Try some Lincoln Child / Douglas Preston novels. You might enjoy them.

I read a few non-fiction books but by far fiction books outnumber - at a pace of one a week or more. Most of those are spy/thriller novels. I have put together a list of the series I follow (and there are some missing) - which Rod Drury nicknamed #manfiction on Twitter. Because of that I put the list on manfiction.com and reproduce it below.

The "Character URL" is a link to a website with character descritptions. The "Amazon link" is a direct link to the series or author's page on Amazon:

^^^

Nice! Oh and a subtle reminder to people: if you are gonna buy through Amazon, consider using the Amazon link for GZ (top right of your screen).

On the top of novel series, I have quite mixed feelings about them. Generally, I try to avoid them now because sometimes keeping up can sometimes feel more like work than joy. I gave up on James Patterson's Alex Cross series about 6 books in as it was becoming apparent to me that he was running out of ideas. J K Rowling's Comoran Strike novels have also been a mixed bag (the first one was outstanding, the second absolutely terrible, and the third a mixed bag with more positives than negatives). I still follow the Temperance Brennan series as Kathy Reichs' writing is always solid, i.e. rarely absolutely amazing but no real clangers either.

I also notice that over the last year or so I have read far more books by female authors than males. No idea why.

Ok, here is my take:

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series: now that Jack Ryan Jr is the main character in the series and Tom Clancy is just a name drop (not the author), the stories are very low quality. Nothing like the old cold war Jack Ryan Sr stories.

My favourite series is Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon. Lots of good stories there.

Vince Flynn (RIP)'s Mitch Rapp is really good and the latest is the first one since the original author's death.

For intense spy stories you can't go past John Le Carre's Smiley series (you know, the guy from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy). The stories cover cold war tales from the 60s through 70s - the non-Smiley stories are really good too. NMot light reading though, his style is quite heavy in details but you can feel yourself in the story.

Brad Thor's Scott Harvarth is a nice, easy reading, although lately getting a bit tired.

freitasm:

 

Ok, here is my take:

 

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series: now that Jack Ryan Jr is the main character in the series and Tom Clancy is just a name drop (not the author), the stories are very low quality. Nothing like the old cold war Jack Ryan Sr stories.

 

 

 

Clancy himself "jumped the shark" a bit by the time Red Rabbit rolled around (I blame that book for making me hate the slang "puter". But the last of the Ryan Jnr novels that I read was... beyond tragic. That series needs to be put to rest; same goes for the Op-Centre series.

My current tastes in fiction are toward dystopian, or dystopian sci fi and bubble headed urban fantasy with a spatter of non fiction though in the past I've read classics to pulp western, Ian Flemming to Stephen King.

The last non fiction book I finished was Python for Informatics, available free from http://www.pythonlearn.com/book.php which was kind of meh but a good introduction to the subject.

The last dystopian novel I finished was The Last of Us by Rob Ewing which I enjoyed in that horrified kind of way that good dystopian fiction makes you feel. The ending was especially poignant.

The last wholly escapist thing I read was the last book in Kim Harrison's urban fantasy series The Hollows. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30264.Dead_Witch_Walking The series started off ok but went a bit downhill. At least the ending was satisfying. I also read Patricia Briggs' series about Mercy Thompson in a similar vein- it's like urban fantasy meets chic lit. https://www.amazon.ca/Blood-Bound-Mercy-Thompson-Book-ebook/dp/B000O76NHS

The Painter by Peter Heller is the last fiction novel I read. Excellent book and back in Dystopian mode, The Dog Stars by him is also excellent. https://www.amazon.ca/Painter-novel-Peter-Heller/dp/0385352093

The book I am about a third of the way through is Smoke by Dan Vyleta and it is losing me. I probably won't read any more of it. The plot was interesting until it started to get into the macro politics of the society. 

