Book-A-Month

I may have mentioned earlier that I made a commitment to read at least one book that I already own each month. This doesn't count any new books I buy or ones people give me, but ones I've already had (I have over 100 to choose from). I read more than one book a month, but at least one of them has to be one from this library I already own. You may know my syndrome - the book buying syndrome. I buy books and have them to read, but then I get ones from the library or new books come out or a friend loans me a book. So, the ones I already have get put aside. And my mentality is always "I own that one; I can read it any time I want to." Well, if I don't get to reading some of them, they'll have to bury me with them so I can read them in the next life! That was the reason for the commitment. I've been keeping up so far, but I was able to read two in December, so I need to alter my list.

My original list was:

December - Bones to Ashes (Kathy Reichs)
January - The Great Santini (Pat Conroy)
February - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (John Berendt)
March - Black Echo (Michael Connelly)
April - Faithless (Karen Slaughter)
May - Sacred (Dennis Lehane)

So, December and January I read my chosen books. I also read Black Echo in December. I'm going to get my fill of John Berendt as I'm presently reading his City of Falling Angels for my book group. I was thinking I might put the next Harry Bosch book in for March, but I would also like to get started on Alafair Burke. I have all four of her books and haven't had a chance to start them yet. Therefore, my revised and updated list now looks like this:

February - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (John Berendt)
March - Judgement Calls (Alafair Burke)
April - Faithless (Karen Slaughter)
May - Sacred (Dennis Lehane)
June - Atonement (Ian McEwan)
July - Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)

We'll see how this goes. Of course, if I have time for more than one of my "owned" books, I'll definitely fit them in. But there are a number of books coming out this year that I'm interested in as well. The one I blogged about yesterday from the NYTimes website is one, Linda Fairstein's Killer Heat comes out in March, Robert Crais has a new Elvis Cole novel due out the beginning of June or July, Michael Koryta has Envy the Night coming out in August, and I'm interested in reading John Grisham's new novel The Appeal. I requested it from the library, but it'll be awhile before I get it. I'm about 1200 on the list!

I was reading about this debut novel, Beautiful Children, on the New York Times website. It looks intriguing, and I thought I'd share the article with you. I want to check into this book!

Charm City by Laura Lippman

This is the second installment in Lippman's Tess Monaghan series. I listened to it on audiobook. The reader was very good, Debra Hazlett.

In this novel, Tess is hired to find out who snuck a controversial story into the Boston newspaper when it wasn't supposed to be printed. A parallel plot dealing with Tess's Uncle Spike also takes place. The two really have no connection outside of Tess looking into them.

I had my worries about this book at the beginning. Tess was an anti-dog person, but by the end she was in love with her new greyhound friend, Esskey.

I found the plot to be just o.k. It was an enjoyable book to listen to, but nothing really grabbed me and made we NEED to find out what happens next. I think a lot of that may have to do with my lack of connection with Tess. She came across as flat. The irony wasn't lost on me when Tess, the one who harped on Crow's age, turned out to be the more adolescent of the two when it came to emotional connection. So at least she exhibited some human growth.

The conclusion left me saying, "Really? Come on! That was a bit disappointing." So, no, I didn't see it coming, but I had trouble buying it, too. I won't elaborate here so as to avoid spoilers. I actually was more interested in the subplot dealing with Spike, and that plot ended up being rather insignificant with a quiet end. I almost think the plots needed to be their own books with each one elaborated a bit more.

I loved the characters of Whitney - the shotgun wielding reporter friend - and Tommy, the rather exotic partner of Spike's. Crow was also a rather dynamic character who didn't fit neatly into any stereotypes. But Esskey stole the show for me.

The Great...Pat Conroy

Years back I discovered Pat Conroy while I was searching for short stories to use with my summer school English class. There was an excerpt from The Prince of Tides in one of the text books I was using as a resource. I fell in love with his use of language...the poetry of his prose...and I picked up the whole book. The Prince of Tides led me to Beach Music and then on to The Lords of Discipline. Right after The Lords of Discipline, I searched high and low trying to get a copy of The Boo. I finally managed to find one from a distant library that loaned it to my library so I could read it. Every time I read a Pat Conroy novel, I thought it was better than the last - but that could be a mere proximity issue. If I went back and read Prince of Tides again, I would probably think it the best simply because it was closest in my memory. BUT, that distinction belongs to The Great Santini at present.

