Book Thread number ?

[WeWantMore]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I've now read all 5 of the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series, and I just don't know how to feel about them. On the one hand, I spent money on 5 of the books, so they quite clearly can't have been that bad for me to keep coming back, and when the 6th does come out, I'm sure I'll devour that one as well, so I'm not saying I hated it obviously.

But my god, there are some things about the series that are incredibly annoying. I realize it's a little different as the reader, having an obviously greater degree of knowledge about what's going on, but still, some of these characters are really, really dumb. Or, when they aren't being dumb, they're being infuriatingly indecisive (Danaerys!). I also think GRRM has gone to the "S/He's dead! Wait, no s/he's not!!" well a few too many times. I also don't know if the value added by constantly expanding the world and adding new characters is worth the extra length/distractions to the novels.

That would up being rather incoherent to read, I realize. Oh well.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

My recent reads


Roadside Crosses by Jeffrey Deaver This second Kathryn Dance book by Deaver follows her investigation of a teenager who appears to be targeting people who post on a certain blog. Dance tracks him in both the real world and the virtual world trying to find out why or if he is doing the killing. Some nice twists and turns as is typical of Deaver's style.

The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver This Lincoln Rhyme book involves his long lost cousin Arthur who has been arrested for murder. Rhyme must put his long buried animosity to rest to help catch a serial killer who is using data mining to stalk his victims and frame others for his crimes.

The Burning Wire By Jeffrey Deaver This latest Lincoln Rhyme novel finds him and his team trying to track down a killer who is using electricity to kill and terrorize the city of New York. He is completely unpredictable in where and by what method he will use. Lingering in the background is Rhyme's search for "The Watchmaker" who has managed to elude capture. Some nice twists and turns.

A Season in Hell by Jack Higgins This early book by Higgins seems to be a precursor to his current Sean Dillon/Charles Ferguson novels. A member of the Sas Sean Egan who is leaving the service is recruited by the top secret group run by Charles Ferguson. he rejects there overtures but through one of Ferguson's men he becomes involved in the case of Sarah Talbot who is searching for her sons murder. the case goes from the UK to Sicily to Ireland before the final conclusion. Not as good as the later Sean Dillon books but an okay read.

The Spy by Ted Bell This Alexander Hawke novel opens with Alex escaping from the jungle where he was being held prisoner by Musluim extremists cooking up a plot in the Amazon. A typical Alex Hawke adventure with not stop action near death experience and hopping all over the world as he and his rag tag group of ex military people, CIA officers and British policemen try to stop an unholy alliance of Latin American dictators, drug gangs and Muslim extremists from wreaking havoc on the United States.

Warlord by Ted Bell This Alexander Hawke opens with Hawke still smarting from the loss of his fiance and unborn child at the end of Tsar. He has fallen into an alcoholic haze and nothing can bring him out of it unitl a late night call from an old friend the Prince of Wales. There has been a threat against the Royal family from a mysterious man named "Smith". Hawke is drawn into this investigation which gets him out of his funk. Across the pond his old friends Stokely Jones and Harry Brock are involved in tracking down Muslim extremists called the Sword of Islam who have been recruiting terrorists in prison and unleashing terror attacks across the US and UK. The two cases collide and as is typical globe trotting violence ensues. No stop action with several nice twists and turns.

The Final Strom by Jeff Shaara A good conclusion of Shaara's WWII trilogy focusing on the Pacific. As he states in the intro this book picks up at the end of his trilogy dealing with the European portion of the War. The book focuses on the invasion of Okinawa and the dropping of the atomic bombs through Nimitz, Tibbetts and other people on the scene. A nice read typical Shaara details and descriptions.

The Third Twin by Ken Follett This Ken Follett book follows a genetic researcher who is studying twins. She finds a twin who is good and has never come in contact with his twin who is in jail for murder. She starts to fall for the good twin and then he is arrested for a horrible crime. Everyone and everything seems to turn against her as she struggles to find out whether the good twin is innocent or not. Then she stumbles across a top secret genetic project could there be more than one twin? I generally prefer Follett's WWII books but this was a good read.

