Tag: Spelling the Month in Books Page 1 of 2

Demolition Angel

This is Robert Crais’ second stand-alone, and it is just fantastic. From the concept to the central character to the story–he’s at his best here. Carol Starkey is a bomb tech and detective in the LAPD, scarred (physically and emotionally) from a detonation that killed a colleague/lover, she’s now on the hunt for a serial bomber. Thankfully, Crais was able to work Starkey into a couple of Elvis Cole novels–but in this introduction to the character, she really gets to shine brightly. I’m tempted to toss the rest of my plans for the year (including this post) to go re-read it.

The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook

Matt Dunn’s rom-com about a man with a goal–become the kind of guy his suddenly-ex-girlfriend wants. This means exercising, dressing better, showing sensitivity to other people’s wants and needs (and actually being sensitive to them), etc. This is a far cry from the lazy manchild he’d been over the last 10 years. But he’s determined. But once he arrives at the destination, does he want her back? I remember this being fairly predictable but so sweet and fun that I didn’t care.

Coraline

I’m sure everyone reading this post is familiar with Neil Gaiman’s classic creepy tale for children. I remember having a blast reading this with my kids (and look forward to trying to creep out their kids with the same story). It’s got all the typical Gaiman ideas scaled down and packaged for the audience. The illustrations are on par with–possibly superior to–the words on the page. For me to say that, especially about Gaiman, you know they’re great.

The Eyre Affair

This was my introduction to the, um…inventive and indescribably strange mind of Jasper Fforde. This book features alternate history, time travel, and cloning–and none of that really has to do with the story, it’s just a backdrop to the story about people going into literary classics to kidnap major characters and/or rewrite them entirely. Thankfully, our heroine, Thursday Next is on the job.

The Magician’s

I know there are people who have problems with Lev Grossman’s trilogy that started with this book, and I’m not saying they’re wrong. But I came across this book at just the right time for me–it’s one of those reads that hit allllllllll the right notes for me at the time. It’s the reason that I refuse to name my top book of the year until the end of the year (finished it on 12/30, I believe). This Harry Potter/Less Than Zero/C.S. Lewis/Narnia-mashup is a celebration/critique/play on those ideas, works, and people–and so much more. The latter books in the series weren’t as satisfying for me–but I still loved ’em.

The Bridge of Sighs

Richard Russo’s novel took just about everything from his other novels and squished them into one (without the humor of Straight Man). It’s the story of a friendship, of the growth of a town, of the development of a marriage/family, and what happens when an extraordinarily gifted person leaves a small town for international fame. To explain it better would take a full post or two, but that’ll do for here. It’s a beautiful work.

Evel Knievel Days

I’d completely forgotten Pauls Toutonghi’s novel existed until I was pouring over the E’s in my Goodreads history to come up with this last “E” title. That’s a shame, too. This novel is about a young man from Egypt being raised by a single mother in Butte, Montana. He can’t remember anything about his home country, but he wants to go back to somewhere he feels he belongs. Between his name, skin color, and religion–there’s nothing about Khosi that seems to fit in the city he finds himself in. On the spur of the moment, he travels to Cairo to track down his father and understand his roots. As you’d expect, he gets more than he anticipates.

The Rook

This is one of those books that brings nothing but warm fuzzies to my mind and heart when I think about it–it’s not flawless, but I can’t think of a problem with it. Daniel O’Malley’s debut is an Urban Fantasy Thriller with a touch of espionage. It’s like Harry Connelly and Mick Herron wrote a book together (I thought about saying Butcher or McGuire there, but the supernatural is more Connelly-esque). If you haven’t read it yet, you really should.

One Kick

Cassandra Kain’s novel is a few things—like an action-packed thriller with a social conscience, a vengeance story, and a look at the long-term damage childhood trauma can cause. Kick Lanningham survived a childhood abduction and found a measure of peace in learning to defend herself. Now, she’s been sought out to use her skills and experience to help track down other abducted children. She’s a great character—not perfect, she’s no Charlie Fox or Jack Reacher when it comes to combat, but she’s determined.

