Books Read in 2008

Books 2008

Well, 60 books completed in 2008 - a respectable number I suppose, but far short of the 100 goal! I did discover a few new favorite authors this year, though, so it was time well-spent!

The Academy by Bentley Little: Hurrah - the author has returned to his pattern of creating "odd" stories out of common situations. This time, the administration of a California high school suddenly decides to become a charter school, removing it from the supervision of the larger district. This is, of course, the beginning of the "odd" things that Little tends to write into his stories - violence and sex that is disturbing in the way it is so pronounced and so natural for the characters. Here, the principal starts a band of student guards resembling the Hitler Youth, and many of the teachers and students fall into a pattern of depravity even as their own numbers are reduced. The author is a throwback to the horror novels of the early 80s when even cover was black with a streak of crimson, and every plot was a bit superficial but entertaining nonetheless. (08-16-08)
All the Way Home by David Giffels: The author is a columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal, and in 1996 purchased a broken-down house in the Highland Square area of Akron. Flipping through the book while standing at Borders, I decided I had to have it, as I know the neighborhood and I'm one of those that are enthralled by house-flipping stories. Giffles describes the acquisition process from a widow that had lived in this falling-apart mansion since her husband's death in 1965, never maintaining anything. Missing roofs and walls, space shared with squirrels and raccoons, a complete lack of running water and heat - who wouldn't want to attempt a restoration? The author paints a story of making this shell into a home even as he describes the toll on his family. It was a fun read, and one of these days I'll be pulling to the curb to view the house! (08-26-08)
The Appeal by John Grisham: For the first 40 pages, I felt like I had read this story before, as the case being tried echoed that within A Civil Action. Indeed, there were times I could have substituted a few names and it would have read like the earlier book. After this point, however, the case becomes a background issue, eclipsed by a story of big business attempting to buy a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court in an effort to shut down large verdicts. Several cabals of business leaders manage to find a candidate to support and finance a campaign that preys upon the typical devices of election time (guns, same-sex marriage, trial lawyers) and labeling sitting judges as being against the common man. The characters in this story are relatively flat, but the plot is one that lurks just at the edge of reality, as we've seen this type of campaigning in recent Ohio Supreme Court elections. (02-02-08)
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child: I stayed up past 1am on a Wednesday to get through the final pages, simply because I couldn't wait to find out how the story would turn out! Jack Reacher is a past-CO of an Army investigations unit, and his old colleagues are turning up dead. Putting their skills to the test, the surviving members of Reacher's group pull back together to prove their old mantra, "you don't mess with the special investigators." Through the streets of Las Vegas and beyond, the unit proves the mantra remains true a decade after its last official action. The characters, action, and overall writing style of the Jack Reacher series is great, and I'm pleased to have discovered a new favorite author. (07-31-08)
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie: I read the first in this trilogy ("The Blade Itself") and was quite pleased when this follow-up became available earlier in March. The inquisitor-torturer Glotka returns, sent by the Arch Lector to defend Dagoska from the Gurkish, equipped with no funds and the contempt of the local council. Bayaz continues with with his quest, accompanied by the named man Ninefingers, the she-devil Ferro, and Jezal. Threetrees, Tul, Grim, and Dogman have joined with the army to help repel the Northman, accompanied by Prince Ladisla, a man completely adored by himself and of no use whatsoever in battle. The author does a fantastic job creating a character-driven story, and although I've never been a fan of fantasy, it is very difficult to put there books down. These are just great stories, and there are times where I found myself lost in the scenes that were being painted for me. I've just started "The Last Argument of Kings," the last book of the trilogy and due to be published in the U.S. in 2009 (check www.Amazon.co.uk in the meantime). (03-26-08)
Between the Lines by Jessica Page Morrell: On a recent Sunday morning visit to Borders, I felt that I needed inspiration to get my writing going. Although I have a stack of writing books at home, this one jumped off the shelf at me, and I actually enjoyed reading it (versus feeling like I had to push through). The author uses examples of good writing in both popular novels and movies to help drive home concepts, and I found myself revisiting some of the words that I've already put down. The advice in this book is probably best applied between the first and second drafts, as thinking about these concepts might interrupt the initial thought process where the most important thing is to simply get the words to paper. And, yes, that was a split infinitive, and this sentence starts with a conjunctive. (06-17-08)
The Black Tower by Louis Bayard: Set in the early 1800s, this novel features a once-criminal, now-detective named Vidoqc who is investigating a death in post-Napoleonic France. He pulls Hector Carpentier, a university student and almost-doctor, into the mystery because Hector's name is found in a shoe of the deceased and offers the only clue. Vidoqc shows remarkable skill of observation, and Hector is forced to dig into the life of his father, a former caretaker of Louis-Charles, the son of Marie Antoinette and Louis the Sixteenth. I enjoyed this book, as it was a bit off of the beaten path and it offered a view of France that seemed historically correct (even if it ultimately wasn't). I'll need to go back and read this authoer's prior two books! (09-07-08)
