Books I’ve Read

Finished Now and Then by Robert B. Parker.

This is the latest book in his long-running Spenser series, about a Boston private investigator. In this one, an FBI agent hires Spenser to find out if his wife is cheating on him. She is, but that’s not the worst part — she’s also letting classified information slip to her lover, who’s the subject of a federal investigation. When people start dying, Spenser steps in to make sure justice is served.

I’ve read every Spenser novel out there. The stories are simple and don’t really vary much from book to book. Spenser gets wind of something shady. He stirs things up, and engages in witty banter with his lover, Susan, and best friend, Hawk. And he always gets the bad guy in the end. But I always read the next book, mainly because I like Parker’s style so much. His books are about ninety percent dialogue and extremely easy to read. You wouldn’t think someone could tell a great story using so much dialogue, but Parker always pulls it off. One day, I want to write a book like that.

So, thumbs up.

Up next: Not sure. I really need to buckle down this weekend and make a good dent in my Assassin revisions. 🙄

Finished Ice Blue by Anne Stuart. This is the third book in her Ice romantic suspense series.

This one is about Summer Hawthorne, a museum curator determined to keep a valuable Japanese ceramic bowl out of the hands of a cult leader named Shirosama. What Summer doesn’t realize is that Shirosama wants the bowl as part of a ceremony where he will unleash nerve toxins and other nasty things on the world. Also on the trail of the bowl and Summer is Takashi O’Brien, an agent for the Committee, a group which prevents doomsday events from happening. Takashi saves Summer from Shirosama’s goons, even though he has orders to kill her. And it goes on from there.

I like a lot of things Stuart does in this one, including the absolute, over-the-top evilness of the villain and Summer’s trickery (she has a bowl forged rather than let Shirosama get his hands on the real one). Stuart is also really good at bringing back characters from previous books in the series and weaving them into the action. Peter and Madame Lambert are always a treat to see again.

But I really, really didn’t like the hero in this one. Takashi comes off as cold and hard and completely unyielding. I know he’s supposed to be a tortured agent of the Committee who’s forced to make hard choices that eat away at his soul. But Taka starts to kill Summer half a dozen times, and he’s not terribly remorseful about it. His treatment of Summer is also rough and rather callous. There’s a scene in an airplane bathroom that really made me want to shoot him. 👿

I liked Summer’s character a lot better. Her backstory was interesting, and she has her own inner demons to deal with. But I didn’t really connect with Summer, mainly because she stays in a self-imposed, calm fog through most of the book. It’s hard to really get into a character who’s always five seconds away from hysteria. Although, given what she goes through, Summer has plenty of reasons to be hysterical.

Another thing that bothers me about Stuart’s books in general (but especially this one) is the abruptness of her endings. It’s action, action, action. Then, the bad guy is defeated, and the hero and heroine go their respective ways. So far, so good. But then, at the very end, the hero comes back in for usually just a page or two. The heroine sees him, falls weeping into his arms, and that’s where the book ends. There aren’t any grand declarations of love between the two — Summer and Taka in this case – or any sense of them having overcome their inner problems or being better people. It just … ends.

So, thumbs down on this one.

Up next: Probably nothing for a while. Must do my own Assassin revisions!

Finished Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. This post contains some spoilers so if you haven’t read the book yet, you may want to skip this one.

This is a young adult novel about Bella Swan, who goes to live with her father in Forks, Wash., and falls in love with Edward Cullen, a beautiful boy who just happens to be a vampire. I’d heard a lot of people raving about this book, which is why I decided to read it (Hi, Chasity!).

I can see why people love the book so much. Bella is a great character with a wonderful voice. She considers other people’s feelings before her own and tries to do what’s best for everyone. Like telling her classmate Mike that her friend Jessica likes him when Mike asks Bella to a dance. Or going dress shopping with her girlfriends even though Bella isn’t going to the dance. She even makes her father, Charlie, dinner almost every night.

It was really refreshing to read about a teenager who is smart, thoughtful, and not obsessed with designer labels and being prom queen. Bella reminded me a lot of one of my favorite heroines of all time — Beauty in Beauty by Robin McKinley (If you haven’t read that book, go get it. Now.)

But I also had some serious problems with Twilight.

