Current Non-Genre Reading III

[kennychaffin]

Finished Demon Copperhead - Great!! and now reading it's co-Pulitzer winner Trust.

 

[Westy]

Finished the 10th book in the Mitch Rapp spy thriller series, Protect & Defend - probably the fastest paced of all the series (and most violent) as Mitch hunts down the kidnapped CIA director in Iran; a great read overall with the author at the top of his game at the time.

 

[blailock]

Finished The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly. This is the 5th Mickey Haller novel, and is a good one. Recommended.

 

[pogopossum]

Interesting choice by blailock. I've been reading Harry Bosch novels by Michal Connelly. (Half a dozen over the past 5 weeks) Bosch is the half brother of Mickey Haller, the protagonist in blailock's book. The appearances by Haller in the Bosch books present him as a barely principled lawyer perfectly willing to use misdirection, media publicity, and court tactics to get his client off. Bosch by contrast is a straightforward cop, willing to put in long hours and to put himself in danger to bring malefactors to justice. But never to stretch the truth. He is also a master at finding and following through on overlooked details in an investigation. Generally the Bosch novels are considered to be among the best police procedurals written. Perhaps I should read blailock's book focusing on Haller, to get a more positive take on the character. I ordered it.
The Bosch's focus is on the dregs of society, both in the criminals (often bent cops) and their victims. Not happy or amusing, but very well written,

 

[Ropie]

I read a review of Kala by Colin Walsh, which described it as being similar to The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This was enough for me to try a sample on Kindle and I am pleased to say I have been sucked into it. I'd say it's part Tartt, part David Mitchell, told from an Irish POV, and I think it's going to be exactly what I have been wanting to read!

 

[blailock]

I finished The Burning Room. This is another Harry Bosch novel. It's a standard Bosch story which means it's pretty good.

 

[pogopossum]

As predicted, read the Connelly, Gods of Guilt. Okay, but I still much prefer the Bosch character over Haller, his half-brother lawyer.. Oddly, of the 8-10 Bosch's that I've read over the past six weeks, haven't read The Burning Room. I am sure that I will soon. My favorite Bosch lately has been A Darkness More Than Night, which introduces a couple of new characters.
Basically, you can't go wrong with any of them. I tend to prefer the earlier books where he is still an LA detective, rather than the later which has him as a semi-freelance.
Pick up one used for a buck, or better yet (my constant admonition) use the library.
SFF is still my love, but getting away for a while is a relaxing change.

 

[Raf]

Just finished Glendy Vanderah's. "Where the Forest Meets the Stars". Joanna Teele is a working on her graduate thesis studying nesting birds in southern Illinois when coming home one evening and finding a nine year old girl in her backyard. Barefoot and clad in dirty pajamas, the girl claims to be a being from the pinwheel galaxy come to earth to study humans. She must witness 5 miracles in order to progress on her planet.

Naturally, Joanna and eventually her neighbor Gabriel Nash must come to terms with the presence of a child who has, so far, successfully avoided contact with law enforcement. And her story...is it true or not? Both adults, in their personal lives, trying to come to terms with cancer in the case of Joanna and depression in the case of Gabriel. Brought together by this child. Who is either a troubled child or something else altogether.

In any case, it is a human, heartfelt & touching story. Yet, even at the end of the story, I'm still not sure if should post this in the fantasy, science fiction or general thread. I opted for here, though it could just as easily be either of the other two.

 

[blailock]

As predicted, read the Connelly, Gods of Guilt. Okay, but I still much prefer the Bosch character over Haller, his half-brother lawyer.. Oddly, of the 8-10 Bosch's that I've read over the past six weeks, haven't read The Burning Room. I am sure that I will soon. My favorite Bosch lately has been A Darkness More Than Night, which introduces a couple of new characters.
Basically, you can't go wrong with any of them. I tend to prefer the earlier books where he is still an LA detective, rather than the later which has him as a semi-freelance.
Pick up one used for a buck, or better yet (my constant admonition) use the library.
SFF is still my love, but getting away for a while is a relaxing change.

