Steve's Bookshelf 2011

[Karsa Orlong]

k = Kindle

 

January

 

01. Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden 9/10 k

02. Stand By, Stand By by Chris Ryan 6/10 k

03. The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo 9/10 k

04. The Religion by Tim Willocks 5/10

05. Splinter by Sebastian Fitzek 8/10 k

06. Endless Night by Richard Laymon 2/10 k

07. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo 10/10

08. 61 Hours by Lee Child 8/10

 

 

February

 

09. Worth Dying For by Lee Child 7/10 k

--. Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre DNF

10. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 9/10

11. Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky 6/10

12. The Leopard by Jo Nesbo 9/10 k

13. Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden 6/10 k

14. Blue Heaven by C J Box 8/10 k

15. Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson (re-read) 7/10 k

 

 

March

 

16. Toll The Hounds by Steven Erikson (re-read) 9/10 k

17. Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson (re-read) 6/10 k

18. The Crippled God by Steven Erikson 9/10 k

19. Revelation by C J Sansom 9/10

20. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane 7/10

 

 

April

 

21. The Final Empire - Mistborn Book One by Brandon Sanderson 8/10

22. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay 10/10

23. A Game of Thrones - by George RR Martin (re-read) 9/10

24. The Well of Ascension - Mistborn Book Two by Brandon Sanderson 6/10

25. Arms of Nemesis by Steven Saylor 9/10

 

 

May

 

26. Zero Option by Chris Ryan 4/10 k

27. The Hero of Ages - Mistborn Book Three by Brandon Sanderson 7/10

28. Heartstone by C J Sansom 9/10

29. A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin (re-read) 8/10 k

 

 

June

 

30. Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks 7/10

31. On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers 8/10 k

32. A Song For Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay 10/10

33. A Storm of Swords 1: Steel & Snow by George RR Martin 9/10 k

34. A Storm of Swords 2: Blood & Gold by George RR Martin 10/10 k

35. American Gods by Neil Gaiman 6/10

 

 

July

 

36. A Feast For Crows by George RR Martin 7/10 k

37. A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin 6/10 k

38. Crack'd Pot Trail by Steven Erikson 5/10

39. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick 8/10

40. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin 8/10

 

 

August

 

41. Storm Front (Dresden Files 1) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k

42. The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story by Stephen Donaldson 6/10

43. Catalina's Riddle by Steven Saylor 8/10

44. Hyperion by Dan Simmons 10/10

45. Emphyrio by Jack Vance 8/10

46. The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris 6/10 k

47. Fool Moon (Dresden Files 2) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k

48. Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds 9/10

 

 

September

 

--. End Game by Matthew Glass DNF

49. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 6/10

50. Waylander by David Gemmell 8/10

51. The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill 8/10

52. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre 6/10

53. The Voyage of The Sable Keech by Neal Asher 8/10

 

 

October

 

54. Prador Moon by Neal Asher 9/10

55. Orbus by Neal Asher 9/10

56. Zoo Station by David Downing 7/10 k

57. Fallen Idols by Neil White 6/10 k

58. All My Sins Remembered by Joe Haldeman 7/10 k

59. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons 8/10 k

60. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 6/10 k

61. Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf by David Gemmell 8/10

 

 

November

 

62. Dracula by Bram Stoker 5/10 k

63. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver 9/10

64. The Infidel by Bob Shepherd 7/10 k

65. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 7/10 k

66. Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg 7/10 k

67. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt 9/10 k

68. Grave Peril (Dresden Files 3) by Jim Butcher 8/10 k

69. The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman 8/10 k

70. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey 7/10

 

 

December

 

71. The Winter King: Warlord Chronicles Book 1 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10

72. Enemy of God: Warlord Chronicles Book 2 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10

73. Excalibur: Warlord Chronicles Book 3 by Bernard Cornwell 10/10

74. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker 7/10

75. Lord Foul's Bane (Thomas Covenant Chronicles Book 1) by Stephen Donaldson 3/10

76. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 8/10

77. Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay 9/10

--. Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay moved to 2012 thread

Edited January 1, 2012 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Hoping to be a bit more organised with this in 2011 ...

