# The Last 10 Reads I Loved



## ashel (May 29, 2011)

So I have "Read" (past tense) folder/tag in my kindle, mostly to give me a feeling of accomplishment so I won't flit around from book to book without finishing anything, and I decided to go through it and pick out the last 10 that knocked my socks off. Some are oldies but goodies, some of them are fairly predictable, I guess? But. I think I've gotten many of the recs that led me here from people at KB, so I thought I'd put some of them in one place and see what other people had to say.

1. Lucky You - Carl Hiaasen. Hiaasen's kind of weird, because it seems like it always takes him a little while to get going, so the first like 10% isn't so awesome. But then...THEN...it's a particular kind of humor. I'm pretty sure I "discovered" him because Terry Pratchett recommended him in an interview or something, but I don't think his worldview is particularly similar to PTerry's. He's more...I guess you could call him a cynic? But the books are hilarious (YMMV), and, in the end, morality plays, so everyone gets what they deserve, which I find satisfying at like 2 am.

2. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin. Hadn't read this since I was a kid, but recently picked it up. Still awesome. Just...everything that something supposedly written for kids can be, and a fantastic mystery. Like, "heart warming" and "murder mystery" are not things I would think would go together, but somehow...

3. Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis. You get the sense that the protagonist here wouldn't be quite so miserable in the first half if he wasn't so...English? In the strictly John Cleese-explaining-these-things-to-Wanda sort of way. I say this with love, but there's an acute sense of embarrassment that is a big source of conflict. I kept wanting to yell at him, be more boorish! Embarrass everyone! But instead Jim does things like make insane faces while jumping on beds to vent his emotion, which, of course, someone witnesses. It's a great book. Much of the humor of something like, say, Peep Show, but...better. And ultimately hopeful about love. (Sort of. Dude has to get lucky, after all.) Also, today, for no apparent reason, it's 2.99 (US Kindle).

4. Grendel - John Gardner. Oh man. Just...oh man. Read this book. It's in my perpetual re-read list. It's one of those with all the stuff in it: the universal sort of human existence questions, struggle for meaning, etc etc, and all with a backdrop that lets you finally enjoy that poem you had to read in high school. But in, like, a funny way. Or...that could just be.

5. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt. Noooooot a huge fan of the ending, but up until then: awesomesauce.

6. The Time Machine Did It - John Swartzwelder. This dude wrote more Simpsons episodes than anyone else (I think?), and then he turned to self-publishing short, inexplicable, comedic detective stories. He might also be a hermit? I waffled over buying this book for a while because I was like, dude, 9.99 for what, 40,000 words? Really? Turned out it was worth it.

7. My Uncle Napoleon - Iraj Pezeshkzad. A comedic classic from Iran. I had never read any Iranian (or, Persian, depending on...stuff) literature. This is one of those epic picaresque classics, and the translation is excellent -- I mean, I assume; it must be hard to translate comedy, and the translator worked directly with the author -- though one thing: there are some off-putting references to Hitler. It's kind of confusing, because the setting of the story is during WWII, and the major "villains" of the past however many years, and of Uncle's delusions, are the English. But it was written in the 60s. So. I dunno. It is jarring to be reading something light and funny and then BOOM non-negative Hitler reference. It only happens a couple of times, but it was enough that I kind of stopped reading for a while. I think the major failing of the translation is that the translator didn't put this into context in the forward, but still an interesting read.

8. Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith. Apparently her first book. That is nuts. The chapter with the first murder is...just...wow.

9. At Swim-Two-Birds - Flann O'Brien. Sometimes this crazy modern/postmodern/whatever stuff, with all the meta ins and outs, can get....I dunno, annoying? This stays funny, and the crazy story within a story, characters turning on their creator thing never felt arch and forced, it was just fun.

10. Hombre - Elmore Leonard. His westerns are fantastic. This one, the climax is just...it's a short read, it's like 3.99 or something. Definitely recommended.

11. Bonus book! (I lie, I just can't count.) Alabaster - Caitlin R. Kiernan. Modern, southern-gothic Lovecraftian horror. It's a bunch of short pieces and novellas about one character, deftly weaving back story into current action to slowly unfold the mystery of who this person is and why they're charged with hunting the hidden monsters of the world. I've read several of Kiernan's books, and I actually think this is the best, though The Red Tree: also pretty damn good, especially if you liked The Haunting of Hill House. OOPS: I just looked, and they appear to have taken the kindle edition down? I have no idea why someone would do this. Very stupid. Possibly I'm confused, but...