The Great Santini is the story of a Marine jet pilot and his family. As in Conroy's previous books, the male characters battle with the role society demands they play. While Bull Meecham isn't Conroy's usual "southern" male (he's originally and proudly from Chicago), he is a son of one of the strongest "machismo" organizations in our country - the U.S. Marines. And Bull is a GREAT Marine - he's strict; he's tough; he follows orders and gives orders; and above all, Bull's always out to win. But these characteristics that make a great Marine, don't necessarily make a great family man.

Bull is married to Lillian, the ultimate southern "lady." Conroy's southern "ladies" usually prefer to hide issues going on in the family and pretend as though nothing is wrong. Lillian follows that prototype. So, when the alcoholic macho Marine and the southern "lady" combine, the sparks must escape somewhere, and that somewhere is through their children.

Ben and Mary Ann are the two oldest Meecham children. They are battling to find their identity in a truly "dysfunctional" environment. But, as with Conroy's other novels, this story is not as simple as good and bad. Life never is that simple. Most of Bull's behavior towards his family seems "bad", destructive. And Lillian continues to tolerate it and stay. But both parents desperately love their children, their family. The reader sees this in various places throughout the novel: Bull buying roses for Mary Ann; Lillian cheering Ben to a basketball victory over Bull. They are just stuck in the dilemma that our society has created - the characteristics of a good Marine are not those of a good father; the characteristics of a fine southern "lady" don't allow her to admit problems and seek help outside the family.

One of the most poignant points in the novel for me was when Bull returned home late and drunk. A fight broke out between Lillian and Bull, and he began hitting her. All the children rushed down except Ben (the oldest). Ben wished that Lillian would just avoid the confrontation, not provoke it. But he relents and goes down to trade places with Lillian and become the target of his father's aggression. Eventually Bull storms out of the house. When he doesn't return, Lillian sends Ben out to find him. When Ben does find Bull, he tells his father that the loves him. Bull's response is to run away from Ben. I think this episode illustrates Conroy's theme more than anything. While Lillian has just been abused by her husband, she still fears for his safety and desires his return to the home. Bull fears the love of his family and possibly not being able to live up to that love so he runs from it. And Ben is constantly torn between these two; he loves his parents, despite his desire not to.

While Ben is often the center of attention in the family, Mary Ann feels overlooked - invisible. She doesn't believe she can live up to her mother's beauty, and she cannot have the attention from her father that Ben receives because Ben is the "sports star" and the oldest boy. So she reverts to schemes that earn her negative attention. After all, negative attention is better than no attention at all.

Conroy's characters are so rich, so true to life, you can imagine them in people you know...maybe even in yourself. But more than anything, these characters make you look beyond the surface. You see what makes them tick and your realize that it isn't as simple as either liking or disliking the character. They are too real for that!

Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke

I enjoy listening to books on audio as well as reading them, especially since I have to drive 45 minutes one way to work. This is how I read Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke. Mark Hammer gives voice to the characters in Burke's tenth Dave Robicheaux novel, and he does a phenomenal job.

One of the things I like best about the Dave Robicheaux novels is the fact that Dave isn't a comedic character. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorite characters are ones that are constantly cracking jokes (Elvis Cole, Lincoln Perry). But Dave is set apart from these characters with his serious nature. He is plagued by constant internal conflict and that is reflected in his personality. The supporting characters, however, provide a great comic relief: Clete, Helen Soileau, the sheriff, Batiste, and of course Alafair.

In this installment of the Dave Robicheaux series, Dave inadvertently gets caught up in the murder of a union leader that happened 40 years ago. Burke ties in some religious symbolism by having Jack Flynn be crucified, and the symbolism may border on the extreme side when two criminals end up on either side of Flynn, but it does bring the point across. Throughout the novel, I was constantly wondering who exactly the "bad guy" was. But, with James Lee Burke, it's never as simple as merely a "bad guy."

The characters in this novel are richly developed. Lila Terrabonne borders on the absurd while the reader can't help but be repulsed by her father. His arrogance sitting atop his ivory tower leaves you rooting for Dave to knock him down. But life is never that simple, and Burke doesn't try to paint an unrealistic fairy tale. While Dave pursues killers for hire, they are turning on each other. And you know Swede Boxleiter is an evil creature, but you can't help but admire his devotion to Cisco Flynn - their bond that had been sealed through years of foster care and abuse. Likewise Willy "Cool Breeze" Broussard is a convicted felon; he did time in Angola. But would his plight have been the same had he not encountered depraved men in power? These people we can sympathize with, but those with money and power who simply choose to force their ways on others through murder and torture and other heinous crimes...those are the ones we despise. And Burke creates characters that the reader is capable of despising.

