Book/author list (updated: 30 Dec. 2020) books-30dec2020.txt My 2020 book recommendations: Humor. Check out *Shakespeare for Squirrels* by @TheAuthorGuy for another retelling of Shakespeare featuring Fool and friends. *A Very Scalzi Christmas*, short story collection by one of my favorite SF authors @scalzi. 1/ The mystery series featuring DI Hilary Greene Series by @FaithMartin_Nov is great. Love the cast of characters and their interplay as they unravel mysteries. 2/ Sci-Fi is one of my favorite fiction genres. *Heaven’s River* (Bobiverse #4) and *The Singularity Trap* by @Dennis_E_Taylor are not to be missed. @scalzi shows up with *The Last Emperox* (The Interdependency #3); Murder by Other Means (The Dispatcher #2) 3/ Sci-Fi [2]: @maxbrooksauthor *Devolution* (Bigfoot thriller) and *World War Z*; @GoblinWriter Star Knights series; [#]; Devon Ford / Nathan Hystad Rise series; Rick Partlow Drop Trooper series 4/ Sci-Fi[3]: Continue to enjoy series: Expeditionary Force by @CraigAlanson (can’t get enough Skippy); Zombie Fallout by @ZombieFallout (any protagonist more fun than Mike Talbot?); Rot & Ruin series by @JonathanMaberry and 5/ Fantasy: 2020 highlights: @orsonscottcard *Lost and Found*, *The City We Became* by @nkjemisin (new take on NYC); *Highfire* by @EoinColfer (dragon in the Bayou); @JRobinsonAuthor *Tribe* (demi-gods in Boston); *Ghosts of Gotham* by @craig_schaefer (NYC again) 6/ Fantasy [2]: series continued: Rivers of London (#8 @Ben_Aaronovitch); Dresden (#16 and #17 @longshotauthor); Demon Accords #26 + first Shadows of Montshire series by @john_conroe; Sentinels of Creation by Robert W. Ross; *Ink & Sigil* (story in Iron Druid world) @KevinHearne 7/ Youth-Fiction: @leverus *The Silver Arrow* (adventure with deeper conservation message); *The Fowl Twins* @EoinColfer 8/ Non-Fiction: @TimHarford *How to Make the World Add Up*; @AlbertoCairo *How Charts Lie: Getter Smarter about Visual Information*; @d_spiegel *The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data*; @BigDataSizeBook &Big Data: Does Size Matter?* /9 Non-Fiction: @FrGregBoyle of @HomeboyInd *Tattoos on the Heart*; *Barking to the Choir* inspiring and moving stories of connection and community /10 ============================================================== [N20] = new author first read in 2020 [20] = 20 addition to existing list [#20] = one of my favorite 2020 reads Categories: =========== Humor Mysteries Adventure Science Fiction Fantasy Youth fiction Historic Fiction (new category added in 2019) Non-fiction ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Humor ===== Christopher Moore (@TheAuthorGuy)- funny and quirky stuff * Fluke, or why the winged whale sings * Lamb, the gospel according to Biff, Christ's boyhood pal * The stupidest angel * Coyote Blue * Bloodsucking fiends, a love story * The lust lizard of melancholy cove * The island of the sequined love nun * Dirty Job * You Suck * Fool (King Lear from the perspective of the fool) * Bite Me (a love story) - continues story from Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck * Sacre Bleu - a story set with the French impressionists and the sacred source of blue color * The Serpent of Venice - Pocket, protagonist from Fool, is back in action. * Secondhand Souls - follow up to 'Dirty Job' Noir (SF shortly after WWII. A story of the time with Roswell aliens). [20] * Shakespeare for Squirrels - Fool and apprentice Drool are back in a quirky take on a Midsummer's Night Dream Tim Dorsey - Serge Storm, a somewhat bent protagonist along with his stoner sidekick Coleman * Atomic Lobster * Nuclear Jellyfish * The Last Bamboo (Serge heads to California and takes on the film industry) * Cadillac Beach * Orange Crush * Florida Road Kill * Hammerhead Ranch Hotel * Hurricane Punch * The Stingray Shuffle * Gator-a-go-go * Electric Barracuda * When Elves Attack * Pineapple Grenade - Serge and Coleman get involved with CIA spies meddling with South American country * The Riptide Ultra-Glide - Serge and Coleman are making a reality video; did like the twist with Coleman-worshipping stoners * Tiger Shrimp Tango * Coconut Cowboy * Clownfish Blues - Serge and Coleman are repeating episodes of Route 66. Crazy reality TV, lottery scammers and more. * The Pope of Palm Beach - Serge literary tour of FL. Parallels 1980s story of FL surfer icon * No Sunscreen for the Dead Bill Fitzhugh - funny stuff * Pest Control * The Organ Grinders * Cross Dressing * Fender Benders * Heart Seizure: A Novel * The Exterminators - follow up to Pest Control Rick Gualtieri * Bill the Vampire - programmer is "turned" into a vampire who manages to survive against all odds * Scary Dead Things - The Tome of Bill Part 2 - Bill encounters Chinese powers * The Mourning Woods - Bill represents vampires with negotiations with Bigfoot * Holier than Thou * Sunset Strip - Sally is the focus in this non-Bill tale * Half a Prayer * The Wicker Dead (#7 in the series) * Shining Fury * The Last Coven - Last book of the Tome of Bill ...... new series - Hybrid of High Moon Series * Get Bent! - Tamara Bentley is college age daughter of a werewolf and a witch - decent start to a new series Terry Pratchett - Discworld stories * Going postal- nice TV version available on Netflix * Feet of clay * Equal rites * The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents * Thief of time * The Wee Free men / Wintersmith * Thud * Mort * Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman - a light apocalypse tale) * Nation * Snuff - Sam Vimes on holiday with his family in the county * Dodger - brilliant book - story of the Dodger and his encounters with Charlie Dickens and Ben Disraeli as he attempts to protect a young woman * Raising Steam * The Shepherd's Crown (#41 in the Discworld series) John Scalzi (@scalzi) [20] A Very Scalzi Christmas - fun set of tales Graeme Simsion * The Rosie Project - Think Sheldon from Big Bang finding a relationship * The Rosie Effect - BUD = Baby Under Development leads to new challenges for Don and Rosie * The Best of Adam Sharp - English piano player, now IT specialist, pines for past love and has a chance to realize this or what he has. Jasper Fforde - Nursery Crimes mysteries * The Big Over Easy * The Fourth Bear Chuck Austen * Like warm sun on nekkid bottoms Richard Rankin * The hollow chocolate bunnies of the apocalypse David Sedaris * Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk - modern collection of fables Christopher Buckley - heavy satire * Thank you for smoking * Boomsday * No way to treat a first lady Some of the stories are best read in publication order b/c the characters evolve with time (e.g. the Rostnikov mysteries by Kaminsky or Nevada Barr or Aaron Elkins or Vince Flynn). Douglas Adams * The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [could be categorized as sci-fi but humor seems better fit] * Mostly Harmless Larry Beinhart * The Librarian - great political satire Rob Reid * Year Zero - intergalactic music piracy and an alien first encounter novel. * After On - social media platform Phluttr becomes aware Fannie Flagg * A Red Bird Christmas - light touch humor with a Chicago native relocating to small Alabama town for his health. A. Lee Martinez * Gil's All Fright Diner - two redneck monsters (Earl the vampire and Duke the werewolf) help a town with a zombie infestation ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mysteries (with some adventure too - categories are "fuzzy"): ============================================================= [N#20] Faith Martin (@FaithMartin_Nov) - DI Hilary Greene Series * Murder on the Oxford Canal (Book 1) * Murder at the University (#2) * Murder of the Bride (#3) * Murder in the Village (#4) [N20] Deborah Crombie - Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James Series * A Share in Death (Book 1) Joe Ide * IQ - Isaiah Quintabe is a detective for the poor in LA. A modern taken on the Sherlockian consulting detective. * Righteous * Wrecked - IQ is back David Freed * Tail Spin - Cordell Logan, ex-Air Force black ops now flight instructor aspiring Buddhist who struggles to make ends meet gets involved in the investigation of the murder of his ex-colleague. #2 Fangs Out; #3 Voodoo Ridge; #4 The Three-Nine Line; #5 Hot Start John Grisham [20] * Camino Winds [N20] Alexander Hartung - Jan Tommen, Berlin detective investigates * Grave Intent * Until the Debt is Paid [N20] Anne Hillerman [#20] * Spider Woman's Daughter - Follow-up to Joe Leaphorn [N20] Jason Kasper * Greatest Enemy {N20] Kevin Wignall * The Names of the Dead - Former CIA operative John D. MacDonald * The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything. Fun story and one of the few books that I've read more than once. Randy Wayne White * Sanibel Flats (#1)- Doc Ford mystery. Doc Ford is a former govt spy who has retired to Sanibel Island. #2: The Heat Islands; #3 The Man who Invented Florida. Fun series. Albert Baantjer - Detective Dekok in