...

Ok, this was all just a sneaky way of looking for more book recommendations. Put 'em here if any of this jumps out at you. And also, thank you for all the recs!


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## DCBourone (Sep 10, 2012)

Struck by your choice of "Hombre," one of the first books I ever read, and perfect.

Ten books...Ok.  Knocked socks off.  Very good, can't find them now.  Status: sockless.

1.  "Rose" by Martin Cruz Smith.  Not his strongest work, but still excellent if you like his
super precision.

2.  "Selkirk's Island"--the real Robinson Crusoe.  A dry tale of meta-desperation, survival, and
solitude.  A must read if you like R. Crusoe as a child.

3.  "Robinson Crusoe" re-read every few years, still blows me away.  Notable for being one
of the first "for profit" "fictional""novels"--sort of a new phenomena in print at that time.

4.  "Surface Detail" by Ian Banks, next to last most recent in "Culture" series of beautifully
detailed space opera.  Space opera for adults, with a galaxy wide and very plausible array
of competing civilizations.

5.  "Twilight" by, um...so, I had to see what all the fuss was about.  Socks thoroughly knocked 
off, tornadoed into some black hole somewhere.  Not in a good way.  Sometimes I need those
socks.  I suspect I will not be re-engaging with this author, unless she needs a tire changed,
and I'm the only one around.  Then again, never been a teen-aged girl, so perhaps missing
some essential comparative experience.

6.  "Word of Honor" by Nelson Demille, staggeringly good tale of Vietnam vet who must
relive the savagery of his war after being investigated and prosecuted for what appears
to be his participation in a massacre.  Really brilliant.

7.  "Badwater" by Toni Dwiggins.  A meditative and deeply insightful view into the world of
a forensic geologist unwinding a plot to sabotage a national landmark.  A fantastic view
of a place, and a geography, Death Valley.

8.  "Breakers" by E. Robertson.  The same vibe and and slow wind-up of tension found in 
Stephen Kings "The Stand"  This and Badwater two indie authors where I was so surprised
I felt compelled to write a review.

9.  "Dune" Frank Herbert, on the forever cycle of re-read lists.  Nough said.

10.  "Little Drummer Girl" by Le Carre.  Also on the re-read list.  Hmm...looks like
I re-read a lot of favorites.  This book quite brilliant, a detailed look at the 
selection and training of a mind for an almost impossible task.  Much deeper
than a conventional thriller.


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## DCBourone (Sep 10, 2012)

Funny funny.  I can feel the sentiment of a true story addict.

Likewise.  I just re-read first passage of Hombre on Amazon sample, and felt a gust 
of nostalgia for my early, ancient, tattered hardback.  Broken spine and all.

If I'd though you might move so quickly, I probably would have graded them 
for the "pleasure' of reading, as much as the meaning:

The Nelson Demille book probably first for just the whole density of the 
story, and a fantastic and satisfying resolution of justice, served.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I went to my GoodReads.com library, sorted by date read in descending order, then selected the first 10 that I gave 4 or 5 stars to (I give out very, very few 5-star ratings there), leaving out a couple programming books that 99% of you probably don't want to read  :

Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia, by Samuel R. Delany
The Longest Fall, by Cixin Liu (short story)
The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets, by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
Pandora's Star (The Commonwealth Saga), by Peter Hamilton
Dodger, by Terry Pratchett
The Apocalypse Codex, by Charles Stross
Hounded: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book One, by Kevin Hearne
The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham
Mother Night, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The Stupidest Angel, by Christopher Moore


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## DCBourone (Sep 10, 2012)

Genevieve, good call, very good call, on the DeMille.  He is always brilliant but a little uneven,
his series character ( can't remember name ) not as good, a little more formulaic, than his
standalones.  Is that a word?  If M.C.Smith agrees with you, aside from his famous Gorky
Park, do not miss Stallion Gate, absolutely stunning.  Probably suffered a bit, over-shadowed
by audience subconscious pre-awareness of the setting: the development of A-Bomb, Oppenheimer,
Alamogordo.

NogDog, I noticed you found Charles Stross, brilliant if a little dry on characterization, and Vonnegut.
Two great writers.

Genevieve, this is a great post you made.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Here's my list of 4s and 5s going backwards from my goodreads list .... This only goes back to the beginning of October, though, so it's the best 10 of the last 23 books .... So, either I've been more generous than usual with stars or I've been picking better ...

