“The Christmas Train,” by David Baldacci

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 7

2.      Prose 8

3.      Plot 9

4.      Characters 7

5.      Overall 8

This book is a departure from Mr. Baldacci’s usual crime and political suspense novels.  Being a Christmas novel, this one is relatively tame, though the tensions late in the story build nicely.  Its seems he also attempted to make a more personal statement about things like love, faith, and truth, sliding into triteness on occasion, and almost getting heavy-handed regarding religious belief.  Hey, it’s a CHRISTMAS story, so maybe we should expect that.  As a bonus, there is a lot of train lore thrown in; just enough to be informative without bogging the story down.  And even though the characters often come across as rather stereotypical, there are some touching scenes.  I enjoyed it enough to recommend it AS a Christmas read, realizing that most people will get more out of it than I did.  It does make me want to read more of his works, but I’m glad I have this one behind me.

“A Highland Christmas,” by M. C. Beaton

FM’s ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 9

3.      Plot 7

4.      Characters 7

5.      Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

“Hamish did not want to visit Mrs. Gallagher.  But the idea that someone had been living in solitude and fear on his beat nagged at him.  The wind had come back and as he drove off, a ragged cloud of crows rose up from the field behind the police station and scattered out over the loch.  Low clouds scurried over the mountaintops.  Hamish wondered if the Romans had held their Saturnalia at just this time as a sort of drunken wake to the death of the year.  On such a day it seemed as if the grass would never grow again or the sun shine.”  The prose is the highlight here.  As understated as it is, its effectiveness is all the more impressive.  At 128 pages, we don’t expect a lot from this novel in the way of plot or character development, but there are several moving scenes nevertheless, and we relate to these people in spite of the terseness.  The cultural references are fascinating as well, especially the practice of keeping Christmas celebration “behind closed doors,” so to speak.  The very religious disdain the relatively heathen aspects of Christmas, but tolerate it as long as it isn’t flagrant.  What a contrast to the ridiculous overkill we experience in the U. S.!  The idiosyncrasies of small town life, particularly among the nosey Scots, are cogent here, with everyone knowing about everyone else’s business almost immediately.  This author strikes me as superb without even trying; which has kept me coming back on a regular basis.

Here’s the January line-up!

“An Ice Cold Grave,” by Charlaine Harris [1-7-17]

“The Assembler of Parts,” by Raoul Wientzen [1-14-17]

“The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner,” by Stephenie Meyer [1-21-17]

“Midnight’s Children,” by Salman Rushdie [1-28-17]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Twelve Drummers Drumming,” by C. C. Benison

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 7

3.      Plot 8

4.      Characters 7

5.      Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This is a pretty good Mystery flawed by oddly phrased prose and mostly indifferent characters.  The most interesting character is Sybella, the victim of the first body found who never appears in the story alive except in memories.  She is described as a “Goth” teenager on the inside of the sleeve, and I was hoping for some interesting exploration of that theme, especially since the protagonist is a priest and the title hints at a Christmas-related story.  But these elements are only briefly alluded to, and we are treated to small-town relationship issues and quirky personalities instead.  Still, the plot keeps us guessing, keeps our interest from flagging and the sum total is a clever whodunit worth the time to read if that’s what you’re looking for.  

“Six Geese A-Slaying,” by Donna Andrews

FM’s ratings:

1.      Premise 10

2.      Prose 10

3.      Plot 9

4.      Characters 9

5.      Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This is so close to a “10” on sheer entertainment value.  The prose combines the best elements of sit-com humor, deductive crime reasoning, and lively description.  Any author who can put together a good story AND make me laugh out loud every few pages is an author I will want to read again soon.  This is a series, and I started with the first one, but this novel is number 10 in the sequence and I don’t feel that I have missed a thing.  (The love interest in the first book has become a married couple by this one, but we kind of saw that coming.)  The accumulation of clues – a staple of any mystery – is depicted in original ways, so that we don’t feel we are reading a formula piece.  The Premise is a fun one; our protagonist has been put upon to organize the annual Christmas parade in her small town.  The description of the juggling act that this entails is very reminiscent of the parades (and there are very many) that I have been involved with.  The difference is that this one is happening during the beginning of a major snow storm.  Oh, and there’s a murder.  This setting gets us about halfway through the book without growing stale; a major feat of story-telling in itself!  If you read mostly for fun, as I do, pick up some of these Donna Andrews novels with birds in the titles.  Wonderful stuff!

