What we're reading, the MTS edition

heyjude

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So we're talking in another thread about our favorite books, but I'd like to hear what you're reading now, if you like it, and what (if any) value you think it has for you as a writer.

I'm reading Mike Lawson's The Inside Ring. He's good at characterization but unfortunately I don't actually like any of the characters. :rolleyes:

How about you? What are you reading?
 

kaitie

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The Rite by Matt Baglio, a non-fiction book about a modern priest training to become an exorcist. I've got a three Terry Pratchett books to choose from and the first book of the Cold Fire trilogy once I finish, but I haven't decided which to read yet.

In terms of what I'm reading now...well, it's non-fiction and the writing itself is...not bad, it just could be a lot better. I find myself constantly reading something and thinking, "Wow, you could have said it this way and that would have been so much more interesting/dramatic/what have you." It's a bit distracting sometimes, actually, and I suppose has shown the reasoning behind why good writing is important because it can really take the reader out of the story. It is interesting, however, and I still enjoy reading because the topic is so intriguing.
 

ToddWBush

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The Watchman by Robert Crais and Sacred by Dennis Lehane. And both of them are so very, very, very useful to me as a writer. Both of them are great writers...
 

Melville

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The Watchman by Robert Crais and Sacred by Dennis Lehane. And both of them are so very, very, very useful to me as a writer. Both of them are great writers...

Crais new book featuring Joe Pike, THE FIRST RULE, is also excellent... though THE WATCHMAN is truly special.

IMHO:
Crais, with Pike, and Sandford, with Virgil Flowers, are the only two MTS writers who have spun series from secondary characters that are JUST AS GOOD as their first series (featuring Elvis Cole and Lucas Davenport, respectively.) Even the great James Lee Burke (my personal favorite... and I concur with someone who has listed IN THE ELECTRIC MIST OF THE CONFEDERATE DEAD as their favorite... that masterpiece transcends genre) has never created a series quite as powerful as the one he has with Dave Robicheaux. The same can be said of Walter Mosely... he's got a LOT of interesting characters in a wide array of books but the Easy Rawlins books featuring Easy and Mouse (another of those Joe Pike/Hawk lethal characters) is superlative.

As for Lehane... his stand-alones lack the THWACK! of his series. I do think that Lehane's stuff works very well in adapted screenplays however.

It's nice to see that those who write in this genre also read in the genre and appreciate all the good books out there.
 

TC Beacham

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HEAT WAVE by the fictional Richard Castle (from the TV show, Castle)

Recently discovered the show, which I really enjoy, and thought I'd see what the fuss was about re the book. I'm only about 20% into it and so far, so good. I will say that the banter between the detective and writer sidekick is accentuated in the book because you get the dialogue plus the inner thoughts of the detective.
 
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jeseymour

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I just finished "T is for Trespass," by Sue Grafton. Good reading. I was surprised by the level of quality in this with so many books in. Next up "The Monkey's raincoat," by Robert Crais. I received this in a Sisters In Crime book swap at the holiday party.
 

Chase

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I'm in the middle of Stephen King's Under the Dome. I've read every stand-alone novel (not the Dark Tower series) from Carrie. It has me captive like the residents of Chester's Mill.

Broken record playing (cracked CD?): SK's The Colorado Kid, published by Hard Case Crime, is one of the best amateur sleuth detective books I've ever enjoyed.

Under my Christmas tree is wrapped something with the heft, feel, and strong pull of Sue Grafton's U is for Undertow. Like King's (and a host of other writers') books, I've read every Sue Grafton alphabet mystery. I, too, am surprised that most have been delightful page-turners.

I also enjoy reading these posts, so I guess I'm hopeless.
 

wilhem spihntingle

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THE AX by Donald Westlake.

He writes well and creates mood effectively but I'm not sure I buy the premise of the whole story. But it's good enough, I guess, that I am still reading!

I liked "The Ax". Stephen King listed it in "On Writing", so I gave it a shot. Thought it was a horror story, but I was wrong. Enjoyable read for sure. Other books I liked from the S. King list were "Speed Queen", "Zombie", "Liar's Club", and "The Great God Pan".
 

