Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951 and became famous, but also notorious. With swearing and references to sexuality there was some outrage. The literary world, though, admired the writing and it has stayed on many best books lists for 70 years. The story is told by Holden Caulfield, a 17 year old New York teenager with lots … Continue reading →
Eight Perfect Murders is a murder-mystery set in the world of the historical mystery literature genre. The main character is Malcolm Kershaw, a bookstore owner and a blogger who writes about murder mysteries. One of his articles is called “Eight Perfect Murders”, a meta-analysis of the the most perfect murder methods found in famous mystery novels. Each murder is different … Continue reading →
The House on the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy about an orphanage of very unusual magical children. Each of the children are interesting and unique characters and this could have been the central part of the story, but it is a tale of redemption, compassion, and humanity as seen through the lead character, Linus Baker. As a worn-out case worker … Continue reading →
The Tatooist of Auschwitz is a fictional account of a story told to the author by a survivor of the death camps. Lale Sokolov (born as Ludwig Eisenberg) was a Slovakian Jew who endured the horrors of the death camp and lived partly through chance, partly through his own cleverness, and some unlikely good fortune in becoming the prisoner responsible … Continue reading →
The Mist is a novella first published in 1980 and also included in the short story collection Skeleton Crew. It is a horror story complete with horrific creatures, exciting encounters, savage killings, and a desperate attempt to escape. Characters are well-developed (though most don’t survive). Stephen King is adept at setting up the “What if” scenario in which he inserts … Continue reading →
The Mist is a novella first published in 1980 and also included in the short story collection Skeleton Crew. It is a horror story complete with horrific creatures, exciting encounters, savage killings, and a desperate attempt to escape. Characters are well-developed (though most don’t survive). Stephen King is adept at setting up the “What if” scenario in which he inserts … Continue reading →
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (The Spy) was a breakthrough novel for John le Carre, but also for the general spy fiction class, adding a level of clever craftsmanship, setting it above others when it was published in 1962, but it is still a good read today. It is set in a time of international espionage on … Continue reading →
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (The Spy) was a breakthrough novel for John le Carre, but also for the general spy fiction class, adding a level of clever craftsmanship, setting it above others when it was published in 1962, but it is still a good read today. It is set in a time of international espionage on … Continue reading →
Two Girls Down is a mystery-crime-thriller novel about an investigation into two girls who went missing from a car when their mother was in shopping. With no leads the mother hires a bounty hunter – detective, Alice Vega. With a police department unwilling to work with her, Alice hires ex-cop Max Caplan, who has lots of contacts. They work together, … Continue reading →
The Circle of Magic is a four book fantasy series (1997 – 1999) about 4 somewhat troubled young people from different areas and different lives who are brought to a place where they can learn to control their natural magical and unique gifts. The books are sometimes thought of as for Young Adults, but they are a very good read … Continue reading →
The Buried Giant was an enigma for most of the reading stages of this book. I knew it was a historical fantasy, but it was clear that there was something more going on. For much of the book it felt like a fairy tale, but there was always subtle reflections on thematic motifs – love, dealing with loss, historical grievances, … Continue reading →
After reading The Book of Koli, I was so impressed that I continued on, reading the second book, The Trials of Koli, then the final book, The Fall of Koli. It is really a single story and unlike most series, all of the books are excellent. I guessed the ending of the Rampart Series halfway through the last book, and … Continue reading →
The Cuckoo’s Calling is a mystery-crime novel written by Robert Galbraith, the pen name for J. K. Rowling. The story does not resemble Harry Potter in any way. Reviews of the book were good so it was with no specific expectations that I read through the book. My first response was to marvel at the quality of the writing. There … Continue reading →
Billy Summers is a thriller-crime-noir story about a hit man who is asked to one final job, then he plans to retire. Billy is a sniper who will only shoot “bad men”, but this leads to many moral dilemmas since he works for bad people and to not get caught, he has to undertake many questionable roles, leading a life … Continue reading →
The Hate U Give is a young adult novel about a 16 year old black girl who witnesses the shooting of a friend at the hands of the police. It is an expansion of a short story she wrote in College, after a real-life incident. It has received a lot of recognition and some awards. It is the story of … Continue reading →
The Great Alone had an appealing premise for an upcoming book to read. A family heads off to the edge of wilderness in Alaska to live off the land. The author herself had this kind of experience and she sets the story in an area where her family had a wilderness lodge. The portrait of Alaska is all … Continue reading →
