T. August Green All Time Faves

by Timothy A. Green

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10 books

This list of books are the ones that have stuck with me no matter how long ago I read them. Every one of them struck me on an emotional level, and fell under the term, "I couldn't put it down." Most have a sci-fi element, but a unique take on history can be just as good. Above all, there has to be a character you care about, who makes you laugh, makes you cheer, and sometimes cry. That's when you hate to see it end.

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Outlander

Diana Gabaldon, 2010

This has to be one of the most unique twists on time travel I've ever read. Caught between two worlds, Claire struggles to get back to her own time, but becomes entwined in the events of the past. Some pages do have racy sex scenes, but it plays well into the story. This book is also long, but it is the start of an epic journey filled with twists and turns, and villians you love to hate.

Gates of Fire

An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae

Steven Pressfield, 2007

The legend of the 300 Spartans is an epic piece of history, and a story worth telling with tremendous scope. Pressfield comes at this event with a very different perspective, telling it through the eyes of a young slave who dreamt of fighting alongside the elite soldiers. We gain an in-depth look inside the warrior culture, including its horrors for those who fall short. The vivid descriptions of the battlefield are as bold as the intimate views of the home life they defend. The women of Sparta play a formidable role, and their impact on the historical battle are at the root of their power. If there was ever a book that deserves a 3 hour screenplay for the silver screen, THIS is it!

The Fall of Reach

Eric S. Nylund, 2005

Few game series have been as prolific as "Halo," and even fewer possess such an intricate back story. This is a novelization of one segment of the game, but it is its most crucial. In the midst of devastating alien attack on the outpost planet Reach, the main character reflects on how he came to be the leader called "Master Chief, or John 117." Step into his past and discover how he and his classmates were chosen, trained, augmented, and transformed into the potent super-soldiers called Spartans. This was a brutal process of attrition, and we fell the pain and impact of his lost comrades. Buckle up for first class action and learn what makes the man behind the golden mask tick...and the cost of his survival. Simply brilliant!

One for the Money

Janet Evanovich, 2018

Grab your popcorn and get ready to laugh as Janet Evanovich takes to the wilds of New Jersey, and a lovable, bumbling, wannabe bounty hunter named Stephanie Plum. Rumored to have started life as a sitcom pilot, this book mixes danger, hi-jinx, and sex appeal into a bone-tickling package. The amusing love triangle that begins in the series carries on for book after book. In the realm of reality, its easy to say that Stephanie does a lousy job of getting better as a bounty hunter, but she always manages to hit a bullseye on the funny bone.

Flight of the Intruder

A Jake Grafton Novel

Stephen Coonts, 2006

Here is a book that made it to the big screen and was all the worst for it. If you have seen the film, blot it out of your mind and read this exciting novel with new eyes. So many potent elements never made it to the screenplay, and they are the people who give this story heart. All of the whirling circumstances and dangers of the Vietnam war are present in vivid detail, but here we find Jake as he struggles mightily to hold fast to his humanity. From the decks of the aircraft carrier to Sam City, Flight of the Intruder delivers the payload!

Naked in Death

J. D. Robb, 2022

Nora Roberts is a world-renowned romance novelist, but under the pen name J. D. Robb, she proves she has the chops to write action and suspense as well. "Naked in Death" i the first in a string of novels called the "In Death" series, starring NYC homicide detective Eve Dallas. Set in the year 2058, Dallas investigates a string a gruesome murders with one underlying problem. One of her suspects is an Irish billionaire called Roarke, and she is at war with herself over arresting him or taking him to bed. The action and passion are equally intense, and the outcome doesn't disappoint.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson, 2009

Here is another novel that made it to the silver screen, and thankfully, did so with style. That said, its hard to recreate the amazing suspense and tension of Larsson's original work. The author slowly reels you in with spellbinding intrigue, and before you know it, you are intwined as if captured by a lethal octopus. Page after page, the story builds its maze, leaving you to wonder what lurks around the next corner. The chill of Sweden and knife-edge of Lisbeth both cut with equal thrust, and the stage is set of an ending that makes you instantly reach for the next book in the series.

Twelve Angry Men

Reginald Rose, 2006

I first read this play in high school, but it has stuck with me ever since. There are many courtroom dramas out there, but very few that look inside the chamber of a jury deliberating on a verdict. The debate between jurors is an intricate yarn of who truly paid attention to details, and one man could turn the tide. This one never gets old.

Highlander Gambit

Blaine Lee Pardoe, 1995

I'm a big fan of the BattleTech Series of novels. Call it a guilty pleasure, but while some are not a good as others, the Mechwarrior Universe is a fascinating realm of tribal combat and ideological contrast. The Clans portrayed build a hierarchy similar other stories but definitely unique. This particular book is my favorite of the series because it focuses on one soldier, caught between cultures and worlds as he fights to fulfill his duty while winning the respect of his peers. The world painting is rich and the action is exciting.

If Hemingway Had Written a Racing Novel, the Best of Motor Racing Fiction

Richard Nisley, 2004

Sports car racing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are a passion of mine, but its surprising how little literary work is out there on the subject. This book is a compilation of stories that look into what makes a racing driver tick. Not unlike the daring fighter pilots, racing drivers stare down danger at every turn, and the thrill of their job takes a serious toll on their personal lives. True to its title, Hemingway always wrote of the bold, audacious spirit of such people, and each of these excerpts delivers a rich taste of that style.