Books & Writing

I've collected books my entire life, and now have a house buckling under their weight.  If I find a new author that I really enjoy (see below), I tend to order that author's entire backlist.  These sites have helped me over the years, and are supplied here to help you in building your library.

• www.Abebooks.com  My favorite used book site.

• www.Amazon.com  If you haven't heard of Amazon, climb out from under the rock you've been hiding under!  If you can't find it here, try the UK site as well - www.amazon.uk.com

• www.BarnesAndNoble.com  Probably the next best-known online seller next to Amazon.

• www.Bookfinder.com  This is a great site that aggregates many of the others out there.

• www.Bookshop.Blackwell.co.uk  This is a U.K. site that will help you find those hard-to-get European imprints.

• www.Half.com  This site is brought to you by eBay, and I have found it especially useful in filling out my paperback libraries.

• www.Overstock.com  I haven't ordered from overstock, but have had it recommended by a faithful reader.

• www.Tomfolio.com  This is a coop site of used book dealers, and I have had success in locating harder-to-find copies here.

The resolution to read 100 books in 2009 fell quite short (only 58), but I'll attempt it again in 2010.  If you're interested, you can review my 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 reading lists by clicking on the year.  I will track my 2010 reading below and on www.WordsForWords.com, and as always, you can click on the link to find the book on Amazon.  Happy reading!

• 61 Hours by Lee Child:  Reacher!  This is the first of two Reacher novels due in 2010, and although this book isn't available in the U.S. until mid-May, it was released in the U.K. in March.  Hurrah!  Once again, Reacher finds himself in a strange situation as the old folks bus tour he's hitched a ride with crashes in remote South Dakota, just as two winter storms are about to converge.  He is thrust into a situation wherein a police force is stretched thin via a deal with a new prison at the same time that they are attempting to protect an elderly witness to a major drug crime.  Bikers have settled on an old base just outside town, and after the first murder, things start heating up quickly.  This was a great book, and I'm looking forward to the follow-up in September!  (03-30-10)

• Altar of Eden by James Rollins:  My first book of 2010 - 99 more to go.  I've liked Rollins for several years, and after a few Sigma Force books, this was his return to a stand-alone novel (and his second book in 2009).  Admittedly, through the first quarter, I was really concerned that the heroine was going to be chasing a saber-toothed tiger for the balance of the book - happily this wasn't the case.  Dr. Lorna Polk is a veterinarian at ACRES, and is called to check out animals found in a boat washed up by a Louisiana hurricane.  Every animal shows a regression to a point earlier in its evolution, a fact that the sponsoring organization wants to cover up with a scorched earth policy.  There is a point in the last half where I felt like I had fallen into Jurassic Park given a remote island housing DNA-tinkering scientists and a host of living fossils.  In all, an entertaining book, and exactly what I need on a cold weekend in Ohio.  (01-05-10)

• American Original:  The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia by Joan Biskupic:  My parrot's middle name is Scalia, an act of admiration for this Justice when I was in law school eleven years ago.  I don't agree with all of Scalia's politics, nor do I buy completely into his originalist method of interpreting the Constitution (though I do believe that words should be read as they were defined at the time of drafting).  I've always admired Scalia's talent with words, and his strength in saying what he wants in a world where too many are worried about consensus-building.  Admittedly, the conservative slant of the current Court scares me a bit, and I believe that Justice Scalia is going to move more to the forefront in the coming years.  This book is an excellent view of the man and his politics, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Supreme Court.  (03-16-10)

• The Ask by Sam Lipsyte:  The humor in this book is very dark and acidic, and it works in the context of Milo Burke, a fundraiser for a local college and victim of the recent economy.  He finds himself aligned with an old college buddy who has become extremely rich, and of course Milo's job is to work some  money out of his buddy Purdy's wallet.  Purdy, has another motive as well - keeping his estranged son from coming to light.  Although this novel does have some issues, for the most part the writing is very sharp and at times, laugh-out-loud funny.  Parts are somewhat graphic, but fit the theme that the author is building around Milo's life.  Although I enjoyed the book, I don't intend to track down others by this author anytime soon.  (05-03-10)

• The Barbary Pirates by William Dietrich:  Ethan Gage is back!  After to returning to France from a young America, he finds himself seeking the Mirror of Archimedes in a quest that takes him through Italy and Greece.  Among his colleagues is Robert Fulton, who is attempting to sell his submarine to Napoleon, and a few savants eager to share an adventure.  They find it when they are chased by The Egyptian Rite and a few surprise characters from past books.  Gage is pressed into service when he is forced to find the mirror at the peril of losing his beloved Astiza forever.  Dietrich is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and it is a major bummer to have to wait another year for the next book!  (04-14-10)

