I'm a big Sci-Fi fan and definitley have some suggestions. If you like action, I'd recommend Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Don't let the bad movie treatment scare you off. If that's a little too testosterone soaked, then Ender's game by Orson Scott Card is a hands down winner. You also can't go wrong with Ray Bradbury or Isaac Asimov for some old-school style science fiction. My hands-down favorite has to be Philip K. Dick. He wrote the stories that eventually became Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and Total Recall. If you want good old-fashioned space opera stories then E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series are pretty good, if dated. I don't have much experience with westerns, but I'd highly recommend Stephen King's "The Gunslinger" and its sequels. They have a western sort of feel, but have heavy elements of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I know that there are some really good ones that I'm forgetting but this may help you get a good start. Happy Reading!

I second Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I'm not big into sci-fi myself but I loved that book. I've heard that the sequels to Ender's Game are also good but I haven't read any of them. I haven't branched out much into westerns either, but Louis L'amour's books are always popular. I read his Last of the Breed, which isn't technically western but involves a lot of western elements, and it was really good. I think it's awesome that you are brave enough to leave the tried and true and branch out into unknown genres. Good luck!

I, too, read mysteries and then someone gave me the book "Lonesome Dove". This was my first western and I must say, once I started it I couldn't put it down. I have since seen the movie, purchased the dvd and have read other Larry McMurty westerns and found them to be very entertaining. Also, for a somewhat "historical fiction" point of view, the book "Texas" is very good. I read it before I moved to San Antonio and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, it's long but because the chapters move from the present to the past you can pick it up and put in down again and again....but you won't.

R.A. Salvatore Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman David Eddings All of these authors will reel you in and give you a really good read.

Thanks for these suggestions everybody. This gives me some options for winter reading!

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Try out Brent Weeks, his Shadow Trilogy is a great start for a new fantasy read, keeps the overwhelming fantasy elements scant, tells a great story with relatable characters, and is great for a re-read.

Try reading Author Rusty Nugent. He is a Dark Fantasy writer. The title of the book series is Moonwarriors. It's an good werewolves vs evil vampires series. It is the best novel I have read from a new author.

If you want to try Westerns, I like Larry McMurtry. Start with Lonesome Dove.

I may have missed it but I don't see Elmore Leonard's name among the Western writers' names in the recommendations. I think you might enjoy his Westerns. He's known for his more modern works (action? crime? He's really hard to categorize) but he used to be a very prolific western writer - my husband is a huge fan of all of his work and my father loved his Westerns. By now you've probably discovered a few more writers so please come back and share!