The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver: Brynn McKenzie is a deputy sent to a 911 call at a vacation house in a remote area, and winds up finding a murdered couple and escaping with a their visitor Michelle. Two professional killers are on their trail as Brynn and Michelle fight through the state park, and most of the book highlights the hours spend eluding the killers. This wasn't a bad story, but I tend to dissect characters to figure out why they have to be in the book, and in this case it forecast the conclusion dead-on. Still, it was entertaining, and I will definitely seek out this author again. (11-17-08)
By The Sword by F. Paul Wilson: Foremost, if you're a fan of Repairman Jack, you'll be looking for this book in November. If you need a copy sooner, check out www.GauntletPress.com. The author has again brought a story to a connecting point with a former work, this time touching on his under-appreciated novel "Black Wind." Jack is employed to find a katana, and is still looking for the pregnant girl Dawn, who is in turn hunted by the Kickers. In a note at the end of the book, Wilson briefly discusses bringing the Repairman Jack novels to an end after a few more books, and the reader can see some items getting wrapped up and amplified. This is fast read, but not a good stand-alone book for the unassociated reader - start with The Tomb and move forward! (06-03-08)
Charlatan by Pope Brock: This is the true story of John Brinkley, a medical school dropout who began a practice (despite the lack of a license) dedicated to transplanting goat testicles into men convinced that the surgery would restore their youthful virility. In reality, this and other "treatments" left many men and women maimed or dead as Brinkley expanded his practice to radio shows dedicated to lining his pockets by preying on mass hysteria and offering immediate solutions. Regardless, he almost won the Kansas gubernatorial race at one point, somehow gained many supporters, and made millions during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Dr. Morris Fishbein was his nemesis, an emerging leader in the as-of-yet powerless American Medical Association, and a man dedicated to eliminating the quacks selling patent medications and dangerous gadgets, a man persecuted by part of the medical community that felt he was stealing too much of the spotlight. The truth in this history makes it an interesting book, and a but haunting when you consider that the quackery has changed, but someone is still making millions on infomercial diets and equipment, and people inject themselves with toxins to fix wrinkles! (03-12-08)
The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry: This is not a gentle weekend read, as its 504 pages will take some time to push through, but the journey is worth it. Cotton Malone is back, searching for clues to his father who died in a top-secret nuclear submarine in 1971. Once the classified file is shared, others go on alert as well, including a matriarch whose husband died on the sub and an admiral who was involved in the search party and can't allow the truth to get out. The journey winds through several ancient sites before winding up in Antarctica, and the ending definitely allows for a reappearance of Cotton next year. A new reader will not want to start with this one, but will definitely want to schedule this one in for 2009! (12-14-08)
Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber: Within the first few pages, the lead characters daughter is taken and the kidnapper is taunting her on the phone, forcing her to revisit a killing in her past. The entirety of the story takes place in a Ford Expedition on the back roads of New England, with the kidnapper drawing a specific route that the mother must travel, a route that is eventually revealed to bring the dead back to life. The Ford Expedition becomes a traveling morgue at one point, and the story quickly moves from a run-of-the-mill kidnapping to what could pass as a modern-day Sleepy Hollow piece of folklore. I enjoyed this book, and finished it in the same day I pulled it off of the shelf! (01-19-08)
Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas: For a short book, this is a great noir crime novel with good characters and a relatively complex plot. Robert Rivers has pulled a few robberies with his friend Switch, always planned out in advance. When they rob the Cow Town restaurant, a box in the safe contains twenty grand and a picture of a young Vietnamese girl. Switch goes to Vegas to celebrate, and Robert decides to rob the restaurant owner's, a dirtball named McFadden, house with his friend Reggie, a man of questionable loyalties. While Robert's in McFadden's house, rescuing the girl and liberating some property, McFadden is making some inquiries himself. A series of strikes take place, and although the story needs some "stupid moments" to work (described to me at a writers' workshop as a plot point completely out of the character's normal modus operandi), it doesn't hurt the overall flow and feel of the story. I really enjoyed this book, and finished it in a day of reading. (03-06-08)
The Death Dealer by Heather Graham: Novels are difficult to write - I know, I've tried - and as a result I will usually give an author the benefit of the doubt. This was not a good book, and I had to force myself to the end, hoping all the while that something would change, shock me a bit. Nope. This story hinges on members of a Poe (as in Edgar Allen) Society being killed, and has the stock characters of butler, private investigator, and distressed girlfriend. The dialogue is very disappointing, and in the final eight pages, the killer was revealed with absolutely no build-up, that is, nothing pointed to this character at all. The "paranormal" aspect of the story that initially intrigued me involved a few people that could see ghosts, the latter of which showed up as emergency beacons. This book, in my opinion, held no positive attributes besides the ability of the author to fill nearly 300 pages. (08-08-08)