I so, so wish the promised sequel (and a few others) had come. But Tori Eldridge’s Lily Wong novels and Taylor Stevens’ Vanessa Michael Munroe novels deliver a lot of the same kind of action (and maybe deliver a little more realism).

The Calling

The same disturbed depravity, intensity, dedication, and drive that are displayed in each episode of Neil Cross’ show are in full force here. You’ve got one very, very sick murderer (and I mean that in every possible way) being hunted by Det. Luther across London. And even though most people who pick up this book know exactly how it ends (the opening scene of episode 1), you’re still on the edge of your seat, white-knucklin’ the book, breathing only when you remember. This had the promise of being a novel series to go along with the show, and I wish it had.

Team Human

Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up for this Twilight-y YA novel. But in this one, our protagonist is trying to keep her friend from getting involved with a vampire classmate. There are a handful of other shenanigans involving vampires and zombies, too—and it all falls upon our high school hero to save the day. I came for the “hey, maybe falling for a guy centuries older than you is a bad idea” and stuck around for the compelling characters and story.

The Oathbound Wizard

This sequel to Christopher Stasheff’s Her Majesty’s Wizard is one of those sequels that didn’t need to exist—Her Majesty’s was a great stand-alone that I fell in love with in high school (I’ve since wondered about that, but that’s for another time). This came along 7 years later and was in large part a re-telling of its predecessor (the third book that came out the next year was even more of a repeat, and I ignored the 5 following books that came out pretty regularly). However, there were a few moments in this book that made it worth a read or two. I don’t know if it was ever fully successful, but I admired, Stasheff’s attempt to blend portal fantasy, Roman Catholicism, and theoretical physics.

Bridget Jones’s Diary

I don’t know if I’ll ever forget the questioning look an older colleague gave me when she saw that I’d brought Helen Fielding’s breakout novel to read over lunch—”isn’t that a women’s book?” I shrugged and said something like “Maybe, but the review in Newsweek made it sound interesting.” She found my reply less than convincing (not that I cared). I found Jones and her struggles perfectly charming and relatable—Fielding’s voice won me over within a couple of pages. I think I’ve re-read it once since ’96, but my other attempts at it have fizzled out, and it just can’t keep my attention. But I still remember it fondly.

Ender’s Game

This is one of those books that I spent years putting off while everyone I knew tried to get me to read—even guys who weren’t big readers pushed it on me. And by the time I was about 50 pages in, I started kicking myself for ignoring them for so long. It worked on so many levels, and absolutely captivated me. I’ve never gotten around to finishing the series—or reading much of it—but the story of Ender Wiggins and the war with the Buggers is an all-time fave.

Rock On

Denise Vega’s novel about a high-school band, brotherhood, and coming of age checks all the boxes you expect it to. The highlight for me was the storyline about the protagonist’s older brother moving back home after dropping out of college, it gave the emotional heft the rest of the novel (though perfectly fine) didn’t quite manage. I remember liking it, my goodreads review suggested I did, too.

Straight Man

Richard Russo’s novel traces the week of the chairman of an English Department at a Pennsylvania university. It’s hard to imagine how much damage a man can do to his own life in so short of time. It’s one of those “serious” novels for literary readers that is (intentionally) funny—and still manages to tell a good story, with a lot of heart—and a little academic satire, too. And any book with a duck like that on the cover has to be worth a read, right?

Eragon

Say what you will about Christopher Paolini’s debut, the story of his writing and getting it published is pretty cool. I remember enjoying it for what it is—a fun MG story about a 15-year-old who finds a dragon egg, which launches a bunch of adventures that reminded me a bit too much about Star Wars. (which didn’t make it less fun, just made it a different kind of fun).

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster’s children’s classic is one of those books that I can read and enjoy today. The story of a dull boy who receives a magic tollbooth and travels to a strange world where he has to use his mind and imagination. I loved (and still do) the wordplay, the puns, and the very strange companions that Milo picks up along the way. Jules Feiffer’s illustrations are the perfect companion to the story, and when I listened to an audiobook version of it, not having them took a little away from the experience.

