I need a new book

[Sublime]

I just finished reading Harry Potter series which I am not afraid to say I loved them. The other series that I love the the Lord of the Rings which is classic. I want something that is somewhat easy to read . I read to relive stress and to go along for the journey not to rack my brain about this or that. Second I want a series that is lonnggggg I loved the fact that I had a ton of pages to go through in LOTR and HP as long as the story is encompassing I don't mind.

What do the maggots say?

[Neezer]

I guess it might be too much thinking, but freakonomics is a great read...so it "a short history of nearly everything". Both are great interesting reads.

Have you read the Bourne books? Robert Ludlum is great!

[Will]

Go pick up some stuff by Neal Stephenson. It's clever, entertaining as hell, and smart. His books are part sci-fi, part cyber-punk, part historical fiction (depends on which one you read).

I'd recommend:
- Snow Crash
Which has the best opening few pages of almost any book I've ever read

- Cryptonomicon
Which is just crazy good and my go-to book when I need to give a guy a present [My go to book when I need to give a girl a present is "Winter's Tale" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter%27s_Tale_%28novel%29)]

And if you really like looooong books, Stephenson's "The Baroque Cycle" is about eight novels originally published in three volumes, and clocks in at around 3000 pages. But to be honest, I didn't think that highly of it. At least not compared to his other works.

oh hell, here's a quote from the opening of Snow Crash:

When it gets down to it — talking trade balances here — once we've brain-drained all our technology into other countries, once things have evened out, they're making cars in Bolivia and microwave ovens in Tadzhikistan and selling them here — once our edge in natural resources has been made irrelevant by giant Hong Kong ships and dirigibles that can ship North Dakota all the way to New Zealand for a nickel — once the Invisible Hand has taken away all those historical inequities and smeared them out into a broad global layer of what a Pakistani brickmaker would consider to be prosperity — y'know what? There's only four things we do better than anyone else:
music
movies
microcode (software)
high-speed pizza delivery

[Hugh Conway]

Stephenson ended with the Baroque when somehow his editors checked in dead. "Snow Crash" "cryptonomicon" and "The Diamond Age" are worth a read

Heh, yes, Winter's Tale is good. i suppose as a gift as well. Also by Mark Helprin "A Soldier of the great war". Not so keen on "memoir from antproof case"

Escape from Kathmandu - Kim Stanley Robinson
Lost Horizon - James Hilton

[bio-smear]

Stephenson ended with the Baroque when somehow his editors checked in dead. "Snow Crash" "cryptonomicon" and "The Diamond Age" are worth a read

2nded. or 3rded? I was obsessed with katanas after I read Snow Crash. Zodiac is decent too. Diamon Age was more of a snoozer for me. I won't even begin the Baroque Cycle, I haven't heard anything good. Cryptonomicon though is a must-read. MUST READ.

I read the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons last year, it quickly became a favorite. Currently reading Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction.

Yes, I'm a space opera dork.

[bennerlur]

A Clockwork Orange-Anthony Burgess
Super creepy, a quick read to.
The Road-Cormac McCarthy
Also pretty creepy, havent finished it yet but decent so far.
On a lighter note, have you read Eragon by Christopher Paolini?
I read it right after Harry Potter, if your in that kinda mood it works quite well.

[stapes]

you want a long book you say?

only one choice:

Infinite Jest

one of my all-time favorite reads

get it. read it. thank me later.

[iceman]

The Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin series will keep you busy for a looong time. He was a fine writer. The last couple of books tail off a bit but he was nearly 90 when he wrote them.

Pick up one of the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald, preferably one of the early ones (mid 60's copyright date) and you will instantly have 20 books you look forward to reading.

[Huckwheat]

WEll, I can recommend more intellectual books, but in the vien of LOTR and HP.....

Philip Pullman are fairly entertaining. Golden Compass series. Some funny controversy with the Catholic church being the evil force in this alternate world.


I second Cormac McCarthy (although very dark).....I am reading No Country for Old Men right now (before seeing movie :)).

[gorms]

I just finished Rant: The Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk.
It was a fun read with neat characters and some interesting twists.

[philippeR]

Long serie ? Easy to read ? I second Hyperion. (And I suppose you've read the Dune books).
Or find yourself a nice prolific noir novel author in his 60s and read him all. McBain, Westlake, Hillerman, Burke... That should keep you entertained for a while. I also heart "ethnic" or historical whodunits. Van Gulik's Judge Dee comes to mind.

