When the siren song of the workbench falls on deaf ears, the mysteries of ballistics fail to fascinate, or the howl of power tools late on a school night upsets the neighbors, it’s important to have more sedentary pursuits to fall back on.
These are some of my favorites.
Books
I’m a late-blooming e-reader. I still have walls covered with actual, physical books, and prefer them, even though they’re less convenient.
Unlike e-books, physical books take up house space, and if you buy a lot of them, you’ll eventually have to either develop a culling process, or buy a bigger house.
I make quarterly culling passes through my bookshelves, and Goodwill Industries has gotten many of the books that I decided I could somehow live without.
On some trips I actually manage to drop off more than I bring home.
Speaking of used books: a few years ago I was standing in the aisle at Half Price Books, griping because they didn’t mark prices on those little stickers like Goodwill does, and was I supposed to just guess how much my selections cost?
After a brief pause, my significant other leaned over and whispered “HALF PRICE Books…?”
Ohhhhhh.
Anyway, given my busy daytime leisure schedule, my reading frequently occurs late at night when sensible people would rather be sleeping.
Fortunately, I’ve found a solution that won’t disturb fellow sleepers and doesn’t involve the risk of death via charging cable entanglement:
This LED light drapes stylishly around your neck–doubling as a flashlight if you need to go investigate pantry options–and holds a charge well. By the time this thing starts to dim, even I’m usually ready to call it a night.
(note: this is an Amazon affiliate link, which means that if you click the link and buy the associated product, Amazon pays me a fee–your cost is unaffected)
While I own tons of physical books, I never travel without my tablet anymore; it is, after all, portable. In addition to the many books I’ve collected in electronic form, I also burn through a lot of e-books from the library.
If, like me, you’re beginning to see the utility of e-books, allow me to strongly recommend BookBub: just sign up (for free), tell them your preferred genres, and they’ll send you an email every morning with recommendations, all deeply discounted–as in, $1.99 apiece. I buy two or three a month.
Now, without further delay,
My book recommendations
Historical Fiction
The Aubrey & Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian is far and away your best choice here. You may have seen the movie starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, which although very good, could hardly do more than hint at the content of these twenty brilliant novels. The two main characters, while the closest of friends, are very different men; each an expert in his own field but frequently lost outside of it. Set against the backdrop of Nelson’s navy at war, O’Brian’s books will edify and entertain.
Bernard Cornwell brings us The Saxon Tales, a series set in 9th century Britain. You follow the adventures of Uthred: a boy orphaned by Danish invaders, then raised by them. Through his eyes we see Alfred the Great’s struggle to build a unified England. Perhaps more nuanced than Cornwell’s hugely popular Richard Sharpe series, these stories inspired the hit Netflix series “The Last Kingdom.”
Finally, don’t miss these gems from George MacDonald Fraser, OBE. Screenwriter for “The Three Musketeers” and “Octopussy,” Fraser is best known as creator of the hilarious Flashman series.
Flashman contains the reminiscences of an unrepentant cad which shed a new–and scandalous–light on the days of Empire during the reign of Queen Victoria. You’ll wince at his despicable behavior, but in the end you’ll find yourself pulling for the Flash.
The MacAuslan stories, on the other hand, aren’t historical fiction at all, but fictionalized memoirs of the author’s service as a junior officer in a Highland infantry regiment at the end of WWII. Private MacAuslan is the narrator’s bane and their adventures will keep you smiling.
Fantasy
Sometimes you happen across a story concept that makes you say “I have GOT to read that!”
Welcome to Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter: International. His protagonist, Owen Z. Pitt, is an accountant by profession and a gun enthusiast by avocation. When his horrible boss turns into something even worse, Pitt is introduced to a new and wider world. Important safety tip: I have yet to read an MHI book in more than one sitting, so schedule accordingly before you pick up Monster Hunter: International.
Odd Thomas introduces us to an unassuming young man who uses his extraordinary gifts to defend others from evil. Dean Koontz will touch your heart with these deeply engaging stories.
If you haven’t read Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, I encourage you not to miss the story of Chicago private eye/wizard Harry Dresden. Definitely not the hard-boiled type, Harry still gets it done when the chips are down.
On the other hand, if you haven’t already read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings then nothing I say here will sway you. JRR Tolkien’s stories, set in his meticulously-constructed Middle-earth, thrust both heroes and ordinary folk into extraordinary adventures. Their courage inspires, as does Tolkien’s ability with the language. By the way, the three “Lord of the Rings” movies are among the best book-to-film adaptations you’re likely to find.
Likewise J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories: while the setting, Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is brilliantly imagined, the real story is about courage and sticking up for your friends.
(in case you’ve been trapped on a deserted island for the past decade or two, the movies are also excellent)
I was fortunate enough to see Heaven’s Lost in the making (I’m admittedly biased toward the author, who is one of the finest people I’ve ever had the privilege to know; she truly makes life worth the living).
I watched in amazement as the people of Chuparosa, Arizona took on lives of their own in the writing. Though fallible as anyone, they’re brave and big-hearted: I think you’ll be glad to make their acquaintance.
