Stephen King post-2000 is certainly not what he was, (not surprising following his car accident) but he still does bring out some good stuff. Agree with you 100% on Dr Sleep. Not read Mr Mercedes yet, but is next on my list if I take a break from James Herbert. So for 21st-century King, I liked Full Dark, No Stars - 4 gritty hard-hitting novellas. But you need a strong stomach for some of it. Under the Dome was reasonable and a million times better than the hilariously-awful TV series. And I also liked Everything's Eventual - the short story collection containing 1408, which IMO is one of the best Stephen King film adaptations made, (just behind Shawshank Redemption and Green Mike).
Everyone keeps recommending Terry Pratchett to me, but so far have not read any. I will do though sometime soon - I know I'll enjoy his books when I eventually get round to it.
I got a few books for my birthday, and bought a couple at a breast cancer event today Just finished Private Paris and Private India in quick succession. James Patterson's Jack Morgan series. Nice escapist easy to read stuff, similar to Lee Child's Jack Reacher series that I also like Also still finishing Our Band Could Be Your Life, by Michael Azzerad. Brilliant read of you like early 80's American hardcore punk bands
Stick to the disc World Series first, and read a couple before you decide. Same characters appear so you start to get the links between characters
If you like the Jack Reacher stuff you should check out the Bosch series by Michael Connelly - great books that have transferred nicely to small screen.
Just finished Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, Emperor of Thorns). It was difficult for me to get started - written in the 1st person - but once over that I couldn't put it down. Jorg Ancrath, from whose viewpoint the story is written, is just about the nastiest hero (if you can call him that) you will ever meet. I have now started on Lawrence's 2nd trilogy "The Red Queen's War".
For quick easy reads I really like the Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri They're written in Sicilian, and based there, but translated into English Nothing complicated, but they are quite humorous and make me want to sit in a restaurant on an Italian coast eating seafood
An iconic American writer keeps cropping up in lots of history I'm interested in, anecdotes about him in WW1 & 2, Spanish Civil War & Cuba. Going to war with a canteen full of cognac and another full of schnapps. Ernest Hemingway. Where do I start and what is the best novel he wrote?
Don DeLillo - Great Jones Street. Just started it, supposed to be a satire on the music industury and culture's obsession with the few who make it a success. So I'll see how it spins out. Read a lot of his other books though and I'd say my favourite is 'Underworld', a really good one to immerse yourself in Takes place over several decades with key themes of baseball and politics and social life in a New York setting. His 'Falling Man' is pretty good too, De Lillo's take on 9/11.