[PassTheDutchie]

The Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin series will keep you busy for a looong time. He was a fine writer. The last couple of books tail off a bit but he was nearly 90 when he wrote them.


I'd definitely second this, especially if you want to get into a series. But a caveat: you mentioned that you wanted "easy" reads. O'Brien really reads like serious literature and gets fairly deeply into archaic nauticaleze/tactics. Really great if you like historical fiction though.

[pechelman]

you want long?
never read them, but my gf has and has seemed to like them all

Stephen Kings Dark Tower series
Robert Jordans Wheel of Time series
CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia

Not so long, but fun reads and great writing, just read through Robertson Davies Deptford Trilogy

also, its not long and its not light reading, and maybe not something youd find relaxing, but For Whom the Bell Tolls comes with really high reccomendations. Just finished that and havent wanted to read any fiction since. (cause it was so good)

also, maybe the Dune series, the 2001 series, or the Heechee books by Pohl?

[Charli2na]

Check out Stephen King's the dark tower series. King basically wanted to write his own Lord of the Rings, but didn't want to do the sword and magic thing. He watched the good, the bad, and the ugly then spent 30 years writing 7 books as his magnum opus.

Seems to fit what you're looking for. Having recently read "The Road" and "Blood Meridian", I highly recommend McCarthy as well.

[dookey67]

If you're looking for easy reads try some Carl Hiasson.

Also, if you dug Harry Potter and LotR, you could always go back and scour the Lloyd Alexander High King series (Taran Wanderer, The Black Caldron, etc) and The Chronicles of Narnia. Another good series is the Dark Is Rising one from Susan Cooper. Keep in mind these are more "young adult" in nature (kind of like Harry Potter), but no less entertaining and definitely provided a lot of inspriation for Harry Potter.

[Wiilbert]

+3 for the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. 4 very well written books with an interesting story, the first book won the Nebula Award I believe

+2 (I think) for The Wheel of Time series from Robert Jordan, it will take months to work your way through the series and they're easy to get into.

[bennerlur]

3rd Stephen Kings Dark Tower series, very dark and twisted at times but so much fun to read.
I found Pullmans "his dark materials" trilogy very entertaining, granted I was younger when I read it.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque. Not exactly light and entertaining, but it's written in a very simple and easy to access language while still being powerful.

[Kied]

It's way off what you're looking for, but seriously one of the most facinating, increadible books I've ever read. "Mark Of The Grizzly" by Scott McMillion.... it'll leave the hair on the back of your neck standing straight up. The type of book you finish in a day or two and immediatly want to start reading all over again.

[blackhand]

If you're looking for easy reads try some Carl Hiasson.

seconded on Hiaasen. Buy Native Tongue, Strip Tease and Double Whammy for a good starter.

[Hutch]

The Patrick O'Brien Aubrey/Maturin series will keep you busy for a looong time. He was a fine writer. The last couple of books tail off a bit but he was nearly 90 when he wrote them.

Pick up one of the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald, preferably one of the early ones (mid 60's copyright date) and you will instantly have 20 books you look forward to reading.

I could have written this post.

What else you got, iceman? I would love to find a new series with a heroic duo as compelling as Jack and Steven or Trav and Meyer.

[spindrift]

Regarding some of the suggestions:

Finally got around to His Dark Materials last month - a fun read & along the lines of the original examples

Hyperion - another fun read

Snow Crash & Cryptonomicon get thumbs up

Wheel of Time - starts strong & gets your hopes up. Then, several thick volumes in, it descends into true suckage. I want all that time back. Years later, I still resent it...

In a very different vein, try The Remains of the Day. It got my attention when a buddy of mine who's usually a Sci Fi fan said it was the best book he'd ever read. Definitely right up there no matter what genre you usually favor. I rate it a must read - and I often hate what the "literature" crowd tags as great.

On the less well known Sci Fi front, try the Sleepless trilogy starting with Beggars in Spain. Or for a short but interesting book, try the Truth Machine.

[redkal]

Stephen Kings Dark Tower series
Robert Jordans Wheel of Time series
CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia
Pullman's Dark Materials


But hands down, best series I have read recently in this vein is Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. Incredibly good series - on par with LOTR. Amazing characters, amazing storylines, amazing world... and he kills off major characters with impunity. Very very good series.

