What is it that’s got me shaking in my boots, you might be wondering. Books. That’s right. But I bet you have no idea what I even mean by that.
Half Price Books is having a big Labor Day sale this weekend, and I obviously get an additional discount. So now I’m going to do something I may or may not regret. I’m going to ask y’all for some book recommendations. *insert hiding monkey emoji*
Because there really is no better time for me to buy books. I’ll be getting a ridiculous discount if I’m able to buy during the sale, which runs through Monday. And this will be a nice opportunity for me to buy more books from the Amazon list for future videos. So I’ll likely make a list of maybe five titles from the list that I’ll surely be getting and then take a few suggestions from you all.
I mostly read crime fiction, which means I’m in the know when it comes to authors writing in the genre. Past and present. I really don’t read YA unless one person recommends it. And you’re not that one person. So if you’d like me to go the distance with your recommendation, then I suggest you not go that route. And don’t go off and give me some in depth summary of the book, either. That’s not what I’m looking for. A title and author will suffice.
I don’t have a set number of books that I intend to buy. It could be five, ten, or who knows how many?
Keep in mind that I likely won’t be doing this again. Better use your chance wisely.
Now tell me what to buy!
Johnny Reads 
You’re right to be scared.
I’m mobile right now so don’t have my list handy but do you want well-known authors, up and coming? Indie?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The first couple are True Crime genre but I thoroughly enjoyed them.
The first is Redrum the Innocent by Kirk Makin.
The Second is The Butterbox Babies by Bette L. Cahill.
The Dystopian Nation of City-State by Kaisy Wilkerson-Mills and James Courtney. I believe they only have an anthology out at this time but it is well worth the read if you enjoy Dystopian stories. You may not find this one since it has only been on Amazon for a few months but you never know.
Anything within the Cyber World or Tracking Jane series by Eduardo Suastegui.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy read I would suggest Lansin Island Series by Andrew Butcher. They (except for A Note Below) are Crime fiction with a side of paranormal. A Note Below is almost all paranormal.
I think that’s it and I hope you find all you’re looking for :).
LikeLike
I’ve only read one true crime book that I can think of. It was in college for a paper. I honestly can’t remember how much I enjoyed it. But I’ll put these on my list and see what I decide.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you haven’t already, I HIGHLY suggest the Dublin Murder Squad books n by Tana French. She is my favorite writer of all time and all her books are amazing.
LikeLike
I’ve never heard of the series or the author. Now I’ll see.
LikeLike
All her books are amazing and can pretty much be read in any order except I’d read In The Woods before The Likeness because there’s some crossover there. Same deal with reading Faithful Place before The Secret Place. If you get to them, let me know what you think!
LikeLike
Will do.
LikeLike
Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. A fantastic author and one of my favorites.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you like wry-humored fantasy with a well-crafted new world, I second this suggestion. Steven Brust is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and when I read this series about 11 years ago, it was highly influential in crafting my own writing! I’m glad somebody else loves it as much as I do 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I agree, Kat. He’s influenced a lot of my stuff too. The subtlety of his writing, of what is and is not said, is fantastic.
Plus he’s just fun!
LikeLike
Good to see someone follow instructions. 😂 I’ll take a look.
LikeLike
I think you should buy Murder Behind the Badge by Stacy Dittrich, The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber, The Ice Man by Philip Carlo, The Fence by Dick Lehr, and The Ride by Jeff Curley. I understand you’re into crime fiction and these are all true crime but there’s not much difference between the two genre except the fact that one talks about real life events and people. I hope you do consider buying them and if you do, let me know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hm. I’d say there is a bit of a difference, but it isn’t astronomical. I’ll take note of all of them and see what I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, good luck!
LikeLike
Okay. I understand the circumstances and rules. I promise this will be the only time I’ll ever recommend books to you (unless you ask again, but that’s… … unlikely 😜).
Now, I’m a fantasy person, and I tend to like books that are good for all ages, so to speak. So I’m not actually sure what age range these books belong to, so I’m sorry if they’re not what you’re looking for. 😜 But hey, what can it hurt to at least say it? 😊
1. Anything by N. D. Wilson. He’s like my favorite author. (100 Cupboards series, The Dragon’s Tooth series, etc.)
2. Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan, books 1-4
(and a couple of murder mysteries I like)
3. Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice
4. Artifacts by Mary Anna Evens (I’ve only read the first one, but my mom had read several and likes them 😉)
Good luck in your book hunting, and hope you find lots of good books! 😉
~ Kat
LikeLike
Obviously, the choice of what you read/buy I’d entirely yours, and I hope my comment didn’t sound like I was telling/ordering you what to read or buy.
