Trying to get lost in a good book

[jadesfire]

In the past 24 hours, I have offered comfort to friends in the form of an LOL cat and a picture of a cow. This possibly says something about my flist, and possibly says something about me. Possibly both.

While I think of it, and before I get to the point of this post (yes, I have one :P), Morocco postcards are starting to arrive in various locations around the world. The observant among you will have noticed that many of them have British stamps on them. Sadly, although I could afford to buy 30 postcards in Marrakech, I couldn't afford the high postage costs to get them where they needed to go, so many of them came from the UK. Every single one was written in Morocco though, so it's only the stamps you've been cheated of. Sorry about that, but needs must.

Anyway, the point of this post was to pick your brains, since I seem to have used all mine up. My evidence for this is that while I remembered to plug my MP3 player in to charge overnight, because the battery is on its last legs and needs daily charging, I forgot to put said battery into the player. I swear, if I had a brain, I'd be dangerous.

Anyanyway, I currently have a £25 Blackwell's voucher burning a hole in my wallet, and don't have a clue what to buy with it. Most books I want, I can get from my local library for a maximum of 80p reservation fee, plus the fines when I don't finish them and forget to take them back. I'm much less well read in classic literature than I am in classical literature, mostly because Jane Austen and I don't get on, and I don't have the stamina for Dickens. So tell me, dear friendslist, what should I buy with my shiny shiny gift card? I'm looking for books that I'll read over and over again, that I won't mind still having on my bookshelf in ten years time. My tastes tend to the adventure end of the spectrum, with comic leanings nice but not compulsory. Having tried various 'high fantasy' classics, I don't think they're for me, and I quite enjoy sci-fi and fantasy that's more of a sideways look at life than Epic Quest.

Any thoughts? Anything that you cannot believe I haven't read? Because I probably haven't. Anything that's going to set me off on the kind of love affair I had with Amelia Peabody until the cast of the books got too big and the stories got sacrificed to it? I'm a completist, so long series are definitely my kind of thing, as well as fat novels that I can get lost in completely.

Thank you!

---

ETA Suggestions so far (because apparently my flist doesn't think I need food, sleep or work):

ETA2: OH GOOD GRIEF, PEOPLE, I GET IT! Enough with the Dresden Files already ;) Who am I to argue? *adds to shopping cart*


- The Dresden Files "Storm Front" [which have just been fourthed so yes, okay, I think I'm getting these!]
- The Cat Who... books
- Good Omens (which I think we own...)
- Water for Elephants
- The Interpretation of Murder
- Discworld novels (recommended to me, now I'm recommending them to everyone else!)
- Nation (wait for paperback)
- Felix Castor novels by Mike Carey "The Devil You Know"
- Tad Williams' 'Otherland series'
- Ian Irvine's 'The View From The Mirror' series
- Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels
- The Owl Service, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner
- Mercedes Lackey
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman [a longstanding favourite]
- Sebastian and Belladonna by Anne Bishop
- Court of the Midnight King by Freda Warrington
- "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper
- The Matthew Scudder novels by Lawrence Block
- Mary Stewart's Merlin novels: The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment and The Wicked Day
- Earthsea Quartet
- The Dark is Rising
- The Chronicles of Prydain
- Sharon Shinn's 'Angels'
- Diane Duanne
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Patricia McKillip

Comments

[naye]

Speaking of postcards - you haven't by any chance gotten anything from Japan lately? Because I sort of sent something your way before I mailed my handmade meme to villainny, and she got hers a couple of days ago, and I worry. If it's lost I will be sad - but I'll also need to send a replacement, I think!

Books! I was just talking about the Dresden Files with friendshipper, so - if you haven't read those, they would be my recommendation!

Urban fantasy, up to 10 volumes now (#11 coming in April!), and they are marvels of world- and character building. ♥ Funny and action-packed, about a modern day wizard - Harry! - in Chicago. As the series progresses, Harry gets all sorts of wonderful friends and partners and acquaintances and family and pets of all stripes. He starts out as a lone wolf, which I'm often kind of meh about, but he does have an ally and friend in the female cop Murphy. And then he meets other people, or they show up from his past, and it's quite, quite sweet and lovely and always a fun ride!

