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Same here. I will take Dostoevsky over Tolstoy any day. I wish there was a gateway book for Tolstoy. If you want to try Thomas Pynchon, you can do The Crying of Lot 49. It’s short, weird and if you like it, heck, give Gravity’s Rainbow a try.

No such luck with Tolstoy. Here’s a couple of thousand page books. Start on page one.

Afraid of James Joyce and Ulysses? Marvel at the short stories in Dubliners. That’s a fun way to get your feet wet.

Not Tolstoy.

I tried reading Gravity's Rainbow once. It made my hair hurt...
But yes, it is delightfully weird.
 

Fred D

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Fantastic book.
 

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Fridays are Fishtastic!
The Clancy, brother! If you’ve only experienced him through the Jack Ryan movies and Netflix thing, you’re in for a treat. His second book, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, is almost a John LeCarre-caliber spy thriller.
The only Clancy better than Cardinal was Without Remorse. John Kelly (aka John Clark) was cold blooded.
Same here. I will take Dostoevsky over Tolstoy any day. I wish there was a gateway book for Tolstoy. If you want to try Thomas Pynchon, you can do The Crying of Lot 49. It’s short, weird and if you like it, heck, give Gravity’s Rainbow a try.

No such luck with Tolstoy. Here’s a couple of thousand page books. Start on page one.

Afraid of James Joyce and Ulysses? Marvel at the short stories in Dubliners. That’s a fun way to get your feet wet.

Not Tolstoy.
Rather read Joyce than Tolstoy. :)
 
While on vacation I finished The Silence by Tim Lebbon. Dark, dystopian, and a real page turner - great summer vacation book. Apparently it's now a movie on Netflix.
 

Toothpick

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Staff member
Found the eBook for $2.99 so I’ll be reading The Hunt For Red October

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Almost finished with this. Wow is it good. Even better now that we live in the internet age where I can easily look up photos of the subs, carriers, and aircraft he talks about.

I did a search of my ebook collection and found 10 Tom Clancy ebooks I have. Added them to the library this morning. I’ll be busy for awhile! But I found out this Jack Ryan character is part of 17 or so books. So I’ll have to buy the books I don’t have so I can read them in order.

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American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I haven't seen any of the TV series, so I'm coming to this cold . . . but I am a fan of Gaiman's work. His The Graveyard Book is one of the best fantasy novels, for younger people or old, I've ever run across.
 
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I haven't seen any of the TV series, so I'm coming to this cold . . . but I am a fan of Gaiman's work. His The Graveyard Book is one of the best fantasy novels, for younger people or old, I've ever run across.

I've read it several times now and it gets better every time. The series was a fairly good adaptation, lagged a bit in the final season. Apparently they went through several showrunners etc.
 
My oldest was gifted this trilogy a while back. Since she's a bit on the transition from MG to YA, I've decided to read through them first. Not very far into it yet, but the world is at least intriguing.
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I haven't seen any of the TV series, so I'm coming to this cold . . . but I am a fan of Gaiman's work. His The Graveyard Book is one of the best fantasy novels, for younger people or old, I've ever run across.

American Gods is one of my favorites. I re-read it every year or two.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
The answer is not straightforward -- there is a supposed sequel called Anansi Boys which has virtually nothing to do with the first book. Not very helpful, I know.

But I can start with American Gods and not worry about missing a backstory from another book?

I'm just thinking of the Game Of Thrones series of books. I wouldn't want to start in the middle of those ya know. As long as it's not something like that.
 
But I can start with American Gods and not worry about missing a backstory from another book?

I'm just thinking of the Game Of Thrones series of books. I wouldn't want to start in the middle of those ya know. As long as it's not something like that.
As far as I can tell, if there is a series, AG is the first one. It reminds me of Stephen King's earlier and longer work: clearly written, very imaginative, with strong dramatic and human elements (the kind of things that are usually jettisoned by filmmakers adapting SK's novels). I enjoyed it quite a bit and need to try more of Gaiman's stuff.
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
As far as I can tell, if there is a series, AG is the first one. It reminds me of Stephen King's earlier and longer work: clearly written, very imaginative, with strong dramatic and human elements (the kind of things that are usually jettisoned by filmmakers adapting SK's novels). I enjoyed it quite a bit and need to try more of Gaiman's stuff.
Thanks! Just did a search and I have the ebook of it. Adding it to the list!
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
FYI, I don't know if this is his complete works (probably not I would assume). But this is what I have. Might help you to find the next Gaiman book to read....


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I need to reread Good Omens. I recall it's a comedy-fantasy he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, in which a demon and an angel sent to Earth discover they have more in common with each other than they do with their bosses Back Home.

Graveyard Book is superb stuff for any age of reader.
 
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But I can start with American Gods and not worry about missing a backstory from another book?

I'm just thinking of the Game Of Thrones series of books. I wouldn't want to start in the middle of those ya know. As long as it's not something like that.
Yes, American Gods and Anansi Boys are both separate entities, hope that helps.



I need to reread Good Omens; I recall it's a comedy fantasy he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, in which a demon and an angel on Earth discover they have more in common with each other than they do with their bosses Back Home.

Graveyard Book is superb stuff for any age of reader.

Love Good Omens, and the TV adaptation of it was pretty good!
 
Generally, it’s a one off, but his book Anansi Boys is based on the same premise of gods among us. He also has a short story that deals with Shadow, the main character in American Gods. It’s not a series, though.

Ooooh, I NEED to find that, what is the title please?

Edit: Never mind, found it. And this is exciting, apparently Gaiman plans to write American Gods 2

In addition to the planned sequel, Gaiman has written two short story sequels featuring Shadow Moon. "The Monarch of the Glen", a novella first published in Legends II, takes place in Scotland two years after American Gods. The second short story, "Black Dog", was collected in Gaiman's Trigger Warning. It takes place a year later in Derbyshire's Peak District. In the introduction for Trigger Warnings Gaiman said that he had one final standalone story that would take Shadow to London before he returns to the US & the start of American Gods 2.
 
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