Amsterdam * MURDER IN AMSTERDAM * DeKok and the sorrowing tomcat * DeKok and the Mask of Death David Baldacci - Oliver Stone mysteries + * The Fallen - Amos Dekker (memory man) is back * Camel Club / The Collectors / Divine Justice * Last Man Standing * The Whole Truth * Saving Faith * Simple Genius * First Family * Deliver Us From Evil * The Sixth Man - [protagonists: Sean King & Michelle Maxwell] * True Blue * The Innocent * One Summer (very diff. from other Baldacci books) * The Forgotten * Face Off - pairing of thriller authors to produce series of short stories (edited by David Baldacci) * The Hit - Will Robie, master assassin, is tracking another practioner in his business * The Guilty- Will Robie drawn back to MS after his estranged father is accused of murder. * End Game - Will Robie and Jessica Reel are back together in a tale with illegal drugs * The Escape - 3rd book in John Puller series - John's brother has escaped from a max security military prison. John works to capture / exonerate him. * No Man's Land - John Puller (book 4) - chance to investigate the disappearance of his mother 30 years ago. David Baldacci - Oliver Stone mysteries + Amos Dekker series * Memory Man - former football player develops amazing mental abilities after brutal hit. Dragged into mass murder investigation. * The Last Mile - Amos Decker, hero of Memory Man, is working on an FBI task force to help a wrongly accused inmate * The Fix - Amos Decker is back working for the FBI in DC * Redemption - #5 Amos Decker / Memory Man series [20]* Walk the Wire David Baldacci – Atlee Pine [20]* A Minute to Midnight MC Beaton - Hamish MacBeth Scottish highland policeman * Death of a poison pen * Death of a village * Death of a glutton / ... of a witch / ... of a dreamer / .. of a valentine * Death of a Kingfisher [still like the characters but want to see more from stories] * Death of Yesterday * Death of a Chimney Sweep * Death of a Policeman * Death of a Ghost Lee Child - Jack Reacher Mysteries / adventures * 61 Hours * Worth Dying For * The Affair - story of Reacher's last case as an active duty MP/CID * One Shot - (Basis of movie - "Jack Reacher") * Echo Burning * Without Fail * Running Blind * Killing Floor - the 1st Reacher book * Tripwire - 2nd book of Reacher series * The Hard Way * Never Go Back - Reacher goes back to his original MP command * Personal * 3 Novellas - Deep Down (early career adventure); Second Son (Reacher as 13 y.o. on new base); High Heat (Reacher as 16 y.o. in NYC) * Make Me * Night School - Reacher assigned to investigate attempt to sell nukes to Neo-Nazi terrorist * Midnight Line - Reacher goes up against opioid smugglers when trying to locate a missing West Point grad * Past Tense * Matchup - Lee Child editor - 11 stories pairing female and male thriller writers [20]* Blue Moon [20]* The Sentinel (with Andrew Child) Mark Dawson * The Cleaner - John Milton, British assassin, is burnt out and wants to leave the service. His employers decide to 'retire' him permanently. Milton character has a Jack Reacher vibe. * Saint Death - Milton is Mexico as part of his travels hiding from 'Control' / his former employer. He gets involved after drug lord acts against innocents. * The Driver - Milton is working as a driver in SF who runs up against political power brokers. * Ghosts - Milton is recruited by Russians to help eliminate 'Control.' He needs to find Beatrix Rose Nelson DeMille - great series with John Corey, former NYC detective, now working counter-terrorism detail * Plum Island - first meet former detective John Corey as he recovers from gunshot wounds * The Lion's Game * The Lion * Wildfire - Corey and Kate Mayfield investigate after friend goes missing - encounter "Custer Club * Night Fall - John Corey and Kate Mayfield follow up on TWA800 disaster on the 5th year anniversary of its downing * Radiant Angel - Corey is working on FBI surveillance team. Russian SVR agent posing as diplomat is planning an attack that Corey thwarts. * The Cuban Affair [20] * The Deserter (with Alex DeMille) Steve Forman - protagonist: Eddie Perlmutter - retired Boston cop now retired in Florida * Boca Knights * Boca Mournings * Boca Daze Carl Hiaasen - set in Florida, often have environmental bent, populated by goofy characters including a ex-governor now called Skink * Stormy Weather * Lucky You * Skinny Dip * Star Island * Razor Girl - Yancy, restaurant inspector and former detective, is back searching for a missing reality TV star. Elmore Leonard * Raylan - stories with Justified character Raylan Givens highlighted Stuart Kaminsky - Rostnikov mysteries set in Moscow * A Whisper to the Living (Kaminsky died in Fall 2009) * Fall of a cosmonaut * Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express * The dog who bit a policeman * Blood and rubles * Hard currency * Death of a dissident * Black knight in Red Square * Death of a Russian priest * Rostnikov's vacation * Cold Red Dawn (* read in order *) Janet Evanovitch * Stephanie Plum mysteries (One for the Dough, . . . , Hot Six, . . . ) * Other stories - Motor Mouth, Plum Spooky * (with Lee Goldberg) The Heist: A Novel - new series * (with Lee Goldberg) The Chase - 2nd in series Lee Goldberg * True Fiction - Ian Ludlow writes action novels with action hero Cliff Straker * King City - story of good copy exiled to dangerous beat Ian Rankin - John Rebus mysteries set in Edinburgh * Strip Jack * Black & Blue * Resurrection Men * Fleshmarket alley Donna Leon - A Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries in Venice * Doctored Evidence * Death at La Fenice * A Noble Radiance * Uniform Justice * Acqua Alta Aaron Elkins - Gideon Oliver, forensic anthropologist mysteries * Old Bones * Good Blood * Skeleton Dance * Twenty Blue Devils * Little Tiny Teeth * Unnatural Selection Charlotte MacLeod - Peter Shandy, agric. prof., mysteries * Rest You Merry Sharyn McCrumb - Engineering prof turned scifi writer * Zombies of the Gene Pool Greg Rucka - Atticus Kodiak, bodyguard adventures * Smoker * Critical Space * Finder * Keeper * Walking Dead * Alpha - start of new series featuring Jad Bell * Patriot Acts Bill Myers * Mango Bay Ben Rehder - like Carl Hiaasen but with a Texas drawl * Flat Crazy * Buck Fever (protagonist is game warden in Brisco Co, TX) * Hog Heaven Donald Westlake - humorous crime capers * Brothers Keepers Dave Barry - humor columnist writes fun mysteries * Tricky Business (although involves murder, drug smuggling on casino boat) * Insane City - Seth Weinstein heads to Florida; misadventures ensue Spencer Quinn * Dog on it - private detective story - narrated by his dog * Thereby hangs a tail - Chet & Bernie are back Allan Russell * St. Nick - Christmas mystery - police officer as mall Santa Alexander McCall Smith - S. Africa * The Number One Ladies Detective Agency * The Kalahari Typing School for Men John Burdett - Buddhist detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep in Thailand * Bangkok Eight * Bangkok Tattoo * Bangkok Haunts Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries * A Morbid Taste for Bones/ One Corpse Too Many Paul Madriani * Guardian of Lies - San Diego lawyer Stuart Woods * Fresh Disasters - protagonist: Stone Barrington - retired cop; now lawyer * Dirty Work * DC Dead Raymond Khoury * The Devil's Elixir - FBI agent Sean Reilly in conflict with South American drug lord Olen Steinhauer * The Tourist - former CIA operative pulled back into the field Neal Pollack * Open your Heart - Matt Bolser, yoga instructor and former detective, investigates murder at a yoga retreat Meghan Scott Molin * The Frame-Up - comic-book writer MG gets involved in assisting police investigating crimes that follow the pattern of a published superhero [20]* The Queen Con Lyndsay Faye * The Whole Art of Detection / Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes - nice collection of stories that add to the SH canon Andrew Mayne * The Naturalist - computational biologist and professor tracks serial killer Joseph Finder * Vanished - Nick Heller Kathy Reichs Deja Dead - #1 in Temperence Brennan series ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Adventure: ========== Jonathan Maberry - Joe Ledger series; * Extinction Machine - fifth book of outstanding series; great cookie-obsessed boss "Mr. Church" and Echo team of the DMS (Dept. of Military Sciences) * Patient Zero - first book of Ledger series - viral infection consequences * The Dragon Factory - genetic engineering gone crazy * King of Plagues - The Seven Kings are behind terrorist attacks; Ledger and team are called to track * Assassin's Code - Follow up to King of Plagues * Short stories/'singles' - Material Witness; Deep Dark; Countdown; Borrowed Power * Code Zero * Predator One - last of seven kings causes havoc after taking control of software in military vehicles, commercial transportation * Kill Switch - computers and electrical systems are at risk and DMS is having some visible