Reading in 2008

My reading slowed in 2008, as I knew it would. Now that I don't work at the City, I do not have the extra 10 -15 (paid) hours to read each week. I still got through 40 books, and had it not been for a few months where I read next to nothing I may have hit the 52 which had been my goal in previous years. I still love to read and have enough book to keep me reading for the next 10 years... and of course I am always buying more. So on to next year!


So here is what I read in 2008.
1/1/2008 Diego Rivera : science and creativity in the Detroit murals Dorothy McMeekin
2/13/2008 Funeral In Berlin Len Deighton
3/10/2008 Dali Robert Radford
3/19/2008 3001 Arthur C. Clarke
3/27/2008 Secrets Of The Tomb Alexandra Robbins
4/5/2008 Digital Fortress Dan Brown
4/8/2008 Post Office Charles Bukowski
4/13/2008 Pagan Babies Elmore Leonard
4/19/2008 Flash - Stop Motion Mark Shultz
4/20/2008 Bold Women In Michigan Virgina Law Burns
4/30/2008 The Secret Life of Henry Ford John Côté Dahlinger
5/5/2008 Big Trouble Dave Barry
5/10/2008 Ham On Rye Charles Bukowski
5/23/2008 The Icpress File Len Deighton
5/28/2008 Factotum Charles Bukowski
6/30/2008 Don't Bend Over In the Garden, Granny - You Know Them Taters Got Eyes Lewis Grizzard
7/7/2008 The Time Machine H G Wells
8/13/2008 LaBrava Elmore Leonard
8/18/2008 Stori Telling Tori Spelling
8/25/2008 Cat Chaser Elmore Leonard
8/30/2008 My Life In High Heels Loni Anderson
9/4/2008 Shop Girl Steve Martin
9/9/2008 Mustang Ranch Alexa Albert
9/13/2008 Horse Under Water Len Deighton
9/18/2008 Adult Children of Alcoholics Janet G Woitiz
10/6/2008 Split Images Elmore Leonard
10/11/2008 Brave New World Aldous Huxley
10/18/2008 I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This Bob Newhart
10/19/2008 Struggle For Intimacy Janet G Woitiz
10/25/2008 Welcome To The Monkey House Kurt Vonnegut
11/13/2008 Exterminators Christopher Golden
11/18/2008 Playing With The Grown-ups Sophie Dahl
11/20/2008 Life Laughs Jenny McCarthy
11/28/2008 Water For Elephants Sara Gruen
12/1/2008 Call of the Wild Jack London
12/20/2008 The Russia House John LeCarre'
12/25/2008 Behind the Scenes Elizabeth Keckley
12/27/2008 The Call Girl Actress Erica Black
12/31/2008 Tuesdays With Morrie Mitch Albom
12/31/2008 What We Talk About When We Talk About Love Raymond Carver

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (40)

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
Raymond Carver
Read 12/31/08

I talk about reading with a co-worker, and this was an author he recommenced. It is a collection of short stories. Each story seems to leave as much unsaid as it tells, and the real story seems to be in what they don't say. Most of the stories are a single incident.. so it is almost as if you are sitting in on a conversation and you have to fill in the gaps in what is said. The stories make you think, and many of them are sad... or perhaps defeated is a better word. May about damaged relationships... looking back on them... overall a great book.
Since this was short stories I have been reading this book here and there since fall. When I finished my other book last night I read the last few stories in this collection.

Tuesdays With Morrie (39)

Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Read 12/31/08

This is written by a sports writer for the Free Press who in 1994 was watch ABC Nightline and sees a story about his favorite Prof and mentor from college. And he is dying from ALS. He gets back in touch with him and begins flying from Detroit to Boston each week on Tuesday to talk with his dying friend.
Morrie, although dying has a upbeat view on life and lots of wisdom about how to enjoy life. In the end Mitch learns a lot about himself through these sessions.

The book is a quick read, and give you something to think about without being too heavy.

Behind The Scenes (37)

Behind the Scenes
or, Thirty years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House.
Elizabeth Keckly
Read 12/25/08

This is an autobiography written in 1868 by a woman who was born into slavery. Later bought her freedom and went on to become a seamstress. In this capacity she worked for and became friends with Mrs. President Lincoln. It is an interesting look at life in that time, and also and unusual look at the President and his wife. Not in that capacity, but just as a friend.
The book is very readable for its age and I highly recommend it.

The Russia House (36)

The Russia House
John LeCarre'
Read 12/20/08

I realized I had not read a LeCarre' book this year. I enjoy his books, but they take a while to get though. This was no different, about a new 'joe' who brings in some amazing but unsolociated information from Russian. Then we follow him as he goes back to Moscow and contacts a woman he falls for, and his informant. The resulting debriefings are confusing as you try to figure out which side everybody is on... Like so many of his books.. in the end it does not matter :)

Call of the Wild (35)

Call of the Wild
Jack London
read 12/1/08

I picked this up at the book sale. I recall my Dad talking about this. I didn't realize until I started reading it that the story is all from the dogs point of view. It is the story of a dog who is kidnapped and sold as a sled dog in the Yukon, and how this brings back his privative instincts of being a dog.

A quick and enjoyable read.

Water For Elephants (34)

Water For Elephants
By Sara Gruen
read 11/20/08

This is a book my wife read and really liked. It is the story remembered by an old man, of his younger days with the circus during the great depression. He examines all parts of the life from the working men to the star performers. It is an excellent book and it gives you a sense of how desperate things were during this time. It is an excellent story, with several sub plots. I did enjoy this book, although (without giving anything away) I think it was a bit too easy the way a few of the problems were cleared up. But overall it was an enjoyable book

Life Laughs (33)

Life Laughs
Jenny McCarthy
read 11/20/08

I didn't expect much from this.. but it was less than I hoped for. More just a collection of little essays each about 2 pages long, and nearly all of them telling you how hard she is working as a mother and under appreciated. Over all I will pass on this one.

Playing With The Grown-ups (32)

Playing With The Grown-ups
Sophie Dahl
read 11/18/08

I really enjoyed this book. It is hard to describe.. basically the story of a young girl growing up as her mother, an artist, keeps moving around and changing her life. It is oddly engaging and I could not put it down.
It is written by Sophie Dahl, who's grandfather wrote Charlie & The Chocolate factory etc. But this book is loosely based on her own life.
Highly recommended.

Exterminators (31)

Exterminators
Christopher Golden
read 11/13/08

This is another Justice Leagues book that takes comic book characters and puts them in novel form. I have a love hate relationship with these books. It gives you more depth than a comic book you get more into the heros feelings and motivations. But in the end the stories largely describe action and are not very deep. There is the great threat... the great battle.. then it is over... I like a little more understanding of the problems and solution.
In the book they get dozens of minor characters involved, many of which I have never heard of... the switch from battle to battle where people I dont know are fighting the monsters...
The book was o.k. but I guess not really my style. So far I read Batman (good), which is what got me into the series, then Flash (poor), next was Wonder Woman (ok). There are 2 more books in this series.. Superman and Green Lantern... I will get through those and I can say I read the series. Maybe they will be better?

Welcome To the Monkey House (30)

Welcome To the Monkey House
Kurt Vonnegut
read 10/25/08

This is a collection of short stories by Vonnegut. I have been reading it off and on over the summer. On this weekend I forgot the book I was reading, so I finished this off.
I had never read Vonnegut, but really enjoyed this book. A lot of the stories are SciFi inspired and they are well done. They make you think like a good short story should.

I have been looking for more books by Vonnegut....

I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This (28)

I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This
Bob Newhart
read 10/18/08

I didn't even know Bob Newhart had written a book! He is one of my favorite comedians, my father was a big fan of his routines, and I also enjoy them. The book is a look at how he came to be a comedian, but not really a biography. The book contains the text of many of his famous skits, along with how he came up with them, or experiences from his career.
Overall an enjoyable book if you like Newhart the comedian.. others might enjoy it also if they are not familiar with his dry wit.

Brave New World (27)

Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
read 10/11/08

I love the dystopian books, and this is one of the classics. I read it first in the early 90's, and have read parts of it recently, but finally sat down and read the whole book. It paints a dark future where people are in pursuit of consumption, and paid in drugs.. and every body is happy... well almost.
Like 1984 this book ends in death.. but it does not seem to have the same punch as 1984. I think the description of the new world is more vivid than 1984, but the actual story suffers a bit. Still a great book and well worth reading.

Split Images (26)

Split Images
Elmore Leonard
read 10/6/08

Horse Under Water (24)

Horse Under Water
Len Deighton

One of the early Deighton books written in '63. This is part of the un-named "Harry Palmer" books. This one concerns diving for a sunken U-boat off the coast of Portugal. Per normal you don't know what is going on and the true purpose of everything is not evident until the end. Also deals heavily with everybodys involvement in the war.

Two interesting items for Deighton fans. One part of the book deals with people in Britian who were sympathic to the Germans, and who would hold high posistions in the puppet government after Germany defeated England. I wonder if these are the same people who appear in SS-GB Deighton dystopian book about the German occupation of England. Also toward the end of the book there is a 'new guy' in the office name Bernard that runs a few un-important errands... Is this Bernard Sampson??

Shopgirl (22)

Shopgirl
By Steve Martin
read 9/4/08

This is written by actor Steve Martin and is the story of Mirabelle and her life and affair with an older rich man. The interesting thing about the book is there is almost no dialog. It is mostly what the characters are doing and the background... about how they visualize things, and how their experiences have impacted them.
It is a really interesting book in a very different way... It is engaging, not so much in what the characters are doing, as that is fairly predictable but more in the through process.

My Life in High Heels (21)

My Life In High Heels
Loni Anderson
Read 8/30/08

This is an auto-biography, largely in response to her then divorce from Burt Renyolds. But it is not a tell-all type book. It starts with her life before she became famous and how family and friends were important to her.
There are a lot of names.. and at times it seems like she is name dropping the celebs she knows but she does it for the whole book, and I think it is more to share the spot light with others in her life. It is a lot of movies and shows she worked on, people she worked with. Blah, Blah, Blah... then toward the end a bit about Burt and his mood swings and handfuls of pills.
Seems like a nice enough person, and not a great book but mildly interesting.

