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What Are You Reading? Part 15 [September]

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What Are You Reading? Part 15 [September]

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Old 09-17-03, 11:43 AM
  #51  
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
Really? I didn't think it was all that great. I mean, it's good, but there's just one part that nags the hell out of me. Lehane does a good job of painting a picture of South Boston and the characters are good, but....

Spoiler:
I thought the discovery and motive of the killers was REALLY lame. I mean, the whole storyline revolves around this killing that brought these 3 childhood friends together and then when we learn who the killers are and the reason for the killing, it was a HUGE letdown. Besides that, though, the relationship between the 3 friends is really good.


I guess if you tell yourself that this isn't a mystery/suspense/thriller and more of a character study of 3 old friends whose lives are changed one fateful day during their childhood, then the book is much better.

Still, I couldn't get past the issue that I spoilered, so I guess that kind of ruined the book for me. I'm looking forward to the movie, though, since it has a great cast and a good director.

I agree with you--it just seemed like a cop out to me. I also figured out who killed who about 3/4 of the way through the book, so my enjoyment of the book was diminished because of that. My whole problem with
Spoiler:
the kids being the killers is that it just seemed typical in todays post-Columbine society. I was just expecting to see something involving the friends is all(imagine if Sean had turned out to be the killer).


I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the book, because I did to a point. I really enjoyed the character interaction, and the story about the 3 friends is excellent, if a bit tragic.
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Old 09-17-03, 12:45 PM
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Well, I started and finished Star Trek: Nemesis yesterday. I havn't seen the movie, so everything was new to me.

It seemed an awful lot like Wrath of Kahn, and it seemed like a really poor ending for the ST:TNG crew.


To be honest, I really don't know what to think.....
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Old 09-17-03, 03:25 PM
  #53  
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
I guess if you tell yourself that this isn't a mystery/suspense/thriller and more of a character study of 3 old friends whose lives are changed one fateful day during their childhood, then the book is much better.
That's just it - I didn't really consider it a suspense novel, because the characters always came first for me. The reason I enjoyed the novel is because it felt so 'real'. The identity of the killer was not shocking and a bit of a let-down, but while reading the book, I wasn't reading to find out who did 'it'. I was reading because I was so engaged in finding out what was going to happen to these characters.
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Old 09-17-03, 05:26 PM
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Originally posted by PalmerJoss
I agree with you--it just seemed like a cop out to me. I also figured out who killed who about 3/4 of the way through the book, so my enjoyment of the book was diminished because of that. My whole problem with
Spoiler:
the kids being the killers is that it just seemed typical in todays post-Columbine society. I was just expecting to see something involving the friends is all(imagine if Sean had turned out to be the killer).


I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the book, because I did to a point. I really enjoyed the character interaction, and the story about the 3 friends is excellent, if a bit tragic.

Originally posted by Geofferson
That's just it - I didn't really consider it a suspense novel, because the characters always came first for me. The reason I enjoyed the novel is because it felt so 'real'. The identity of the killer was not shocking and a bit of a let-down, but while reading the book, I wasn't reading to find out who did 'it'. I was reading because I was so engaged in finding out what was going to happen to these characters.
I guess the reason I was let-down is because of what PalmerJoss said.
Spoiler:
The reader is sort of led to believe that the killer is one of the central characters (at least you hope it is--to further add an element to the complex relationship between the triumvirate of characters), yet when you find out that two kids are killers, it's just....well, a huge let-down.


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Old 09-17-03, 05:31 PM
  #55  
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Originally posted by immortal_zeus
I guess the reason I was let-down is because of what PalmerJoss said.
Spoiler:
The reader is sort of led to believe that the killer is one of the central characters (at least you hope it is--to further add an element to the complex relationship between the triumvirate of characters), yet when you find out that two kids are killers, it's just....well, a huge let-down.

I hear ya' - and I see why it can be a let-down. I've heard that his best work was with his early detective novels. I'll give those a try eventually. Maybe they are more along the lines of suspense/thriller-type reads.
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Old 09-17-03, 06:30 PM
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Originally posted by Geofferson
I hear ya' - and I see why it can be a let-down. I've heard that his best work was with his early detective novels. I'll give those a try eventually. Maybe they are more along the lines of suspense/thriller-type reads.
I've read A Drink Before the War (Mystic River was my first read), but didn't care for it at all. I'm positive I'm in a very small minority, though. I also have Shutter Island sitting on my bookshelf, but haven't gotten to it. I bought it because it's supposed to have a good surprise ending. I anticipate that it'll be my favorite of the 3.

