bookreviews

What Gets A Book To The Top Of The Bestseller List?

2007-12-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

The business of books is big business with 172,000 new titles released in 2005 and sales in the United States of about $40 billion. But what makes a book successful? Are there any common characteristics that can spur on sales? As part of the research for "The Making of a Bestseller" Dee Power and Brian Hill, the authors, surveyed over 100 editors and agents to answer those questions.

*Previous Success is the Key Indicator of Future Success *
Editors and agents are in agreement that an author's previous bestselling book is the key factor in determining future success

*Quality of Writing is Paramount*
For writers yet to produce a bestseller, comfort can be taken in that both agents and editors rank quality of writing highly. Great writing wins out. However, there are no hard and fast criteria about what constitutes "great writing." It comes down to subjective judgments made by individuals. Book reviewers may argue that a successful book by the very virtue of its sale's success can not be considered great writing.

*Reviews, Whether Good or Bad, Don't Count*
And speaking of reviews, the survey participants discounted the importance of reviews to nearly last place in sparking sales of a book. This contradicts the advice given to "new" authors that it is critical they get their books reviewed. These results could also indicate that as an author becomes more successful, has built a fan base and has had previous bestsellers, reviews decline in importance.

*Timeliness of Topic is of the Essence*
Old news is bad news when it comes to the subject of a book's topic. Common sense dictates that there isn't much interest in topics that have already been hashed over by the daily news media. Since book production takes from six to 12 months, it's an amazing feat to get a book on a hot topic out to the market at just the right time.

*Word of Mouth and Fan Base*
Readers telling other readers about a fabulous book they've just read has a tremendous impact on success. Book buzz is priceless in the publishing industry. Authors on the upward sales track take their fans seriously.

THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA, by Michael Pollan

2007-12-07T04:48:00.000-08:00

This book has some very interesting information in it. The main message is that we are using one foodstuff in America in so many ways that it leads to bloat -- too much available cheap processed food, too many calories, exaggerated serving sizes to connote value, and a lack of a food culture strong enough to resist the confusion sown by food marketers. Great points! However, the author suffers from what he decries. What should have been a lean, mean 175 pages turns into a bloated and meandering tome, boring in too many spots, while losing the thread more often than not. Just because words come cheaply, and because people are impressed by (and will presumably pay a higher price for) a large serving of text doesn't mean that it is good for any of us. Yet, there wasn't an editorial culture strong enough at his publisher to fight this off. Shame. If an abridged version ever came out, it would be worth reading. But, the serving size needs to be halved. This is the Big Gulp version of what could have fit in a demitasse.

TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE, by Ann Rule

2007-12-07T04:45:00.000-08:00

All Anne Rule books are well researched, written, and interesting. Name one that took you longer than 3 days. This one is no different. While it is great, and the story deserved to be told for the purpose of the memories of the victims, it is not the same intensity as Death By Sunset, 'Stranger..", or Everything She Ever Wanted. This is not due to the writing or research, merely due to the fact that Bart Corbin was just not a very interesting person. He was an egotisical, self-centered man, who thought he could get away with anything. This profile is not rare in true crime novels. Nevertheless, the story is interesting and worth reading.

THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls.

2007-12-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

It's probably the most thoughtful and sensitive memoir I can ever remember reading - - told with such grace, kindness and fabulous sense of humor. It's probably the best account ever written of a dysfunctional family -- and it must have taken Walls so much courage to put pen to paper and recount the details of her rather bizarre childhood - - which although it's like none other and is so dramatic - - any reader will relate to it. Readers will find bits and pieces of their own parents in Rex and Rose Mary Walls. Her journey across the country, ending up in a poor mining town in West Virginia and then finally in New York City, is a fascinating tale of survival. Her zest for life, even when eating margarine and sugar and bundled in a cardboard box with sweaters, coats and huddling with her pets, is unbelievably beautiful - - and motivating. If I could give a book ten stars, it would be "The Glass Castle."