The first one is called "Storm Front", and they are in order on the author's page. (He also does vignettes and side novellas about the characters, which are mostly just an excuse to write friendship-laden snippets of adorable, if you ask me. ♥)

So~. I probably have more stuff I can recommend, and you might have read these already, but - hopefully that's of some help? ♥

(PS - if you like James Marsters, several volumes of The Dresden Files have been read by him. To which I can just say yes please, and I wish I had copies of the audiobooks around, but I don't...)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Nothing from Japan :( but then all our post got held up in the snow and I didn't get a parcel that I should have had from Germany either. Oxford post is notoriously atrocious, but this is reaching new levels. I'll keep an eye on things!

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. I've heard a lot about the Dresden Files but it never occurred to me to, you know. buy them ;) I'll put them on my list, thanks!

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

I say the Cat Who books (early ones) by Lillian Jackson Braun (I hope you can get those over there). These are sweet little mysteries with delightful characters that you will fall in love with. It's a whole town, and in the course of the books you meet nearly every single one of them. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman - a classic! It's hard to describe but I think you would like it. Water for Elephants we just read it in book club and it's really very good. It's about a man who joined the circus in the early depression era in the US. There's a mystery and romance and lots of atmosphere. Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. He used Freud and Jung in a mystery set in New York on Freud's only venture to the States! It's compelling and entertaining and I've read it several times even though I know whodunnit!!!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Weirdly for me (which probably shows how much our tastes overlap ;)) I've actually heard of 3 of those 4. Good Omens wasn't really my thing, nor were the Cat Who books, although I'm willing to give them another go if you say they're worth it. I started The Interpretation of Murder, but the scene with the horse near the beginning distressed me to such a degree that I couldn't go on with it.

Water for elephants sounds perfect, though! Just the kind of thing I like. Thank you!

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Anything Discworld - I'd say anything Pratchett but some of his not!Discworld stuff leaves me going HUH?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* I own ALL the Discworld books! As a couple, we own most of them twice, and some of them three times if we've got a signed first edition. (we can actually have whole conversations consisting largely of quotes from the Discworld books. we're setting new standards for geekdom ;)) My current dream is that Stephen Briggs will go back and record all the books - I practically know Nightwatch off by heart :)

But maybe I'll have a stab at Nation. That's supposed to be quite good...

Thanks, though!

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Ever read Tad William's 'Otherland' series? It's a bit odd, a bit slow to get moving and absolutely brilliant if you persevere. I also quite like Ian Irvine's The View From the Mirror quartet; it's not what I would call a 'stock' fantasy and I rather enjoyed it, again it's a bit odd to say the least. The later books in the same universe get a bit bleak and uninspiring and I wouldn't really recommend them (I have had the last one for over 6 months but haven't touched it).

I adore Katherine Kurtz's novels, both the ones she has written alone (I'm a massive Deryni fan) and the Adept series she did with Deborah Turner Harris. One of my favourite books by her is a real short but sweet one called Saint Patrick's Gargoyle.

For a kids book that did creepy and thought provoking well before Philip Pullman wrote 'His Dark Materials' try The Owl Service by Alan Garner. It's a bit dated now, but I can guarantee you'll still find it creepy. You've probably already read it.

For easy fantasy reading I have a soft spot for Mercedes Lackey. I never put one of her books down unfinished, but that is because they aren't exactly hard going!

I also like the 'Kushiel' series' by Jacqueline Carey but I suspect they might not be your cup of tea. Nice big chunky books though.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is brill.

Anything by Anne Bishop (try from library first, Dark Jewels novels might not be your thing either but is a nice long series) but I think you'd like the duology of Sebastian and Belladonna.

Court of the Midnight King by Freda Warrington - totally brilliant alt history/fantasy based around Richard III.