The Last Juror by John Grisham This book follows the journey of Willie Traynor a just out of college young man who buys a weekly paper in Ford County Mississippi. Just after he buys it the trial of the county falls into his lap as a member of the local crime cartel is charged with a brutal rape and murder. His sensational coverage and the suspects conviction ends with him threatening the entire jury that convicted him. Pretty good book, a nice look at the deep south during school integration and the Vietnam War in addition to small town life.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Just downloaded "Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld" by David E Kaplan and Alec Dubro. Looked interesting, and apparently Japan's media gave it the "silent death" (didn't outright ban it, just "chose" not to distribute it) for quite a while. I'll have to report back on it, since I'm saving it for a roadtrip I'm taking in a couple weeks.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Wanted to get some recommendations for authors to try. Since for the last year I've had to spend 2 hours a day on the train into NY I have had plenty of time to catch up on my reading. I have plenty of non-fiction but like to mix it up with some fiction reading. I prefer Murder/Thrillers, Tami Hoag, John Sandford, John Lescroart and Spy/Assassin/Save the world type books, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ken Follett. So using the Goodreads recommendation application it has spit the following authors out at me.

Joel Rosenberg
Andrew Britton
Phillip Margolin
Raymond Khoury
Chuck Logan
Gayle Lynds
Robert Crais
Harlan Coben

Anybody got an opinion on any of these authors?



I also am thinking of reading Jeff Lindsay Dexter books

 

[Bakunin]

Re: Book Thread number ?

But my god, there are some things about the series that are incredibly annoying. I realize it's a little different as the reader, having an obviously greater degree of knowledge about what's going on, but still, some of these characters are really, really dumb. Or, when they aren't being dumb, they're being infuriatingly indecisive (Danaerys!).

Some people are also really really dumb in reality, so it stands to reason at least a few characters would be as well. I'd prefer to call them ignorant/naive when it comes to power struggles.

As far as Danaerys is concerned, you have to remember she's very young. I can't recall her exact age at the end of the 5th book, but I think she's somewhere around 14-15. Royal lineage or not, you cannot expect people at that age to really know what they're doing (Robb Stark is another prime example of that).

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Wanted to get some recommendations for authors to try. Since for the last year I've had to spend 2 hours a day on the train into NY I have had plenty of time to catch up on my reading. I have plenty of non-fiction but like to mix it up with some fiction reading. I prefer Murder/Thrillers, Tami Hoag, John Sandford, John Lescroart and Spy/Assassin/Save the world type books, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ken Follett. So using the Goodreads recommendation application it has split the following authors out at me.

Joel Rosenberg
Andrew Britton
Phillip Margolin
Raymond Khoury
Chuck Logan
Gayle Lynds
Robert Crais
Harlan Coben

Anybody got an opinion on any of these authors?




I also am thinking of reading Jeff Lindsay Dexter books

If you like Flynn's Mitch Rapp series and Thor's Scot Harvath series you're goimg to like Andrew Britton's The Invisible /American/etc. series.

I've read some Khoury and his work isn't my favorite in that genre.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Wanted to get some recommendations for authors to try. Since for the last year I've had to spend 2 hours a day on the train into NY I have had plenty of time to catch up on my reading. I have plenty of non-fiction but like to mix it up with some fiction reading. I prefer Murder/Thrillers, Tami Hoag, John Sandford, John Lescroart and Spy/Assassin/Save the world type books, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ken Follett. So using the Goodreads recommendation application it has spit the following authors out at me.

Joel Rosenberg
Andrew Britton
Phillip Margolin
Raymond Khoury
Chuck Logan
Gayle Lynds
Robert Crais
Harlan Coben

Anybody got an opinion on any of these authors?