[bubba-k]

Totally out of the norm from most of the lists but I find ed abbey to be a seriously fun read. My favorite is probably the long road home, all sorts of fun outdoor adventures with a touch of hobo philosophy...

[iceman]

I could have written this post.

What else you got, iceman? I would love to find a new series with a heroic duo as compelling as Jack and Steven or Trav and Meyer.

If you want duos you gotta throw Robert Parker's Spenser and Hawk in there. Very entertaining books, he actually hit a lull in the 90's but has come back with some good stuff in the past few years (just don't spend too much trying to figure out if the plot makes sense, because it doesn't.).

Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee are good, too.

Can't think of many more duos offhand.

[Professor Chaos]

Philip K. Dick's, The Man In The High Castle

I recommend that to EVERYONE. Good read. As are most of his works, but this is his first and its just great.

That or if you want something not so sci-fi/fiction-ish read Terrence McKenna's The Food of the Gods. Also very dope.

[Fuzz]

Highly recommend George RR Martin's series and Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn (set in fictional feudal Japan).

Simon Green is another author I'm reading -- very enjoyable. Blue Moon Rising is a sword-and-dragon story with a twist. Just finished the first of his Nightside series, Something from the Nightside and intend to continue.

[Buster Highmen]

Not as easy as Tolkien, but if you like fantasy, try anything by James Branch Cabell. The series is called The Lineage of Dom Manuel and includes:


Beyond Life (1919) S1, B1. Essentially a non-fiction essay on life and fiction-writing.
Figures of Earth (1921) S2, B2 The tale of the rise of Dom Manuel himself from swineherd to count.
The Silver Stallion (1926) S3, B3. The story of the Lords of the Silver Stallion, Manuel's court, after his death
Domnei (1920) S4*, B5. The original version of this was published as The Soul of Melicent in 1913.
The Music from Behind the Moon (1926) S4*, B45.
Chivalry (1909, revised 1921) S5, B6. The 1909 edition had no references to Manuel.
Jurgen (1919) S6, B7 (1919) Cabell's most famous book.
The Line of Love (1905, revised 1921) S7, B8.
The High Place (1923) S8, B9.
Gallantry (1907, rev. 1922) S9, B10.
Something About Eve (1927) S10, B11.
The Certain Hour (1916) S11, B12.
The Cords of Vanity (1909, rev. 1920)
From the Hidden Way (1916) S13*, B14 (verse)
The Jewel Merchants (1921) S13*, B15 (play)
The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck 1915) S14, B16.
The Eagle's Shadow (1904, rev. 1923) S15, B17.
The Cream of the Jest (1917) S16*, B18.
The Lineage of Lichfield, (1922) S16*, B 19 (a fantastic genealogy of the Biography)
Straws and Prayer-Books (1924) S17, B20. Essays, plus one fantasy story.
Townsend of Lichfield (1930, collecting essays published since 1920) S18*, B 21. Essays.
The Way of Ecben (1929) S18*, B48. Contains a symbolic colophon to the series entitled Hail and Farewell.
The White Robe (1928) S18*, B47.
Sonnets of Antan (1929) S18*, B49 (verse)
Taboo, (1921, rev. 1930) S18*, B44 (a thinly veiled fantasy-style recounting of the Jurgen obscenity trial)

Cabell might be the greatest lost American author:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Branch_Cabell

[leroy jenkins]

Don't know if its been said, but Asimov's Foundation series is pretty long, easy to read, interesting, and actually has some good philosophical/sociological ideas. Not too heady though, you can ignore all the symbolism and shit if you just want to read.

[alias]

Go pick up "magician" by Raymond E. Feist. Easy, entertaining and quite a large series if you like it.

OR

Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. Very good series there as well.

[Fuzz]

The Belgariad series by David Eddings.