Cat Chaser (20)

Cat Chaser
Elmore Leonard

3 weekends, and 3 book... I have finally found a way to get my reading back a bit... sitting outside reading on weekends. This weekend was Elmore Leonard, my favorite author. This set in Flordia, a hotel owner becomes involved with a married woman, who's husband was a general in charge of the secret police of Dominican Republic. There is a back plot about a host of characters who want to rob the general of the millions in cash he is rumored to keep in his home. As I read more of the Leonard books I notice a pattern in them. You have the likeable anti-star who is laid back and calm... they often take place in or near hotels. There is often infidelity, and almost always lots of drinking and an uncontrollable drunk or drug addict. There is a street person, and a gee whiz country boy type. The main victim is often a powerful but distant person.
While there are similarity, the stories do not seem to be written on a template like many of Lawrence Sanders books (although he is also one of my favs). The stories are different enough that you only notice the pattern after reading many of the books. As with all of Leonard's books it is the characters that drive the stories, and what makes them so enjoyable.

Stori Telling (19)

Stori Telling
Tori Spelling

I picked up this autobiography of Tori Spelling, actress, daughter of famous producer Aaron Spelling. I like everyone else watch 90210 in the 90's although I was not a big fan of it. I sort of remember her from that show and thinking she was there because of her father.
The book was quite interesting... she talks about her childhood and what it is like to grow up as not just rich, but super rich... she has an interesting take on it... she thought it was normal.. becuase when you are a kid you don't know any different. She does apoligize for being rich. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that she had no idea how to manage money. Spend much of it on a boyfriend that was clearing taking advantage of her.. and never gave any thought to the money. She worked on a sucessful series for 10 years and did numberous movies.. yet found herself in her early 30's $200k in debt. When her father died he left she and her brother $800k each... she got rough 1/2 that after taxes.. he told her this would 'set her for life'. The man was worth nearly $500million, it just goes to show you that even if you have money you may not understand it.
In spite of the money, sucess, all she really wanted was to be happy. She is very open about her failings and the difficulty she had communicating with her mother (most conversations were by email, or through her business manager). In the end she has found a new husband and is happy, perhaps for the first time in her life.
The one thing that stuck me about this book was that she is actully quite funny. She has a sharp and sarcastic wit that comes through in unexpected places in the book. She has a way of being able to laugh at herself and some of her mistakes that is refreshing.
I picked up this book mostly out of curiosity, but actually enjoyed it more that I expected.

La Brava (18)

LaBrava
Elmore Leonard

My reading has slowed a lot, which is unusual because usually it picks up in the summer. I have been busy and just have not made the time to read a lot. I AM reading just not much, and I currently have 3 books going.. I started and read most of this over the weekend, just finishing it up yesterday. A good Leonard story.. cross, double cross... and a surprise in the middle that I did not see coming. As always a cast of interesting and colorful characters. Set in South Beach Miami a former Secret Service man becomes involved in the life of an actress who is a friend of his elderly boss. Add a character from the swamps of FL and a cuban hustler and you have got a story - lol

Time Machine (17)

Time Machine
HG Wells
Read 7/7/08

I have seen several of the Time Machine movies, although not the most recent. I was interesting to read the original story. For being over 100 years old it was quite readable and still an excellent story. I was surprised how closely the movies actually followed the book.

Don't Bend Over In the Garden, Granny - You Know Them Taters Got Eyes (16)

Don't Bend Over In the Garden, Granny - You Know Them Taters Got Eyes
Lewis Grizzard

So.. it appears this is the only book I read in June. I started this book and got distracted. I had sinus surgery in the middle of the month and that slowed me down some. I didn't read or do much of any thing for over a week. Then I lost this book, so I started another one until I came across this.

I see this author a lot, he is a humor writer from the South. This book was ok, with lots of corny jokes and cute stories. Nothing to serious, but somewhat entertaining. I was surprised to see that this author had died in 94, he was 49 years old. Seems he had a heart problem. I think I have another book or 2 of his that I picked up, I will get to them some day.

Factotum (15)

Factotum
Charles Bukowski
read 5/28/08

Another Bukowski book, I am half way though his novels now. This book roughly picks up with his life where Ham on Rye leaves off. It follows him as he travels back and forth across the country working, drinking, living. There isn't much suspense in the book you know what will happen.. he will get drunk and get fired then look for another job, repeat. But it is told in a compelling way that you just can not put down the book. I think what the book does well is capture a point in time (early to mid 40s) that does not exist any more. Rooming houses, moving in and out of meager jobs, roaming around the country.. you just can not do this in todays world.. as these things do not exist in the same fashion today. A realistic look at the gritty world that nobody talks about.

The Ipcress File (14)

The Ipcress File
Len Deighton
read 5/23/08

This is Deighton's first book with the un-named Harry Palmer character. Like so many of Deighton's book (and spy books in general) it is a bit tedious in the beginning, not much going on, and you can't really see where it is going. Then all of a sudden something happens and they all the pieces fall together. The ending of this one was nice, and even better he goes through all of the other parts (while talking to another character) and explains the significance of them, incase you missed it. A worthy start to the Deighton legacy.

Hard Living on Clay Street

Hard Living On Clay Street
Joseph T Howell
read 1/9/06

Back in January 2006 I read Hard Living on Clay Street. A book I had for nearly 20 years and is about 2 blue collar families in the 1960s. It was an interesting book, and I finally picked up the 1991 reprinting of the book, that includes an update on the families. Most surprising 2 of the 4 principals had died shortly after the book came out. Barry drowned in a boating accident, and June died of liver diease. It went on to talk about the other children. Some did well, other did about as you would expect. I was interesting to revisit this again.

Ham On Rye (13)

Ham On Rye
Charles Bukowski
read 5/10/08

My second Bukowski novel, and I am hooked, unfortunately he only wrote 6 novels, so I am 1/3 of the way through them. This is about his childhood growing up in LA during the depressions. Parts of it seem tragic, parts seem unbelievable. But mostly I think it just shows the passage of time. I don't think there is anything unique to his story, I just think that it was a lot different during the depression. He talks about everybody being angry.. he talks about his own lack of ambition and generaly hopelessness. In the other book I remarked on how detached he seemd from his own life, I think this book does a lot to explain why he felt this way. Perhaps my favorite line of the book is: "Getting drunk was good. I decided that I would always like getting drunk."

Big Trouble (12)

Big Trouble
Dave Barry
read May 12, 2008

Dave Barry wrote an actual novel.. and it is just what you would expect from Dave Barry, lots of slap stick. I read somewhere between a movie script and an Elmore Leonard novel. Lots of off beat characters and development similar to Leonard, but it seemed a lot like a movie. Not the best, but enjoyable none the less.

The secret life of Henry Ford (11)

The secret life of Henry Ford
by John Côté Dahlinger as told to Frances Spatz Leighton.
read 4/20/08

When he was in his 60s Henry Ford fathered another child. The boy, John was raised with his mother and "father" but Henry Ford was always hanging about the Estate. Both parents worked for FMC, and the book is him memories of Henry Ford.
The book is a fairly straight forward look at the Mr Ford by someone who was around him a lot. The book is more a loose collection of stories. It is illustrated by his parents journals and his memories. It seems pretty subjective, and his views seem very much in line with the other books I have read on Ford (including his existence). He tends to gloss over some of the more controversial points including Mr Ford and the jews. But does talk a lot about Edsel and his mistreatment at the hands of his father.
This was an interesting good, but does not really add a lot to the insight of the life of Henry Ford that is not already covered by one of the other biographies available on him.

Bold Women In Michigan History (10)

Bold Women in Michigan History
By Birgina Law Burns
Read 4/20/08

This is a collection of 13 short stories detailing famous women in Michigan History. Starting with Marie-Therese Cadillac, wife of the founder of Detroit to a present day labor crusader. This is a book I have been reading off and on since last summer.
Two stories that stick in my mind are of Grace Eldering and Pear Kendrick who worked in the state lab in Grand Rapids and were the first to come up with a sucessful vaccine for whooping cough. http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19271_19357-137301--,00.html
We take some of these childhood diseases for granted now and forget that not long ago they were devastating to families.

The other was about Genevieve Gillette who was instrumental in establishing the Michigan State Park system. Since one of my great loves (and my other blog) is to go camping, I especially appreciate her contribution to Michigan

Flash Stop Motion (9)

Flash: Stop Motion
Mark Shultz
read: 4/19/08

This is another JLA book, basically it is a comic strip turned into a novel. I first read the Batman book and liked it, because it gives you more about the characters thinking and emotion that you get in a comic book.
This book was not the best.. it was slow to develop, and while some of it did apply later in the book it was weak. The book did take a turn for the better toward the end where we learn about the true nature of the alien threat to the Earth.. but the ending wasn't memorable.
A book for the true fan, not the casual reader.

Pagan Babies (8)

Pagan Babies
Elmore Leonard
read 4/14/08

My first Leonard novel of the year.. and not his strongest work. An odd ball bunch of characters, but you don't get real attached to any of them. A cool twist on this, but some of the details seem to come out too fast, then you wonder where this is going.. everybody had their own angle, but somehow this just doesnt work for me. I hate to say it, but not one of his better works.. it was enjoyable, just not as much as some of his other books.
One intersting twist.. Dutch is keeping up on Detroit in his books.. worked the MGM Grand into this one. You can see the history of Detroit in his books from Hudsons and the Book Cadillac in Swag, to modern day Detroit with the MGM.

