Books I've read and favorite authors (book corner)

[gingerbird]

I am well into "Scarpetta," the next-to-newest in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I cannot recommend them enough. They are brilliant reading, engrossing writing, plus the character development on top of scientific factualness (?!) is second-to-none.

home.earthlink.net/~acetoscano/cornwell.html

While you can jump around in the series, they are best read from oldest to newest to get complete character development. The books are like PB in that characters and inter-relationships continue from novel to novel. Read one; you won't be sorry, except you'll be hooked and have to read the next and the next and the next after that! However, unlike Steph Plum, these DON'T get repetitious or predictable!

[gingerbird]

Due out Tuesday is Jon Krakauer's new book, "Where Men Win Glory," the story of Pat Tillman's murder by friendly fire in Afghanistan. It promises to be a controversial but excellent read. I think Krakauer is just the author to tell that story.

[Cindy]

I was just watching Anderson Cooper roaming around Afghanistan. I'm sorry, but I think it's ridiculous. These reporters are being maimed, kidnapped and worse just to "tell the story." It's one thing to be in the Army and KNOW how to handle this stuff but now, they are babysitting reporters. I'd love to hear what the troops really think about this practice. Do they like it because it gets the story out or do they think it's as ludicrous as I do?

[gingerbird]

Cindy, odd that I saw a show this weekend that talked about war and journalists, and how much the Defense Department lets be reported back to the American public. In WWII, nothing bad was allowed to be reported, the journalists were highly censored. In this way, the patriotic spirit was kept alive and the American public stayed all "Rah rah, our boys are doing great traveling around Europe seeing the sights." Then things did an about-turn with Viet Nam, with the public able to see war carnage every night on the TV news. As a result, the American public went all anti-war, hate-the-government, burn-the-draft-card. I'm not sure what I think about Anderson Cooper being in Afghanistan. I think we need to know what's going on over there, but I also was very highly affected by the death of Daniel Pearl seven years ago ... hence, my quandary.

Here's some info about Pat Tillman and cover-up of his death:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman

[peanut]

I just read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Very good book. If ye haven't heard of it, it's about a 14 year old girl who gets murdered and the story is told from her perspective in Heaven after her murder. There was one bit that I wasn't keen on (actually two) but it was very well written and very hard to put down so I'd recommend it.

They've made a movie of it and it should be out after Christmas I think. An Irish actress called Saoirse Ronan plays the 14 year old. She's a good wee actress. She's certainly very good at accents. She played the young Briony in Atonement. Another very good book and film.

[gingerbird]

Peanut, "The Lovely Bones" is on my must-read list! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Now you will have to try "The Almost Moon" and see what you think. I figured "Bones" would be hard to find at the library since the movie is due out soon, sort of like "The Time Traveler's Wife" became scarce, although maybe that rental has calmed down now.

Saoirse Ronan was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in "Atonement," if I remember correctly. She played a horrid wee thing in that movie!

[peanut]

Hi Ginger, "The Almost Moon" is just a 'normal' read isn't it? I liked the idea that the story of The Lovely Bones was written from the point of view from the murder victim. I don't know if The Almost Moon would hold my interest if it's just a 'normal' book. I have plenty of those at home to get through as it is!! haha

Aww that's mean about Saoirse's character in Atonement. I didn't think she was horrid. She was just a naive child who didn't understand what she had seen in the library and was horrified by it thinking he was hurting her sister. And then in the dark outside it was easy for her imagination to think she saw him doing the same thing to her cousin. She was just naive and spent all her years after trying to make up for it. I felt bad for her.

[hepalien]

Random: The girl who plays the other sister in The Lovely Bones movie is an actress in some show in New Zealand. When my best friend was living there a couple years ago and working as an extra, she was on this TV show with that girl. She didn't meet her because she didn't want to go up to her during "work," but I think she was in a scene in the background with her.

Here's her info from IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm0570860/. I'm not sure which show it was, but it looks like she's been in a lot of stuff. (It wasn't Power Rangers, though, I know that!

