THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WHY!!
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Val
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Apr 02, 2013 02:38AM
I just finished The Round House by Louise Erdrich. One of the best books I've read in a long time. 5 stars. Highly recommend!
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Right now, I'm still waiting for the arrival of a book in the mail, and filling in with short reads until it gets here. The one I'm reading now is Beware What You Wish, a spin-off novel from the TV series Charmed. It's proving to be what I expected it to be: a light, quick read with a supernatural theme, enjoyable entertainment.
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Five: Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Six: Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine.
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Six: Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Seven: Fade Out - Rachel Caine.
Just finished Nine Dragonsby Michael Connelly. I'm disheartened to say I'm losing faith in MC. I had previously read Crime Beat and that was just a bunch of accumulated newspaper clips.Nine Dragons, and I'm going to spoil it a bit, started out with great promise. A character with a minor connection to an old story gets killed. Harry Bosch is assigned the case. All is well. Enter Chinese Triads, kidnappings, foreign intrigue. OK, I'm on board.
At the end, a suspect who has already seen Harry and police have attempted a clumsy bluff and failed, suddenly decides to confess. Here's a guy who knows with certainty he will never be indicted, who has called for a lawyer, suddenly figures the jig is up and caves. Then a few pages later the kidnapping thing falls apart and the reader thinks back and is forced to conclude, 'that would never go down that way, too many holes in the story'.
Even worse, Harry Bosch has turned into a five year old with tantrums. I won't elaborate on that aspect but trust me, you almost start rooting for the bad guys.
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Nine Drag..."
I have stopped reading MC. Loved his first few books but seems to have become too complacent as a writer. Each book is like the previous ones- just different names and crimes. I find the indie and small press writers far more cutting edge
Rick wrote: " I find the indie and small press writers far more cutting edge"My new one, a crime thriller, is on the last ten or so pages before going off to the editor. You heard it here first. Should be out in late April or early May.
I am reading the Few Are Angels series at the moment (recommended by author/tour blog). Great set of books so far. My reviews of them will be up Tuesday.
Mod
My new one, a crime thriller, is on the last ten or so pages before going off to the editor. You heard it hear first...."
Very good!! Make sure to post all about it when it comes out!!!
Travels in Arabia Deserta by Doughty. A wonderful book I've been meaning to read for decades. A bit of a challenge but worth it. The language is magnificent. Also reading Mary Doria Russell's Doc. This is an interesting take on the Matter of Tombstone.
Also Henry Miller's The Books in my Life, an enthusiastic bibliophile's tour through his library.
Brent wrote: "Travels in Arabia Deserta by Doughty. A wonderful book I've been meaning to read for decades. A bit of a challenge but worth it. The language is magnificent. Also reading Mary Doria Russell's Doc..."
I loved Doc!! I listened to the audio and that made it fantastic.
Right now I'm reading The Postmortal. When I finish that, I'm either going to read the book It, or Pariah by Bob Fingerman.
I have been listening to Among the Mad by Jaqueline Winspear.I am woring my way through the series because I am captivated by Maisie. She is a survivor and a brillant intuitive investigator. I am reading Citadel by Kate Mosse. I loved Labyrinth and am trying to finish the series.I am also reading Vienna Waltz by Teresa Grant. I just discovered her books and have started the series. I love series where characters develop with each book.
Rick wrote: "Ken wrote: "Just finished Nine Dragonsby Michael Connelly. I'm disheartened to say I'm losing faith in MC. I had previously read Crime Beat and that was just a bunch of accumulated newspaper clips..."Rick, You're so right. I've been reading some terrific books by small press and indy authors. There are only a few of the Big Names I still enjoy.
I'm reading
by Jo Nesbo. This is the first of his books I've read. Liking him so far. I've been very much into Nordic thrillers lately. I started by reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo some months ago and then found some other Nordic writers. I really liked
. Hoping my library gets more from this author soon.
Mod
Reading this book... Really enjoying it! "The President's Vampire". Could have been quite campy but Chris Farnsworth treats the material similar to the classic writers - with wit and history. Quite good!
The book I was waiting for in the mail has arrived, and I've started on it! "Sword Woman" was the first of legendary pulp writer Robert E. Howard's three stories (actually, two and a fragment, the latter completed by another author after Howard's death) featuring his "Dark Agnes" character. All three of these were picked as the common read for March in the Howard fan group I belong to here on Goodreads, and the collection just delivered to me, Sword Woman, contains all three (plus a couple of other Howard stories I haven't yet read, either).