True Grit

This has to be the best-known work by Charles Portis—and it deserves its renown. Mattie Ross is such a great character. Her interactions with Rooster Cogburn while they hunt for her father’s killer was unexpectedly entertaining. I really wouldn’t have imagined this to have been so entertaining before I dove in—but I had a blast with this feisty protagonist.

Envy the Night

This was the first stand-alone thriller from Michael Koryta, and I remember not being sure what I’d think about it. My memory for the details is hazy (it’s been 14 years), but I remember being gripped. It was a new tone and a new kind of character for him, but everything else—the writing, the storytelling, and the suspense of the novel were just what the reader had become accustomed to.

Mirrorshades

Bruce Stirling’s inaugural collection of cyberpunk stories is one of the very few short story collections that I’ve read multiple times. It defined a movement, brought it to the masses, and is just so much fun.

Brighton Beach Memoirs

I don’t know how many times I watched the movie version of this, but the script for the play is just so much better. The story of Eugene and his family struggling to get by, worriedly watching what’s going on in Europe in 1937, and preparing to take in their relatives who are clearly going to need a new place to live. Genuine laughs, a lot of heart, and a solid coming-of-age story.

Everything Changes

This was the first Jonathan Tropper book that I read. Having read them all (most more than once), it’s not my favorite, but as it was my first, I do have a soft spot for it. With his wedding coming up, Zack deals with the death of his best friend (2 years prior), Zack’s less-than-Plantoic feelings for his friend’s widow, and his father returning to his life after decades. As less than positive I might have sounded, it did bring me back for more—I can’t get enough of Tropper’s voice.

The Ranger

It’d take about 30 seconds of not-very-intense research around here to see that I’m an Ace Atkins fan—and the series that kicks off with The Ranger is a big part of that. In this novel, Army Ranger Quinn Colson comes home from Afghanistan to discover that his uncle, the county sheriff, either committed suicide or was killed. Colson looks into the death and learns a lot more than he expected. Colson’s story (and the story of that county) is still going strong after 11 books.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

Joe Schreiber’s YA thriller is about what you’d expect from this title. It’s a fast, light, thriller about a high schooler stuck taking an exchange student to prom. It turns out that she’s a little more than the shy geek he imagined. Okay, she’s a lot more than that.

Updraft

Fran Wilde’s book is too hard for me to describe in a sentence or two—this is a wildly imaginative novel brimming with great worldbuilding, a strong story, and memorable characters. It’s not quite the book that will make you believe a man (or young woman, in this case) can fly—but you’ll hope it was so.

Gone, Baby, Gone

Dennis Lehane’s fourth novel was my introduction to both him and his Kenzie & Gennaro. And it made me an insta-fan. It’s a great piece of P.I. fiction, a gripping story that’ll break your heart and haunt you for a long time to come (24 years so far for me).

Unseemly Science

The second novel in Rod Duncan’s Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series takes a lot of what was established in the first book and blows it up so that the characters are driven to new strengths and adventures and so that readers’ expectations are surpassed. Espionage and strange science take this steampunk/gaslamp adventure in a direction that few in this genre go.

The Stepsister Scheme

Jim C. Hines’s repurposing of these fairy tale princesses is one of my favorites—he takes Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty and turns them into secret agents who are defending the kingdom with their wits, magic, and martial arts. There’s a little bit of humor, but he doesn’t play this for jokes. This book sets up a series of four re-imagining of these (and other) fairy tale/Disney princesses that The Mouse definitely wouldn’t approve of.

Tonight I Said Goodbye

Michael Koryta’s debut blew me away—PI Lincoln Perry and his partner/mentor Joe Prichard are hired to investigate the apparent suicide of an investigator and the disappearance of his wife and daughter. Lincoln and Joe soon find themselves up to their neck in danger from the Russian mob. I’ve read this two or three times over fifteen years ago, so my memory is pretty vague, but I remember being gripped by the story and the characters—and thinking that three sequels to this were not enough. Koryta’s gone on to bigger and better things—but I’d take another book with these characters any day.

