What we're reading, the MTS edition

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell
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I'm in the midst of a 'read every Rex Stout you own and then get the rest from the library' binge. I'm running at least one a day. I'll run out soon. Then (or sooner) off to the bookstore to buy "Alone' by Loren Estleman.

MM
 

heyjude

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Just finished Mine All Mine by Adam Davies. It was charming in a particularly violent and eccentric way. I rolled my eyes a couple of times. I saw a lot of it coming but still enjoyed it. If you like quirky, this is definitely that.
 

kaitie

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I'm reading Mort by Terry Pratchett at the moment and loving it. His sense of humor cracks me up. Any book that can make me look like a crazy person on the train wins the "you're awesome" award.
 

sheadakota

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I'll tell you what I WILL be reading the moment It lands in my grubby little hands;

THE FIRST RULE by Robert Crais

its his second and much anticipated Joe Pike novel- can't wait can't wait- paces and looks for UPS guy-
 

ToddWBush

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shea, not sure if you saw this or not, but I'm not getting The First Rule until the 23rd of January...

when Robert Crais will be in my town to sign it and talk about it at Murder on the Beach Bookstore!!!!!!
 

TC Beacham

Great Beach Reads!
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Reading THE SECRET LIFE OF CEECEE WILKES by Diane Chamberlain. This book really pulled me in and is beautifully written. I'd call this literary suspense - and can't wait to see how it ends!
 

jeseymour

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"The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers" by Christopher Vogler. So far so good. Just finished "The Monkey's Raincoat" and noticed a lot of similarity between it and the Lee Child books.
 

kaitie

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I'm going to have to go look up this "Monkey's Raincoat" book, just because that title is so bizarre. And I like monkeys. :)
 

heyjude

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Just finished Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl. It was a bit kitchen-sinky, but a refreshing change in a lot of ways.
 

wilhem spihntingle

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"Ravens" by George Dawes Green. The style reminded me of "The Delivery Man" by Joe McGuinness Jr ( whatever happened to him?) but was much better.
 

heyjude

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"Ravens" by George Dawes Green. The style reminded me of "The Delivery Man" by Joe McGuinness Jr ( whatever happened to him?) but was much better.

I never heard of either of them, but I'm still curious--what makes Green better? Style? Story?

Back to Amazon to look them both up...
 

heyjude

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The Murders of Polly Frisch, by our very own HistorySleuth. What a fascinating case, History! I can see why you wanted to write about her.
 

wilhem spihntingle

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I never heard of either of them, but I'm still curious--what makes Green better? Style? Story?

Back to Amazon to look them both up...

IMO Green is just a much better writer, plus Ravens is about fifty pages longer and it makes all the difference. TDM is about an upstart youth prostitution ring in Vegas. Ravens is about two thiefs who come up with a plan to get half of a 318 million dollar lottery won by a family in Atlanta.

Also, the author of TDM had an in with Brett Easton Ellis, and he tried to copy is style. ie: violence and sex for the sake of shock value, which works for B.E.E but not for TDM
 
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Good Word

still crazy after all these years
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Finished Under the Dome. Reading the Rich Dad, Poor Dad books by Robert Kiyosaki (non-fic). Just started Rain Gods by James Lee Burke. Finished the back of the ketchup bottle (again).

Edited to add: I haven't read Watchmen (mentioned by several folks here), but I saw the movie last week and thought it was AMAZING!
 
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heyjude

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So for months I've been perusing these "if you're a writer in this genre, you *must* read these books" lists. One I've been most excited about is Margaret Millar's The Listening Walls, in part b/c I keep hearing it has the best "shock" or "twist" ending of any book. Evah.

I finished it this morning and felt a bit let down. Has anyone else read it? What do you think of twist endings? I like some, but some make me roll my eyes and say, oh come on. You just tacked that on to be crazy.
 

sheadakota

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shea, not sure if you saw this or not, but I'm not getting The First Rule until the 23rd of January...

when Robert Crais will be in my town to sign it and talk about it at Murder on the Beach Bookstore!!!!!!
Okay I am officially insanely jealouse of you!!! OMG!!!
 

Vandal

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I'm reading The Defector by Daniel Silva.

He went twenty pages before writing a single word of dialogue. It better start getting good...
 

MarkEsq

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I'm reading The Defector by Daniel Silva.

He went twenty pages before writing a single word of dialogue. It better start getting good...

I read a couple of his. And then stopped. I am afraid he might be suffering from what several successful authors suffer from: complacency. I can't remember which, but I read one of his recently and I got to the end of the second chapter and there was absolutely no conflict, internal or external, anywhere.
 

Vandal

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First Family by David Baldacci

He has been greatly reduced his tendency to infodump compared to his early works
 

gothicangel

Toughen up.
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, with Blacklands and The Rapture to follow.

That's not to mention the Uni reading list I'm avoiding right now :D
 

Melville

Reader first, writer second
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Just started "B is for Burglar" - my first Grafton book, amazingly!

Stop! Put that book down and read "A For Alibi" first. It's one of those series where it's really easy to follow, order-wise.:)

And, actually, A sets up the series rather well.
 

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
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Melville's harpoon hits the mark. I also think new readers will better enjoy Grafton's early alphabet mysteries in order. Should you become a fan like me, sequence could becomes an obsession.

A few years back, I got Q is for Quarry for Christmas before I'd read P is for Peril. I waited and was rewarded for watching my Ps and Qs because I'm a tiny detail person.

Not all of the Kinsey Millhone series have been stellar, but as I'm presently in the middle of U is for Undertow, I'm glad I read them all. So far, number 21 is a terrific read.