What are you currently reading?

[QualityBookReviews]

An open discussion on what everyone is currently reading. Make recommendations to others, discuss what is new, hot, bestsellers, anything and everything related to books and the authors.

[Stewart Spaull]

Currently reading "Red or Dead", David Peace's latest book. It's not a crime novel, but his style is there! I'm not into football at all, but it's a compelling read. 

[iabanon]

Just finished Ghosts by Jim Butcher The Dresden Files and now onto Cold Days. I love this series, but his grammar and spelling are devolving, which is very disappointing. He needs to edit and he needs his editor to damned well edit. It's starting to make me cringe. Still LOVE the series though. 

[MC - Tina]

Tell Me, Pretty Maiden by Rhys Bowen.  A bit of a slump round pg. 56 or so but I pushed on and it's picking up.  Enjoy.

[Celia Cummings]

I've been on a bit of a Karin Slaughter binge. I'm becoming quite attached to Will, Sara, Lena etc, but I've been reading out of sequence and so feels a bit disjointed in terms of the characters and how they're linked.

Had a break from them and read Merry Christmas Alex Cross. These stories are becoming quite predictable and sort of...lazy? JP must be able to rattle off an Alex Cross book in no time at all. Finished it in 2 evenings.

Back to some more Slaughter tonight :)

[I. J. Parker]

Halfway in a very interesting book: Resurrectionist by James McGee.  The author writes extremely well (a rarity in historical novels).  This one is not for the squeamish. Grave robbers, madmen, dissectionists, murderers, crucifixions all play out in the lower depths of 18th c. London. But as I said: it's very well written and holds one's interest.

[Susan]

Just finished Butcher's Moon by Richard Stark, aka Donald Westlake. He's a great writer and I enjoyed most of the book. Parker, his series protagonist, takes on the mob to rescue his partner. Unfortunately, for me anyway, a cast of thousands arrived at the end and I didn't care about any of them. It ended predictably, with lots of dead bodies. Might try another based on the slick writing. Has anyone else read this book?

[Julian Donn]

The fifth in Peter May's China thrillers, "The Runner".

This guy can REALLY write.

[MC - Tina]

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen.  A good one.

[Susan]

I asked for and received Five Days at Memorial for Christmas. The story of what happened at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans after Katrina reads like a thriller. Riveting. What happens to the 250 patients in a hospital 8 stories high when the electricity goes out? No elevators. No A/C. Temperatures hover around 100 degrees. The levees break and floodwaters surround the hospital. The generators fail. Pleas for help to evacuate the patients are largely ignored. Armed gangs loot two nearby drugstores.

Many patients died, some of drug overdoses. Then came the lawsuits.I confess to having more than a passing interest in the story. I lived in New Orleans for 9 years and visited that hospital and doctors offices many times.

The author, Sheri Fink, has a medical degree and has won a Pulitzer Prize for her articles. See more here

Five Days At Memorial

[WestTexas - Jared]

Since it's the holidays, I wanted fun reads. Two days ago I finished Ben Rehder's 'Holy Moly.' It's the last book in the series at this point, but the books are hilarious. I've read every one up to this point.

The other book that I'm nearly done with I got at a used book store....on a whim. Better than I thought it would be. It's a keeper. Written by Geoffrey Norman. The title is 'Sweetwater Ranch.'

[I. J. Parker]

Just put aside (tossed) two highly praised Scandinavian novels, one by Lene Klaaberbol and Agnete Friis: DEATH OF A nIGHTINGALE;  the other by jens Lapidus: NEVER FUCK UP. I daresay the title on the second guaranteed instant reader interest.

The first book is about the suffering of immigrant women and children in Sweden, the theme a repeat of THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE, their previous book. Sorry, but I don't believe it and I'm tired of agenda books directed at female audiences. 

The second appears to be hard-boiled crime tracing the path of a young criminal to disaster. I don't need this either.  I don't care about young criminals.

As far as I'm concerned, the new Scandinavian novels are overrated because of previous bestsellers.

[MC - Tina]

Finished Royal Blood now on Naughty In Nice.  Both books by Rhys Bowen.