“The Naming of the Dead,” by Ian Rankin

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 7

2.      Prose 8

3.      Plot 7

4.      Characters 9

5.      Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

It could just be me.  I have read somewhere around 10 different John Rebus Series books by Ian Rankin, and might be getting just a bit jaded.  The characters, as always, are compelling; not the least of which is Rebus himself.  The premise here is almost run-of-the-mill murder mystery content with some mildly interesting twists.  The prose, especially the dialog, is very good, but there is a sense of aimlessness that I didn’t notice so much in other books in this series.  Rebus’s intuitive flashes of insight are here, but not as dramatic as usual.  These novels, especially the later ones, tend to be a little long, as if the weight of the book lends weight to the story.  I think that actually works for many readers, but I like my fiction a little more streamlined.  A book this long needs to have some extremely unexpected plot twists to keep me interested, and they just aren’t here.  If you have never read a Rebus novel, I wouldn’t start with this one.  Try the very first one, “Knots and Crosses” or, more recently, “Standing in Another Man’s Grave.”

One for the Money,” by Janet Evanovich

FM’s ratings:

1.      Premise 9

2.      Prose 8

3.      Plot 9

4.      Characters 8

5.      Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)
I have been curious about this author and this series for a long time, having heard a lot of good things about them.  All true!  No, it’s not a literary masterpiece; doesn’t try to be.  But it is an outstanding bit of entertainment and escapism, which is exactly what many of us are looking for in a novel.  The formula here is that we start with a person whose life is pretty ho-hum - which is how most of us perceive our own lives – and then that character suddenly finds him/herself in an exciting, dynamic situation; which is exactly what most of us think we would prefer (until, of course, our lives are being seriously threatened!).  Stephanie Plum is extremely relatable, though many of the other characters are somewhat stereotypical, especially the “bad guys.”  The author takes time to show Plum actually learning how to use a gun before she magically becomes adept with it.  Smart.  The use of humor, as with so MANY of my go-to authors, is superb.  This is definitely another series that I will continue with, though not necessarily in the order they are written

Here’s the December line-up! 

“The Naming of the Dead,” by Ian Rankin [12-3-16]

“Six Geese A-Slaying,” by Donna Andrews [12-10-16]

“Twelve Drummers Drumming,” by C. C. Benison [12-17-16]

“A Highland Christmas,” by M. C. Beaton [12-24-16]
“The Christmas Train,” by David Baldacci [12-31-16]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini

Atif Khan's ratings:

1.      Premise 9.5

2.      Prose 8.5

3.      Plot 9

4.      Characters 8.5

5.      Overall 8.5

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

The book is awesome. I wept a bit while reading because few situations were very hard to imagine, made me more than nostalgic. It's a story of how miserable life women had lived in Afghanistan. The hardship of lives of women. Their sacrifice towards their children. Problems due to male dominance. But in the end, it shows everyone is not same whether entire race, caste, creed, communities and sex. It also shows a beautiful love story and the bond and relationship shared by two women. Moral: Love never dies.

