Re: Just finished, next up
Willow
> It creaks, it groans, it positively oozes the desperation of an author
> who knows that his character has reached his use-by date, but who
> seems locked into some sort of contractual obligation to come up with
> something/anything. The plot is, to be charitable, beyond
> far-fetched.
I fear I have to agree. The plot is too far-fetched for a good read -
more like Clive Cussler or a "superhero"
Willow
Joan in GB-W
book I can remember reading in years. I know most of you did not like TDC,
but I did and so I had high hopes for this book. It was terrible. It was
so padded with superfluous data it boggled the mind. Pages and pages of the
stuff. Editing was definitely missing. But I guess when you are a best
selling author, your editors let stuff slide. What Brown probably
considered the book's best shocking plot line was such a bust it was
ridiculous. Anyone who has ever read a mystery book or a book in general
would have known who the villain was the minute he appeared. Brown thought
it was a big secret and he sprung it anticlimactically near the end. I say
near the end because after the great revelation, the book continued on for
another 50 pages with more the stupid data.
Now go ahead and read the book if I've intrigued you.
Next up: "Ballerina" by Edward Stewart, a book I purchased thirty or so
years ago and read then. Because I am in the midst of a cleaning my book
shelves project, I am reading some of the old books and then making the
decision to throw them out, keep them for the library sale, or put them
back on the shelves.
Joan
BarbNJ
"Joan in GB-W" <jjk...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:7n2murF...@mid.individual.net...
I tried to read Angels and Demons as well as the TDC but couldn't do it. So
I didn't try with this one.
Barb H
Melissa
I read this one a couple of weeks ago, and I'll see your inane chatter,
obvious villian, and desperate need for an editor and raise you farfetched
dramatic ending. The whole scene at the end....
spoiler space
... at the Washington Monument? Good grief, who didn't see THAT coming? But
what hacked me off is that CLEARLY Peter knew the.whole.story about the
pyramid and what it said. So why, for the love of chocolate, did Langdon
spend 24 hours fucking around trying to solve the damn thing? It makes no
sense.
Not only that, at the very beginning there was a huge directional error.
Langdon is coming in from Dulles, toward the Capitol, and according to the
description in the text, he was able to see the Jefferson Memorial on his
*left*. That would work if he were coming from National and crossed into DC
at the 14th Street Bridge. But if he were coming from Dulles, he wouldn't be
coming from that direction. He'd cross the Potomac near Lincoln, most
likely. C'mon, I haven't lived in DC since I was 12 (I've only visited about
5-6 times since then) and I know those directions were fucked up.
Melissa
(who also just finished 9 Dragons and found it farfetched, but still likes
Bosch)
sue kelso
free copy. I liked the plot, didn't care a lot for the writing. And too
damn many characters whose names began with S.
Just started The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. Bought this forever ago, lost
it in my house, then put it on a shelf and sorta forgot I had it until my
husband mentioned it. I do so love his writing.
sue k
Catherine Thompson
edited by Mike Ashley. Really enjoying it; all the authors have kept to
the general tone & style of Conan Doyle (though I think I found Jeremy
Brett's interpretation of Holmes creeping into one of the stories).
Next up... still debating, but probably Small Favor by Jim Butcher.
Catherine
BarbNJ
"Mike Burke" <mbu...@pcug.org.au> wrote in message
news:7u4ng5tso02babefs...@4ax.com...
> Just finished Michael Connelly's "9 Dragons".
>
> Just started John Grisham's "Ford County Stories".
>
> If it maintains the standard of the first story "Blood Drive", I might
> just die laughing.
>
> As for "9 Dragons":
>
>
> S
>
>
>
>
> P
>
>
>
>
> O
>
>
>
>
> I
>
>
>
>
> L
>
>
>
>
> E
>
>
>
>
> R
>
>
> Others have hinted that this is not one of Connelly's best. Let me
> say it loud and clear. It's not quite a wall book, but it's not far
> off it. As someone who owns, mostly in hardcover, all but two or
> three of Michael Connelly's books, and for whom the Bosch series has
> always been a source of delight, I can only say that the wrong
> character died in this story.
>
> It creaks, it groans, it positively oozes the desperation of an author
> who knows that his character has reached his use-by date, but who
> seems locked into some sort of contractual obligation to come up with
> something/anything. The plot is, to be charitable, beyond
> 40-odd years since his Vietnam tunnel-rat days. Yet here he is
> pounding around Hong Kong looking for his kidnapped daughter. I doubt
> if even someone who has never been to Hong Kong could believe one
> minute of this crap, and for someone who has spent even five minutes
> there, suspension of disbelief for one second is impossible.