failures * Dogs of War - evil controlled nanobots and robots sowing mayhem through designer diseases. To make matters worse, Nicodemus is detected. * Dog Days - novella that covers the early times with Joe Ledger and his dog Ghost *Joe Ledger: Unstoppable - amazing anthology of Joe Ledger tales * Deep Silence * Rage Jonathan Maberry - Sam Hunter * Beneath the Skin: The Sam Hunter Case Files - he is a private eye, former police officer and a werewolf. Same Hunter is Joe Ledger as werewolf PI. Jonathan Maberry * Mars One - story of the lead up and the journey to Mars for the first set of colonists [#20] Jonathan Maberry (@JonathanMaberry) - Rot & Ruin - Benny Imura and friends live in community safe from zombies; * Rot & Ruin #1 * Dust & Decay (#2) * Flesh & Bone (#3) * Fire & Ash (#4) Matthew Reilly - great storytelling - over the top * Contest * Ice Station * Temple * Area 7 * Scarecrow * The 6 Sacred Stones / The 5 Greatest Warriors * Hell Island * Scarecrow returns - Shane Schofield is back in a mission in the Arctic Circle * The Great Zoo of China - new hero introduced as China opens a zoo with resurrected dragons * The Four Legendary Kingdoms (Jack West Series Book 4) * The Three Secret Cities (Jack West Series Book 5) Larry Correia / Mike Kuperi * Dead Six (great story told from the point of view of Lorenzo, a master thief, and Valentine, a young mercenary whose lives become intertwined); #2 Swords of Exodus; #3 Alliance of Shadows (Another Larry Correia series is is worth Vince Flynn - protagonist Mitch Rapp * Term Limits * Transfer of Power * Separation of Power * The Third Option * Executive Power * Memorial Day * Extreme Measures * Pursuit of Honor * American Assassin (a prequel for Mitch Rapp and his clandestine work) * The Last Man * Kill Shot - Mitch Rapp's second year in action; set up by a CIA administrator (* read in order *) Mark Greaney * The Gray Man- story of Court Gentry, a former CIA agent who is being hunted by his former employers. #2 On Target [] #3 Ballistic * Dead Eye - Court Gentry is being set up with an assassin coming after him * Back Blast - Book #5 in the Gray Man series - he will finally discover who betrayed him many years ago * Gunmetal Gray - Book #6 - Court Gentry is working for the CIA again Brad Thor - adventure, former secret service agent hero * Lions of Lucerne * Path of the Assassin * State of the Union * The First Commandment * The Last Patriot * Foreign Influence * The Athena Project * Full Black * The Black List - coordinated attack on the Carleton Group; Scot Horvath and boss survive * Hidden Order * Act of War * Code of Conduct [20]* Near Dark Stephen Coonts * Saucer - goofy fun adventure tale of saucer found buried in desert * Saucer Conquest - follow up * Saucer: Savage Planet - great close to story * Liberty - hero - Jake Grafton - spy thriller * America Steven Hunter - Bobby Lee Swagger * Point of Impact * Night of Thunder - NASCAR-housed adventure * The 47th Samurai * Black Light * I, Sniper * Dead Zero - Bobby Lee Swagger + new character, Ray Cruz * Soft Target - mall attacked and hostages taken; only Ray Cruz can respond * The Third Bullet - Bobby Lee Swagger investigates the JFK assassination and what really happened Barry Eisler * Fault Line - black ops specialist protects brother * Hard Rain - John Rain assassin story line * Requiem for an Assassin * The Detachment - latest John Rain - published only electronically (avoided 'legacy' publishing) * Graveyard of Memories - the start of John Rain's career [#20]* The Killer Collective - John Rain and friends are after a dirty military contractor Ben Coes (Adventures of Dewey Andreas, former US Ranger) * Power Down - starts with attacks on oil platform and dam; Dewey will need to determine the terrorists causing this * Coup D'Etat - Pakistan-India conflict brings Dewey into action * The Last Refuge * Eye for an Eye * Independence Day * Trap the Devil - Secretary of State is murdered while Dewey is on protection detail. Marc Cameron (Adventures of Jericho Quinn, Air Force OSI) * National Security * Act of Terror * Time of Attack * Day Zero - Quinn on run from a corrupt, terrorist infested administration Brad Meltzer * The Inner Circle - protagonist is archivist in DC * The Fifth Assassin - follow up to The Inner Circle; secret government organizations and potential presidential killer at large * The President's Shadow - Beecher, the heroic archivist is back Steven Konkoly - protagonist Ryan Decker * The Rescue [20]* The Raid Adrian McKinty * Dead I may well be: A novel - Irish immigrant working in NYC for gangster is betrayed and must survive prison in Mexico before he can escape and seek revenge Michael Palmer * A Heartbeat Away - all but one in the chain to replace president exposed to toxin; disgraced virologist called to help Thomas Perry * The Informant - tale of retired hit man who is being pursued by former employers/mobsters; he needs to work with a government official in addition to working to eliminate the problem Judith & Garfield-Stevens * Quicksilver * Icefire * Search Dale Brown - military adventure * Flight of the Old Dog+ Anthony Horowitz * House of Silk - new Sherlock Holmes mystery * Moriarty - story that follows the Reichenbach Falls incident. A Scotland yard detective pairs with a Pinkerton agent in an investigation. [20] * The Word is Murder Sherry Thomas * A Study in Scarlett Women - Charlotte Holmes is a clever, analytical and socially backward young Victorian woman. She creates alter ego "Sherlock Holmes" to conduct business. Andy McDermott - protagonists: Nina Wilde (archeologist) and Eddie Chase (her bodyguard) * The Hunt for Atlantis * The Tomb of Hercules [N20] Simon Gervais - Pierce Hunt, former Ranger and DEA agent * Hunt Them Down * Trained to Hunt Kyle Mills * The Immortalists Josh Balzell * Beat the Reaper - Dr. Peter Brown (aka Pietro Brnwa- former mob hitman) adventure * Wild Thing - Dr. Brown, aka Lionel Azimuth, sent to assist in the investigation of a 'Loch Ness' monster Jack Coughlin * Kill Zone - protagonist Kyle Swanson, marine sniper * Clean Kill Jeff Deaver * 007 Carte Blanche - James Bond is back - worthy addition Robert Ferrigno - Rakkin * Prayers of the Assassin - alt. world where new world include US Islamic Republic * Sins of the Assassin * Heart of the Assassin Andy McNab - Hero - Nick Stone, former SAS agent * Remote Control * Traitor * Payback Jeff Abbott * Adrenaline - CIA agent's life disrupted after his wife and kid are kidnapped and he is blamed for a bombing * The Last Minute - Sam Capra is desperate to find his son. Douglas Richards * Wired - genetic engineer discovers a way to enhance intelligence and insight * Amped - Sequel to Wired. Great story. Jeremy Robinson * SecondWorld - former Navy seal encounters world destroying schemes by historic villains * Pulse / Instinct / Threshold / Ragnarok - Chess Team Thriller - Jack Sigler (King) and team * More Chess Team novels: Omega, Savage * The Last Hunter series - Descent; Pursuit; Ascent; Lament; Onslaught - adventures of Solomon Ull Vincent, only human born on Antarctica. * Space Force - fun read for SF fans and gamers * The Other [#20]* Tribe – demi-gods in Boston Eoin Colfer [also below with Artemis Fowl] * Plugged - adventures of Irish bouncer at NJ gambling club * Screwed - Danny McAvoy, now NJ club owner is back and being set up by various thugs Steve Berry * The Emperor's Tomb - protagonist Cotton Malone, former agent and now European bookseller * The Jefferson Key - Malone is back with Cassopeia Witt * The Paris Vendetta Douglas Preston * Impact - mysterious object strikes Earth * Fever Dreams (with L Child) * Gideon's Sword (with Lincoln Child) * Cold Vengeance (with Lincoln Child) - Protagonist: A. Pendergast, eccentric FBI agent and southern gentleman * Gideon's Corpse - Gideon Crew, former physicist and minor art thief, helps investigate a possible nuclear threat * The Kraken Project Neal Stephenson (usually known for Sci-Fi contrib) * Reamde - adventure that starts with hack of massive multiplayer computer game - includes Chinese hackers, Russian mobsters and ends in trek from Canada into the US * Snow Crash * Seveneves - survival of humanity after disaster destroys moon Jack Du Brul * The Lightning Stones - Gideon Oliver, geologist with an adventurous streak, works to undercover a mystery that extends back to Amelia Earhart that has led to the deaths of his mentor and others Randall Walker * Wrong Town Scott Allen Morrison * Terms of Use- Social engineering used to impact political process Jeff Abbott * Downfall- Sam Capra is back Gregg Hurwitz * Orphan X- Evan Smoak- is a former assassin who now works to remove evil actors for those in need * The Nowhere Man [19] * Out of the Dark - Evan Smoak (Orphan X) seeks revenge against one of the most protector individuals in the world Philip Wilson * The Librarian - evolution of librarian from mild mannered to avenging Eliot Peper * Bandwidth - lobbyist is