pontalba Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) 2012 Books Read January Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long 4/5 stars e-book Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury 3 stars e-book Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury 3 stars e-book Prince of Time by Sarah Woodbury 3 stars e-book February The Stand by Stephen King 5/5 Ghost Light by Frank Rich 4/5 Stolen Souls by Stuart Neville 3.5/5 The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes 5/5 Way Station by Clifford D. Simak 3/5 Time After Time by Jack Finney 3/5 March Bloodland by Alan Glynn 5/5 From Time to Time by Jack Finney 2/5 The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer with Susan Dworkin 4/5 The Expats by Chris Pavone 3/5 A Death in Summer by Benjamin Black 5+/5+ !!! The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino 4/5 Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell 3.5/5 The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn 5/5 Guts by Kristen Johnston 4/5 The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis 4/5 The Cutout by Francine Mathews 5/5 April Folly by Laurie R. King 4.5/5 Eclipse by John Banville 5+/5+ The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bachs Goldberg Variations by Zhu Xiao-Mei May Box 21 by Rosulund-Hellstrom 4/5 The Wool Omnibus books 1 - 5 by Hugh Howey 4/5 June Shades of Grey by E.L. James 3/5 Follow Me Down by Shelby Foote 5/5 Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James 3.5/5 Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz 4/5 A Devil is Waiting by Jack Higgins 2/5 Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James 3.5/5 July Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 5/5 and she was by Alison Gaylin 4/5 The Custom of the Army by Diana Gabaldon (a Lord John Grey short/novella) 4/5 The Statement by Brian Moore 4/5 Redshirts by John Acalzi 2/5 August A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi 5/5 The Ethical Assassin by David Liss 2.5/5 Le Crime by Peter Steiner 3/5 September L'Assassin by Peter Steiner 4/5 The Terrorist by Peter Steiner 4/5 The Resistance by Peter Steiner 3/5 The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson 4/5 Mephisto by John Banville 4/5 Beautiful Shadow, A Life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson 4/5 Twelve Patients, Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer, MD 4/5 The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas 4/5 October Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino 4/5 November The Twelve by Justin Cronin 4/5 Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan 4/5 A Walk Among the Tombstones by Lawrence Block 4/5 The Devil Knows You're Dead by Lawrence Block 4/5 Vengeance by Benjamin Black 4/5 The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny 4/5 Cat Bearing Gifts by Shirley Rousseau Murphy 5/5 Cold in the Light by Charles Gramlich 5/5 December Heroes Proved by Oliver North 3.5/5 The Man Who Never Returned by Peter Quinn 4/5 Wild Thing by Josh Bazell 4/5 Under the Bright Lights} Muscle For the Wing} The Bayou Trilogy by Daniel Woodrell 4/5 The Ones You Do} Dick Francis's Bloodline by Felix Francis 3.5/5 Edited December 26, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 pontalba's 2011 Reading List Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I really and truly thought my first read of the year would be the long awaited Cryptonomicon, and it was the first I started. Right now I am a little bogged down about 16% into it. Will pick up in a little bit. My first read turned out to be an e-book I'd not even heard of till this morning. A friend mentioned it to me as one of her Kindle purchases for, I think 99 cents. I thought well, what the heck?, for that it was worth an experiment. I'm not a fan of "chick lit" really, and I suppose this is in that territory. A 40-ish woman who has been through a traumatic time, is separated from her husband and whose father had just died has to face single life. How she manages this with the help of her best friend, mother (and her faithful dog) and neighbors is the basis of this story. It is told with both pathos and humor. The relationships are so true to life and so fraught with emotion that I felt myself well up at several points. The story carried me along so well, I finished it in one afternoon. Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long - 4 stars, and highly recommended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 The three books above by Sarah Woodbury sounded better in synopsis than they were. Time travelling romance, Prince of Wales, I mean the Welsh one, not what the title stands for nowadays, it all sounded great. And, to a point it was. Too pat, not enough meat on the plate I have to say for my taste. I read them in between Cryptonomicon, and perhaps that is the reason they didn't sit well for me. A woman inexplicably lands in 13th century Wales, from Pennsylvania no less, happens to run into Prince Llywelyn. So as not to give away all the plots, let me just say that it flows from there, with said unexplained/able time travel back and forth to follow. It was partially satisfying, and for a quick filler it was fine. 3 stars The proper order is as follows. Footsteps in Time Prince of Time Daughter of time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Stephen King has been touch and go for me as I am not a fan of horror. I've enjoyed stories like Dead Zone, Thinner, and Firestarter. I thought I'd read the original, shorter version of The Stand years ago, but this newer expanded version didn't ring any bells at all, so now I wonder if I'd actually read the beginning of the Dark Tower series. hmmmmm Oh well, no matter. I loved The Stand. King's classic confrontation of good vs evil begins so simply. A computer delay of 40 seconds. A man running for his life with his family. A deadly virus that is unstoppable, and so easily communicable. People in denial. A government that reacts in an awful manner. And that's the first 5 minutes..... I think it is the peoples lives, their motivations that so fascinate me. King is truly a master of characterization and analysis of people, and how some walk the fine line between good and evil, and why they fall on either side of same....and the struggles that entails. He can see what makes us tick, and knows how to convey that knowledge in a compulsively readable manner. Whether you are a fan of horror and fantasy, or not, The Stand is a wonderful story of human compassion, corruption, love, hate, good and evil. Read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) Ghost Light by Frank Rich Frank Rich was the New York Times theatre columnist for many years, and this book is a moving memoir of his childhood and his very early love for the theatre. His parents divorced in a time, the 1960's, when divorce was a hidden and shameful thing for all involved, and certainly not advertised. Theatre was his escape, and salvation in a time when he could not cope with his changing reality. The book carries his life through his mother's remarriage, and his fathers, and Frank's first job at the National Theatre, the Washington, D.C local theatre, up to his beginning college. It was an enjoyable read, informative of the plays at the time, and an insight on the feelings of confusion a child of divorce goes through. 