Sunday, June 26, 2005

Books 31 & 32 -- I Was Productive This Week

Book 31 was a book by one of my favorite New Jersey native sons - Stephen Frey. He isn't a top named author and you won't find his books on the New York TImes bestseller lists.

His books follow a similar plotline yet I am intrigued each time I read one. Find a sap that is a super smart and great fella and put him in the race or threat of his life as the major equity traders in the world try to bring him or her down. Fight fight fight and bring the man down. End of story... everyone is happy a doodle.

The Chairman is no different except that the protagonist is the head of one of these firms and another firm is trying to bring him down. He fights fight sfights and brings the man(men) down. Everyone is almost happy a doodle. Good fluff and insight into the financial world.

Book 32 was a not too far departure for my normal course of reading. It was The Last Innocent Man by Phillip Margolin. I have read so many other books that I strayed away from the new author I was planning on reading. I snuck this novel in while on a trip with the new family as I had ample time by a pool.

THis book was perfect pool reading. IT was engaging enougha nd had a good enough twist at the end to charm my sensibilities. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book to read on the beach. In addition to the plot and twists, it also focusses on the subject of client/attorney confidentiality that I find so interesting....

This was his second book. It was written in 1983 and his next book was in 1992. Gone, But Not Forgotten seems to be the book that made him a full time author and I will read that after I finish the following books.

A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules -- Short Stories edited by David Sedaris
MAYBE the new Harry Potter book depending on how long it takes to read those other three.

Have a good one.

Monday, June 20, 2005

Book 30 ... Already? Yeup

Book 30 was another of my favorite mystery authors putting out another one of his popular Alex Delaware series novels.

Jonathan Kellerman has written his most recent Alex Delaware novel and it is entitled Rage. Rage premiered this week on the New York Times bestseller list in the number 7 position and will remain for another week.

Kellerman is a talented writer and his latest effort is certainly one of his better Alex Delaware outings.

His novels tend to be dark and intellectual. I would concur that this one certainly delved into that world but I would recommend it for anyone who knows his writing.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Book 29 Took No Time at All

I finished up James Patterson's 2nd book of the year in three days.

If anyone reads the Women's Mystery Club series that he puts out.

4th of July is easily the worst of them all.

I understand he has another coming out in something like a month.

Insane.

Monday, June 13, 2005

#28 -- A Pretty Long One

IN anticipation of the upcoming Harry Potter novel, I picked up the fifth one in the series entitled "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I remember reading this book 2 years ago and thinking to myself that I wasn't as impressed with the other four books -- especially the third one.

Upon reading the 870 page book again, I am surprised at how much I had forgotten and how much I had missed. I think the book was actually better than I had originally thought and has done a great deal in preparing the reader for the final two installments of the series.

The sixth part comes out in JUST over a month and i a looking forward to it.

Will I read it right away? Nah... but muh wife and I will certainly pick it up the day it comes out!

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

#27 -- Election by Tom Perrotta

The Newark Star Ledger started a new column this week that will run all summer in their Perspective section.

It will feature famous writres that are from new Jersey and they will write a column about New Jersey related topics-ish.

The first column this week was by Tom Perrotta who is from Garfield, New Jersey. His column was interesting and neat even though my complaint is that it just ended without much purpose to it at all.

Regardless... I picked up Election by him as a fun little tribute to him. It is an extremely concise and powerful novel that was turned into a major motion picture with Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon.

The movie was fantastic and the book is tremendous. Perrotta is a talented writer who is able to tap into the human psyche rather well writing about how fallable humans are and shows us their innermost thoughts.