Die Trying by Lee Child: First, it is true that I have little restraint with this author, as this is the sixth Jack Reacher novel I've read in four months! In this book, Jack is again drawn into a complex situation that starts with the simple kindness of helping someone pickup her dry cleaning. Moments later, Jack and Holly are handcuffed together en route to a militia compound in Montana. All is not what it seems, however, as a special dynamite-lined holding cell has been created for Holly, and Jack is suddenly thrust into a secret battle between the militia leader and the FBI. As with all of this author's novels, the story starts quickly and doesn't slow down, and as with the others, I highly recommend it! (09-11-08)
The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes: Henry Lamb is a file clerk in a typical office building, hiding from a brief career as a child star on the BBC and his not-so-funny-but-often-repeated punch line, "don't blame me, blame Grandpa." He finds himself conscripted into the Directorate and an age-old fight against the royal Windsor family, the latter of which is seeking to bring Leviathan into being. I was pleased to see the Prefects return from Barnes' "Somnambulist," as I enjoyed their wit and (deadly) practical jokes. This book actually just came out in the U.K. and isn't scheduled for release in the U.S. until 2009 (but Amazon UK will ship it). Those readers that enjoy Terry Pratchett or Christopher Moore will enjoy this book! (04-24-08)
Echo Burning by Lee Child: Carmen Greer appears just moments after Reacher needs a ride on a hot Texas road, and her story makes him him want to chance a long walk in the heat. Her husband, who she claims has beat her, is about to be released from prison where he has been sprung early from a tax evasion charge. Carmen has been trolling for men that will help her, and believes Reacher is the one. In a parallel story line, a killing squad has come to Echo, Texas, and appears to be targeting Carmen's daughter. Although this isn't the best Reacher novel, it helped pass five hours on a plane this week. I need to ration the one or two that I haven't read yet - not a new book until June 2009! (11-15-08)
Envy the Night by Michael Koryta: Frank Temple III returns to a remote area of Wisconsin, intent on fulfilling a promise to his dead father, a man with distinguished service in the armed forces but who fell to temptation and became a hired assassin. Devin is the intended target, his father's former colleague and the man that brought him into the business of death-for-hire. A local garage owner, Nora, becomes a target of Devin's people when a Lexus with a tracking device ends up in her body shop, a Frank finds himself included as a target himself when he intervenes in an attack. Ezra still lives at the lake cabin that he, Frank Junior, and Devin bought after serving together in Vietnam, and reluctantly gets involved to make certain that Frank III doesn't follow the path of his father. Confused? There are a number of complex characters in this thin novel, and a few double-crosses that I haven't mentioned here. This book offers a great weekend read, and I'll be checking out Koryta's other offerings (08-31-08)
Final Theory by Mark Alpert: This book has an interesting premise that applies the Da Vinci formula, but instead of a religious quest, this story has a science historian chasing the Einheitliche Feldtheorie, Einstein's unified field theory, the calculations that attach all things. When Einstein's past students start turning up dead at the hands of a mercenary, David Swift ends up at the middle of the quest when the lynchpin of the theory is revealed to him from the deathbed of the last living student. Soon the FBI is chasing him under a cloak of lies created to prejudice the public, and the mercenary Simon is seeking the secret for an unknown employer. This story had promise, and for the most part delivered. The science is not as pervasive as the dust jacket copy may have suggested, and is ultimately not all that important to the plot itself. I'll certainly seek out this author's next book. (07-06-08)
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual by Jonathan Kirsch: I saw this book reviewed, and immediately picked it up. As I suspect is the case with many, my knowledge of the inquisition is rather limited, and probably headlined by Monty Python's "No one ever suspects the Spanish Inquisition" and the story of St. Joan or Arc. The subtitle of this book is "A History of Terror in the Name of God" and this the word "terror" is operational here. The author tracks the history of the Catholic Church using priests, by authority of the popes, to force confessions by any means, including torture and ultimately the stake. Later, Nazis and Stalinists adopted this same approach, and disturbingly, the author shows that water-boarding, a torture method used by American officers, was used by inquisitors in the 1200s. (12-31-08)
Happy Hour is for Amateurs - A Lost Decade in the World's Worst Profession by The Philadelphia Lawyer: You might guess at what that profession is by looking at the author's anonymous nom de plume. This was an interesting book, as it started off tracking the author's journey through law school and into the practice of law, usually focusing on his reliance upon alcohol and pharmaceuticals to get him through the day. By the end of the book, though, the author reaches a certain realization - behind the "prestige" of the law are a lot of unhappy people, worker bees that will never get out off the rut of billable hours. The author graduated law school and passed the bar about the same time as I did, and maybe it struck home a but more for this reason, but if you're doing something you hate everyday, take some initiative and change it! This book isn't for sensitive audiences, but ultimately has a good message and is an entertaining read. (12-18-08)
The Hard Way by Lee Child: This was my third Jack Reacher novel in as many months, and actually I violated a personal rule by reading the same author back-to-back. I am really enjoying this character, however, and Child's writing style is fascinating, low-keyed but spell-binding. In this tale, Reacher is a witness to a ransom drop in a kidnapping, and soon after is trying to figure out who's a friend and who's an enemy, carrying that quest from New York to London. Like Reacher, I was trying to figure it out, and unlike Reacher, I wasn't successful! It's time to move on to another author for awhile, but I'll be itching to get back to Child and my newest favorite character. (08-03-08)