moved to position by social media manipulation Joseph Reid * Takeoff - Seth Walker Book 1 - air marshall protecting a singer who is being threatened John Glistrap * Scorpion Strike - Jonathan Grave is at a resort attacked by terrorists. His team will rush to assist in the response. Keith Blackmore * Mountain Man: Prequel - story of a zombie apocalypse told with a focus on Gus Berry, painter, and his colleagues David Archer * Code Name Camelot Max Barry * Lexicon- interesting premise where words have deep neurological control and these are mastered by 'poets' Mark Alpert * Extinction - computer network becomes conscious Vaugh Heppner * Invasion Alaska * Accelerated * The Last Starship Isaac Hooke * Atlas Chris Kennedy * Janissaries Brad Taylor * One Rough Man Tom Clancy * Dead or Alive * Threat Vector - Jack Ryan Jr. and John Clark respond to cyberattacks * Command Authority Daniel Silva * The New Girl - Gabriel Allon is back in an unusual kidnapping case Larry Bond & Jim DeFelice * Red Dragon Rising: Edge of War Tom Kratman * A State of Disobedience James Rollins * The Judas Strain * The Devil Colony Brandon Sanderson * Legion - interesting premise with a brilliant mystery solver who is aided by multiple personalities/"aspects" Dan Brown * Origin - Robert Langdon is back - AI featured Jack Carr * The Terminal List [20]* True Believer - Jack Reece is back after The Terminal List [20]* Savage Son (Terminal List Book 3) Robert Dugoni * The Eighth Sister - retired CIA agent gets pulled back into game ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Science Fiction: Favorites / Top Shelf ====================================== (includes hard science sci-fi; some post-apocalyptic and some books that could be classified as fantasy) Mark Tufo: Indian Hill series * Indian Hill - Mike Talbot story - kidnapped by aliens and force to fight in gladiatorial survival contest - escapes at end * #2 Indian Hill: Reckoning - recaptured by aliens and forced to fight again; #3 Indian Hill: Conquest; #4 Indian Hill: From the Ashes; #5 Indian Hill: Into the Fire; #6 Indian Hill: Victory's Defeat; #7 Indian Hill: Defeat's Victory Mark Tufo: Zombie Fallout series * Zombie Fallout (ZF) - Mike Talbot alternate history with a zombie apocalypse; Zombie Fallout 2: A Plague on Your Family (Eliza emerges); Zombie Fallout 3: The End; Zombie Fallout 4: The End has Come and Gone; Zombie Fallout 5: Alive in a Dead World; Zombie Fallout 6: Till Death Do Us Part; ZF 7: The Fallen; ZF 8: An Old Beginning; ZF 9 Tattered Remnants; ZF 10: Those Left Behind; ZF 11: Etna Station * Zombie Fallout #12: Dog Days [#20] The Perfect Betrayal (#13); The Trembling Path (#14); Sifting through the Ashes (#15) Mark Tufo: The Book of Riley * The Book of Riley: Part 1 ("My Name is Riley) - stories that are part of the ZF universe. Riley is an American bulldog; Ben-Bewn is a Yorkshire Terrier and Patches in a cat. They are part of the Talbot clan in CA and will start the journey to the NE to journey the family. * The Book of Riley: Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5 - detailing the travels from California to Main to connect with the family. Mark Tufo: Lycan Fallout series * Lycan Fallout (LF) 1 - Mike Talbot in the same timeline as Zombie Fallout but 150 years in the future after ZF. Now the problem is Lycan / werewolves; LF 2: Fall of Man; LF 3: End of an Age; LF 4: Immortality's Touchstone * Demon Fallout: The Return - Mike Talbot in the story after Lycan Fallout * Lycan Fallout 5: Demon Wars Mark Tufo [20]* The Spirit Clearing - alt universe where Mike survives an accident that kills Paul and Dennis; Mark Tufo (with Armand Rosamilla)- another alternative universe featuring Mike Talbot and his kin. Craig Alanson (@CraigAlanson) – Expeditionary Force * Mavericks: Book 1: Death Trap * Columbus Day - Book 1 [20]* Spec Ops (2) - Joe Bishop is taking Skippy bag to the stars (searching for elder artifacts); Black Ops (Book 4); Zero Hour (Book 5) [N#20] Robert W. Ross * Paradigm 2045: Trinity's Children - first contact, genetic engineering, [N#20] Devon Ford / Nathan Hystad – Rise Series * Occupation (Book 1); Salvation (Book 2); Reclamation (Book 3) [N20] William Gibson * Agency - parallel universes [N20] Joe Haldeman * The Forever Was - classic SF [N20] Lindsay Buroker (@GoblinWriter) - Star Knights series * Shockwave Book 1 [N20] Rhett Bruno, Jaime Castle * The Luna Missile Crisis - 1961 with a crisis Edgar Rice Burroughs * A Princess of Mars Jasper T. Scott * Frozen Earth: Rogue Star, Book 1 - a dwarf star will impact Earth's rotation and cause a new ice age. In the US, only the deep south will be habitable. Logan Wills and his family travel to TX to meet and stay in his brother-in-law's compound. To make things worse, an alien invasion will accompany the arrival of this ice age. * New Worlds: Rogue Star, Book 2 - Logan and family make it to Haven, an undersea sanctuary, but his son did not. He will travel with others to search for his son and meet up with a faction of the aliens. Arthur C. Clarke * Dolphin Island - 1963 classic Eric Bernt * The Speed of Sound - physician working with individuals with autism or Asperger's meets a resident who invents a world-changing device, the echobox, that allows for acoustic archeology Nicholas Eames * Kings of the Wyld - older members of mercenary crew gets back together to rescue the daughter of pone of the team Brett Bottles * Rewinder - first of alternate history Mark J. Rose * Journeyman: Matt Miller in the Colonies Series: Book One - pharmaceutical researcher is transported by to 1762 Virginia as a side effect of a physics experiment. * Prophet: Book 2 - Matt travels to Philadelphia to make his fortune. He meets Ben Franklin and other time travelers Olen Thorensen * Cast Under an Alien Sun (Destiny's Crucible #1) - Joseph Kosko, chemistry grad student at UC Berkeley, is transported to a new world Anwar. He is given a chance at a new life there. Anwar has a level of technology that is centuries behind the present. Joseph's knowledge of chemistry and modern life will allow him to grow in influence in the community and assist the community in repelling invaders. * #2 The Pen and the Sword * #3 Heavier than a Mountain * #4 Forged in Fire * #5 Tales of Anyar - Destiny's Crucible Book [20]* Passages (Book 6 - Destiny's Crucible) Robert Kroese - similar to O. Thorensen Destiny's Crucible and E. Flint Ring of Fire series * The Dream of the Iron Dragon - Saga of the Iron Dragon Book 1 (alternate history Viking epic) * The Dawn of The Iron Dragon James Lovegrove - action-oriented SF (could be categorized as Adventure with Ringo, Weber, Dietz, ...) * The Age of Odin * Age of Ra * Age of Zeus * Age of Aztec * Age of Shiva David Brin - a (hard science) science fiction writer * Startide Rising * Uplift War * Kiln People * Earth * Existence - grand sweeping saga of first contact Timothy Zahn - great sci-fi (I'm not interested in his Star Wars stuff but this stuff is good) * Manta's Gift * Angelmass * The Icarus Hunt * Dragon and Thief: Dragonback Series Book 1 Orson Scott Card * Ender's game * Ender's shadow * Speaker for the dead * Xenocide * Empire / Hidden Empire - not part of Ender series * Enchantment Tales of Alvin Maker - an alternative history of the US in the 1800s * #1 Seventh Son - Alvin Maker is the 7th son of a 7th son. He has a gift; he is a maker. He is fighting the evil force of the unmaker. * #2 Red Prophet - Alvin and his brother are kidnapped by Indians paid by * #3 Apprentice Alvin * #4 Alvin Journeyman * #5 Heartfire - Peggy working toward emancipation of slaves in the Crown colonies, Alvin is in New England dealing with the puritans * #6 The Crystal City - Alvin leads slaves and others from New Orleans to freedom Steven Gould - clever series with teleporting as basis * Jumper * Reflex * Jumper: Griffin's story * Impulse - child of two jumper parents want ordinary HS experience William Dietz * Death Day/Earthrise * By Blood Alone * At Empire's Edge * Andromeda's Fail * Prison Planet - fun tale of falsely convicted and exiled businessman who escapes a nightmare prison planet Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle - old favorite * Footfall + Ringworld series David Weber * Out of the Dark - rebellion against alien invaders - fun story * Apocalypse Troll * On Basilisk Station (first of the Honor Harrington saga) * Off Armageddon Reef * In Fury Born * Mutineer Moon - competing forces are stranded on Earth * The Excalibur Alternative - 16th century English troops taken to fight for aliens David Weber / John Ringo (Empire of Man / Prince Roger series) March Upcountry; #2 March to the Sea; #3 March to the Stars; #4 We Few - The 3rd in line for the throne of the Empire of Man is a spoiled prince who is stranded with his body guards on a remote, primitive planet. There is an coup in process and Roger and his guards need to battle across a planet, capture a space port and defeat the usurpers. John