Post Office (7)

Post Office
by Charles Bukowski
read 4/8/08

This book was suggested by a co-worker as someone who is "real". The dedication page reads "This is presented as a work of fiction and dedicated to nobody."
It is the thinly veiled biography of the author. He works at the Post Office but does not like it, spends is off hours chasing women and drinking.. lots of drinking. The lives with various women, married, divorced, children, good times and in bad.. the one constant in his life seems to be the Post Office. The thankless job with sadistic supervisors and impossible work loads.
What struck me most was his indifference to everything. Especially his relationships, he is just along for the ride. At one point he develops a system and starts winning at the track. Here he lives the good life.. where every day he goes to the track, drinks, wins, then finds a quiet restaurant to have a big steak and a motel to sleep at. Next day repeat.
At one point he runs into a woman he knows at the track. He tells her he is blue because he attended a funeral of a friend that day.. 3rd funeral in 2 years. Both is parents, now this friend (who was actually a former common-law wife). This is the only mention of the family, yet he spends the next several pages explaining his horse betting system and the calls of each race and how he wins.
The ending of the book has a nice twist to it, while not completely accurate with his life, is none the less a great ending.
The book is interesting not for what he says, but for what he doesn't say, or just hints at.

Digital Fortress (6)

Digital Fortress
by Dan Brown
read 4/5/08

This is an earlier work by the author of DaVinci Code. Not one of his stronger works. It has the deep mystery like the other books, but it is written like a made for TV movie, constantly cutting back and forth between characters to present un-natuarl suspense.
The premise of the book is that 'Digital Fortress' is an un-breakable encryption process. The out-going head of the NSA is determined to break this, get the glory and the girl. In the end his own ambition is his undoing. The book is clever on how the plot is set up.. but the idea.. to change the code and re-release it un-noticed... I don't think that would work.. the MD5sums would be different.. Yes I know this is fiction, but the basic premise of the story should at least be believable.
Anyway.. the book was just OK.. He is a good writer, but you can skip this book.

Secrets Of The Tomb (5)

Secrets Of The Tomb
By Alexandra Robbins
Read 3/27/08

My reading speed is coming up a bit. I stated this book on Monday and finished it on Thursday, not bad, especially considering I wasn't that thrilled with the book.

I think I first heard about the Skull & Bones Society in about 1992 when Geroge HW Bush was running for re-election. I remember reading a short article in Time about it. Somewhere along the line I heard about this book and added it to my book list. I had read Pledged by the same author some years ago and it was OK. The book wasn't the best... It dealt a lot with Yale history and how secret societies came to be. And a lot with how ordinary they are and dispelling myths and such. The book obviously written mainly about the Bush's released in time for the 2002 Election has a pic of both Bush and Kerry (both Bonesmen) on the cover. There is a section about the Bush's and all their connections. And a lot about people in the late 1800's which didn't mean much to me. There was also a confusing section about the author's induction into a secret society (although not mentioned, she was in Scroll & Key). Confusing because I was trying to figure out what it had to do with the rest of the book.
Don't read this and expect to learn much about the Skull and Bones aside from a few stories and traditions. One thing I did find interesting is it is quite small.. they only take 15 people, and it is a Senior Society, so they only server for 1 year. So that means at any given time there are only about 800 living members... Seems like an awful big fuss for such a small group.

Paul Delvaux

My reading has slowed considerably this year, but I am still reading. I am also looking through a lot of art books, that I don't really consider reading because they are not novels, but I will include them in my blog with some information on them.
First one is Paul Delvaux, Graphic Work
I have seen Delvaux's work in a Surrealist book, and a few other art references. This book was entirely of etchings he did in the 1970's They all look like line drawing and are mostly model studies that do not have some of the rich settings of his painting. Additionally these were in black and white with the occasional that had color added. The book was a further disappointment as it was a catalog, just listing number of prints, how signed etc. No information on the actual art. So this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, and mostly it looks like these were done quickly for commercial release and many of the models had the same look. Will continue to look for other works of Delvaux.

3001 (4)

3001
Arthur C Clarke
read 3/19/08

A co-worker is a sci-fi fan and loaned me this book. It is the last installment of the 2001 saga.. and I have to be honest I had to look up to see if Arthur C Clarke was still alive. So it is ironic that he passed away on the day I finished the book. I was not familiar with 2001 in 1982 when I saw the 2010 movie.. I liked it but didn't follow a lot of the story. At the time my father was in the book of the month club.. where you have to send in the cards if you DONT want the book. He forgot once and received 2010. After seeing the movie I read the book and it made more sense. In time I saw 2001 and last year read the 3rd book in the series... it sort of leaves you hanging at the end, so it was nice to read the final installment. Clarke has an easy style of writing that is fun and quick to read. The book is worthwhile, especially if you have read the others, and if you are not familiar with the whole saga, start at the begining.

Dali (3)

Dali
Robert Radford
read 3/10/08

Hmm.. I seem to be on the schedule of a book a month, I need to pick that up some! This book was a biography of Dali, and it was neither good nor bad. It was not a lot about Dali.. but a look at his work in the context of what was going on around Dali at each time. It covers his entire life from birth to death but does not go into a lot of detail on any part.. save the Surealist movement which it gives a lot of detail on.. more about the movement itself then Dalis part of it. The book is filled with wonderful images and it speaks about the times in his life that he created them. The book is good for that and includes some works I was not familiar with, and many personal photographs. I did not learn much more about Dali that I did not already know, but it was worthwhile, none the less.
Book is more for the person familiar with Dali who want to see a perspective of his work.. not so much for the casual fan.

Funeral In Berlin (2)

Funeral In Berlin
Len Deighton
Read 2/12/08

My first real book of the year is Deighton, one of my favorites. This book, one of his early works with the un-named anti-hero is a great example of his work. I enjoyed this book.. and it underlines the weariness of the cold-war spy.. how pointless a lot of the work seems and in the end.. you are part of something much bigger and your part has little to do with the eventual outcome.

A great book.. by one of my favorite authors!

Diego Rivera : science and creativity in the Detroit murals

Diego Rivera : science and creativity in the Detroit murals
Dorothy McMeekin
Read 1/1/08

Started off the year by finishing a book. This was an indepth look at the Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts. I was planning on going there and wanted to read some more of the background first. It is amazing the details and realistic things he puts into his murals. To actually see the murals is ... amazing.. I am at a loss of words to describe it.

This is probably a good book to start on as I have become very interested in art and thus starts my education into the subject. Education is probably the wrong word. I am interested in Surealist most of all Dali.. but I will be sampling others works.

I have left my evening job and my reading has slowed considerably. I just need to make the effort to read, as I do enjoy it.. and I love reading a LOT of book.

Books for 2007

Here are the books I read in 2007:

1/8/2007 The Joy Of Work Scott Adams
1/16/2007 George Burns: Hundred Year Dash George Burns
2/1/2007 The Mammoth Hunters Jean M Auel
2/15/2007 Ford, The Men And The Machine Robert Lacey
2/21/2007 Lansing Unlimited Arthur Russell Lauder
3/3/2007 Setting The Pace Helen Jones Early and James T. Walkinshaw
3/4/2007 The Essential Salvador Dali Robert Goff
3/11/2007 Hunting With Hemingway Hilary Hemingway and Jeffrey P. Lindsay
3/19/2007 In Our Time / Nick Adams Stories Ernest Hemingway
3/29/2007 The Plains of Passage Jean M Auel
4/5/2007 The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
4/12/2007 Cat's Eye Margaret Atwood
4/16/2007 Cannery Row John Steinbeck
4/18/2007 Ernest Hemingway Fished Here Larry Wakefield
4/20/2007 Whiff of Death Isaac Asimov
4/28/2006 Treasure Clive Cussler
5/2/2007 Sole Survivor Dean Koontz
5/9/2007 Rose Martin Cruz Smith
5/14/2007 Eaters Of The Dead Michael Crichton
5/28/2007 The Naïve and Sentimental Lover John LeCarre
6/3/2007 The Billion Dollar Brain Len Deighton
6/6/2007 Get Shorty Elmore Leonard
6/10/2007 Be Cool Elmore Leonard
6/11/2007 A Coyote's in the House Elmore Leonard
6/14/2007 The Bounty Hunters Elmore Leonard
6/27/2007 Manhattan Nocturne Colin Harrison
7/5/2007 Sin City Harold Robbins
7/13/2007 Sahara Clive Cussler
7/16/2007 The Eighth Commandment Lawrence Sanders
7/19/2007 Nighfall Isaac Asimov
7/24/2007 Rising Sun Michael Crichton
7/26/2007 No Shirt. No Shoes.. NO PROBLEM! Jeff Foxworthy
8/7/2007 The Seventh Commandment Lawrence Sanders
8/15/2007 Yesterdays Spy Len Deighton
8/17/2007 Map And Compass Cliff Jacobson
8/22/2007 Hitler's Secret Life Glenn B. Infield
8/27/2007 Touch Elmore Leonard
9/6/2007 Stalins Ghost Martin Cruz Smith
Wheels Arthur Hailey
Svelenta Martin Ebon
Decent From Xanadu Harold Robbins
Murder On The Grand Christopher Meehan
9/25/2007 The Mediterranean Caper Clive Cussler
10/11/2007 Main Street Sinclair Lewis
10/21/2007 Sphere Michael Crichton
In the Shadows of the Net Patrick Carnes
Hoolies True Yooper Tales Jim Hoolie Decalire
The Storyteller Harold Robbins
12/3/2007 The Perfect Spy John LeCarre
12/12/2007 Killshot Elmore Leonard
JLA Wonder Woman Mythos Carol Lay
12/31/2007 Where the Lilies Bloom Vera Cleaver

I did something different with my reading this year and tried to concentrate on longer books rather than sheer quantity of book. I got though the Jean Auel books and a few other long ones I had. My total was way down.. and mostly because my reading dropped off at the end of the year.

As I look over the list nothing really leaps out at me.. there were some good book including the new one by Martin Cruz Smith.. perhaps the best surprise was Wheels by Huxley... even though it is 40 years old it was still very on point.. and very good in his insight to what did happen in the auto industry in the 80s.

