If you are looking for some fun, crazy reading...

Status
Not open for further replies.

DainBramaged

Lifer
Jun 19, 2003
23,448
40
91
I was originally going to post this in the thread that wanted new fiction recommended but I thought some people may not be into the same things he was looking for.

I have been into modern, gritty "pulp fiction" lately. Having read many books by common authors like King, Grisham, Clancy, etc, etc, I was really looking for something that would be new and fresh. I felt like those authors watered down their books to make them acceptable to the masses. Happy endings, neat, clean endings, etc.

To make an analogy, they were the equivalant of "blockbuster" hollywood BS compared to the more interesting, layered, and complex.

I started with the Hard Case Crime series, which combines both reprinted old "noir" classics with new, fresh takes on noir and pulp fiction. This kept me busy for a while, but I started looking into other authors as well.

I recently discovered several authors that have kept me VERY entertained, and really wanting more.

Here is a list of some of the books that I have found to be *most* excellent. I hope you check out a few of them, and enjoy. :)

Josh Bazell - Beat The Reaper
The adventures of a hitman turned medical intern. Great fun.

Stieg Larsson - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
A washed-out journalist who gets a decades old cold-case

Charlie Huston - The Shotgun Rule
A dark, sometimes funny, story of four kids in Northern California in the summer of 1983, that steal something they shouldn't have. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Charlie Huston - The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death
The adventures of a down-and-out loser who finally finds his life fulfillment in body removal. This is a GREAT book, but I recommend reading something else of Huston first.

Charlie Huston - Caught Stealing
The unfortunate episode of a man who agreed to watch his neighbors cat, thus beginning an unfortunate series of deaths and beatings. This is an amazing start to a three-part series. GREAT fun.

Charlie Huston - Already Dead
The first in a trilogy, this is Huston's take on vampire books. His sense of humor is so unique, that I decided to read one. I'm not a fan of vampire books. I read this series as quickly as possible. It was awsome.

Stephen King - The Colorado Kid
A completely fresh take on mystery writing. King's amazing story-telling skills are nearly perfect in this story of an unsolved crime, and the young reporter determined to solve it.

Donald Westlake - The Cutie
A great adventure of a mob-fixer who gets caught up in a case involving a missing junkie. Great, completely original ending.

These are just a few of the books that I could recommend. I know that if these spark your interest, you will have no problem finding more.

I hope someone finds some new reading material! Enjoy!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.