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What should I read next? I'm looking for some summer reading.

Wanting to read a good novel that will give me some background in the 40k universe. I've never read any of the novels that are linked to GW and I don't now how good any of these series are but some of the authors I've enjoyed from other sci-fi/fantasy books are:

Anything by David Gemmell, The Forgotten Realms books by R.A. Salvatore, I liked the first several Shannara books long ago by Terry Brooks, David Eddings, especially the Belgariad series. Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, well, the first 3, then I couldn't go on any longer. I haven't read a lot of sci-fi except Arthur C Clarke, and Orson Scott Card (which I really enjoyed) and I remember really liking some BattleTech books I read in the late 90's that were about the Grey Death Legion and a series about the Jade Falcons but I don't recall the titles at the moment and I don't have the books any longer.

Not looking for anything super deep or earth shattering (unless they actually blow up the earth!). Just a page-turner filled with some good characters and the 40k battles that we like to see played out on the tabletops.

If you have any suggestions on books or series to start at, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks!

If you liked Salvatore's FR books, you'll probably do ok with any of Dan Abnett's or William King's 40K.

The Eisenhorn trilogy is still the stand out from the 40K books that I've read so far.

I have read a lot of books, background wise I think that the Horus Heresy series would be the best there. Some books I liked are:

My two favorite off the top of my head are:

Brothers of the Snake

Daemon World (<-- this was very good)

It just depends on what you like :/

If your into chaos... Storm of Iron : Dark Disciple : Dark Apostle

IG.... Imperial Guard Omnibus (15 hours is a pretty good one) : Ice Guard : Desert Raiders : Tread Heads *there is a lot of new cool Imperial Guard "shorts" with each one focusing on something else. I liked the Imperial Guard Omnibus a lot

The Space Wolf books were alright

The Grey Knights book (I read the first one) were cool also

I would have to recommend to stay away from Eldar ones, I havn't read a good one yet... Eldar prophecy was hard to follow imo and wasn't that great at the end.

I'm busy with Caiphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium by Sandy Mitchell. Seriously rip-roaring, fast-paced, crazy fun with the biggest coward in the galaxy. And he's the commisar! Not only is it the best 40k series i've read so far, but it's currently one of my favorite books outright!
Pick up the omnibus, it's brilliant.

I'm a fairly big Dark Angel guy, so I've currently being reading Descent of Angels. It's been a great read so far with lots of combat.

Caiphas Cain books are a must for 40k lit
Storm of Iron is pretty good
Lord of the Night is also up there in awesomeness
just some suggestions

The Cain books are nice if you can get over the fact that nearly every chapter ends with something along the lines of "Little did I know, but very bad things were about to happen and I didn't want them to happen to me."

The Gaunt books are also pretty good, and I recently read "Gunheads" which was better than I expected.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that the 40k books aren't classic literature and they won't change your life, but you could find worse things to read.

Fifteen Hours
Lord of the Night
Faith and Fire
Sons of Fenris
Grey Knight
Eisenhorn Trilogy

i've enjoyed gaunts ghosts.
i found the soul drinker books interesting
the one spacewolf book i read made me rather like the chapter

yeah, the spacewolf ones are good
gaunts ghosts

graphic novels??-bloodquest and titan are pretty good