 

My 2010 list

[Karsa Orlong]

Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden

 

This was kind of an impulse purchase. I'd never read any of Iggulden's work before, although I have had the first of his 'Emperor' series sitting on the shelf for a few months (my boss, who is something of an expert on Ancient Rome, put me off reading it and steered me towards Steven Saylor instead ... ), but I wanted something a bit different to read on the Kindle I received for Christmas and this book sprang to mind. It's the first of his 'Conqueror' series.

 

I suppose, in many ways, the book was exactly what I expected it to be: kind of a boy's own adventure using real events as a (loose) backdrop. But I think that actually does the author a disservice. Iggulden is actually a blimmin' good storyteller, and he kept my eyes glued to the page (screen!), and I found the highs and extreme lows of Temujin's early years riveting. I can't wax lyrical about it - it's not that kind of book. I reckon it's very much a 'bloke's' book, with its mixture of violence and revenge, and its 'boo-hiss' bad guys, who you can almost see twirling their evil moustaches. The women in the story aren't overlooked (Temujin's mother and his future wife are actually decent, well-rounded characters), but they definitely play second fiddle to the men. His mother comes into her own after one especially horrific and shocking event that occurs at about the midway point of the story - and event which completely changed my perspective on certain characters.

 

I'd imagine, like my boss and the 'Emperor' series, this might have any historians of the Mongol Empire - and Genghis Khan in particular - probably started climbing the walls as they read this but for me, coming at it without much prior knowledge, it was a rollicking good read, and I've already downloaded the second book in the series, Lords of the Bow.

 

Recommended.

 

9/10

 

 

p.s. And perhaps, as it's a Kindle edition, I should mention that the formatting is excellent, with no annoying errors, although it is the only Kindle edition I've read so far in which the text was not right-justified.

[Karsa Orlong]

Stand By, Stand By by Chris Ryan

 

This is the first of Ryan's novels I've read as well, and the first of his Geordie Sharp novels. If anything, it's an even more testosterone fuelled rollercoaster than the Iggulden I reviewed, above. It concerns the Provisional IRA, and how Sharp (a member of the SAS) becomes embroiled in a personal crusade to hunt down one of its leaders. I don't want to spoil it any further than that, because the twist and turns are probably the most notable part of the book.

 

It's a decent read, although there are many rough edges. This was Ryan's debut work of fiction, but I haven't read any others so don't know if his style improves. Again, I don't want to spoil any major plot points, but there was one particular life-changing moment for our Geordie to which his only response was "Oh no!" - which made me laugh. Of course, saying 'oh no' on its own isn't a problem but, given the context and the presence of the exclamation mark, it just didn't seem very convincing. Considering the depth of knowledge he brings to the subject, and his obvious efforts to lend authenticity to the situations, I would hope that Ryan has worked on his characterisation/dialogue in subsequent novels.

 

Also, the latter stages of the book rely on your suspension of disbelief at one huge coincidence that happens half way round the world in Colombia. It was a little too convenient, imo.

 

Having said all that, I did enjoy it. There is a nice build up of menace that escalates as matters progress, although I felt he could have done much more with it than he actually does. However, the ending has to be read to be believed - it's jaw on the floor stuff.

 

6/10

 

 

Edit: re the Kindle formatting, no complaints at all here.

Edited January 11, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo

 

This was the fourth of my Nesbo reads and he hasn't let me down yet. The opening is interesting, as it takes place some 12 years before the events in the book, and tells of a particular crime, although we are not told who committed this act, or who the victim was.

 

We then jump to the present day, when a member of the Salvation Army is shot dead at a Christmas gathering. We are told the tale from both Harry's point of view and that of the killer, whose identity naturally remains a mystery until the latter stages. It's another suitably tortuous plot that Harry Hole has to unravel and things get mighty personal.