Burke is often poetic in his descriptions, taking the reader into the heart of Louisiana and the minds of his characters. It's a challenge to read his work and not feel like you're a part of it.

Sneak Peak

You can get a sneak peak of Chapter 1 from Linda Fairstein's new novel, Killer Heat, on her website; the link is on the homepage. The book is coming out in March.

Audiobooks

Since I started working in Brunswick, which is a 45-minute drive from home, I have become addicted to audiobooks. I almost never listen to the radio anymore in my car - it's always an audiobook. And it has to be unabridged versions. I'll opt to read a book if the only audio version available is abridged. I don't want to miss ANY part of the book.

Right now I am listening to James Lee Burke's Sunset Limited. Mark Hammer reads this book. I've listened to several Robicheaux novels now, and I think Hammer has read all of them. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I know he's read most of the ones I've listened to, at least. At first I thought he sounded a little too old to be Robicheaux, but he's so great with all the dialects and the connotations. He's definitely grown on me, and I really enjoy listening to him. A reader can make a big difference in a novel. I was going to go back to the beginning of Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta series. I read the first book and got the second on audiobook from the library. I ended up not even finishing the first CD. Cornwell's Scarpetta novels are in first person from the perspective of Scarpetta, a North Carolina native - the reader was British - distinctly British. I couldn't listen to it. It was just all wrong. That's the only one I couldn't finish, though, because of a reader.

I get all the audio books from the library. If I really like one of them on audio, I'll buy the book itself. But, rarely do I buy an audiobook. The only drawback to this is not all library users are considerate when borrowing materials. They return them damaged. There's nothing more frustrating than to miss a big section of a book because the CD is scratched and jumps around. Grrrr!

My next acquisition is going to be an MP3 player that I can load with books, so that I can listen to books while I walk outside or on the treadmill. There are just so many ways to fit books into a day! :)

A Few Tidbits

I'm in the middle of The Great Santini right now. I've been a fan of Pat Conroys for quite a few years. I started Santini a couple of years ago, and then something came in from the library, so I put Santini aside. I'm finally getting back to it because I made a New Year's resolution to read at least one book each month that I already own - regardless of books that come in from the library or whatever. Actually, I made this resolution before New Years. I read a book in November (Bones to Ashes - K.Reichs), one in December (The Black Echo - M.Connelly), and now The Great Santini for January. February's slated book is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. This is another book that I started and then was sidetracked by a library book. This is a great resolution for me. I'm notorious for buying books and accumulating them while I read others that I borrow from friends or the library. And I'm terrible because, while I'm willing to borrow a book from a friend, I'm rarely willing to loan one out. I'm very protective of my books!

What kind of reader am I? I like to devour my books. I make every effort to keep my books in good condition, but not at the expense of losing out on the experience. I like to make notes in my books...mark passages that stand out to me or words that I want to look up - which probably carries over from teaching. I normally mark my books with pencil, though. I don't like to "color" the pages with pens or highlighters. I always view my books as "for me." I'm not saving them for others; I don't plan to put them on display. So, I make the most of them "for me." I'm a very interactive reader, and if the writer is good, I end up taking the characters with me in my mind for weeks after I finish a book. That's one of my tests of a "good" book - did the characters get under my skin? Either good or bad...the characters that I feel indifferent to compose the books I don't care much for.

I do like to re-read books, but I don't have a lot of chances to do that. I have so many books "to read," so time for re-reading is rare. Books that I would never tire of re-reading, though: To Kill a Mockingbird, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lords of Discipline, Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, L.A. Requiem, A Tale of Two Cities, Huckleberry Finn, Sorrow's Anthem...other's haven't been tested enough for me to know yet! ;)

I participate in a Mystery book group out of California as a "remote" member. They choose three books each month. I read as many of those books as I can each month. The group has opened my eyes to authors I was unaware of before. I love the experience of discovering a new author. And that author may have been around for years, but is simply new to me. I almost enjoy discovering authors who have been around for years more because it takes me longer to catch up to them writing, and I don' t have to wait on pins and needles for the next book.