Also have a soft spot for some of Barbara Erskine's novels.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Otherland rang a bell - I think I found it a bit too slow at first, but will give it another go if you say it's worth it. Anything that's not 'stock' fantasy sounds good to me :)

That's quite the list! I've heard of some but not others, so will write them down for future reference. Thanks!

Edited for your edit! I ADORE Neverwhere and keep meaning to write fanfic ;) I've heard of Court of the Midnight King, and the other historically flavoured ones sound good.

I'm so chuffed that you all seem to have my reading taste spot on - these sound awesome!

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I'll umpteenth The Dresden Files.

For one of fiction's oldest adventure stories, "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper, which is set during the French and Indian War. Once you get used to how it's written, it's really quite gripping.

If you like gritty detective fiction, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series is the best. My favorite is "Eight Million Ways to Die," in which Matt is struggling to solve a series of murders and get his alcoholism under control. Some of the others in the series are way too violent, but it all feels realistic in that one, which is set during New York City's fiscal crisis of 30-some years ago.

Lawrence Block also writes an amusing caper-type detective series about a book dealer who moonlights as a burglar. All the titles begin with "The Burglar Who."

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Oh, I never would have thought of 'The Last of the Mohicans'. Style doesn't bother me if the story is good. The book I'm reading at the moment is 1st person present and written in a sort of dialect, but I'm loving it.

I used to be on Lawrence Block's newsletter! I've read all the Burglar books (like Amelia Peabody, they get a bit repetitive after a while) - I think The Burglar In The Library is my favourite - but haven't really attempted the Matthew Scudder series. Will give it a look, thanks :D

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Oh and did you like Merlin the TV series? If so, read The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart, they blow it out of the water. I also have The Last Enchantment and The Wicked Day which are about an older Merlin. Brilliant, brilliant books and still just as much fun today. She researches her stuff pretty well too!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*giggle* You do know that I have do things like eat, sleep and work, don't you? ;) I love Merlin stories, but haven't watched the BBC series. I'm glad everyone else is loving it, but for me, the Sam Neill version from about 10 years ago will always be THE Merlin story, and nothing else is good enough. But books, I'm always willing to give a go.

It's interesting - as a child, I wanted to *be* Robin Hood and had a passing interest in Merlin. As an adult, I can find hundreds of books riffing on the Merlin story, but hardly any on Robin. It's fascinating...

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Dark is Rising books - Susan Cooper
Earthsea Quartet - Urusula le Guin

PS - I second the Owl Service.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I've read the first 'Dark is Rising' which I found...okay...but not necessarily my thing. I keep meaning to read the Earthsea books, though, thanks!

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

What about Diane Duane's "Young Wizards" series? Or pretty much anything by Diana Wynne Jones, although I'd especially recommend "Hexwood" and Fire and Hemlock (http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/archer-fire.htm#fire).

Both technically YA series, but then our library system thinks that Terry Pratchett's books are too, so.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I don't know Diane Duane, but I love Diana Wynne Jones. I've long since lost any embarrassment about borrowing from the YA section of the library - it's where most of the good stuff is!

Thanks :D

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Can I just say I'm having a fantastic time geeking out about books! Is good fun. Even better finding out people like the same stuff as me.

And another rec - Sharon Shinn's 'Angels' series about the land of Samaria (which I found out about by an online Dutch friend lending me one of the books - Jovah's Angel). Is another fantasy series with a 'different' take on the norm.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* It's fun, isn't it? I get terrible inferiority complexes about not having read stuff. I'm well-educated enough and enough of a magpie that I can pass for well-read, but I'm very aware that I don't make enough time for it. Also, I have the attention span of a stunned duck, and am as fussy about novels as I am about fanfic! This is great stuff to go on with :D

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

I've mentioned them once before, I think, but I like Ursula LeGuin's Hainish cycle books better than the Earthsea quartet. (Not that I disliked Earthsea.) The world is expansive and she deals with a lot of philosophical and sociological issues in a very thoughtful way, all through the main characters. If you wanted a taste of some of the culture and worlds, Four Ways to Forgiveness has four novellas on (obviously) a common theme, and I found it quite lovely.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I like novellas, because my attention span is short ;) Thanks - maybe I'll start there and build up to Earthsea.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Amelia Peabody is <3! (I haven't read the later books, but the earlier ones, whee~!)

