December 2011 Reads

117 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
118 The Drop by Michael Connelly
119 Shock Wave by John Sandford
120 Drifting House by Krys Lee
125 Pronto by Elmore Leonard
126 When The Women Come Out To Dance by Elmore Leonard
127 Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
128 Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto by Gianni Rodari
129 No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker
130 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
131 The Ones You Do by Daniel Worrell
132 A Partial History Of Lost Causes by Jennifer Dubois

I was pretty lucky this month, I really loved most of what I read.  I loved, loved loved all but two.  11/22/63 is outstanding.  King is a great writer, but I don't read a lot of horror, so I don't read him often.  This novel involves time-travel, and I loved it.  It's over 850 pages, and I could barely stand to put it down.  Micheal Connelly and John Sandford are must reads for me, and their lastest didn't disappoint.  I re-read When The Women Come Out to Dance, because one of my favorite TV characters is in it, Raylan Gibbons, he's also in Pronto.  Love that man.    The Ones You Do is an older novel, I had to search for it; it's probably the best first person crime novel you'll ever read.

I read two novels for young readers that were marvelous.  Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto was an outstanding fable; and Scorpio Races was a fantastic fantasy that I think would be a great movie.

The only "weak sisters" here were Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and A Partial History Of Lost Causes.  They weren't bad, just not my cup of tea.

What are you reading?

November 2011 Reads

 

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109   The Detachment by Barry Eisler
110   The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
111   The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell
112   The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
113   Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche
114   The Long Legged Fly by James Sallis
115   House Secrets by Mike Lawson
116   Cardboard Gods by Josh Wilker

I didn't get much read this month.  Last month I read four of the five books nominated for 2011 National Book Award , this month I read the fifth one, The Tiger's Wife, it was OK, but for me far from fabulous.

I only "loved" two of this month's reads.  Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche, is rockin' fabulous and The Long Legged Fly by James Sallis was great.  I also recomment House Secrets by Mike Lawson; a good solid read.

What are you reading?

October 2011 Reads

100  Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
101  The Call by Yannick Murphy
102  Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
103  The Great Leader by Jim Harris
104  The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
105  Thick As Thieves by Peter Spiegelman
106  The Affair by Lee Child
107  Immortal Bird by Doron Weber
108  The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak

Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton, is a not to be missed history book.  It's about a small band of Special Forces soldiers, who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban.  Before leaving the US they were forced to go to retail stores to buy their supplies!  Horse Soldiers is an outstanding read!

I'm also highly recommending The Call by Yannick Murphy.  I love when fiction reads like a memoir and this is a unique and heartfelt portrait of a family, poignant and rich in humor and imagination.  You'll be glad you pick this paperback up.

The only memoir I read this month is Immortal Bird by Doron Weber.  Man can this guy write!  This is a stirring, gorgeously written memoir of a father's fight to save his son's life.  The story is mostly positive and life affirming, but it is sad at the end.  A great read.

One of my favorite authors, is Lee Child.  His character is Jack Reacher.  Reacher is smart and capable.  Men and women love reading about him, but mostly men.  He's really a man's man.  The latest installment, The Affair, is an excellent read.  If you haven't read Lee Child, start with The Killing Floor, the first Jack Reacher novel.

Thick As Thieves by Peter Spiegelman is a terrifically suspenseful and psychologically complex thriller.  The story takes you inside a hair-raising heist, where paranoia hangs as heavy as the tropical heat, and the only law is Murphy’s.  It was a good read, not a quick beach read, you have to pay attention when reading.

Five books were nominated for the 2011 National Book Award.  I managed to read three of them.  Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn West, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka, I really liked both of these books, and highly recommend them.  The third one The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak was a great family tale.   I started a fourth, Shards by Ismet Prcic , and couldn't get past 50 pages, not a good sign.  I din't finish it, so it didn't make this list.