1. *Wool Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey* - Dystopian Science Fiction. Kept putting this one off and then I ended up really enjoying it.

2. *World-Mart by Leigh M. Lane* - More Dystopian Fiction. this one surprised me. I picked it up as a freebie and ended up giving it 5-stars.

3. *School For Scumbags by Danny King* - Lad Lit. Very funny British author - I think this is the 4th book of his I've read ....

4. *Star Trek: Cold Equations: The Persistence of Memory - David Mack* - Star Trek/Space Opera. It's the start of what looks like a great new Trilogy and I want the next ones to come out NOW.

5. *Fight Club: A Novel by Chuck Palahnuik* - Dark Comedy/Men's Adventure/Whatever Chuck Writes. The first rule of Fight Club is do not talk about Fight Club.

6. *Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold* - Fantasy. Book 2 in a series and wonderful fun.

7. *How to Succeed in Evil by Patrick E. McLean* - Superheroes. A pretty funny book about a consultant specializing in Super Villains.

8. *Tricked (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Four) by Kevin Hearne* - Fantasy. Book 4 in a series. the third book wasn't so hot but I really enjoyed this one ...

9. *When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwald* - Fiction. This was a Quasi-Official Book Game book and I really enjoyed it.

10. *The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper* - M/M Romance. This was much more than the standard boy meets boy formula and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

In order of how recently read, most recent first:

1. A Drink Before The War by Dennis Lehane - the first in the Kenzie/Gennaro detective series. (I'm reading the second one now and have the third on "hold" at the library.) Lehane is on the dark side, but he is an excellent writer. 
2. In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson - relatively recent non-fiction.
3. The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson - non-fiction. 
4. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker - quite old but probably his best. 
5. He Who Fears The Wolf by Karin Fossum - Inspector Sejer series by Norweigan noir mystery writer.
6. Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum - same as above, and, I think, even better than the above. 
7. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - for some reason, to me this is a "must read". 
8. Good Morning Darkness by Ruth Francisco - an engrossing, well-written, page-turner from 2004. 
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
10. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly - very entertaining page-turner.


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## DCBourone (Sep 10, 2012)

Really cool to look at all the lists and find at least one of my favorites on each list.

John Gardner's Grendel.  Outstanding.

T. Harris, Red Dragon.


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

I agree with DC about _Red Dragon_. Just within last day or so I mentioned it on another thread about books that stay with us after we've read them. Read it years ago; it haunts me still.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Ordered by author's last name, here is a list of 10 outstanding books from 2011 and 2012.

Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Broken Harbor Tana French
Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christoper Hitchens
The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein
The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
The Caine Mutiny: A Novel of World War II by Herman Woulk


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

I love Amis and  Atwood.  And I can't believe someone mentioned The Sparrow!  I read that last year and never would have expected to see anyone mention it.  Very interesting list Fremont. (I know that's not your name but this darn Fire keeps changing the letters.  ugh.)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

genevieveaclark said:


> 8. Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith. Apparently her first book. That is nuts. The chapter with the first murder is...just...wow.


She thought up that plot, and wrote the novel, when she was jusy 19. I really, really hate her (in a good way).


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## Krystal Wade (Dec 3, 2012)

1. Reached by Ally Condie - Hmm. Well, this is a series I wasn't sure why I continued reading, but I do follow these things through. While the ending was "happy", there was not much action in this book. I was a bit let down.

2. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - I love this series, as you'll see on the rest of this list, but I felt this one was a tad over the top. How much can one couple really go through? When do they get a break?

3. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare - The end of this book was so predictable, but I loved the read.

4. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - Really, I can't review these individually. They've all melded together.

5. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

7. Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake - I love this second book of the Anna Dressed in Blood series. The author did an amazing job of blending horror and fantasy, and I stayed up reading through the night to devour this.

8. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Who knew you could fall in love with a ghost? I certainly didn't, but I did, in fact, fall in love with a ghost.

9. Hidden (House of Night) by PC and Kristen Cast - Why do I keep torturing myself with these books? That is all.

10. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I love Michelle Hodkin, and I especially love Noah and Mara and this unique world they live in. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

genevieveaclark said:


> 10. Hombre - Elmore Leonard. His westerns are fantastic. This one, the climax is just...it's a short read, it's like 3.99 or something. Definitely recommended.


I'm a big fan of his thrillers, but have never read any of his westerns. So, I'll have to try one now.


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