I'll fifth the Dresden Files rec!

You might want to try Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard cycle, The Lies of Locke Lamora (http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Scott-Lynch/dp/055358894X/) and its sequel - they're fantasy, but not exactly high...sort of a fantasy version of Ocean's 11, about a gang of conman running amuck in a Venice-esque city. The writing is really sharp and clever; I was hooked by the first chapter. And there's awesome action and some great friendship stuff in them. (Warning that they can go a bit dark at points...)

You haven't read Good Omens? Go read that one first!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I'm good up to about "The Golden One" with Amelia, but after that, she's just got too many characters to juggle - she would have been better off spinning them out into their own books (IMHO) rather than trying to cram everyone in.

*g* yes, yes, I get the point. I may as well just add Storm Front to my shopping cart now, might'n I?

The Lies of Locke Lamora sounds like pretty much my perfect book, thank you! Sharp, clever, action and darkness sounds like it was *written* for me.

Heh, I started Good Omens but didn't really get on with it. I'd like to try some Gaiman other than Nevewhere, but GO just didn't do it for me.

[rachel68620.livejournal.com]

Anything by Brad Meltzer. And add me to the list who recommends the Dresden file books as well.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The Dresden Files seems to be unanimous ;)

Thanks!

[azure-chaos.livejournal.com]

I'll back the Dresden Files too...just in case you have any doubt *grins* I'm really enjoying them *nods*

nate

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*dies* I get the distinct impression I'm being ganged up on...

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

Allow me to second Mercedes Lackey, especially her Elemental Masters series and the Valdemar books.

Also, try Lois McMaster Bujold, who I want to be when I grow up. Seiously. Tightly plotted, epic characterisation, intelligent characters and adventure galore. I find her books extremely addictive. Read anything except the Sharing Knife series - those are more sequence-of-events romance novels instead of adventure ones.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I've tried to get Bujold from the library before now, but no luck. I might have to *gasps* buy them. Shocking ;)

Thanks! *adds to list*

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

...you know if you ordered through me I could get you a 30% discount, right? So, more books for your voucher.

:)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Oh you are so not helping :P But it might make it easier to choose...

*ponders*

Thanks - I'll bear that in mind!

[white_hart]

Seconding/thirding/whatever:

- Good Omens
- Discworld novels
- Nation (sheer brilliance)
- Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels - hmmm. I adored these when I was 12 and found them rather overdone when I went back a few years later. But if you want to try them there's a copy of The Bishop's Heir (which is the first of a trilogy, admittedly the third one but I started with the second of the second trilogy so it probably doesn't matter that much) in the Turl St Oxfam bookshop at the moment.
- The Owl Service, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner - definitely!!
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- Earthsea Quartet (except there are now five of them and a volume of short stories)
- The Dark is Rising (although the general view of my book group a couple of months ago was that it only really worked if you'd read it as a child)
- The Chronicles of Prydain
- Diana Wynne Jones
- Patricia McKillip

Also, have you read Philip Pullman? His Dark Materials and the Sally Lockhart books are both very good. Also Joan Aiken's series of novels starting with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* It's a good list, isn't it?

I've read The Amber Spyglass which I had stylistic issues with - maybe I'll give the Sally Lockhart ones a go. I haven't heard of Joan Aiken, thanks :)

[aoife-8.livejournal.com]