ToddWBush

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Just got one yesterday at Square Books (in Oxford, Mississippi... easily one of the best small town bookstores in existance): The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles. No one's mentioned his Penn Cage series, which starts with The Quiet Game and then includes Turning Angel. Iles is a terrific writer, and his thrillers (which are also whodunits) could almost be considered literary. Oh, and he's from my home state of Mississippi. One day, I hope to add to the state's long legacy of great fiction writers.
 

heyjude

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Ha, my favorite small bookstore is called Circle Books (St. Armand's Circle, Sarasota).

I used to like Isles, but it seems like no one edits him any more. Or maybe I just don't like all the description. No one's ever accused me of being overly enraptured of description. :)
 

Maryn

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Although I'm not writing MST at the moment, I still read it a lot.

I finally made time for a book that's been near the top of my stack for ages. And frankly, I'm quite disappointed. It got critical raves and I simply can't see why. I've read so much better which critics ignored.

It's John Connelly's (not to be confused with Michael Connelly) Every Dead Thing.

Among its many glaring flaws (all IMHO, of course) are repeated and frequent violations of a lot of writing conventions, as if this were a first-ever manuscript. For instance, when a character talks, then in the same paragraph as the dialogue there's action using a pronoun as a subject, it's not always the person who said the dialogue who's doing the action (or having the thoughts, whatever).

It also withholds information from the reader, maybe trying to build suspense, info-dumps, explains unusual actions and reactions after the fact, and commits all kinds of other 'sins.'

Maryn, who's reading the rest because it makes her feel like a good writer
 

Maryn

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Oh, I almost forgot. I was reading The Ax and thought its concept worthy of a short story, no more. I set it aside at about page 50. Let's move along, Westlake.

Maryn, pretty snooty
 

heyjude

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What did you think about Under the Dome, Brady? I haven't read SK in a long time but have heard good things about this one.
 

MarkEsq

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Oh, I almost forgot. I was reading The Ax and thought its concept worthy of a short story, no more. I set it aside at about page 50. Let's move along, Westlake.

Maryn, pretty snooty


Oh heavens, that's hilarious! I JUST finished that book (not two hours ago!) and was thinking the same thing all the way through. I almost put it down early on, in fact, thinking, "This premise is too much" but kept going just cos.

Mark, snooty like Maryn
 

BradyH1861

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What did you think about Under the Dome, Brady? I haven't read SK in a long time but have heard good things about this one.

Like you, it has been a long time since I have read anything by Mr. King. I thought Under the Dome was pretty good. It reminds me of his older works. I'm glad I set aside time to read it.
 

Adagio

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Half through Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, being the first book by this author I've ever read (didn't see the movie). Powerful writing. I can't put the book down. I like the "telling" paragraphs, so vivid. No need to "show." On the TBR list: Under the Dome.

Adagio
 

heyjude

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Has anyone read William Forstchen's One Second After? I read it several months ago and it's still giving me the willies--it's a novel about the aftermath of an EMP. I got it for my dad for Christmas. 'Cause anxiety is the gift that keeps on giving!
 

sheadakota

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Right now I am reading Evidence by Jonathon Kellerman- I have seen him bashed on this forum before, but hey, shoot me, I like him:tongue

I like Alex Delaware and his obnoxious french bull dog, I like Miles, I like the fact that they are friends. Would a homocide detective need a profiler as much as Miles always seems too? Probably not- but I don't care i am entertained and that's all that matters.
 

heyjude

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Shea, I've always liked him too, but I got awfully tired of Alex Delaware. Very few characters can keep my interest after a half-dozen books or so.

I officially give up on The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. Somewhere around page 40, in the midst of the nth argument about whether or not Dante's Inferno should be published, I nearly fell asleep, which sucked 'cause I was on the stationary bike. Has anyone else read this?
 

sheadakota

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Heyjude- I know what you mean and admit I took a healthy hiatus from Kellerman for quite awhile- Evidence is the first Alex Delaware book I have read in years and I found I missed him.
 

Maryn

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Adagio, I consider Mystic River to be Lehane's best book, and I'm pretty sure I've read 'em all. When you finish it, the movie's well worth a look as well. For once, they correctly distilled for the script the parts which made the book what it is. Sean Penn was terrific.

And I like Kellerman, too, although I won't read more than one a year. There was some TV movie eons ago with Richard Masur as the cop, and he was so perfect that I envision him as I read, whereas Delaware is just faceless and I couldn't tell you who played him.

Maryn, laughing at the idea of dozing off on the stationary bike