>
> Apart from the nonsense plot, the last straw was the reintroduction of
> the recently found half-brother hero of "The Lincoln Lawyer" (the
> existence of whom is itself incredible and a sign that Connelly has
> been reaching over the last several books).
>
> It makes me very sad to say it, but Connelly should put Bosch (and,
> thus, himself) out of his misery soonest.
>
> Mique
I'm not sure that I agree with all that but it was definitley not his best
book. I thought Bosch was washed up several books ago but then my faith was
renewed with Angels Flight. After that well.......... I think Bosch could
have some life left in him even though he's older but it would take a more
creative, less fatigued author. Maybe Connelly should turn him over to
someone else. I find Elvis Cole to be in much worse of a death spiral. I
bought the last one in PB and regretted that.
Barb H
Fran Read
> Now go ahead and read the book if I've intrigued you.
Hahahaha!! You're good value, Joan!
Fran (who will probably give this book a miss)
Joan in GB-W
"Fran Read" <fr...@southcom.com.au> wrote in message
news:zAfPm.57501$ze1....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
It was not a good read. And if I slammed it rather forcefully on this site,
I don't have to worry about offending Dan Brown reading my comments (he
should sit down and read some of the ones on Amazon) as I'm sure he doesn't
visit here. If he does, so what. He is getting the last laugh as he totes
the plethora of money bags from his royalties off to the bank. Good writers
should just be so lucky!
Joan
Carleen
"Mike Burke" <mbu...@pcug.org.au> wrote in message
news:7u4ng5tso02babefs...@4ax.com...
> Just finished Michael Connelly's "9 Dragons".
...read your spoilers because I decided I'd had enough Bosch and when I read
he would be chasing his own kidnapped child around the world I assumed the
series had jumped the shark. So thanks for the validation.
I just finished Dan Chaon's Await Your Reply which weaves three very
different stories of three strangers together. Very clever, stylish, didn't
disappoint in the end (lately I feel like I'm reading books and wincing at
the same time just waiting for the inevitable disappointment).
Just started Val McDermid's Beneath the Bleeding. I haven't read a Tony &
Carol in a long time...nice to be back with them.
Joyleen E. Seymour
reading John Grisham's "The Innocent Man." Must be because I was
thinking happy thoughts at some point, I decided to torture myself with
a downer book. I'm only at the beginning and I know it's going to get
worse. Good writing though. It's non-fiction about a guy basically
railroaded for a murder he didn't commit.
Mike Burke
I liked it Joy. It's far from a happy book, but I think you'll find
it worth the effort.
I'm currently reading Grisham's "Ford County Stories". Like many
people, I've been conflicted about Grisham's books over the years but
I've decided that, on balance, I mostly like them quite well. This
latest one is probably, for me, the most enjoyable book of his since
"The Painted House. It consists of seven short stories and, while set
in the same Mississippi rural milieu, they are all different enough to
heighten the interest.
Thoroughly recommended.
Mique
Wes Struebing
wrote:
Yeah, tons of money, but I've read two or three (and tried to read
others) - essentially to see if they were ALL crud. They were. I
won't waste my money or library privileges on any more of them.
Agreed about good writers, Joan...
--
Wes Struebing
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.
Homepage: www.carpedementem.org
linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wesstruebing
Jo Wolf
Rumpole short stories set in or around the Christmas holidays. Chuckle
after chuckle.... as irrascible Rumpole weasles his way through the
English courts.
If you aren't interupted, this thin tome will take perhaps 2-3 hours to
enjoy from cover to cover. I, however, kept being interupted by my
newest dog, who thought he needed to be on my lap since I wasn't moving
about.
Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia
barbara fister
good, though I admit the narrative structure (which is designed as it is
for a reason that makes a lot of sense) frustrated me just enough that I
skimmed ahead to read a bit because I couldn't stand waiting for it. I
still liked the book a lot.
It's the story of a young safecracker who experienced a trauma as a
child and doesn't speak. It's told it two strands of flashbacks from
prison. In fact, the structure of the book is like twiddling the dial of
a safe, back and forth, feeling for the pins to click, working at it
till the story opens up. It sounds pretentious, but it isn't, partly
because the narrator's voice (written - he's mute) is that of a
down-to-earth and nice kid.