Finished Carved in Darkness (excellent) and Bad Blood by Arne Dahl (interesting, but challenging) with reviews for both to post on NYJB. Now reading Infatuations by Javier Marias
The books I am reading currently are The Way of the Initiate - The Legend of the 33rd Sage which comes out this June and also reading and writing the first draft of my new book The Morph which is bubbling along nicely. With my blog and reading five scripts a week I barely have any time to read any new books. Maybe after June I will allow myself a month to read works that are not mine or works I am using for research.Regards Geof
Www.the33rdsage.com
Also based on recommendation here I'm just past halfway through Ice Cold and I figure I ought to comment as I might not make it to the end. This is my first Rizzoli and Isles and probably the last.The first half of the book was fine, nothing to get excited about, a good premise, a little mystery, throw in some blood curdling scenes. I was even able to get by the endless relationship and broken heart stuff until...
Isles says to her husband "I really need you to support me on this." and he puts his arms around her and she knows he is totally on her side. Mickey Spillane doesn't do this. Sam Spade doesn't need emotional support and neither does Philip Marlowe. Not Angela Gennaro nor Harry Bosch. At least no one is sending out the 'hold me, I'm feeling vulnerable right now' message.
SPOILER AHEAD: While in Wyoming, Jane and Gabriel come back to their hotel to find two guys and lovers of Maura the Missing sitting together at a table in the lounge. The reader is supposed to infer that one of them, the gazillionaire is an old lover. Its never explained. Then it just falls apart.
The author describes the rich guy as a man so 'paranoid about his privacy, he rarely goes out in public.' Next paragraph we find the guy had been vacationing in Italy. Probably his own private Italy as the only one I know is public.
Rich guy tells us he just flew in on his private jet when he heard. Problem is, no one has contacted him. There are about a dozen people who even know about the circumstances and only three of them know this guy has an interest. Of the three, one doesn't know about Maura and the other two haven't contacted rich guy or knew he was in Italy and are surprised to see him there. Is Rich guy sitting in a luxury hotel in Milan monitoring police frequencies in Sublette County, WY? Its about 30 hours after the police make an ID and this guy shows up? Still, its a good thing he showed up so they can fly the body back to Boston in his private jet and talk about their relationship with Maura all the way back.
WY made an ID on a charred corpse based on X-Rays that determine the body is female and about the right age and weight. Besides they have the woman's luggage from the wreck. They even did a dental X-ray and determined she had once been to a dentist. Slam dunk on the ID, right?
Back in Boston, the police, FBI and ME decide it might be a good idea to do an autopsy for a more positive ID. They do this after the funeral. Now they have dental records and guess what? Wrong Body. Autopsy unnecessary but all her friends got to stand around in the morgue and grieve over the crispy critter.
Hey, back to Wyoming. We have another major character to introduce with a hundred pages to go and Maura's story has disappeared for about 40 pages so let's pick that up again. When the detectives return to WY they bring clothes and a pillowcase so they can resume the search with dogs. Wait. The police already have her luggage. Why not just open the suitcase and use something?
Once a mytery/thriller writer has jumped the shark this bad, I don't see a point in going on. How say you?
Ken, my only exposure to Rizzoli and Isles has been from seeing bits and pieces of a couple of episodes of the TV series inspired by the books. I liked what I saw well enough, but that doesn't qualify me to have an opinion on the books. That said, some of the points that you noted bothered you in this one probably wouldn't have put me off in the same way. For instance, I think it's entirely possible that a rich person who wants privacy can pay to have it in Italy as well as in the U.S.As far as I know (I've only read The Maltese Falcon, so what I know about the others is second-hand), all of the "hard-boiled" detectives you referred to as not needing emotional support have in common that they're single (or, in Gennaro's case, unhappily married), and tend to be emotionally repressed loner types. Some readers like their heroes/heroines to be that way, and there's nothing wrong with that. Most real-life humans, though, are emotionally constituted in such a way that we can use psychological support at times; and for those who are happily married, it's natural to turn to a spouse for this. So other readers will prefer that trait in their fictional protagonists, and see it as making them more well-rounded, relateable, and real. (Some might even argue that Sam Spade and his ilk would be happier and mentally healthier people if they could do this --though in that case, they wouldn't be the type of characters they are.) That's more a matter of personal taste than a measure of the quality of the writing, IMO.
If we're talking about realism, though, I'd have to admit that the ludicrously slipshod police work you described (especially in a series that devotes a lot of attention to forensics!) would really turn me off on that particular book. Ditto, in terms of quality of the writing, when we have implausible plot events and characters knowing things they logically couldn't know. :-( If the book isn't working for you, I'd say quitting on it is a good idea. There are too many books you WILL enjoy out there waiting for you to waste reading time on ones you don't like!
Well sure, they all need some human contact. Problem I had with this one was the constant focus on who likes who, who is jealous and who is vying for attention, why isn't Maura happy and Dennis feeling guilty and why won't Gabe give me a hug? This book, and I will assume the whole series, is chick-lit with a murder thrown in.Woman, heartbroken over failed relationship with a priest, goes to pathologists' conference and meets college friend, decides to go away with him.