• Blacklands by Belinda Bauer:  I loved this book!  The story itself is quite good - a 12-year-old boy, Stephen,  tries to mend his broken family by finding the resting place of his uncle, who was murdered 19 years earlier.  As Stephen has been praised by his teacher as being a great letter writer, he turns directly to the source - the murderer himself, a man in prison for the past 18 years.  Because of prison censors, the letters are cryptic but fulfill a need on both sides - resolution for Stephen and escape for the murderer Avery.  It's a pretty realistic take on both sides, and I can easily see a 12-year-old coming to this solution.  In addition to the story, however, the author is absolutely wonderful at turning a phrase, and every sentence is a pleasure to read.  This is definitely going on my top ten list, and I eagerly await Ms. Bauer's next book!  (01-27-10)

• Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich:  I almost picked this book up a year or two again when the movie "21" (based on this book) was released.  This is the story of six students from MIT that used various mathematical techniques and a team approach to turn the probabilities of blackjack in their favor.  Even given the quality of intelligence that even gets a person into MIT, the ability to continually "count cards" (which is discounted at the end of the book) and monitor teammates' signals is fantastic.  The book does show the darker sides of the gambling lifestyle as well, especially with a glimpse of how the casinos don't care if you drop the mortgage, but will bar those that win too much.  This was a quick read, but something off the beaten path as well.  (01-09-10)

• Divine Misfortune by A. Lee Martinez:  What happens when you cross an online dating service with a world where people are free to select a personal god from an endless portfolio?  Phil and Teri find out when they select Lucky, the god of fortune, who soon shows up at their door with the head of a raccoon and the shirt of a Hawaiian.  Lucky comes with baggage - Syph, the goddess of love, who he spurned many years before, and Gorgoz, whom had also shared a relationship with Syph.  The author created a very entertaining book with great characters, and I look forward to his next work!  (04-10-10)

• Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? by Thomas Kohnstamm:  I was in the "travel narrative" section at Borders looking to see if Bill Bryson had anything new and saw a facing of this book instead.  With a subtitle of "a swashbuckling tale of high adventures, questionable ethics & professional hedonism," I was intrigued.  It was a good book in that I was entertained.  The author was an office drone working a late night in Manhattan when he decided to become a travel writer, and a short time later found himself in Brazil writing an updated book for Lonely Planet.  The budget and timeline was tight, and he found very quickly that there was no way to do everything technically required for the job.  Along the way, he has a few hookups, trades drugs for a motorcycle, and meets an assortment of characters, including Otto, a former member of the IDF.  As it appears that this author's only other books are LP guides, I'll simply have to wait for his next narrative.  (05-08-10)

• Fade Away by Harlen Bolitar:  As I type this, the author's newest book is at the top of the bestseller list, but even in these earlier books, his writing was very good.  Myron Bolitar is a sports agent, and an attorney who went to law school after a knee injury took him off of the basketball court at the dawn of his pro career.  In this installment, he is hired to investigate the disappearance of his own high school rival, and quickly finds himself in the middle of a mystery that includes a 60s revolutionary organization, a murder, and a blackmail threat.  His psychotic friend Win is back as well, paving the way for Myron's investigation.  I have quite a few of this author's books to get through to catch up with the new #1, and I really look forward to getting to it!  (04-18-10)

• Freedom by Daniel Suarez:  Last year, I read this author's first novel - Daemon - and really enjoyed it.  The sequel was every bit as good, but you MUST read these in order.  Matthew Sobol's gaming engine has continued in its quest to control the real world after Sobol's death, but its not entirely clear who the bad guy really is any more.  The Daemon holds the finances of world corporations hostage, but those on the darknet are embracing local supply and fraternal society.  The old guard is seeking to restore its superiority, and Loki is running over anyone is his way.  I liked this book, and look forward to seeing how it all works out when the next book (hopefully) comes out in 2011!  (02-16-10)

• Heresy by S.J. Parris:  Set in 1583 at Oxford College, this novel focuses on Giordano Bruno, a monk who has escaped the Inquisition in Italy to become a lecturer on the error of believing that the universe revolves around the Earth.  While at Oxford, Bruno is asked to become an informant on the hidden Catholics, and soon murders in the style of martyrs begin happening around him.  In the middle of everything is the rector's daughter Sophia, and a host of other deeply-drawn characters.  This was a good mystery, but the period details made it even better, and I really hope to come across some of these characters in future books!  (04-04-10)

