Okay, my brother is requesting that we send him books with his care packages. Apparently he's bored.

The problem is, he doesn't normally read much, so he has absolutely no idea what kinds of books he wants.

Here's what I do know:

He requested the Everworld series for his first care package. He's a fairly nerdy guy, but anything over-the-top fantasy/science fiction probably won't fly with him. It has to be fairly lightly handled and a "quick and easy" read, because for him, a quick and easy read might take a while.

I plan on sending him some of the Doctor Who tie-in novels, because I know he really likes Doctor Who.

Any other ideas?

I really liked Gregg Hurwitz's series of Tim rackley novels. They're smart and full of both action and good character development. The first book has a US Marshall getting drawn into a vigilante organization, the second has him infiltrating a mind control cult, the third has him dealing with an outlaw motorcycle gang, and the fourth sees him kind of confront a darker version of himself from book 1. Nothing fantastical, but they're fantastic reads.

Early Matthew Reilly books (Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, The Contest, Temple) are essentially action movies in book form. Something starts happening on about page 4 and the book is pedal-to-the-metal gunfights, chases, etc. until it ends.

If he doesn't mind fantasy as long as it doesn't get too fantastical, Discworld novels would be a good choice. Naiomi Novik's Temeraire series might be a good choice, too.

Monster Hunter International

it's an urban fantasy trilogy (right now) that is both hilarious and has accurate descriptions and uses of all of the guns. An author that actually knows his guns

His Dark Materials is pretty light reading, and should go quickly. It isn't over the top by any means either. Moreover, I recommend The Founding of The Commonwealth, a soft-sci fi (read: space opera, which is fantasy) that is both an easy read and a read with some substance to it. There are a few of the older classics you might be able to get away with as well. The Three Musketeers, The Count of Montechristo, maybe even A Tale of Two Cities. Just avoid massive, complex texts. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a bad idea.

Doh, I hadn't even considered His Dark Materials! Those books might actually be perfect for him.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

Well, with the quick and easy it might kind of kill my first suggestion of The Black Company by Glen Cook. But how about some of the Dresden File books they are fairly easy reads and they get to the point of it very fast.

Something ells that might work for him Soon I Will Be Invincible is a novel by Austin Grossman.

On the Military scifi side there is Old mans War, maybe Elizabeth Moon`s Vatas War Books. Looking into Elizabeth Moon in general is good.

Dresden, it's like a nerdy male romance novels.

Neil Gaiman's novels sound like a good fit, especially Stardust (a book I've gotten people who don't read fantasy to read and enjoy) and Neverwhere (More modern and dark, and friggin' awesome).

Maybe he'd like Terry Pratchett with all his subversions and deconstructions of fantasy settings? Send him The Color of Magic and wait to see if he wants The Light Fantastic, which resolves the story.

If he's into Shakespeare, Fool by Chirstopher Moore is a HILARIOUS, naughty retelling of King Lear from Pocket's perspective. It was so good that the next book I'm reading is Practical Demonkeeping, to see what the man does when he's writing his own story.

I was just going to suggest that. Everyone likes Neil Gaiman. I would also recommend his short stories, might be a good idea with something more "bite-sized" if he's not much of a reader otherwise.

There's always Coraline. Its short, its good, it has the movie tie in, and it is meant to be read by people including those who don't read at a very high level.