Good Reading Books

"Good Book" Depends very much on personal taste. But I agree with some of your selection, so our tastes must overlap somewhat.

Pete Brassett UK Scottish Crime stories I binge read the whole series

Will dig down a bit and get a list together. I tend to use Kindle. A Kindle Unlimited subscription casts £7.99 a month and you can download as many as you want, though you can only have 10 on your machine at a time

Agree with Patterson, Clancy, Ludlum, Grisham and Child.  For something different you might want to read some Tim Dorsey about Florida, characterized as Hunter Thompson meets the Three Stooges.  Mostly I buy them in the USA and ship them in Balikbayan boxes, currently have 30 already read with 7 on deck.  After I read them I have been contributing 3 a cruise to the exchange libraries on cruise ships.  Anyone gonna be in Ilocos Sur and interested in above listed writers plus Clive Cussler let me know.  I have found very poor selections in the local malls and book stores.

Thanks for your replies guys, most times when we visited the SM at Dasmarinas I'd be on the floor outside the front of the shop on the basement floor with the books from the shelves all round me.  Best not to tell the assistants that you are looking for a particular author because when you do find it it is in the "Popular softback "  section and priced at over 200 pesos. Better to look in silence and hope to find one for 85 pesos. I've tried some lady authors but find them disappointing but Jackie Collins is popular on the shelves.  whatever happened to "The Carpet Baggers", remember with a smile reading that one.  Tried to find a "Dennis wheatley" but no luck and I REALLY tried.

Nice list and a great topic - thanks Peter.. I have been an avid reader since I was a kid but let it lapse for decades during my career. As you say, now we have more time.

I do love spy and adventure thrillers since an early GF turned me on to Robert Ludlum and another John LeCarré - also enjoy Ken Follet, Graham Greene, etc. We have a nice library of used books in my condo and I enjoy reading them even if some are 30 years old and others are second tier authors. If I get hold of a good one I will power through in a few days.

My GF is not a reader (yet one more difference between us) so she can't understand how I can stay up until midnight with a good book. I continue to try and find stories that will capture the interest of our two boys but it's not easy as they would rather watch You Tube on their iPads. I do limit that though. It's really true there is nothing like a good book. It's their loss, haha.

I read a lot when I am in the Philippines, but using a Kindle rather than buying Paper books.
I would agree with Peter Clarks selection of Authers. Although, I enjoy Historical, and some Science Fiction. C.S Forrester, Neville Schute, Ann Mc Caffery.

One Book I found was "Barangay in Bohol" By Ian Burgess. At first I enjoyed ths Book, as I live in Bohol, and could relate to many of the Locations and Situations written about. However In the end the Auther seemed to me to be just another Ex Pat with a Superiority Complex. Which was a shame, as it spoiled, for me, what was quite a good Book.

So many good authors & books already listed in this thread. I will only add my favorite crime writer, Michael Connelly. His detective Harry Bosch novels are not to be missed, IMO. The Amazon Prime TV series of the same name is pretty good, too.

Military thrillers Dale Brown
Thrillers Stephen Coontz

Wasn't the Carpetbaggers written by Harold Robbins? Also a great Writer.
The Pirate i thought was one of his best.  As usual. the film didn't do justice to Book.

When I was little, my grandfather gave me a set of Colliers Junior Classics, which was what got me started into reading. After reading excerpts from Wind in the Willows, The Borrowers and The Princess and the Goblin, I asked my parents to buy me the complete book. I (secretly) like fantasy / adventure books like Harry Potter (JK Rowling) and Lyra series (Philip Pullman).

I used to read Perry Mason in my 20's. About 20 years ago, I got interested in mystery / thriller novels. My approach to reading novels also changed. I now prefer hardbound books. I have a collection of hardbound Bourne trilogy series. I was halfway through Ultimatum but stopped because i couldnt focus due to distractions. (The story can be confusing if you miss certain details.)

I like Dan Brown's novels because of the fast pace and short chapters.  It was easy for me to get back into the flow of the story even with distractions.

I am planning to purchase Fifty Shades of Gray on paperback. A lot of reviews stated that the book was so badly written. I'm curious about how badly written it was.

Just got a Clive Cussler book, Typhoon Fury, from the Bethlehem Public Library.  It starts on Corregidor on 2/20/45 during the USA recapture from the Japanese.  Later Negros island is involved, as is Manila and a trip into the mountains north of Manila.  Book is copywrite 2017, takes place in the present.  Also has episodes in Thailand, Vietnam. Don't want to say too much about it, but after 125 pages and with 300 pages to go it is holding my interest, great international politics and adventure.  Almost all of the last 300 pages is in the Philippines,  including a return to Corregidor.