Now reading - actually re-reading - In the Lake of the Woods by Tim
O'Brien which I'm using in a class. We're about to start the toboggan
run that is the semester after the Thanksgiving holiday. Wheeeeee!!!
barfly
A R Pickett
> O'Brien which I'm using in a class
This was one of the best discussion choices my library based group ever
made.
--
A R Pickett aka Woodstock
"It's bad luck to be superstitious"
Paul Phillips, Colorado Rockies catcher
Read my book reviews at:
http://www.booksnbytes.com/reviews/_idx_ws_all_byauth.html
Now blogging!
http://www.journalscape.com/woodstock/
Remove lower case "e" to respond
barbara fister
> Barbara wrote in part - > Now reading - actually re-reading - In the Lake of
> the Woods by Tim
>> O'Brien which I'm using in a class
>
> This was one of the best discussion choices my library based group ever
> made.
>
will think. Most of them have probably never heard of the My Lai
Massacre. The ending is going to drive them nutso.
Hehe.
barfly
Carleen
"A R Pickett" <WOODe...@PReODIeGY.eNET> wrote in message
news:7naqs1F...@mid.individual.net...
> Barbara wrote in part - > Now reading - actually re-reading - In the Lake
> of the Woods by Tim
>> O'Brien which I'm using in a class
>
> This was one of the best discussion choices my library based group ever
> made.
>
> --
> A R Pickett aka Woodstock
>
Francis A. Miniter
I agree. He is probably the most creative novelist we have
seen in some time.
--
Francis A. Miniter
Oscuramente
libros, laminas, llaves
siguen mi suerte.
Jorge Luis Borges, La Cifra Haiku, 6
Joyleen E. Seymour
> On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:54:10 -0500, "Joyleen E. Seymour"
> <joyleen...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Finished Alan Alda's "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed." Loved it. Now
>> reading John Grisham's "The Innocent Man." Must be because I was
>> thinking happy thoughts at some point, I decided to torture myself with
>> a downer book. I'm only at the beginning and I know it's going to get
>> worse. Good writing though. It's non-fiction about a guy basically
>> railroaded for a murder he didn't commit.
>
> I liked it Joy. It's far from a happy book, but I think you'll find
> it worth the effort.
Thanks Mike. I am sticking with it. It's not as depressing as I
thought it would be, mostly because I keep telling myself he's going to
be okay.
>
> I'm currently reading Grisham's "Ford County Stories". Like many
> people, I've been conflicted about Grisham's books over the years but
> I've decided that, on balance, I mostly like them quite well. This
> latest one is probably, for me, the most enjoyable book of his since
> "The Painted House. It consists of seven short stories and, while set
> in the same Mississippi rural milieu, they are all different enough to
> heighten the interest.
>
> Thoroughly recommended.
>
> Mique
I like short stories. I'll look for this.
K Barrett
things I missed the first time around. Like that Gennaro is a
granddaughter of a Mr. Big Mobster. So that makes me feel a bit better
about how she knows so much about guns, but doesn't make me feel any
better about her letting her 1st husband slap her around (But I guess
Connie & Carlo do the same thing in 'The Godfather').
Finished reading Mo Hayder's 'Ritual'. While there was plenty of story
and plot I found it uninvolving. I guess the main characters were
carrying just too much baggage for me to care about them or connect with
them.(Sux 2bu) I couldn't carry a mental image of any of the locales,
buildings, houses, cars, you name it.(Sux 2bme) The one good character
was 'The Walking Man' which I'm not sure how he entered into the story
or why he was there.
Next is Tori Carrington's 'Sophie Metropolis' a Janet Evanovich clone.
K Barrett
K Barrett
Grata' Ruth Downie's 3rd book in the Medicus series set in Rome's Gaul
and Britian. Simon Vance gets the narration perfect, hits every nuance
and comedic tone perfectly. I think the only reviewer at Audible says
s/he was glad they waited for the Audible book to come out (I guess its
been out in hard copy for some time) And so am I.
K Barrett
Lauradog
short stories. A few of them describe earlier episodes in the life of
Alan Banks. Now reading STARVATION LAKE, by Bryan Gruley. I'm liking
it but have been skimming the pages that describe hockey games. Hope I
don't miss anything vital.
Sue D.
K Barrett
> Now reading STARVATION LAKE, by Bryan Gruley. I'm liking
> it but have been skimming the pages that describe hockey games. Hope I
> don't miss anything vital.
> Sue D.
Nope, you didn't miss much, all the action takes place in bars and
offices. I read this one and liked it well enough. I didn't even mind
the hockey. He builds a credible community.
K Barrett