[philippeR]

Not as easy as Tolkien, but if you like fantasy, try anything by James Branch Cabell. The series is called The Lineage of Dom Manuel and includes:


Beyond Life (1919) S1, B1. Essentially a non-fiction essay on life and fiction-writing.
Figures of Earth (1921) S2, B2 The tale of the rise of Dom Manuel himself from swineherd to count.
The Silver Stallion (1926) S3, B3. The story of the Lords of the Silver Stallion, Manuel's court, after his death
Domnei (1920) S4*, B5. The original version of this was published as The Soul of Melicent in 1913.
The Music from Behind the Moon (1926) S4*, B45.
Chivalry (1909, revised 1921) S5, B6. The 1909 edition had no references to Manuel.
Jurgen (1919) S6, B7 (1919) Cabell's most famous book.
The Line of Love (1905, revised 1921) S7, B8.
The High Place (1923) S8, B9.
Gallantry (1907, rev. 1922) S9, B10.
Something About Eve (1927) S10, B11.
The Certain Hour (1916) S11, B12.
The Cords of Vanity (1909, rev. 1920)
From the Hidden Way (1916) S13*, B14 (verse)
The Jewel Merchants (1921) S13*, B15 (play)
The Rivet in Grandfather's Neck 1915) S14, B16.
The Eagle's Shadow (1904, rev. 1923) S15, B17.
The Cream of the Jest (1917) S16*, B18.
The Lineage of Lichfield, (1922) S16*, B 19 (a fantastic genealogy of the Biography)
Straws and Prayer-Books (1924) S17, B20. Essays, plus one fantasy story.
Townsend of Lichfield (1930, collecting essays published since 1920) S18*, B 21. Essays.
The Way of Ecben (1929) S18*, B48. Contains a symbolic colophon to the series entitled Hail and Farewell.
The White Robe (1928) S18*, B47.
Sonnets of Antan (1929) S18*, B49 (verse)
Taboo, (1921, rev. 1930) S18*, B44 (a thinly veiled fantasy-style recounting of the Jurgen obscenity trial)

Cabell might be the greatest lost American author:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Branch_Cabell

Thanks for the pointer. I love this site...

[payote]

The Fionavar Tapestry (Trilogy) by Guy Gavriel Kay is an amazing read in the vein of LOTR. Best fantasy books I've read hands down. I highly recommend all of his books as a matter of fact.

I've enjoyed all of Neal Stephenson's books as well with Cryptonomicon being the stand out. I thought the Baroque Cycle was good as well (I've actually read it twice), it is a long haul though.

I'd agree with a previous poster on the Wheel of Time series, it started great back in about 1990 and I hung in there until about book 8, but the guy is still trying to milk it and I don't think he's ever going to wrap up the story line. I've given up and won't go back.

Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and "No Country for Old Men" are two of the best books I've ever read. I also read "Suttree" and had a hard time getting into that one.

But to highlight my point - read Guy Gavriel Kay!

[tahoejuju]

Two recommendations:

I Am America And So Can You - Steven Colbert

Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedas

[The AD]

Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee are good, too.

The Hillerman books are a cheap, but entertaining thrill. Definitely a good choice for the "easy reading" Sublime is looking for.

[satori]

Have you read the Bourne books? Robert Ludlum is great!

seconded, I loved the Bourne books, but the movie trilogy is way off the mark, unlike LOTR which rocked.

Have you read anything by James Michner? Not trilogyesque, but books like Hawaii and Poland are freaking spectacular. The first 80 pages of Hawaii only gets to the islands reaching up from the floor bed to the ocean surface. I thought it woulda been boring after reading the first 5-10 pages, but before I knew it, I had already reached over 100 in one sitting. He is incredible IMHO.

Haruki Murakami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World is awesome too, as are many of his books. Very good author.

[Big Blue]

The Fionavar Tapestry (Trilogy) by Guy Gavriel Kay is an amazing read in the vein of LOTR. Best fantasy books I've read hands down. I highly recommend all of his books as a matter of fact.

I've enjoyed all of Neal Stephenson's books as well with Cryptonomicon being the stand out. I thought the Baroque Cycle was good as well (I've actually read it twice), it is a long haul though.

I'd agree with a previous poster on the Wheel of Time series, it started great back in about 1990 and I hung in there until about book 8, but the guy is still trying to milk it and I don't think he's ever going to wrap up the story line. I've given up and won't go back.

Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" and "No Country for Old Men" are two of the best books I've ever read. I also read "Suttree" and had a hard time getting into that one.

But to highlight my point - read Guy Gavriel Kay!

Agree on GGK. Fionavar is absolutely brilliant. Better than LOTR for sure.

As far as the RJ series goes, he's dead. Died last July. The last book in the series (book 12) is being written by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes. Due out next fall. I agree that things slow down as you go on, but still entertaining.

