... what books would you bring? I'm facing this very dilemma, as I'm gearing up to go on a military deployment in the coming months. Pretty psyched about it. I'm taking all the crap with me that's required AND having my Kindle Rhino-lined. :awesome Here's the thing, though, what should I load it up with? What would YOU load it up with?

 

You should get the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, plenty of reading right there. Personally I'd also want to load up on some crime thrillers, so perhaps Patricia Cornwell's, and maybe Jeffrey Deaver's series, possibly also Lee Child.

For some fantasy Trudi Canavan, Holly Lisle and Carl Berg are all good reads.

And for some sci-fi...most things by Dan Abnett and Sandy Mitchell are worth the time to read.

 

Pullman wrote some good books, Mark Twain is good for relaxation( The mysterious stranger is pretty good for example). For sci-fi I would bring Asimov they're rather good and there are a lot of them. Lem is good for thinking and if you want to read something deep and funny at the same time. Verne that's classic.:awesome

 

Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space series is fantastic, if you're into that sort of thing. Or, perhaps, The Motorcycle Diaries (translated into English, naturally).

 

War + Peace.

 

I'd go for sci-fi overload: dowload everything ever written by Asimov, Heinlein, Vonnegut, and some new stuff as well. Lois McMaster Bujold writes some pretty damn awesome romance/action sci-fi.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, all! I seriously read EVERYTHING (minus the bodice-ripping hunky romance BS. Shit kinda makes me gag) so I'll at least give everything here a good perusal. One awesome thing about a lot of the classic (read: everything from 1920 and back) stuff is it's free. :awesome . I was also thinking about marathoning the Discworld series too.

 

Oz.... you read Tad Williams?


#1 Fan :3

 

The entire collections of Stephen King and Terry Pratchett. With a side order of the Horus Heresy and the Dresden Files. If you can get through those in 400 days with a military routine you'll be a faster reader than I.

 

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I've been meaning to recc this in the books thread, as it is one of my all-time favorites. Unforgettable story, unforgettable characters, you know the drill. Also, the black humor is spot-on and hilarious.

As for those free Kindle classics, be sure to pick up Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Not the best, but seeing as you'll be on military deployment, perhaps the inspiration for Apocalypse Now will be extra poignant for you.

EDIT: Whoops! Looks like Owen Meany isn't available on Kindle. Bummer; it's incredibly good.

 

Also Hugh Lauire: The Gun Seller was pretty good, not epic but entertaining.

 

I second Abnett and Mitchell, along with a few other authors from the Black Library, like Ben Counter and the entire Horus Heresy.

 

I second Robert Ludlum; but make sure to read the summary or whatever on the inside before choosing. I've found a couple of his books run very similar themes to the Jason Bourne series.

Ender's Game/Ender's Shadow(and the three other books that follow) cover the sci-fi angle.

 

/renewed love of you.

How much of his work have you read? You might have noticed by now how much I bone Memory, Sorrow & Thorn, but Otherland is indeed fab. War of the Flowers? Shadowmarch? Tailchaser? He's got some noir-thrillers coming out in series in the next couple of years.

Going to update HPAC this week. Just for you. 15k update.

NB: This nerdgasm is on topic. S'about books n'shit, what OP ought read.

Speaking of which, other recommendations of mine would be almost anything by Iain (M.) Banks and anything by Cormac McArthy. And if you don't have enough to occupy 400 months reading by now, you shouldn't have asked for recommendations in the first place because you're fussy.

edit

When you put it like that every sane human being wants to read it.

 

I have just a few words: War of the Flowers, Dragon apocalypse, Rock Star transported to mysterious fantasy alt reality!

He may have written some good stuff... But I can't take him serious after that. Even with Bobby Dollar and Helmet of Fate.

 

Hm, I recommend the Jurassic Park books written by Michael Crichton, and depending on were in the world you live and what languages you can read I would also reccomend that you pick up everything written by Margit Sandemo.

 

American Gods, Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, Good Omens....basically anything by Neil Gaiman. I'd grab the WoT series as well, as there is a lot of material there to pass the time.

Brandon Sandersons Mistborn Trilogy is supposed to be fairly good as well, though I've only just begun the first book.