So Many Books, So Little Time (The Reading Thread)

[rfisher]

Cornwall's early books were much better. When she resurrected Benton, she lost all credibility.

I'd recommend Kathy Reich if you're looking for something along the lines of Cornwall. Reich is the author behind the Bones TV series, but her books are very different. She's a forensic anthropologist. Again, earlier is better than after she became a best seller.

[Orable]

I'm currently reading Ian Rankin's The Naming of the Dead. It's the first Rankin I've read and I get the sense that he suffers from "book-cranking-itis." I can imagine how the detective was probably quite interesting in the first few books of the series, but this book is just boring and predictable. Very little character development.

Next on my list are two non-fictions on Islam in France: Integrating Islam: Political & Religious Challenges in Contemporary France published by Brookings and Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space. Should be fun!

[Holley Calmes]

I love Kathy Reich! She's one that I will wait until her latest is out in paperback, but I read them all. Truly like her heroine, the heroine's boyfriend, her ex husband, her daughter, and her boss in Montreal.

OK, just finished "White Queen." It galloped to an ending that I wish had kept going. Oh that the first 150 pages had been as intriguing!...But it does hold promise for the next couple of books in the series. The White Queen main character is very poorly thought out, but her daughter Elizabeth actually came to life within the last 30 pages and bodes well. In all, not her best book at all, but I will be looking forward to the sequel.

[meggonzo]

Has anyone read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett? Peeps on Facebook mentioned it by I am wondering if I would like it--some of the amazon reviews seem pretty scathing.

I just read Bel Canto a few months ago. It was ok, but I didn't really get drawn into it though. It took me longer than normal to get through it. One of my friends recommended it to me though, so she must have liked it, right?

[PrincessLeppard]

Well, no. No one is as bad as Dan Brown.

True. But I like his crap anyway.

I'd suggest getting Postmortem out of the library and seeing what you think. Knowing your tastes, I don't think you'll like her. But you won't know until you try.

Like most authors, Patricia Cornwell started well, and then it all went into the toilet about the fifth book, I think. But if you like the first one, I do recommend the first three, at least.

[Prancer]

Like most authors, Patricia Cornwell started well, and then it all went into the toilet about the fifth book, I think. But if you like the first one, I do recommend the first three, at least.

I thought the first book was bad. I think I read the second one in case I was wrong.

My husband is reading Dan Brown's latest right now and isn't thrilled so far.

[Nomad]

My husband is reading Dan Brown's latest right now and isn't thrilled so far.

My brother calls Dan Brown's work "dead tree TV."

[Kasey]

Just finished "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coehlo. I guess an internationally known book that's been around for 20 years or so that somehow I had never heard of. It was sweet, it was new-Agey "find your inner spirit and become one with the universe" stuff. There were a few lines that really stuck with me. But I think it will be one requiring re-reading at some point to figure out what I really think of it.

Halfway through "The Night Buffalo" which is VERY absorbing, even without really likeable characters, and quite twisted. One of those books I picked up on the clearance table at Borders for like, $2.99.

[shells]

I can't believe how long it took me to read through the book I finally finished yesterday. I really liked it, it's just that it took me forever to read it. It was written in the 60's so I was having a hard time relating to a lot of it. For instance...two of the main characters were spies. They were working together and had to set up a network so they could pass messages back and forth. My first thought upon reading it was 'why don't they just get some pay as you go cell phones....Oh...they didn't exsist then' I think it would make a good movie, though I'm sure they'd update it ala Bourne Identity.

So, now I'm on the lookout for the next thing to read...I'm thinking I might give Moby Dick a try, simply because I've never read it before. If that doesn't go as planned then I'm going to read the first book in The Vampire Diaries series.

ETA: My favourite of the Kay Scarpetta books is The Body Farm.

[Buzz]

Someone gave me a copy of The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti. It is her first novel I believe and is a Charles Dickens type of novel. Looking forward to reading it since I LOVE this type of books.

[reckless]

My brother calls Dan Brown's work "dead tree TV."

A perfect description. I thought the Da Vinci Code was amusing fluff and the whole Grail myth and use of art was pretty cool. But I grabbed the new book at the airport before going out of town for the weekend, and it is truly dreadful. It's just one WTF? moment after another.

[Jenny]

A perfect description. I thought the Da Vinci Code was amusing fluff and the whole Grail myth and use of art was pretty cool.

That's why I bought it years ago when it was still in hardcover and before the hype - for the art. I love art crime stories (fact and fiction!), and they are hard to come by.

[IceAlisa]

I too thought that Brown's idea of the Grail was very interesting. I did get the book at the height of the hype but no one warned me how atrocious the writing would be. Can't he get a ghost writer?

[reckless]

I too thought that Brown's idea of the Grail was very interesting. I did get the book at the height of the hype but no one warned me how atrocious the writing would be. Can't he get a ghost writer?

This book is even worse. And much of the story seems designed with the inevitable movie in mind. Heck, there is one character in the book who probably could only be played by Linda Hunt.

[Prancer]

That's why I bought it years ago when it was still in hardcover and before the hype - for the art. I love art crime stories (fact and fiction!), and they are hard to come by.

Have you read The Lost Painting?

[Jenny]

Have you read The Lost Painting?

Added to my cart!

[talulabell]

I too thought that Brown's idea of the Grail was very interesting. I did get the book at the height of the hype but no one warned me how atrocious the writing would be. Can't he get a ghost writer?

I guess I just dont see why Dan Browns writing is considered so terrible. No, he's not the best writer in the world, but he's a good story teller (for the most part). I really enjoyed The DaVinci Code and I liked Angels & Demons even better... I thought they were both very compelling stories with pretty good characters. I thought he was very descriptive of the settings and the art and architecture involved... he made it all quite interesting. I've never gone to the internet so much while reading a book as I did with The DaVinci Code. LOL! Angels & Demons has made me want to go to Italy (it was never that high on my "to do" list).

Now, the new one on the other hand.... . Maybe it's that I had no... connection... with the Masons, but I just found it to be not engaging at all. I found a few of the characters interesting, but Langdon just got on my nerves, whining all the time. It seemed I was at least 1/3rd thru the book when I realized that they really hadnt done anything yet. Ok... enough about the damn hand... How about leaving the Capitol Rotunda and doing something already.

This book is even worse. And much of the story seems designed with the inevitable movie in mind. Heck, there is one character in the book who probably could only be played by Linda Hunt.

This made me LOL! As soon as this character came into the story, I thought of Linda Hunt.

[shells]

That's why I bought it years ago when it was still in hardcover and before the hype - for the art. I love art crime stories (fact and fiction!), and they are hard to come by.

Jenny have you read The Amber Room by Steve Berry? He's been compared to Dan Brown, but personally I think he's a much better writer. Also, I met him at a bookseller event and he's a very nice man.

[Jenny]

Jenny have you read The Amber Room by Steve Berry? He's been compared to Dan Brown, but personally I think he's a much better writer. Also, I met him at a bookseller event and he's a very nice man.

Another one to add to the cart! Particularly if it's about the same Amber Room I've actually visited

[shells]

My guess is that it probably is.