What Are You Reading?

Anyone a fan of James Patterson? His novels seem so compellig as to ha"e become nearly timeless; the older first editions as popular as the new.

For those unknowing, one of his popular characters is Alex Cross, a Detective from Washington, DC, who eventually joins the FBI. This guy is raising a family of 3 kids, helped by an elderly lady I think is his Grandma. His wife has left him, he works criminal investigations by "gut-feel" instead of strictly "by the book", usually succeeding where others could not.

I just finished "Big Bad Wolf", the first in which Alex Cross had been employed by the FBI. The ending was not as I was expecting (not unusual for Patterson!), and I a led to wonder what's next. Inasmuch as we get our reading material from our local hospital, where a large cart of books is always available, I will be looking for more Patterson. The books are "you donate" priced, and we almost always return more volumes than we buy. A good deal all around.

Frank

 

Frank, I am a fan of Patterson somewhat. He has written several series, but I think the Cross novels are his best, and I think the movie with Tyler Perry was the best depiction of a modern detective novel. "Jack Reacher" is by far the worst transition from page to screen. Lee Child's novel depict Jack Reacher a six-foot five somewhat homely guy, but they cast Tom Cruise, a fine-foot seven pretty Boy to play him. Terrible. As to the quality of the writing, I like John Sandford and his characters the best. He won a Pulitzer Prize under his real name, John Camp, and he wrote for the St. Paul Minnesota for many years.

 

I have 3 books on the go currently... and I just had a new one arrive this morning.. called The Shallows by Nicholas Carr !!

It's basically about how the use of the internet is changing our brains..

I'm looking forward to reading it tonight in bed..

Incidentally @Frank Sanoica , in answer to your question, no I'm not a fan of Patterson, but my daughter is or was (not sure about now) a huge fan, I remember she would buy every book as soon as it was published and read it in a week...

 

Reading "And Then There Were None." First I've read by thius author. Have readone book by Patterson, it was "Along Came A Spider" or something like that. I checked out an Alex Cross novel by Patterson a while back but never read it. Sometime I do that, check out a number of books and then read only one or two; return the others unread. I need large print now days and what I want to read is not always available in large print. Also my reading ability has deteriated the past year or so. I am reading slower and sometime have trouble concentrating. Is that a symptom of age? Probably not since it doesn't seem to happen to everyone

 

I am reading books by Danielle Steel right now. Yesterday I finished reading "Blue" which was about a woman who had lost her husband and three year old son when he drove them home from a holiday party with a little to much alcohol distorting his driving clarity. The woman has a death wish after that and takes jobs that pretty much will answer that death wish sooner or later. Then one night as she is gazing out at the river near where she lives she decides she is going to jump in and end her life but destiny has other plans for her and a young homeless boy who also has no family anymore. It's not deep reading but it is realistic and I enjoyed the book. I have always liked Danielle Steel and when I'm not in the mood for deeper reading I can usually pick up a few of her books and enjoy them. Books have always helped relieve stress in my life...and I'm thankful for all the great Authors out there.

 

And I am always looking for something to read. Maybe I'll lok at 'Blue.' I've read some of her books but it has been long ago.

 

I am reading, 'A Life of Contrasts' by Diana Mosley. Having lived through WW2 in England I learned to hate the Mosleys but if the lady speaks the truth it is truly food for thought.

 

I just finished "The Chamber", by John Grisham. Real eye-opener, for me. Novel about Mississippi and it's state-wide ingrained hatred of Blacks and Jews, in which activities of the Ku Klux Klan are explained, based on actual past incidents.

I have never given a whole lot of thought to the death penalty. Sure, I always believed that one who commits a heinous crime involving innocent others, likely deserves to be disposed of.......death accomplishes that. What I never realized before this book, is that the State leadership benefits greatly both financially and politically by staunchly pursuing the death penalty. Governors, for example, invariably plead that no one "deserves to die", even murderers, (that pacifies those against), while proclaiming the righteousness of disposing of a convicted murderer as the only means of providing solace to the bereaved.

The book outlines one criminal act commited by a "Klucker", whose father, grandfather, entire family belonged to the Klan and subscribed to the "code', which included absolutely that no member would ever "rat-out" another. The two main characters are a condemned man, 70, and his young grandson, one year out of law school, who decides to meet the grandfather he has never known, and possibly spare him from the death penalty.

Great book! For what MY opinion may be worth, I highly recommend it.
Frank

 

I'm on a Classics kick again.

Reading the 'Tarzan' series. Interesting that I never read anything past
the first book when I was younger.

The style and language are dated, but the story kind of pulls you in.

Since we don't have a fireplace, I put a 'yule log' ( from netflix ) with popping, crackling sound
on the big screen TV and read.

Set my alarm so I can finish any 'chore' I'm suppose to have done for the wife.

I could learn to like this 'retirement' thing.

 

Rereading 'A Christmas Carol' like I do every year around this time.

A true, literary Classic in both style and content.

Some of my favorite passages:

 

My plan is to go to the library in the morning sometime and return a batch of books, some I read, two or three I had already read. One, I'm finishing up to night if I can and if not, renew it, "A Lucky Life Interupted," by Tom Brokeaw. His struggle with Myeloma, an incurable cancer. My daughter has this disease and it gives me an insight into what she has gone through and is still going through.

I have made a note to myself to find a good non-fiction if possible. I'm handicapped by needing large print and large print is limited in most libraries. Perhaps a Memoir, I don't know, getting harder to find something of interest.

 

@Tim Burr
The entire series of Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan books, in hardback originals, resided in our old oak bookcase when I was a kid. I read them all. Some several times. They were in good condition for their age, and I've wondered from time to time over the years what became of them...
Frank

 

For my book club, we are reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, the author of Nightingale. This one is about Alaska, and focuses on one family, headed by a Vietnam vet with PTSD. It's a fabulous book, I can truly recommend it. I read it this summer, won't be re-reading it for the club, but will catch up by watching an interview with the author on YouTube.

On Kindle, I am reading
Aging Wisely: Strategies for Baby Boomers and Seniors by Robert A LeVine, M.D.
The title tells it all. Not too interested in it.

Also on my Kindle am reading Dirty Little Secrets, a mystery by Liliana Hart. If left to my own devices I'd probably read nothing but mysteries, which is why I need the book club to expand my literary horizons!

 

Went to the library a while back and ask for a large print copy of Streets of Loado. Library didn't have a copy but say they could get a copy from another library but it might take several weeks to get it in. It came in today from
Richardson. Texas. Isn't technology great?. I will start it this weekend. Just finished up a western novel download from Amazon this morning went to bed around eleven last night. At eleven-thirty, I picked up my iPad I keep by the bed and started reading. At six-thirty this morning I finished it. Read all night. Isn't retirement great. It'll take me several days to finish Streets Of Laredo, so I may be ou on the range with Captain Call.