4/5 Edited February 14, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) Stephen King has been touch and go for me as I first read that as "Stephen King has been in touch" and thought Wow!! But then I reread . I find him a bit hit and miss too Pontalba. So glad you enjoyed The Stand though. It's a great book. Edited February 14, 2012 by ~Andrea~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 LOL Andrea. After a few short books, or regular sized. , I'll be starting King's 11/22/63. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I enjoyed all King's books until Misery, but found his writing very patchy after that. I have quite enjoyed Duma Key and Under the Dome recently, and would like to read 11/22/63. I look forward to hearing what you think of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 I'd started something else, put it down after a couple of pages, then my eye touched on The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. My husband read it last year, and even reread it a few weeks ago. I was in the midst of The Stand at the time, but wanted to get to the Barnes. More novella than novel, it combines a partially unreliable narrator, deep irony, self deprecating humor into a wonderfully heartbreaking story of what might have been, what could have been, what was, and was not. If you see that particular ending coming, you are a better reader than I am. 5/5 Highly Recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I hope you don't mind me asking in here, but what does novella mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 I hope you don't mind me asking in here, but what does novella mean? Hi Devi. No, not at all! I found this article, What is the Difference between Novels, Novellas, and Short Stories? that can explain it much better, and more accurately than I can, I think. But basically, a very short novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Hi Devi. No, not at all! I found this article, What is the Difference between Novels, Novellas, and Short Stories? that can explain it much better, and more accurately than I can, I think. But basically, a very short novel. Thank you or that! I never thought to google it myself. I'm a silly duffer sometimes hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maleaco Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I can't wait to read some of the book's youve listed Specifically The Stand, and Chasing Rainbows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Time After Time by Jack Finney is very much a product of it's decade. Written in the mid 1970's, it brings the flavor of both paranoia of the "military-industrial complex" and romanticism of the past, a sort of Currier & Ives veiw of life in the 1880's. Somehow the characterizations are never deep enough, never thorough enough to satisfy. Motivation is lacking in my opinion, in most situations, and only a thin veneer of reasoning is presented. I love time travel stories, have since H.G. Wells Time Machine first crossed my line of sight. And, perhaps, that is part of the reason Time After Time is a bit unsatisfying for me. I want the machine. I want the physical process of time travel to occur. Time After Time tackled the actual travelling bit in a quite different matter, one I found a bit treacle-y. Can the past be manipulated to change the present? Most time travel stories bring a rather rigid view to that question, coming down hard on any attempts, but that aspect is treated a bit differently in this story, and we are left with.........well, I don't want to give it all away. Let's leave it at "maybe". In spite of all of the above, I mostly enjoyed the story, for the characterization of New York City itself was wonderful. Geographically fascinating, presenting the old and the new side by side, told with a sort of wonderment and joy that was quite contagious. For this, not alone, but mostly, I recommend this book and give it a 3/5 rating. Edited February 23, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 Even though I was disappointed in Jack Finney's Time After Time, I was compelled to read the 20-odd year later sequel, From Time to Time. In book time it only takes place a few years after the original book. Again, it was a let down. Finney makes a hard sell of the theory that past events cannot be changed, that once an event takes place, that's it! It is futile to "go back" and attempt to rewrite history/events. I know that most time travel stories foster this notion, but Finney somehow casts a grey pall over the topic. The very large sledge hammer he uses to drive this point home is unnecessary and, to me, depressing. I give it 2 out of 5 only for the again wonderful geographical details of New York City both in the 1890's and 1912. Last night I finished The Nazi Officer's Wife, and while the writing is plain, it has a simple force that compels the reader to the end. It doesn't matter that we know how it ends, we have to read every word of this true story. How this woman had the nerve and stomach to carry out her subterfuge is quite beyond me. She is an amazing woman and one to be admired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) The Expats by Chris Pavone has a great storyline, but the execution is way too choppy for my taste. A woman that has been CIA, married to a banker, well sort of a banker/financial/security guru. He puportedly takes a position as a security expert on hacking bank computer systems in Luxembourg. Uprooted life, the whole nine yards ensue. But is it all, rather is he on the up and up? The more she finds out, the more she suspects all is not as it appears. It's great as far as who knew what, when...but it wasn't enough for me. I usually don't mind time shifts in novels, but this group of back and forth between 3 and