ON THE BOOKSHELF
From time to time I read a book that I really enjoy. It is my intention to use this page to share with you why I liked a particular book or author. On this page you will find my views on authors, types of books, magazines, magazine articles, and poetry that I find of interest.
Occasionally, I might like a book well enough that I will put it on my recommended reading list.
Although I have a wide range of interests, I tend to restrict myself to a fairly narrow range of book topics. Like many of you, the time I have free for reading for pleasure is extremely limited, so I generally read books from a few select topics and authors. (More on these later.) Besides, there are more books in this world than I'll ever be able to read, even if I devoted the rest of my life just to reading books.
I enjoy reading science fiction, westerns, adventure, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, and the occasional well-written book about the Vietnam war era.
My current favorite authors are Dean Koontz, Piers Anthony, and Peter Straub. Stephen King is on my waiting list. Larry McMurtry currently takes care of my interest in westerns.
Koontz, Anthony, and Straub are all excellent writers and I highly recommend them. I have read most of Peter Straub's works, and although it can be heavy reading at times, his books are well-written and very suspenseful. There have been times, when reading one of his books, I have had a very difficult time putting the book down.
Dean Koontz is also a master of suspense writing, with a flair for surprising twists. Many of his books (and I have read most of them) have the ability to transport the reader right into the story, sort of like being a silent observer.
Piers Anthony, a writer of fantasy stories, writes his books in themes or series. For this reason, I haven't read a whole lot of his books. Over the years I have been working at putting together all the the books in a particular series or theme, so that I can read them in the order in which they have been written. Anthony usually carries his characters from one book to the next, so that each series of books is sort of like an anthology.
Books are precious to me because they transmit thought and ideas from person to person. They provide a permanent record of these thoughts and ideas, unlike the visual media such as television and movies, which, in my opinion are fleeting at best. Newspapers and magazines generally present one side of an idea or event. They also tend to embrace the popular side in an attempt to attract and keep their reader base. Special interest magazines will present new ideas on occasion, but again tend to be one-sided in their presentation. Books, on the other hand, have the freedom to present new and radical ideas (science fiction is a prime example) without being limited to a narrow group of readers.
One final thought on books. Never, ever throw a book away when you have finished with it. To me, that borders on the sacriligious. Rather, trade them in at a used book store, give them to friends, or donate them to a charitable organization for resale or to a retirement home.
To find the books and authors I recommend you can go to your public library, your local book store (usually expensive), used book stores or thrift stores (bargain prices but you may not always find the book you want), or you can visit an on-line bookstore such as 
Be sure to check back here from time to time because I will always be adding more to the shelves.
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