Read Snow Crash and liked it quite a bit, I'll have to try Crypto.

McCarthy is my favorite author, but the OP was asking for a light read and I think McCarthy is the opposite of light.

A note on GRRM. He's stuck on the fifth book right now, which is not the final book in the series. I would wait to read these until he's done if I were you. Fantastic books, but totally incomplete so far.

Another fantastic longer series is The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Best sci-fi series I've read, and I've read a lot. Not very light though. Pretty dark in fact. First book is called Shadow of the Torturer, but don't let that dissuade you.

So to sum up...fantasy=Guy Kay, sci-fi=Gene Wolfe.

[Hugh Conway]

I'd forgotten about it until today - but a perfect fit:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

[dookey67]

Motel Life by Willy Vlautin.

I gave a copy to Corky and he loved it so much he went out and got Vlautin's second novel.

Good ishit.

http://www.willyvlautin.com/news.html

[advres]

I went to the store the other day and bought the last Harry Potter, The Black Echo by Michael Connelly(to start the Harry Bosch series) and Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson all based on suggestions here and another thread.

Finished the last Potter in 3 days, too quick to savor. I should reread it. :(
Halfway through the Bosch opener. I like the NF crime/suspense stuff. reminds me of Lawrence Sanders.
Can't wait to get into the 1152 page beast that is Cryptonomicon.

Thanks for the reads.

[dookey67]

I may have JONGED myself, as most of the suggestions seem to be in the fantasy oriented realm (or deep sci-fi). Still my aforementioned suggestion of Motel Life is a good, solid read, but more in the vein of a bugged out Catcher In The Rye/Road Trip/Accidental Death/Search for Identity in Reno badlands type of joint.

As for more "sci-fi" oriented fare might I suggest the following in all seriousness:

1. has anybody mentioned Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen? That's a modern classic.

2. Also any of the early Jonathan Letham joints are cool and twisted takes on sci-fi, kind of Phillip K. Dick, but better written and a bit trippier:

Gun With Occasional Music
The Wall of the Sky, The Wall of the Eye

3. The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn is like a modern distopian update on the classic Flowers for Algernon motif.

4. Jeff Noon was always highly touted to me (though I still have several of his joints gathering dust on my book shelves). Vurt was his "breakthrough" that got a ton o praise from both the genre heads and the "mainstream" heads.

[Big Blue]

1. has anybody mentioned Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen? That's a modern classic.

Agreed. One of the funniest books I've ever read. Up there with Catch 22 in terms of insane off-beat humor.

[warthog]

I can relate. I like to lose myself in the story, and erase my mind of any stress going on in my life or work. A tough read, though sometimes enjoyable, does not acheive that for me.

I can't recommend anything especially long, but there are several books from each author to read, so they should keep you pretty busy-

Hammock on a beach with a beer books:

Carl Hiasson-
As mentioned before, anything by him. Great classic Florida detective novels.

Randy Wayne White-
Hiasson like, but a much more environmental twist. Main character is a marine biologist/ex seal (or some sort of special ops).

Jimmy Buffet- Where is Joe Merchant?, and A pirate Looks at Fifty. They are both surprisingly good books. One of his great heros is Hemmingway, and while he is no Hemingway, he didn't totally suck either.

Allan Weisbecker- In Search of Captain Zero, and Cosmic Banditos. Capt. Zero is one of my favorite books, and I have read it a bunch.

[cranked]

Three Cups of Tea...more on it here:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123246

Everyone should read it...different perspective on fighting terrorism and changing the world...

[JD]

Just found this list of must reads on Esquire... I didnt count how many of them I've read, but it's quite a few. Good list and some interesting looking ones I never would have known of otherwise.
http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/75-books?src=nl&mag=esq&list=enl&kw=ist

[The AD]

I got a chuckle out of the "The fart joke as literature" as the description for A Confederacy of Dunces.

Weren't they supposed to make a movie out of this starring Will Ferrell? I could have sworn reading that a couple years ago. Hilarious book in an case.

[Hugh Conway]

Europe Central - William T Vollman

[taz]

Raymond e Feist's rift war series. I had the same problem with them as I did the harry potter books, couldn't put them down. for a non series book I would say High Crimes. seriously good read.

[ICEHOCEY77]

http://wwww.gordosoft.com:443/vviz/remin.jpg