William Gibson: Neuromancer
In my opinion, THE BEST Gibson.
Sci-fi classic. (*****)
Michael Marshall Smith: One Of Us
Weird, but good weird. Great sci-fi that is funny and, well.....weird :) (*****)
William Gibson: Count Zero
Read Neuromancer, then read this....and Mona Lisa Overdrive then read them again, and again, and again. (*****)
Walter M. Miller, Jr.: A Canticle for Leibowitz
Sci-fi fantasy with great depth. (*****)
Elizabeth George: A Great Deliverance
The Inspector Lynley series is a must read for any fan of the mystery genre. The BBC television series, although it deviates a bit from the books, is quite good as well. (*****)
Donna Leon: Death at La Fenice
The Commissario Brunetti mystery series has excellent character development, believable plots, and is set in beautiful Venice. (*****)
Arturo Perez-Reverte: The Club Dumas
Another great multi-dimensional novel by Perez-Reverte. The movie, The Ninth Gate, starring Johnny Depp was well done, however I recommend reading the book before viewing the movie. (*****)
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts: Daughter of the Empire
This fantasy trilogy is epic in scope and yet captures the subtleties and inner turmoil of all of the main characters. (*****)
David Eddings: The Belgariad
Easy reads, yet full of all the elements of a great Fantasy series. Eddings is clearly one of the great classic fantasy authors. (*****)
Neal Stephenson: Snow Crash
Cyberpunk, samurai, pizza delivery guy........has to be good right? (*****)
Caleb Carr: The Alienist
New York City, 1896 and a serial killer is murdering and mutilating young male prostitutes. Dr. Kriezler, the alienist, and his team try to profile this killer before he strikes again.
Serial killings, forensics, dark mystery. Caleb Carr at his best. (*****)
William Gibson: Mona Lisa Overdrive
Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive.....Oh My! (*****)
Philip K. Dick: The World Jones Made
Classic science fiction. (*****)
Iain Pears: The Dream of Scipio
A tangled web of three interconnected stories with a central theme(s) of finding love in the face of death and chaos and of doing what is right.
Manlius must decide whose side to be on as the Roman Empire falls. Olivier de Noyen is a young man in the wrong place at the wrong time during the spread of the Black Plague. Julien Barneuve is in France as the Natzi's invade during WWII. (*****)
- Iain Pears: An Instance of the Fingerpost
Excellent. Dark, historical mystery. Incorporates the early days of medical practice, surgical techniques, and autopsy. Another one that you should probably shy away from if you are about to have or are recovering from surgery. *what was I thinking?? :P (*****)
Charles Todd: Watchers of Time
Just one in the excellent Ian Rutledge mystery series. Charles Todd has an uncanny ability to draw the reader into the psyche of his characters to witness first-hand the physical, emotional, and social devastation that resulted from WWI. (*****)
Aaron Elkins: Loot
A great mystery novel involving Natzi Germany and missing artwork. This is Aaron Elkins best novel. (*****)
Umberto Eco: Name of the Rose
Classic. Excellent. A must read.
The Name of the Rose can be read on one level as a great historical fiction about the lives of monks in 14th century Europe. This story involves a great multiple-murder mystery within the walls of the Italian abbey that Brother William and young Adso visit during their journeys through Europe. On a second level this book can be read as a philosophical treatise on the morality of laughter and on the theological argument of whether Jesus laughed. On a third level the book is a treasure trove of symbolism.