 

I'd say this is the first of Nesbo's novels that I've read which can probably be enjoyed without having read those prior to it (that are currently available in English). Whereas The Redbreast, Nemesis and The Devil's Star all had different main plotlines, they were effectively a trilogy as there was one particular strand that wove its way through them. That strand gets mentioned frequently in The Redeemer, but it doesn't play a major part in the plot as it did in the previous novels. Having said that, there is a revelation towards the end which I found quite shocking.

 

Nesbo, for me, is a master at building suspense. Whilst he has never quite topped one particular sequence in The Redbreast, he comes very close on several occasions here. Harry's flaws are laid bare for all to see, and it's these flaws that make him such a winning character, imo. His friendships with Halvorsen and Beatte are tested thoroughly here, and a couple of new characters turn up who bring new dynamics to the table. None of them are quite on a par with Tom Waaler, though. Yet.

 

In short, a fantastic read. If you haven't caught up with Jo Nesbo yet, and you're even remotely interested in crime fiction, I can't recommend his work highly enough.

 

9/10

[pickle]

Great review, I have read all the published (translated into English) and am eagerly awaiting The Leopard and I second your recommendations for any crime lover out there.

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks Pickle

 

I'm trying not to read them too quickly so that I don't get 'Nesbo burn-out' So I still have The Snowman to read before thinking about The Leopard

[Karsa Orlong]

The Religion by Tim Willocks

 

This is a tough one. From the way it started I thought I was going to love this book. 770 pages later I was left feeling that it could have been brilliant but was let down in almost terminal fashion by Willocks's disturbing love of graphic sex, violence and endless descriptions of human excrement. The flowery, almost poetic prose that enchants and hypnotises in the first few pages quickly gives way to a marathon groan-athon of hilariously overwrought dialogue and battle scenes that blur into one simply because of a lack of clarity.

 

At the start I felt as though I could almost touch the scenery, and the characters leaped off the page. Tannhauser, who witnessed the deaths of his mother and sisters when his village was sacked when he was a child (and was subsequently spirited away by the invaders), seems to be the very model of a lovable rogue but, by the end, it seemed to me that all he was interested in was the blood on his sword and the bulge in his pants. He is a trader, and has striven to build a life away from war. That is, until the lady Carla enlists his help to find the child that was taken from her at birth by her evil father - a quest that inevitably takes them into the middle of the 16th century siege of Malta. Tannhauser seems to profess, on many occasions, that all he wants is to take his love (the fact that he's sleeping with one woman - in any number of circumstances that Willocks takes glee in describing in minute detail - whilst simultaneously professing undying love for another just has the word 'wrong' written all over it) away from the war, and yet at every given opportunity he's out on the killing field wreaking havoc, or acting as the very traitor he accuses others of being by switching sides. It's obvious that, with this latter plot device, Willocks wanted to be able to show events through both Christian and Moslem eyes but he fails spectacularly. I reached the end thinking that, really, Tannhauser was a bit of an ass, the kind of person who - if I met them in real life - I would hate on instinct.

 

There are, I think, only two truly sympathetic characters in the whole novel. One is Amparo. She comes across as a little simple, a result of events earlier in her life, and her view of the world is one of simple pleasures and undying loyalty to her mistress, Carla. That is, until Tannhauser comes along. Then she becomes a complete nymphomaniac, which is especially hard to believe considering the hell she went through when she was younger. The other is Carla's son, although he seems largely to be there to hero-worship Tannhauser (which begins to defy belief towards the end). Needless to say, he gets into danger on regular occasions, and one decision made half way through the book seems designed only to drag proceedings out beyond the necessary.

 

Having ripped it apart, I have to say that there were large sections of the novel that I really enjoyed. I just didn't need to be constantly barraged with images of people's private parts, or the loose bowels that seemed to occur every other page. I also can't imagine that any woman reading it wouldn't find it immensely sexist.

 

I'm now thinking this is rather generous but anyway ...

