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.

[I. J. Parker]

I want to read this.

[Suzanne]

Now I'm reading Karin Fossum's "The Water's Edge." Fossum is absolutely the best of the Nordic-Mankell-wannabe's. She captures the moodiness of rural Scandanavia; her characters (even the villains) are emotionally isolated individuals doing the best they can. In an earlier book, her bank robber shouts at his unwanted hostage, "What were you doing in the bank at that hour of the morning anyway?" In another book, they never find the murderer. Fossum has written about six books, and all were pleasurable to read.

[I. J. Parker]

Fossum is very good.

[Stephanie Padilla, Editor-NewMysteryReader.com]

I have to say, I haven't been able to sink my teeth into Fossum's books. However, the Nordic author Asa Larrson really does the trick, bringing up the setting and isolation of the characters that Suzanne mentions. Worth reading....

[I. J. Parker]

Ah. Don't know Larsson. Will look for his. Alvtegen is quite good also.

[I. J. Parker]

Ooops! That Larsson! Read the first one, GIRL WITH THE DRAGON tATTOO, and thought it greatly overrated. I must be blocking out his name.

[HappyRuby]

Me too. I have it on my list to buy the next time I get books. I am reading DoubleBack by Libby Fischer Hellman. It is off to a good start but I wish I had read the earlier books that involve this character.

[I. J. Parker]

Just finished: John Lescroart, THE MOTIVE. My first experience with this author who writes a combination of police procedural and legal thriller, sort of "Law and Order". People Magazine says "Breakneck pacing," (I found it a bit of a slog, as the British say), "Electrifying courtroom scenes" (Hmm.), "A cast of richly crafted characters." (Actually mostly stock characters). And the ending is exceedingly remote and far-fetched. He's a NYT bestselling author, so I don't mind pointing these things out.

[I. J. Parker]

Paulo Coelho, THE WINNER STANDS ALONE. (from the Portuguese). Never read Coelho and expected to be pleased. Big disappointment. This is another serial killer thriller written for the braindead. This one isn't even remotely believable. But, mind you, Coelho has sold more than 100 million copies of his books worldwide and is translated into 68 languages. The blurbs are interesting in that thay avoid comments about quality and instead speak of "publishing phenomenon," "one of the world's most successful writers," and "exceptional writer." Clever devils, those reviewers. :)

[p-squared]

Fiction: Just finished Jack McDevitt, "Eternity Road" - one of his oldest I believe.

I read his "A Talent For War" a long time ago and didn't really appreciate it, but I recently rediscovered it and now realize how very good it was. I'm not a sci-fi/fantasy lover at all; I just can't suspend belief long enough to get into aliens and ray guns and all that. Somehow McDevitt creates stories that are human enough that I find myself accepting them; I guess it's the serious amount of real science he weaves in.

Anyway, I decided to go back and read everything he's written, which is how I ended up at "Eternity Road". Sorry Jack, not your best, a "B" at best for a quest theme. This won't stop me seeking out and reading the rest, however.

Non-fiction: Thomas Sowell, "Applied Economics". Dr. Sowell is one of the most intelligent and most common-sensical people on the planet in my opinion, so I highly recommend this one. While everyone else was having fun in college, I was slogging through a gazillion credit hours of economics and business classes, and I sure wish I'd been reading this one back then.

[minervaK]

Just finished 'Everything but the Squeal' by Timothy Hallinan. I've got to say, I don't know why this guy isn't more well-known, he's an awesome writer. I recommend him to anybody who's a fan of the L.A. greats (Chandler, et. al.).

MK
www.minervakoenig.com

[HappyRuby]

When was this written? I just read the Bangkok series with Poke Rafferty.