by Sophia Brennen

Created on: January 03, 2007   Last Updated: August 23, 2009

Book recommendations are person dependent. Currently, there are so many genres to choose from, that it's almost impossible to recommend the same book to two different people. Here is a listing broken out by genre and sometimes by period.

Sci-fi: "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin -

Set in a futuristic time, OneState controls all. People are no longer individuals, but workers serving for the benefit of the government. George Orwell admitted that he borrowed heavily from "We" to write "1984". A good read and is actually a political statement against the forming of Leninist Russia.

Romance: (Modern) Try a Janet Evanovich book.

The Stephanie Plum series doubles as both mystery and romance, while her Full House series is all about the romance.

Romance: (Not so modern)

Jane Austen is a master of writing society tales and describing courtship during her time. Any of her books are worth reading, but the best are probably "Sense & Sensibility", "Pride & Prejudice" and "Mansfield Park".

Action/Adventure:

Michael Crichton cannot be praised enough for his ability to weave a story around his readers. Reading the books also provides insight into the numerous changes made for the screenplay (particularly "Congo")

Horror: (Current)

Clive Barker is not for everyone. He is difficult to read and sometimes hard to follow. If you can read him, try "The Damnation Game" or "Books of Blood". If you can't, you still have Stephen King to fall back on. Dean Koontz is another superb writer, but he isn't for everyone. Beginners might try his book "Strange Highways" or "Sole Survivor".

Horror: (Not so Modern)

Lovecraft is all that can be said. No one weaves tales of terror like Lovecraft. His short stories leave you with more than just a creepy feeling. Another staple is the works of Charles Dickens and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both wrote several horror short stories that are well worth reading.

Classics:

Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" are always entertaining, regardless of its unfinished status. Another would be "Inferno" by Dante Alighieri. While the entire trilogy is an interesting read, "Inferno" is the best of the three. Finally, "The Complete Tales of the Brothers Grimm" is recommendable. While many have read a few selected tales (or seen the Disney version), all of them have merit and are enjoyable afternoon reading.

Suspense/Thriller:

Two names come to mind in this category, Robin Cook and Thomas Harris. If you wish to read the Hannibal Lecture series, it is best to start with "Red Dragon", it explains a great deal about the man and the monster. Robin Cook is a wonderful writer, try reading "Toxin" or "Chromosome 6" for an introduction to his works.

Mystery:

For fun, light mysteries Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" books are commendable. They are funny and will leave you shaking your head at the antics of the heroine. For something more serious, try Jeffrey Deaver or Michael Sanford.

Series:

Some interesting series novels include the "Lincoln Rhymes" novels by Jeffrey Deaver, "The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King and the "Anita Blake" novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Short Story Compilations:

Of course, no list would be complete without the "Complete Tales of Sherlock Holmes". Also, short story compilations by Nickolai Gogol, Charles Dickens and most genre anthologies are also highly recommendable. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to like every tale in a book of short stories, however, genre anthologies provide a list of authors (some known, some unknown) that are tailored to a readers wants. It is easy to find several stories that you like and you might discover some new authors to check out.

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