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 7

3.      Plot 8

4.      Characters 9

5.      Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

The premise, as Atif describes it – the hardship of life for women in Afghanistan, (especially in wartime) – is the primary feature here, and the treatment is superb.  It’s a difficult premise upon which to base a novel; important as it is, the “entertainment value” is all but dispensed with.  This is made up for by superb characterization in my opinion, though Atif rates that somewhat lower than the other areas.  And if you like your fiction reading to be relevant to real issues and with historical significance, you can’t do better than this novel.  We both rated the prose lowest (though still relatively high) because, I think, it reads as if it was written by an author for whom English is not the primary language … which is exactly the case, of course!  But with that in mind, the prose is rather well done.  Overall, the “8” rating means I recommend it, with reservations for those who like lighter, happier reading.  The harsh realities of this narrative do indeed bring tears, as Atif points out, to anyone who cares about equality and peace in this world.  Thank you, Atif, for recommending this book!

Here’s the December line-up! 

“The Naming of the Dead,” by Ian Rankin [12-3-16]

“Six Geese A-Slaying,” by Donna Andrews [12-10-16]

“Twelve Drummers Drumming,” by C. C. Benison [12-17-16]

“A Highland Christmas,” by M. C. Beaton [12-24-16]
“The Christmas Train,” by David Baldacci [12-31-16]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Gulliver’s Travels,” by Jonathan Swift

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 7

2.      Prose 8

3.      Plot 6

4.      Characters 5

5.      Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

When I rate classic works from long ago, I try to keep in perspective how relatively undeveloped literature was at the time they were written.  And yet, it seems to me that many of those authors set the bar too low just because they could. I probably should have rated this a notch or two higher overall, but I kept sensing that Swift was capable of so much more.  Whereas Defoe went too far in detailing life stranded on an island in “Robinson Crusoe,” there was a lot of glossing over of the storyline here in favor of what passed for social commentary, as interesting as the social commentary is.  I remember having heard that Swift’s satire translates very well in many instances to modern situations, being just as applicable today as it was during his time.  There are several good examples of this, including the following:  “I desired that the senate of Rome might appear before me, in one large chamber, and an assembly of somewhat a later age in counterview, in another.  The first seemed to be an assembly of heroes and demigods; the other, a knot of pedlars, pick-pockets, highwaymen, and bullies.”  [Note the so-called “Oxford Comma” after the word “highwaymen” which in common usage, being the next to last item listed, is often omitted.]  What I hadn’t expected here was how akin to Science Fiction/Fantasy much of this work is.  Or that the prose would be so much more polished than Defoe’s.  The premise itself wasn’t so much “ahead of its time” as it was eccentrically whimsical, like “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Chronicles of Narnia.”  But I wouldn’t recommend it to a young reader – the more subtle aspects of the satire would be completely lost on them.  It is, however, one of those great works that I’m embarrassed to have waited so long to finally read!

“Tickled to Death,” by Joan Hess

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 7

2.      Prose 8

3.      Plot 8

4.      Characters 7

5.      Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This one is not quite up to the standards of most of Joan Hess’ works.  Sure, Claire Malloy is a fun first-person narrator, as always.  The rest of the characters are too wooden, just not all that interesting.   The twist near the end of the murder victim not being dead after all is a great idea, but it doesn’t pack the punch that it could have.  There’s just not much tension in this story, even at the end.  As a whodunit, it works just fine, but the entertainment value falls short.  Not to worry; there are plenty of really good Hess novels waiting in the wings!

“The Haunting of Hill House,” by Shirley Jackson

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 9

3.      Plot 8

4.      Characters 9

5.      Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

Written in 1959, this novel has many elements that are fresh by today’s standards.  Sure, today’s version would have contained a lot of sexual overtones, more “love interest,” maybe even a steamy sex scene.  Jackson wasn’t interested in writing that kind of book, and we can do without a tired old re-hashing of those themes.  Sex and “love” haven’t changed much over the years; just the prevalence of them in fiction.  The tired old “haunted house” theme has had a little too much exposure as well, but the treatment here is rather unique.  The description of the house itself; its layout, its construction; is interesting.  And the manifestations of supernatural elements, though predictable in some aspects, are given some nice unique twists in others.  Those looking for a “classic” haunted house story might be disappointed – those looking for a good story with some superbly wrought characters will not.  The characters are the highlight, especially Theodora, a brash, smart, sarcastic “today’s woman.”  (Think Jennifer Lawrence as she is OFF camera!  She’ll say anything!)  The character of Doctor Montague could be played by any of our venerable actors who have “aged out” of the more standard male protagonist roles.  The prose is vintage Jackson, very readable and compelling, if not stunning by current standards.  This is a must-read for “Horror” aficionados – and highly recommended for anyone!

