Recently Read...
Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell
Like reading five novels in one; a unique tale which leaps and bounds across time yet somehow all seems to fit together. Recommended. (2/26/10)
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Hubert Selby, Jr.
Hard to believe this book was published in 1964. Not for the faint of heart, it takes an unflinching look at the "other side" of American culture. (2/10/10)
Under the Dome
Stephen King
Classic King, this one, despite its massive size, is fast-moving and chocked full of interesting and memorable characters. (2/6/10)
Oryx and Crake
Margaret Atwood
My first Atwood novel. Intoxicatingly written. Love her prose style. A compelling, haunting tale. (1/16/10)
American Psycho
Brent Easton Ellis
Brilliant satire coupled with a chilling look deep into the mind of an utterly depraved psychopath. (1/4/10)
The Raw Shark Texts
Steven Hall
Probably the strangest, most original and slightly brilliant novels I've read in some time. (12/21/09)
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
Finally let myself read this. Wow. Powerfully moving. As dark a story as I've ever read, yet it somehow, in the end, gives you hope as well. (12/6/09)
Pyres
Derek Nikitas
A mystery / "literary thriller." Interesting coming of age mixed with fantasy and mystery. (12/1/09)
Utopia
Lincoln Child
Another great thriller--this one takes place in the ultimate adventure/theme park. Recommended. (11/13/09)
Terminal Freeze
Lincoln Child
Arctic exploration, scientific research and a thawed out monster. What could be better? Well-paced but lacked the twists and turns of Deep Storm. (10/16/09)
Lost Echoes
Joe R. Lansdale
Not bad. JRL has an interesting narrative style that I found similar in some ways to my own. Excellent character voice. Good story. (10/6/09)
Deep Storm
Lincoln Child
Top-notch thriller! What a page-turner! Highly recommended. (9/19/09)
I Am No One You Know
Joyce Carol Oates
The best collection of her short works I've come across yet. Excellent! (8/30/09)
The Museum of Dr. Moses
Joyce Carol Oates
An excellent story collection showcasing Oates' considerable talent. (7/28/09)
The Namesake
Jhumpa Lahiri
Moving tale of family, love and identity. Recommended. (7/19/09)
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Been wanting to read this one for years. Awesome story, intriguing character study. Outstanding! (7/11/09)
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
Read this in a single day--hard to believe this was her first book. Simply amazing. (7/9/09)
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
An excellent read, deserving of the accolades it has earned over the years. (7/8/09)
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
John Le Carre
Considered a top 100 novel of all time. Interesting twists and turns in this complex story of international intrigue. (6/30/09)
Invisible Cities
Italo Calvino
An interesting and imaginative exploration. (6/21/09)
Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri
An astonishing debut collection, winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize. (6/20/09)
No Country for Old Men
Cormac McCarthy
A bloody tale of violence, greed and a man's search for resolution. (6/14/09)
The Wasp Factory
Iain Banks
Voted one of the best 100 novels of the last century by the UK-based Independent. A chilling, fast-movnig read. Highly recommended. (6/9/09)
Duma Key
Stephen King
Seemed to start a little slow, but that's just because the story was creeping up on you all the while. Classic, creepy King. (6/1/09)
Your Heart Belongs to Me
Dean Koontz
A fast and entertaining read that keeps you turning pages. (4/19/09)
Drood
Dan Simmons
A magnificent and monumental achievement. A subtle, at times magical, mystery. (4/12/09)
Beloved
Toni Morrison
I finally got around to reading this masterpiece. Well worth the wait. (3/21/09)
Skeletons at the Feast
Chris Bohjalian
An engaging account of the holocaust from a different point of view. (3/14/09)
Cities of the Plain
Cormac McCarthy
A fitting and highly satisfying end to the trilogy. (3/6/09)
The Crossing
Cormac McCarthy
Awesome. Recommended. (2/27/09)
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
David Wroblewski
An awesome debut. Highly recommended. A sad but satisfying ending. (2/20/09)
5 Stories
Peter Straub
An interesting and eclectic collection from the master. (2/17/09)
All the Pretty Horses
Cormac McCarthy
Awesome! Just loved the easy-reading flow of this story. From this I plan to read more of McCarthy's works and look forward to the experience. (1/24/09)
Magic Terror
Peter Straub
An outstanding collection, as usual, from Mr. Straub, whom I haven't read in a while. (11/22/08)
Independence Day
Richard Ford
I had a difficult time with this Pulitzer Prize winner. Great language throughout. (11/2/08)
Foucault's Pendulum
Umberto Eco
I have to be honest here--this was a difficult book to read. I started it in February. Full of interesting historical information regarding secret societies. (9/3/08)
World Without End
Ken Follett
Outstanding achievement! Even at 900+ pages, I was disappointed when I finished for I so wanted to stay in Mr. Follett's story world just a little bit longer. I may have to go back and re-read Pillars of the Earth. Highly recommended! (4/19/08)
American Gods
Neil Gaiman
My first Gaiman book. Interesting and different. A satisfying ending. (2/18/08)
Fires of Eden
Dan Simmons
Rich with Hawaiian mythology. A creepy tale filled with unforgetable characters. (1/31/08)
The Ice Limit
Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Amazingly entertaining! What a story these two wove--incredibly enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages at the same time I wanted to slow down in order to make it last. (1/23/08)
Moon
James Herbert
Another solid horror tale that keeps you turning pages. Really love this guy's style (11/19/07)
Once...
James Herbert
An enchanting and erotic horror thriller; thoroughly enjoyable! (10/1/07)
Contact
Carl Sagan
I had always wanted to read this as the movie, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, is one of my all-time favorites. I was quite surprised at the differences in the story-line between the book and the movie! (9/6/07)
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card
Excellent! The best sci-fi book I have read in years. Not sure why I waited so long to read this one. (8/17/07)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J. K. Rowling
Superb! Excellent! A satisfying end to the story of Harry Potter. (8/10/07)
The Alienist
Caleb Carr
Excellent! Thoroughly enjoyable tale of the hunt for a serial killer in 1896 New York. (7/26/07)
Blaze
Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
A quick read of a standard but well-constructed character novel which centers around the background and activities of a small-time criminal who loses his only friend and partner. Heart-felt and entertaining to the end. (7/14/07)
The Hungry Moon
Ramsey Campbell
A small English town must face a horror awakened from a bottomless cave. (7/9/07)
Heart-Shaped Box
Joe Hill
The debut horror thriller by Stephen King's son writing under the name of Joe Hill. Classic, straightforward horror about a menacing ghost. Fast-moving; good suspense. (6/1/07)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Robert A. Heinlein
A classic of '60s sci-fi. Found it enjoyable. The language took a little getting used to, but quickly found it engaging and fresh. As much a treasurable read today as it was forty years ago. (5/23/07)
Icebound
Dean Koontz
A 1995 updated re-issue of a novel originally published in 1976. An adventure-suspense tale filled with high tension and lots of action. Less complex than his current tales, but no less enjoyable. (5/2/07)
Waiting
Frank M. Robinson
A dark ending to an intriguing storyline where it is discovered that another species has been living among us, posing as humans for the last 35,000 years. (4/23/07)
The Terror
Dan Simmons
A good adventure tale with a rather interesting ending. A long read, but worth the journey. (4/1/07)
Lisey's Story
Stephen King
Haven't read such an emotionally poignant tale from King since The Green Mile. Story of marriage, love, death, child abuse, sisterhood and survival where escape to a fantasy plane is possible--as long as you only visit it during the day. (3/4/07) |