House of Wolves by Matt Bronleewe: This is the author's second novel featuring August Adams, a rare bookseller, and this time August receives a surprise package from his estranged father which contains a copy (or is it) of the Gospels of Henry the Lion. Of course, there must be an evil group searching for the book as well, and in this case it's the Black Vehm, a group that believes that the Gospels will help lead them to religious artifacts hidden by Hitler in underground ice caves carved by the Nazis in Antarctica. Yes, you read that sentence correctly - and it actually works as a guilty two-day read! There are a few silly and unbelievable moments, but the story works in spite of, or maybe because of, these almost-cartoonish interludes. In a world of Da Vinci wannabes, this one is actually worth the time! (08-11-08)
Killing Floor by Lee Child: So, I made it two weeks and four books since my last Jack Reacher book, but the promise of five hours on a plane pulled this off of the shelf. This is actually the first appearance of Jack (even if a latter novel went back to his military days) and at this point he's been out of the Special Investigators for just six months. While sitting at a diner in Margrave, Georgia, Jack is arrested for murder, a shock given his appearance ten minutes earlier. The town is immaculate, thanks to the mysterious Kliner foundation located at the city limits, and even after Reacher is cleared, he finds himself involved with the mystery and Roscoe, a local cop. This novel is written in the first person, unlike the others I've read, which gives interesting insight to the character. These books can be picked up in any order, but I really enjoyed seeing the beginning of Reacher. (08-23-08)
The Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie: I had intended to delay reading this, as it is the last in the trilogy and I was hoping to force myself into a bit of restraint. It is, unfortunately, like knowing there's a bag of chips and telling yourself that an apple's healthier... This is the best fantasy series that I have ever read, and at times transcends the limitations that the genre label sometimes casts. See "Before They Are Hanged" for a review of the characters, and prepare for things to get very dark in this volume! There is a race for the throne, and the usual politicking ensues, but Bayaz has a surprise candidate in mind. In the meantime, Ferro finds her purpose, and a few characters are exposed as being other that what they seem (and that's part of what makes this a great series). Logan Ninefingers is a significant character is this book, and not always for good reasons. I loved this book, and am sorry to see the series end! (04-10-08)
The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw by Bruce Barcott: As a parrot owner (or as one owned by a parrot), this title jumped off the table at Borders. This book tells the story of a dam project in Belize that threatens to wipe out the last natural habitat of this beautiful bird. Sharon Matola, nicknamed the Zoo Lady for her creation and operation of the Belize Zoo, spearheaded a movement to block the dam and its negative impact on the jungle environment, but faced government corruption at every step along the way. The author describes the graft inside the Belizean government, the false environmental impact statements, and the pressure tactics undertaken (including the attempt to locate a landfill directly next to the zoo) to silence what the government termed an ecolonialist, a "outsider" attempting to overrule sovereign law. This is a fantastic, and unfortunately true, story of a government knowingly seeking to move public money into private pockets with absolute disregard for the people or the environment. Anyone interested in parrots or the environment will enjoy this book. (02-23-08)
The Last Oracle by James Rollins: The Sigma Force is back! The Russians are using augmented autistic children, descendants of the Romani Gypsies and the original Oracle, to forecast the future and otherwise being Russia back to its role as a superpower. As with all of Rollins' books, this one offers a fantastic mix of action and storytelling with details that the reader "knows" may be real (in this case, the nuclear contamination around Chernobyl is absolutely true). Although I had a sense for where the story would end up pretty early in, I still enjoyed the book through the last page, and will now eagerly await the next installment in 2009! (06-29-08)
The Law of Second Chances by James Sheehan: I sometimes have difficulty criticizing a book, as anyone that has taken the time to put down 60,000 words demands some respect. Based on the dust jacket, I bought this book, but was quickly weary of the never-ending flashback to the main character's youth and a plot that was never really reached until halfway through its pages. Tobin is a retired lawyer that has taken up a criminal case for the son of an old friend, and it wouldn't be much of a story if there wasn't some type of conspiracy in the background. The plot never really grabbed me - I never believed that it could happen as written. Too much of this story seems to exist only to help the plot along, and I was extremely disappointed by the appearance of a young woman in Tobin's life (spoiler alert - yes - Molly is exactly who you think she is). I wasn't captivated by this story at all - just too much of it was the basic legal fiction outline, and the balance just didn't click for me. (04-17-08)
The Legal Limit by Martin Clark: Phenomenal! Mason and Gates Hunt grow up under an abusive father in Patrick County, but dad vanishes once his boys are old enough to challenge him. Mason goes to law school, but Gates goes a different way, and one night they're together when Gates kills a man on a dark road. The brothers escape detection, and as the years go by, Mason becomes a partner in a major firm before returning to Patrick County as its prosecutor. Gates ends up in jail for 44 years, convicted for drug trafficking, and grows increasingly bitter that his brother won't manipulate the system to get him out of jail. The end is foreseeable, but nonetheless fantastic and satisfying. The characters iare the best developed that I have seen, and the author has managed to create many layers of conflict that keep the story going. I've just ordered Martin's previous two books! Excellent read! (10-15-08)
Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost: I loved this author's first two books, and was intrigued by his decision to follow those tales of the South Pacific with a trip to China. I was disappointed. The first two books were filled with loosely connected stories that were each funny in their own right, but this book was more a beginning-to-end narrative of his trip and lacking in much of the hilarity that made the first two books so attractive. In all, we get a picture where materialism balances with poverty, where the Chinese government has destroyed history, and an underlying sense that each corner houses at least a million people. All true, and all conceptions that I already had before buying this book. It is not a bad book by any means, but when laid up against expectations, it fell short. (07-26-08)
The Lost Tomb by David Gibbins: I picked up this book in the Baltimore airport, needing something to read on my flight back to Cleveland. In a hour of flying, Jack Howard, a marine archeologist, had discovered a shipwreck of the apostle Paul, and flies to Herculaneum to explore a recently-discovered villa, and ultimately a lost library complete with scrolls that could still be read. That was in the first hour of reading. Jack goes on to discover the tomb of a pagan princess in London, to decipher a WWII German code (in California), and to find the cave where Christ was supposedly buried. This book suffers from its own ambition - 2,000 years of lost sites are miraculously found by the same guy in three days. Likewise, many of the dialogues are painful - Jack explaining to his colleagues as an excuse to expose items to the reader. Entertaining? A bit, but I won't be seeking out this author again. (10-26-08)
Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges by Antonin Scalia and Bryan A. Garner: After reading an excerpt of this book in the ABA Journal, I knew I need to have this book. Mr. Garner is the present editor of Black's Law Dictionary, and Justice Scalia is, perhaps, the most eloquent writer on the Supreme Court. Much of the advice in this book isn't new, but it is relevant and pulled together well in this volume. Even though I'm not in practice, the material can be easily applied to business writing and any meeting with colleagues and customers. I definitely recommend this book to anyone practicing law, and anyone (like me) that loves the law but makes a career elsewhere. (05-30-08).
Mort by Terry Pratchett: Mort is the last one standing at the apprenticeship fair, and as midnight rings in, a robed man appears on a stallion to offer him a job. Mort is taken under Death's wing, and screws up on his first night out by taking the wrong person. Discworld wants to make things right, so even though the princess that Mort saved by killing her assassin is technically alive, the universe believes that she has passed. Mort, afraid to tell Death, tries to remedy the situation by involving Death's daughter and a household servant. The universe is having none of it. This was a fun book, and a good example of why Pratchett dominates the cross-over genre of humor and science fiction. (11-25-08)
Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich: Sometimes a stretch of imagination becomes a great adventure story, and this is one of those cases. Ethan Gage, an American apprentice of Ben Franklin, wins a medallion in a card game in France, and within twenty pages is pursued by the Egyptian Rite and framed for a prostitute's murder. His friend, a journalist, finds him passage as a savant on Napoleon's 1798 Egyptian invasion to temporarily escape criminal charges, and en route to the ship, is saved from a coach attack by a band of gypsies and an English spy. Once in Egypt, Gage enslaves, and eventually befriends, two others in battle, and the trio seek the secret of Thoth across the desert, pursued by a madman assassin, the Egyptian Rite, and Napoleon's army. I greatly enjoyed this book, and was thrilled by an ending that tells me that I'll see these characters again! (02-15-08)
The Next Justice by Christopher Eisgruber: This was my first Supreme Court book of the year, and it was a good choice. Instead of reviewing the history of the Court and many of its better-known cases, the author discusses the appointment process for the justices. Starting with the president's decision to pursue an ideological-similar individual that will face a more difficult confirmation, or a moderate that may have an easier path, the author then steers the discussion to the hearing itself. Therein, the Senators ask questions that are themselves often without clear meaning (e.g., what is your judicial philosophy?) and the judicial candidates offer responses that actually answer nothing at all. The author emphasizes that the Senators have a right to real answers, and the right to deny confirmation to those that do not wish to disclose. At the same time, Eisgruber suggests questions that may offer a better glance at the jurist, and perhaps a thinner opportunity for dodging. Great book. (03-01-08)
Nothing to Lose by Lee Child: This was my first novel with this author, and so my first experience with the character Jack Reacher. This is the latest in the series, the 12th book, so I've missed quite a bit of back story but this book reads well on its oown as well. Jack, a wandering former military man, passes through the town of Hope and continues walking the 17 miles to the neighboring town of Despair. While in the latter, he is jailed by the local deputies and returned to the town line of the former. Reacher, having no better place to be, gets involved in finding out what is going on in Despair that makes its police force so efficient at prosecuting "vagrants." I enjoyed the plot, although there were a few moments when the bad guys seem to inexplicably act a bit out of character to continue the story. I will be going back to the first book now so I can catch up with Reacher's history. (06-18-08)
