Reddit mentions of The Complete Sherlock Holmes (2 Volumes)

In no particular order:

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions - Edwin A. Abbott

Everyone should understand that crazy people aren't always crazy. This book explains that (while skewering certain social mores the author considered wrong-headed). Oh, and it's free. Edit: and it's about a two-dimensional shape being introduced to the third dimension. It makes you think a bit. :)


Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke

This book blew me away. There are a lot of alien encounter books out there, but this one describes things that seem truly different. It's worth reading just to get a sense of something "other". A fun book, it's great for coffee breaks and such.


Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

If you haven't read this then, well... go read it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, no matter their preferred genre of literature. While it is technically science fiction, It's more of an examination of philosophy and religion. Perhaps human nature as well. Bonus: after reading, you will understand (and/or find annoying) people who say "grok".


The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It took me ages to finally get around to reading these books/stories. After I read the first story though, I was hooked. Holmes has a style, wit and drug addiction that makes him a completely compelling character. I mean, how can you dislike someone who says "On the contrary, it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine." and then proceeds to solve a crime, beat the crap out of someone, and play violin nonchalantly? Oh those silly Englishmen. Read this.

If she hasn't read the Sherlock Holmes books, i'd suggest that. You can find them on Amazon for pretty cheap. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Novels-Stories/dp/0553328255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416964383&sr=8-1&keywords=complete+stories+of+Sherlock+Holmes

You will note that he was forced to bring Holmes back to life. He tried to get around it by charging what he thought was an outlandish price.. but the publishers anted up and Sherlock went on to solve many more cases.
As to where to start, well most of Holmes' cases start with a knock on the door down stairs. They were mostly all published as short stories in magazines and are available in a two volume collection by several publishers. Here is a mass market edition that includes all the stories up until Doyle's death. There have been a couple of things that came to light later, mostly requiring completion that have been published. it is $9.99 on Amazon new. And then there all the works done by other authors once Sherlock passed into public domain, and there are all the movies....television and radio shows.. There are over 700 radio adaptations in English alone, which include both stories from the original canon and new adventures.
As a pipe smoker reading the stories you will note that Holmes generally smokes a 'greasy clay' or a 'cherrywood' pipe, keeps his shag cut tobacco in a Persian slipper on the mantle of his apartment. On stage first, and then in the movies later, the actors sought something that could be easily identified as a tobacco pipe at a distance, even from the balcony, and chose a calabash pipe.
With all the stories, you can find Holmes in his natural Victorian times, then he appeared in contemporary times (WW2 was the first of these I think), and even in the future, as in Star Trek NG.
think I will listen to an episode or two from Olde Time Radio tonight, while I putter around.

Check that listing from a desktop, they sometimes offer "look inside" option. This one says "Large Print." So you're good on that front

Also unless you specifically need this part lf the stories to complete a collection, do yourself a favor and got a full volume of complete stories/novels. Usually something like "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" or "The Complete Sherlock Holmes Volume 1".

This book is only 1 of the groups of the short stories. And apparently it maye be split up since it says Volume 1.

I recommend:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes (2 Volumes) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553328255/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bow9Bb4AWPNTW

But it is mass market so its smaller print. However it is complete all stories.


This is large print:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes: part 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506130631/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Jqw9Bb3A2H911

But it is only half. Don't seem to see part 2

The Sherlock Holmes Collection, perhaps.

Alice in Wonderland.

Or The Mortal Instruments series would be a pretty safe bet. Very popular.

Sherlock Holmes -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0553328255/ref=dp_otherviews_0?ie=UTF8&s=books&img=0

There's a number of different methods, but the tried and true is that A Study in Scarlet is a natural entry point.

The Cheap Collection can be found here.

I can really recommend two collections;

• The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway -you find it on [amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0684843323) - a collection of his amazing short stories, with background information of his life seen in context with his writing. So you learn a little Hemingway while reading
  
  
• slightly different genre, but I cannot recommend reading original Sherlock Holmes stories enough. You can buy complete Sherlock Holmes relatively cheap, or just start with any of the most known stories.
  
  Furthermore, if you want to add a little style to your bookshelf, buy one of these. they are basically all great reads!
  
  
  

Go with a complete set. Make sure it has four novels and fifty-six short stories.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories/dp/0553328255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330901544&sr=8-1

This is the one I got. There's also this which is even cheaper.