sometimes 4 time lines was not executed in anywhere near a smooth fashion. I finally became accustomed to it, but it sort of left me cold. There are some great details and interesting twists to keep one reading though. A rather "ennh" 3/5 Edited March 17, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 A Death in Summer by Benjamin Black aka our John Banville cannot be praised highly enough as far as I am concerned. Black is in true Banvillian form with Quirke et als muddling about in 1950's Dublin. In fact, the exact time can be pinpointed, as Nasser's ascendancy to the presidency of Egypt is mentioned, so June, 1956 is the Summer. There is no question of the story being dated in any fashion though. It could be last century, or this century, time is immaterial in a Banville novel. As always, Black's story is more about the relationships, likely and unlikely, between characters. The question of who dunnit is rather secondary. At least till the final blow falls, and all is revealed. Then it gets a bit sticky. Banville's prose flows over the reader as smooth as silk in his own painterly fashion. Highly Recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino has gathered dust on my shelves for several months at least, and that's just a shame. Psychological, twisty mysteries/detective stories are a particular favorite of mine although I haven't read too many of the Japanese persuasion. The differences, to say an Irish mystery, are interesting. Banville/Black/Irish features an emotional and poetic style that is unmistakeably his, while in Higashino I can see the logical, and formal at work. Typecasting? Perhaps, but after all, typecasting is there for a reason. Not always valid, but enough so to use as a partial guideline. Devotion is sparely and elegantly written, sketching the characters line by line, revealing only as much as needed at the time. A murder, a cover-up, old alliances all come into play. This is evidently part of a series, and I plan on investigating all of them. Recommended. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Interesting to hear your views, pontalba. I bought The Devotion of Suspect X when I was up in town a couple of weeks ago - it was a recommendation in Daunt's Bookshop, and they're usually spot on when it comes to fiction in translation. While I was there, I also - finally - got round to buying a copy of New Orleans Noir, which I recall you recommended some time ago (quite some time ago, in fact!). Now all I have to do is find time to read them ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Oh, I hope you do get a chance to read it soon. I was interested to see that apparently is there not only a series of books, there was, or still is some sort of television series based on the Professor. And....there is a film, Suspect X, based on the book. I've ordered the film. heh, we'll see. I wonder how close it'll be. I've ordered another of his books, non series, Naoko: A Novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Yesterday I finished Guts by Kristen Johnston, the tall blond actress that played on the U.S. TV series Third Rock From the Sun. I always liked her in the show, and thought she did a great job in the role. She had a long standing addiction to pain killers and wine and after her "stomach blew up" from all the wear and tear, she managed to get clean and sober. This book is a no-holds-barred account of her addiction and hospital stay, which happened to be in England. She's irreverent, funny as heck, and has been through the mill and back again. She's survived beautifully, if somewhat belligerently. I say that last with affection, as her sense of humor is both black and wonderful. The book is a cleansing of her soul and I read it practically in one sitting. I rarely read celebrities autobiographies, but I'm glad I picked this one up. 4/5 Highly recommended. This afternoon I finished The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis. I'd started it the other day, but reading Guts interrupted my reading. This is a fast paced thriller about a kidnapping that the true nature of doesn't come to light till the end of the book. There are at least 4 lines of entry to this story, and at first I had a bit of difficulty following, but I soon fell into the rhythm of the narrative. The book explores the themes of just how far a person will go for friendship, love, or money. Well done 4/5 Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Great review of Banville's latest. I still have to read the first three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Great review of Banville's latest. I still have to read the first three. I've actually put Christine Falls back in the TBR mountain for a re-visit. The Cutout by Francine Mathews is one of the better CIA/spy novels I've read. The story revolves around a widowed agent's immersion in the study of the terrorist group that was responsible for her husband's death. It shifts from a present act of shocking terrorism by the group to the background of several involved parties, leading the reader down a twisted path, to a nail biting ending. Highly Recommended for fans of adventure and spy novels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 (edited) Folly by Laurie R. King is a stand alone of hers, not part of any series. FYI King writes at least two series, the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes stories, and a series about a San Francisco police detective, Kate Martinelli, both excellent btw. This may be the first of LRK's stand alones that I have read, and boy, it's a good'un. Is Rae Newborn still unbalanced? Her institutionalized background would lead one to believe that it's entirely possible. Her history of suicide attempts and paranoia, not that long ago, might lead some to believe so. But she feels "watchers", and fights the demons every day that threaten to overwhelm her life.....again. Her Great Uncle Desmond left an island, Folly, and Rae is, all these years later, taking it over, isolating herself, rebuilding the burnt out structure that Desmond had built with his own hands. Rae has the talent, willpower, and resources to do so. All by herself. Her woodworking art is world renowned for it's artistry, and originality. The characterizations of this novel are wonderful. King gets inside of a person's head and unwinds the tale beautifully, scattering red herrings all over the place rather artfully. Highly recommended. 4.5/5 Edited April 3, 2012 by pontalba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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