13. The Gentle Axe by R.N. Morris – A literary detective story. Well-written and interesting. Set in 1866 in Russia, the book gives a peek into the past, bringing to life an era I was largely unfamiliar with. The only other literature I’ve read from this time/place was Anna Karenina… and this was quite a bit easier to read. Once you get used to the construction of Russian proper names, which always throws me off, the book flows well and is a rewarding read. (finished 4/4)
14. Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais – This is “An Elvis Cole Novel,” the first I’ve read, but apparently not the first Crais has written. I found this book on the community bookshelf at work. I was on break and had not brought my book-in-progress with me, so I picked this one up and decided about 2 paragraphs into it that I’d give this new-to-me author a shot. I read about 30 pages right away and brought it home, where it waited a couple of days until I finished The Gentle Axe. By no means literary, this novel is nonetheless gripping and absorbing. I finished the remainder of its 391 pages yesterday, within an hour of yesterday’s blog post. In fact, I sat in the parking lot at work and read the last two chapters before going in to start the work night. I really liked it and hope to find some more of Crais’ books, perhaps at the library or a used bookstore. (finished 4/4)
15. Kill Me by Stephen White – Unpredictable, intense, fast-paced, this book has interesting characters, irony and a touch of pathos that make it a fun read. It’s a twist on the plot device “Be careful what you ask for” that doesn’t try to evade or avoid the logical ending. I liked this book and plan to check out others by White. (finished 4/7)
16. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson – The first in a YA trilogy, The Angel Experiment is about genetically altered children (the protagonist is a very mature 14 years old) who are trying to have a life outside the laboratory. The story is intriguing, the good characters sympathetic, the bad characters pretty despicable, the pace quick. I’ll be starting the sequel tonight! (finished 4/11)
17. Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson – The second in the trilogy, this book does what it’s supposed to: build the drama, add complications, develop relationships, make you want to read the final book. I’m not sure how well it would work as a standalone book, but it’s a good middle book. Time to start the third one… if I can find it. I thought I had it, but just discovered that what I thought was book 3 is, in fact, a hardback copy of book 1. How the heck did I do that?? (finished 4/13)
18. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson – Read it quickly. Enjoyed it muchly. Bought the first book in the next Maximum Ride series the same day. (finished 4/16)
19. The Final Warning by James Patterson – This 4th book in the Maximum Ride series is presented as the first book in a second (perhaps) trilogy about the avian-human hybrids we’ve come to love and root for. Patterson (maybe once he realized the characters would have ongoing adventures?) labeled the first trilogy “The Fugitives” and has made this book volume one of “The Protectors.” It’s a good and quick read that brings home some of the dangers of global warming, with the protagonist being the skeptic and the “arguments” (in the form of experience and adventures) that win her over are aimed particularly well at young adults. (finished 4/19)
20. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson – A well-written, eminently readable, complex, engaging novel that uses multiple points of view (I love that technique when it’s done well and, here, it is.) to tell the story of a group of seemingly unconnected people in Edinburgh, Scotland. The novel has twists and turns right up until the last paragraph. Highly recommended. (finished 4/22)
21. Sex. Lies. Murder. Fame. by Lolita Files – The story of a megalomaniacal gorgeous genius who can’t do anything wrong (except that whole homicidal sociopathy thing, that is) and his narcoleptic, OCD’d editor, with all kinds of literary gracenotes and self-conscious name-dropping that is possibly really clever and also possibly really overdone. I liked parts of it, disliked others, found it quirky, finished it quickly. Now I’m not sure if I should have started it at all. Oh, well, c’est la vie, n’est-ce pas? Or in this case, c’est la lecture. (finished 4/26)
22. Dear Mom, I’ve Always Wanted You to Know by Lisa R. Delman – Subtitled “Daughters Share Letters from the Heart,” the book is exactly what it says. It’s a compilation of letters written by women who attended workshops given by the author/editor and wrote to their mothers, some living, some dead. In so doing, they were trying to free themselves from some of the emotional traps that have held them back from fully embracing their own lives. It’s an interesting book, but it didn’t grab my heart and make me feel the need to put pen to paper. Still, the book might be just the thing for women who feel they can’t talk honestly with their mothers (or those whose mothers have already died, or those whose mothers gave them up for adoption). I found it on a clearance table at my B-a-M, but would not have paid full price for it. (finished 4/27)
23. Straight on ’til Morning by Christopher Golden – This YA novel is a dark, utterly unchildlike treatment of the Peter Pan story, set in 1981. Its setting (small town), choices of music, language, TV shows, pace of life are intimately familiar to me. I liked it a lot and gave up several hours of sleep to finish it yesterday. Yes, it was worth it. (finished 4/30)