Ringo * Live Free or Die (first Earth contact with aliens, unlikely hero emerges) * There will be dragons - future Earth responds to crash of technology * Watch on the Rhine - Posleen-invasion of Earth adventure (others Gust Front, Hymn Before Battle, Cally's War) * Into the looking glass - expt. opens gate to alternative universe * Princess of Wands [20] * Queen of Wands - Barbara Everette and FLUFF colleagues battle demons in Chattanooga * Unto the Breach; A Deeper Blue; Tiger by the Tail (w/ Ryk Spoor) - Kildar series/Ghost and troops * The Hot Gate - epic space opera; Tyler Vernon, industrialist features prominently * Under a Graveyard Sky - first book in the Dark Rising series. Virual infections have turned most of the world population into zombies. A family search of survivors leads to the first sign of hope for the world. * To Sail a Darkling Sea - 2nd book in Dark Rising Series * Islands of Rage and Hope - 3rd book in Dark Rising Series * Strands of Sorrow Cory Doctorow * Down and out in the magic kingdom * Little Brother * Pirate Cinema - story of intellectual property; what is art and creativity; set in modern London Eric Flint * Boundary (alien fossil leads to Mars) * Pyramid Scheme - alien artifact leads to mix of mythical worlds and reality * Rats, Bats and Vats / The Rats, The Bats and The Ugly (with D. Freer) * The Genie out of the Vat [story from Rats, Bats and Vats story sequence good fun] Eric Flint: Ring of Fire series * 1632 - start of alternate history series - small W Va town transported to 17th century central Germany * Ring of Fire * 1633 (with David Weber) * 1634: The Baltic War (with David Weber) * 1634: The Ram Rebellion (#5 in Ring of Fire Series) * 1634: The Galileo Affair Scott Meyer * Off to be the Wizard - modern computer hacker discovers code that allows him to modify world features that matter to him (such as bank accounts). He is discovered and flees to Britain of Camelot days Elliott Kay * Poor Man's Fight - test after HS determines what debt student owes society for education (high score=low debt); Tanner Malone is a bright kid but his bad test score leads to debt that can only be resolved but enlisting in the space corps; Great story and a real find * Rich Man's War - follow up to Poor Man's Fight * Dead Man's Debt - #3 in series with Tanner Malone * No Medals for Secrets: Poor Man's War Book 4 - Alisha Wong featured * Last Man Out { Debtor's War Book 5 } - Tanner Malone is on an xeno-archeology dig that goes bad * Good Intentions / Natural Consequences / [16] Person Demons - fantasy adventure/urban fantasy - Alex, a young man with a history of previous lives lived bravely but ending early * Days of High Adventure * Life in Shadows - short stories / novellas that feature Alex and friends [20]* Past Due, Small Victories – short story collection * Wandering Monsters: Run Like Hell Marcus Sakey * Brilliance - Nick Cooper, 'brilliant'/'twist'/'gifted' investigator of threats to the status quo; ultimately he is betrayed by those he thought he could trust * A Better World - conflict with Brilliance * Written in Fire - end of the trilogy * Afterlife - an adventure about the challenges after death Michael Williamson * Freehold * The Weapon * Better to Beg Forgiveness * A Long Time Until Now - a group of 10 US military personnel are transported back in time. They have to survive using their specialized skills. Robert Sawyer * WWW: Wake - life arises on the web * Flashforward - experiment at CERN transports humanity 20+ years into the future Mercedes Lackey * Born to Run (with Larry Dixon and Larry Elmore) Mark Van Name * One Jump Ahead - protagonist infused with nanomaterials under his control * Slanted Jack John Scalzi * Old Man's War - John Perry, widower, joins Colonial Defense Force at age 70 - new body and adventure follows * The Ghost Brigades - follow-up to Old Man's War * The Human Division - series of stories involving Harry Wilson, colonial defense force (CDF) rep. is assigned to diplomacy corps * The Collapsing Empire - known 'interdependency' universe connected by 'streams' that are failing. Start of cool new series. * The Consuming Fire: The Interdependency, Book 2 [#20]* The Last Emperox (The Interdependency - Book 3) * Locked In - a detective story with innovative premise of a virus that leaves people alive and aware but unable to communicate ('locked in'). Neural nets and robotic bodies give these individuals a chance to interact. * Head On - follows Locked In * Fuzzy Nation - retelling of Sci-Fi classic; sentient species found on a planet that is being developed * Redshirts - great premise of blending sci-fi universe created by bad SF TV show with reality * Agent to the Stars - agent for aliens in need of intro to humanity * The Android's Dream - galactic conflict requires organism with special designer DNA * Zoe's Story - another installment in the Old Man's War set of novels * The Dispatcher - interesting story of life-death and the ethics of a never considered profession [#20]* Murder by Other Means (The Dispatcher #2) Cassandra Rose Clarke * Our Lady of the Ice - female PI in the human city on Antarctica get involved with rebels, gangsters, robots and cyborgs. Robots attaining sentience want a home. Ryk Spoor * Digital Knight Rick Parlow * Duty, Honor, Planet - military sci-fi; military intelligence officer guarding senator's daughter when aliens attack * Birthright - former officer now serves as constable on remote planet [#20]* Contact Front (Drop Trooper - Book 1); Kinetic Strike (#2), Danger Close (#3), Direct Fire (#4) [20]* A War to the Knife (Recon Series #1) * Glory Boy [N20] Max Brooks (@maxbrooksauthor) * World War Z - interviews with individuals who survived the Zombie War * Devolution - bigfoot thriller told from pages of diary Daniel Wilson * Robopocalypse - machines revolt - how did it happen and how did humans respond Ted Dekker * Blink of an Eye * Forbidden - first of a new series of a future with emotion genetically engineered out of humans James Patterson & Neil McMahon * Toys - future with conflict between "Elites" and humans * Private Games - Private security is hired to protect the Olympic games that a lunatic attempts to disrupt * Private Berlin - deranged mass murderer on the loose * Zoo (with Michael Ledwidge) - Human Animal Conflict identified by ABD scientist * Bill Clinton and James Patterson - The President if Missing - story of impending computer virus attack on the US * Texas Ranger * The First Lady [20]* Revenge Michael Wentz * Resurrection of Liberty - long dormant alien ship discovered in orbit around moon. Evan Currie * On Silver Wings - Hayden's World is attacked by aliens - resistance led by special force ranger David Drake * Redlined Richard Bard - Brainrush - radiation dose leads to superhuman skills (intellectual and physical speed) Andy Weir * The Martian. Mark Whatney, NASA astronaut stranded on Mars, struggles to survive until possible rescue. * Artemis - Jass Bassara, petty smuggler in the main lunar city Artemis gets involved in deadly plot Ernest Cline * Ready Player One - The death of a new virtual world, The Oasis, leads to a worldwide hunt for the hidden 'Easter Eggs.' * Armada - video gamers are recruited to help protect Earth from invasion of aliens Dennis Taylor (@Dennis_E_Taylor) - Bobiverse * We are Legion (We are Bob): Book 1- a story of space exploration by a self-replicating space exploration vehicle. Fun story * For We are Many (Book 2) * All the Worlds (Book 3) - trilogy ends with Bob and clones defeating The Others and establishing the remaining humans [#20]* Heaven's River (#4) Dennis Taylor - other [#20]* The Singularity Trap - Outstanding first contact tale Pierce Brown * Red Rising - residents of Mars live in a caste system. Darrow, a low level Red, is placed in a position to infiltrate the highest level of society, the Golds. * Golden Son - Darrow's career after school begins. He foments discord among Gold families. * Morning Star - 3rd and final book of the Red Rising trilogy Sabaa Tahir - series with a Red Rising vibe * An Ember in the Ashes - Laia is an oppressed member of the scholar class. Her family is murdered and she is recruited by the revolution. She infiltrates a military academy and connects with Elias. * A Torch Against the Night MR Carey * The Girl with All the Gifts - Melanie was a special girl - a zombie who has retained some human sense. Outstanding story with clever resolution. Michael Kam * Remember the Starfighter - battle against seemingly unbeatable alien foe Bob Mayer * Atlantis - Ankor Wat and the Bermuda Triangle are connected by malevolent forces * Eye of the Hammer - soldiers enlisted for raids on drug lords Alan Black * Metal Boxes - Stone, son of a wealthy shipping family, is in the space navy. Space opera where he gets stranded in hyperspace. Peter Clines * The Fold- investigation into anomalies of physics study John Sandford & Ctein * Saturn Run (race to get to Saturn to