Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
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I heard that too.
Just wondering ... what is everyone reading now?
- Thread starter pdswife
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I heard that too.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Painting with a rather broad brush there, aren't you?When running across a new-to-me author I'll skim the short summary in the jacket flap. If it sounds interesting I look for Book One in a series. If it isn't on the shelf I request a copy. Then I go home and read Book One. Have never failed to go on through all the subsequent books in that series. It works for me, so don't pull the rug out from under my feet...I'm clumsy enough on my own.
You didn't quote enough of my post for me to understand what you mean.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling pseudonym) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've never read any of Rowling's books (particularly her Harry Potter series) and only started her Casual Vacancy post-Potter novel which I couldn't compete due to being otherwise occupied with too many personal problems to deal with recreational reading at the time.
So anyway it's a biog thumbs up for The Cuckoo's Calling and I totally recommend the mystery / private eye novel. Rowling's one POV character is a temp secretary who got hired by a PI, and her main POV character is the PI himself, a rahter damaged Afghan war vet (from war injuries involving loss of a leg) who is also the bastard whelp of a rock groupie and a famous rock musician (psychological injuries or at least a sensitivity to the mockery of celebrity). His murder investigation involves an adopted famous fashion half-black model, which crosses the paths of many pop celebrities, some who know who the protagonist is, some who do not. The big joke is that the PI met his father only once or twice, and was totally isolated from the celeb demi-monde. He couldn't give a sh** who was famous and who was not. Oh and I didn't say he's on the down and outs, sleeping in a cot in his office. Maybe this case will change his circumstances?
I won't spoil the book by telling you who done it, but only in the final chapter(s) does it become clear who the surprising murderer is. Rowling did a great job of providing all the clues yet surprising the reader in the final pages by revealing "who done it."
I recommend it as a very good read.
So anyway it's a biog thumbs up for The Cuckoo's Calling and I totally recommend the mystery / private eye novel. Rowling's one POV character is a temp secretary who got hired by a PI, and her main POV character is the PI himself, a rahter damaged Afghan war vet (from war injuries involving loss of a leg) who is also the bastard whelp of a rock groupie and a famous rock musician (psychological injuries or at least a sensitivity to the mockery of celebrity). His murder investigation involves an adopted famous fashion half-black model, which crosses the paths of many pop celebrities, some who know who the protagonist is, some who do not. The big joke is that the PI met his father only once or twice, and was totally isolated from the celeb demi-monde. He couldn't give a sh** who was famous and who was not. Oh and I didn't say he's on the down and outs, sleeping in a cot in his office. Maybe this case will change his circumstances?
I won't spoil the book by telling you who done it, but only in the final chapter(s) does it become clear who the surprising murderer is. Rowling did a great job of providing all the clues yet surprising the reader in the final pages by revealing "who done it."
I recommend it as a very good read.
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Finished Clan of the Cave Bear. Kept waiting for it to "go" somewhere. I guess it did but it "got" there so slowly that I won't be reading any others in the series.
After that disappointment I took up the latest in James Patterson's "woman's murder club" series, Twelfth of Never. As expected, Patterson spun a great tale and, surprisingly this time, left me hanging. Can't wait for the next one. Love the 4 main characters.
Now I'm into a relatively new, to me, author...Michael Connelly. I've come to really like his character, Harry Bosch. Just began Trunk Music, which is just what I've come to expect of Connelly...a great story.
After that disappointment I took up the latest in James Patterson's "woman's murder club" series, Twelfth of Never. As expected, Patterson spun a great tale and, surprisingly this time, left me hanging. Can't wait for the next one. Love the 4 main characters.
Now I'm into a relatively new, to me, author...Michael Connelly. I've come to really like his character, Harry Bosch. Just began Trunk Music, which is just what I've come to expect of Connelly...a great story.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Sorry. I thought I summarized the rest of your post enough to jog your memory.
Point was if I find a new-to-me author and the book in my hand looks appealing but isn't Book One I always start reading the series with Book One. You said "That never works because you never know if you'll like a series until you've read an exemplar, usually the latest new release. ..." Hence my "broad brush" comment. Except that doing it MY way works for me. I've never not continued on with a series when I've gone ahead and started with the initial book. I enjoy the character development that ensues as the author adds titles to the series.If you want to read the entire exchange your original post is the link above, my reply is the second post below yours.
I just went to the resident's library yesterday and found my first Michael Connelly book. I started it last night and was immediately caught up in the story. I looked at the list of books he's written and realized I've got a new author (to me) and lots of good reading to come.
LOL! Glad to help...I've have so many authors I have read and enjoyed, but have been all the way through their series and I'm on to the next author. It's hard to remember all their names until someone else mentions them.
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2011
- Messages
- 25,033
Just started "A Dog's Purpose". What a charming book! I think I'll eventually have to break out the tissues, though.
tinlizzie
Head Chef
That disturbing current news story about digging up remains at the boys' school in the Florida panhandle jogged my memory. Jefferson Bass, the two-man team who write the Body Farm books, put one out a couple of years ago called The Bone Yard, based on this sorry chapter from the past. Their books are always well done and this one is no exception, but I don't think I could bear reading it again even to compare it with what they may find up there.
