The Years Of Rice And Salt

The Years Of Rice And Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson is a book highly recommended to me by a friend. It is an alternative history, asking what if... the plague killed off virtually all Western European Christians.

I notice that reviewers seem to either love the book or despise it. There seems to be very little middle ground. As for me, I'm separating from the herd and declaring it middling. I didn't find it to be a good book, nor a bad book; it has points of interest offset with terrible dullness.

I wouldn't read it again.

The Charm School

I recently read The Charm School by Nelson DeMille. It's an old book set in the Soviet Union and depicting a struggle between American intelligence operatives and their KGB counterparts.

The Charm School is a quick and fun read perfect for anyone seeking to spend some time in the Cold War's 1980's period.

Fall Of Giants

This is a busy time of year for me, so it took longer than usual for a book of its size, but I recently finished Fall Of Giants by Ken Follett.

Mr. Follett is in my view one of the greatest writers of our time, and Fall Of Giants did not disappoint. A rich and vibrant novel with an important story to tell, I must give it my highest recommendation.

Crush

Over the weekend I read Crush by Alan Jacobson. It is a murder mystery set in the Napa Valley and exploring that area's wine industry.

Here's the thing, the book was very good, and as a wine aficionado, the descriptions of wineries were a great addition. That's the positive.

The negative is that the book had no ending. It just stopped. That was a letdown that will keep me from reading future books by the author. I presume that the book was stopped in such a way as to promise sequel sales. A cheap marketing ploy that I cannot accept.

How Evan Broke His Head And Other Secrets

I enjoyed The Art Of Racing In The Rain so much that I decided to try another book by the same author.

Last night I finished How Evan Broke His Head And Other Secrets by Garth Stein. It is an earlier novel than Racing, and I think not quite as good. That said, it was still a wonderful book that speaks well to the human condition. I am pleased to recommend it.

The Art Of Racing In The Rain

On the recommendation of a friend I read The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein.

I finished the book last night, and I have to say that it is the best book I have read in a very long time. Buy it, read it, you will not be disappointed.

Bullet (Anita Blake #19)

Just this morning I finished Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton. I've read every book in the series, but I'm not sure that I will continue. I loved reading about Anita Blake and her sexy friends from the very first book, but the last few just haven't seemed to be up to par.

As the series has continued there has been more and more sex with less and less plot. It is disappointing.

Don't get me wrong, I love reading about sex, but this series isn't billed as hardcore erotica. It should have, and is marketed as having, strong story along with the sex. The last few books just seem lacking.

What The Night Knows

Dean Koontz's latest book What The Night Knows is a fast paced, suspenseful, and enjoyable read. Quite Catholic in its outlook, I found it's subtle criticism of the modern church to be a bonus layered upon an otherwise non-serious story.

I always enjoy books by Koontz, but when he writes of the institutions that affect our lives his books truly shine. Dark Rivers Of The Heart comes to mind as an example.

I think that anyone who enjoys a good Koontz ghost story will enjoy What The Night Knows, but Roman Catholics might enjoy it just a bit more than others.

By Nightfall

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham is the finest book I've read in a long time. The story of a disintegrating marriage, and its possible redemption, By Nightfall explores the human condition with a richness rarely encountered. It is a book that will make readers think, long after it has been finished. Very highly recommended.

Worst Erotica Ever

OK, I hate to be ornery, and I did already pass along my negative thoughts about Freedom by Jonathan Franzen but something happened around the Christmas dinner table that warrants another post about this badly overrated book.

Its erotic passages have to be some of the worst erotica I've ever read in a mainstream published book. Those passages were quite frankly awful.

How awful? Well, when I was reading the book I read a couple of them aloud to my wife knowing that they would either make her laugh or become disgusted. It worked. Not because of the content, but because of the truly awful writing.

Awful enough that around the Christmas table, my grandparents (almost 90 years old) brought up the book and declared it's erotic passages the worst they had ever read. Let me tell you, it's saying something when the elderly folks are complaining about the sex. Given how conservative they are, it's really something worth noticing if they even mention the word.

I guess I just have to say that I didn't like Freedom. I wouldn't like it no matter what edits it was subjected to, but I do have to say that without the horrid erotica, it would be a better book.

Full Dark, No Stars

People know how much I love to read, so I received three Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas from various folks. Wonderful gifts! Actually, I must say that they are wonderful gifts that integrate perfectly with the Nook. Book buying has never been easier.

My first purchase was Full Dark, No Stars by Steven King. This is a collection of four short stories, each of them a quick and enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

I'd write more, but I've got a lot of books to read!

The Templar Salvation

I was very excited to read this sequel to The Last Templar, and I was not disappointed by it.

Read The Last Templar, if you enjoy it, you will love The Templar Salvation.

The Crush

The Crush by Carl East is a short erotic story in the younger man, older woman vein. I didn’t particularly enjoy the story, but it is a fast read, and free, so if ‘Mother I’d Like To Fuck’ is your thing, it’s worth a try.

How To Write A Dirty Story

I think it vital that I, like any writer, keep learning the craft as I continue writing and selling my own words. For that reason I carefully read How To Write A Dirty Story by Susie Bright.

I’ve enjoyed Ms. Bright’s fiction and non-fiction for many years now, and was not disappointed by her exploration and explanation of the crafting of fine erotica. I found the wisdom contained within the book to be well worth it’s cost and the time I devoted to it.

For anyone seeking to write erotica well, this book has something to offer, and will help.

The Last Templar

I found The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury to be a fast, action packed, and engaging book. It is the story of a modern day treasure hunt with the good guys and bad racing against each other for the prize.

I’d recommend The Last Templar to anyone who enjoys action packed thrillers.

Horror Stories

Last night I finished Horror Stories by J.A. Konrath. The book is a collection of flash fiction, some good, and some bad. For those who enjoy short horror, there will be something to love in the collection, and the book is very reasonably priced.

Freedom

While on vacation I read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I had been looking forward to the book and was frankly disappointed in it. The story of a dysfunctional family, I found the characters difficult to enjoy, and can only assume that the accolades received by the book came about due to the story’s happy ending.

The book contained a handful of erotic passages; unfortunately they were poorly written and rather absurd.

I would not recommend the book, especially given the very high price commanded for the electronic version.

Afraid

As a lover of the horror genre I was not disappointed in my reading of Afraid by Jack Kilborn over the weekend. A story of the U.S. military gone horribly wrong I found it to be a fun and fast paced read.

Watch prices however, I discovered a radical pricing difference from seller to seller.

Room

I’ve been looking forward to reading Room by Emma Donoghue since the moment it was released. Told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy who has never stepped outside of the shed in which he was born, and never interacted with anyone but his mother the story asks, what if?

The book made me think, and on some level I think that is all we can ask of art.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest

I’ve now finished all three books in the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest is last, and by far the best of the three. Unlike the others it was extremely fast paced, and conveyed excitement from the first page to the last.

I don’t know if it would be as enjoyable a book if one did not read the previous books first as the backstory is very detailed, and possibly necessary for a full appreciation of the characters.