Where The Lilies Bloom (52)

Where The Lilies Bloom
Vera & Bill Cleaver
Read 12/31/07

I grabbed this at the library book sale one day. I vaugly remember this as a movie.. The book is somewhat interesting. Basically a young family.. the mother has died a few years earlier, and the father is now dying. He makes the 14 yr old daughter (second oldest) not to let the family get broken up.. Which basically means not to let anybody know that the father died. Also to make sure the oldest daughter who is 18 does not marry the middle aged neighbor man.
The family tries to stick together and make due in the snow and cold with little money. They do their best to keep the people at bay and not let them know they are alone.

The book was interesting but wraps up very quickly in a tidy happy ending. What I wonder most is if this is based on a true story, or if it is all fictional.

Wonder Woman Mythos (51)

Wonder Woman Mythos
Carol Lay

This is another book in the JLA series. I read BatMan a year ago and have been looking for the other books in the series ever since. I found several of them on http://www.paperbackswap.com
This book involves WW, Bat Man, Flash, Super Man and Green Lantern. These are a bit different than the cartoons as the people have faults.. and there is more thinking and less fighting. The books give a different perspective on it. The store was good, although Ana, the woman in the story turns out to be a surprisingly strong character.
And enjoyable book for those who like cartoons :)

Killshot (50)

Killshot (50)
Elmore Leonard

I am not sure if I read this book before or not... the title seemed familiar but I think I am confusing it with Freaky Deaky.. anyways This was a cool book set in Algonac and across the river in Canada. This was a place where I camped in May so I would place some of the areas and terrain.
Another Leonard book filled with characters.. never quite sure what will happen next which is what keeps us turning the pages!

The Perfect Spy (49)

The Perfect Spy
By John LeCarre
Read 12/3/07

Arrgh.. it seemed to take me forever to read this book. I enjoy LeCarre but his books are difficult to read. I am often confused about what is doing on, or what significance it has to the story.. yet I know it will be important and try to pay attention.
This book is about a diplomat in Vienna.. and his father dies... he goes off and starts writing his memoirs.. We see his life from many different angles, but many ar colored by the antics of his father who was a con man, how often had temporary problems of liquidity. As he gets deeper and deeper into the story the real point of all of it comes out and you start to understand how all these stories tie together.
LeCarre is a brilliant writer.. how he pulls all this information together in is beyond me... His books take some effort to read, but I am always pleased in the end.

My reading has slowed a lot this year. I use to read mostly at my evening job. I no longer work there and my reading has dropped off because of it. For the first time I am struggling to reach 52 books in a year. I am trying to work more reading into my current schedule. I should reach the 52 (a book a week) this year without too much problem.. I will just have to keep working at it to maintain the pace in 2008, with will be my 4th year into my reading project!

The Storyteller (48)

The Storyteller
Harold Robbins

Harold Robins is like a guilty pleasure.. his books are not deep and meaningful.. but they are fun... They are a quick read and usually a good story. Most of his books seem to cover large periods of time, and this one is no different. It shows the life of a young man who wants to be a writer and follows him along as he gets some breaks, gets married, divorces, works in Hollywood, and becomes a respected author... all the time he is persuing the one girl he really wants.. and who does not want him.
This book was written in 1987 near the end of Robbins life. I wonder how much of it is autobiographical.. and how much is fiction. In the book the author makes up his bio when he gets published... and it well known that most of the bio that Robbins wrote was pure fiction, just like his books.

Hoolies True Yooper Tales (47)

Hoolie's True Yooper Tales
Jim "Hoolie" Declaire

This is a book that I picked up at Castle Rock this summer. It is written by a member of the musical/comedy group Da Yoopers... which if you are from Michigan you are probably familiar with.
It is an interesting look at life in Upper Michigan (Yooperland) in the 1950s and 60s. It is mixed with short stories and old jokes.. it is a quick book, but enjoyable.

In the Shadows of the Net (46)

In The Shadows of the Net
Patrick Carnes

This is a good about Internet sex addiction, how to spot it and how to break it. It is scary to see how far some people get involved in this, and the devastating impact it has on their life. The book is written in a somewhat academic manner.. parts are very outlined, but overall the book is quite interesting.

Sphere (45)

Sphere
Michael Crichton
Read 10/21/07

An excellent Crichton book. A bit like Andormedia Strain in there is a group of people in an artificial environment to solve a problem. I generally enjoy Crichton but sometimes there is too much conflict in the story, this book had some but it was in tune with the story and not overwhelming. It is interesting as you read more from an author that certain patterns emerge.
Anyway.. without giving away this story it is a great sci-fi story.. a group of scientist are assembled to investigate something for the Navy.. no one is sure what is going on.. very mysterious.. then people start dying.. in the end there are only a few left.. will they make it? Is one of them behind the others deaths? What of the mysterious forces at work.. we will ever understand them.
This book wraps things up nicely.. leaving some to the readers imagination, but just enough information to put all the pieces together :)

Main Street (44)

Main Street
Sinclair Lewis

On February 1, 2006 I finished Tom Brokaw's A Long Way From Home which is about his growing up in the 1950's. In it he made frequent references to Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. Shortly after finishing his book I found Main Street at a library book sale. The book was written in 1920, and I have a 19th edition hard cover published in April 1921.
The book follows Carol (Carrie) from the time after college as she starts a quest to find enjoyment and fulfillment from her life. She marries a country Doctor from Gopher Prairie MN and moves there with him (from Minneapolis). She has a hard time adjusting to small town life and gossipy people. She struggles to find friends she can relate to and often finds the people she confides in are not what they seem, or they somehow leave her life. I can't do justice to the book in a small blog entry but there is the on-going struggle for her to become happy with her life.. which if you look at the larger issues is just as valid today as it was 87 years ago. I think this is also an interesting look at small town life back before WWI.
The book isn't quick reading there is a lot of philosophizing as well as following her through the things she does.
It IS a wonderful book and well worth a read today. Lewis became the first American writer to win the Nobel Prize in Lit, and Main Street was his third novel and his first big success.
I also have Elmer Gantry another one of his novels, in the same binding as Main Street which was in a summer home my parents bought (furnished) years ago.. some day I will get to that as well. It appears that the copyrights on most (if not all) of Sinclair Lewis' works have expired and not been renewed. You can download zip files of many of his books from Universities and other places.. A google search will help you out.

The Mediterranean Caper (43)

The Mediterranean Caper
Clive Cussler

This was the first book written by Cussler and the first Dirk Pitt book. It is not quite as detailed as later books but sets Pitt us as the 'super human' we have come to expect. A few noticable difference.. in this book Pitt is not he hansome man he is described in later books.. although he does get the girl in this one - lol. Also a book written in 1973, Pitt is chain smoking during much of the book.
I bought this book back in the 80's and was not sure if I had read it before. I had.. I don't really remember the story, but a few of the parts I did recall.

On A Clear Day You Can See GM

On A Clear Day You Can See GM
John Z Delorean

After reading Hailey's fictional account of the auto industry I thought I would read a factual one. I remember when this book came out, long before John's legal/drug problems. I had picked up the paperback some time ago and never read it.

The book starts out with his resigning from GM.. but it follows no pattern. Time jumps around from past future and present in no order and seemingly without a real story. In just a short while I was able to learn that everybody was against John and nobody had as much pizaaz and style as him. I leafed through the rest of the book and decided I could not finish it. It seemed to be mostly petty differences with managers etc.. things that no longer have any bearing when read nearly 30 years later. I don't care about the Vega, or who wouldn't let him redecorate his office.
I seldom start a book I don't finish.. but this was one I could not waste my time on. I love reading about the auto industry.. but this one is definitely a skipper.

Wheels (42)

Wheels
Arthur Hailey

This was written in 1970 about the Auto industry. A very detailed book.. the author obviously did his homework on Detroit and the industry in general. It is interesting the things which are far off idea in the book.. mostly have come true.. fuel injection, safety, fuel economy.. all issues in the book that have happened. The book also looks at not only the industry, but life on the line. The plight of the inner city person and how working at the line can change their life (hopefully for the better).
I enjoyed this book. This author also did Airport which I read about 25 years ago and enjoyed. A few years ago I started reading his novel Overload but could not get very far before quitting.

Murder on the Grand(41)

Murder on the Grand
Christopher H Meehan

This is a small press book about based in Grand Rapids Michigan.. if you are familiar with the town you will recognize streets and landmarks.. and if you are not I wonder if he is too vague.. the books itself is poorly written.. WAY too detailed on everything that is going on.. a simple sentence may take several paragraphs by the time he tells you about every movement of the speaker, his feelings, the position of the sun etc.
The story is about a woman who is attached after being called to the home of a friend.. the friend is dead.. and her boyfriend is found (in pieces) soon after. This may or may not be related to a death that occurred shortly before.. and may tie into a girl who dies years before.. and all of it *might* be tied to Promise Keepers.. all the main characters are priests.. and you get the impression that every movement in Grand Rapids revolves around the church (that is church, not to be confused with God). An awful book with a thin plot that just doesn't hold up... I think the ending sums it all up when the author writes...
"Then the car, a red 1978 Escort, made my mind sway. But it couldn't be, I told myself as I went down the embankment. No Way"
The Ford Escort was not produced until 1981.

Decent from Xanadu (40)

Decent from Xanadu
Harold Robbins

One of my guilty pleasures.. I do enjoy Robbins.. he has a way of writing that makes you interested in his characters.. who are often strong, yet still beliviable. This concerns on of the richest men in the world, Judd Crane, who wants to live forever. He seeks out a Russian Dr who has helped others live longer and begins a long series of operations and treatments desigend to let him live longer. Along the way the Drs attractive assistant becomes the close companion to Crane. She may or may not be working for the Russians.. and may be a spy.. As with Leonard novels.. the joy is in the characters and not the story!