Jurassic Park

It took me several tries to get into Michael Crichton’s best-known work, I kept getting bogged down in some of the early science-y info dumps, but I had a couple of friends who kept insisting that I read it, so I kept trying and failing. Then, with just a month or so left before the movie was released, I forced myself to try again—and pushed ten or so pages further than I’d gotten before and read the rest in one sitting. Or maybe it took two—it was 1993, who knows? I just remember being captivated and loving every second of the rest of the book. It wasn’t like anything I’d read before. I do wonder what I’d think of it today, but not enough to take the time to try, the memory’s enough.

Uneasy Relations

Aaron J. Elkins’ Gideon Oliver series was one of the early “adult” mystery series that I got hooked on, so they’re always going to have a sentimental appeal to me. Thankfully, even without that, they’re clever little reads with characters that feel like old friends, so I’m always game for one. The setting for this one, Gibraltar, is the star for sure. Elkins is either very well-traveled or great at research (likely both) and is the rare kind of author I’d like to read travelogues by.

When I initially posted about this I said, in addition to the archeology the book features “some satirical takes on publishing, literary agents, and academics…Oh yeah, and the murder—there’s that. That was a good puzzle…The solution to the murder was a nice twist, and the Skeleton Detective was as clever as ever.”

The Name of the Wind

What is there to say about the novel that launched Patrick Rothfuss to Fantasy novelist stardom that hasn’t been said a million times? For me, it took very little time before I was in love with this book. I’ve read it three times—and even sought out a hardcover so I could use my paperback as a loaner (and then had to replace that when my first one wasn’t returned). I love the way Rothfuss uses words, I want to spend more time with every other character (except Ambrose, natch—cannot stand that guy). I’m familiar with—and even agree with—many of the criticisms of the book. And you know what? I don’t care because the overall impact of the book just works for me on levels I can’t express.

Yeah, I know, I know, I know—Rothfuss is as bad as/worse than Martin when it comes to needing to finish a series. But as much as I want to see how things wrap up here, I’ll be forever grateful I got to spend some time with this book—no matter what happens with the rest.

Evil Ways

This is the second novel in Justin Gustainis’ too-short series about an Occult investigator and his white witch consultant. Think Harry Dresden but split into two roles, just not as funny.

Evil Ways focuses on someone killing white witches around the country, and the FBI’s investigation into a series of child murders. From that grim and sober premise, the reader gets a wild and intense thriller about a ritual to bring Hell on Earth (literally).

About a Boy

Nick Hornby’s novel about perpetual adolescent, Will, befriending the awkward and introverted teenage, Marcus, wasn’t at all what I expected from the follow-up to High Fidelity. But, by the end, it won me over. NOwhere near as fun as Hornby’s first novel, but I recall it showing real growth in writing and characterization.

Pride and Prejudice

I was clearly having difficulty coming up with a P, if I decided to use Jane Austen’s second novel. A handful of years ago, I decided I’d read her collected works–and, I just did not understand the enduring appeal of them. I realize that this is entiredly a problem with me, but, nevertheless, it persists. It does have killer opening line, I will admit.

The Riddle of the Wren

This was Charles de Lint’s first novel, and after reading it, I could absolutely see where he’d end up having the career he did. I didn’t wow me, but there was something to the writing and the worlds described that suggested the talent he’d later display. I remember the protagonist, flaws and all, making a strong impression.

I Thought You Were Dead

Pete Nelson’s use of the protagonist’s dog, Stella, elevated this from your typical young white guy trying to put his life together novel. When it’s just Paul and Stella, they have some great conversations. I really did enjoy Paul and the other characters in the novel, too–it’s not just because of Stella that this stuck in my mind. But her presence, her relieved/excited greeting “I thought you were dead” every time Paul came home, and their relationship is the best part of it.

Last Chance to See

I wasn’t prepared for the serious side of Douglas Adams when this book came out in ’91, but it quickly won me over. Adams’s humor and quirky way of looking at things shone in his narrative about touring the world with zoologist Mark Carwardine as they look for animals on the verge of extinction and try to capture the wonder of these animals while its still possible to do so.