The first half of the book was entertaining, as Bella adjusts to her new life in Forks and the horror of humiliating herself in gym class every day (sports rackets become deadly weapons in her hands). Bella also slowly realizes that Edward isn’t human and tries to figure out what he is — and soon becomes obsessed with him.

And this is where the book goes downhill for me.

At its heart, Twilight is a modern, angsty, fairy tale version of Romeo and Juliet, except with vampires instead of feuding families. Romeo and Juliet is a story/concept I’ve never particularly cared for, which is probably one of the reasons I didn’t love Twilight. I’ve never understood the appeal of obsessive love. Also, I’m a little burnt out on vampire books right now.

And then, there’s Edward. He’s smart, he’s gorgeous, he does everything well — he’s perfect. Even his breath smells good — all the time. And I didn’t like him for that. To me, the most interesting heroes are the ones who have some weakness. Edward doesn’t. Sure, he has to resist eating Bella, but that’s about it. As one of the other vampires says, they don’t have any weaknesses. Even their beautiful appearance is designed to lure in their prey (humans).

Then, there’s the way Edward treats Bella. He alternates between aloof and cold and warm and adoring. He watches her while she sleeps and goes berserk if someone (even Bella’s father) tries to interfere in their relationship. Creepy, not romantic, but Bella gives herself over to him with no reservations.

Edward also feels because he’s a vampire that he knows what’s best for Bella — always. Another thing I didn’t like about him, especially since Bella demonstrates time and time again how brave and smart and thoughtful she is.

Bella says it herself best near the end of the book, when she tells Edward that people have to be equals to have a real relationship. Bella and Edward aren’t equals, and they never will be – which is why Bella wants him to turn her into a vampire. So they can be together forever.

Me? I want Bella to remember how smart she is and find a healthier relationship. But I know it won’t happen.

So, I’m going split decision on this one. Thumbs up to Bella and the first half of the book; thumbs down to the rest. (Don’t hate me, Chasity!)

Up next: Probably Don’t Look Down by Suzanne Enoch.

And now to talk about the last book I read in 2007 — The Seventh by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake).

This is another Parker novel. When the book opens, Parker is holding the loot for a robbert he just pulled with six other guys. He goes out for beer and cigarettes, and when he comes back, he finds the loot gone and the woman he was staying with dead with a sword through her chest. Naturally, Parker spends the rest of the book trying to find out who took the money and why.

I liked this one a lot, mainly because we get to see several other crooks besides Parker. I enjoyed all the different interactions and how Parker is always the ultimate tough guy, even among others like him.

The resolution was a little weak. I think it would have been more interesting if one of the other robbers had taken the money, instead of an old boyfriend of the girl’s, who just stumbled across it by accident. But this one had a lot of great cat-and-mouse action between Parker and the boyfriend, and the cops hot on the trail of the robbers. Parker actually goes and braces the lead detective in his own house — that’s what kind of ballsy guy Parker is and why I like reading about him so much.

So, thumbs up.

Up next: Probably Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

What about you? What’s the last book you read in 2007?

As those of you who read the blog know, I keep a running tab of all the books I’ve read. I’m up to 850 so far. I finished a book this weekend I’d already read (although I don’t remember reading it before). So, to keep the numbers right between my database and blog, I’m going to review this one without giving it a number. Make sense? 

Anyway, I finished The Jugger by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake). This is one in his long-running series about Parker, a professional thief who’d just as soon kill you as look at you if you get in his way.

In this one, Parker travels to the Midwest to check on an old safeman (a jugger) named Joe Sheer who’s gotten into some trouble. When Parker gets to town, Joe’s dead, and there are several people looking for the old man’s money stash, including a greedy cop. Parker has to find a way to smooth over the situation — especially when other people start turning up dead.

I didn’t particularly like the framing device in this one. Parker starts out in the middle of the action and only later do we get to see what brought him to town in the first place. There’s also a lot of flashbacks used to describe the relationship between the greedy cop and Joe Sheer.

Overall, not Stark’s (Westlake’s) best effort, but Parker is always entertaining — especially watching him figure all the angles and take the one that works out best for him.

So, thumbs up. 

Up next: The Seventh by Richard Stark.