 

5/10

Edited January 17, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Looks like I'm not alone:

 

Independent review of The Religion

 

[Karsa Orlong]

These are all ebooks TBR on my Kindle:

 

Blue Heaven by C J Box

First Thrills by Various

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Zoo Station by David Downing

The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris

End Game by Matthew Glass

The Mall by S L Grey

Pompeii by Robert Harris

Conan the Reaver by Robert E Howard

The Solomon Kane Collection by Robert E Howard

Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden

The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles

Endless Night by Richard Laymon

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland

Remote Control by Andy McNab

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo

Zero Option by Chris Ryan

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

 

 

Samples downloaded:

 

Transition by Iain M Banks

Killer of Men by Christian Cameron

The Complete Adventures of the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Reaper's Gale by Steven Erikson

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

You're Next by Gregg Hurwitz

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

A Song for Lya by George RR Martin

The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers

Alpha Force: Rat-Catcher by Chris Ryan

 

 

 

Must get around to listing my treebook TBR pile at some point

Edited February 12, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Splinter by Sebastian Fitzek

 

I've literally just finished this cracking psychological thriller. I picked it up on a whim for £1 in Amazon's '12 days of Christmas' promotion for the Kindle, and I'm really glad I did.

 

The story, essentially, is about memory or - more precisely - our ability to forget. It begins six weeks after Marc Lucas has lost his pregnant wife in a car crash - an accident that occurred whilst he was at the wheel. Tortured by guilt, he responds to an advertisement in a magazine that offers to help him learn to forget. But, when he turns up at the clinic, he has second thoughts and leaves.

 

I don't think I'm spoiling anything with this next paragraph, as it all happens in the first few pages and is the set-up for all that follows. Soon after Marc leaves the clinic strange things begin to happen: his credit cards won't work, the address book on his mobile phone is suddenly empty, the nameplate on his front door has changed, his keys won't fit in the lock, and the person who answers the door doesn't remember him at all.

 

What follows is a real page-turner, full of twists and turns and shocks and surprises, as Marc's life begins to fall apart and he begins to question his own sanity. In the hands of a lesser author, I suppose, this could have been an complete mess, but Fitzek's handling of it all allows everything to make sense. Sure, I doubt anyone would ever go to such lengths when the truth is ultimately revealed but, in context, it all fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. One aspect of the book I liked very much was the occasional surreal changes that happen around Marc. One moment he'll be talking to someone and the next he'll turn around and they're gone - it really makes you wonder if he is losing his mind.

 

So it's a fast-paced, well-written and exciting thriller, that sucked me into its world and made me keep turning the 'pages' to find out what happened next. And it doesn't overstay its welcome, which is always a bonus.

 

8/10

 

 

Kindle formatting: Very good.

[pickle]

I thought this looked great tried to order it and then find its only available on Kindle download or not til later this year, I am really really going to have to get a kindle at the end of the month

[Karsa Orlong]

I am really really going to have to get a kindle at the end of the month

I wholeheartedly recommend it - I was really worried that I wouldn't get on with it, because I had a Sony Reader that I didn't think a lot of, but the Kindle's been a bit of a revelation.

 

Although, having said that, I think Splinter is out in paperback in April, so it's not too far away

[Kidsmum]

Sounds interesting, it reminds me a bit of a Twilight Zone story where a guy answers an ad in a newspaper about help to give up smoking but the treatment turns out to be more than he bargained for

[Chrissy]

I read Fitzek's 'Therapy' and loved it, so I will definitely be getting my paws on 'Splinter' when it comes out in paperback.

 

Great review Steve.

[frankie]

Steve, thanks for you review on Splinter. I definitely need to buy it when I have the chance. Which is kinda bad because I still haven't even read Therapy by the same author Tehehe

Edited January 20, 2011 by frankie

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks for the comments guys - I hope you all enjoy Splinter as much as I did

[Karsa Orlong]

Endless Night by Richard Laymon

 

I don't even know where to begin with this one. First off, it's the first Laymon book that I've read, and it'll probably be the last. I hate to be disparaging about someone who's passed away, I really do. But this book is simply dreadful. I'm not entirely sure why I bothered finishing it, other than I determined to finish it quickly so I could cleanse myself of it as soon as possible.