If high fantasy isn't your thing (and I think I'm picking that up from reading your comments!) then give these a go - they are more on the science fiction end of things:
1. The Many Coloured Land by Julian May. The first in a series of 8 future!fic/time-travel epics which I adore. Exotic alien races, Celtic mythology and mind-powers abound.
2. Catspaw by Joan D Vinge. Future!fic thriller with a telepathic hero.
3. Alien Influences by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. This is quite simply one of the best sci fi novels I have read, very much in the Ray Bradbury tradition. It's a science fiction novel, but forget that, it reads like a terrific CSI-style psychological who-dunnit thriller. It's about a group of children living on an alien planet, who are pretty much left to their own devices. They become fascinated by the Dancers, the aliens living on the planet, with deadly results. The novel is, to me, reminiscent of Donna Tartt's contemporary university campus novel The Secret History, which I can totally recommend too! I have bought this book at least 5 times, I keep giving it away to friends!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Those are awesome recs, thank you. I've read enough high fantasy that they all sort of blur into one, but haven't a clue where to start with sci fi. I enjoyed 'The Secret History' and I've read one of the Star Wars tie-in novels by Rusch (and enjoyed it) so I'll definitely give that one a go.

Thank you!

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

*snickers* at your ETA2

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* People just kept on telling me to buy them! I mean, I'm slow, but I'm not that slow; I got the message!

Hee. Apparently I'm getting the book too...

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Been meaning to say, I got the postcard yesterday! So very pretty!! It's going up onto my postcard wall.... once I have it up again. The heat melted the 3M sticky adhesive I use to keep it up and the whole thing is kinda just sitting on my floor now, but I'll be getting new adhesive and putting it back up!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Eep! Glad the postcard got there safely - it made really good time!

[hilsongirl.livejournal.com]

If you read Good Omens let me know what you think. I have been meaning to read it for a while now and would love to hear what you think.

Also, we share more than a couple of fandoms so I am friending you :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Heh, I think I'm unlikely to read GO in the near future. I had a go at it a few years ago and couldn't really get on with it, but most people I know recommend it highly.

And hello there! *waves*

[naye]

Speaking of postcards - you haven't by any chance gotten anything from Japan lately? Because I sort of sent something your way before I mailed my handmade meme to villainny, and she got hers a couple of days ago, and I worry. If it's lost I will be sad - but I'll also need to send a replacement, I think!

Books! I was just talking about the Dresden Files with friendshipper, so - if you haven't read those, they would be my recommendation!

Urban fantasy, up to 10 volumes now (#11 coming in April!), and they are marvels of world- and character building. ♥ Funny and action-packed, about a modern day wizard - Harry! - in Chicago. As the series progresses, Harry gets all sorts of wonderful friends and partners and acquaintances and family and pets of all stripes. He starts out as a lone wolf, which I'm often kind of meh about, but he does have an ally and friend in the female cop Murphy. And then he meets other people, or they show up from his past, and it's quite, quite sweet and lovely and always a fun ride!

The first one is called "Storm Front", and they are in order on the author's page. (He also does vignettes and side novellas about the characters, which are mostly just an excuse to write friendship-laden snippets of adorable, if you ask me. ♥)

So~. I probably have more stuff I can recommend, and you might have read these already, but - hopefully that's of some help? ♥

(PS - if you like James Marsters, several volumes of The Dresden Files have been read by him. To which I can just say yes please, and I wish I had copies of the audiobooks around, but I don't...)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Nothing from Japan :( but then all our post got held up in the snow and I didn't get a parcel that I should have had from Germany either. Oxford post is notoriously atrocious, but this is reaching new levels. I'll keep an eye on things!

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. I've heard a lot about the Dresden Files but it never occurred to me to, you know. buy them ;) I'll put them on my list, thanks!

[genagirl.livejournal.com]

I say the Cat Who books (early ones) by Lillian Jackson Braun (I hope you can get those over there). These are sweet little mysteries with delightful characters that you will fall in love with. It's a whole town, and in the course of the books you meet nearly every single one of them. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman - a classic! It's hard to describe but I think you would like it. Water for Elephants we just read it in book club and it's really very good. It's about a man who joined the circus in the early depression era in the US. There's a mystery and romance and lots of atmosphere. Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. He used Freud and Jung in a mystery set in New York on Freud's only venture to the States! It's compelling and entertaining and I've read it several times even though I know whodunnit!!!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Weirdly for me (which probably shows how much our tastes overlap ;)) I've actually heard of 3 of those 4. Good Omens wasn't really my thing, nor were the Cat Who books, although I'm willing to give them another go if you say they're worth it. I started The Interpretation of Murder, but the scene with the horse near the beginning distressed me to such a degree that I couldn't go on with it.