I just picked up a book by Annie Dillard -her writing has been compared to Thoreau. This one is Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
I just picked up a book by Annie Dillard -her writing has been compared to Thoreau. This one is Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I've always been amused on how poeples' tastes can differ, and no reason can be defined.
I loved the Clan of the Cave Bear series except (hopefully) the finale (which IMO was the author hitting the cash register one last time.)
I've read a few Patterson novels but just never caught on with me.
Now Michael Connelly... I read every damned book he ever wrote, and Trunk Music was one of his better novels. If he wrote a supermarket shopping list I'd enjoy it!!! He's on my "must read" novelist list. My advice to you is that if you liked Trunk Music you should start with his first novel and read them all in order. (That's what I did.)
I better check and make sure he didn't sneak in a novel I've missed...
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Sorry. I thought I summarized the rest of your post enough to jog your memory.
If you want to read the entire exchange your original post is the link above, my reply is the second post below yours.
Please give me a hint. Tell me what author and what series you are referring to. I do not have ESP.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Yeah you do! I've read a dozen+ novels by Connelly and really enjoyed them all. He's a "must read" author for me.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
There WAS no particular author. Just "authors" in general.
Check your personal messages. Getting to be too long of an explanation to post to the thread.
I started and finished "Bones Are Forever" by Kathy Reichs...another excellent story. The first three pages are tough to get through, but worth the discomfort.
I've gone off C.J. Boxx / Joe Pickett. Too much animal cruelty for my cup of tea.
I have discovered Deborah Crombie / Duncan Kinkaid and Gemma James is more to my liking. I have to wait for my next two of that series to be transferred to my library so I can pick up. Until then I picked up "The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie" and a swedish crime novel titled "Borkmann's Point."
I have discovered Deborah Crombie / Duncan Kinkaid and Gemma James is more to my liking. I have to wait for my next two of that series to be transferred to my library so I can pick up. Until then I picked up "The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie" and a swedish crime novel titled "Borkmann's Point."
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
I have a heavy reading assignment that I intend to start tonight. Stephen White has stated in his blog that he feels that authors are losing control of their literary works, and losing control how they are sold to the public, or whether they will be sold at all (him a best selling author). In his blog he stated that he will issue the series finale to his Alan Gregory series where the protagonist is a Ph.D. in Boulder, Colorado, in a stunning psychological thriller series that lasted more than a dozen novels.
In White's blog he has stated that he feels that due to changes in the publishing industry he feels that authors are losing control of their intellectual works, and he made the decision to close out his Alan Gregory series with "Compound Fractures" as the series finale. Evidently it is a continuation of "Line of Fire", his most recent novel.
I've checked both both books from Los Angeles Public Library and I intend to re-read LOF then read CF, to satisfy my enjoyment of this author's great contributions to the literary world, and recognizing his unique contribution that White is an active Ph.D. clinical psychologist whose protagonist is also a Ph.D. clinical psychologist in the same city. IMO nobody knows people better than Ph.D. clinical psychologists, and White has been unique from my perspective in creating believable characters who act real, who are real people with real motives.
I'm pleased that White has affirmed that he will continue to publish stand-alone, non-series novels in the future. He stated (in his blog) that he felt authors are losing control of their works, and he wrote this final Alan Gregory novel "Compound Fracures" to satisfy his followers and enthusiasts by providing a satisfying conclusion to the series before the publishers could wrest control from him.
So I now have in my possession "Line of Fire" and "Compound Fractures," intending to fast read both in the next 3 weeks (before they are due back at LAPL).
At some point I hope to post a link to his blog where he explains why he believes authors are losing control of their novels, even NY best seller authors.
In White's blog he has stated that he feels that due to changes in the publishing industry he feels that authors are losing control of their intellectual works, and he made the decision to close out his Alan Gregory series with "Compound Fractures" as the series finale. Evidently it is a continuation of "Line of Fire", his most recent novel.
I've checked both both books from Los Angeles Public Library and I intend to re-read LOF then read CF, to satisfy my enjoyment of this author's great contributions to the literary world, and recognizing his unique contribution that White is an active Ph.D. clinical psychologist whose protagonist is also a Ph.D. clinical psychologist in the same city. IMO nobody knows people better than Ph.D. clinical psychologists, and White has been unique from my perspective in creating believable characters who act real, who are real people with real motives.
I'm pleased that White has affirmed that he will continue to publish stand-alone, non-series novels in the future. He stated (in his blog) that he felt authors are losing control of their works, and he wrote this final Alan Gregory novel "Compound Fracures" to satisfy his followers and enthusiasts by providing a satisfying conclusion to the series before the publishers could wrest control from him.
So I now have in my possession "Line of Fire" and "Compound Fractures," intending to fast read both in the next 3 weeks (before they are due back at LAPL).
At some point I hope to post a link to his blog where he explains why he believes authors are losing control of their novels, even NY best seller authors.
Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
Box became too formulaic when I quit the series, perhaps several books back. Heck, it's a great way to get paid for typing while sitting in your nice office and living in a beautiful house. I'd do it too.
I am reading that book about androids and electric sheep..
That is such a good book, love PKD. Had an argument with Dad once about Bladerunner, he said it was Harlan Ellison and I corrected him (a very unusual situation). Then I proved it by getting the book off his own bookshelf, it was the one I had read.
He stopped arguing with me about SF books and authors.
