All-Time Favorites
Some of these books may not be considered classics but they are books that I love. Sometimes you read a book at just the right time and it resonates. As they say, when the student is ready the teacher will appear. These books are my teachers - or wingman - depending on how you look at it.
Any book dedicated to Bruce Lee makes my list of favorites.
Ultra-violent, it’s all about survival on a day to day basis.
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This school is ruled by gangs or “families” built around their fighting techniques.
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Think Warriors meets Kwai Chang Cain in high school.
I've read many. many Wilbur Smith books. They're all great but this may be my favorite. It's the second book in the Egyptian series but it's a stand-a-lone. Jump in and you'll be hooked.
The story follows Dennis Barlow, a British poet who becomes embroiled in the peculiar and macabre world of pet and human mortuaries, highlighting the absurdities of American death rituals and the superficiality of Hollywood life.
So many great Elmore Leonard books to pick. This is my favorite. Except for that whole Raylan thing.
Loved this book forever and despite a few instances of historical inaccuracies the story is epic. Honor. Sex. Love. Violence. Intrigue. Promise, it hasn't sold 20 million plus copies for nothing.
explores the complexities of the human psyche through the perspectives of various characters, primarily focusing on the Ramsay family during their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland before and after World War I. The narrative, notable for its stream of consciousness technique, poignantly captures the passage of time and the internal lives and emotional undercurrents of the characters, particularly in their relationships and unspoken struggles.
Read this as a kid and continue to read it every couple of years. It's like comfort food. You know the story. Love. Revenge. Redemption. All good stuff.
Shogun - even though it's written by a British guy - started my love of Japanese literature. This was the first one I sought out and read. Lucky me. Might be better than Shogun. It's technically a samurai story.
When Dennis Lehane publishes a book I read it. No questions asked. This one's dark but worth the read. McKenzie and Gennaro are my favorite P.I. duo.
a profound exploration of African American identity and heritage through the life of Macon "Milkman" Dead III, who embarks on a journey across Michigan to Pennsylvania, and finally to Virginia, seeking to understand his ancestral roots. The novel blends folklore, history, and magic realism, uncovering the complexities of family legacies, racial oppression, and personal liberation along the way.
I'm a huge fan of his debut novel, The Contortionist's Handbook. It's in the crime section. Mother Howl. Great book. Unique. Hopefully, I don't have to wait another 20 years for his next book. But I will if I have to.
This is the first of the John Corey novels from Nelson DeMille. Later on Corey grows a little wearisome but he is perfect in this book of murder and mayhem. Throw in a possible genetic plague and a priceless buried treasure and you've got something fun.