Occasionally I like to take a break from the new bestsellers and grab one of the tattered novels off of my shelf of favorites.  These books may not be everyone’s traditional idea of a classic, but they certainly have qualities that make them stand out as some of the best among their respective genres.  Here are a few.

Vertical Run by Joseph Garber (Adventure):  David Elliott, a Vietnam veteran and top executive at a New York firm, gets up early and jogs to work as he does every other day of the week.  When he gets there, he finds himself facing his boss and friend, Bernie Levy, aiming a gun at him. Elliott evades Bernie only to discover a team of militaristic men whose mission becomes obvious: Kill David Elliott by day’s end. Even his wife seems to want him caught.  As Elliott struggles throughout the long day in many action-packed sequences, he slowly unravels the mystery behind the pursuit. Vertical Run was written in the ‘90’s and is full of action clichés, yet the book was acclaimed as setting the bar for the adventure genre.  And don’t blink, or you will miss the final kicker at the very end! 

Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Horror)­: Want a compelling book you can finish during an afternoon by the pool?  Ira Levin’s classic is nothing like the techno-humorous movie recently made starring Nicole Kidman; rather, it draws you into the quaint suburban life most people dream about, and then slowly reveals something so evil and sinister, you almost won’t believe it is coming.  The story is only 147 pages and written with a fast and easy pace; and though you may predict the ending, it will still leave you a little stunned.

The Godfather by Mario Puzo (Crime):  This epic cult classic gave us our first glimpse inside the world of the Mafia: How a family empire is built, rivalry wars, and the highly structured nature of loyalty within the organization. Puzo colorfully describes the world of Vito Corleone and his “Family” from his humble beginning to the time that he hands his immense empire over to his son, Michael.  We know how successful the movies were, but Puzo gives us a glimpse inside the heads of some of the minor characters, like Luca Brasi and Johnny Fontane.

What titles would you consider to be classics in their genres? Let us know in a comment below!