24 thoughts on “Reader Friday; Where’s Your Bookmark?”
I am reading Steven James The Pawn, book 1 in a series. PW gave it s starred review and it is well deserved. It’s based on the cases of a fictional consultant to the FBI who profiles serial killers through geospatial analytics, the analysis of case facts that profile a killer’s patterns to ID his hunting ground and other ways he moves and makes decisions. Don’t let the data analysis turn you off. This is a great series with a different kind of protagonist. It’s written in first person for the main character and in third person for everyone else. I am loving it.
Steven James is a brilliant writer. Not to mention a great teacher and all-around nice guy, too. I’m sitting on an advance copy of his fall release SINGULARITY and am looking forward to reading it.
You are so lucky. I am losing sleep reading his series. Love it. I am learning so much.
Just finished The Pawn, the first James book I’ve read. Very well done. Now I’m reading The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen, also very good. However, reading two thrillers about women being brutally murdered and mutilated by a serial killer is getting a little grim. I’m ready for something brighter.
I’m reading what I love best–non-fic historical reference work. Right now it’s the very informative and entertaining “Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era” by James McPherson.
I LOVE reading non-fiction but it is also my Achilles heel–it is way too easy to spend too much time lost in research and not enough time writing.
Jordan, I’ve heard many good things about Steven James’ book series as well. I definitely need to get those downloaded to my Kindle.
I love that book, BK! McPherson makes history unfold like an exciting novel. If I’d read his books for American History in high school, I would have loved that course instead of dreading it.
Definitely, BK. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m reading a book that was sent to me to review for the Talk Like a Pirate Day website. I’m not goi9ng to name it because I haven’t decided how I feel about it yet. The author can write a bit. Unfortunately she’s written a lot, I’m guessing in the neighborhood of 140,000 words for a Middle School adventure novel. There’s good bits in there – like raisin the the oatmeal, but I’m only 88 pages into it and can’t decide if there are *enough* good bits.
Reading DeMille’s THE FORGOTTEN. About 2/3 in and liking it a log.
Sorry, got my authors confused. THE FORGOTTEN is by Baldacci. I have a book by DeMille in the stack to read next.
DOCTOR DeSOTO by William Steig, because I’m attempting to help a close friend turn an excellent idea into a children’s book. (Anyone here write children’s books? Much easier said than done!)
And, I just finished HABITS OF LEADERSHIP by Art Markman, which I enjoyed.
It’s been a practical reading week for me.
“Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. And every so often one more story in George Saunder’s “Tenth of December.” The former you can scarf down, the latter has to be eaten slowly.
I’m reading “Raylan” to remember the great contributions that Elmore Leonard made to popular literature and to those of us who think we can write.
I proudly stand in his shadow.
Hear, hear, Brian.
Just finished PG Wodehouse’s “Carry On Jeeves” yesterday, HILARIOUS!!!
Nelson Demille’s “The Panther”, good spy / terrorist/cop/FBI story but not hilarious…
I’m currently reading Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. Just finished The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, which I enjoyed more than I expected to. Before that it was Canada by Richard Ford. I absolutely loved that, but then I’ve always been a fan of Ford. Next? Who knows.
This probably makes me look like a total sycophantic suck-up but I’m reading two books by none other than James Scott Bell: “Try Dying” and “No Legal Grounds”. I’m reading “Try Dying” with my wife at night and “No Legal Grounds” wherever I can squeeze it in. I’m enjoying them both a great deal.
I always love this question as I come away with new and wonderful recommendations. And Aaron, you don’t look like a suck-up; you are merely displaying your excellent taste in literature.
I’m reading BLACK DAHLIA by James Ellroy.
I’m well into Hush by Anne Frasier and enjoying it. She wrote it in 2002, but it was recently #16 in the Amazon Top 100. So I decided to check it out. I had a library copy, but it made me sneeze. So I just ponied up the change and downloaded the Kindle version.
When it comes to taste in books, it’s amazing how many books I don’t like for the simple reason that the writing doesn’t resonate with me. I realize this must be a personal thing, because these people are sooo popular (even with you guys). One very popular author (top 10) has given me two fizzled-out endings in a row. So I’ve nipped him.
Just downloaded Steve Trotter’s latest, set in San Francisco – Killer Deadline [Not All Serial Killers Are Loners. Mike Green Has A Dog.] I just hope he didn’t put my dog Max in this one. In his last book, he put Max in there and then shot him.
Doiron “Massacre Pond” – absolutely brilliant! Doiron gets better and better. Basil – you’re nuts! “The Panther” is hilarious by virtue of the protagonist’s incredible wit and stand-up comedian load of one-liners. How DeMille delivers a kick-ass thriller and a comedic sluice gate in the same pages is genius.
You’ve got a point there Tom. It is actually pretty hilarious after the first chapter (which is where I was when I commented). I am really digging this book.
I agree with you, Tom, about Nelson DeMille. I love the combination of intriguing story, excellent writing and wit. I haven’t read a lot of his books, but so far THE GATE HOUSE is my favorite because of the MC’s inner dialogue regarding his in-laws. I laughed out loud through the whole book.
I’m chugging through the Jack Reacher books I missed over the years strictly in the name of research (oh work work work) and having a blast with them.
Terri
I’m reading a nonfiction book. “Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself.” I’d like to incorporate endurance sports into my work. This book is an interesting insight into the mindset of an ultra-endurance athlete.