Asking people for contributions like this is kind of a two-pronged weapon; it can be both helpful and hurtful, useful and useless. I think you are nervous with good reason. 😉 You are uncaging a hundred wolves, eager as puppies, rabid as spite. Though I do hope you get mostly puppies, lol. 😜
Sorry if my earlier comment sounded rude; it wasn’t what I meant at all!
~ Kat
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know any of them. So I won’t say I’m for sure going to or not going to read them. I’ll take a look. No doubt.
LikeLike
The first thing I thought of was ‘The Cold Coast’ by Nelson DeMille. It has SOME crime in it, but it’s wonderfully witty and sarcastic. It was the first book of his that I ever read (followed shortly by the sequel), and I still think it’s his best. Also, if you’re looking for something remarkably different that stands out, try ‘You’ by Caroline Kepnes – first and only book I’ve ever seen use second person personal both effectively and engagingly. It’s brilliant! Very, very crime-oriented and creepy in a way that makes you cheer for the main character and then feel guilty about it later. Good luck finding great things 🙂
LikeLike
Hmmm. I see a little Nelson DeMille at my store. At the very least I’ll go look on the shelf to see what’s available. And I don’t think I’ve ever read anything in second person anything. That’s how to get my attention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly got mine! My husband doesn’t read much fiction, but he randomly selected it for me as a lovely for-no-reason gift, and it was really, really fantastic. If nothing else, try ‘You’. 🙂
LikeLike
Depends on what’s in stock.
LikeLike
Pig Island by Mo Hayder.
LikeLike
Now this is the kind of comment I was expecting. If my store has it, you can bet I’ll take a long look.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I follow the instructions. Mostly.
LikeLike
When you’re not giving them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahaha. Now that is a good one.
LikeLike
As long as you’re not barking out instructions too often. I can share the laugh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll always recommend Terry Pratchett, specifically Good Omens by him and Neil Gaiman.
Other than there there’s “Shantaram’ by Gregory David Roberts.
I won’t waste your time with other recommendations as I don’t read crime things, but I reckon you might like Shantaram at least.
LikeLike
Got it.
LikeLike
Some Scandinavian crime books: Headhunters by Jo Nesbo, The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg, The Man fro Beijing by Henning Mankell. All three have written a series of books, although the Nesbo (Harry Hole series) and Mankell (Kurt Wallander) books here are standalone. The Läckberg book is the first in her series.
LikeLike
I see a lot of Jo Nesbo at my store, but I’ve never read him. Or anything Scandinavian. I’ll make a list.
LikeLike
I doubt you’ll be interested in the books I would generally recommend to others at the moment (historical with some bit of romance???). So with this said, I will not recommend any books, but definitely take advantage of the sale 🙂
LikeLike
I haven’t read historical anything in a long time. And I also realized that I can’t double up on my discount during the sale. I’ll still get some, but I’ll wait a little bit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin
Set in New Orleans. A string of gory murders and a staring role for the young Louis Armstrong
LikeLike
Got it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since we’re not really into the same kind of genre fiction, but I know you liked Anne Frank and Dracula, I will recommend some ~classics authors~ to you. Richard Matheson and Philip K. Dick are classic sci-fi, but a lot of their work has been turned into TVs/movies that you may recognize (Minority Report, I Am Legend, Twilight Zone, Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, etc). I’m also fond of Italo Cavino, because he has an awesome imagination and his books are just so creative. And hey, why not follow some of you own recommendations – I’m sure you have a lot of book on the Amazon 100 books list that are not currently in your library 🙂 A Series of Unfortunate Events is on there, which barely qualifies as YA in my opinion, so I’d start with that one. It’s a brilliant, beautiful series, and you could be caught up by the time the Netflix show comes out.
LikeLike
I e actually wanted to read I Am Legend for some time now. But I think I read somewhere that the book and the movie are pretty different? I think. And my store has plenty of copies of A Series of Unfortunate Events books. I don’t even consider those YA. I listened to them in elementary art class. I’ll have to see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nah, I think I’ll pass. I honestly don’t think you’d like most or all of what I’d recommend. And that’s cool. I hope you found some good books.
LikeLike
Sale starts tomorrow. But the discounts can’t be doubled. I’ll probably wait a couple weeks to get any.
LikeLike
The Princess Bride, William
Goldman; The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern; The Martian, Andy Weir; The Gunslinger, Stephen King; Body Farm, Patricia Cornwell; American Gods, Neil Gaiman; The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell; Lamb, Christopher Moore.
LikeLike
Three of those are already in my head to be read. I’ll have to take note of the others
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I could only give you three I’d say The Gunslinger, Stephen King; The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell; Lamb, Christopher Moore. Those are lost on a desert island books for me.
LikeLike
Those were not the three I was already thinking of reading. Good to know
LikeLike
[…] I’m Scared to do This […]
LikeLike