Antonement by Ian McEwan

2007-12-07T04:29:00.000-08:00

A story that begins with three young people in the garden of a country house on the hottest day of 1935, and ends with three profoundly changed lives. A depiction of love and war, class, childhood and England, that explores shame and forgiveness, atonement and the possibility of absolution

BLOOD BROTHERS, by Nora Roberts

2007-12-07T03:09:00.000-08:00

In the town of Hawkins Hollow Maryland, three men have been best friends forever. They come from different families but were all born on 7/7/77. In 1987 on their 10th birthday Cal, Gage and Fox set out through the woods to camp at the mysterious location of Pagan Stone. They unleash an evil entity that dates back to 1652 and when they finally leave the woods the next morning, everything has changed. Fast forward twenty years where Quinn, an author who specializes in things that go bump in the night, comes to the town to research what happened 20 years ago and what happens to the town and its inhabitants on 7/7. I am a little disappointed in this story. It's not bad; it's just not that great, either, I wasn't wowed. Blood Brothers is a little reminiscent of the Three Sister Island Trilogy. I like the story premise; I love paranormal fiction, but feel this book is missing something. It failed to hook me like all other Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb books normally do and I think it is because of the characters; I never got that attached to any of them. We have three men bonded by birthdays and deep friendship and then three women, Quinn, Layla and Cybil come along for various reasons. You know eventually they are all going to "couple up" and normally by book one in her trilogies while couple number one is steaming up the pages you can feel the chemistry brewing between couples two and three. It wasn't brewing at all for couple two and it's barely simmering for couple three. I just don't think she gave us a real strong sense of who everyone was and where they are all coming from. Part of the reason why I love Nora books is because of her ability to paint the characters so vividly; normally we know the characters physically, emotionally, personally. I didn't get that with this one. I barely have a physical description in my head for the 6 of them. I don't want to be all negative as it is not a horrible book by any means. I like the plot and think with a little more development I will love the characters. I think Gage and Cybil are going to be fun. I am hopeful that the next two books The Hollow and Pagan Stone will be a little more gripping and engaging. All in all not her best work or start to a series, but it's still a good read.

AN AFFAIR BEFORE CHRISTMAS, by Eloisa James

2007-12-07T03:06:00.000-08:00

In a captivating and beautiful story, we find the beautiful, young, and innocent Lady Perdita (Poppy) who has fallen head over heels in love with the handsome Duke of Fletcher, considered the catch of the season. Fletch feels the same for his beautiful Poppy and patiently awaits their wedding day. Little does he realize that the young and innocent Poppy has not been properly prepared for her wedding night, but instead has been controlled by an overbearing mother who has filled her head with unrealistic expectations of marriage and the marriage bed. Fletch experiences a disappointing wedding night, not understanding that Poppy needs tutoring in the ways of passion and marriage. Instead of being patient and instructing Poppy, Fletch distances himself from his beauty and soon an intense love turns to disappointment and severe loneliness for them both. As four years go by, Fletch even considers obtaining a mistress, but all he can think about is his love and desire for Poppy. Besides, he sees all the infidelity and unhappiness around him in society that brings little happiness to those involved. Poppy understands that something is seriously wrong with her marriage, doesn't understand how it can be fixed, and is left heartbroken. How can she bring back the intense love that Fletch had for her at one time? Before the marriage, she always seemed to please him, and since the marriage, everything she does is for Fletch. But that is the sweet Poppy's main problem; pleasing everyone but herself and in so doing, feels she has accomplished nothing but disappointing the man she loves so intensely. Poppy understands the whole society side of being a duchess, but not a thing about being a true wife, especially because, just as her loving Fletch, she sees nothing but unhappiness in society marriages. Poppy makes the ultimate decision in her yearning for happiness in her life. She walks out on Fletch and her overbearing mother, leaving them both behind, and decides she will enjoy her own life and stop trying to please everyone else. It is not until Fletch loses his precious Poppy that he realizes he must woo her back somehow. Unwilling to lose her, Fletch decides to begin an intense seduction of Poppy that has her head and heart spinning, but not impressed. Can Fletch win back the love of his precious Poppy before Christmas? In the masterful writing style of Eloisa James, An Affair Before Christmas is a wonderful sensual sequel to the Desperate Duchesses Series. Adding an interesting depth to this story, the reader gets to revisit some of the secondary characters from the first book, like the infamous rake The Duke of Villiers and the dysfunctional Elijah and Jemma, The Duke and Duchess of Beaumont. Ms. James cleverly allows the reader to revisit these dysfunctional characters in order to emphasize and help the reader fully understand how Poppy and Fletch can become so disillusioned about love. An Affair Before Christmas romance is a delightful read and perfect for a holiday that celebrates true love and happiness.

UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2007-12-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

Upon a Midnight Clear was a great story. The hero and heroine were both strong and devoted. Both also had battered hearts that were drowning in sorrow from past losses. They provided one another with a new reason to hope for the future. Very romantic. My problem with the book was the fact that it was so short. It was 248 pages, but the type was so large it was like reading one of my kids' chapter books for fourth graders. There was only room in the book for one love scene. The couple fell in love in one day... there was no time for them to get to know one another. They met, argued, shared a dream, made love, fought the enemy, won the battle, end of story. All in one day. Very disappointing. This story should have been full length. Aiden was an excellent hero character. Pure hearted, but jaded. A man who gave everything he had to the people he loved, and would have gladly continued to do so. Betrayed by those very same people, he had decided to live in anger rather than suffer from the overwhelming pain of his family's treachery. Leta was terrific as a heroine as well. She was brave, powerful, loyal, and very open about her love for Aiden. After living through the devastation of the loss of her husband and daughter, Leta is grateful for the chance to share such affection again. The god of pain, Dolor, lived and tormented people for centuries. He was an exciting and worthy opponent. Aiden was human, yet he destroyed Dolor without even knowing how he had done it. If Dolor was this easy to kill, he would not have survived for centuries. Killing him off this way made Dolor seem like a joke. In the end, this was an excellent tale that never had a chance to be all it could have... no... all it SHOULD have been. Although these are some of the best characters Kenyon has written for a while, they didn't get to have their stories really fleshed out. There was a bit of the annoying "Oh goody" language that Kenyon has been inserting in her books lately, but not as bad as in Devil May Cry. One word seems to stick in my mind: Disappointing. Not because the story wasn't good, nor because the characters were bad. But because both were so good I hated seeing the whole tale robbed of it's chance to sweep us away on a full fledged paranormal fantasy.

COMFORT AND JOY, by Fern Michaels et al.

2007-12-07T02:54:00.000-08:00

"Comfort and Joy" by Fern Michaels. Angie and Josh disagree on everything until they face the truth, encouraged by the loving relationship between his father and her mother who have found each other; that they need to look deeper inside each other's heart.
"A High-Kicking Christmas" by Marie Bostwick. Because she broke her foot, Rockettes dancer Kendra agrees to direct a Yuletides play in Maple Grove, Vermont; she never expected to co-star in a personal production with Pastor Andy and his daughter Thea.
"Suzanna's Stockings" by Cathy Lamb. As she lies in a coma, Suzanna's spirit overhears learning things about her family and friends that make her understand what caring truly is.
"Family Blessings" by Deborah J. Wolf. With her mother's mental state rapidly deteriorating from Alzheimer's, Kacey and her family struggle with celebrating Christmas.
Although not entirely upbeat (especially Ms. Wolf's insightful tale) these are four very different yet well written refreshing and inspiring novellas that will have readers thinking what the holiday season means.

TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL: FALLOUT, by David Michaels

2007-12-07T02:51:00.000-08:00

Let me clarify that the Splinter Cell books are not written by Tom Clancy, they are just an idea of his. Be careful, spoilers are listed. This book was well written in my opinion and the author of the book portrayed Sam Fisher's personality well. The book starts out with Sam being tested for a new type of spy work, one that would put him out in the open, in daylight. Of course Sam passes the training phase with flying colors. Shortly after his graduation he finds out that his brother has contracted a deadly chemical, from which there is no cure. Sam's brother dies within days of being exposed to the deadly chemical. With Sam's brother dying at the hands of a very rare and very deadly chemical, the development of this chemical has just become very personal to him. He, Sam, sets out to find who developed the new chemical and for what. During his search for the chemical he comes across a much larger scheme. He, Sam, discovers that the chemical allows a fungas to enhance its ability to absorb the minerals around it, rendering them useless. Sam finds out that this fungas is soon to be released on a large portion of the worlds oil supply. The production of the new chemical, and its potential enhancement of a particular fungas can send the planet back to the dark ages within just a few weeks time.

CHRISTMAS WISHES, by Debbie Macomber

2007-12-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

Katherine O'Connor (known as K.O.) adores her five-year-old twin nieces and strongly objects to her sister's plans to dispense with Christmas. Zelda is following the theories of child psychologist Wynn Jeffries, author of The Free Child (and, as it happens, K.O.'s neighbor). K.O. is particularly horrified by his edict to "bury Santa under the sleigh," and she's out to prove that Wynn and his ideas are full of…snow. He's not going to ruin her nieces' Christmas! Too bad the guy's so darned attractive….
RAINY DAY KISSES is a delightful romantic comedy at Christmasor any other time of year!
Seventeen years ago Susannah Simmons was a career girl who knew nothing about babies. But after babysitting her infant niece, Michelle, Susannah learned that one determined and screamingbaby can make the corporate world look like…child's play. Thank goodness for her charming neighbor Nate Townsend. Now he's her charming husband, and Susannah's a mother as well as an aunt. And every Christmas Eve, Michelle tells her cousins how their mom met their dad a story in which she plays a starring role!

THE WIDOW, by Carla Neggers

2007-12-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Abigail Browning's husband Chris was killed four days after their wedding. Seven years later she starts receiving anominous phone calls about his death. Being a homicide detective now, she has gotten nowhere in the past with her husband's murder. Abigail decides to return to Maine, the place where Chris was murdered. No one in the town wants her there, and they don't want her stirring up old memories. The only friends she has there is an old Detective named Lou Beeler, and the hunky neighbor that found her husbands body, Owen Garrison. Abigail continues to get phone calls from a stranger, gets attacked, and has items left on her doorstep that lead her to believe she is getting close to the killer. The book was slow getting started, but the ending was good, and some of the characters really made the book. At least this book had an ending without a lot of loose ends. Good Read!

DAKOTA HOME, by Debbie Macomber.

2007-12-07T02:44:00.001-08:00

Have you ever read a book that was so good a second away from it was too long? Dakota Home is one of those books. The second book in the Dakota trilogy is nothing less than five stars.
Maddy, Lindsay Snyder Sinclair's best friend, has moved to Buffalo Valley to make a new home. She meets Jeb McKenna, the town loner. Maddy wants to befriend Jeb but he tries everything to avoid her until Maddy is caught in a blizzard and calls him for help. While being trapped in the storm together for a few days at Jeb's ranch (without electricity) Jeb and Maddy become lovers. Afterwards Jeb realizes he made a mistake in becoming lovers with Maddy because even though he has feelings for her he doesn't think he is the right man for her. They each try to change their feelings for each other while fighting those feelings.
Dakota Home is a great sequel to Dakota Born. Even though it is the second book in the trilogy it stands on it's own so if you haven't read Dakota Born you won't be lost. Ms. Macomber refreshes your memory as to the characters and their background. All of the characters in the first book are in Dakota Home and their stories continue. All of the characters are such ordinary, everyday people that the book is very believable and entertaining at the same time. I was especially drawn to Brandon and Joanie. Their story was very touching and well written. It was very easy to sympathize with them. I would have liked to seen more of them in the book.
Dakota Home is a quick read that will hook you from the start and leave you wanting more!