The movie starring Sean Connery & a young Christian Slater was also actually quite good. But of course, read the book first :) (*****)
John Dunning: Cliff Janeway Series
Detective, rare bookseller surrounded by murder and mayhem? My kind of books :) (*****)
Arturo-Perez Reverte: Flanders Panel
Reverte's best. This and the Club Dumas are must reads for anyone who enjoys an intellectual mystery/suspense/ thriller. Reverte has an uncanny ability to weave together a story that involves a multitude of characters occupying various times and locals in history and present day. (*****)
Elizabeth Moon: The Deed Of Paksenarion
Moon manages to tell the classic 'coming of age' fantasy story with a graphic realism and from a distinctly female perspective. (*****)
Glen Cook: The Black Company
Best Fantasy series---EVER! Fantasy mixed with the grim realities of war with a dash of humor and the occasional senseless death. A rare treat :) (*****)
Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere
Excellent. Unique dark fantasy/Sci-fi with a twist! Graphic, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Suspense/Thriller, Myster. (*****)
CHINA MIEVILLE: Perdido Street Station
Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction. Excellent, Mieville is truly unique, but graphic so may not be for all readers. (****)
Matt Ruff: Fool on the Hill
A comic fantasy full of love, hate and self discovery. (****)
Matthew Pearl: The Dante Club
An intellectual historical mystery. Begins with some very graphic scenes, that I do not recommend reading while on morphine or whilst recovering from anesthesia :) (****)
Stephen Donaldson: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
Fantasy/Sci-Fi with a loathful anti-hero struggling to overcome adversity. (****)
Robert Heinlein: Friday
Not about a day of the week. Another great sci-fi classic. (****)
John Case: The First Horseman
Suspense, sci-fi, mystery. A research expedition to excavate frozen bodies in the artic, a strange outbreak of illness in a North Korean village, and a group called The Temple of Light. Case ties all of these elements together in a true edge-of-the-seat thriller. (****)
John Case: The Genesis Code
Patients of an Italian infertility clinic are being systematically murdered. What kinds of experiments were being conducted there, and why would the be involoved? A great suspense thriller. (****)
Dennis Danvers: Circuit of Heaven
Danvers characters try to tackle questions of reality and face decisions of Apocolyptic Reality vs. Utopian Virtual Reality in this sci-fi novel. (****)
William Gibson: Burning Chrome
Gibson sci-fi,......need I say more? (****)
Iain Pears: Death and Restoration
A great Art History mystery series. (****)
Arturo Perez-Reverte: The Seville Communion
All of Perez-Reverte's books are excellent reads that can be read and interpreted on many levels. I felt that in this novel he was exploring, and testing, the boundaries of character stereotypes. (****)
Mark Frost: The List of Seven
Great mystery, suspense, thriller. (****)
Michael Marshall-Smith: Spares
What if in the future the wealthy could have clones of their children created for the use of spare parts? O.k., you get the idea. Very graphic, dark sci-fi/horror that acts as a kind of futuristic social commentary. The kind of book that has a disturbing tendency to linger in your subconscious..........not recommended for those about to undergo anesthesia :P (****)
Neil Gaiman: American Gods
Gaiman's Sandman roots are evident in this unique fantasy novel. Mature, Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mythology. (****)
Charles Mathes: The Girl Who Remembered Snow
I remember really enjoying this and, "The Girl in the Face of the Clock" by the same author, although I must admit that I was on great quantities of morphine at the time as I had only just come out of surgery in hospital. (***)
Julie Kaewurt: Unsolicited
The Booklover's Mystery series is great fun. Kaewurt packs quick reads with murder, conspiracies, romance, and of course, book publishing! (***)
Aaron Elkins: Skeleton Dance
My favorite in the Gideon Oliver Mystery series. Gideon, a forensic anthropologist, continually stumbles across dead bodies in this fun mystery series. (***)
Dan Brown: Da Vinci Code
Who hasn't heard of this book right?? A fun read, but surrounded by a great deal of hype. A good weekend mystery/thriller. (***)
Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time
A lengthy fantasy series perfect for a long winter escape. (***)
Laurie King: A Monstrous Regiment of Women
The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books are actually fun reads, great for foggy rainy days indoors. (***)
Aaron Elkins: A Deceptive Clarity
One of the Chris Norgren Art Mystery series. Fast enjoyable mysteries with lovable characters. (***)
Maisie Dobbs, female sleuth and former battlefield nurse, tackles three major cases in Pardonable Lies. Maisie is brought in by inspector Stratton of Scotland Yard to interview a young girl suspected of murder. Although evidence puts her at the scene of the crime Maisie believes in the girl's innocence. Sensitive to the loss of her own mother at a young age Maisie strives to find the truth before young Avril Jarvis is separated from her mother permanently with a life prison sentence. Upon arriving home to her room at the Compton residence she finds Lord Compton waiting for her with a request to assist his friend Sir Cecil Lawton prove his son's death. Lawton's wife never believed the reports that her son had died in France during the War and on her deathbed made Sir Cecil promise to find their son. This leads Maisie's friend Priscilla to ask her to conduct a similar investigation into the death of her eldest brother Peter. Priscilla lost all three of her beloved brothers in the War yet Peter's body was never found. 
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