Svetlana (39)

Svetlana
martin Ebon

In 1967 Stalin's daughter Svetlana defected to the U.S. This is her story as told by someone else. She leaves Russia after Xmas 1966 to take the cremated remains of her Indian husband to his country. While there she decides she can not go back to her country and begins a quest for someone who will take her.
The most interesting parts of the story are the parts dealing with her childhood and a touch of information on her father. It is amazing that Joseph Stalin probably killed more people than Hilter (and his one people at that) and started a system that reminding me of 1984 complete with 'revised' history as people fell out of favor.. yet little is know about him, and his is not the symbol of all evil as Hilter is.
One interesting note... after she left her country the disgraced head of KGB was replaced by on older more experienced man.. Yuri V. Andropov.. who would go on to become head of The Soviet Union in 1982

Stalin's Ghost (38)

Stalin's Ghost
By Martin Cruz Smith

One of my favorite writers put out a new book about my favorite Detective, Arkady Renko. I am not sure why but I just love these books.. I can't get enough of them... it makes me want to go to Russia!
So this book picks up where Renko leaves off in Wolves Eat Dogs and continues in the typical fashion... One thing that is so interesting about these book is you have to figure out the characters as Renko does.. he meets them at parties, in interviews, at crime scenes.. and you have to make your own judgments about them.. and how they all fit together or if they do... Another fine book in the Arkady tradition.. I hope there are many more books in this series!

Touch (37)

Touch
Elmore Leonard

I think I read this book about 15 years ago.. .although I don't remember much of it. An engaging book full of lively characters. Set vividly in Detroit.. a bit different from some of Leonards other books, but still very enjoyable.

Hitler's Secret Life (36)

Hitler's Secret Life
By Glenn B. Infield

This was an interesting book that dealth more with Hilter's locations than with his Military style. It looked at how Hitler had first come to Obersalzberg in Bravaria when he was young and trying to get the NSAD started. As he became more successful he bought a home there and made it his base.. When he came to power his 'home' became a fortress taking over much of a town. Add to this the Eagles Nest and his bunker in Berlin. This book looked at his locations and the people around him and how things changed as the war went on. Also there is an intersting look at his health.. it is no secret that Hilter lost the war largely due to bad (often illogical) decisions.. The book suggests that the Allies were actually poisoning the medicines he took by the handful. And interesting idea..
As with any book of this type there is a lot of conjecture and some conspiracy theory, but overall an interesting and enjoyable book.. with many references to explore theories in more detail.

Map & Compass (35)

Map & Campass
Cliff Jacobson

I was at the library to pick up a guide book on Michigan Campgrounds and ran across this. My GPS is my best friend.. but a GPS is not a compas.. it shows you were you are not where you are going.. so it is still good to have a compass (there is always one in my geocaching bag). I had not used a map and compass since Boy Scouts, this book covers the basics of navigation how to apply the compass to a map.. and also how to project and determine where you are located. A good book for anyone who spends time outside!

Yesterday's Spy (34)

Yesterday's Spy
Len Deighton

This is about 2 spies.. that pretend they are not... Both worked together during the war.. and both now deny to the other that they are still active.. Eventually one is sent after the other where complicated layers of deceit are uncovered on all sides.

This is a good book, it actually reminds me a lot of The Spy That Came In From The Cold by LeCarre.. the set up for how the character is sent in is nearly the same.

The Seventh Commandment (33)

The Seventh Commandment
Lawrence Sanders
Read 8/8/08

Another Sanders book about an insurance investigator looking into the death of a man with a $3 million policy. Older owner of jewelry store goes out for evening walk in Manhattan and gets stabbed to death. As she investigates the family and close friends.. things get stranger and stranger and more and more people keep dieing.
The book has some interesting twists and turns.. and in the end you have a fair idea of what happened and why.
Sanders books often follow a pattern, but they are, none the less, enjoyable. Often set around a rich and stylish family.. who have deep problems, and hidden secrets.. in the end his books are largely a look at human nature.. and where we go wrong.

No Shirt. No Shoes....NO PROBLEM! (32)

No Shirt. No Shoes....NO PROBLEM!
Jeff Foxworthy
read 7/26/07

I enjoy the comedy of Jeff Foxworthy, I have several of his albums and they never fail to made me laugh... but there is a reason why these people are stand up comics and not writers.. some of the stuff just does not transfer well to paper.
The book did have a lot of background on Foxworthy as a kid and things be did in High School.. which gives you some background to his personality. The book contained a lot of his standup routines.. word for word... Not sure if the book or the routine came first.. but I am guessing the routine...
Not a bad book.. not great either.. toward the end he gives some insite into some of his 'redneck' jokes.. the ones based on truth.. and the stories behind the joke.

Rising Sun (31)

Rising Sun
Michael Crichton
Read 7/24/07

A beautiful girl is found dead in a conference room of a new Japenese office building. The book is more about Japanese relations and how they are taking over the world. There is little about the murder.. the security tapes show them who did it.. but it becomes a onion.. peeling back the layers to find out why.
One thing I noticed in Crichton's books is that there is a LOT of confrontation.. more than is really necessary. The book also has long passages that don't really have to do with the murder.. but add background to the 'Japan is buying America' theme of the book. At one point the lead character listens to other men talk while he is in a waiting room about how Japanese are buying up ranches in Montana.
Crichton is an interesting author.. and even though this book is fiction there is a biblography... you are encouraged to did deeper into this Japanese "problem". Honestly I'm not really worried about the Japanese... I have better things to worry about :)

Nightfall (30)

Nightfall
Isaac Asimov
Robert Silverbert
Read 7/19/07

I am not a big SciFi fan, but had this book. It is based on a 1941 short story by Asimov. The premise is a world that has 6 suns.. and their planet is never in darkness. Several things happen at once.. and you finally figure out the significance of all the events. The world is going to have an eclipse with will last about 14 hours.. problem is that the world has never been in darkness (the eclipse only happens every 2000 years). The people freak out.. lose their minds and riot. In hours civilization is lost.. The book follows several of the scientist from the beginning to see how they make out in the post-apocalyptic world.
There are some interesting premises in the book. It is a world similar to Earth.. yet they seem to have a very limited view of science.. They believe their world is only a few thousand years old.. and that they and their 6 suns are all that is in the world.. and that the universe is only a few dozen light years in size.
Their views are put to a test as the world goes dark and they see stars for the first time and not a few as they thought... but countless thousands....
The story isn't bad and some of the ideas (people could not live on a world that was in darkness 1/2 of the day) are interesting and give you something to ponder.

The Eighth Commandment (29)

The Eighth Commandment
Lawrence Sanders
Read 7/16/07

I have not read Sanders in a while.. he is a guilty pleasure.. I have always enjoyed his books... This one is based on a girl, Dunk who is an appraiser of rare coins. She oversees a shipment of coins to the auction house she works for.. only to discover the most valuable coin in the lot is stolen in shipment. So she sets off to find out who did it... A story full of rich people leading spoiled lives. As with many of Sanders books there is a great deal of detail concering the fashions that everybody is wearing, and what they are eating.. his books always make me hungry :) Dunk is working with the police detective, and the insurance investegator. She has romantic involvment with each.. and toward the end each ask her to be with them.. one in marriage.. one in sin
In the end she find out who did it... but she picks the wrong guy to be with :P

Sahara (28)

Sahara
Clive Cussler
Read 7/13/07

Another Dirk Pitt adventure.. this one strangely takes place in the desert. Again everything is over the top.. from the main problem... run away red tides (algae) will use up all the oxygen on earth and kill everybody.. to enemy.. .to Dirks adventure... he walks for days in desert covering hundreds of kilometers with no water.. a day after being rescued he is on a commando raid... after being shot he goes on to get the bad guys... The stories are good.. and don't need all the super human (and unbelievable) antics of Pitt to make them interesting.. Rather than adding to the story they detract from it... ALthough I keep reading them... as I say.. they ARE good yarns.

Sin City (27)

Sin City
Harold Robbins
Read (7/5/07)

This wasnt actually written by Robbins, but was edited after his death from notes he left. Seemed very much like a Robbins book, but maybe slightly updated. Kid from the streets makes good and moves up to be a big wheel in Las Vegas, and finally puts together a deal to build the biggest casino ever on the strip. To do this he must sell his soul to a Chinese "businessman' that he has dealt with periodically during his life. The sex, violence and hard lives of the main characters are all over the top.. and yet they do blend nicely into the story line...

Manhattan Nocturne (26)

Manhattan Nocturne
Colin Harrison

A couple of summers ago or more Mens Health recommended Colin Harrison books. I picked some up at the library and had not gotten to them. They start a bit slow.. it is *heavy* on his thoughts and observations.. reminded me of the Mickey Spillane type novels of the 50's only updated today.. It was not cheesy, just verbose.. It takes a while for the story to develop.. but it is a good mystery... Beautiful woman whose successful movie directors husband is found dead. She asks a newspaper columnist for help.. in he comes in the middle of the police, and his billionaire boss who are all interconnected in a strange way.
And enjoyable book, and I do have more of his novels and will work though them some time.

Hey and with this book I am officially back on track with my book a week goal. 26th book in the 26th week of the year. :)

The Bounty Hunters (25)

The Bounty Hunters
Elmore Leonard

This was the first book Elmore Leonard wrote, published in 1953. His oldest, western books are hard to find, but my library had several of them. This one came in a volume with 2 other of his western novels.
The story was good and worked on the character development nicely. I have never been much of a western fan.. but it was a good book. Well done for his first novel. Although I really do not see the link between this and his newer works.. Perhaps some of his newer Western novels will...
Recommended for people who like westerns, or the die hard Elmore Leonard fans (like me :)

A Coyote's in the House (24)

A Coyote's in the House
Elmore Leonard


This is a children's book written by Elmore Leonard for his grand children. So I picked it up for my son, and read it also. I was very excited that my 8 yr old son was reading Leonard.. and he really enjoyed the story.
It is about a Coyote who starts hanging out with some domestic dogs and he can't understand why they live like they do... and the old German Shepard who wants to run free in the Hollywood Hills.
The story if very much Leonard.. the Coyote is young quick and like the street characters in many of his other books. It is like any other Leonard book except the characters are animals :)

Be Cool (23)

Be Cool
Elmore Leonard

This is the 'sequel' to Get Shorty. It picks up with Chili Palmer after he became a Hollywood producer with the smash Get Leo, and the no so great sequel Get Lost. Chili has a new problem now and get involved in the music business and he sees the events happening before him as a movie plot and tries to figure out how the screen can mimic real life. Another great book with some great twists... this is a sequel that is every bit as good as the original!