 

Sixteen year old Jody is staying at her friend's house when a gang of killers invade the house. Somehow she manages to escape with the last surviving member of her friend's family, twelve year old Andy. It probably should be pointed out that these killers (the so-called Krull Killers - I'm guessing they had something against 80s fantasy films) are completely incompetent when it comes to dispensing with Jody, even when they have her in their grasp. They also don't have any reason for doing what they do, they just enjoy raping and murdering and dismembering etc etc. Their one rule is that, if a victim escapes, the one who let them escape must find and kill them or forfeit the lives of his family and friends.

 

Which brings us to Simon, one of the murderers, who tells his story to a tape deck as he tries to find Jody. These sections of the book are told in first person.

 

And that is pretty much it in terms of plot. Killers come, girl escapes, killers try to find girl. It's not exciting, it's not scary, it's just deeply unpleasant. There's no rhyme or reason for any of it. You'd think that the graphic descriptions of gratuitous violence would be enough, but on a par with that is a scene in which Jody's father - a cop, no less - teaches twelve year old Andy how to use a gun, and how nobody says "no, this is wrong".

 

It's a book that reads like it was written by a teenager, glorying in floods of blood and objectifying women. Even the title is irrelevant; 'Endless Night'. The night in question lasts for barely a quarter of the book's length. Not exactly endless, then

 

It's not quite the worst book I've ever read. But it's just about on a par. Quite how it's managed to average 4.5 stars on Amazon is beyond me

 

Avoid like the plague.

 

2/10

 

 

Kindle formatting: Okay, but quite a few spelling mistakes.

[Brida]

I'm also one of those who are yet to read Therapy, and your review of Splinter sounds interesting too.

There's no English translation of it (Therapy) here, or any other translation, so I guess I'll have to read the original

And that means I probably won't ever get to read it, since my German is not so good

 

Anywhoo, nice review

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks Brida

 

Decided to read Jo Nesbo's The Snowman next

[Karsa Orlong]

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

 

Phew, where to begin? Maybe, as the book does, in 1980, as a mother leaves her son in the car whilst she goes into the house for a liaison with her lover whilst a snowman watches on from the garden. Or in 2004, when Harry Hole receives a letter telling him that The Snowman will appear again, and a family looks out into the night to see a snowman watching them from the lawn.

 

It's not a hokey as it sounds As you can tell, it's a story that ties together events that have taken place over quite a span of years and, when Harry's suspicions are aroused and he begins to tie together the disapearances of several women, the red herrings start flying thick and fast.

 

The thing I found with The Snowman is that I thought I knew who the killer was, and I thought I knew where it was going, and although I was part right it still had me hanging on by my fingernails as it reached its brilliant, breath-taking conclusion. Nesbo has this ability to build an air of menace, and it is rampant in this book. He tells his stories with such inventiveness and pace that, at times, it's almost annoying.

 

This is an intricately plotted, fast-moving, exciting and scary story. Even though I could see what was going to happen from the very early stages of the book, by the time it came to pass it still really had me going, as I mentioned before. I almost couldn't turn the pages fast enough. And that, to mind, is quite a display of writing talent. Nesbo's like a conductor, mastering tempo and set-pieces with ease, and his set-ups and pay-offs rarely misfire. He makes me very jealous.

 

So, basically, I loved it. I think it might even have overtaken The Redbreast as my favourite to date, and I feel justified in saying that because - for the first time since The Redbreast - I think he's actually come up with a suspense sequence that tops the one in that novel. And that really takes some doing.

 

I'm not going to hang about with this one. The guy's a genius. Look out for that mould.

 

10/10

 

 

p.s. Trailers for books? When did that happen ...