[gingerbird]

Okay Peanut, I take back my recommendation of "The Almost Moon." Never mind! Yeah, I was mean to Saoirse's character in "Atonement." But if she had just gone a different direction with her tattle-telling, peoples' lives would have turned out differently (better!), including hers. Of course, isn't hindsight always 20/20.

Has anyone read Tony Hillerman? They are my favorite books ever, mystery stories with recurring characters, all of which take place on the Navajo reservation. They are the reason I HAD to drive to Tuba City when I first went to Arizona, and have gone back to the res every chance I've had since then. Mr. Hillerman died last year, so there will be no more. Unfortunate for me, since I have read all 18 of the Leaphorn/Chee series and wish there were more, I love them so much.

Hep: That is very cool about your friend and the Lovely Bones actress. I got to talk to/get autographs from actors when I was an extra a couple years ago, but I've heard on some sets that's a no-no. Best actor I got to meet was Michael Gaston, "Quinn" on PB! Remember him? He's still at the bottom of that well, or so Mr. Gaston told me!

[Cindy]

I'm just about to start reading "The Symbol" by Dan Brown. Follow up to Divinci Code. Man, I need to keep up with this thread better, Ginger reads good books, I need to catch up! Oh well, cold weather is coming, bring on the books!

[gingerbird]

Let us know how you like The Symbol, Cindy. It should be fun since it uses symbols from the super-secret Masons, plus other symbols in Washington, DC. It's funny that the church I went to from birth until I moved away from home was right next to a huge Scottish Rite Cathedral. It wasn't until last year or so that I learned that it WASN'T actually a church but rather the home of the Masons. Gah. Yeah, I'm a moron.

I finished Scarpetta a while back and am now on to another Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year.

www.deankoontz.com/books/the-darkest-evening-of-the-year/

I can't say I'm wild about it yet as I see too many holes in it, but it's a brainless read so far. As long as I don't think about the holes! I have a tendency to project real life onto books I read.

[gingerbird]

p.s. When I went to the library and before I got the Koontz book, I had a Stephanie Plum book in my hand, a "between the numbers" book. I don't recall the title, but it featured Stephanie working with another bounty hunter named Diesel, yet another romantic involvement for her. I couldn't help but think of poor Joe, getting three-timed! And "Diesel" makes "Ranger" seem like an every-day name. Heh.

[peanut]

My sister in law was reading The Symbol when she came home there last month and she couldn't put it down. She said it was very good.

I finally went back to finish Angels and Demons last week (can't even remember why I stopped reading it as i was enjoying it). Anyway, I thought it was very good. The ending was so different from the movie. Well a few things were I guess. Anyway, I really enjoyed it.

I was looking to see what book I should take to read at the airport and on the plane and then I thought that I might just buy The Symbol at the airport. I have so many books here though that i haven't read yet that I kind of feel guilty thinking of buying a new one haha!! But nothing I have is grabbing my attention to read right now except The Symbol. So I might aswell get it! haha

[Cindy]

Hey Peanut How was your trip?

Lost Symbol starts out slow because IMO, it's not an easy read. Explaining the Mason background/symbols gets complicated but the second half def picks up and moves along with twists and turns. Be warned--you definitely need a strong stomach. LOL

Overall, 8 out of 10 --not as good as Divinci Code but definitely worth the read..

[gingerbird]

I finished The Darkest Evening of the Year yesterday. I have to say, it s*cked. Dean Koontz used to write such interesting and brilliant and imaginative books; now he is just phoning it in. Don't want the heroes to die? Then make up some cr*p about "magic" bringing them all back to life. What a waste. His early works were SO good. I guess it's like your Nora Roberts, Cindy; after you write a bazillion books (Stephanie Plum, anyone?) and have got a bazillion-dollar contract with a publisher, you can churn out any made-up garbage and it sells. Gah. HATED the entire, huge waste-of-time, almost more than I hated his last book! Guess this is a lesson to stick with the early works, then switch to new authors. They can't be worse than these worn-out old hacks we've all heard of.

I have friends who have argued with me that The DaVinci Code is true; they've used Dan Brown's fiction as a history lesson on the Knights Templar. Gah. Hard to argue with people like that. Guess I should have them read some Dean Koontz so they'll think the dead can resurrect and angels inhabit dogs' bodies.