Get Shorty (22)

Get Shorty
Elmore Leonard

HEY! Look at ME!
I got this book (hardcover) soon after it came out in 1990. I great story about Chili Palmer, gangster/loan shard turned Hollywood producer. This was later made into a movie by the same name. Leonard also wrote a 'sequel' to it called Be Cool. I really wanted to read Be Cool, but decided I should re-read Get Shorty first so I was up on the story. Good thing too, because I had forgotten most of the story. A great Leonard story!

The Billion Dollar Brain (21)

The Billion Dollar Brain
Len Deighton

A book that is older than me ;) Written in 1966, this is the 4th of 4 books that Deighton wrote about a nameless British spy. This is an excellent Deighton style book. Low key spy who doesn't want to be there. Book has some interesting twists and turns as you try to figure out which side everybody is working for.

The Naive and Sentimental Lover (20)

The Naive and Sentimental Lover (20)
John LeCarre

I am slowly working my way through all of John LeCarre's books, and I have been reading them in order after the first couple. His books are usually easy to find, but I had trouble finding this one. After reading it I know why. It is the only book LeCarre has written that is not about espinoge. This deals with Aldo Cassidy a rich inventor who becomes involved with an erratic writer and his wife. The book is somewhat slow to develop and is very confusing in parts.. he day dreams a lot and it is hard to tell fantasy from truth.. although I am sure that is what he wanted.. and the character sometimes has trouble telling what is real.
If you believe what you read on the Internet this book is roughly autobiographical about LeCarre's first divorce, and the other 2 people in the book each wrote their own accounts of what happened.
It is written in the classic LeCarre style.. slow to develop, confusing in parts.. long sections where the main character just thinks.. but a very engaging story. Not my favorite, but not my least favorite either. If you are a LeCarre fan you should read this.. if not.. you might skip it in favor of some of his better works.

In general I enjoy LeCarre although all of his books are hard reading and some of them are nearly impossible - lol. I do enjoy his style and the complexity of his book and will keep working my way through his catalog.

Eaters of the Dead (19)

Eaters of the Dead
Micheal Crichton

A bizarre book that is the tale of a 10th century Arab who encounters the Vikings while on his travels and joins them (somewhat against his will) on a great journey to the North.

The book is told in narrative form by Ibn Fadlan, who is a real person who encountered the Viking in 921 AD. The first three chapters of the book are from his writings, the rest is fiction created by Crichton. A really well done book in the classic Crichton style. You never know what you are going to get when you read one of his books, but you can be sure it will be well done and entertaining!

Rose (18)

Rose
Martin Cruz Smith

A book by Smith set in 19th century England in a small mining town. The lead character wants to return to Africa, but needs the support of the local Bishop. The Bishop first wants him to go to Wigan to look into the missing priest there.

The story is engaging and reminds me of Renko. The lead is somewhat of an outcast, he does not want to be there, yet keeps on the trail even when others say he should stop. In the process he gets beat up a few times... just as Renko always seems to do.

And excellent book written with Smiths attention to detail and character. In other news Martin Cruz Smith has a new book coming out in June, Stalins Ghost, which will be the sixth book in the Renko series.. I am SO excited!!

Sole Survivor (17)

Sole Survivor
Dean Koontz

I do enjoy Dean Koontz books.. but never excited about starting them.. He grabs you quick and pulls you in. His books always have such outlandish plots and ideas.. but what makes them great is that the main character is always as skeptical as you are about whatever is going on. This was a neat book, where you could not figure out what the F*** was going on...
My main complaint with Koontz is he spends too much time building up the story and the mystery.. and they reveals it and wraps the book up too quickly.

This book reminded me of Zaphod and the total perspective vortex... I wonder if that was a source of inspiration for it :)

Treasure (16)

Treasure
Clive Cussler

This is a book I started long ago and never finished... I picked it up and started over.. and I only remembered a few parts.. which was good. Another fabulous Dirk Pitt adventure. I like these books, but Pitt is a bit over the top... James Bond-ish stunts and such.. to me they take away from really good stories.
This one was good.. with a neat discovery in the end.

A Whiff Of Death (15)

A Whiff Of Death
Isaac Asimov

A professor finds one of his graduate students dead at in his lab, and the mystery begins. Was it an accident, suicide, murder? The professor tries for find out what really happened while playing University politics.
This was not quite what I expected from Asimov, renowned sci-fi author. It is basically a mystery, heavy on the science... although the solution is on in science, but in good old fashion human pride. A decent book.. just not what I expected.

Well.. it has been quite a week of reading with 3 books in 5 days.. that will help the totals for the year :)

Ernest Hemingway Fished Here (14)

Ernest Hemingway Fished Here

This is a collection of short stories about Northern Michigan, mostly set around the Traverse City area. Entertaining stories, probably more interesting if you are familiar with the Traverse area. Stories range from the 1860s to the 1960s and include fishing, ship wrecks, lumbering etc.

Cannery Row (13)

Cannery Row
John Steinbeck

It has been a long time since I read a book in 1 day, as I did with Cannery Row. In the early 1990's my mother went on a vacation to the Monterey area of California. While there she picked up Cannery Row which is set in this area. My mother passed away last fall and I came across this book when cleaning out her house. Monday was her birthday, and I picked up and read the book on that day.
An engaging story.. just following several groups of people, Mack and the boys, Lee at the store, the Doc, and the girls of the 'sporting house' as they go about their lives. It almost has the feel of an old black and white film, yet you can help but be entertained by it!

Cat's Eye (12)

Cat's Eye
Margaret Atwood

After The Handmaid's Tale I decided to read the other Margaret Atwood book I had. This was a wonderful book that is hard to describe.
Elaine is a middle aged artist who is back in Toronto for a retrospective of her work. She lives in Vancouver, but grew up in Toronto. The book isn't a remembrance, but rather looks at pivotal moments in her life as they happened. The book is brilliantly written, so that you look at events, but Elaine does not recognize or remember some of the significance of what has happened in the past. Most pointedly when in college she visits her former best friend, and they discuss antics of their childhood, but she does not quite remember things. As the reader you recognize having read the account of what happened, so it is almost like a memory for you also. Toward the end of the book when Elaine is looking at her paintings you realize some of the significance of them from things that she experienced in her life.
It is a wonderful look at how events shape our life, sometimes without our knowledge. And also a pained look at relationships and loss. I was struck deeply at points about what she had lost... both in terms of friends she did not keep in touch with, people who had an impact on her life.. but she has no way of knowing their whereabouts (teachers, neighbors etc). And also her family, the death of her parents... One of the few constants in her life seems to be her ex-husband whom ages has mellowed, but she can still see what she loved, and hated about him.

I enjoyed this book a lot.. but it is hard for me to say exactly why... it was a good story, well told. I will have to look into more of Atwood's work!

The Handmaid's Tale (11)

The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood

I read this book in about 1990, and enjoyed it. Last year I picked up another copy and finally got around to reading it. This is a dystopic story of a world gone wrong. Birth rates fall to a negative and fertile woman are rare.. they are rounded up and doled out to influential people.. essentially for breeding purposes. It is the story of one such woman and how she came to be there.
An excellent book for those who like dystopic stories.. dystopia being the opposite of utopia. Much in the vain of 1984, but in a different, but equally dark direction.

The Passage of Plains (10)

The Passage of Plains
by Jean M Auel

This is the 4th book in the Earth Children series that follows Ayla on her journeys in pre-historic Europe. This book is 760 pages long and I wanted to be able to get though it in the 8 days I worked over 2 weeks.. so that is roughly 95 pages a day... I got behind at one point but got caught up and did read it in 8 days. The books was somewhat slow. The first 150 pages was mostly recaps of other books and history of the people.. useful if this is your first book.. or you have not read the other stories recently. I would probably benefit from reading Clan Of the Cave Bear again, because so much of Aylas personality and beliefs comes from her time with the Clan. I read this book over 25 years ago.. and don't remember all of it. I might try to cheat and watch the movie (again).

The book has long vivid descriptions of the land, terrain, weather and animals as they make their 1 year journey from Ukraine to France. Eventually they meet some people along the way which livens up the story greatly. Toward the end they encounter some people and have a great adventure with them.. and encounter some clan people that also adds and interesting twist to the book.

The book ends with Ayla believing she is pregnant.. and someone greeting Jondalar as he approaches the Ninth Cave of his people. I have the next book and will read it soon.. does not appear to be so lengthy and will hopefully add more to the story.

The anticipated 6th book has not been written yet, hopefully it will be coming along soon.

In general I would not recommend this book by itself.. However, I do enjoy this series. Start with Clan of the Cave Bear, and if you enjoy it work your way through the series.

In Our Time / Nick Adams Stories (9)

In Our Time / Nick Adams Stories
Ernest Hemingway

I first read In Our Time in a college lit class. I remember being captivated by the Nick Adams stories because many of them took place in Northern Michigan. This is an area I spent my entire life around, and I knew many of the places that he mentions in his stories. After reading Hunting With Hemingway, I had to re-read this book, as many of the stories deal with hunting and fishing, and are set in the area I know so well. I won't go into detail about the stories as so many other sites to a better job than me.

