Action Adventure Fiction

One of the genres of fiction is Action Adventure novels. Typically the story is targeted to a male audience, although in the last few decades we have seen that change to have an appeal to the female reader too.  Plots for these books will involve physical action and violence during a quest or military type action in exotic or forbidding locales.  The stories usually involve types of technology and weapons used for combat to fight commandos, terrorists, pirates, and the like.

A few examples of Action Adventure Fiction are:

• James Bond Series of Books
• Treasure Island
• Robinson Crusoe
• The Hunt For Red October
• Trojan Odyssey
• Area 7

Lillian Jackson Braun – Mystery Writer

Ever popular author, Lillian Jackson Braun has a past almost as mysterious as her famous Jim Qwilleran cat series of mysteries. During the years of 1966 through 1968, Braun published her first three novels in the Cat Who… series and then seemed to disappear for almost 20 years.

Koko and Yum Yum have helped Jim solve 29 mysteries to date with #30 set to be released sometime in 2009. It’s title will be “The Cat Who Smelled Smoke”.

Braun writes a classic mystery that is fun to read and well, there are those two wonderful Siamese cats, too. All of her books are a joy to read with no terror or blood, just good old fashioned who done its!

The first 3 titles published by Lillian Jackson Braun were later published together in one book. The Cat Who Read Backwards, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern, and The Cat Who Turned On and Off can be found in this book located in my shop: The Cat Who…

The Cat Who Wasn’t There can be found in paperback in my shop.

Max by Katherine Cecil Thurston 1910

Max a novel by Katherine Cecil Thurston reached the number 4 best seller position in 1910. The story is about a young Russian princess who disguises herself as a boy to flee to France the night before her arranged marriage.  She ends up in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris for an enthralling adventure.

Author Robert Ludlum – A favorite of mine

Robert Ludlum was an American author who penned 25 thriller novels. Born May 25, 1927 in New York City and passed on March 12, 2001 in Naples, Florida. He also published books under 2 known pseudonyms – Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Many of Ludlum’s books have been made into movies with the most recent being the Bourne series with actor Matt Damon.

Books written by Robert Ludlum:

• The Scarlatti Inheritance (1971)
• The Osterman Weekend (1972)
• The Matlock Paper (1973)
• Trevayne (1973, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
• The Cry of the Halidon (1974, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
• The Rhinemann Exchange (1974)
• The Road to Gandolfo (1975, writing under the pen-name Michael Shephard)
• The Gemini Contenders (1976)
• The Chancellor Manuscript (1977)
• The Holcroft Covenant (1978)
• The Matarese Circle (1979)
• The Bourne Identity (1980)
• The Parsifal Mosaic (1982)
• The Aquitaine Progression (1984)
• The Bourne Supremacy (1986)
• The Icarus Agenda (1988)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (1990)
• The Road to Omaha (1992)
• The Scorpio Illusion (1993)
• The Apocalypse Watch (1995)
• The Matarese Countdown (1997)
• The Prometheus Deception (2000)

A book club edition of The Holcroft Covenant can be found at The Paper Trail

A 1992 first edition of The Road to Omaha can be found at The Paper Trail

Collectible Children’s Series Books

Here is a list of popular series books collected today by many bibliophiles. The list is not all inclusive but gives some fun ideas for books to look for.
Campfire Girls - A series of fiction novels written for children beginning as early as 1900 and ending in 1936. A variety of authors wrote these books and it is not a numbered series.
Bobbsey Twins – Series began in 1904 and ran until 1979. There are 72 titles in the series.