If you don't read my family blog, you may not know, I'm no longer working part-time at Barnes and Noble.  My husband is having health problems, he was in the hospital 10 days in October, and my first priority is Bob.  I've always read a lot, and I'll still be reading a lot, and posting about books, at least once a month.

What are you reading?

September 2011 reads

91   The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
92   The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate
93   Under The Bright Lights by Daniel Worrell
94   Volt by Alan Heathcock
95   The Hand That Trembles by Kjell Eriksson
96   Letters to a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
97   Second Son by Lee Child
98   In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
99   American Boy by Larry Watson

This month I discovered a "new to me" author, Julia Spencer-Fleming.  Every Friday B&N, offers a free download of an e-book.  These offerings are pretty interesting and sometimes I download them.  Letters to a Soldier, a short story, and In The Bleak Midwinter, by Spencer-Fleming, was one offer.  I have to say, I've shelved her books for years and was never tempted to open them; based on the titles and the artwork, I could never imagine the great writing inside.  It just goes to show, your really can't tell a book by it's cover!

I also read offerings from four of my fave authors, Watson, Child, Worrell and Sakey.  It doesn't get any better!

What are you reading?

August 2011 Reads

77   I'll Never Get Out OF This World Alive by  Steve Earle
78   The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
79   Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
80   State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
81   A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
82   The Gentlemen's Hour by Don Winslow
83   Cypress Grove by James Sallis
84   If Jack's in Love by Stephen Wetta
85   Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
86   The Stranger by You Seek Amanda Kyle Williams
87   Drive by James Sallis
88   The Cut by George Pelecanos
89   The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
90   All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh is an outstanding debut novel.  I loved it and think everyone should read it.  I'll Never Get Out OF This World Alive is the first novel by  Steve Earle; his earlier short story collections was fabulous, as was this one.  If Jack's in Love by Stephen Wetta is another good debut novel, I highly recommend.

I read some of my favorite authors this month.  These are authors who I've read everything they've written.  The Gentlemen's Hour by Don Winslow and The Cut by George Pelecanos did not disappoint.  Love these guys.

I've discovered a new to me author James Sallis.  I ordered a stack of his books, used, and dove in.  I really loved Drive, Cypress Grove was medium.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin is a YA novel. Imagine Chocolate and Coffee being illegal, gets your curiosity up, doesn't it?  I really enjoyed this novel.

What are you reading?

July 2011 Reads

67   Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber
68   Fracture by Megan Miranda
69   Buried Prey by John Sandford
70   Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
71   The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts
72   Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
73   The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
74   A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
75   The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
76   The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Another great month of reading.  I literally laughed until tears were running down my cheeks while reading The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; it's a terrific memoir.  The Eighty-Dollar Champion is the other non-fiction title on the list.  It's a very inspiring tale, literally plow horse to show horse.

Turn of Mind is a hard to put down debut novel.  It's selling like hotcakes at the bookstore.  I love John Sanford and Lawrence Block, their newest installments are outstanding.  The Hypnotist was a great Swedish police procedural, I hope Farrar, Straus and Giroux continue to publish Kepler.

I read The Silver Linings Playbook because it's going to be made into a movie.  It was really a great read.

What are you reading?

June 2011 Reads

 

56   The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

57   Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

58   The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

59   American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

60   The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock

61   The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

62   Calling Mr. King by Donald De Feo

63   Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

64   Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

65   Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

66   Lam  by Bonnie Nadzam

Another great reading month.  Three must read stand-outs, this month, Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern,  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by  Laini Taylor, and Calling Mr. King by Donald De Feo, are all fabulous.  You really must read them.

Two new chic-lit and/or book group titles are Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister and Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close.  I enjoyed them both.  These are not stupid chic lit titles, but very good ones.

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell fall in the general fiction category, and may get lost, but they are both wonderful novels for any reader.

If you love baseball you'll want to read The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach.  Baseball doesn't make the journey to fiction very often.

A word of caution about Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam, it's beautifully written, but Lamb is one weird dude, who belongs behind bars or needs to be killed.  Just sayin' how I feel.

