Alan Merrick

I read a lot of both fiction and non-fiction. In terms of non-fiction, my favorite writers are (in no particular order) David McCullough, Mark Bowden, Michael Lewis, and Robert Baer. For fiction, I mostly enjoy crime and espionage novels. My top writers are John le Carré, Ken Follet, Dennis Lehane, Len Deighton, Robert Ludlum, James Ellroy, Elizabeth George, Ian Fleming, Rex Stout, and Nelson DeMille.

Authors I love in other genres include (early) Tom Clancy, Woody Allen, Tom Robbins, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and, of course, "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole, along with many others.

1. Dune (Frank Herbert) - Dune is one of the most complex and fascinating books I've ever read. The political and power strategies and tactics were both horrifying and amazing to me as a teenager. Just read it again about six months ago and it still holds up perfectly today.

2. Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton) - I was simply floored by the ideas in this book. Who knew if it could actually work, but it's such an original concept! The only time in my life where I finished the book, then immediately went back to the beginning and read it again.

3. Eye of the Needle (Ken Follett) - Follett's masterpiece of espionage and suspense. First book of this genre I can remember (back then) that had a woman as the hero. Fabulous read.

4. L.A. Confidential (James Ellroy) - One of the most amazing books I've ever read. So much stuff going on in this book! Also my favorite all-time movie.

5. Black Hawk Down (Mark Bowden) - Mark Bowden is a great writer and I recommend anything he does, but to me, Black Hawk Down is his best work. It's not only an accurate play-by-play of the Battle of Mogadishu, but it's also a very personal look at the men who fought it. I found the conflicts among various military groups to be really interesting (Marines, SEALS, Delta, etc.).