“Neverwhere,” by Neil Gaiman

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 7
          2. Prose 8
          3. Plot 7
          4. Characters 8
          5. Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This is one of those “adventures of” stories that are all premise and no plot.  Or at least the plot takes a back seat to the action, to the point that it almost doesn’t matter in what order the events take place.  Almost – that’s an exaggeration.  I have read that the prototype of this kind of novel is “Don Quixote” – that it had never been done before that.  In the author’s Introduction to the edition I read he says, “What I wanted to do was write a book that would do for adults what the books I had loved when younger, books like Alice in Wonderland, or the Narnia books, or The Wizard of Oz, did for me as a kid.”  I have read other works that attempted the same thing, and I’m not yet convinced it can be done effectively.  Clive Barker’s “Abarat” books and China Mieville’s “Un Lun Dun” are excellent attempts.  Even “Huckleberry Finn” can be seen in this light.  They still read like a “kid’s book.”  (Soon, I will attempt Clive Barker’s “Imajica,” another “weighty tome.” I’ve heard great things about it.)  This is not my favorite type of novel; it feels like the author is constantly wandering from the premise, with seemingly unrelated “side-stories” popping up every chapter or so.  Even if, when you finish, you can see in hindsight good reasons for including the “side-stories,” the continuity of plot is constantly being interrupted – and I find that mildly irritating.  Having said all that – this is a very good attempt at creating such a work.  I had heard that Gaiman’s works were horror of the most sophisticated sort, taking the genre beyond where even Clive Barker has gone.  Maybe I chose the wrong one to begin with.  I will certainly be re-visiting this author, perhaps with “Anansi Boys.”

Here’s the November line-up!

“Tickled to Death,” by Joan Hess [11-5-16]

“Gulliver’s Travels,” by Jonathan Swift [11-12-16]

“A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by Khaled Hosseini [11-19-16]

“One for the Money,” by Janet Evanovich [11-26-16]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Dead Reckoning,” by Charlaine Harris

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 8
          2. Prose 9
          3. Plot 8
          4. Characters 10
          5. Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This is book number eleven in the Sookie Stackhouse series (“Trueblood” for the boob tube crowd) and there is still no sign of staleness setting in.  Sookie continues to be one of the most compelling “first person” narrators in popular fiction, and the secondary characters in these novels continue to fascinate.  The cause of her mind-reading ability finally comes to light, and several key issues that have been plaguing her get resolved.  In the next book we will presumably get to meet the vampire King of Nevada/Lousiana/etc. and the vampire Queen of Oklahoma.  It promises to be an awesome next-to-last book in a truly great series!

“The Body in the Library,” by Agatha Christie

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 7
          2. Prose 7
          3. Plot 8
          4. Characters 7
          5. Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

This is only the third Agatha Christie book I have read – one Hercule Poirot, one Miss Marple (this one) and one “other” – and the writing is consistently adequate.  The emphasis here is on plot; which is understandable from a “mystery writer.”  And while Miss Marple herself is a pretty interesting character, we don’t see enough of her or get inside her head very much at all.  The rest of the characters rise very little above stereotypes.  Miss Marple observes little, seemingly irrelevant details and draws the correct conclusions from them.  Such details must be the cornerstone around which entire novels are constructed, at least in the writings of Christie.  Not much humor in the meantime, except for an occasional chuckle about how quaint the little old lady is. The dialog is just interesting enough to salvage an otherwise ho-hum run-of-the-mill mystery.  I will continue to read her books from time to time, but I can’t say that I would necessarily recommend them.