What are you reading?

May 2011 Reads

45   All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
46   Original Sin - Beth McMullen
47   Sleepless - Charlie Houston
48   Noah Barleywater Runs Away - John Boyne
49   Tabloid City - Pete Hamill
50   A Visit From The Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
51   The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
52   The Final Testament of the Holy Bible - James Frey
53   Lions of Lucerne - Brad Thor
54   We the Animals - Justin Torres
55   The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright

A great month for reading.  I re-read All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, one of my all time favorite books.  The Snowman by Nesbo was excellent; as was The Final Testamanet of the Holy Bible by James Fry, love that guy.   Original Sin by Beth McMullen, is due out next month, great fun.  We the Animals by Justin Torres, due in September is the Mighty Mouse of new books; a small, wonderful must read.  The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright is due in October; I'm not a big fan of all things Irish, but I loved this touching book.

What are you reading?

April 2011 Reads

 

27   So Much Pretty - Cara Hoffman
28   Okay For Now - Gary D. Schmidt
29   Hidden Prey - John Sandford
30   The Knitting Circle - Ann Hood
31   After the Quake - Haruki Murakami
32   Depths - Henning Mankell
33   Our Boys - Joe Drape
34   Cover-up John - Feinstein
35   The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz
36   Things Fall Apart - Chinue Achebe
37   Left Neglected - Lisa Genova
38   Blood Game - Iris Johansen
39   House of Sand and Fog - Andre Dubus III
40   The Dead Man - Lee Goldberg
41   Highway to Vengeance - Brian Springer
42   Incendiary - Chris Cleave
43   Dead Zero - Stephen Hunter
44   Started Early Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson

Two great YA titles, this month:  Cover-up by a great sportswriter, John Feinstein and Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt.  Several adults books I highly recommend:  The Knitting Circle, Our Boys, The Long Walk, Left Neglected, Highway to Vengeance, Dead Zero and Started Early Took My Dog.

Read more books,

March 2011 Reads

17  Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

18  Field Gray by Phillip Kerr

19  The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming

20  Athena Project by Brad Thor

21  The Girl Who Became the Beatles by Greg Taylor

22  Gringos by Charles Portis

23  Townie by Andre Dubus III

24  Rogue Island by Bruce Desilva

25  Border Lords by T. Jefferson Parker

Another good month for reading.  These are the books I absolutely loved:  Border Lords, Rogue Island, Townie.  I also thought the Athena Project was great, and Emily and Einstein is great chick-lit.

Read more books,

February 2011 Reads

  9   Oracle of Stamboul, Michael David Lukas
10   When the Thrill is Gone,  Walter Mosley
11   Minding Ben, Victoria Brown
12   A Criminal to Remember, Michael Van Rooy
13   Norwood, Charles Portis
14   The Secret Soldier, Alex Berenson
15   The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, Elizabeth Stuckey-French
16   When the Killing's Done, T. C. Boyle

February was a great reading month, for me.  Three of my favorite, never miss authors, Mosley, Berenson and Van Rooy.  Plus I read T. C. Boyle for the first time.  I don't know if his back-list is anything like When the Killing's Done, but this book was outstanding.

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January 2011 Reads

I thought I'd post this today, before I forget.  I don't think I'll finish another book, today, so here are my January reads.

1   Hidden Prey   John Sandford
2   Caribou Island   David Vann
3   The Distant Hours   Kate Morton
4   Three Seconds   Roslund & Hellstrom
5   The Year of the Hare   Arto Paasilinna
6   The Source of All Things   Tracy Ross
7   Born to Bark   Stanley Coren
8   Old Border Road   Susan Froderberg

It really was a great month for reading.The Source of All Things is a fabulous memoir; it will be released in March.  Keep your eyes out for it.  I reviewed Three Seconds, below.  After I post this, I'm going to work on a review of Old Border Road.  It's a debut novel and the writing is lyrical.

Read more books,