I'm on my iPad or else I'd make the links clickable.

dejadeadnz:

freitasm:

Ok, here is my take:

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series: now that Jack Ryan Jr is the main character in the series and Tom Clancy is just a name drop (not the author), the stories are very low quality. Nothing like the old cold war Jack Ryan Sr stories.

 

 

Clancy himself "jumped the shark" a bit by the time Red Rabbit rolled around (I blame that book for making me hate the slang "puter". But the last of the Ryan Jnr novels that I read was... beyond tragic. That series needs to be put to rest; same goes for the Op-Centre series.

 

 

Handle9:

Given Clancys "unique" world view it's not really surprising. One would suggest he would have been a big Trump supporter. I did very much enjoy his books in my teens and early 20s, until I grew out of them.

Recently I've read Ken Follets Century Trilogy, and I've quite enjoyed Richard North Pattersons Marthas Vineyard series.

Currently reading Stuart Stevens The innocent have nothing to fear. Seems OK so far, it's about a nut job running for President against a female candidate. Stevens is a Republican campaign operative and seems to have an unusually ironic nature for a Republican.

Yeah, Clancy definitely would have been a Trump type. To my eyes, the guy just never seemed capable of writing for the modern world by the time the early 2000s rolled around. His books since then had steadily gotten worse and worse, with many of the latter books likely ghostwritten by other people and seemingly everything being written just to advance the usual, boring "America is awesome. We love ourselves!" solipsistic view. Now that he's dead, at least the fact that the publishers are just trading off his brand is clear. James Patterson is another author who is doing something similar that I have lost all my respect for.

I am now reading Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise. Too early to form any impressions.

Last book I read was Unbroken.

It was a very good read, I decided to read it before watching the movie, I am glad I did as in comparison to the movie the book was a great read, where as the movie, in my opinion missed the mark completely.

Would definitely recommend the book but take or leave the movie, if you have seen the movie definitely read the book!

I am reading Life and Times of Billy T James at present

I prefer biographies or autobipgraphies

Just finished Red Rising, and started on the second book in the trilogy. Lot of people have compared it to Hunger Games, and in a way I can see why, especially the first book - but its fairly full on, and the language can catch some people out (not swearing etc, just the structure/dialect I guess). When the descriptions of the various characters in armor are described, its brings to mind Space Marines etc.

I really enjoyed the first book and still reading the second happily :)

Another book I read recently was Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton -  was found in his files after his death. I enjoyed it but felt it wasn't complete, that he had written the core story but wanted to fluff it out some more, but just didnt get time to do this. 

freitasm:

 

I read a few non-fiction books but by far fiction books outnumber - at a pace of one a week or more. Most of those are spy/thriller novels. I have put together a list of the series I follow (and there are some missing) - which Rod Drury nicknamed #manfiction on Twitter. Because of that I put the list on manfiction.com and reproduce it below.

 

 

 

The "Character URL" is a link to a website with character descritptions. The "Amazon link" is a direct link to the series or author's page on Amazon:

 

 

 

snip.

 

 

Thanks for that list.

I like the Gabriel Allon series, and have just got the latest one (will be chewing through it once I finish the last book in the LA Confidential series by James Ellroy).

Another series I enjoyed were the Ben Hope stories by Scott Mariani. Also, I've finished up all the books by George Pelecanos (series involving Derek Strange and Nick Stefanos).

Loved Going Home series by A. American  and the End series by G. Michael Hopf.    Then Lee Child and Wilbur Smith.

Favourites at moment are the A .American ones and Hopf.  No electricity or most cars etc after EMP and peoples struggle to survive

Just finished The Plague Dogs. Pretty heavy stuff, and don't know if I could called it an enjoyable read; but am having difficulty getting it out of my head.

SPOILER:

Somewhat let down by a Deus Ex Machina ending that the author was apparently pressured into adding (which also required adding an "out of left field" plot twist in the preceding chapter to set it up). It gave it a happier ending, but didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the book and also required a major antagonist to suddenly become a hero.