Ken Follett’s historical novels have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide. His latest, "The Armor of Light," is set at the time of the Battle of Waterloo and adds a fifth volume to a series that began with 1989’s "The Pillars of the Earth."
'Orley Farm' by Anthony Trollope (1861)
Trollope’s first success, and a masterpiece of construction. It’s a complex courtroom drama, though we don’t get to court until late in the book. As the case unfolds, Trollope describes the effect of each development on each of several characters. The suspense is terrific as the net slowly tightens around the guilty party. Buy it here.
'Dune' by Frank Herbert (1965)
A magnificent science fiction blockbuster. The story takes place mostly on a brilliantly imagined desert planet in a universe of tyranny and violence. The ecology of the planet is startling but credible. Multiple storylines are interwoven and come together shockingly but in a deeply satisfying way. Buy it here.
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