Thoughts?

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Been about 40 years ago, but I thought it was good. There were some other books after that I believe, but never read for some reason.

I read it when it was first published, then read all the others. It was interesting and enjoyable, with a lot of feminine empowerment, but it wasn't off-putting. I also read the rest of the series, and they slowly dropped in quality. I'm not sure how many there were, I think 4 or 5. It was good enough for a re-read, bit I loaned it to someone, and he kept it, I never bought another copy.

Just finished Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Amazing. I can see why so many people were pushing me to read it. I'd elaborate more but I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it and I'm exhausted.

Now I have to figure out what's next.

Books read in 2025:

January
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut (re-read)
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle (re-read)
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides
Project Hail Mary - Andy Wier
Pines - Blake Crouch
Wayward - Blake Crouch

February
The Last Town - Blake Crouch

March
Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

April
Red Rising - Pierce Brown
Golden Son - Pierce Brown

May
Morning Star - Pierce Brown
Echos of Reckoning - Ron Shaw

June
Dune - Frank Herbert
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

On deck:
Broken Reflections - Ron Shaw
Iron Gold - Pierce Brown
Light Bringer - Pierce Brown
Dark Age - Pierce Brown

The Wisdom of Crowds(Age of Madness Book 3) by Joe Abercrombie. Done with his 9 books in this universe, and I'm really glad I picked them up. I enjoyed The First Law trilogy the most, but this second trilogy was good too. I hope he returns to this universe and writes another trilogy since he clearly left himself that option.