• Horns by Joe Hill:  This author is doing a great job at staying out of his dad's shadow, and certainly Stephen King has cast a large shadow on this genre.  Although probably classified as horror, this novel has merit on several levels and has more than a few humorous moments.  Ignatius Perrish, Ig, wakes up after a night out to find that he has grown devil's horns and that people suddenly want to share their darkest thoughts with him.  Ig is already living in a hell of his own - his girlfriend is killed on the night that they break up, and of course, Ig is the primary suspect.  The story jumps back to Ig's youth at intervals to develop his modern day friendships and acquaintances, which gives a depth to this story that, frankly, has been missing from Mr. King's novels in recent years.  Joe Hill has done a great job with this novel, and I am, officially, a fan!  (03-02-10)

• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters:  Stephen King picked this as his #1 read of 2009 in Entertainment Weekly, and as I'm always looking for a new favorite author, I decided to give it a shot.  I really enjoyed the writing, which is something like saying "she has a great personality," I suppose.  Most of the first 300 pages are descriptions of Dr. Faraday's visits to the Ayres home, The Hundreds, an old family mansion fallen into hard times after WWII.  The last 150 pages get into the actual ghost story, which was somewhat disappointing, as it was extremely subtle and didn't raise a single hair on the back of my neck.  As a historical novel, it was actually a pretty good story of a romance-gone-wrong and an old money family falling apart - the "ghost" element was actually unnecessary.  (01-22-10)

• The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton:  Once in awhile, I'll find a book or series that I wish I had written - Harry Potter (both brilliant in writing, but billions in revenue is good as well!), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (great comedy and characters), and just a handful of others.  This book joins that list.  Mike Smith is the "Miracle Boy", traumatized by an event in his past that has left him literally speechless.  This oddity places him outside his peers in school, and during his time alone, he learns to pick locks.  This talent, exposed to the wrong people, gets him entwined in several heists and enslaved to a criminal enterprise that contacts him through several coded pagers - he is a "boxman", a safeecracker, for hire.   The book is written in the first-person, so although Mike never speaks, the reader really gets to see and understand his emotions as the book progresses.  Most of those emotions concern Amelia, his first love met while serving a sentence with her father.  Their connection is forged through Mike's other talent, drawing, an ability shared by Amelia.  This is one of those great books where a complex plot is really enhanced by brilliant characters, and I'm hoping that the author's backlist is similarly fantastic, as I've just ordered all of his past books!  (02-21-10)

• One False Move by Harlan Coben:  With so many books on my list, it takes quite a bit to get me to read two books in a row by the same author.  I really enjoy this author, and the characters that he creates.  Myron Bolitar is asked to help protect Brenda, a rising professional basketball star, and the job becomes more difficult than simply being a bodyguard.  Brenda's past includes a murdered father and a mom who deserted her at age five, but it quickly becomes apparent that more people are interested in Brenda's past - a gubernatorial candidate with questionable connections, a rival sports agency, and a few criminal types.  Myron is also experiencing personal challenges as he grows away from his girlfriend and his best friend threatens to leave the agency.  This is a great book, and it will be difficult to stay way from the next installment for a month or two!  (04-22-10)

• Secret Circles by F. Paul Wilson:  I've been a fan of the Repairman Jack novels for many years, and this is the second of the prequel books covering Jack's teenage years (written for young adults).  I have mixed feelings over this type of book where the background conveniently flows into place, as I kind of liked the mystery behind Jack's alienation from society, and after all, we learned about his mother's death and its turning point in his life way back in The Tomb.  On the other hand, it's hard to avoid any book by a favorite author, so I have to read this!  Unfortunately, Secret Circles didn't have much to offer - a mysterious structure in the woods, more interactions with The Lodge, and a creature creeping the neighborhood by night.  I was entertained but really wanted more substance in this book.  With only two books left, the next due this Spring, I'm ready to see how everything ties together. (02-04-10)

• The Two-Minute Rule by Robert Crais:  As this is a tale of bank robbers, the two minute rule applies to the time from entry-to-exit of a bank.  Max Holman knew the rule when he held up a bank, but stopped on the way out to save a man who had a heart attack during the robbery.  After serving ten years, he exits prison intent on tracking down his son, now a cop, and learns that on the day of his own release, his son has been gunned down with three other officers.  Max teams up with the ex-FBI agent that put him away years before, as the story around his son's death doesn't make much sense.  They find themselves entwined with another pair of bank robbers and some crooked cops looking for a fortune lost when those bank robbers are killed.  This was a great book, and I look forward to diving into others by this author!  (02-03-10)

