Books.
Well, another year over, another begun, another book list compiled. Looking back, in 2008 I read 45 books, not counting children's books. In 2009, that number dropped to 25. I didn't reach my goal of a book a week either year, but that's OK. The marked decrease from '08 to '09 was expected - commuting time was more than cut in half, and got switched from riding to driving, so no commute reading anymore. That said, I did manage to listen to a few books-on-tape, and those count, as far as I'm concerned. It's not about the eyes scanning the page, it's about the mind absorbing new and interesting stories told in intriguing ways. So, on that note, let's move on to the books read so far this year. We're 4 weeks into the year, and I've got 3 book under my belt so far. Additionally, a trip to the library yesterday put 2 more on my plate that I've been wanting for a while, plus I'm 60 pages into an old Clive Cussler tale I had never gotten around to before.
T is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton.
Well, Grafton is now 20 books in to her alphabet series, and I definitely love the main character, Kinsey Millhone. That said, I think of the 20 books thus far, 'T' is my least favorite. She took some departures from her typical writing style, as she did with 'S is for Silence', such as introducing new POV characters, etc. I don't really like the difference. I have no problem with multi-POV novels, in fact many of my favorites are that style. It's just that it doesn't feel like a Kinsey Millhone story if we're watching the events unfold through someone other than Kinsey's eyes. I greatly preferred the 1st person limited past tense all of the previous stories stuck too. And, in addition, I just didn't feel all that enamored with the plot. Oh well. It's not like I can complain or criticize, as this is her 20th novel of this series alone, not to mention her other books. And I'm still sitting on outlines for, well, everything without a published credit to my name. (OK, a few credits from the e-zine Deep Magic, but they weren't professional sales.)
Bottom line - the series is great, and a hiccup once in a while is more than acceptable.
Goliath, by Steve Alten.
How does this man continue to sell best-sellers? The character development is like getting hit with a frying pan to the face! That said, I kept turning the pages, even as I was griping every step of the way. Not as good as his MEG series, but an enjoyable waste of time.
Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett.
Pratchett does not disappoint. Ever. Great plot, great anti-hero, lovable characters, and even a bit of prescient foretelling of big businesses being too big to fail. I've only read 4 or 5 of his books so far - a great big thank you to radnama for getting me Thud!, which got me started on his work - but he has never once failed to entertain me thoroughly. So, a hearty recommendation. His discworld books are all set in the same world, with many overlapping characters, but the books I've read so far were all stand-alone, and you certainly didn't need to have read one to understand and appreciate the others.
That's all for now. Next update will likely include Cussler's Pacific Vortex, Novik's Victory of Eagles, and Gaiman's Graveyard Book (thanks lil_pixie!). Then Robert Jordan's final volume before his death, Knife of Dreams. We'll see what order I get to them all in.
No Worries,
Matt
Well, Grafton is now 20 books in to her alphabet series, and I definitely love the main character, Kinsey Millhone. That said, I think of the 20 books thus far, 'T' is my least favorite. She took some departures from her typical writing style, as she did with 'S is for Silence', such as introducing new POV characters, etc. I don't really like the difference. I have no problem with multi-POV novels, in fact many of my favorites are that style. It's just that it doesn't feel like a Kinsey Millhone story if we're watching the events unfold through someone other than Kinsey's eyes. I greatly preferred the 1st person limited past tense all of the previous stories stuck too. And, in addition, I just didn't feel all that enamored with the plot. Oh well. It's not like I can complain or criticize, as this is her 20th novel of this series alone, not to mention her other books. And I'm still sitting on outlines for, well, everything without a published credit to my name. (OK, a few credits from the e-zine Deep Magic, but they weren't professional sales.)
Bottom line - the series is great, and a hiccup once in a while is more than acceptable.
How does this man continue to sell best-sellers? The character development is like getting hit with a frying pan to the face! That said, I kept turning the pages, even as I was griping every step of the way. Not as good as his MEG series, but an enjoyable waste of time.
Pratchett does not disappoint. Ever. Great plot, great anti-hero, lovable characters, and even a bit of prescient foretelling of big businesses being too big to fail. I've only read 4 or 5 of his books so far - a great big thank you to radnama for getting me Thud!, which got me started on his work - but he has never once failed to entertain me thoroughly. So, a hearty recommendation. His discworld books are all set in the same world, with many overlapping characters, but the books I've read so far were all stand-alone, and you certainly didn't need to have read one to understand and appreciate the others.
That's all for now. Next update will likely include Cussler's Pacific Vortex, Novik's Victory of Eagles, and Gaiman's Graveyard Book (thanks lil_pixie!). Then Robert Jordan's final volume before his death, Knife of Dreams. We'll see what order I get to them all in.
No Worries,
Matt