Man's daughter is along and resents the attention of the newcomer.
Also along is another couple and the woman there is secretly in love with the other guy.
The three women vy for the one guy's attention while they wonder if their hair looks good.
Meanwhile, Jane and Gabriel back in Boston....well you get the picture.
What I tell my daughters, if you have a problem that can have a solution, come see me and we'll get it handled.
If you have a problem that has no actual solution available, talk to mom. She can explore the nuances of ennui with you. I'll change your brakes or fix your broken dryer or solve your murder mystery.
Just read the silo series (Wool and the silo books). Rather sad but very good if you like sci fi. Now waiting for the author to finish the series.
Mod
I am reading The Seance...the blurbs compare this recent book to my favorite classic writer..Wilkie Collins..and I must say..it is a very well done novel..the writing style is similar to the classic gothic tales and I am enjoying it!..
I am reading the Immortals of Meluha....brilliant trilogy about Shiva and how a man becomes a God... a really inspiring journey to create legend
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Seven: Fade Out - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Eight: Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine.
Mod
Love Doc Ford and thomlinson!!!!!!
I'm now reading The Miller's Dance by Winston Graham. Graham was a superb writer, doesn't put a word wrong. This novel is part of the Poldark Series, which I LOVE.
I'm reading a Historical Western, The Lone Texan and Pukkah's Promise: The Quest for Longer Lived Dogs by Ted Kerasote.
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Eight: Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Nine: Ghost Town - Rachel Caine.
I'm reading Following Atticus by Tom Ryan. This book depicts love, redemption, spirituality, and respect for the simple beauty of nature. Tom Ryan was an overweight, lonely editor of a newspaper which exposed political and police corruption in his hometown and decided to move to New Hampshire which has 48 mountains over 4,000 feet. Together with his dog, Atticus Finch he has climbed all 48 peaks several times and raised money for animals and people who have suffered from abuse and cancer. He has received several humanitarian awards, and his writing is both lyrical and eloquent.
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Barbara wrote: "I'm reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich because it was recommended by some people on Goodreads. So far I like it a lot."I loved in Barbara!!!!
Mod
Great post !
Two books on the go at the moment, New York by the great Edward Rutherford and a Harlen Coben Six Years. I am an avid reader and they are two authors I enjoy very much.
Just finished Hit Parade by Lawrence Block. This is only the second Block book I've read. The first was Small Town and I was very impressed though I think it ran a bit on the lurid side.Hit Parade and Keller, not so much. The book seemed disjointed and rambling. I think it was an attempt to connect a series of short stories together using witty rapport between Keller and Dot. It felt like author and editor worked out the various storylines on bar napkins while soaking up Long Island Iced Teas. Yes, there were witty and clever parts but the book had the feel of being written for the purpose of being witty and clever.
I have a Matthew Scudder on the nightstand and I'll give that a go. The Scudder series is at a disadvantage with me because I already have a drunken Jeff Bridges in mind as Scudder.
Just finished Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner. Lovely, important work. Next is The Kingdom of Animals (or something like that; it's upstairs) by Barbara Kingsolver. I find tht I like literary fiction for the same reason I like Beethoven and Mahler. When I get to the end, I want to feel that I have participated in the best the author has to offer.
Starting today till the next week i will be reading these books I check out at my local library
I am reading ABANDON by Blake Crouch. I discovered him from a short story anthology that was free on Kobo, an ereader application that I installed on my phone.I saw his name come up in conjunction with JA Konrath. Then I saw that he and his brother have been working together. He writes the brand of horror that starts out with a Gothic premise and then evolves into a high-stakes thrillers.
His writing is tight, believable, and visceral without being too graphic.
I plan on reading more of his books this year.
I've finished The Morganville Vampires Book Nine: Ghost Town - Rachel Caine. Now I am going to read The Morganville Vampires Book Ten: Bite Club - Rachel Caine.
I'm reading BLACK FRIDAYS by Michael Sears. It was nominated for an Edgar and ITW Thriller Award (go, Michael! :) I like it because in addition to being a heckuva financial thriller, it has this very complex relationship between the father and his autistic son. This book makes me learn a little about the system that nearly crushed us...but it also gets to me emotionally every time.
Oh, and next will be THREE GRAVES FULL, a debut mystery by Jamie Mason!! Going to check out your current reads now...
Suzanne wrote: "'20th Century Ghosts' by Joe Hill ...Yes, I said I do NOT like collections of stories, but this is Stephen King's son, sooooo I made an exception!!! :)
Will start 'The Man Who Made Vermeers' b..."
I am excited for this one, Suzanne! I've heard good things...I'd read it for the same reason you said. Any son of SK's... ;)
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
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