I agree with you, Pogo. I prefer the Bosch books over the Haller ones, but I still enjoy the Haller books a lot. I'm trying to work my way through all of the Connelly books in order, so I just read them as they are listed.

 

[Raf]

Started a historical fiction novel called "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts. Historical in the sense that it takes place in the 1980's. A semi-autobiographical / fiction piece about a Australian criminal that escapes a high security prison in Australia and ends up in India leading back to a life a crime. The author says the book contains a framework for his life story but with some real and fictional characters.

We'll see. But it is a deep delve into a culture I'm less familiar with, so it's really interesting there. Will review after I finish.

 

[blailock]

Finished The Crossing. This is another Harry Bosch story, but I think this is one of the best. It's got Haller in it, and Bosch is kind of working for Haller. "Crossing" to the other side of the aisle. Highly recommended.

 

[suciul]

Finished For All the World: Cullen's Celtic Cabaret Book 1 by J. Grainger and it was an excellent book with lots of narrative energy and very hard to put down;

Excellent series beginning - set in Ireland, on the Western Front in France 1917-18, and in post war London with an aside in Valencia, the book follows a few intriguing characters - Peter Cullen of the title, a handsome young man from a poor Dublin family saddled with a brutal alcoholic father who doesn't take well at Peter's acting aspirations especially when by chance he once plays Lady Macbeth, May Gallagher, a very strong-willed girl from a middle-class Dublin family who is in love with Peter and is willing to do anything it takes to marry him, Nick Gerrity (actually the honorable Vivian Nicholas Shaw, 3rd son of an Anglo-Irish baronet who decides to run away and enlist as a private after all the derision got from both of his parents for his stammer and musical inclinations), his love interest, Celine the beautiful and musically talented daughter of a French innkeeper near the front lines and a few others - Italian, Spanish, Scottish etc who bond in the trenches and have big dreams of making it into the show biz after the war.

With pages turning by themselves and ending at an excellent TBC point, For All the World is another excellent offering from the author, and A Beautiful Ferocity, its sequel another highly expected novel

 

[Raf]

Finished Gregory David Roberts semi-autobiographical work, "Shantaram". After escaping from a high security prison in Australia, Lin acquires a fake New Zealand passport and ends up , on the run, in the city of Bombay, India.

With Interpol hot on his heels, he vanishes into the city slums and criminal world of Bombay. And begins a new life journey that eventually takes him from a running a free clinic in the worst slums of Bombay to fighting the Russians on the Roof of the World in Afghanistan. Guided both physically and spiritually by Kader Khan. An enigmatic Indian Mafia Boss and troubled by a fiery relationship with another outlawed expat known as Karla.

Pushing close to a thousand pages, it is a highly detailed exploration of living, working and dying in Bombay, but eventually coming to love the city. Taking place in India in the 80's during the time of Indira Gandhi and some time after her murder by her Sikh bodyguards. A Bombay of thieves, murderers, drug dealers, Islamic soldiers, refugees from all over Asia, Bollywood movies, honor & dishonor, religion and history.

A bit later in history than my usual reads, but definitely in the historical fiction genre. Really good story for cultural immersion.

There is another book that takes the story further. But I think the author left this one at the right place and time. I'll probably get around to checking out the 2nd one. But I need a break from this story for a bit.

 

[blailock]

Finished The Wrong Side of Goodbye. This is another Bosch novel with a little bit of Haller sprinkled in. This one, like The Crossing, was outstanding. Highly recommended.

 

[Westy]

Finally got around to reading The Godfather by Mario Puzo - it was good, but I was expecting better.

The good is of course the charismatic Don himself; and most of the other characters are also well drawn and engaging. There's great tension in a number of scenes, and the progression of the quiet and disengaged Michael Corleone into the new Don was well plotted.

But there was also the not so good - a number of drawn out chapters on characters that had little relevance to the main story - singer Johnny Fontane being one of them. There was also a lot of detail on daily of lives of main characters that slowed the pacing. And, although it was written in 1969, the objectification of women is in your face for much of the book.

This was on of the rare cases for me where the movie was much better than the book.