I am reading Steven James The Pawn, book 1 in a series. PW gave it s starred review and it is well deserved. It’s based on the cases of a fictional consultant to the FBI who profiles serial killers through geospatial analytics, the analysis of case facts that profile a killer’s patterns to ID his hunting ground and other ways he moves and makes decisions. Don’t let the data analysis turn you off. This is a great series with a different kind of protagonist. It’s written in first person for the main character and in third person for everyone else. I am loving it.
Steven James is a brilliant writer. Not to mention a great teacher and all-around nice guy, too. I’m sitting on an advance copy of his fall release SINGULARITY and am looking forward to reading it.
You are so lucky. I am losing sleep reading his series. Love it. I am learning so much.
Just finished The Pawn, the first James book I’ve read. Very well done. Now I’m reading The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen, also very good. However, reading two thrillers about women being brutally murdered and mutilated by a serial killer is getting a little grim. I’m ready for something brighter.
I’m reading what I love best–non-fic historical reference work. Right now it’s the very informative and entertaining “Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era” by James McPherson.
I LOVE reading non-fiction but it is also my Achilles heel–it is way too easy to spend too much time lost in research and not enough time writing.
Jordan, I’ve heard many good things about Steven James’ book series as well. I definitely need to get those downloaded to my Kindle.
I love that book, BK! McPherson makes history unfold like an exciting novel. If I’d read his books for American History in high school, I would have loved that course instead of dreading it.
Definitely, BK. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m reading a book that was sent to me to review for the Talk Like a Pirate Day website. I’m not goi9ng to name it because I haven’t decided how I feel about it yet. The author can write a bit. Unfortunately she’s written a lot, I’m guessing in the neighborhood of 140,000 words for a Middle School adventure novel. There’s good bits in there – like raisin the the oatmeal, but I’m only 88 pages into it and can’t decide if there are *enough* good bits.
Reading DeMille’s THE FORGOTTEN. About 2/3 in and liking it a log.
Sorry, got my authors confused. THE FORGOTTEN is by Baldacci. I have a book by DeMille in the stack to read next.
DOCTOR DeSOTO by William Steig, because I’m attempting to help a close friend turn an excellent idea into a children’s book. (Anyone here write children’s books? Much easier said than done!)
And, I just finished HABITS OF LEADERSHIP by Art Markman, which I enjoyed.
It’s been a practical reading week for me.
“Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. And every so often one more story in George Saunder’s “Tenth of December.” The former you can scarf down, the latter has to be eaten slowly.
I’m reading “Raylan” to remember the great contributions that Elmore Leonard made to popular literature and to those of us who think we can write.
I proudly stand in his shadow.
Hear, hear, Brian.
Just finished PG Wodehouse’s “Carry On Jeeves” yesterday, HILARIOUS!!!
Nelson Demille’s “The Panther”, good spy / terrorist/cop/FBI story but not hilarious…
I’m currently reading Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. Just finished The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, which I enjoyed more than I expected to. Before that it was Canada by Richard Ford. I absolutely loved that, but then I’ve always been a fan of Ford. Next? Who knows.
This probably makes me look like a total sycophantic suck-up but I’m reading two books by none other than James Scott Bell: “Try Dying” and “No Legal Grounds”. I’m reading “Try Dying” with my wife at night and “No Legal Grounds” wherever I can squeeze it in. I’m enjoying them both a great deal.
I always love this question as I come away with new and wonderful recommendations. And Aaron, you don’t look like a suck-up; you are merely displaying your excellent taste in literature.
I’m reading BLACK DAHLIA by James Ellroy.
I’m well into Hush by Anne Frasier and enjoying it. She wrote it in 2002, but it was recently #16 in the Amazon Top 100. So I decided to check it out. I had a library copy, but it made me sneeze. So I just ponied up the change and downloaded the Kindle version.
When it comes to taste in books, it’s amazing how many books I don’t like for the simple reason that the writing doesn’t resonate with me. I realize this must be a personal thing, because these people are sooo popular (even with you guys). One very popular author (top 10) has given me two fizzled-out endings in a row. So I’ve nipped him.
Just downloaded Steve Trotter’s latest, set in San Francisco – Killer Deadline [Not All Serial Killers Are Loners. Mike Green Has A Dog.] I just hope he didn’t put my dog Max in this one. In his last book, he put Max in there and then shot him.
Doiron “Massacre Pond” – absolutely brilliant! Doiron gets better and better.
Basil – you’re nuts! “The Panther” is hilarious by virtue of the protagonist’s incredible wit and stand-up comedian load of one-liners. How DeMille delivers a kick-ass thriller and a comedic sluice gate in the same pages is genius.
You’ve got a point there Tom. It is actually pretty hilarious after the first chapter (which is where I was when I commented). I am really digging this book.
I agree with you, Tom, about Nelson DeMille. I love the combination of intriguing story, excellent writing and wit. I haven’t read a lot of his books, but so far THE GATE HOUSE is my favorite because of the MC’s inner dialogue regarding his in-laws. I laughed out loud through the whole book.
I’m chugging through the Jack Reacher books I missed over the years strictly in the name of research (oh work work work) and having a blast with them.
Terri
I’m reading a nonfiction book. “Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself.” I’d like to incorporate endurance sports into my work. This book is an interesting insight into the mindset of an ultra-endurance athlete.