explore alien signal) Orson Scott Card (@orsonscottcard) * Stonefather [#20]* Lost and Found - micropower Daniel O'Malley * The Rook- people with special skills protect the general population from unnatural threats Steven Hawk * Son Justice; Peace Warrior Gene Douchette * The Spaceship Next Store Robert Heinlein * The Door Into Summer- 1957 story about inventor and engineer who is duped by his former partner and is cryogenically suspended from 1970 to 2000; Starman Jones * Glory Road - 1963 world view with recently discharged vet getting involved in a space adventure * Rocket Ship Galileo - 1947 story of race to the moon in pursuit of a prize. They encounter and overcome villainy Frank Fleming * Superego- Rico Vargas, emotionless killer begins to develop feelings that run counter to his ultrarational self C. Chase Howard * Bastion Saturn Mare Alan Edelheit * Stiger's Tigers Amy Rose Capella * Once & Future - Arthurian legend in a sci-fi future JN Chaney and Terry Maggert * The Messenger JN Chaney and Scott Moon * The Last Reaper JN Chaney and Christopher Hoppner [20] Ruins of the Galaxy (#1) Aliette de Bodard * The Tea Master and the Detective - Sherlock Holmes character and a shipmind pair up Tony James Slater * Earth Warden - Tris is an orphan who survives by petty thieving. He is recruited to learn to be a warden, a job that is part of his family tradition CW Lamb / Charles Lamb * ALiCE - Rip van Winkle type story with soldier awakening after 150+ years in a stasis field * The Lost Ranger: An Alex Rogers Adventure Ranger Series 1 - an engineer who is camping with his dog are transported to a new land where magic rules. Light, amusing story; Dragon's Teeth - Book 2; Ben Winters * Underground Airlines - alternate history where US did not have a civil war but passed a constitutional amendment to allow slavery. Daryl Gregory * Spoonbenders - family of psychics (both truly gifted and fakers) encounter government spies and others RR Haywood * Extracted - 3 individuals are pulled out of time at the time of their deaths. Michael Grumley * Breakthrough - marine researchers establish communication with dolphins at same time strange, alien object appears on ocean floor Daniel Arenson * Earth Alone - Earth defense force trains to repel alien invaders Science Fiction/Fantasy (continued) ====================================== [N20] David Wellington * Chimera - Jim Chapel Mission - thriller as much as SF, genetic engineering and more [N20] Steve McHugh * Sorcery Reborn (The Rebellion Chronicles) [N20] Lindsay Buroker * Mist & Magic * Sinister Magic [N20] Daniel Schinhofen * Aether's Blessing (Book 1 of Aether's Revival) [N20] M.R. Forbes * The Sheriff - post-apocalyptic western [N20] Andy Peloquin * Cerebus, Assassin Protocol Book 1 [N20] TR Cameron * Control (Book 1: Azophi Academy) [N20] Jason Auspach, Michelle Myers * Forget Nothing [N20] William Ledbetter * Level Five (AI story) [N20] Laurence Dahners * Quicker (Ell Donsaii story) * A Pause in Space Time (A stasis story) [N20] Sean Liscom * The Ranch - post-apocalyptic prepper [N20] David Rykker, Sara MacLachlin * Escape Ark Book 1 [N20] VR Tapscott * Jan Bond Some Assembly Required C.R. Daems * Tasmanian Special Forces Group: Welcome to Hell Joshua Dalzell * Marine Terran Scout Fleet Book 1 Victor Godinez * The First Protectors Kameron Hurley * The Light Brigade Logan Jacobs * Arena Scott Kenemore * Zombie, Ohio - Mount Kenyon college philosophy professor dies in a car wreck and reanimates as a sentient zombie. Robert M. Kerns * It Ain't Over * Till It's Over Ian Malone * Mako - 5 friends who are online gaming team mates whose success leads to recruitment for a intergalactic conflict (flavor of a "The Last Starfighter") Jamie McFarlane * Rookie Privateer Jodi Lyn Nye - Strong Arm Tactics (Wolfe Pack) - Vol 1 * Mythology 101 - student at midwestern university discovers a world of little folk Troy James Slater * Warden's Folly Harry Vogel * Scout's Honor - in same spirit of Jon Carter of Mars Dan Wells * Zero G Marth Wells * Artificial Condition - #2 in the Murderbot Diaries Daniel Wilson * Amped Thomas Wright * Call Sign Reaper Wesley Chu * The Lives of Tao- alien species inhabit humans and are in conflict; Roen, an out-of-shape programmer, is the new host of Tao, and becomes a capable fighter against the evil faction of aliens James Maxey * Nobody gets the Girl - invisible man, constructed as a consequence of a time machine, gets involved with super villain/hero Andrew Kaufman * All My Friends are Superheroes - creative premise with people w/o super powers are unusual coupled with a story of loss Benjamin Wallace * Junkers- robot revolution has started and our heroes need to figure out what is causing this. T. Ellery Hodges * The Never Hero: The Chronicle of Jonathan Tibbs Book 1 Yahtzee Croshaw * Will Save the Galaxy for Food ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fantasy (including Urban Fantasy) ================================= Jim Butcher (@longshotauthor) - Harry Dresden files * Storm Front; Fool Moon; Grave Peril; Summer Knight; Death Masks; Blood Rites ('mouse' enters the Dresden File); Dead Beats; Proven Guilty (Michael's oldest daughter pulls Harry into a crisis); White Knight; Small Favor; Turn Coat; Changes (#12 of series has a shocker of an ending); Ghost Story; Cold Days; Skin Game (#15 - finished with all in series - now have to wait on the author). [#20]* Peace Talks, Battle Ground (#17 in Dresden series) * Brief Cases - short stories featuring Harry Dresden and friends * Working for Bigfoot - 3 short stories with Dresden [New series - The Aeronaut's Windlass - first book in the Spire series featuring Captain Grimm Larry Correia (MHI series) * Monster Hunter International - introduces Oliver Z. Pitts, an accountant, who is recruited for MHI, a company with a very special mission * Monster Hunter Vendetta * Monster Hunter Alpha * Monster Hunter Legion * Monster Hunter Nemesis * Monster Hunter Siege (Book #6 in the series) - Z and friends are looking for friends lost in Vegas * Monster Hunter Guardian (Son of Black Sword series) * Son of the Black Sword: Saga of the Forgotten Warrior Book 1 of new series * House of Assassins (Book #2 Saga of the Forgotten Warrior) (Grimoir Chronicles) * Hard Magic: Book 1 of the Grimoir Chronicles - series set in 1930s when magic is influencing international affairs; Spellbound (Book 2); Warbound (Book 3) (Malcontents series) * Into the Storm: Book 1 of the Malcontents * Into the Wild: Book 2 of the Malcontents (Lt. Cleasby now commands the Malcontents on an academic research expedition with hidden dangers) John Conroe ===> (Demon Accords) * God Touched (#1)- Chris Gordon is a NYC police officer who has a special talent, he is able to detect and battle demons. This leads him getting involved with vampires, werewolves and other creatures; #2 Demon Driven; #3 Brutal Asset; #4 Duel Nature; #5 Fallen Stars; #6 Executable; #7 Forced Ascent; #8 College Arcane; #9 God Hammer; #10 Rogues; #11 Snake Eyes * Winterfall - #13 in Demon Accords series - Declan accompanies Ashley, the dragon speaker, to Faerie. Mack and his sister Jetta are featured in this story. * Black Frost - Ian Moore and his daughter Ashley's origin story * Summer Reign - #14 in Demon Accords series - Declan's conflict with Winter and Summer courts of Fairy becomes more intense * The Demon Accords Compendium: Volume 1 and Volume 2 - short stories from different characters perspectives - great collection that complements the novels in this series * Demon Divine * C.A.E.C.O. [20] * Darkkin Queen - Demon Accords Book #16 [20] * The Demon Accords Compendium Vol III ===> (Zone War) Zone Wars - Great read - NYC now a no-go zone b/c of battle drones released as part of terrorist attack. Recovering artifacts is a major * Borough of Bones (Book 2 Zone War Trilogy) * Web of Extinction (Book 3 Zone War Trilogy) [20]===> ( new series: Shadows of Montshire) * A Murder of Shadows (Book 1) Shayne Silvers (@ShayneSilvers) – Nate Temple series * Obsidian Son (#1 in Nate Temple series) * Blood Debts (#2); Grimm (#3); Silver Tongue (#4); Beast Master (#5); Tiny Gods (#6); Wild Side (#7); War Hammer (#8); Nine Souls (#9); Horseman (#10); Legend (#11); Nightmare (#12) [#20] Ascension (Book 13 in Nate Temple Chronicles; Carnage (Book 14) * Unchained Shayne Silvers – Shade of Devil series [#20] Devil’s Dream (Book 1) [N#20] Robert W. Ross - : Sentinels of Creation with Kellen Thorne) * A Power Renewed (Book 1); A Tale of Two Gardens (Book 2); A Wizard's Soul (Book 3); A Burden of Chaos (Book 4); A Crucible of Order (Book 5); [N#20] NK Jeminsin (@nkjeminsin) * The City We Become – a marvelous tale of NYC and its boroughs [N#20] Craig Schaefer (@craig_schaefer) * Ghosts of Gotham Benedict Jacka - series with a Dresden vibe * Fated - Alex Verus Series #1 - Alex is a wizard in London. His talent is as a seer who can see possible futures and select an action based on this. He is