[ADC]

Due to a change in my shift patterns at work i have some spare time i need filling.
I need some recommendations of some books. I have read, in no particular order or preference. All of Dan Brown's books and enjoyed them. All of Thomas Harris's novels involving Hannibal Lecter. I've recently finished Misery by Stephen King and am currently half way through Pet sematary.
can someone recommend any other king books, or for that matter any other decent author.
Many thanks

[Warpaint]

You might try Robert Harris. His books are very well written and factually researched which gives them a believability which is enjoyable. They are a bit colder and darker than the Dan Brown books (I have read them all) and don't have as many fireworks but I enjoyed them immensely

Fatherland
Enigma
Archangel
Pompeii
Imperium

I'd probably start with either Fatherland or Archangel but they are all good.

If you fancy a bit of science fiction then try Neal Stephenson

Zodiac is not a million miles away from the Dan Brown style
Snow Crash and The Diamond Age are slightly more fantastic but the ideas are wonderful.

If you fancy some light reading with a wry humour and a large body count then give Christopher Brookmyre a read.

I started with A Big Boy did it and Ran Away and was hooked. Maybe because the stories take place in Scotland I am a bit biased but they make a cracking read. I think one of the cover notes said something like 'Die Hard in tartan' which gives you an idea what goes on.
Other titles
The Sacred art of Stealing
Be my Enemy
A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil

If you like the first one you read you will probably have to read them all.

[itsamac]

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver?

[zombie_donkey]

If you like sci fi and don't mind getting a bit confused I would recommend Niven, Pournelle and Barnes' Footfall. A huge book and the first chapter was clearly ripped off for the film Independence day.

Oh and Terry Pratchet novels are great.

[Abbeygoo]

Stephen King's Needful Things is a cracking read. Took this on holiday and read through the whole thing cover to cover ..... brilliant stuff from the legend himself.

[RMCF]

Don't know if you want to stray in genres, but if you want to try something different my OH has recently finished:

Shadow of the Wind
A Thousand Splendid Trees

She recommends both highly, and I have just started the fomer.

She says that the latter (by the author of the Kite Runner) is in the Top 3 books she has ever read.

I have also bought myself The Road by Cormac McCarthy of No Country for Old Men fame, and intend to read it shortly.

[bitofatit]

If you like long, satisfying page turners, historically based try:-
Ken Follet - Pillars of the Earth,
James Clavell - Shogun
Conn Iggulden - Emperor trilogy (starts with The Gates of Rome).

Any one of the above will not let you down.

[jojomojo1971]

Phillip Pulman's Dark materias Triology EXCELLENT
James Patterson any
Kathy rechis any
Patricia Cornwell
Karin Slaughter
Tess Gerritisen

The first is fantasy you will actually find them in the kids section but is similar to harry potter and there are bits aimed at adults and bits for everyone.

the rest are crime and thriller authors

these are all books that i can and do read over and over again and never get bored.

[jolly]

Originally Posted by zombie_donkey

If you like sci fi and don't mind getting a bit confused I would recommend Niven, Pournelle and Barnes' Footfall. A huge book and the first chapter was clearly ripped off for the film Independence day.

Oh and Terry Pratchet novels are great.

I second Terry Pratchet books; always put a smile on my face

[Urien Rheged]

JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings or Frank Herbert's Dune if you like fantasy or Sci-Fi. Best two books I have ever read by a long way.

[Uridium]

Same book i always recommend - Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

A book that will have you thinking about it for many months after you finish it.

[boltoa]

Iain (M) Banks. Scifi (with the M) is great - "The Player of Games" is one of my favourite books. Also "Use of Weapons" and, well, pretty much anything else. Wouldn't recommend you start with "Feersum Enjinn" though - very tiring reading the phonetic bits - and you have to read it twice to make any sense of it .

His non sci-fi (no M) is good too. Wasp Factory is now a classic, and no poor one since.

+1 the vote for Pratchett too.

I like Raymond Feist for a bit of fantasy - magic, elves, dwarves, etc, but damn good books. Start all the way back with "Magician" - another book in my top 5 I would say. Anne Macaffrey also a favourite. Again, start from the early stuff.

If you fancy a bit of non-fiction, I like popular science stuff - Richard Dawkins especially. The Blind Watchmaker is excellent.

Contemporary stuff - I've recently read The Time Traveller's wife, which was very good, and also The Raw Shark Texts, which was very good, if rather weird.

Andrew

[GJC]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Stephen King's Needful Things is a cracking read. Took this on holiday and read through the whole thing cover to cover ..... brilliant stuff from the legend himself.

I love the DVD of this....& 'Storm of The Century' is great too.

[C-Man]

Any of the Vince Flynn novels. I've found them all very enjoyable.

If you liked the Dan Brown novels you'll more than likely enjoy these.

If you do try them, I recommend reading them in order.

[fortean]

Times Arrow by Marin Amis.