I've added some links in the right margin that are author sites I like to frequent. Also I've put a widget from my GoodReads account so you can see what I'm currently reading. If you know of book sites that I might want to check out, always feel free to share them in the Comments section.

In closing my "Tidbits" today, I'll share with you what is on my bookmark in The Great Santini: "Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." -- P.J. O'Rourke

My First Review - Mortal Stakes

The honor of my first book post goes to Robert B. Parker and Spenser - that's Spenser with an "s" like the English poet. I'm a little late in finding this great series, but better late than never.

I'm also one of those obsessive people who has to start at the beginning of a series. I hate reading a book late in the series and finding allusions to events that have happened in previous books that I know nothing about. So, I start at the beginning. And with Spenser, I'm up to book three - Mortal Stakes. Most people reviewed this book in 1975 when it came out. My writing skills would have left a lot to be desired then! While I chuckle at some of the details that date this book, it's still as great a book now in 2008 as it must have been in '75 when it was published. Spenser is on the job to find out whether or not a high-profile pitcher for the Boston Red Sox has been fixing games when he pitches.

As always, I love Spenser's intelligent wit. This book, like the previous two, kept me laughing throughout. Even in a serious situation, Spenser can throw out a line and catch you completely off-guard. One of my favorites in this installment of the series was:

"Rabb was naked now, standing with a towel over his shoulder. In fact, most of the people in the dressing room were naked. I felt like a streaker in a nudist colony."

Violet, the New York pimp, was a hysterical character, and Spenser's interactions with him were definitely memorable. I wouldn't mind seeing Violet re-emerge in a later novel; he has a lot of potential for further development.

The reoccurring character of Marty Quirk is a great complement to Spenser. Quirk definitely lacks the sense of humor that Spenser more than makes up for. And Quirk plays by the rules but appreciates the need to sometimes not follow the rules, especially when dealing with the element of Boston's population who make it their job not to follow the rules - enter Spenser, who was unable to play by the rules as a cop, himself.

I wonder if some women readers might be put off by Spenser because of his tendency to ogle the females and make silly, sometimes sexist, comments to them and about them. I find it part of his charm. While he can be silly, it's just superficial. The reality of Spenser leans more toward a strong respect for women. He wants to be a protector, a hero. This comes out a bit in his discussion with Susan Silverman when she makes reference to the "S" on his chest. He would like to be a Superman, but knows that unlike Superman he is a mortal. And his battle with his mortality in this novel was definitely one of its strengths, in my opinion.

Parker's ability to develop antagonists for Spenser is phenomenal. Lester was the perfect "wanna be." And Bucky Maynard was repulsive from the get-go. Doerr and Hogg didn't seem to be developed quite as much, but Spenser's fear of them helped to put them in perspective.

There may be elements of the storyline that are unbelievable, but honestly, I was so caught up in the plot and humor and literary allusions that I didn't take time to notice. As with the previous two, I loved this novel.

An Introduction

I have decided to branch off from my regular blog - where I talk about anything and everything - and have a blog devoted to the books I read. A blog where I can talk about how I liked something or disliked something...offer recommendations...take recommendations....whatever, just book talk. It seems I never tire of talking about books.

Most folks reading this will already know that I earned a BA in English, and I've always had a love for the classics. I taught high school English for a hand full of years before the politics took the fun out of teaching what I loved. After leaving the classroom, I started to pick up more modern fiction that I had never made time for before. And 2007 was my boom year for reading. I discovered a wealth of authors (who have been around for years) who simply make my reading experiences phenomenal: Robert Crais, Michael Koryta, Dennis Lehane, Robert Parker (who incidentally has been writing his Spenser novels as long as I've been alive), Karin Slaughter, Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, Daniel Woodrell...it was a good year for me with reading. And of course, prior to all these wonderful writers I was a fan of Linda Fairstein, Kathy Reichs, Pat Conroy, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell and James Lee Burke. And my list is continuing to grow. I'm hoping to delve into some Alafair Burke this year, and I'm always looking for new recommendations.

Obviously I have a penchant for the mystery novel. But, my reading is not exclusively mystery. Predominantly mystery, but not exclusively.

So, I hope you'll find my book thoughts fun; I hope you'll interact with my posts; I hope all in all this blog is a benefit to both writer and reader. Thanks for checking in!