Alan 107 Report post Posted September 7, 2020 Like many of you I spend hours and hours here on SO & working on my trading, and even though I have yet to really make my mark, I really love the journey. However, when I can pull myself away from charts and reading Kim's & Yowster's posts (and those of the rest of you), I have found myself lately really wanting to indulge in something I used to do a lot - reading great fiction novels. Years ago I read all the Robert Ludlum novels. A few years later I read everything by Wilbur Smith, and I really enjoyed the Harry Potter series. But for the past several years, except for a couple of science fiction novels, I have not been reading. Since I really cannot trust the recommendations of online sites, I thought I would ask my fellow travelers on the trading journey whether they have any good authors that they can recommend. Basically, I am looking for great fiction novels - you know, the ones that are hard to put down. So, any recommendation will be welcome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kim 7,437 Report post Posted September 7, 2020 @Alan Thanks for posting this! I feel the same way. We all need to be reminded from time to time that there is life outside of the trading world.. If you enjoyed Robert Ludlum (I myself read most of his novels), you will enjoy Tom Clancy. His Jack Ryan series is amazing in my opinion (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears, Debt of Honor, Executive Orders). Frederick Forsyth is the same theme (political thrillers). I enjoyed all his books. For something a bit more "serious" I recommend Irwin Shaw and John Grisham. For more "classic" reading, Jack London, Erich Maria Remarque. Those are my personal favorites. 1 Alan reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Troy Mclure 30 Report post Posted September 7, 2020 Yes Tom Clancy for this retired RCMP/SWAT guy is great. I did come across a writer that they say is the next Ian Fleming from James Bond. The writers background as a CIA OPERATIVE really put an air of reality that has me living the story. This is what I clipped from the web. . Red Sparrow. Red Sparrow is a novel written by Jason Matthews, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative. ps. Don’t watch the movie. It was disappointing Troy 1 Alan reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrustyJules 2,923 Report post Posted September 7, 2020 In that older style the books by Trevanian like the Eiger Sanction and Shibumi are quite good. If you like a whodunnit a nice change of pace of Lindsey Davis's Falko series - a detective set in Roman times. The earlier books are - IMHO opinion - rather better than the later, she is a classics professor and seems to find some new academic hobby horse to use as a device in her later books. Personal favorite author is Jack Vance - you might want to try the Lyonesse series - its his easiest high fantasy work - a unique writer to be sure. 1 1 Troy Mclure and Alan reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
t'pee 495 Report post Posted September 7, 2020 (edited) @Alan Great topic and already some interesting recommendations here. I tend to read more non fiction so I will surreptitiously throw in a title I'm reading now: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, title sounds ilke a stretch I know but its an excellent, compelling and very humbling read (and extremely well researched!) Recent fiction I read: The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion last part of a trilogy, really enjoyable and often downright hilarious (start with part 1: The Rosie Project) Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, not exactly recent literature, I think Vonnegut is probably love/hate, love in my case White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - Amazing, very well written story about a poor boy who works his way up to become a successful businessman, set in India. I liked his other novel too: Last Man in Tower, but not as much as White Tiger. Edited September 7, 2020 by t'pee 1 Alan reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gf58 766 Report post Posted September 8, 2020 I've taken to working through Terry Pratchets Discworld series. Discworld tales place on a magical world that flies through space on the back of a giant turtle (well technically 4 elephants standing on the turtle of course). Each novel follows a specific individual through their attempts to be left alone by the world and it gradually fleshes out the universe. You see a wizard who could never get the hang of magic finally get his wish of becoming a wizard, the grim reaper question his career choices and find happiness as a short order cook andthe current book im reading follows the lives of the poor cannon fodder town guards that seem to be chewed up in limitless quantities in any cinematic battle. Id call it high fantasy due to the lord of the rings-ish world but the humorously overcomplex levels of detail thrown into every corner of the world. The biggest drawdack of a good fiction book is what to read next after the book has finished but your itch to find out more about the characters hasn't. Discworld fits this bill for me and provides something light hearted but engaging after a trading session. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ringandpinion 1,621 Report post Posted September 8, 2020 As a pre teen I cut my teeth on the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Heinlien was close to a god for me. The die was cast, any adventure novel set in fantasy or science fiction has always been my staple. I've enjoyed military science fiction but it reached its pinnacle with the Aldenata series by John Ringo, everything else is kind of a redo of that. The Monster Hunters International Series is pretty amusing and light hearted fantasy. I've always devoured as many books as possible, but periodically get tired of reading for a while, such as the last 8 months or so. Studying options has been the substitute. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