I could’ve finished this section with “…and just about anything written by Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett,” but decided to show a little self-discipline. Instead, I’ll recommend Good Omens, a collaboration between the two authors that shines with the best of both. Heart, humor, and imaginative wit–and don’t miss the excellent Amazon Prime miniseries starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen.
(Okay, I can’t help myself: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, and Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. You’re welcome)
Science Fiction
I’m guessing you’ll love The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, and if so you’d be in good company: All Systems Red won a raft of awards following its release in 2017, including a Hugo and a Nebula.
Wells, like Dr. Asimov before her, understands that the heart of “hard” science fiction is stories about people; people that you end up cheering for. NPR book reviewer Jason Sheehan got it right when he said “Sulky, Cynical ‘Murderbot’ Is One Of Sci-Fi’s Most Human Characters.”
Sometimes nothing but a good old-fashioned space opera will do, and David Weber’s Honor Harrington series delivers. Flattering comparisons with the best of naval historical fiction aside, Weber works hard to show the point of view of the enemy as well as that of the “good guys,” in the process bringing home the human cost of war.
You’ll quickly understand why Honor Harrington’s crews, despite the odds, follow her willingly into battle. Her courage in the face of adversity, inspirational leadership, and grace under pressure all make for fine reading.
Harry Harrison brings hero–antihero?–Slippery Jim diGriz to life in these hilarious novels. Jim has his own unbending code of ethics, which frequently clashes with those of society at large. You’ll enjoy riding along as he matches wits with the powers that be…
We’ll finish this section where we started, with a story about a robot who ends up being more human than the rest of us. Isaac Asimov published The Caves of Steel in book form in 1954, and eventually wrote two more excellent novels starring R. Daneel Olivaw and his human partner, Detective Lije Baley. All three are well worth the read.
Crime/Mystery
Former Tampa Tribune reporter Tim Dorsey brings us lovably manic serial killer Serge Storms and his stoner sidekick Coleman. Florida has its fair share of villains, but fortunately Serge is there to help even things out. The author’s eyes are ever open to society’s foibles but he never preaches–the writing in this series is outstanding. Another schedule-wrecker: none of the 25 volumes (so far) have taken more than one sitting to finish.
Speaking of serial killers doing the good work, “Dexter” has become a household word due to the Showtime series by the same name. If you haven’t read Jeff Lindsay’s book series, do yourself a favor and get on with it.
I thought I wasn’t a fan of the “cozy murder mystery” subgenre (with the obvious exception of Dame Agatha Christie’s outstanding work), but Ellis Peters went a long way toward changing my mind with these books.
Brother Cadfael, former Crusader, hopes to spend the rest of his life peacefully in a Benedictine monastery. However, 12th-century England is beset by civil war and there are those who would use this unrest to conceal murder. With his experience of the world beyond the monastery walls, it falls to Brother Cadfael to discover the truth.
Also an entertaining TV series starring Derek Jakobi, originally aired on PBS.
Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire–like serial killer Morgan Dexter–won widespread fame via the small screen. While the A&E/Netflix series is very good, Craig Johnson’s novels are superb and not to be missed.
Humor
Since you probably read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in high school, I won’t waste time introducing the incomparable Samuel L. Clemens, aka Mark Twain, other than to point out that the line “…I believe I threw up my immortal soul” from “How to Cure a Cold” still makes me laugh out loud.
Interned in wartime Germany, accused–and subsequently exonerated–of collaboration with the Nazis on the basis of six ill-advised radio broadcasts, P.G. Wodehouse showed extraordinarily poor judgement concerning world politics.
He was, however, an extremely prolific and perceptive writer of light comedy. Jeeves and his employer, Bertie Wooster, are Wodehouse’s most beloved characters and appear in nearly fifty short stories and novels. Endlessly collected and recollected, these stories also form the basis of an excellent ITV television series starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.
I first discovered Patrick McManus, as did many of his fans, in the back pages of Outdoor Life and Field & Stream magazines. I remember reading A Fine and Pleasant Misery aloud one evening with a friend: we laughed until we cried.
In addition to his collected humor columns (over a dozen books), McManus gives Walt Longmire a run for his money with his Sheriff Bo Tully mysteries, although–as you might expect–they’re less serious than Craig Johnson’s books.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, former Miami Herald humor columnist Dave Barry has a keen eye for the absurd–and sometimes the downright silly. This collection is one of my favorites; I also hugely enjoyed Big Trouble, his comic novel set in South Florida.
In the midst of my usual shoddy research for these recommendations (i.e., check Wikipedia to make sure I’ve spelled the title and the author’s name right) I learned that Patrick Jake “PJ” O’Rourke died today (as I write this), 15 February 2022.
The world will be a lesser place for his absence.
As National Lampoon editor, Rolling Stone foreign affairs chief, freelancer for Playboy, The Atlantic, Car & Driver, etc., etc., O’Rourke’s gonzo journalism reflected his experience as a former-hippie-turned-conservative man of the world.
I’ll leave it to more gifted writers to eulogize the man, but I’ll miss his self-deprecating yet unsparing commentary. His books will always have a place in my living room: though published in 1991 my favorite, Parliament of Whores, is still pertinent–and acerbic, and hilarious–today.