Water for elephants sounds perfect, though! Just the kind of thing I like. Thank you!

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Anything Discworld - I'd say anything Pratchett but some of his not!Discworld stuff leaves me going HUH?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* I own ALL the Discworld books! As a couple, we own most of them twice, and some of them three times if we've got a signed first edition. (we can actually have whole conversations consisting largely of quotes from the Discworld books. we're setting new standards for geekdom ;)) My current dream is that Stephen Briggs will go back and record all the books - I practically know Nightwatch off by heart :)

But maybe I'll have a stab at Nation. That's supposed to be quite good...

Thanks, though!

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

Ever read Tad William's 'Otherland' series? It's a bit odd, a bit slow to get moving and absolutely brilliant if you persevere. I also quite like Ian Irvine's The View From the Mirror quartet; it's not what I would call a 'stock' fantasy and I rather enjoyed it, again it's a bit odd to say the least. The later books in the same universe get a bit bleak and uninspiring and I wouldn't really recommend them (I have had the last one for over 6 months but haven't touched it).

I adore Katherine Kurtz's novels, both the ones she has written alone (I'm a massive Deryni fan) and the Adept series she did with Deborah Turner Harris. One of my favourite books by her is a real short but sweet one called Saint Patrick's Gargoyle.

For a kids book that did creepy and thought provoking well before Philip Pullman wrote 'His Dark Materials' try The Owl Service by Alan Garner. It's a bit dated now, but I can guarantee you'll still find it creepy. You've probably already read it.

For easy fantasy reading I have a soft spot for Mercedes Lackey. I never put one of her books down unfinished, but that is because they aren't exactly hard going!

I also like the 'Kushiel' series' by Jacqueline Carey but I suspect they might not be your cup of tea. Nice big chunky books though.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is brill.

Anything by Anne Bishop (try from library first, Dark Jewels novels might not be your thing either but is a nice long series) but I think you'd like the duology of Sebastian and Belladonna.

Court of the Midnight King by Freda Warrington - totally brilliant alt history/fantasy based around Richard III.

Also have a soft spot for some of Barbara Erskine's novels.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Otherland rang a bell - I think I found it a bit too slow at first, but will give it another go if you say it's worth it. Anything that's not 'stock' fantasy sounds good to me :)

That's quite the list! I've heard of some but not others, so will write them down for future reference. Thanks!

Edited for your edit! I ADORE Neverwhere and keep meaning to write fanfic ;) I've heard of Court of the Midnight King, and the other historically flavoured ones sound good.

I'm so chuffed that you all seem to have my reading taste spot on - these sound awesome!

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I'll umpteenth The Dresden Files.

For one of fiction's oldest adventure stories, "The Last of the Mohicans" by James Fenimore Cooper, which is set during the French and Indian War. Once you get used to how it's written, it's really quite gripping.

If you like gritty detective fiction, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series is the best. My favorite is "Eight Million Ways to Die," in which Matt is struggling to solve a series of murders and get his alcoholism under control. Some of the others in the series are way too violent, but it all feels realistic in that one, which is set during New York City's fiscal crisis of 30-some years ago.

Lawrence Block also writes an amusing caper-type detective series about a book dealer who moonlights as a burglar. All the titles begin with "The Burglar Who."

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Oh, I never would have thought of 'The Last of the Mohicans'. Style doesn't bother me if the story is good. The book I'm reading at the moment is 1st person present and written in a sort of dialect, but I'm loving it.

I used to be on Lawrence Block's newsletter! I've read all the Burglar books (like Amelia Peabody, they get a bit repetitive after a while) - I think The Burglar In The Library is my favourite - but haven't really attempted the Matthew Scudder series. Will give it a look, thanks :D