“Pet Sematary,” by Stephen King

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 10

2.      Prose 10

3.      Plot 10

4.      Characters 10

5.      Overall 10

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

I have been told by many that this book is one of King’s finest.  I have to agree.  King gets inside his characters’ heads better than almost any writer one can name.  His descriptive powers are nothing short of brilliant.  When he goes off on a tangent, the tangent is always fascinating.  (The practice of putting toe tags on corpses in morgues is said to have originated in New York City by attendants of Celtic descent, who were influenced by the ancient Celtic practice of tying the toes of the dead together so that their ghosts couldn’t walk!)  Here is an author that can write a very long novel without it getting tedious for a reader like me.  Horror?  His novels transcend the genre by a mile; this is true literature, and I still maintain that 200 years from now, King will be one of the handful of authors remembered from this era.  I’m fascinated that one of the most important scenes in this novel, the death of Gage, is revealed as memories of the other characters, rather than told in straight narrative form.  This wasn’t done because the author didn’t feel he could effectively paint such a traumatic scene in words – Kings is more than up to that task!  It wasn’t done to spare the reader from such an emotionally distressing scene – King pulls no punches!  It was done for effect, and effective it is.  I haven’t seen the movie that was made of this yet – (ALWAYS read the book before seeing the movie!) - but I have stumbled across clips from it online, and the scene of Gage’s death appears to be quite dramatic.  The “creep” factor alone makes this novel worth the time to read it, but the profound sub-text is a huge plus throughout the narrative.  As a bonus, I can now stop hearing, “What?! You haven’t read Pet Sematary yet?!"  Awesome book.

“The Aeronaut’s Windlass,” by Jim Butcher

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 9
          2. Prose 8
          3. Plot 9
          4. Characters 10
          5. Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)
I had just finished reading one of Butcher’s Harry Dresden novels, and was looking for another when I came across this book, his latest, and saw that it was his first Steampunk novel.  Perfect!  One of the jacket blurbs shouted, “Steampunk done very, very right.”  Well, very, very wrong.  While this is a brilliantly executed Fantasy/Sci-Fi novel, it takes more than simply including airships and old-timey clothing in the setting to make a Steampunk novel.  The trappings of the Victorian era are a must, as I see it.  I have noticed a number of Steampunk attempts that have included electricity in the culture, including this one.  Maybe I’m being a Purist in the most derogatory sense of the word, but I feel that “In world lit only by fire,” a line from “Clockwork Angels,” by Neil Peart and Kevin Anderson (and appearing as the first line of the first song on Rush’s album by the same name) is a basic of the genre – no electricity.  Yes, in many ways Steampunk is still developing, the dust still settling on its precise definition.  But this isn’t it.  What it is, though, is a thoroughly original setting (“10” for setting), an intricate but followable and engaging plot, and a cast of beautifully realized characters, including intelligent cats who have developed a language that humans can learn, though not many have managed to.  The Etherealists are a fascinating invention that, by itself, makes this novel worthy of its length (630 pages).  And the captain of Predator - the airship most featured in this novel - Captain Grimm, is unforgettable (especially if you imagine a youngish Sean Connery in the roll like I did!).  If you’re looking for Steampunk, look elsewhere.  But for a really great escapist fantasy, you can’t go wrong with this one!  [Addendum:  Since writing this, I have noticed that this book was one of the five nominees for novel of the year at the Hugo Awards, with the winner being "The Fifth Season," by N. K. Jemisin.]

Here’s the October line-up! 

Happy Halloween!

“Pet Sematary,” by Stephen King [10-1]
“The Body in the Library” by Agatha Christie [10-8]
“Dead Reckoning,” by Charlaine Harris [10-15]
“Neverwhere,” by Neil Gaiman [10-22]
“The Haunting of Hill House,” by Shirley Jackson [10-29] 

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Death of a Witch,” by M. C. Beaton

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 8

2.      Prose 7

3.      Plot 8

4.      Characters 8

5.      Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

Another very enjoyable read from this author.  The prose is simplistic but effective; just doesn’t display a lot of depth.  The rest is just good solid writing with characters that are fun to watch, though just a little too shallowly rendered.  The interplay between the characters is fascinating, especially the jealousies that spring up between Hamish and three potential “lady loves.”  And there is just the right amount of “noir” in the mix, with a darkness that contrasts interestingly with the lightness of the prose.  The “witch” may or may not have been a real practitioner of the dark arts; that is left largely unanswered – in itself a fine touch by the author.  But just as with the previous book I read in this series, the real draw for me is the setting: a small, typically uptight Scottish community set against a dramatic loch-and-mountains backdrop.  The descriptions of the area are concise but effective at evoking an atmospheric sense of place.  This extends to the local pubs, hotels, etc.  On top of all this, the humor is added as just the right amount of spice.  I have already begun another work by this author, finding her novels to contain just the right recipe for my usual light reading tastes!

Here’s the October line-up! 

“Pet Sematary,” by Stephen King [10-1]

“The Body in the Library” by Agatha Christie [10-8]

“Dead Reckoning,” by Charlaine Harris [10-15]

“Neverwhere,” by Neil Gaiman [10-22]

“The Haunting of Hill House,” by Shirley Jackson [10-29] 

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Naked Empire,” by Terry Goodkind

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 9
          2. Prose 6
          3. Plot 7
          4. Characters 9
          5. Overall 7

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

You may be wondering, with my dislike of really long books, why I would choose to read one that is more than two inches thick (and NOT a Stephen King book!), 667 pages long, in a genre that is not my favorite; Medieval Fantasy.  I have been curious about the author for some time, wondering why his books are all so long, and what the draw is.  Well, the premise is pretty cool, though rather complicated, being part of a series.  The characters are considerably more developed than most books of the genre offer.  The prose?  Not so bad, sentence by sentence, despite the fact that we have characters with extremely limited educational backgrounds using words like “inculcated” and “comprehended.”  The problem with the prose – as in all overly long books – is not quality, but quantity.  Once again, we have a 300 page story being crammed into a 667 page book.  But in this instance, the “padding” glares at us.  It is as if he wrote the book as a 335-pager, and then went back through, paragraph by paragraph, and doubled each one.  There are many instances where a point has been adequately made, only to be adequately made yet again a paragraph or two later with only superficially different wording.  I found myself thinking, “Yeah, we got that the first time, move on.”  Perhaps Mr. Goodkind knows his readership well enough to realize that a large portion of them are “skimmers,” not reading for content so much as for the impressions that can be gleaned from skimming.  He doesn’t want them to miss certain key points, so he feels he has to belabor them.  But there really is content here.  The premise is hidden among the trappings out of necessity.  The story is really a study of several related political philosophy issues including the initiation of the use of force and the morality of doing harm in self-defense; and what fantasy buff wants to read about that?  The hero is dealing with an isolated culture of extreme pacifists who have come to him to rid them of oppressors.  (I seem to remember an old Star Trek episode that dealt with this theme as well.)  The pacifists are the “empire” referred to in the title; vulnerably “naked” to any band of thugs that wants to dominate them.  Much of the hero’s dialog includes an exploration of moral philosophies, including Objectivist and Libertarian fundamentals.  This actually saved the book for me, resulting in a much higher overall rating than I would otherwise have given it.  I wish I could recommend it.  Go for it if you’re a skimmer!

“Bloody Bones,” by Laurell K. Hamilton

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 9

2.      Prose 10

3.      Plot 9

4.      Characters 9

5.      Overall 9

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

Book 5 in this series and no sign of fading!  The tight plotting in these novels is superb, though there is a hint of formula showing.  One technique that is showing up with just a little too much regularity is, for lack of a better phrase, “the long, hopeless situation.”  While scenes that take up 30 pages or more work beautifully in a cinematic situation – Quentin Tarantino is a master at this – it can be too much if overused, especially in a novel.  Our protagonist, Anita Blake (one of my all-time favorite protagonists!) gets into hopeless situations not just at the end of the story as many a mystery-writer loves to depict, but several times throughout the narrative.  And these scenes attempt to keep the tension up for page after page.  It almost works, the prose is so effective, but it is just a tad overdone.  But this is nit-picking.  Everything else about the writing is just short of perfect, with a wryly humorous first person narrative by Anita that never goes stale.  The comedic effect never gets in the way and adds immeasurably to almost every scene.  Love the writer; love the series - next stop: “The Killing Dance.”

“Haunted,” by Chuck Palahniuk

FM's ratings:

          1. Premise 10
          2. Prose 10
          3. Plot 9
          4. Characters 9
          5. Overall 10

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)
“This is one of the most disturbing and outrageous books you’ll ever read, one that could come only from the mind of Chuck Palahniuk.”  So says the text on the back cover – and it is absolutely true.  It reads like a complete compendium of ways in which one can be “grossed out.”  Not creeped out; not suspensed out or horrored out; but grossed out.  If that sounds childish or sophomoric, well, it should be; but in the hands of a genius like Palahniuk (did I say “genius”?  I mean that) it becomes a masterpiece.  It’s a short story and poetry collection disguised as a novel.  Or maybe the other way around; it’s hard to say.  The author’s afterword (which should have been a forward, but the editor probably thought people would not go on to read the book if they read it first) describes how the author has read the first short story out loud to numerous audiences, and virtually always has audience members fainting from the graphic grossness.  But the book’s chief asset is its total originality. I often wonder what would have happened if I had directed my focus on writing fiction instead of music.  And I usually feel that any book I read is one that I could have written if my life had gone that way.  Rarely do I read a novel having to admit that I could never have written anything like it.  This amazing book is just such a novel.  One more impressive book by Palahniuk under my belt should result in him being my favorite male author!

Here’s the September line-up!

“Bloody Bones,” by Laurell K. Hamilton [9-3]

“Naked Empire,” by Terry Goodkind [9-10]

“Death of a Witch,” by M. C. Beaton [9-17]

“The Aeronaut's Windlass,” by Jim Butcher [9-24]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)

“Locked In,” by Marcia Muller

FM's ratings:

1.      Premise 6

2.      Prose 4

3.      Plot 6

4.      Characters 5

5.      Overall 5

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

Shallow. That’s the word that comes to mind regarding almost every aspect of this novel.  The characters are shallow, responding to the events of the story in the most sophomoric ways, even to the point of making very dubious and unprofessional decisions in order to take the plot in the direction the author wants to take it.  The prose is shallow; reminding me of the gossipy chattiness of bored housewives, and full of incomplete sentences apparently aimed at imitating natural speech patterns in an attempt to create relatability for a shallow readership.  Maybe I’m spoiled to really smart writing – but this isn’t it.  “Shar had told her to dig, so she did.  Also asked Thelia and Diane to help her.  More background on Haven Dietz.  Nothing there she didn’t already know.  Phone calls to Dietz’s former friends and colleagues.”  This is a stylistic device that can occasionally create tension; not a trademark writing style to be used on every page.  Are there readers who respond to this kind of writing?  Sure, but don’t try to have a meaningful conversation with one of them.  A question that comes to mind is: Does this shallowness necessarily mean that the author herself is that shallow?  Or is she “writing down” in order to sell books?  And what does it reveal about the general readership if we conclude that the author really can’t do better but has a successful career as a novelist despite her limitations?  I have to stop; I’m creeping myself out!

Here’s the September line-up!

“Bloody Bones,” by Laurell K. Hamilton [9-3]

“Naked Empire,” by Terry Goodkind [9-10]

“Death of a Witch,” by M. C. Beaton [9-17]

“The Aeronaut's Windlass,” by Jim Butcher [9-24]

(As always, if there are any books you’d like to recommend for next month, please do so.  Also, if you have already read one on our previous lists, you are invited to send your ratings and or comments for that book!)