What's Everyone Reading?

[Felix4067]

Last night I finished Electric Barracuda by Tim Dorsey (#13 in the Serge Storms series). More of the same, yet completely different. And with some plot twists this time! But since I've already gone on about how much I love this series, there's not much more to add.

Next up: When Elves Attack, #14 in the series. After which I'll have to take a break, because no matter how much I love them three books in a row is my limit or I start looking at normal household objects and wondering how they could be employed as a creative means of murder.

[Felix4067]

For a complete change of pace... Catherwood by Marly Youmans. This was surprisingly good, while at the same time frustrating. You know how the stories in your grade school reading textbook felt? Contrived, I guess is the word I'm looking for. It's a very short book (only took me about two hours to read it), and has very little character development, but I couldn't go to sleep until I finished it. Up until about 2/3 of the way through, it was incredibly interesting, but then after the penultimate moment it basically falls apart. However, I will admit I not only said right out loud at 3:30 am "No way. No f'ing way!" when I got to that part, I went back and read a couple of pages over at least twice more to make sure I'd really read what I had. Too bad a few pages after that it got choppy and hard to figure, and the ending was...meh. Worth reading; not worth going out of your way to read.

[Deepster]

I occasionally run into a "read" like that, Felix. I call those the "thank god I don't have to read that again" books... But, once I get to a certain point in a book, I'm just not going to give up!!!! I chalk it up to experience, and try to remember that when I look at something at the library that is "maybe". I too will stay up all night to finish a book once I've gotten so far into it.

[Felix4067]

It's just weird, because it isn't one I would normally pick up. I specifically ordered it at the library after reading about it somewhere. Meh, live and learn. It got me through a night.

This afternoon I finished The Gentlemen's Hour by Don Winslow. Second in his series featuring Boone Daniels, and I really like them! The characters are interesting, there' s a certain amount of noir detective novel element, yet they're set recently an in San Diego, primarily concerning the surf culture. Some of the characters are caricatures, but it's done lovingly and does nothing to detract from the story line. The only thing that drives me batty is the editing...as you're reading along there are some GLARING continuity errors, sometimes within the same page. But if you can get over the stutter and dive back into the story, it doesn't take long to get lost again. At least until the next one snags your brain and makes you remember you're reading a book instead of living a story.

[KareninMass]

Lots of summer reading going on with me.

I just finished Michael Mconnelly's, the Gods of Guilt - another of his Lincoln Lawyer series and I think one of the best.

Rereading some of my favorite John Grisham thrillers.... The runaway Jury, the Partner and now the Racketeer.

I also finished up one of my favorite novels of all times, The clowns of God by Morris West. Its set during the cold war, when the Pope has a vision of a cataclysmic nuclear war and writes an encyclical instructing the church to prepare for the last days. This of course does not go over well with the Curia and theytake what they believe is their only action. it is one of the most powerful novels I have ever read. I think it more a parable, but really a fascinating read.

[Shadows1]

...I also finished up one of my favorite novels of all times, The clowns of God by Morris West. Its set during the cold war, when the Pope has a vision of a cataclysmic nuclear war and writes an encyclical instructing the church to prepare for the last days. This of course does not go over well with the Curia and theytake what they believe is their only action. it is one of the most powerful novels I have ever read. I think it more a parable, but really a fascinating read.

If you liked that one you should enjoy:
"The Celtic Conspiracy " by Thore D. Hansen and Anne Adams
A lot of the negitive reviews it gets are from Catholics and christians with closed minds!

[KareninMass]

Thank you for the recommendation .... I will search it out.

[Felix4067]

Just finished Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross. It was really good, but I still have no idea what the heck was going on. It starts with the murder of a man's wife for which he stands accused, and then segues into the murder of one of the detectives' wife far earlier in time, which may or may not have anything to do with the movie The Fugitive, and there's this odd man who supposedly commits all the murders except not really, because maybe it was murder for hire. After we get to the arrest of the first man, the book takes a left turn and goes on about the detective's life leading up to his wife's death for several dozen chapters, then just as abruptly goes back to the first man, but by the time we get back to him it makes no sense that we did. And the ending, if it can be called an ending, leaves all the unanswered questions still unanswered, or maybe I'm just too stupid to figure it out. Meanwhile there's the other detective, who actually has an interesting story of his own with his wife, but after the first little bit we completely leave him by the wayside so we have no idea what, if anything, ever got resolved there.

The weird thing is while I was reading it, it was a really good book! It's just that after it goes to the detective's story and leaves the first man out without a mention for a really long time, it never gets back to being a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, it's got a beginning, and then another beginning, and a middle, and then a wholly unrelated end that doesn't appear to make any sense given the story line. I almost want to read it again to see if it was just me.

[Dissie]

Since I found out my DD is expecting, I am reading more of those types of things. I bought 4 books at the thrift store when they had 25 cent day. I tried to read them all and so far stinkers. Pretty lame, about 2 chapters into all, and I really don't want to finish them!

[Deepster]

I haven't really been keeping up with posting my readings......

Last week I read "A School Teacher in Old Alaska"....the bulk of the book was posted by the teachers great niece....can't recall her name, but the teachers last name was Breece, and I think she's given credit as the author. Full of interesting accounts of a single woman's life in the rugged outback.

I also read a biography...."Nelly Bly", again I can't recall the author, but it was the most recent of the biographies about Bly's life.....What a woman!!!!

This week at the library....

"This Crazy Thing Called Love"(The Golden World and Fatal Marriage of Ann and Billy Woodard), by Susan Braudy. Called the "murder of the century" by Life magazine, it's about Ann, a "gold-digger", murdering her very wealthy husband in '55, claiming she thought he was a prowler(sound familiar?).

"Education of a Felon, A Memoir", Edward Bunker. In prison for 18 years, divided into 3 terms, Bunker relates his real life experiences as and inmate, as well as his dealings with the outside world.

"Profiles in Murder" (An FBI legend dissects killers and their crimes), Russell Vorpagel. This is a book about "profiling" criminals.

I have barely begun the first book, so I have nothing to add at this time. I'll be taking to the bed early to read for a few weeks to come

Felix, I was prepared to move forward with more of Christopher Moore's books. However, someone from another library in the system apparently had the same idea, and all his works got transferred to that branch. I won't give up though. I really like his "warped" style ;)