Must Buy Books, A Meme

Friday, June 26, 2015
My dear friend Random Michelle recently wrote about her "must buy" books. I believe she took the suggestion from SF Signal, but since I'm third in line, I'm going to declare it a meme and generate my own list. Because, books.

Please note this list is not completely inclusive. I'm running out of time.


Lois McMaster Bujold - The Vorkosigan Series

I loves me some Miles Vorkosigan. I love his parents, his cousin, his friends, his weird-ass brother and I love the universe that Lois has built.

The thing about the Vorkosigan universe is that there's consequences. If you act like an ass and go off half-cocked, you're going to get yourself or someone else killed. If you screw up bad enough, you're going to lose everything you've worked for, and there aren't exceptions to this fundamental rule of life. Such a writing strategy gives me a huge emotional investment in the characters. I care about Miles and his family and friends, and I await the next book with joyful anticipation.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Aloysius Pendergast Series

This series started with the best thriller ever written - Relic. Seriously - the very best. There's now a plethora of sequels, all featuring FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, one of the oddest protagonists I've ever read about. Odd, but extremely effective. 

My only complaint is that in the middle of the series, Aloysius kind of became a Gary Stu for a while. However, subsequent books showed a bit more vulnerability, so it appears he's back on track now.

Louise Penny - The Armand Gamache Series

Louise is a new addition to my "must buy" list. She writes about a French Canadian police detective named Armand Gamache, and he and his team investigate murders in a small town called Three Pines.

Honestly - I don't know why I find these books so compelling. The mysteries aren't particularly complex, the characters are typically work-a-day people with work-a-day problems (murders notwithstanding), and Armand is simply a smart, decent man. But I can't wait for each book.

John Scalzi

I always buy John's books. I'm not in any way declaring him a "great writer," but his books are good SciFi popcorn books, not very deep or meaningful. But they're fun, and that's enough.

Robert Sawyer

Bob's books make me think. They make me think about the human condition, spirituality, what makes us uniquely human. His asks hard questions, and even though he doesn't necessarily provide answers, he compels me to try and find them for myself. What more could I ask for?

Janet Evanovich - The Stephanie Plum Series

Brain candy, pure and simple. But fun brain candy. And I think I want to be Lula when I grow up. Not the 'ho part. The reformed Lula.

Charles Stross - The Laundry Files

The idea that magic is just another branch of mathematics tickles me on a fundamental level. And Charlie's droll sense of humor always makes these stories a pleasure. But the inside of Charlie's head must be a very strange place.

China Mieville

I find China's work to be compelling, complex, and interesting. But for the love of Cthulhu, if you haven't read him, choose the audiobooks instead of the books.  Trust me on this one.

Jonathon Maberry - The Joe Ledger Series

Not for the faint of heart, as the bad guys in these books are extremely bad.  But the stories are interesting, the characters are multi-dimensional, and Joe's a smart-ass of the highest order. NOTE: Jonathon's imagination makes me wonder about his emotional stability. Just speculation, mind, but seriously, dude.

Richard Kadrey - The Sandman Slim Series

Sandman Slim is a bastard. No, really - a complete jerk. But hey, if I spent years and years in Hell, I probably wouldn't be Little Miss Sunshine, either. Like Joe, he's a smart ass and a badass, and Kadrey's mythology is fascinating. 

What are you Must-Buy books?

6 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

China Mieville is part of a discussion I have occasionally (and had yesterday evening regarding comics, actually) I can intellectually see why his work is good, but my dog I didn't enjoy it at all.

See also: Sin City, Watchmen, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Regarding Sandman Slim, did you ever read Mike Carey's Felix Castor series? It's 5 books and complete. Castor has tinges of John Constantine (which makes sense, because: Mike Carey) and is often an asshole, but it's usually making a difficult choice while trying to do the right thing.

Janiece said...

Michelle, I had to chuckle when you recommended Felix Castor. I'm reading "The Devil You Know" right now.

I don't get the fascination with other three authors you mention, either. The only time I tried to read Joyce Carol Oates I felt like I wanted to take my own eye out with a fork.

China's better on Audio. MUCH better. Just sayin'.

Random Michelle K said...

I hope you like Felix as much as I did. :)

It's not the pacing of China Mieville, it's that I feel horrible after, like watching the news kinda horrible. But then, I don't read SF either, because I just don't *enjoy* it. I can see why it's good, and I can get it, but my TBR pile is too short to spend on books I don't like.

(Except for those rare occasions when I pick up a book so terrible I end up hate reading it. Michael *loves* it when that happens.)

TimBo said...

Sure, make me add more books to my to-read pile. Thanks a bunch.

Janiece said...

I understand, Michelle. China's a bit...dark.

You're welcome, TimBo. If MY TBR pile is huge, everyone else's should be, too.

Tania said...

Of late...

Charlie Stross

Michelle Sagara

David McCullough

Jo Beverley

:)