Looking to reignite my passion for reading

a reply to: chiefsmom

Dean Koontz's books was my first obsession as a teen, I read every one of his books Watchers being the first one I picked up and fell in love with back then.

a reply to: GenerationGap

I think you may be onto something with Umberto Eco.


Know Michael Crichton very well.

a reply to: 19Bones79

I'd go with either Moby Dick or American Psycho (but beware of that one--shockingly violent) to reignite some fires.
(goes without saying you'll need a hard copy)

a reply to: 19Bones79

I don't know what you've read before, but a classic is: Foundation series by Asimov.
And Gary Jennings Aztec.
You know both probably?

I've been wanting to read American Gods by Neil Gaiman haven't yet so I don't know if it's good.


a reply to: zosimov

If Bret Easton Ellis: Glamorama is the best I think.

a reply to: Peeple

Haven't read it but couldn't believe how many layers to American Psycho and the social commentary was brilliant; the first and last lines corresponded in such an interesting circular tale.
I'd for sure be interested in reading more of his

a reply to: 19Bones79

My favorite writers,

H.P . Lovecraft

Philip K. Dick

Dmitri Gluhovski

Terry Pratchett




Anyways, looking at how things are currently going, if you have not read Gluhovskis Metro 2033.. its a good choice.

a reply to: 19Bones79

Thank you for your kind observations about my writing style...

First off, I know that I sometimes seem to express things in a way which demands thought to read... it is why some disagree with you and find my style "obtuse"... and I can't really apologize for that because it is somewhat intentional. I'm not trying to be cryptic or ambivalent, I just intend to show that I am mostly asking for thought from the reader... (and hoping that the reader will respond to it.)

I try to write as I speak... which can lead to other problems, but essentially, I mean to make conversation the tone of the post.

Secondly, I am a "he." Not that I mind that you thought of me as a she... that's cool too. To me it means that I have succeeded in way, to not make my writing an affectation of my gender or other such irrelevancies. I assure you, no offense taken... but I couldn't just "let it go" because I felt it might be dishonest to "let it stand."

I hope you find something to read that fires up your passion for it again... I value reading a great deal.

a reply to: 19Bones79

I wonder if you really mean second-person. A narrative in the second person is a story in which the writer addresses the reader/protagonist as 'you', making the two one, so to speak. 'You walk into the kitchen, notice that the outside door is open and step across to close it. You trip over the dog.' That kind of thing.

It's a rare and difficult trick to pull off. In all my life, I have read only two novels written like that: Nocturne for the King of Naples by Edmund White and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, which won the Booker Prize in 2022.

By a remarkable coincidence, it fits your specifications like a glove. A murdered journalist is trying to find out who killed him (in the middle of a confusing and bloody civil war) and expose them. It's not a ghost story in the usual sense at all. And if anything, it's too action-packed.

I'll read on in the thread and see if I can offer a few more suggestions based on what more you reveal about your taste.

a reply to: GenerationGap

The single most quintessential novel for any ATS member is Focault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

Naughty, naughty.

You are quite right, of course.

I highly recommend Ken Follett. He started out writing great thrillers. Then along came his best-selling and most popular book, "The Pillars Of The Earth." The story takes place between the years 1123 and 1174. This led to it's sequel, "World Without End." These became the Kingsbridge Series and two more books have been added. Namely "A Column Of Fire" and "The Evening And The Morning." They are long books, but I've read the first two, (so far), and they just pull you into the world of the 12th Century with living, breathing characters.

a reply to: 19Bones79

I don’t have a book suggestion, but I do have a suggestion.

Check out foreign books that have been translated.
The same thing happened to me with American film. I became very jaded with it and started watching foreign films of all types.

I watched Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian, and even South American films.
I was shocked how different, and how much better some of the story lines were. It opened a whole new world of entertainment to me. There was a series in Chinese that shook me to my core. There was an Indian movie that will forever change the way I perceived the people of India.

Of course there is a lot of junk out there too, but I think you might find a lot of treasures!
Now when I watch American film, it seems boring, lazy and unimaginative to me. There seems to be a lack of depth and layers (as you put it) that I can get so easily with other films.

If anyone is looking for a gripping series to watch right now, there is a series on Netflix called “The Glory”
Highly recommend it.

a reply to: zosimov

I have read Moby Dick.

American Psycho sounds like a plan!


Thank you.

a reply to: Peeple

Excellent, thank you very much!

I'm definitely going to look into your suggestions.

a reply to: XipeTotex

Much appreciated, I do not know Gluhovski.

a reply to: Maxmars

My apologies, I must be recalling someone else and wrongly applied it to you wrt gender.

Duly noted!

And I do not find it obtuse. It's unique on these boards which is why it caught my eye, and it usually forces me to do a double take only because I truly want to understand. Not only what you say but because it helps me form a better picture of the person behind the avatar.

Next time I become entangled I'll ask you to clarify, sir.

a reply to: Astyanax

You're right, I didn't mean it like that, however what you've described made me sit upright and caught my attention.

I will definitely pick those up.

a reply to: TrulyColorBlind

I was convinced I've read Ken Follett before but nothing checks out.


Which one do you recommend as a first read?

a reply to: JAGStorm

Thanks Jag, that's a great suggestion.

About 2 decades ago I had about 80% understanding of German and I'm to this day very disappointed that I simply let it fade away, however there was a very good reason for that.

I did however realize before that happened that learning another language can even change your thought patterns into more complex ways of approaching your perspective on something, and I'm a bit pissed that I never picked up a book in German to explore that "thought complexity" further.

Does a translation do the original work sufficient justice in your opinion for example from Chinese to English?

originally posted by: 19Bones79
Which one do you recommend as a first read?

I would highly suggest reading the first one in the series first, "The Pillars Of The Earth." It was written before it even became a series. "World Without End" was a sequel and the action takes place just after the first one, so I would read it second. I'd almost bet that the third one, "A Column Of Fire," takes place after the time of the second one, but I'm only guessing. I haven't read it yet, but I will! I've heard that the fourth one, "The Evening And The Morning," is a prequel to the first one and takes place around the 990s.

But definitely read "The Pillars Of The Earth" first. It's amazing.

a reply to: 19Bones79

Right. You meant third-person. 'The captain felt a sinking feeling as the Titanic went down,' sort of thing.

I wouldn't recommend nocturnes for the King of Naples, btw.