Alright, this Curious Incident something or other that was recommended earlier looks pretty interesting. I think thats my next read. I've read Streets of Laredo, but not the prequels so I might look into those. I had been told before that they were a bit of a letdown.

The prequels to Lonesome dove are okay. It's the sequel that left me a bit down and out.

Oasis,
I am reading In the Name of the Rose right now. I think it is a wonderful book, goes along well with other historical mysteries. A little bit of a more complicated read. Umberto doesn't try to dumb anything down for the masses. If you know latin, that helps.

I think I am going to read The Shadow of the Wind after In the name of the rose... I hear that book is good too.

Shogun - my favorite

The Wood Witch - interesting and well written book that borders on weird and strange

Not A Good Day To Die: Operation Anaconda - a good non-fiction book that was published in March 2005, and is very similar to Black Hawk Down

mexirab - thanks

i just started the Dark Tower. The Gunslinger is pretty interesting...

If you like McMurtry, you might also like Elmer Kelton. He's a homegrown Texas writer that I find interesting.

[This message has been edited by Dr. Maturin (edited 7/20/2005 2:06p).]

someone else on here pimped Elmer Kelton, so i picked up The Man Who Rode Midnight - not bad, not McMurtry, but a solid book

yeah, Streets of Laredo was definitely no Lonesome Dove. It was a serviceable read, but nothing I would have to recommend. I was actually real dissapointed by the transition he made from LD to SL. There was stuff to be written in that middle ground that he skipped over. And the greatness of Call's character only really worked when you had Gus with him. On his own, and dying at that, he was only pretty decent character.

Any of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee Series.

I saw "Modern Times" by Paul Johnson on Redstone's list. I just finished it and I highly recommend it.

there's a great series of "bernstein Bears" that you just can't put down..

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yeah, Streets of Laredo was definitely no Lonesome Dove. It was a serviceable read, but nothing I would have to recommend. I was actually real dissapointed by the transition he made from LD to SL. There was stuff to be written in that middle ground that he skipped over. And the greatness of Call's character only really worked when you had Gus with him. On his own, and dying at that, he was only pretty decent character.

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That book was too depressing for me. It was good but had none of the life that Lonesome Dove had. Not many do.

I just finished Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Great book!

Coolaid - yeah that was the word I was searching for in my review of it. Depressing. There was no reason to have gotten rid of the son between the two books. To me that was always story writting on his part.

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Coolaid - yeah that was the word I was searching for in my review of it. Depressing. There was no reason to have gotten rid of the son between the two books. To me that was always story writting on his part.

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Squirel, that was one of my major beefs with the book. I think he killed off Newt strictly for shock value. He was a major character in LD but he dedicated just one paragraph in killing him off in Streets of Laredo.

In his defense, McMurtry has said that the period he wrote Strees of Laredo was a depressing point in his life and he wished he had never killed off Agustus in Lonesome Dove and wished he had wrote Streets of Laredo in a diferent manner.

That's interesting to hear about McMurtry. Didn't know that. I didn't have a problem with Gus dying in Lonesome Dove. A good book doesn't have to end with a Hollywood ending and He died a hero's death anyway.

I had an English teacher in HS who had a theory on Newt's absence from the second one. She said that Newt was supposed to be the 'Lonesome Dove' and that after learning Call really was his father, his story had run its course. I thought Streets never should have been written because Call and Gus were a team and those two characters worked off each other. Seperately they were good, together great. He should have let Call just go off into the horizon.

The other idea would to have the sequel revolve more on Newt, who I thought was a character that still had plenty to be developed. I found him the most intriguing character in the first place, though that might be because I was a HS boy when I read it. If he had wanted to make Call a secondary character that would have been good. Then he could still bring Call's life to a conclusion, but not devote 700 pgs to doing it.

No one has mentioned Anything for Billy which is my favorite of McMurtry's westerns. I would recommend skipping Buffalo Gals unless you've read everything else McMurtry ever wrote.

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No one has mentioned Anything for Billy which is my favorite of McMurtry's westerns. I would recommend skipping Buffalo Gals unless you've read everything else McMurtry ever wrote.

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Oh man I could not disagree more. Possibly the worst novel that I have actually read all the way through. Talk about taking liberties with a story, I don't know what he was trying to convey with that book.

Deception Point Dan Brown

I recommend The Brewmaster's Bible.

yeah, i'm on the last dark tower book right now. you know it's a good book series when you are getting sad towards the end of a series, not becasue of whats in the book, but becasue you know you don't get any more stories about the characters.

Lords of Discipline by Conroy

1. Prince of Tides, Conroy
2. Ender's Game, Card
3. Dune, Herbert
5. Children of the Night, Simmons
6. Others, Herbert
7. Boy's Life, McCammon
8. Gone South, McCammon
9. Up Country, Demille
10.Watchers, Koontz
11.Twilight Eyes, Koontz
12.Fear Nothing, Koontz

I noticed American Sphinx on Redstone's list. I'd also recommend Founding Brothers by Joesph Ellis.

First American by HW Brand

Actually, I recommend anything by Brand. He is also a prof at A&M and one of the smartest people I've met.

I just read Battle Cry by Leon Uris... it's a great WWII novel following some Marines in the Pacific.

I just finished "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". Very, very good. Thanks to those you recommended it earlier on the thread.

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He died a hero's death anyway

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he stumbled upon a group of indians, was shot for no reason, then died drunk and legless. i dont know if i call that a hero's death.

(still my favorite book and movie)

Some of my favorites...

Stranger in a Strange Land
The Moon is a Harsh mistress
Time Enough for love
The Cat Who Walked Through Walls

Also,

Dune
Dune: Messiah
Children of Dune

Oasisman:
Read several Eco books. Would say mixed bag. Name of the Rose - Excellent
Foucault's Pendulum - Okay
The Island of the Day Before - Forget it, good premise, but can only do so much with one idea.

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One my all time favorite authors has always been James Clavell. Read and enjoyed all his books - try Shogun, King Rat, Noble House

"Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now."

[This message has been edited by 82ARKAYBEE (edited 7/27/2005 8:00a).]

The Violent Bear It Away
Wise Blood
A Good Man is Hard to Find
Everything That Rises Must Converge

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The Cat Who Walked Through Walls

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I really like Heinlein -- especially his earlier stuff, like "Have Space Suit, Will Travel", "Glory Road", and "Starship Troopers" -- but for some reason this one just never grabbed me.

I really like his "Future history" books, I liked the fact that "Cat" sort of tied alot of the other books together, Time enough for love, Stranger in a Strange Land and the Moon is a Harsh mistress...

The one that was hardest to read for me was "Number of the Beast"...

Forgot to mention "To Sail into the Sunset' (I think that was the title)...Last book in the Future history saga

on the recommendation of people in here i read the curious incident yesterday, and i must say it was pretty good. although it could have been better realized, it was certainly original and a very fun read.

The Event - by Gerald Rolf

It's his first book, but I enjoyed it. Terrorism in the U.S. mystery suspense kind of thing. It was written a few years before 9/11. I think it's only available through Amazon.