I've read all the Spencer novels. With only one or two exceptions, they all provide "fun reads, decent dialogue" and they go surprisingly quickly. I just saw he has another one completed posthumously by another writer. I'll get around to the Jesse Stone novels one of these days.
The only book by Robert B. Parker I've read is Appaloosa, first of four "Cole & Hitch" western novels. It was a fun read (and enjoyable film starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger, and Jeremy Irons -- the film was amazingly true to the novel, down to the dialogue). I've been meaning to get to the other three.
nah. it was royalstilton, as well you know. he was far more clever than the current version. smelled the same, pretty much...
Continues the story of Malgwyn ap Cuneglas, counselor to King Arthur, as he attempts to unravel several intertwined mysteries.
I find the regular size edition daunting enough, but I am going to finish it one of these days, or weeks....or months.
Nick Cave: Sinner Saint: The True Confessions edited by Mat Snow Horrible cover, horrible title, but fascinating content assuming you're into Nick Cave. It's an edited anthology of interviews over the course of Cave's entire career. It goes as far back as The Boys Next Door and through the Birthday Part, Bad Seeds and Grinderman and includes interviews about his novels, screenwriting, etc. The most interesting are the transcribed Q&As where you get to read his words in context. He seems to have been subject to a lot of sensationalist writing in the past so those were the best IMO.
The college where I used to work had this book in the library: IIRC, Nick's contribution was pretty interesting.
Enough people have expressed surprise that I've never read any novels by this guy, some I'm going to rectify the situation. First up: On deck... Sometime next week, most likely:
I was a sub at a local HS yesterday and the 10th graders were reading F451. I read the section where Montag first goes to Faber's apartment aloud. Of the major dystopic novels of the era, I like F451 the second best, after BNW.
Collectively, this board ain't reading as much as it used to.... I finally got through (most of) the short stories of O Henry. Probably would have been better off reading a more edited selection of his stories. He is a joy to read, but there was a lot I was just chugging through, and if it didn't have a memorable hook like in 20 Years Later, then I didn't really give the story a second glance. Anyway, the son received this as a graduation award, and surprisingly I've never read it either, usually hating sequels and all... Edit: Woo hoo, I finally learned how to insert a pic into a post. What a technotard am I...
Did the audio version of this one. Read by the author and John Bedford Lloyd. Mr Lloyd did a decent job with the read, albeit attempting a version of an attempt at The Mick's Texas drawl used whenever he directly quoted Mantle. Ms Leavy also tried to use a lower register, gruff voice when quoting Mickey, but it just succeeded in sounding weird. Mickey Mantle was my boyhood idol and still my pick as the best ever on the field. This is a warts-and-all bio, but if you were a baseball fan of the 50s and 60s it is worth a read.
Got this book for Christmas. Very strange book to get into, I've tried on three occasions, but it seems like it's sticking now. 10 Billion Days and 100 Billion Nights -- Ryu Mitsuse
A Spiritual Renegade's Guide to the Good Life I'm only about 25% in so far, but it's pretty good. The writing is damn clunky in places, but it's easy to follow and makes some interesting points. (Of course, I'm also not the self-help book kind of person, so I'm not sure how I should judge it. Y'know?)
Judging by the readers of self-help books that I know, I believe you are not supposed to be judgmental at all.
A Map of Time by Felix Palma. Only in the Jack the Ripper section so far, but I'm looking forward to meeting HG Wells and the other figures from the era who also become involved in the story.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami I finally dove in last night. Only a few chapters into its 950 pages, but I'm really liking it so far.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami I finally dove in last night. Only a few chapters into its 950 pages, but I'm really liking it so far.
Bill Bryson's biography (such as can be written) of Shakespeare. Pretty decent and entertaining, unlike, say Stephen Greenblatt's Woill in the World Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels, which is basically the Dharma Bums: The Director's Cut[/img]. Up there with Big Sur as my favorite JK book. Not sure what's on deck. My wife and I are moving and my books are in boxes. Time to finally start using that Kindle I loaded with free stuff (124 items for which I think I paid a total of $10 so far).