You may even be able to read it backwards

[Dave Weystoner]

Agree with Christopher Brookmyre, Robert Harris and Ian Banks - just finished his latest (Steep Approach to Garbadale).
Ian Rankin for downbeat crime - far superior to the crap TV adaptations, both with Ken Stott and John Hannah.
William Boyd is also good in a non-genre way - all his books have different themes.
Atlantis by David Gibbons is Dan Brown-ish; I found it hard going though.

My best is Rites of Passage by William Golding - young aristo travelling by sail to Australia in early 1800's. Sounds a bit 'Master and Commander', but it's so well written.

Dave

[pringtef]

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas, is my favourite. Practically read this every year.

[SeanT]

Anything by Ben Elton, esp. Dead Famous and Past Mortem.
Pratchett, as above!
Anything you haven't read by Douglas Adams
Michael Crichton
And the SAS boys, McNab and Ryan

[SeanT]

James Herbert from me and Dean Koontz from the wife too to add to your list.

[jolly]

Originally Posted by SeanT

And the SAS boys, McNab and Ryan

I enjoy reading McNab and Ryan too

[feline666]

Other Stephen King books I love, in no particular order are,

The Stand,
It,
The Dark Tower Series,
Insomnia,
Christine.

Hope this helps!

[guvvie]

Recently finished "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, really enjoyed it and its the type of book you want to read in one sitting. Another vote for Stephen King's Dark Tower series as well.

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by guvvie

Recently finished "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, really enjoyed it and its the type of book you want to read in one sitting. Another vote for Stephen King's Dark Tower series as well.

Took delivery of this from Amazon yesterday.

Looking forward to starting it over the next few days. It looks like an 'easy' read (ie about half as much text on each page as many other books) and gets great reviews.

[dng007]

As someone else mentioned earlier - I'd also thoroughly recommend 'The Shadow of the Wind'.

I'd also recommend the author Harlan Coben; like Dan Brown, his books are very easy to read, full of twists and turns, and gnereally 'un-put-downable'. One's Id particularly recommend include; Tell no one, Just one look, Gone for Good.

Another good author is Bernard Cornwell - he writes mainly historical fiction based around real events/times. In particular his Grail Quest series (Harlequin, Vagabond, Heretic), plus his Warlord Chronicles.

[zenza]

Originally Posted by RMCF

Don't know if you want to stray in genres, but if you want to try something different my OH has recently finished:

Shadow of the Wind
A Thousand Splendid Trees

You mean A Thousand Splendid Suns.

One of my fav books and definitely in my top 5.

The Shadow of the Wind is my fav book of all time....a pure classic.

[Theydon Bois]

Originally Posted by pringtef

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas, is my favourite. Practically read this every year.

If you are going to go old School, my favourite is The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.

[whymca]

I'd second the Harlen Coben recommendation and maybe add Jeffrey Deaver, especially The Vanished Man!

On the King-related horror front, maybe have a bash at Richard Laymon. There are plenty to choose from but Out Are The Lights and The Stake spring to mind. He's not as verbose as King and he evokes a bit more of a seedy atmosphere but who says that's a bad thing!

Anyway, whatever you go for, time spent between the pages is never wasted!

[leeb-1977]

well for fantasy id take a look at Wizards first rule by terry goodkind.... nice easy way into fantasy.

as well as that id consider 'the husband' by Dean Koontz, 'The Killing Floor' by Lee child (and the reacher books only get better as the series goes on), 'Prey' by Micheal Crichton, 'The Accident Man' by Tom Cain, 'A Game Of Thrones' by George RR Martin and 'the garden of beasts' by Jeffery Deaver.

[leeb-1977]

Originally Posted by whymca

....and maybe add Jeffrey Deaver, especially The Vanished Man!

Where is that set? Deaver for me is very hit and miss as i find his writing style to be too 'American' if that makes sense.... i loved the garden of beasts because it being set in Germany and not surcumbing (sp??) to the american phrases and descriptions that he sometimes uses in other books....

Its weird because some foriegn writers can write whatever they like and the style just grabs me - deavers stuff i eithier love or hate - ive attempted to read 'shallow graves' about four times now and always get frustrated and end up putting it down.

[whymca]

Originally Posted by leeb-1977

Where is that set? Deaver for me is very hit and miss as i find his writing style to be too 'American' if that makes sense.... i loved the garden of beasts because it being set in Germany and not surcumbing (sp??) to the american phrases and descriptions that he sometimes uses in other books....

The OP seems to be enjoying Stephen King and he could be the poster boy for "hit and miss"!

King also could never be accused of not being "American" enough!

Funnily enough I'm kind of the reverse to you, I prefer my books to be set elsewhere, places I don't know well. I really get bogged-down with European settings. My reading is mostly for pure escapism and perhaps that's why I prefer to escape to another place entirely.

I agree to a certain extent though about Deaver, I've struggled through a few of his books but generally enjoy the Lincoln Rhyme series and, as mentioned, The Vanished Man I found gripping from first to last.