Book Recommendations
I'm looking for book recommendations. I'm a little picky. If you aren't comfortable with me not liking a book you suggest, please don't suggest any. I'll read at least the first page or two of anything you suggest. However, there are some things you should know about my tastes:
#1 (and the most important): I don't like drugs. At all. I am willing to overlook a little bit of drug use in a fantastic story, but in general, as soon as there is a mention of drugs, I will stop reading. A lot of drinking is also a huge turn-off.
#2: I'm not interested in reading a depressing story. There seems to be a trend in SF romance especially where authors write one great book and then the sequel is just incredibly depressing. I'm not interested in being depressed.
#3: I'm not interested in unpleasant or excessively irrational characters. CJ Cherryh's books, for example, seem to have unpleasant and rape-y characters. I don't want to read a story where the narrator or male love interest is a condescending asshole.
#4: The story should have a plot. A story with only a little plot is fine if it is the best story ever, like "The Left Hand of Darkness". Also, that plot should move kind of quickly. I don't want to slog through a story. I can tolerate a few slow pages, but after that, I'm going to quit reading.
#5: I will read about characters facing discrimination, but I'm not interested in authors whose writing is sexist, racist or otherwise discriminatory.
#6: I don't want to read stories about revenge. If done well, I am willing to make an exception ("The Stars My Destination"), but I don't want to read about people being treated badly, even if you think they "deserve" it ("The Count of Monte Cristo").
#7: I'm not interested in reading a manipulative author (George R. R. Martin). Likewise, I'm not super comfortable reading books by someone who is well known for something terrible they did, like molesting children.
#8: I have a very very low level of tolerance for stories that feature "precocious" children. In general, I'm not interested in young adult fiction. "Ender's Game" is about a kid, and it is very good. However, the kids in "Ambush at Corellia" make me very grouchy.
My favorite books and genres:
Military Anything: I love Patrick O'Brien, the Honor Harrington books, military science fiction romance, the Sharpe books, the Black Company, etc. I haven't read much military non-fiction (besides "A Bright Shining Lie"), but I'd be interested.
Science fiction: So long as it isn't too boring, too off putting, or too badly written. Pluses for books not written by white people from the US or Europe. (This doesn't mean that a book written by a white American guy is a minus.)
Fantasy that isn't from Western Europe/US: I really enjoy the Night Watch books by Lukyanenko. I liked some of the Witcher books. If there is a "good guy" and a "bad guy", I don't want to read it. If I want to read Tolkien, I'll read Tolkien. I'm not interested in clones of his work.
Mystery: see "Science Fiction".
Spy Novels: I like the Bourne books. I don't like John Le Carre.
Romance: see "Science Fiction".
You can see the books I've read on Goodreads. Here is a list of books that I like best.
#1 (and the most important): I don't like drugs. At all. I am willing to overlook a little bit of drug use in a fantastic story, but in general, as soon as there is a mention of drugs, I will stop reading. A lot of drinking is also a huge turn-off.
#2: I'm not interested in reading a depressing story. There seems to be a trend in SF romance especially where authors write one great book and then the sequel is just incredibly depressing. I'm not interested in being depressed.
#3: I'm not interested in unpleasant or excessively irrational characters. CJ Cherryh's books, for example, seem to have unpleasant and rape-y characters. I don't want to read a story where the narrator or male love interest is a condescending asshole.
#4: The story should have a plot. A story with only a little plot is fine if it is the best story ever, like "The Left Hand of Darkness". Also, that plot should move kind of quickly. I don't want to slog through a story. I can tolerate a few slow pages, but after that, I'm going to quit reading.
#5: I will read about characters facing discrimination, but I'm not interested in authors whose writing is sexist, racist or otherwise discriminatory.
#6: I don't want to read stories about revenge. If done well, I am willing to make an exception ("The Stars My Destination"), but I don't want to read about people being treated badly, even if you think they "deserve" it ("The Count of Monte Cristo").
#7: I'm not interested in reading a manipulative author (George R. R. Martin). Likewise, I'm not super comfortable reading books by someone who is well known for something terrible they did, like molesting children.
#8: I have a very very low level of tolerance for stories that feature "precocious" children. In general, I'm not interested in young adult fiction. "Ender's Game" is about a kid, and it is very good. However, the kids in "Ambush at Corellia" make me very grouchy.
My favorite books and genres:
Military Anything: I love Patrick O'Brien, the Honor Harrington books, military science fiction romance, the Sharpe books, the Black Company, etc. I haven't read much military non-fiction (besides "A Bright Shining Lie"), but I'd be interested.
Science fiction: So long as it isn't too boring, too off putting, or too badly written. Pluses for books not written by white people from the US or Europe. (This doesn't mean that a book written by a white American guy is a minus.)
Fantasy that isn't from Western Europe/US: I really enjoy the Night Watch books by Lukyanenko. I liked some of the Witcher books. If there is a "good guy" and a "bad guy", I don't want to read it. If I want to read Tolkien, I'll read Tolkien. I'm not interested in clones of his work.
Mystery: see "Science Fiction".
Spy Novels: I like the Bourne books. I don't like John Le Carre.
Romance: see "Science Fiction".
You can see the books I've read on Goodreads. Here is a list of books that I like best.