independent, apprenticed to a dark wizard but now works more with the light wizards. * #2 Cursed * #3 Taken * #5 Hidden; #6 Veiled (Alex is now working for the Keepers); #7 Burned; #8 Bound Rachel Aaron * Nice Dragons Finish Last (Heartstrikers Book 1); #2 One Good Dragon Deserves Another; #3 No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished; #4 A Dragon of a Different Color - Julius, Marcie, Bob, Amelia, the Chinese emperor combat Algonquin and her evil ally #5 Last Dragon Standing - end of a fun series Scott Lynch * The Lies of Locke Lamora- Locke Lamora is a con man and a thief. He is the leader of the 'Gentlemen Bastards' crew; #2: Red Seas under Red Skies, #3 The Republic of Thieves George Martin * Game of Thrones - first book of Song of Fire and Ice * A Clash of Kings - Westerosi kingdom splits and 5 kings vie for power * A Storm of Swords - betrayal and intrigue is the norm * A Feast for Crows - build up and background in south * A Dance with Dragons Neil Gaiman - an unsurpassed story teller * The Anansi Boys * American Gods * The Graveyard Book * Ocean at the end of the lane * Norse Mythology - retelling of Norse legends told with Gaiman's light touch, humor, quirkiness and talent Christopher Farnsworth * The President's Vampire - Cade (President's vampire) and partner Zach Barrows battle supernatural threats * Red, White & Blood - * Killfile - John Smith is a special consultant who can read minds and can influence them to a particular degree. * Flashmob - John Smith returns in a 2nd adventure. A social media site, Downvote, manipulates feelings and mob action. Robert Aspirin * Dragon's Wild / Dragon's Luck * Myth and Phule series Christopher Paolini - great story telling * Eragon (written when the author was a teen!) * Eldest * Brinsingr * Inheritance Patrick Rothfuss * The Name of the Wind (new series in 07 - excellent tale) * Wise Man's Fear Kevin Hearne ("Iron Druid" series) * Hounded - fun new series with Atticus O'Sullivan, last surviving Druid * Hexed * Hammered * Tricked * Trapped * Grimoire of the Lamb - short story * Shattered * Hounded * Staked * The Purloined Poodle - fun novella told from Oberon's perspective * Besieged - short stories associated with Atticus and friends * Scourged - the Atticus O'Sullivan series comes to an end with the emergence of Ragnarok, an Armageddon engineered by Loki. Atticus will not emerge unscathed but does have hopes for the future. [20] Ink & Sigil - good story set in the Iron Druid world @KevinHearne Kevin Hearne and Delilah Dawson * Kill the Farm Boy (The Tales of Pell, Book 1) - fantasy story with lots of punning - prefer the Iron Druid series James Tuck * Blood and Bullets - urban fantasy featuring vampire hunter Deacon Chalk Gail Carriger * Soulless - Victorian England with werewolves, vampires, headstrong heroines and manners. Alexia Terrabotti is the protagonist whose touch turns supernaturals human. Connects with Lord Maccon, leader of Bureau of Unnatural resources. * #2 (in series) Changeless; #3 Blameless; #4 Heartless; #5 Timeless Ben Aaronovitch (@Ben_Aaronovitch) * Midnight Riot - Book 1 of the Rivers of London series. Constable Peter Grant discovers magic is real and becomes apprenticed to special branch of the London police. #2 Moon over Soho; #3 Whispers Under Ground; #4 Broken Homes; #5 Foxglove Summer; #6 The Hanging Tree * Lies Sleeping * The October Man [20]* False Value (#8 Rivers of London) Elliott James * Charming - John Charming was raised in the Knights Templar to fight demons as part of the Pax Arcana / now more closely aligned with a pack of werewolves * Daring; In Shiny Armour, Legend Has It (#5 in Pax Arcana series) Andrzej Sapkowski * The Last Wish - stories of Gerritt, the last witcher, a hunter of demons. Great set of stories MD Massey * Junkyard Druid - Colin McCool - warrior, hunter and a druid * Graveyard Druid (#2) in series; Moonlight Druid (#3); Underground Druid (#4) - go to Underhill to rescue kidnapped children and recover artifacts. Shannon Mayer * Fury of the Phoenix Lawrence Schoen * Barsk (The Elephant's Graveyard) - planet with tool using Phants Glynn Stewart * ONSET To Serve and Protect CN Crawfored * Magic Hunter Tom Keller * Return of the High Fae - new series with flavor of Iron Druid series. * Of Gods and Fae Richard Farnsworth * Blood Oath - protagonist, Nathanial Cade defends US president against supernatural threats Erin Morgenstern * The Night Circus - a story of a magical competition played out in circus Robin Hobb * Fool's Assassin- adventures of Fitz, royal bastard and descendent of Farseer line; #2: Fool's Quest #3: Assassin's Fate - conclusion of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy - Fitz and the Fool go to rescue Bee Patricia Briggs * Raven's Shadow; Raven's Strike- 2 book series Chris Philbrook * Tesser- a dragon among us Naomi Novik * His Majesty's Dragon (first book in a new series where dragons fight for the British and the French in conflicts of the 1800s); #2 Throne of Jade Loren Jones * All That Glitters Brad Magnarella - Demon Moon (Prof. Croft Vol 1) - imagine Harry Dresden moved to NYC from Chicago and that he works part-time as a college prof. Michael Anderle * Death Becomes Her - a dying agent is given a second chance but it requires a dramatic change. [#20] Michael Anderle – Crytid Assassin * Hired Killer (Book 1), Silent Death (Book 2); Sacrificial Weapon (#3); Head Hunter (#4); Mc’Mercs (#5) Simon Townley * Doguar and the Baboons of War - genetically altered dogs and baboons Mark Wayne McGinnis * Tapped In * Lone Star Rangers - kids kidnapped by space ship organize to fight their captors * Ship Wrecked Lev Grossman * The Magicians { darker take on Hogwarts story } * The Magician King (#2 in series) * The Magician's Land (conclusion of trilogy) Domino Finn * Dead Man - Black Magic Outlaw Book 1 Jordanna Max Brodsky * The Immortals - Olympus Bound Series, Book 1 - Greek gods still live. They are weaker b/c of fewer believers. Selene Di Silva is Artemis. She becomes involved with a classics professor Theo to investigate who is reinacting previous rites. * Winter of the Gods - Book 2 - someone is sacrificing the Greeks gods * Olympus Bound - Book 3 - trilogy comes to a close - great series Justina Ireland * Dread Nation - civil war era tale with zombie threat. Great story. Drew Hayes * Second Hand Curses - bastard champions are a trio of mercenaries led by Jack (as in of the beanstalk). Robert Jackson Bennett * Foundryside - story of thief Sancia in a land where inanimate objects can be imbued with sentience via a process known as scriving Joe Abercrombie * Best Served Cold - mercenary general is betrayed and seeks retribution [N20] Annie Marie * Taming Demons for Beginners (#1); Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2) [N20] Hayley Stone * Make Me No Grave - "a weird west novel" [N20] Nathan Lowell * The Wizard’s Butler [N20] Daniel Schinhofen * Aether's Blessing (Book 1 of Aether's Revival) Michael-Scott Earle * Tamer: King of Dinosaurs - Victor goes from animal control in LA to a world where he can connect with dinosaurs; Tamer 2; Tamer 3; Tamer 4 and Tamer 5 * Dragon Slyer: Dragon Slayer 2 * The Destroyer; The Destroyer Book 2; The Destroyer Book 3; Book 4 - world ranging conflict between men and elves Daniel Schinhofen * Morrigan's Bidding - Binding Words, Book 1 - Sean's death in a bar fight leads to resurrection in a land of magic. William D. Arand * Swing Shift Bryan Cohen * Ted Saves the World Gene Doucette * Immortal Matthew Storm * Interesting Times Drew Hayes * The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant Richard Kadray * Sandman Slim Mario Acevido * Werewolf Smackdown Tom Holt * Little People ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Youth fiction ============= (I still like these even though I may not be in the target audience) Eoin Colfer - young audience is the target but I enjoyed the stories * Artemis Fowl - 12 yr. old criminal mastermind * The Arctic Incident - Artemis Fowl story * The Eternity Code - Artemis Fowl story * The Wish List * The Supernaturalist * The Time Paradox - Artemis Fowl story * Airman * Artemis Fowl - The Last Guardian - the final Fowl mystery - great story to end outstanding series [N20] Eoin Colfer - The Fowl Twins - @EoinColfer Eoin Colfer – WARP series * The Reluctant Assassin (WARP Book 1) - new series - time travel * The Hangman's Revolution (WARP Book 2) * The Forever Man (WARP Book 3) - The adventures of Riley and Chevie conclude Eoin Colfer – other [#20]* Highfire - last dragon lives in the bayou discovers human allies Lev Grossman (@leverus( [20]* The Silver Arrow - 11 y.o. on adventure with deeper conservation message Carl Hiaasen (youth and adult adventures here) * Hoot - Hoot / Flush / Chomp all have kid protagonists * Flush * Chomp - adventure of professional animal wrangler in Florida who is helping with a reality TV show * Bad Monkey - detective assigned to roach control