Saga
I admit I more or less made up this category in order to sneak in favorites that, in a better-organized list, would belong elsewhere. However, they’re all notably ambitious in scope, from the wide horizons of the old West to the far reaches of a failing Galactic Empire, and beyond…
Larry McMurtry set out to paint a darker picture of the American West when he wrote Lonesome Dove, but somewhere along the line the characters ran away with the story and despite the cruelty and heartache, made it something glorious–epic.
It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the CBS miniseries based on the book won a Primetime Emmy for casting (among six others), and rightly so: once you’ve seen it, I defy you to read the book and not visualize Robert Duvall as Gus and Tommy Lee Jones as Call.
Perennial required reading for US military officers and NCOs, Once An Eagle is both outstanding war novel and leadership text, contrasting the actions of combat leader Sam Damon with those of careerist Courtney Massengale during Army service spanning the First World War to Vietnam.
Already a WWII Marine combat veteran, Anton Myrer performed another great service to his country in writing this book.
The first of seven novels in a series, Dr. Asimov’s aptly-named Foundation forms the basis of modern science fiction, and after nearly eight decades, still holds up well.
This Galactic Empire-spanning story describes the efforts of one man–using a revolutionary new scientific discipline–to prepare for and mitigate the effects of the impending collapse of the Empire and the Dark Ages to follow.
Let me be straight with you: I found the conclusion to The Dark Tower series less than satisfactory. Not badly written–on the contrary–I just didn’t want it to end that way.
I doubt Stephen King stays up nights worrying about that, but I just wanted to get it off my chest.
Even so, the series is a magnificent achievement. The books will entrance you, inspire you, and break your heart; the characters will stay with you forever. Every tie-in to this series you find in King’s other stories–and there are many–will bring you back once again to the ka-tet of Roland of Gilead.
Speaking of Stephen King and epic quests, don’t miss The Talisman, co-written with master of horror Peter Straub.
How to
When I grow enthusiastic about a hobby, I tend to buy lots of books on that subject. Sometimes, though, you find one book that covers all the bases. Such is the case with Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook. It’s easy to read and has something to offer everyone, regardless of skill level.
When I got back into traditional archery–shooting recurves and longbows–as an adult I was lucky enough to have access to a range filled with talented coaches, technicians, and fellow shooters, all of whom were happy to patiently answer my questions.
However, this cut into my shooting time and theirs. Not to mention the fact that sometimes I didn’t even know to ask a particular question until I’d already screwed something up.
“If only,” I thought, “there was a sort of comprehensive ‘traditional archery encyclopedia’ out there to guide me through all this…”
Turns out there is.
This is the third edition: mine is the second, and it’s a dog-eared, scruffy mess from years of hard use. Like all the best “how to” books, it’ll save you a lot of money and frustration, whether you’re a beginner or master archer.
As an avid reader, I’m also interested in “how the sausage is made” when it comes to creating books. This guy knows, and if you happen to be a fan you’re in luck because he talks about what he really knows: his life as writer of Stephen King books.
(note: although I read his book very carefully, Mr. King is not to blame for the writing style found in these journals)
War Memoirs
When I was an Air Force Academy cadet, Robin Olds was a legend–our hero. To us, he was the kind of warrior leader that Anton Myrer had in mind when he created Once An Eagle‘s Sam Damon. From his nonregulation mustache to his successes in a hamstrung air war, “Robin” personified the fighter pilot we hoped to be. This book will show you why.
Dan Hampton, author of New York Times bestseller Viper Pilot, captures the history and spirit of the fighter pilot in Lords of the Sky. An outstanding fighter pilot himself, “2-Dogs” has the background necessary to bring his subject to inspiring life. This is my favorite of his books so far–but they’re all excellent.
Jim Demarest, Desert Storm veteran and fighter pilot, wrote Five Nickles about our USAFA classmate Steve Phyllis. Steve was killed defending his downed wingman when his own A-10 was hit by a surface-to-air missile. He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star.
“Boots” is leading an effort to get Steve’s Silver Star upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor. Read Five Nickles to understand why.
In The Great War and Modern Memory Paul Fussell argues that Robert Graves’ Good-Bye to All That is “fiction disguised as a memoir” whereas Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer is completely fictional.
I lack Fussell’s credentials as either a literary critic (Great War won the National Book Award) or a combat soldier (he led a rifle platoon into Nazi Germany) to argue the point, over which the authors themselves ended their friendship and parted ways.
I will say, however, that both books are superb and provide insight into the ways trench warfare marked the young men who fought it.
These next two WWII memoirs provide an interesting comparison between the experiences of a young paratrooper who went to war with the elite 101st Airborne Division, and a more or less accidental college ROTC graduate who ended up invading Germany with the “dispirited” men of the 103rd Infantry. Neither man came away with any illusions about the horrors of war: but Fussell’s book, subtitled The Making of a Skeptic, is by far the darker.
Let me know if you found these recommendations helpful, or if I’ve steered you wrong. Next up, in part 2, check out my favorite movies, YouTube channels, and videogames.