• What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell:  The author has a gift for writing interesting pieces and offering insights about commonplace things.  This is a collection of writings from the New Yorker, and covers ketchup (why isn't there a Grey Poupon of ketchup?), criminal profiling (science or an old-time illusion?), and a host of other topics.  Gladwell really digs into his subjects, beyond the point where most of us would have lost interest ourselves, and in this book you may learn more about the hawking of kitchen rotisseries than you ever thought possible!  If you liked Gladwell's other books, you'll definitely enjoy this one.  (03-13-10)

Some people call listening to a book "reading" - I am not one of those people!  There are times, however, when a book on CD is the perfect thing for a long drive or to help distract a part of the brain during a difficult project!

• Nothing yet - stay tuned!

Sometimes you just can't get into a book, not necessarily because it's a bad plot etc., but simply because the timing isn't quite right.  These are those stories...

• Nothing yet - stay tuned!

My tastes in reading are rather eclectic, but I have many favorites.  Here are a few authors that you'll be well-advised to check out.  The links will take you to the author's official website, where one exists.

• Joe Abercrombie:  I picked up "The Blade Itself" in 2008, and a few pages in, jumped onto Amazon-UK to buy the sequels (which weren't yet available in the US).  I'm not usually into fantasy, but this blended time so well that at times it may have been set in the medieval period, and at other in the post-apocalypse.

• Douglas Adams:  Twenty-five years ago, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was authored for a BBC radio series and it has become a classic.  You can find both the radio scripts and the five books of the trilogy (yes, five books in the trilogy) on most of the search engines above.  The story highlights the trials of Arthur Dent as the earth is destroyed and he becomes an inter-galactic traveler through a series of bizarre adventures.  Mr. Adams unfortunately passed away several years ago, but left a legacy in his stories.

• Steve Berry:  I anxiously await each of this author's books featuring Cotton Malone, an retired member of the Justice Department and yet constantly involved in intriguing quests.

• Lee Child:  Discovered in 2008, his main character is Jack Reacher, a former Army MP with a bit of wanderlust, a knack for finding trouble, and a sense of honor. 

• Harlan Coben:  Harvard-educated Myron Bolitar, sports agent and investigator.  His buddy Win is a badass that would give Jack Reacher and Repairman Jack a run for their money!

• William Dietrich:  The creator of Ethan Gage, journeyman and soldier-of-fortune in the 18th century.  I love his characters, and his books are exactly what you need for a leisurely weekend!

• Barry Eisler:  I've just finished Fault Line, and although I haven't yet moved into the John Rain series, thanks to Amazon they are on the way!

• Joseph Finder:  Paranoia is an excellent read about corporate espionage with an unexpected conclusion.  High Crimes (also a movie with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd) is a favorite as well.

• John Grisham:  For those that enjoy there legal fiction with characters and situations outside of the typical body-trial-conclusion storyline, Mr. Grisham always delivers.

• Harry Harrison:  Start with "The Stainless Steel Rat."  Mr. Harrison is a prolific writer of science fiction reaching back into the 1960s, often wrapping a wry sense of humor into traditionally sci-fi situations.

• Greg Iles:  I picked up The Quiet Game in an airport bookshop last year, read most of it on the flight, and ordered the backlist as soon as I got home. 

• Dean Koontz:  .  My favorites, however, remain Lightning and Shadowfires.

• Bentley Little:  Pick any of his novels for a disturbing read.  Mr. Little is able to take any location or event and make a truly strange story out of it.  Given my personal animosity against a certain large chain of department store with a reputation for interrupting the commerce of small towns, I recommend The Store as your first book.  Unfortunately, there is no official website.

• Robert McCammon:  I have always enjoyed this author, who unfortunately stopped writing for nearly a decade.  Speaks the Nightbird was well worth the wait, however, and is a great novel set during the witch trial era.  When you've finished this book, find a copy of Swan's Song, McCammon's end-of-the-world epic, and Boy's Life.

• F. Paul Wilson:  The Repairman Jack novels are an interesting mix of quasi-detective and the supernatural, as Jack is a fix-it man who regularly has run-ins with other worlds.  Mr. Wilson's novels quite often cross over and through each other, and it is quite interesting to run across characters and events that you've seen before.  Start with The Tomb.