Tom Swift Book

Tom Swift – Original series ran from 1910 to 1941 with adventures novels featuring the genius inventor.
Hardy Boys - Longest running and best selling detective and mystery series for children. 58 titles running from 1927-1979. Frank and Joe Hardy are the main characters.
Nancy Drew – Long running mystery series with 56 titles running from 1930-1979.
Judy Bolton – Created by Margaret Sutton in 1932, Judy Bolton solved mysteries much like Nancy Drew. Many feel that Judy was a better role model for girls. There were 38 titles published from 1932 to 1967.
Dana Girls – A series of 30 titles first published in 1934 to compete with the popular Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. The original series ended in 1968. Three different authors wrote for this series Leslie McFarlane (first 4 books), Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, and Mildred Wirt Benson. Main characters are Louise and Jean Dana.
Cherry Ames – Mystery solving Nurse, Cherry Ames is the main character in this series of 27 titles written from 1943 through 1968. Helen Wells wrote 1-7 and 17-27. Julie Campbell Tatham wrote 8-16.
Rick Brant – Scientific adventures and mysteries with 24 titles running from 1947 to 1960.
Vicki Barr – Flight Stewardess mystery series with 16 titles running from 1947-1969. Two authors: Helen Wells and Julie Campbell Tatham.
Trixie Belden – Girl Detective series first published in 1948. The first six books in the series were written by Julie Campbell. Trixie and her friend Honey Wheeler are the main characters.
Chip Hilton – Series of sports related books with 23 titles in the series which ran from 1948 to 1965. Touchdown Pass was the first book in the series. Football, baseball, and basketball were the main topics of the books.
Tom Corbett - Space Cadet in 8 books that rant from 1952 to 1956 with pseudo-science adventures of Corbett as a cadet at the Space Academy.
Brains Benton – Six stories in the series that ran from 1959 to 1961. Adventures of teens Barclay ‘Brains’ Benton and his sidekick Jimmy Carson.

Number 1 bestseller books list from 1990 to 1999

List of the Number 1 bestseller books and their authors during the decade of 1990 to 1999. This list was compiled from lists published for each year by Publishers Weekly magazine. These books are still pretty commonly found in many venues such as used book stores, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, and your favorite website for used books.

1990 – The Plains of Passage by Jean Auel

1991 – Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

1992 – Delores Claiborne by Stephen King

1993 – The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

1994 – The Chamber by John Grisham

1995 – The Rainmaker by John Grisham

1996 – The Runaway Jury by John Grisham

1997 – The Partner by John Grisham

1998 – The Street Lawyer by John Grisham

1999 – The Testament by John Grisham

John Grisham celebrated 6 of the 10 titles on the best seller list during this decade. Quite an amazing feat in my humble opinion.

Of the titles listed above, you can find a first edition copy of Scarlett on this website:

The Paper Trail

Best selling Books for the decade 1980 to 1989

A list of the best selling books during the decade of 1980 to 1989.  My list was compiled from Publisher’s Weekly magazine. No trouble finding these popular books anyway. They can be found in used book stores, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets and your favorite website book sellers.

1980 – The Covenant by James A. Michener

1981 – Nobel House  by James Clavell

1982 – E.T., The Extra-terrestrial by William Kotzwinkle

1983 – The Return of the Jedi by James Kahn

1984 – The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

1985 – The Mammoth Hunters by Jean Auel

1986 – It by Stephen King

1987 – The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

1988 – The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy

1989 – Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy

Stephen King had 3 books that reached the best seller list in this decade and Tom Clancy celebrated 2 best selling titles in the 1980’s.

Number 1 Bestselling Books from 1970 to 1979

These books reached the level of popularity to make them the Number 1 bestselling book for each year from 1970 to 1979. These books can be easily found at used book stores, garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, and your favorite website selling used books. List was compiled from Publisher’s Weekly magazine lists for these years.

1970 – Love Story by Erich Segal

1971 – Wheels by Arthur Hailey

1972 – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

1973 – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

1974 – Centennial by James A. Michener

1975 – Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow

1976 – Trinity by Leon Uris

1977 – The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien

1978 – Chesapeake by James A. Michener

1979 – The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum

Number 1 Bestseller Books from 1960 to 1969

According to Publisher’s Weekly magazine the number 1 bestselling books for the decade of 1960 to 1969 are named below. These books are easily found in many areas. Look in your local used book stores, garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and your favorite online website.

1960 – Advise and Consent by Allen Drury

1961 – The Agony and the Ecstatsy by Irving Stone

1962 – Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter

1963 – The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris L. West

1964 – The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John le Carre

1965 – The Source by James Michener

1966 – Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

1967 – The Arrangement by Elia Kazan

1968 – Airport by Arthur Hailey

1969 – Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth

Number 1 Best Seller Books from 1940 to 1949

The following books reached the status of being the Number 1 best selling book for each year from 1940 to 1949. These books and their authors other books can be easily found in any used book store.

• How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn ( 1940 )
• The Keys of the Kingdom by A J Cronin (1941)
• The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel (1942)
• The Robe by Lloyd C Douglas (1943)
• Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith (1944)
• Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (1945)
• The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier (1946)
• The Miracle of the Bells by Russel Janney (1947)
• The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C Douglas ( 1948 )
• The Egyptian by Mika Waltari ( 1949 )

Lloyd C Douglas (a Hoosier) was the only author to have two Number 1 best sellers in this decade.