Len's book reading list - featuring the "Bob Lee Swagger - sniper" series

[Rick Richard]

I just finished Lee Child's Jack Reacher series and am 3 books into the Bob Lee Swagger series. Favorite authors are Tom Clancy, Jack Carr, John Grisham, Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, Mark Cameron, David McColloigh, and Steven Ambrose

I am up to date also on all the Jack Reacher books too. Close to my favorite series.

 

[Veteran]

Jack Carr is very black-and-white to me, I always found it too simple to predict plots because characters that die are clearly bad and main characters survive. Based on his prefaces he's trying very hard to create a compelling growth narrative inside his lead character, but he's surrounded by so many absolutes he doesn't seem to actually have any free will in making decisions.

A 300 yard shot with a 1911 was a bit much also

Yeah, 50 yds with a gold cup national match is very doable......

300 not so much.....

 

[vedauvoo]

Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner, 1972

 

[vedauvoo]

Just finished Ridgeline, by Michael Punke (2021). Great fictional history of the Fedderman Fight at old Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming. Excellent read for those who like western history.

 

[vedauvoo]

Thanks all, for enlarging my list of good reads.

Way back in the late Pleistocene I took an excellent elective class on Western Literature. I miss those days when one could get a real classically liberal eduction at college. Kudos to the old Weber State University! These are a few books I remember from that class:

Meditations on Hunting, José Ortega y Gasset ("In our rather stupid time, hunting is belittled and misunderstood, many refusing to see it for the
vital vacation from the human condition that it is, or to acknowledge that the hunter does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, he kills in
order to have hunted.")
Crow Killer, Raymond Thorp & Robert Bunker (not a read for the faint of heart!)
The Virginian, Owen Wister
Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey
Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey (I know, not the most popular author among the more pragmatic outdoorsmen and hunters, but his descriptions
of the Desert Southwest are breathtaking!)

 

[Veteran]

Thanks all, for enlarging my list of good reads.

Way back in the late Pleistocene I took an excellent elective class on Western Literature. I miss those days when one could get a real classically liberal eduction at college. Kudos to the old Weber State University! These are a few books I remember from that class:

Meditations on Hunting, José Ortega y Gasset ("In our rather stupid time, hunting is belittled and misunderstood, many refusing to see it for the
vital vacation from the human condition that it is, or to acknowledge that the hunter does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, he kills in
order to have hunted.")
Crow Killer, Raymond Thorp & Robert Bunker (not a read for the faint of heart!)
The Virginian, Owen Wister
Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey
Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey (I know, not the most popular author among the more pragmatic outdoorsmen and hunters, but his descriptions
of the Desert Southwest are breathtaking!)

I have read all the Zane Grays including Riders of the Purple Sage.
I have also read Owen Wisters Virginian. Great books.

 

[.gacton]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I used to read a lot. Lately I have begun to re-read some of my old books, and have been looking for something new. Last week I re-read Profiles In Courage (given to me as a boy). Week before it was Traveller, told from the perspective of Gen. R. E. Lee's horse. Both good reads. Also re-read a couple of biographies; Bo Knows Bo, John Wayne, and Bear. All good. Looking for something from Hemingway and Mark Twain to add to my collection.

 

[Weaver93]

David Archer, David Baldacci (Amos Decker and Will Robbie were entertaining series, but he does a lot of good stuff), Eric Blehm title Fearless, Marc Cameron, Jeff Carson, Lee Child, Ben Coes, Jay J Falconer, Vince Flynn (one of the best), John Gilstrap, Mark Goodwin, Mark Greaney (Grey Man), Jason Kasper, David Nees, James Patterson, James Rollins, L.T. Ryan, Brad Taylor, Brad Thor, Tim Tigner and Andrew Watts. All had mostly good and far more entertaining than TV.

Absolutely nothing to do with out interests on this forum, but two books I guarantee will make you laugh and maybe even reflect are "S*** My Dad Says" by Justin Halpern and "The Power of Positive Idiocy" by David Feherty.

 

[flyguy1]

For those interested in true, rather than embellished
Western history, Odie B. Faulk can't be beat. I was lucky enough to take a course under him. His lectures were like watching a movie (and man, he wanted every word back on his tests).

As true history, rather than fiction, they are mostly in used book stores online and otherwise.

 

[Veteran]

Just Finished G-Man in the Bob Lee Swagger Series.

As a book critic, I have to say that anyone who knows anything about guns would know right off the mysterious piece of slotted hunk of metal Bob Lee found from his Grandfather was a Muzzle Brake......I don't know why Stephen Hunter had to add so much mystery to it......I guess it sells better.

I did enjoy finding out about the Colt "Monitor". I did not know about that particular rifle, only the more famed Uncle, the BAR.

So, kudos on the Monitor, thumbs down on the mystery of the slotted hunk of metal.....oh and thumbs down on calling it a compensator vs. a muzzle brake. More mystery and sophistication I dare say.......(English accent heavily layered on.)

 

[just_jon]

Bob Lee is a baaaad man. I'm currently reading Night of Terror. Like many of my favorite authors, Steven Hunter has a way of putting the reader in the scene, but I found myself totally confused about the revolver used in the killings at Lester's Grocery. Based on it's caliber (45 Colt) and description as old and not well maintained, I was was not picturing a double action in my mind.

 

[Cap]

I really enjoy reading thriller and mystery non-fiction. Years ago more of my reading was non-fiction. But in recent years the ratios have flipped.

I'll read about 100 books per year. I check out and discard quite a few beyond that 100 number without completing many others after I start them. Mostly digital, some hard cover. My digital books come through an app called LIBBY. Once installed you can use it through your local library card to gain access to an incredible array of good reading material...at no cost.

I'll guess that some of you have read parts or all of the Swagger, sniper novels written by Stephen Hunter. I just completed his TIME TO HUNT story. Set in Viet Nam War and in western US mountains.

Bob Lee Swagger Series - click on following links to read plot summary

1. Point of Impact, 1993
2. Black Light, 1996
3. Time to Hunt, 1998
4. The 47th Samurai, 2007
5. Night of Thunder, 2008
6. I, Sniper, 2009
7. Dead Zero, 2010
8. The Third Bullet, 2013
9. Sniper's Honor, 2014
10. G-Man, 2017
11. Game of Snipers, 2019

---

Earl Swagger Series

1. Hot Springs, 2000
2. Pale Horse Coming, 2001
3. Havana, 2003

Really great series.

I love this website for identification of ALL books by an author in a certain chronological order...and then trying to read them in order if possible.

Book Series in Order

A List of Characters and Authors and Their Books

www.bookseriesinorder.com

Currently I have 35 books on hold (one week to six months) or reserve status with either my local library (hard cover) or Libby (digital text - - - or audio - for long drives - or in a tent at night in the wilderness)

Current authors on my lists include:
Dean Koontz
Stephen Hunter
Patricia Cornwell
Brad Thor
John Sanford
Johnathan Kellerman
Catherine Coulter
Harlen Coban
James Patterson
Craig Johnson
C.J. Box
David Baldacci
Daniel Silva
John Grisham


What do you like to read?

I've read all of Hunter's novels. Great scribe. My favorite was Pale Horse Coming. I see Grisham on your list. My favorite of his was his first, A Time to Kill. It seems that he is just churning them out lately. I haven't read one of his in a while that I really liked.

 

[Cap]

My Read List

1) Mitch Rapp Series - Vince Flynn

2) Dewey Andreas Series - Ben Coes

3) Scott Harvath Series- Brad Thor

4) Jericho Quinn Series - Marc Cameron

5) Dirk Pitt, Oregon Files, Isaac Bell Series - Clive Cussler

6) Joe Pickett Series - C.J. Box

7) Pike Logan Series- Brad Taylor

8) Jack Ryan Series - Tom Clancy

9) Louis L'Amour - I've read all of his books 2-3 times each, and I mean all of them.

10) Zane Gray- I've read most of them, though not all.

After you read all of these, you need to read the Holy Bible a few times too. It will give you some perspective on all of the above....

I read all books except when traveling when I listen to them. The Mitch Rapp series is a great listen. The reader is excellent.

 

[BillLarson]

author Jim Reardon.... favorite book..... Wolfman Of Alaska