Not Sword, Not Laser but good nonetheless

[Bryek]

out of curiosity, why can't you do series any more?

[Jack]

I go back and forth about my favorite book. But the best book I ever read (re-read it a week ago or so) is Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West.

[Rob, Roberator]

The Shadow of the Wind should qualify. It's a mystery book, and I greatly enjoyed it.

He's since written another The Angel's Game but I haven't read it, and am perfectly content with that.

Edit: So apparently there are now 4 books in this "series". My guess is due to the popularity of the first book the author has expanded it into a series.

Since I haven't read them, I can't really speak to them..but I'd still say you can read just The Shadow of the Wind and never touch the others.

[Dharmakirti]

A couple of my favs are:

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko It is about a WWII veteran named Tayo (who is of Laguna and white ancestry) and his strugles upon returning to the Laguna reservation after fighting against Japan.

Disciple of the Dog by R. Scott Bakker - this is a crime novel about an exteremely cynical PI who suffers from a condition that prevents him from forgetting anyting, ever. He's hired to find a young woman who has gone missing from a cult she joined.

[Jason]

The best novel I've read recently was The Sisters Brothers. It's a dark humour western. I'm not a western fan myself, but I couldn't put this book down. Also, best cover ever?