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Old 09-18-03, 01:30 AM
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I'm slogging my way through Tom Clancy's Red Rabbit--it's taking forever since, so far, it's just not that interesting (in the past, I've read his books in a day or two, this one I've been reading all month).
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Old 09-18-03, 03:34 PM
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Just finished:

SeaBiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand - Expands on the movie. See the movie FIRST, then read the book. Really fantastic.
BirdWatching by Larry Bird - Great followup to his first book Drive.


On Deck:

Hughes: The Definitive Bio of America's First Billionare by Richard Hack
J Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets by Curt Gentry


I'm on a reality/biography/history kick right now.
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Old 09-18-03, 08:22 PM
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Just started Darkness Bound by Larry Brooks.
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Old 09-19-03, 07:23 AM
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Starting to read Thomas Perry right now. Recently read Pursuit, and now starting on his Jane Whitefield series. I have read the first, Vanishing Act, and am currently reading Dance for the Dead. After that Shadow Woman and Face Changers.
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Old 09-19-03, 09:06 AM
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Originally posted by Cedar
Starting to read Thomas Perry right now. Recently read Pursuit, and now starting on his Jane Whitefield series. I have read the first, Vanishing Act, and am currently reading Dance for the Dead. After that Shadow Woman and Face Changers.
Dont' forget about Blood Money.
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Old 09-20-03, 08:09 PM
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LOL, I just picked up Blood Money today at a church book sale. Perfect condition hardcover for 75 cents, though I normally don't get HCs because they take up more space in the bookcase. I hadn't forgot it Geofferson, just ommitted it from the list.

Haven't had much luck finding his stand alones so far on the book sale and garage sale circuit. There is a big library book sale coming the end of October, so I hope to remedy that situation then.
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Old 09-21-03, 03:12 AM
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Just finished

A Clash of Kings

and just started

A Storm of Swords

Great series
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Old 09-22-03, 03:45 PM
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Well, I'm re-reading The Hobbit for the first time in a few years. Then I'll go into the LotR trilogy before RotK comes out in December.
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Old 09-22-03, 05:09 PM
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Originally posted by Cedar
Haven't had much luck finding his stand alones so far on the book sale and garage sale circuit. There is a big library book sale coming the end of October, so I hope to remedy that situation then.
Just a heads-up, I've been on the prowl for Perry's stand-alones whenever I go to book sales as well and they are far and few between. His earlier novels are almost all OOP. Plus, he isn't a very widely known commercial author.
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Old 09-22-03, 07:45 PM
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Thanks for the info Geofferson. His only stand alones I've found so far were Death Benefits and Pursuit, which was a fairly easy one to find. I've picked up about 60 books in the last month so I can be patient. One way or another I will find them!!
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Old 09-22-03, 07:53 PM
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I'm going to read some Agatha Christie for awhile.

First up The Body in the library
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Old 09-26-03, 09:42 PM
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STILL reading Imajica

Just started DUNE:BUTLERIAN JIHAD (I waited for the paperback...being the cheap bastard that I am)


I see the next DUNE book is out and I'll wait for that one to go to paperback too.
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Old 09-26-03, 10:28 PM
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I finished Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman. I was pretty disappointed with it. It was very readable, but not nearly as funny as I thought it would be...barely slightly humorous in places.

I'm now reading Job: A Comedy of Justice by Heinlein.
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Old 09-29-03, 01:06 PM
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Just finished Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. It wasn't bad--it dealt a lot with religious history which, to me, was extremely interesting and was the main reason that I enjoyed the book. The plot is something you could expect to find in a hollywood movie and it had a pretty predictable ending IMO, but it was very enjoyable. I will check out Dan Brown's other big bestseller, the DaVinci Code, when it comes out in paperback.

I'm just starting on The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon and Live In New York by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller.
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Old 09-29-03, 03:25 PM
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I'm still burrowing through Grisham's The Runaway Jury.

For whatever reason, I cannot get all that engulfed in this story. After I eventually finish it, i'll be reading Michael Crichton's Timeline and book IV in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, Wizard and Glass.
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Old 09-29-03, 06:11 PM
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Finished Larry Brooks' Darkness Bound. His first novel and very disappointing -- at least his subsequent Serpent's Dance was a huge improvement.

I'm almost finished with Jason Starr's Hard Feelings. Fast, interesting read.
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Old 09-29-03, 09:57 PM
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I finished Job by Heinlein. The only other book I've read by him so far was Stranger in a Strange Land. This touched on a lot of the same themes, in a similar (but much more satirical) style.

I'm now starting Boy's Life by Robert McCammon.
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Old 09-30-03, 07:54 PM
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Just Finished:
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov.

Next Up:
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov.
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