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Recommendations from past Reading Clubs

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
A humorous sci-fi classic that’s out of this world!

Christopher Bennett, Greater than the Sum.  Paperback Science Fiction
I enjoyed this Star Trek: The Next Generation book as it allowed me to return once again to that magical world with many familiar characters I have come to know and love.

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451.
In Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires—they start them in order to burn books.  A cautionary tale!

Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles.
An excellent book. The interaction of the characters illuminates truths as important today as when the book was written more than half a century ago.

Max Brooks, World War Z.  Fiction
Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the threat of a zombie outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. This unusual tale reads like a Studs Terkel novel.

Terry Brooks, Jarka Ruus.
This book has a most compelling background.

Lois Bujold, A Civil Campaign.
Regency romance meets space opera while examining issues of gender, politics, and morality. This action-packed book is well written and entertaining.

Lois Bujold, Cordelia’s Honor.
Combines excitement, adventure, and humor with an indepth look at motherhood and what it means to bring another human into life.

Jim Butcher, Changes.
In this installment of the Dresden Files series, Harry is forced to make some of the toughest decisions of his life.

Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The book is well written in a clear, simple matter and serves quite well as a companion piece to Kubrick’s film version.

S. L. Farrell, Mage of Clouds.
The innate struggle of man to achieve no matter what the cost versus the cognitive knowledge that good of the whole often needs to come first.

C. C. Finlay, The Patriot Witch.  Paperback Science Fiction
I enjoyed the different spin on American history.

Eric Flint, 1632.
Alternative reality set during the 30 Years’ War. Interesting story combined with factual accuracy to illuminate a rather obscure but important time in Western history.

Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere.  Fiction
Fun fantasy reading set in underground London.

Terry Goodkind, Wizard’s First Rule.
An exciting, creative fantasy story.

Ursula Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness.
I liked this because it takes place on another world that is quite different; it made me think about what we take for granted.

Paul Levinson, The Pixel Eye.
Great detective story. Should satisfy non-sci-fi fans.

Seanan McGuire, Rosemary and Rue. Paperback Science Fiction
This dark and suspenseful story is first in the series featuring October Daye, a half-human, half-faerie, changeling PI with a foot in both worlds.

Patricia McKillip, Od Magic.
I especially enjoyed it. Her magical, fairy tale style is a pleasure, and a good if short summer read.

Elizabeth Moon, Kings of the North.
Magic, adventure and characters you wish you could have as real friends.

Elizabeth Moon, Oath of Fealty.
Engaging with lots of action and sympathetic characters.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Take a trip out of this world – to Discworld and the remarkable city of Anhk-Morpork. Pratchett’s writing can be droll, funny, insightful and satirical all at the same time.

Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind.
The start of a trilogy about a magician in a different land, great characters and good plot.

John Scalzi, Old Man’s War.
Enlisting in the army on his seventy-fifth birthday, John Perry joins an interstellar war between Earth and alien enemies.  A true page-turner!

S. M. Stirling, Dies the Fire.
Great story about the modern USA transformed to the Middle Ages. Great read.

Sheri Tepper, The Margarets.
An interesting commentary on our own treatment of the environment.

Walter S. Tevis, The Man Who Fell to Earth.
This story is about an alien who comes to earth with a mission to save the few remaining people of his own planet, and to save us from destroying ourselves. The film is also excellent.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings.  Fiction
Enjoyable. Slow at first but intriguing as I got into the books. Good fiction and “escapism.” Author had amazing forward-thinking outline for all 4 books.

Timothy Zahn, The Green and the Gray.
Great fun wrapped up in a science fiction novel.