Obedience by Will Lavender: I know this story, and you will as well if you choose to pick up the book. It starts out rather interestingly with a mysterious logic professor at an Indiana University teaching the course with a case study centered on a missing girl that will be murdered if not found by the end of the six-week term. Certainly this requires the reader to suspend disbelief and accept that this exercise has anything to do with a logic class, and the reader probably shouldn't question the six-week term either. Regardless, the story begins to weave the case study with the actual disappearance of a girl some twenty years earlier, and many of those involved seem cross between fiction and reality. For the lead characters, this confusion (and indeed, there will be confusion for the reader as well) causes predictable dysfunction in the final pages. The story starts strongly, but diminishes as the author forces the result, and I figured out where it was going very early in. (02-24-08)
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz: Once again Odd has found trouble where it isn't expected to be - in the California town of Magic Beach where a handshake just a few pages into the story prompts Odd to dive off a pier and hide from the Harbor Patrol. Accompanied by the ghost of Frank Sinatra, Odd thwarts a terrorist attack in a plot that is somewhat attenuated but still interesting. Like all of Koontz' recent books, this can be read in a day or two, is entertaining enough, but is ultimately not great literature. Still, if you're looking for a great summer or weekend read, this is a book for you! (05-22-08)
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: This book received quite a bit of positive press before it was released, and all of it was deserved. The author focuses on what makes someone an outlier, that is, an individual that achieves beyond all others, as well as the reason why individuals with similar intelligence never stretch to their own potential. The answer may be obvious - the successful have opportunities shaped by both their environment (family, education) and plain dumb luck - but Gladwell establishes some guiding principles as well. For example, from computer programming to professional hockey, it seems that 10,000 hours of practice is a hallmark of success (in addition to a good birthday, regular access to a computer or ice rink, etc.). Although it doesn't have all of the answers, it does resonate and just might make you feel a bit better about not being Bill Gates! (11-30-08)
The Party of the First Part by Adam Freedman: After nearly 600 pages of Schulz, I needed something thinner! This book examines legalese and the need to use plain English in its place. It is a pretty basic book, touching on quite a few legal terms of art including a fair bit of "created" Latin phrases that are actually modern-day words made to appear as if they are Latin in origin. The is a certain sense to the Plain English movement, people should understand what they are reading and signing, but as a lawyer myself, I love the elegance of legal prose, fictitious dead languages included! (01-18-08)
Rapture for the Geeks - When AI Outsmarts IQ by Richard Dooling: Back in my high school years, I fully intended on a career in computer programming, but life intervened, and now I'm a finance/sales guy. Still, when I saw this book in a Charlotte airport, I picked it up and finished it on my flight to San Jose yesterday. Great book. A primary focus is Moore's law - how technology is doubling in power every two years, and how at that rate the human mind may be replicated, at least in size and computing power, in the next few decades. Will a computer understand the beauty captured in a painting or a poem? Perhaps not. Will it have the analytical capacity to outthink humans? Quite probably. The book discusses evolution, and the possibility that computers may be the "uberman" of philosophy. This author addresses the topic with a fair bit of humor, but beneath it is a genuine question and concern about our focus on bigger, faster, more powerful - will computers someday dominate mankind in the manner of HAL or the Terminator movies? Is the Singularity near? (11-12-08)
The Reapers by John Connolly: This is a hard novel to classify and describe, but an easy story to follow and enjoy. Louis and Angel are hired killers, handled by men that act as agents and used as simple tools of destruction. A fellow reaper ends up dead in a bar bathroom, stabbed through the heart, and an attempt on associates of Louis and Angel follows. They are hired by the "enemy of their enemy" to hunt down a reclusive criminal boss, and get pinched in the process by a double-cross that lands them in the sights of Bliss, a reaper hired to delete the men that killed his son many years before. This novel holds the reader's attention, and is different than anything I've come across elsewhere. I'd definitely pick up another of this author's books. (08-22-08)
The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich: I was excited to be rejoining Ethan Gage in this sequel to "Napoleon's Pyramids!" An American adventurer, student of Ben Franklin, and accused murderer finds himself still seeking the book of Thoth and his lover Astiza, this time to Jerusalem and Napoleon's Battle of Acre. Gage is a man of many lives, and he spends many of them in this book as he jumps between the English and the French, never with any more committed thought than survival, his friends, and keeping the book out of the wrong hands. This book is a guilty pleasure, some actual history mixed with a great bit of fiction and great storytelling - a good book for a summer weekend. (05-08-08)
Running Blind by Lee Child: Okay, so I figured this one out within the first 100 pages, but it was still fun to read to the end to see if I was right (I was). Reacher ends up over his head a bit after helping out a restaurant owner by "fixing" a few protection racket personnel. The FBI doesn't show the same level of appreciation and pulls Reacher in as an involuntary consultant to find the person that is killing women, a group of women that had a common thread of withdrawal from the army after filing harassment charges. Two early lines gave it away for me, but miss those and the story gets pretty complex. Like most of this author's books, there is a fair bit of misdirection, some of it purposeful as Reacher toys with his FBI captors. This may be the last book for 2008, and if so, it was a good one! (12-28-08).
Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis: FINALLY! I started this book on New Year's Eve, and am so happy to be done with it! 572 pages before an additional 80 of source notes and indices - I'm fairly certain I could go back an find what Mr. Schulz had for breakfast on any random day in 1959. With that said. this was a very good book about a very complex man. Charles Schulz drew over 17,000 comics in his 50 year career and created the characters that have come to mean so much to so many. Yet, he was constantly baffled by the attention he felt was unwarranted, and never felt that he had created a cartoon strip for children, but rather a strip about adults in children's' bodies. It was interesting to read about his clumsiness in relationships, and the way he incorporated events in his life, even hinting at an affair he was involved in at the time. Schulz had a major social impact and created an empire, yet he appeared never at peace with the world. This book made me appreciate the strip even more, as I can see how much Schulz sacrificed for his art. It'll take a week or two, but read this book. (01-13-08)
Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson: Okay, this is technically written for teens, but as it returns to the boyhood days of one of my favorite fictional characters, Repairman Jack, I had to buy it. And heck, it still counts as a 2008 book! It never dawned on me that Jack was a teenager in the early eighties, and I recognized quite a few of the cultural influences from my own teen years. The author did a fine job of showing Jack's background before even Jack knew what was in store, and managed to introduce a bit of the paranormal that follows Jack through life. This was a fun read and a good story while I wait for this June's next Repairman Jack novel. (02-23-08)
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman: The author started his career locally, and came of age in the same rock-inspired environment that I enjoyed. His stories are sometimes tedious, okay often tedious, but I still enjoy the few "I remember that!" moments as I read through various cultural events of my early twenties. The balance of the commentaries read more like personal rants that you might find on any blogging site, not especially witty or good. This almost made the "back on the shelf" list, but I forced myself to finish it. You'd be better served not even starting... (05-01-08)
Shadow of Power by Steve Martini: Foremost, I loved this book! Although I have collected this author for years as a keystone writer of legal fiction, until this book I hadn't found the dust jacket copy that made me pick one off of my shelf. The plot here starts with the murder a law-professor-turned-writer while he was promoting a book criticizing the continued existence of the three-fifths compromise in the Constitution (actually true, even though it is dead law). A member of the Aryan Posse, and the son of Attorney Madriani's friend, is an employee at the hotel, and his fingerprints are on the weapon and his shoeprints are in the pools of blood. Much of the book takes place in the courtroom, but there's a fantastic backstory regarding a swing-justice of the Supreme Court and the mysterious J Letter which purports to spell out the backroom deals of the founding fathers regarding slavery. The writing in this story is very tight, I loved the characters, and for once I was surprised by an author! If you enjoy good legal fiction, a great mystery, or Constitutional history, this is a great book! (07-16-08)
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes: This was quite an entertaining read, and very difficult to classify. The Somnambulist is an eight-foot man with a passion for milk and the uncanny ability to have swords poked through him without harm. Mr. Edward Moon is his partner, a theatric conjurer and investigator of crimes. This story is ripe with fantastic characters, the narrator among them (unknown until the end, he/she promises that most of the book will not be lies), and the plot includes a late-1800s religious cult and a bit of supernatural intervention (Mr. Thomas Cribb claims to pass his life in reverse time, and the Prefects are demon-like assassins in school boy uniforms). I was enthralled and amused by the story, and finished the book inside of 48 hours. I'd highly recommend! (03-03-08)
Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley: President Vandercamp has sent two highly-qualified jurists to the Senate, but Dexter Mitchell, the chair of the Judiciary committee covets the position for himself, and ensures that neither nominee is confirmed. Sound like a dry beginning? Not at all! The president goes a different direction with his third nominee - Judge Pepper Cartwright, star of TV's Courtroom Six (think Judge Judy here). Cartwright's husband is also her producer, and not exactly supportive of losing his start meal-ticket. This book is a well-written piece of comedy which brings the mysterious and often cannibalistic world of Supreme Court confirmations into a first-class bit of humor. (10-03-08)
Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain: Well, it's said that the second book is the most difficult to write, even more so when the first book is a best-seller. This book brings Archie the detective and Gretchen the serial killer back from the first book, with Gretchen in jail and Archie still inexplicably in love with the woman that tortured him. I liked 2007's Heartsick, as the characters were damaged in an interesting way. In this book, they're just damaged, and the book feels shallow as a result. The ending was easily anticipated, and I found myself finishing this book 10 pages at a time - not much interest, just a place I needed to go. Wake up Archie - she's a serial killer, you're a cop - do your job! (09-18-08)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: As did many others, I missed the Harry Potter books as soon as I read the final words, and I was pleased when the release of this book was announced. The book is a collection of wizarding fables, with Beedle taking the role of the Muggles' Aesop, and there is a commentary provided by Dumbledore (18 months before the events of Deathly Hallows). This is a short book, but the stories are good additions to the Potter world and it is difficult to argue that this was just a money grab, as the proceeds are going to The Children's High Level Group, a charity founded by Rowling. It may take you an hour at most to read, but well worth the time and money! (12-06-08)