I also am thinking of reading Jeff Lindsay Dexter books

You really should try some Alan Furst novels.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I also am thinking of reading Jeff Lindsay Dexter books

I was not impressed with the Dexter books. I've read a few of them, and I've watched the TV show. It's a rare thing, but the TV Dexter is much more entertaining. The book Dexter, surprisingly, doesn't strike me as well of a developed character as the TV version. The first book in the series was very good, the second one all right, and then they just didn't get any better.

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Wanted to get some recommendations for authors to try. Since for the last year I've had to spend 2 hours a day on the train into NY I have had plenty of time to catch up on my reading. I have plenty of non-fiction but like to mix it up with some fiction reading. I prefer Murder/Thrillers, Tami Hoag, John Sandford, John Lescroart and Spy/Assassin/Save the world type books, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ken Follett. So using the Goodreads recommendation application it has spit the following authors out at me.

Joel Rosenberg
Andrew Britton
Phillip Margolin
Raymond Khoury
Chuck Logan
Gayle Lynds
Robert Crais
Harlan Coben

Anybody got an opinion on any of these authors?



I also am thinking of reading Jeff Lindsay Dexter books

I read the same genre a lot and like Crais and Coben quite a bit. Both quite different but both some humor and quite a bit of darkness to them.

 

[WeWantMore]

Some people are also really really dumb in reality, so it stands to reason at least a few characters would be as well. I'd prefer to call them ignorant/naive when it comes to power struggles.

As far as Danaerys is concerned, you have to remember she's very young. I can't recall her exact age at the end of the 5th book, but I think she's somewhere around 14-15. Royal lineage or not, you cannot expect people at that age to really know what they're doing (Robb Stark is another prime example of that).

Oh, totally. I meant to note how young the characters were in my original post. I certainly feel like that sort of naivety is realistic, but that doesn't make it less annoying obviously.

 

[jen]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I started Possession by A.S. Byatt and gave up about 150 pages in. Just not interested. Should have known I wouldn't like it, as it involves 19th century England.

 

[erin]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Has anyone read "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing & the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10" (by Marcus Luttrell w/Patrick Robinson)? I have it as an option to read, it's a #1 National Bestseller, was just wondering if anyone had any feedback.

 

[MattS]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Finished up Hour Game by Baldacci. I liked this one a lot. I have never read any of his King and Maxwell series. I knew going into it that it was the second book, but it was loaned to me and I figured I would give it a go. Good solid mystery about a whacked out family and a serial killer in a small city in Virginia. A couple of decent twists and a nice ending that I did not see coming.

I think I will grab Split Second from the library. Might as well give the first book in the series a shot now.

 

[MattS]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I think I will grab Split Second from the library. Might as well give the first book in the series a shot now.

Sailed through this one in just a few days. While I liked it well enough, I thought Hour Game was better. But it did have some decent twists to it. Overall a nice light read.

I am not sure what to read next but I am think another Baldacci.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

About 1/3 of the way through that Yakuza book I bought. Pretty good so far.

Am also halfway through "Cosa Nostra: A History Of The Sicilian Mafia" by John Dickie. It's awesome. It only references/talks about the Italian-American mafia if it directly relates to the Sicilian mafia. I tell ya, this book is DETAILED. Very slow read, but mesmerizing.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Recent Reads


Deeper than the Dead by Tami Hoag This book starts with 4 children running through a park when they end up stumbling over the dead body of a woman buried in the ground. An investigation ensues to track down the killer who has killed 3 women and abducted another. Interestingly enough 3 of the children's parents are considered prime suspects. With a teacher and a FBI profiler who has a bullet in his brain the police seek to find the killer before anyone else ends up dead. Good suspensful thriller from Hoag.

The Last Godfather The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino by Simon Crittle An okay book about Joe Massino the first Godfather who ever turned rat. It follows his rise up the Bonnano family tree until he became boss. it tells how he built the Bonnano's up from the lowliest of the 5 major NYC families to one of the most powerful and also the downfall where many of the major members including Massino turned government informant.