. C'mon someone - we've had a Wallander series, and The Killing from Denmark - surely it's time for someone to actually make a series about Norway's maverick detective? Edited January 26, 2011 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

61 Hours by Lee Child

 

Jack Reacher. You gotta love him. He's a force of nature. He knows everything. He can predict everything. It's like he can see the future. He is omniscient.

 

Except he isn't. Not anymore, at least. Finally, finally, there is a hint of a chink in his armour.

 

The set-up for a Reacher novel is fairly standard. Reacher breezes into town, trouble ensues, Reacher gets involved (even though he really doesn't want to) and events escalate until it's Reacher against the bad guys. Here it's a small town in South Dakota, that has been hit by the leading edge of a storm. It's blizzard conditions, the snow's piling up, and the bus on which Reacher has hitched a ride crashes and leaves him stranded, right in the middle of an ongoing situation where the town's police force is trying to protect a vital witness from a gang of bikers who have set up shop outside the town. The police are waiting for an assassin to come in and kill the witness before the trial, and naturally they suspect Reacher of being this killer.

 

So business as usual, except - in some ways - it isn't. Finally Reacher gets things wrong. It's so refreshing after the most recent entries I've read in the series (Gone Tomorrow, I'm looking at you ), where Reacher has seemingly had some sort of contact with a higher being, allowing him to stay one step ahead of the game and become practically indestructible. Here, things happen that Reacher can't do anything to prevent. He gets mad about it, too. But I won't go into why, cos that would be spoilery

 

He's still indestructible, though. It would be nice if, just for once, he'd lose a fight, take some damage, fall on his backside. Maybe next time, eh?

 

Oh, and for once there isn't a beautiful woman to fall into Reacher's arms and then watch him walk away at the end. Which is also refreshing (although he does have a sort of relationship with a beautiful woman on the other end of a phone line ... ).

 

Child's writing style is as solid and easy to read as ever. Some of the dialogue, particularly the phone conversations, fizzes, it's so snappy and thought through well enough to both direct the story and incorporate some character development. The story moves at a decent pace (even though, for much of it, not a lot actually happens) and there is a nice sense of suspense that builds during the novel, mainly thanks to a regular countdown of the 61 hours in the title. The final twist is predictable (mainly due to a small cast of characters which reduces the potential suspects) but the final 100 pages move at a cracking, exciting pace, and the ending is ... Well, that would be telling

 

I think this is a bit of a return to form. It's not Reacher's best outing, for sure, but it's much more engaging and genuinely thrilling than others in the series that I've read recently.

 

8/10

[pickle]

Nice review better than I could have done though in my defence I did have a small hangover I finished the book on Saturday and got Gone Tommorow which I started this morning before work you not sure this is a good one then?

[Karsa Orlong]

Thanks Pickle - hope you're over your hangover!

 

Re Gone Tomorrow, I thought it started really well, but Reacher's annoying ability to predict everything the bad guys are going to do was wearing a little thin for me by the end of it. I think it's at its worst in that novel - some of the leaps in logic defied belief, I thought, which was why 61 Hours felt a fair bit fresher.

 

I'm on to Worth Dying For now. It's good, but the omniscience does seem to be back again ...

[pickle]

Thanks Pickle - hope you're over your hangover!

 

Re Gone Tomorrow, I thought it started really well, but Reacher's annoying ability to predict everything the bad guys are going to do was wearing a little thin for me by the end of it. I think it's at its worst in that novel - some of the leaps in logic defied belief, I thought, which was why 61 Hours felt a fair bit fresher.

 

I'm on to Worth Dying For now. It's good, but the omniscience does seem to be back again ...

 

 

he is in line for a godhood somewhere maybe they will have him coming back from death to save middle America again and again ...I had another thought I can see Hollywood also getting Jason Stracham to play him complete with English accent cause rather than Reachers brutal retalliation they would rather put in some glitzy kung fu type action...I can see it now......sigh:rolleyes: