What are some good books to read on my vacation this August?

Since you liked Timeline, you might enjoy "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Try other SF books like Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, Eon by Greg Bear. The nano book by Crichton ("Prey") is not too bad (though not my favorite). Classic SF like "Cities in Flight" by James Blish or "Fountains of Paradise" by Arthur C Clarke. For variety: "Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole, or "The Man in My basement" by Walter Mosely. Have a good summer. Two more: "The Secret Life of Lobsters and "Cry, The Beloved Country".

Algonquin Elegy: Tom Thomson's Last Spring. A fictional investigation into the remarkable, true story of the drowning of Canadian landscape painter, Tom Thomson, in Algonquin Park's Canoe Lake in 1917. Visit the book website at http://www.algonquinelegy.com./

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin

the Dune series by Frank Herbert

A World Lit Only By Fire is one of the most unsual, but best dang reads around. It is written by William Manchester.

If you want some thing that is just a Hoot. Try Rita Mae Brown's "Six of One".

What kinds of books would you normally read? I just read "Deception Point" by Dan Brown, and that was pretty decent. I'm currently reading "Maximum Ride" by James Patterson, and it seems pretty good as well. I like to read just about anything though.

Depends on how old you are. If you are an adult, I would suggest The Red Tent by Diamant. It was wonderful and all I suggested it to loved it.

Dresden file book series by Jim Butcher.There are 8 books in the series beginning with stormfront.It narrates the story of Harry Dresden,chicago's only professional wizard.He stands between the general population who is ignorant about the supernatural world and the monsters-vampires,werewolves,fey.He is aided by Bob,a talking skull.Karrin Murphy-a police officer and Thomas-a white court vampire.

Another good series is the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.The books provide an alternate take on vampires.People who are unjustly murdered call upon Artemis(Greek goddess) and she grants them a day to avenge themselves.After that they are recruited to her army to fight against evil.This series is romance based.Best of the series are 'Dance with the devil' and 'Seize the night'.

Reilly's Luck by Louis L'Amour.Its a western.A young boy is abandoned by his own mother(she tells her boyfriend to kill him)The boy ends up with a gambler and he brings him up.Turns out to be the best gamble he ever made.The boy grows up and later kills the people who murdered the gambler.The Daybreakers,Fair blows the wind are also good books by the same author.

Count of Montecristo by Alexander Dumas.Its about a young French sailor who was unjustly imprisoned for 14 years before he escapes and ultimately takes revenge on his enemies.The author did a great job describing the emotions of the prisoner.Disbelief,denial,self pity,madness,apathy and finally hope.

If you like fantasy try the Dragon Jousters series by Mercedes Lackey.The first book 'Joust', is about Vetch a young serf who is rescued by a Dragon Jouster from his cruel master.He becomes a Dragon boy(one who takes care of dragons).Later he secretly hatches his own dragon.The later two books are about how he escapes to his native Alta and how the war between Alta and Tia ends.The setting is strongly Ancient Egyptian.

Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey is about a young boy Skif who is ill-treated by his relatives.He later falls in with a gang of thieves and becomes a master thief.Later he gets bonded with a talking horse and is admitted to a Herald's College.

The door to december by Dean Koontz.A psychiatrist's daughter was kidnapped by her ex-husband years ago. When the daughter is finally found, the real fight begins. One by one the people who held her captive become mysteriously tortured and killed. Everyone is afraid the young girl will be next.

The mystery unravels as to what happened to the young girl while she was kidnapped. The young girl, Melanie, is unable to speak, but her mother soon learns that the young girl went through extreme torture as her father used her for a rat in his experiments.

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the Mars novels and the tarzan novels.There are 11 novels in the mars series beginning with 'a princess of mars'.Captain John Carter of the Confederate Army is whisked to Mars and discovers a dying world of dry ocean beds where giant four-armed barbarians rule, of crumbling cities home to an advanced but decaying civilization, a world of strange beasts and savage combat, a world where love, honor and loyalty become the stuff of adventure. The later books are about his son Carthoris,daughter Tara etc.John carter is a recurring character in all these books as martians live for 1000 years.

Rebecca Paisley-A basket of wishes.

Its about a fairy Splendour who is ordered to marry a human( a duke).The poor hero is confused by the woman who will shrink if not kissed regularly,drinks apricot scrubs.On top of that he is harassed by splendour's sister who even turns him into a snail.His cousin Emil thinks that Splendour is exactly what the doctor ordered for the staid ,boring Jordan.

Mary Balogh-Lady with a black umbrella(Funny romance).The heroine is always rescuing the hero-whether he wants to be rescued or not.

Lynsay Sands-A bride promises her father that she'll obey her husband 'always'.I mean 'always'.The poor groom didn't know what he was going to get when he was coarced to marry the king's daughter.

Anne Gracie-The perfect rake.The heroine just wants to save her sisters from their abusive grand father.However one lie led to another and another.The hero was perfectly willing to go along with the charades.

Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini.When his best friend, a young clergyman, is killed in a mockery of a duel by an arrogant noble, just to quiet his eloquent expressions of democratic ideals, Andre-Louis Moreau vows revenge. From that point, through meteoric careers as a consummate actor and scenario writer, then as a fencing master, and finally a politician, the brilliant Moreau keeps thwarting the aims of the aristocratic Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr. However, the nobleman causes pain to Moreau as well, and the time must come when the two will meet to settle their enmity once and for all. You are not likely to guess how their confrontation finally turns out. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, this swashbuckling novel is exciting throughout, and it presents one of the most dashing heroes in fiction, a man who can fight equally well with his mind, his mouth, his pen, and his sword, a man who stirs up events wherever he goes.

sexual positions illustrated...Get laid..Leave the books at home.