 

[Raf]

Just finished, "The Secret Wisdom of the Earth" by Christopher Scotton. Coming of age story taking place in the small Appalachian town of Medgar, Kentucky. Kevin Gilhooly and his Mom have come back to Medgar to spend the summer with her father. Kevin's Grandfather, a country Veterinarian.

On the heels of the horrific, accidental death of Kevin's younger brother. Kevin's mother has sunk so far into depression that Kevin is left much to himself. Soon, he meets and becomes friends with Buzzy Fink. A child of hillbillies with a innate knowledge of the mountains and their ways. The boys become fast friends and begin exploring the hills together.

That summer embraces a well paced story of the meaning of friendship, coal mining, racism, courage and even murder. And eventually...redemption. Kevin's Grandfather, Arthur Peebles, is the epitome of Grandfather-ness. I think he will become an all time favorite character for me.

 

[Raf]

Started,"Marching With Caesar" by R.W. Peake. I was looking for something similar to the "Long War and was perusing Reddit. Started a conversation with a gentleman over there in the Historical Fiction" thread and he recommended this one. I recommended he try the Long War series. Which he is reading now.

This series is reasonably priced on Amazon. Most of the novels are under $5.00. Got the first one, "Marching With Caesar: Birth of the 10th Legion" for $2.99. It is the prequel or early life of the MC (Titus Pullus) in the apparently multi-generational series. Will review when I finish.

 

[Ropie]

There is another book that takes the story further. But I think the author left this one at the right place and time. I'll probably get around to checking out the 2nd one. But I need a break from this story for a bit.

I felt the same when I read Shantaram. It's hard to put down but a hectic, violent and very draining story.

I've started another Iris Murdoch, The Sacred and Profane Love Machine. An absolutely great title, and so far a deeply scathing insight into the usual Murdochian troubled middle classes.

 

[Raf]

Started,"Marching With Caesar" by R.W. Peake. I was looking for something similar to the "Long War and was perusing Reddit. Started a conversation with a gentleman over there in the Historical Fiction" thread and he recommended this one. I recommended he try the Long War series. Which he is reading now.

This series is reasonably priced on Amazon. Most of the novels are under $5.00. Got the first one, "Marching With Caesar: Birth of the 10th Legion" for $2.99. It is the prequel or early life of the MC (Titus Pullus) in the apparently multi-generational series. Will review when I finish.

Finished this one last night. Titus Pullus, now retired after 60 years with the Legions is relating his early life and eventual joining to the 10th Legion to his secretary. A largely first person narrated tale. But still a good read. One nitpick is I would like to see the development of more conversation in the story as it proceeds.

I did read that the author had several books in the series under his belt then decided to write about the early lives of Titus & his boyhood friend Vibius after fans asked for more history on the pair. So I get the feeling that this is that re-telling more than a normal offering. But we'll see, I suppose.

Great story so far. Certainly good enough to continue to the next. I also like the pricing on these books. Most are under $ 5.00.

 

[suciul]

Finished The Armor of Light (Kingsbridge 4) by K Follett and it was excellent, a masterpiece of storytelling that is hard to put down; my Goodreads review is below:

While more inwardly oriented than the previous Kingsbridge novels - taking place from 1792 till the battle of Waterloo with a sort of epilogue set in the next few years, the novel doesn't really move out of the town until the last part with a few scenes set in the Spanish campaign of 1813 and then in Belgium in 1814-15- the book is a masterpiece of storytelling as one must turn the pages to see what's next; with the usual ensemble cast from all classes, women and men, straight and gay, rich and poor, good and bad, there is a lot of focus of the class struggle developing between the burgeoning working class and the new industrialists, especially once machines that may take workers out of some jobs, though of course creating others at the same time, are introduced and later keep improving and expanding their scope.

The writing style is very familiar and it actually reminded me more of the Century Trilogy than the earlier Kingsbridge novels - maybe because we are now on the cusp of modernity and society is much more familiar - though again everything is focused more on the everyday lives and struggles of the characters, rather than on historic events and personages who appear rarely though of course their influence is felt throughout the novel - most notably Napoleon, Pitt and Wellington, the last one being the only one that interacts with some of our cast.

Highly recommended for pure energetic and engaging storytelling at its best