In Our Time was published in 1925 and, the collection of short stories marked Hemingway's US debut. The original book contained:
* On the Quai at Smyrna (added to the 1930 edition)
N * Indian Camp
N * The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife
N * The End of Something
N * The Three-Day Blow
N * The Battler
* A Very Short Story
* Soldier's Home
* The Revolutionist
* Mr. And Mrs. Elliot
* Cat in the Rain
* Out of Season
N * Cross-Country Snow
* My Old Man
N * Big Two-Hearted River: Part One
N * Big Two-Hearted River: Part Two

The N indicates a Nick Adams story. Hemingway also wrote some more stories with the Nick character, which is loosely based on his experiences as a boy. In 1972 another book was published that contained all the Nick Adams stories in one volume. In addition the the (N)ick stories above it also included.

* In Another Country
* A Way You'll Never Be
* The Killers
* Ten Indians
* Fathers And Sons
* Now I Lay Me.

I mentioned reading Hemingway in college. This volume was one of the few books I kept from college... however I can no longer find it. Perhaps it is one of my boxes of books, or perhaps it walked off. Years ago I bought The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, so I just read the stories from here.

I am not a huge Hemingway fan, but these stories are very engaging and I can read them over and over. It was nice to sit down and read them at once again.. I will have to do this more often :)

Hunting With Hemingway (8)

Hunting With Hemingway
Hilary Hemingway and Jeffrey P. Lindsay

This is a book I picked up at the library book sale. It is the stories of Les Hemingway, younger brother of Ernest about their adventures hunting together. The book is written by his daughter Hilary. The book is less about Hemingway and more about personal exploration.
Hilary's mother has just passed away and leaves her an audio tape of her father who had died 15 years previously. The tape is a recording of her father talking with an author sitting by a bon fire, and talking about his life and experiences with his brother. We learn that Les took the "family exit" (suicide) and that Hilary, although in college at the time, never made peace with this. The tape finally lets her understand her father and the decision he made. Along the way there are some wonderful stories and interaction with the author and her young daughter as they listen to the tape.
A wonderful book even if you are not a Hemingway fan.

The Essential Salvador Dali (7)

The Essential Salvador Dali
Robert Goff

I don't usually include art books in my reading lists and reviews. But I pick them up from time to time. I don't really know anything about art.. but my two favorite authors are Escher and Dali. There are similarity of both in their complexity.
Dali is so weird... so strange.. so DETAILED.. you can look at his painting and it is hard to take it all in.. the objects seem disjointed and your brain struggles to fit it together and make sense of it. I can look at it and keep noticing new things in the pictures. He really was amazing.. how he came up with the content for his painting and the level of detail in some of them is astounding.

This book is a wonderful edition, sort of like art for dummies. It goes through and gives you background on Dali, as well and explaining the meaning of some of his noted works. It gives you a quick introduction to Dali's life and work.. and does so in a simple fun manner that does not require an art history degree to make sense of!

The book is tiny about 6" square... which is my only complain of it.. it is too small to see much of the detail in the paintings.

I highly recommend this book to anyone like me, who is interested in Dali's work, but really knows nothing about art.

Some Dali Resources...
The Dali Museum in Florida has the largest collection of Dali art in the world.

Also found the Dali Art Gallery on line which has a lot of his painting as well as some of his drawing and studies for his paintings, and some of his objects. Dali was much more than just a painter.. he worked in many mediums and also wrote.

Setting The Pace (6)

Setting The Pace
Oldsmobile's First 100 years
Helen Jones Early and James T. Walkinshaw

This is the history of Oldsmobile in Lansing from when the Olds family came to Lansing in the 1800's until 1997 with John Rock saying how Olds is poised to take on the second century. Of course within 3 years GM announced Olds was done and in 2004 the last car rolled off the line in Lansing and Oldsmobile became another car in history.

The book was heavy on facts and figures, production numbers, wheel base, horsepower, building numbers. I was hard to get a flow with the book. What you gleamed from it was that Olds took pride in their work and all tried to make it better. In spite of that there were some horrible start up problems and other mistakes along the way. But in the end there was a deep association between OLDSmobile and Lansing. This was the thing I never understood.. growing up in the GM world.. where it wasn't Olds.. just GM.. many people are still very bitter about Olds going away.. and this book helps to lay some of the background behind that. It also had some of the background on the plants (most of which are now idle or being torn down).

The wonderful part of the book was the photos. LOTS of pictures both of cars, but also of the manufacturing process, and buildings. Along the way there are some great pics of what Lansing looked like in previous days.

I am not sure of the broad appeal of this book. I think it would be best enjoyed by people associated with Olds in Lansing. The book is available from GM through their website
The book was written by 2 people.. I believe Ms Early has since passed away, but Mr Walkinshaw, is an active member of the RE Olds Museum in Lansing.

Lansing Unlimited (5)

Lansing Unlimited (6)
Arthur Russell Lauder
1947 American Book - Statford Press, Inc. NY

I am on a history jag now. Local/auto history specifically.

This book was written in 1947 by a vet who returns how disillusioned at the free market system.. He begins to think that communist is the way for us. He talks with his communist friend who reinforces it. So to be fair he decides to visit local businesses and learn about what they do, how they operate and ask some questions. This book has a very cold-war feel to it.. what was interesting was not the rhetoric, but rather a look at local businesses, most of which are no longer around. Gives you a bit of history when the mention where things are.
Two interesting examples are... the Chamber of Commerce talks about the new Vets Civic Center they want to build. Since then it has been built, tore down, and replaced. They also talked about the Capitol complex and the buildings to the West of the Capitol. They go that very right.. specifically mentioning the museum and courts.. which were the last building put up in 1988 and 1999.

You are probably not going to find this book... It was written in 1947 and according to the note it was distributed by the school board and paid for by the companies profiled in it. The book would be of little interest unless you live in Lansing and are interested in the history. Or if you like cold war era propaganda.

Ford, The Men And The Machine (4)

Ford, The Men And The Machine
by Robert Lacey

This was an amazing book... He looks at the Fords from Henry Ford's birth until late in the life of Henry Ford II (1985). Detailing the rise of Henry Ford.. and the problems later in his life, the disarray of the company, and the torment of his son. I have read books on Ford before, and thought this one was accurate, although did not go into much detail about Edsel, other than his father was largely disappointed in him, and he was frustrated by his inability to get his father to make changes for the good of the company.
Nearly half the book deals with Henry Ford II and the company from 1945 until the late 1970's. It is a look at great new people, and old problems. Over all the book was not kind of Lee Iaccoca, dismissing him as a good car man who got caught up in his own ego. The book also explores the various personal problems of the third and fourth generations of the Ford family.
As well as talking about the Ford family the book also looks into the history and mood of Detroit as well. I know a great deal of history of Detroit, but learned a few new things in this book.
This book was well written and very readable.. it was also very long.. 650+ pages of the story, plus more on notes, bib, etc. The book was heavily referenced.. so I believe it to be reasonably accurate. Some items are up to the individuals memory or interpretation of an event, and I think Lacy did a good job of showing differnt views of the same situation. Especially with Iaccoca where his accounts, Henry II account and the board accounts differ.
I recommend the book to anyone interested in Ford, the auto industry or Detroit.

The Mammoth Hunters (3)

The Mammoth Hunters (3)
Jean M Auel

This is the 3rd book in the Earth's Children series. I read the first books, Clan of the Cave Bear, and Valley of the Horses back when I was in High School. The third book picks up where the others left off and continues the story of Ayla. In this book they meet and live with 'the others' and she learns what it is like to be part of a community and of a family. The book centers around the love affair of Ayla and Jondalar, or the lack there of... they have a falling out of sorts.. and each is in their own turmoil about the other.. In my opinion this gets dragged out a bit far. The basic problem is they wont speak to each other and express how they really feel.
The interesting part of these books is that they are look at the way people lived thousands of years ago... how they made everything they needed just from the animals they hunted, and the plants they picked.
The book was enjoyable and had many moments that made me smile. However at 647 pages it became a bit tedious at some points.. and didn't always seem to have a clear path forward.. the end came quickly.. and is an obvious lead up to her next book.

My goal this year was not to read as many books, but rather to get through some of my larger books, like this one, that I knew would take some time to get through. The book took me 2+ weeks to get through, although it seemed longer at times. I have her next 2 books as well, but will read something else before tackling the next one. I in week 5 and book 3... so I am behind, but that is ok ;)

The Mammoth Hunters (3)

The Mammoth Hunters (3)
Jean M Auel

This is the 3rd book in the Earth's Children series. I read the first books, Clan of the Cave Bear, and Valley of the Horses back when I was in High School. The third book picks up where the others left off and continues the story of Ayla. In this book they meet and live with 'the others' and she learns what it is like to be part of a community and of a family. The book centers around the love affair of Ayla and Jondalar, or the lack there of... they have a falling out of sorts.. and each is in their own turmoil about the other.. In my opinion this gets dragged out a bit far. The basic problem is they wont speak to each other and express how they really feel.
The interesting part of these books is that they are look at the way people lived thousands of years ago... how they made everything they needed just from the animals they hunted, and the plants they picked.
The book was enjoyable and had many moments that made me smile. However at 647 pages it became a bit tedious at some points.. and didn't always seem to have a clear path forward.. the end came quickly.. and is an obvious lead up to her next book.

My goal this year was not to read as many books, but rather to get through some of my larger books, like this one, that I knew would take some time to get through. The book took me 2+ weeks to get through, although it seemed longer at times. I have her next 2 books as well, but will read something else before tackling the next one. I in week 5 and book 3... so I am behind, but that is ok ;)

George Burns: The Hundred Year Dash (2)

George Burns: The Hundred Year Dash
By Martin Gottfried

A biography of George Burns from the time he was born, 1 of 12 children living in NYC lower east side, until just before his death.
I covers George's early entry into show business (he left school in 4th grade) through Vaudeville and his struggles to find success. Then one day he finds a woman who would change his life. Gracie Allen made George Burns the man he became. When she died he was devastated.. but more than anything else he wanted to keep working.. because for him it was about the work.. not the money. He wanted the work and the recognition.