The Boys of Winter The Untold Story of a Coach a Dream and the 1980 Us Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey A great tale of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team and the game against the USSR. The book starts with coach Herb Brook's funeral and then starts with the first period of the game. As the author tells the goings on of the game he will stop and tell the story of one of the players when that player makes a significant contribution, hit, block goal etc. Extremely well done with nice little biographies of all the players sprinkled throughout the book where they were from what they did before the team what they did after. A must read for any hockey fan and non hockey fans will enjoy it as well.

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag This second Oak Knoll novel by Hoag focuses on the same California town with many of the same characters. This book starts with a woman found brutally murdered with her 4 year old daughter clinging to life beside her. The case further develops when her best friend disappears. A complicated case of murder involving a possible stolen child and one of the suspects from the first novel ensues. Nice thrilling action.

The King of Torts by John Grisham This thriller from Grisham follows the journey of young Clay Carter from the office of the public defender to making millions of dollars in class action law suits. This book follows his rise and falls and everything in between including an in depth look at class action lawsuits. An okay book but not one of Grisham’s best.

Edge by Jeffry Deaver This non Lincoln Rhyme novel by Deaver follows the efforts of a Shepard named Corte whose job is to help a family scheduled for lifting, which as the books explains is kidnapped and tortured for information. The processes is complicated by the fact that man seeking to abduct them is the man who murdered Corte’s mentor. A lot of non-stop action and intrique as every member of the family is at one time considered the person the lifter is after and he seems to possess a Houdini like method of escaping from traps set for him by Corte. A good read.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay This is the first book of the Dexter series. I love the TV series so decided to try the books. This book is what the first season of the TV series was based on "The Ice Truck Killer". The book does not have the great detail that the show has but does follow a similar format of Dexter killing the bad serial killers. An okay read

Easy Prey by John Sandford This early Prey novel follows the investigation of the murder of a fashion model in Minneapolis. The model and another woman are murdered at a party and as they investigate the circumstances surrounding their murders other people at the party start to get killed off. The action heats up as they try to find the killer(s). Typical non stop Sandford action.

Stolen Prey by John Sandford The latest Prey novel starts with the discovery of a family brutally tortured and murdered by killers from a Mexican Drug gang. With an investigation involving everyone, the BCA, local police DEA even the Mexican Federales. They are trying to find the hit men from Mexico, the crooks who stole the money who the killers were hired to crack down and the cartel themselves. Suspects associated with the case start to get targeted by the hit man as they seems to have a case close to the investigation. Typical non stop Davenport action from Sandford with a stunning conclusion.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

The Boys of Winter The Untold Story of a Coach a Dream and the 1980 Us Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey A great tale of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team and the game against the USSR. The book starts with coach Herb Brook's funeral and then starts with the first period of the game. As the author tells the goings on of the game he will stop and tell the story of one of the players when that player makes a significant contribution, hit, block goal etc. Extremely well done with nice little biographies of all the players sprinkled throughout the book where they were from what they did before the team what they did after. A must read for any hockey fan and non hockey fans will enjoy it as well.

Great book. That is one I own.

 

[erin]

Re: Book Thread number ?

It's my turn with Black Mass, I've heard nothing, but good things. Looking forward to getting it started this weekend. Hopefully.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Recent Reads



The Boys of Winter The Untold Story of a Coach a Dream and the 1980 Us Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey A great tale of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team and the game against the USSR. The book starts with coach Herb Brook's funeral and then starts with the first period of the game. As the author tells the goings on of the game he will stop and tell the story of one of the players when that player makes a significant contribution, hit, block goal etc. Extremely well done with nice little biographies of all the players sprinkled throughout the book where they were from what they did before the team what they did after. A must read for any hockey fan and non hockey fans will enjoy it as well.

Read this one a couple of times. One of the better books of its type I have ever read and highly recommend it to all hockey fans.

Just finished One Shot At Forever, by Chris Ballard. Well written, quick read about a small town Illinois high school baseball team and it's (for his time especially) unconventional coach and an improbable trip to the state finals. The story takes place in the late 60s and early 70s, when tournaments were still one class, and how magical it can be when a school with just a couple of hundred students excels athletically. Every so often we seem to need reminders of the good things about sports -- at any level -- and this story provides it, with good to spare.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Recent Reads


Body Double by Tess Gerritsen This Rizzolli and Isles novel opens with a woman outside Maura Isles house. The woman looks remarkably like her and after further investigation turns out to be her twin sister. This investigation parallels an investigation into the disappearance of pregnant women. As they delve more deeply into Dr isles past what deep dark secrets will they find. Good suspense filled book.

The Second Horseman by Kyle Mills This Mills book follows the actions of Brandon Vale of one of the world's top thieves who was framed for a crime he didn't commit. He is then broken out of prison by the people who put him there with an impossible task rob 200 million dollars and then use that money to buy some nuclear warheads before they are sold to a terrorist group. Pretty decent plot line though it seems a bit rushed. Mills could have spent a little more time developing the story and characters.

White death by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos This Kurt Austin open in Denmark with a runaway environmental vessel ramming a Danish warship. It is later revealed to be sabotage but why was the ship sabotaged? Was it really to keep the ship from protesting at a mysterious fish farm? As Austin and Numa investigate they find a deadly plot to control the world’s fish population using mysterious deadly frankenfish. Can they stop it before it is too late? Okay book but the Kurt Austin’s are probably my least favorite of Cussler spin offs the main characters Kurt and Joe are basically Dirk and Giordino’s clones.

Zero Hour by David Baldacci This thriller by Baldacci follows CID investigator John Puller Jr. as he investigates the death of an Army Colonel in West Virginia. Teamed with a local detective Puller struggles to uncover a plot that threatens the security of America. Good nonstop action and a good complicated character in Puller.

Nothing but the Truth by John Lescroart This Dismas Hardy novel opens up with his wife Frannie being thrown in jail for refusing to reveal a secret told to her by a friend to a grand jury when the friend is under investigation for murdering his wife. During the 4 days that she is in jail for contempt hardy tries to track down the murderer even if it may be his wife friend. Unlike most of Lescroart’s novel little courtroom action till the final pages this book has a lot of political and judicial maneuvering as Hardy seeks to free his wife from jail.

11th Hour by James Patterson This 11th installment of the Women’s Murder Club finds Lindsey Boxer pregnant and battling both personal problems and 2 baffling murders. The first is 2 skulls which mysteriously show up on the porch of an actor/director who was previously acquitted for killing his wife. Eventually they find 6 skulls buried in the garden. The other involves a serial killer nicknames Revenge who is going around killing drug dealers throughout San Francisco. Like most of Patterson’s novels this is quick and to the point. The multiple murder investigations end up taking away from the storylines of each.

Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay This second book of the dexter series follows an unlikely visitor for Sgt Doakes past. Doakes has been stalking Dexter stopping he and the “Dark Passenger” from doing any hunting. This book follows the actions of the Doctor a killer who commits unspeakable acts on his enemies by torturing them by amputating their limbs over a period of time. Will Dexter act to save his frenemy Doaks after he is taken by the Doctor. Ok book.

The American by Andrew Britton A great 1st novel in the genre of Thor and Flynn introduces us to Andrew Kealey a retired CIA and Delta Force legend. After the Chairman of Senate Arms Service committee is brutally murdered along with his security detail Kealey is brought back into the fold to track down one of his former soldiers who has gone over to work for Al Queda. Teaming with a female analyst Naomi Kharmai they struggle to track down the assassin before he kills the Presidents of the US, France and Italy. Non stop action.