investigates arm pulled up by a fishing charter * Skink, No Surrender - Skink helps young man save his cousin who has been kidnapped. Marissa Meyer * Cinder - #1 Lunar Chronicles - Cinderella meets android future with dystopian Lunar ruler. Cinder is the true heir of Luna but it will take a revolution to acknowledge this. * Scarlett - #2 Lunar Chronicles - weaving Red Riding Hood and Wolf into the story * Cress - #3 Lunar Chronicles - Rapunzel story with spy housed in a satellite above Earth * Winter - #4 - Princess Winter (the Sleeping Beauty character) is a key in disrupting evil Luna queen plans Suzanne Collins - great trilogy of frightening future * The Hunger Games * Catching Fire * Mockingjay Veronica Roth * Divergent * Insurgent Lian Hearn - "feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination" * Across the Nightingale Floor * Grass for His Pillow * Brilliance of the Moon - haven't read yet Andy McNab and Robert Rigby * Traitor / Payback - author is former SAS (see above under "adventure") David Liss * The Ethical Assassin Douglas Richards * The Devil's Sword * The Prometheus Project (Book 1: Trapped) * Mind's Eye Rick Riordan * The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson, 1/2 son of Poseidon, adventure) * The Sea of Monsters * Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Anthony Horowitz * Eagle Strike (Alex Rider MI-6 adventures) Charlie Higson * Silverfin - James Bond as a teenager studying at Eton who gets involved in adventures in Scotland Jacko Willink * Way of the Warrior Kid - 5th grader who is helped by his uncle, a former Seal, to get ready for 6th grade ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historic Fiction (new category added in 2019) Bernard Cornwell * The Last Kingdom (#1 in Saxon Chronicles / The Warrior Chronicles Graham Moore * Last Days of Night - Westinghouse/Tesla (AC) vs. Edison (DC) retelling ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Non-fiction =========== >>>>> 2020 Christie Aschwanden * Good to Go - science of recovery Mat Best * Thank you for My Service [N#20] Gregory Boyle - founders of Home-Boy industries in LA * Tattoos on the Heart * Barking to the Choir - inspiring, moving @FrGregBoyle @HomeboyInd Austin Channing Brown * I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness Alberto Cairo - * How Charts Lie: Getter Smarter about Visual Information @AlbertoCairo [N#20] Tim Harford * How to Make the World Add Up; * Fifty Inventions that Shaped the Modern Economy @TimHarford Yoav Noah Harari * Homo Deus - from deism to humanism to digitalism Celeste Headler * Do Nothing - happiness and leisure as a focus) Michiko Kabutani *The Death of Truth [N#20] Angela Saini * Superior - race science over the years David Spiegelhalter *The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data* @d_spiegel Wendy Wood * Good, Habits, Bad Habits - power of habitual repetitive actions [N#20] Timandra Harkness * Big Data: Does Size Matter? - @BigDataSizeBook >>>> pre-2020 Ashton Applewhite * This Chair Rocks - a manifesto against ageism Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot * The Tiger that Isn't (published as The Numbers Game in US) Jason Fried and David Hansson * It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work - promoting calm, qualtiy work Steven Hyden * Twighlight of the Gods - a journey to the end of classic rock Steve Johnson [* Farsighted - tools and techniques for making good decisions Austin Kleon * Steal Like an Artist - reflections on creativity * Keep Going - ways to stay creative in good times and bad William Mcraven * Make Your Bed Laura Vanderkam - * Off the Clock (Feel less busy while getting more time) - time mgmt. Wil Haygood * Tigerland - Columbus East Tigers won the 1968-69 state basketball and baseball championships. The story of these teams and this school is told in the context of the racial changes that were occurring at that time. Thiek Nhit Hank * Peace is Every Step - a call for and reflection of mindfulness from Zen spiritual leader James E Ryan * Wait, What? And life's other essential questions - expanded graduation address. Q1: Wait, what?; Q2: I wonder why - I wonder if -; Q3: Couldn't we at least -; Q4: How can I help? Q5: What really matters? Mo Gawdat * Solve for Happy: Engineering your Path to Joy - reflection on dealing with loss and choosing a different response to life Angela Duckworth * Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Dan Harris * 10% Happier, how I tamed the voice inside my head - a stressed news anchor finds value of meditation * Meditation for Healthy Skeptics (with Jeff Warren) Daniel Pink * When - scientific evidence associated with importance of timing in life Kevin Mitnick * Ghost in the Wires - adventures as world's most wanted hacker Trevor Noah * Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood Lynne Truss * Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation - great book Cal Newport * Deep Work - strategies for focusing effort and attention * So Good they Can't Ignore You - strategies for success * Digital Minimalism - how much tech is too much Cathy O'Neil * Weapons of Math Destruction - how predictive models can be used maliciously Jeff Selingo * College Unplugged - reflections on how college needs to evolve to deal with the changing workplace, financial support and incoming students. Charles Duhigg * Smarter, Faster, Better - Similar to parts of Deep Work and Mindset - book addresses productivity Debbie Irving * Waking Up White and finding myself in the story of race - 50 y.o. white woman recounts her journey into racial awareness Ben MacIntyre * Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Service - story of SAS founding as a special force in N. Africa with its evolution through the conflicts in Italy Ben Goldacre * Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks and Big Pharma Flacks - epidemiologist, physician and debunker takes on bad science Al Franken * Al Franken, Giant of the Senate - amazing biographical piece - sad read after his recent resignation Marie Kindo * The Life-changing magic of tidying up Charles Duhigg * The Power of Habit - stimulus/trigger -> action -> reward Brad Stulbery / Steve Magness * Peak Performance Jared Brock * The Year of Living Prayerfully- story of individual's search to better understand traditions of prayer Jeff Sutherland and JJ Sutherland * Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time- nice overview of project management using Scrum/agile techniques Nate Silver * The Signal and the Noise- why some predictions succeed and others fail Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic * Storytelling with Data- great data viz book that captures presentation strategies, design principles, and more Jen Sincero * You are a Badass- self-help, positive thinking piece JD Vance * Hillbilly Elegy- autobiography / memoir of a Middletown, OH kid who tells the story of challenges met and overcome and his fears for those who struggle Mel Brooks- Young Frankenstein: a Mel Brooks Book: The Story of the Making of the Film Chip Heath & Dan Heath * Made to Stick - how / why ideas stick (Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotion, Stories) * Switch - making changes in organizations * Decisions Thomas Friedman * The World is Flat - how present and future is impacted by tech changes Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner * Freakonomics / Super Freakonomics - data-based tales of society Suzy Welch * 10-10-10 - consider decisions in light of short (10 min), moderate (10 mo.) and long term (10 yrs) Malcolm Gladwell * What the dog saw - New Yorker essays * Outliers / The Tipping Point Carol Dweck * Mindset Tobias Moskowitz & Jon Wertheim * Scorecasting - empirical sports analyses [e.g. real explanation for home-field advantage] Michael Lewis * Moneyball - Oakland A's competitive as a result of embracing SABRmetric ideas Fareed Zakaria * In Defense of Liberal Education - apologist for liberal ed - liberal ed as intellectual 'cross training' Clayton Christensen * How will you measure your life - good reflection on living life with principles Daniel James Brown * The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for gold at the 1936 Berline Olympics - incredible story of the U of Washington crew team who achieves rowing excellence Tina Fey * Bossypants - Tina Fey's biography told with self-deprecating humor and clever descriptions Amy Poehler * Yes, Please - Amy Poehler's biography ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Other (giving up on classifying) ================================ Orson Scott Card [#20]* A Town Divided by Christmas - behavioral economist and geneticist go to a town to see why so many residents never leave or return here Chalie Mackesy * The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - reflections of life, relationships and friendships (beautiful illustrations too) W. Bruce Cameron * The Dogs of Christmas