Habitual Reader Profiles - Page 1

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	Name: Harry Shannon
	City & State: Studio City, California
	Vocation / Avocation: Counselor, writer

Why I'm a Habitual Reader:

I have been devouring books since I was a child discovered Tom Swift and The Hardy Boys, and wanted to be a writer for almost as long. I've gone through many stages, from Ray Bradbury and young adult SF and horror, to spy novels, Gold Medal hardboiled mysteries, military history, crime fiction, westerns, the list is endless. My own writing tends to be noir or horror flavored, so I guess I lean toward the dark side of my imagination. I have a severe case of "biblio-gotta-own-it-itis," and my home is overflowing. Oh, and does anyone else out there sniff new books?

My List of Ten: The Dark Side

1. Darker than Amber
Author: John D. MacDonald
It was my first exposure to Travis McGee

2. Shogun
Author: James Clavell
One of the only novels I have read three times. The arc of Blackthorne from alienated foreigner to Japanophile is brilliantly done.

3. The Source
Author: James Michener
Read it four times. An amazing tour of the Middle East, even if it is now out of date.

4. Black Cherry Blues
Author: James Lee Burke
I could easily list every novel the man has written. Stunning.

5. The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Because it breaks my heart.

6. I Am Legend
Author: Richard Matheson
The seminal work of American popular horror fiction.

7. The Black Echo
Author: Michael Connelly
Introduced Harry Bosch to the world

8. The Devil of Nanking
Author: Mo Hayder
This woman has published three brilliant and very disturbing novels, "Birdman," "The Treatment" and "Tokyo" (published in the US under this title). She is brilliant, and can play with the big boys any day of the week.

9. Red Dragon
Author: Thomas Harris
Trend setting, disturbing, thrilling.

10. Silence of the Lambs
Author: Thomas Harris
So well crafted it makes me angry that he's allowed himself to produce "Hannibal" and "Hannibal Rising," no matter what they paid him. Grr.

Have you read any of these titles? Review one now.

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