Books 2012

The resolution to read 100 books in 2011 fell quite short (only 59), but I'll attempt it again in 2012.  If you're interested, you can review my 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 reading lists by clicking on the year.  I will track my 2012 reading below and on www.WordsForWords.com, and as always, you can click on the link to find the book on Amazon.  Happy reading!

• Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane:  The premise here is somewhat strained, as we have two groups living within normal society who are at war with one another, yet no one engaged in the war knows why.  As a result, kids are trained from the age of sixteen to begin killing for their side as soon as they turn eighteen.  Joe is one of the assassins sent by faceless controllers for his side, and the story is literally told through his point-of-view as jotted down in a journal for his girlfriend Maria, who we meet halfway through the book.  Joe doesn't know why he is fighting, which is why I didn't get to know as the reader, but that approach failed to hold me at times - it felt like someone in the book could have simply asked, "wait, wait, WHY are we killing each other again?"  As soon as Joe shares the rule that children born to those under the age of eighteen are handed to the other side to raise (yeah, random killing but a solid accord, right?), I was pretty much able to guess where this was going.  I was right.  It's not a bad story, but as the first in a trilogy, I'm not likely to be a continuing reader.  (01-06-12)

• Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard:  I enjoy the FX series Justified and finished a short story collection by this author last year.  This is another of those collections, featuring Raylan Givens, Carl Webster, and Karen Sisco in a series of crime-focused short stories.  Some are entertaining, but honestly, none of the stories really grabbed me.  One is basically the first episode from Justified, with a necessarily-different ending.  I have several novels by Mr. Leonard sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read in 2012, but they may wait a bit longer while I seek out more stimulating novels.  (01-15-12)

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee:  One of my resolutions this year is to work in a few of the classics, and my first choice was this novel.  Atticus Finch is a constant reference throughout law school, and somehow I have never read the book before now.  I now understand the world's fascination with Harper Lee and her only novel - it was phenomenal!  The story follows Scout, a somewhat precocious young girl as she puzzles over a reclusive neighbor and the social niceties of the 1930s South.  The centerpiece of the novel is the trial of a young black man who has been accused of raping a white woman, and it falls to Atticus to provide for a fair trial in a community where prejudices are very likely to trump fairness.  This is the major premise of the book, and the author did a fantastic job, but the overall story and writing were absolutely great as well.  I will definitely return to read this book again, as I have definitely added it to my top ten.  (01-12-12)

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!

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!

• Robert Crais:  I've really gotten into his characters Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, partners in a detective agency and extermely well-constructed characters.

• 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.

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.