I have read several of George Burns own books, and this book fills in some of the blanks in his life. I always knew George Burns on his own.. and had heard of Gracie, but never fully understood the team. What comes out of this book is that George's personal life and life on stage were one. It was hard to tell the difference between them... and that all George wanted to do was to perform in front of a crowd.. and fortunately for him and us he was able to do that for many, many years!

The Joy of Work (1)

The Joy Of Work
Scott Adams

The co-title of this book is Dilbert's Guide to finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-Workers.
I do love Dilbert books and this one was great. The thrust of it is not to be a good employee and work hard.. because we all know the hardest worker.. gets... MORE WORK.
The point is to be happy at work.. do whatever you need to.. using what is at hand (like co-workers) to enjoy your day.. You spend far too much time at work to be miserable!

2006

In 2006 I read 70 books. Which is the same adjusted total I had for 2005. I actually went though 78 books in 2005, but eliminated some of them as fluff.. coffee table type books, while interesting, were not serious reading. This year I only included serious type novels and such. A few were quick reads like some of the comedy books.. others like the leCarre' books took me forever to get through.
So here are the books I read:

1/4/2006 Riding The Rap Elmore Leonard
1/9/2006 Hard Living On Clay Street Joseph T. Howell
1/13/2006 Batman: The Stone King Alan Grant
1/14/2006 Family - The Ties That Bind.. And Gag Erma Bombeck
1/18/2006 Stallions Gate Martin Cruz Smith
1/23/2006 The Rules Of Attraction Bret Easton Ellis
1/27/2006 Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Richard P Feynman
2/1/2006 A Long Way From Home Tom Brokaw
2/3/2006 The Eye Of Darkness Dean Koontz
2/6/2006 Disclosure Michael Crichton
2/9/2006 Violent Ward Len Deighton
2/13/2006 The Timothy Files Lawrence Sanders
2/19/2006 Hannibal Thomas Harris
2/21/2006 79 Park Avenue Harold Robbins
2/24/2006 If Tomorrow Comes Sidney Sheldon
2/26/2005 Schoolcraft's Ojibwa Lodge Stories Henry Schoolcraft
3/3/2006 My First Years in the Fur Trade George Nelson
3/7/2006 Hemingway Christopher Cook Gilmore
3/7/2006 The Place of the Pike (Gnoozhekaaning) Charles E Cleland
3/11/2006 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold John Le carre
3/14/2006 2061: Odyssey Three Arthur C Clarke
3/21/2006 Reflex Stephen Gould
3/28/2006 Frontsoldaten Stephen G. Fritz
3/30/2006 Dirty Jokes and Beer Drew Carey
4/18/2006 A Small Town In Germany John Le carre
4/25/2006 Only When I Laugh Len Deighton
4/28/2006 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
4/30/2006 The Hunted Elmore Leonard
5/5/2006 Dear George George Burns
5/6/2006 The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen Howard Carter, A. C. Mace
5/8/2006 Spy Story Len Deighton
5/10/2006 Tales of The Dark Knight Mark Cotta Vaz
5/24/2006 McNally's Secret Lawrence Sanders
5/26/2006 Call for the Dead John Le carre
5/30/2006 A Murder of Quality John Le carre
6/6/2006 The Looking Glass War John Le carre
6/9/2006 Mr Paradise Elmore Leonard
6/23/2006 Out Of Sight Elmore Leonard
6/27/2006 All My Sins Are Relatives W. S. Penn
7/1/2006 Dave Barry In Cyberspace Dave Barry
7/4/2006 Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy John Le carre
7/6/2006 Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys Dave Barry
7/20/2006 The Honourable Schoolboy John Le carre
7/24/2006 1984 George Orwell
7/24/2006 American on Six Rubles A Day Yakov Smirnoff
8/9/2009 Smiley's People John Le carre
8/15/2006 Dave Barry Is Not Making this up Dave Barry
8/16/2006 Hey Ranger! Jim Burnett
8/22/2006 The House of Thunder Dean Koontz
8/25/2006 The Big Bounce Elmore Leonard
8/30/2006 Angles and Demons Dan Brown
9/1/2006 The Switch Elmore Leonard
9/2/2006 Dave Barry Turns 40 Dave Barry
9/7/2006 The DaVinci Code Dan Brown
9/13/2006 The Passion of Molly T Lawrence Sanders
9/18/2006 An Expensive Place To Die Len Deighton
9/25/2006 Air Frame Michael Crichton
10/11/2006 Rivethead Ben Hamper
10/16/2006 Velocity Dean Koontz
10/25/2006 McNally's Luck Lawrence Sanders
10/30/2006 The World Trade Center: A Tribute Bill Harris
11/3/2006 The Moonshine War Elmore Leonard
11/9/2006 Starship Troopers Robert A Heinlein
11/20/2006 Tutankhamen Zahi Hawass
11/20/2006 Fill'er Up Daniel I Vieyra
11/29/2006 SS-GB Len Deighton
12/6/2006 "December 6" Martin Cruz Smith
12/20/2006 The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need Dave Barry
12/27/2006 Little Drummer Girl John Le carre
12/31/2006 Wisdom Of the 90's George Burns

I started the year with an experiment of not re-reading the same author for the first 3 months.. that was hard because I like to read authors in series.. However it worked out great for me be forcing me to dig a bit deeper into my bookcase for things to read.
I think favorite book would be Dan Browns Angels & Demons, with DaVinci Code a close second.. I can see why these were such bestsellers.. well written and well devolved characters. Best "new" author would be LeCarre' I had never read him before, my wife had bought me The Spy Who Came In From The Cold years before and I finally read it and loved it. His style is thick, but it is most interesting. I put him in the same ranks as another favorite Len Deighton.
Rivethead might have been the best non-fiction book I read. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.. very quick reading..

For 2007 my emphasis is going to be on completing longer book, rather than a great quantity of book. So my total for 2007 will probably be lower, but I will get though some of the "thick" books on my self... I am starting the year with a Dilbert book.. As I see I did not read one last year.. Then I think on to Jean Auel....

Wisdom For the 90's (70)

Wisdom For the 90's
By George Burns

Yet another George Burns book, this one written when he was 95 years old. His books are somewhat corny, but at the same time there is a seriousness to them. The talks a lot is routine, and how he is happy to still be working.. He talks about his club where go goes every day.. there use to be a big table of them, Burns, Benny, Jessel, etc. they would all try to out do each other to see who was the funniest.. Now it is just George.. all the others have passed on.. so he said he guesses he is the funniest... You can see the humor, but also the pain he has felt by living to 95.. It is great to be around.. yet so may of his friends and especially his beloved wife Gracie have proceeded him.
This is the last book for 2006, I finished it on 12/31/06.

The Little Drummer Girl (69)

The Little Drummer Girl (69)
John le Carre'

This book took me forever to finish.. I won't even say how long I have been reading it. I have been off work and trying to read it, but not making much headway. Sometimes the leCarre books take me a while.. they are good but so complex that it is hard to get into a rhythm with them.
**spoilers**
This is the story of Charlie, a stage actress from England that is recruited by the Isrealies to be a counter agent to get close to a Palistenian they want to kill. As with many of leCarre's book you can never quite tell who side anybody is on.. even at the very end you are not sure which side Charlie is on.. and in the end the side doesn't matter because she is dead inside and unsure what to think.

It was a good book but very confusing at times.. read it when you have the time to read it quickly so you can keep track of all the characters and which side they are (suppose) to be on.

The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need (68)

The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need
Dave Barry

Ah, Dave Barry.. what more do I need to say... A quick book to try to get my year end total up to 70.. I am also working on a LeCarre book that is taking much longer than I anticipated to get through.
Dave takes a look at travel, restaurants, airlines, and currency exchange, through his twisted view of reality.

December 6 (67)

December 6
Martin Cruz Smith

Smith is one of my favorite authors.. known for taking a deep (and often historical accurate) look in his books. This concerns Harry Niles a gaijin (foreigner) living in Japan. Except he IS Japanese, son of missionaries, he grew up in Japan, and lived among the Japanese as his parents (whom he detested) traveled trying to convert souls. Now an adult and owns a bar, and runs various scams. The war with China has brought mixed feelings, the diplomatic community does not think that Japan will attack the US.. But Harry has bigger problems like the Col who wants him dead, and his girlfriend who thinks double suicide is romantic.. and the husband of his mistress.
He seems to avoid the bigger problems.. but will he escape Japan and return to the US like his money did?
The book has more to do with his problems, and very little to do with Perl Harbor.. but still a good book.

SS-GB (66)

SS-GB
Len Deighton

Deighton sets a premise that in 1941 Hitler invades Great Britain and wins. The story follows Archer, a Scotland Yard detective with his new Nazi masters. He is investigating a murder which everybody in Berlin is *very* interested in. He slips between the Nazi power brokers and the resistance with equal ease and you are never quite sure which side he is on. Set against the backdrop you learn about life in GB under Nazi occupation. Not quite the police state you might expect.. but more like war time in GB.. rations, curfews, shortages.
I understand that this is one of the great books in the alternative ending genere. Many people criticized Deighton because he was light on details about how England lost the war etc. But that is not the point of the book. It is just the back drop.. by giving few details it leaves it up to the reader to decide what must have happened.
One thing that struck me while I was reading this was the similarity between the main character Douglas Archer and Bernard Sampson lead character of the Game, Set, Match - Hook, Line, Sinker - Hope, Faith, Charity trilogies. SS-GB was written in 1978, five years before Berlin Game came out in 1983 introducing Bernard Sampson. Both characters have lost their wife (Archer loses Jill in a bombing, Sampson's wife defects) and have small children to raise (Archer a son, Sampson son and daughter). Both have "foreign" bosses. Archer has his Nazi masters, and Keller is trying hard to be British, just as Brett, the American tries to be in the Sampson stories. Their techniques seem similar also.. lots of looking things over and trying to figure out what is going on.. moving easily between different opposing groups.. always lots of friends to help out... I think in some ways Archer was the early character development which would become Sampson.