Book Recommendations

[Stephanie B]

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler.

The DNA for modern American detective novels was set down by Hammett and Chandler.

“I got up on my feet and went over to the bowl in the corner and threw cold water on my face. After a little while I felt a little better, but only a little. I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.” — Raymond Chandler, Farewell My Lovely

[BehindBlueI's]

Any recommendations for other classics to revisit?

Moby Dick. Just a great all around book. Compelling story, well written, characters you get invested in, I re-read it occasionally.

The Jungle. Fiction based on the reality of the day by an original "muckraker" journalist.

And a few Mark Twain books that they didn't have you read in school:

Life on the Mississippi.
The Innocents Abroad.
Roughing it.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

“Shibumi” by Trevanian




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[pangloss]

Dr. Faustus by Marlowe

The Winter of our Discontent by Steinbeck

Notably, the books I've read by Gabriel Garcia Marquez seem to drift through my mind the most--No One Writes to the Colonel mainly. Come to think if it, that novella is a great companion piece to The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James. I'm not sure how that point escaped my attention for 15 years.

To my shame, for the past several years I've almost quit reading fiction.

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[Stephanie B]

Old school (‘70s):

[Sherman A. House DDS]

“God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” by Christopher Hitchens

Also, “No One Left to Lie To,” by Hitchens.


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[NEPAKevin]

And a few Mark Twain books that they didn't have you read in school:

Life on the Mississippi.
The Innocents Abroad.
Roughing it.

Mark Twain also helped Ulysses S. Grant write his memoirs. For the frugal minded, most "classics" are available for kiindle, etc, for free.

[Lex Luthier]

Full Tilt, by Dervla Murphy. It was her first book, and chronicles the then-30-year-old Irish woman's adventures while taking a solo bike tour from Ireland to New Delhi in 1963.
Some consider her the first of the modern adventure travel writers. While she gave short attention to pretty much every country west of Yugoslavia, her eye for subtlety and local color is really evocative. Reading about her experience cycling toward the Buddhas of Bamiyan broke my heart when I thought what became of them.
I now want to read her other books; full Tilt is her first. She is pushing 90, and apparently still writing. I wonder if she still carries that .25 auto?

The second is With Charity Toward None by Florence King. It's kind of misanthrope's reading of historical Misanthropy.
I had read almost nothing of hers beyond her old column in National Review. She is razor-sharp and very very funny.
I can see why Tam is such a fan.
The verse in the last chapter had me laughing out loud last night, which woke the dog.
I think I just reserved all of her books at the local public library.

[holmes168]

Spy Master is the latest by Brad Thor. I have read all of the Scot Harvath books and really enjoy them.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The Other Woman | Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon story with the Russians, Israelis and Brits. Really complex but very interesting and well written story. Some side commentary in the story about how the Brits think that Pax Americana is fading and they are preparing for it as they, themselves becoming a minor player in the world. Not to positive about Donald who is seen as the Tsar's bidet, so to speak.

Russian threat is being greatly underestimated for asymmetric attacks on the West.

A fast and interesting read, great prose. I love Allon. He and Mitch Rapp are my go to secret agent types.