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris: I don't know if I liked this book. At times, it was funny and the characters in the book are the people we see for eight hours a day with all the usual quirks and dysfunctions. The story is centered on a troubled advertising agency in Chicago that is rapidly running out of work and dismissing staff members. The employees are preoccupied with claiming the left behind furniture and trinkets of their departed colleagues, and frankly, it's just not funny or dramatic. It just is. It is difficult to classify this book, and as I neared the end, I realized that the few moments of humor or excitement were vastly outweighed by the mundane. There are better books out there. (02-06-08)
Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez: Nessy is the unassuming housekeeper to the wizard Margle, an employment contract that's endangered when Margle is eaten a few pages into the book. His castle is inhabited by his past enemies, all transformed into various creatures that are unable to leave the confines of its walls. Their peace is short-lived, as Tiama the wizardess shows up, and it appears that Margle has set a few spells to activate upon his death. This book wasn't as good as Martinez' past works, but it did help pass a flight to Charlotte and back. (11-05-08)
Tripwire by Lee Child: This may be the best Jack Reacher novel yet! Jack is splitting his days digging pools and being a strip club doorman in Key West when suddenly several people come looking for him. He finds himself back in New York, attending the funeral of Leon Garber, his past commanding officer. It soon becomes evident that Leon was helping an older couple track down their son Victor Hobie, lost in Vietnam but never recovered. By coincidence, New York had another Victor Hobie that had set up shop in the World Trade Center, lending money to desperate companies, collecting through blackmail and underhanded techniques. Throw in a romance with Leon's daughter, Jodie, and this story has a great deal of fast-moving conflict. Fantastic! (11-02-08)
Vicious Circle by Mike Carey: Aha, you're saying, this book doesn't come out until July! True, but even its sequel is available in the U.K. presently, and I couldn't wait. This is a familiar theme this year! This book rejoins Felix Castor, an exorcist in a society where Parliament is debating the rights of the dead, but he finds himself in quasi-partnership with the succubi Juliet that attempted to -- ahem -- eat him in "The Devil You Know." As odd as it sounds, this was actually a well-crafted story wherein both a group of Satanists and a fringe group of the Catholic Church (assisted by were-persons) are seeking the ghost of a little girl, one intent on feeding her as a sacrifice to Asmodeus, the other on excommunicating her to close the door to Hell. A dark outline, to be certain, but the characters carry the story with a bit of wit, and the author has crafted a great book. (05-20-08)
The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld by Terry Prachett: This is a fantastic book containing quotes out of Pratchett's Discworld series, and the author is a true master of sarcastic wit. I've always enjoyed his characters, and I've read several of the books quoted within this tome, but I couldn't pass up a collection of his finest wordplay. For example, "The speaker was Duke Vassenego, one of the oldest demons. How old, no one knew. But if he didn't actually invent original sin, at least he made one of the first copies." So much better than "he was really old," yes? This book will force the reader to laugh out loud, and there are some jokes that may not sink in until four pages later. This is a great introduction to Pratchett's world, and is a great weekend read. (01-26-08)
Without Fail by Lee Child: I didn't read this book, so I can't count it towards my 2008 quota, BUT having found myself facing nine hours on the road today, I picked up this Reacher book-on-CD to keep me awake. I was so entertained that I drove four hours without realizing that I had failed to stop for coffee! Jack is called upon by his deceased brother's ex-girlfriend, now a Secret Service member in charge of the VP's security detail, to conduct a security audit in the face of a threat to kill her charge. Jack pulls in his past colleague Neagley, and together they chase down multiple leads that lead them to a final showdown in Wyoming. Even the abridged CD version contains enough action to keep me enthralled, and I will definitely read the full version in the near future to see what's different! (08-12-08)
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass: I am a sucker for a book about writing, as it is an easy excuse for avoiding the actual turmoil of putting words down on paper. This was actually a helpful guide, as it got me thinking about ways to improve the words I've already written, and got me excited about finally finishing the novel. Although the examples are now somewhat dated (the book was written in 202 and frequently uses books that I've read but forgotten), the passages do provide good examples of what, and what not, to do. I look forward to putting these learnings into practice. (09-30-08)
Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz: I didn't have the highest hopes for this book, as the guy-haunted-by-girl-that-donated-his-heart has been done before. It was better than I hoped, but far from my favorite Koontz story. Ryan Perry, a wealthy dot-com developer, suffers a heart attack while surfing and theorizes that his servants or girlfriend may have poisoned him. After a few Learjet hops, private eyes, and a donor heart, Ryan begins to experience "odd" happenings. I enjoy most of the characters that Koontz brings to life, but everyone in this novel was flat (and please, no more Golden Retrievers - we get that you love them!). Again, this isn't a bad book, but less than expected from this master. (12-01-08)

Back on the shelf, for now...

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...

The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett et al: My fitness club offered a class taught by a friend and coworker, and I decided that I needed a challenge in 2008! Running 26.2 miles seemed to be a mental and physical goal worthy of exploration, and this book helps train for both elements. I have discovered, however, that I have quite a few competing priorities this year, and as I'm now teaching the morning of the marathon, I am holding off until 2009.
The Supreme Court - An Essential History by Peter Hoffer et al: I've been wanting to pick this book up for quite some time, but with so many other books needing read, it kept sitting on the shelf. I'm reading this one around other books, but have thus far enjoyed it tremendously!