DEAD OF NIGHT, by J. D. Robb et al

2007-12-07T02:40:00.000-08:00

This is a paranormal anthology containing four short stories by four different authors. Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) - A vain and spoiled heiress dates a mysterious man who promises her eternity and then ends up draining her of her blood and life. Eve Dallas, top New York homicide Lieutenant, is on the case and is soon drawn into the seedy underground clubs where people play at being vampires, ordering drinks laced with blood. Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure by Mary Blaney - An American woman in England is given a coin purported to have magical powers. When she meets an aristocratic Englishmen as interested in her as he is in the coin, they soon find themselves in the early 1800's with a mystery to solve. Timeless by Ruth Ryan Langan - A woman on tour of the castle and Scottish land that has haunted her all her life is whisked away to the 15th century when she lifts up a tapestry oddly familiar to her. The Scottish Laird recognizes her immediately... On the Fringe by Mary Kay McComas - A woman in a marital rut is given a look at what life would have been if she had made some different choices when she discovers her grandmother's magic carpet.

SANTA CRUISE, by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark

2007-12-07T02:38:00.001-08:00

The Royal Mermaid is setting forth on her maiden voyage, filled with 400 passengers who received free passage due to good works they performed during the preceding months of the year. Sounds like a cruise made in heaven, right? Perhaps, but then again perhaps not. Not when there's a mystery afoot.Private detective Regan Reilly and her husband Jack, head of the Major Case Squad of New York City, along with Regan's parents --- Nora, a respected mystery writer, and Luke Reilly --- have all joined recent lottery winner and amateur sleuth Alvirah Meehan and her husband Willy as guests on the cruise as a result of Alvirah's charitable contributions.Even before the officially christened "Santa Cruise" can commence, however, things have gone awry. There's been a mix-up on the guest list, and it seems that the ship is a room short of being able to accommodate all of the guests. Cabin assignments are juggled, though, and soon enough everyone is settled satisfactorily in their rooms. Everyone, that is, except for two stowaways.Tony "Bull's-Eye" Pinto, a crime boss, and Barron Highbridge, a white-collar criminal who bilked the unsuspecting out of a fortune, are both using the Santa Cruise as their means to flee the country and therefore avoid punishment for their crimes. When their room is suddenly given to Alvirah and Willy, things take a turn for the worse.Part of what makes the Santa Cruise merry is the 10 Santas who are to dress in costume and mingle with the guests, but even the Clauses aren't feeling the holiday spirit. Especially when two of the costumes go missing and no one knows where they went or what it means.Along with the usual activities available on a cruise, there is to be a special memorial service for the deceased mother of Commodore Randolph Weed, the owner of the ship. He intends to dispose of his mother's ashes at sea, but even that doesn't go quite as planned. Bad publicity and scandal cast serious doubt as to whether or not the Commodore made a wise investment in purchasing and refurbishing the ancient ship known as the Royal Mermaid.In their fourth holiday mystery, Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, have written a fun book with an interesting cast of characters. The other "do-gooders of the year" are a unique and special bunch who lightens the novel's serious mood. As may be expected, the mystery is solved by the end of the book in a climactic way, and all of the charming characters play a part in it. This is a fast read, and you won't want to put it down until you know whodunit!

THE BANCROFT STRATEGY, by Robert Ludlum

2007-12-07T02:35:00.000-08:00

This is as exciting and convoluted as any of the master's thrillers; prior reviewers have detailed the story sufficiently. I'll only add that the plot's twists, turns and surprises continue right on up to the final paragraph in the epilogue. Although I enjoyed the story immensely, I had the sense that the action scenes lacked the "Ludlum Strategy" of realism and credibility [after all, how can many times can one super-agent overwhelm four or more opponents singlehandedly; or one untrained woman knock out two professional killers?]. On checking the book's front pages, I learn that the 'Ludlum Estate' (the author died 12-Mar-01 in Naples, FL) commissioned a "qualified author and editor"; the unanswered question remains whether this book -- prominently displaying Ludlum's name -- is an updated previously unpublished manuscript, a thriller developed from a premortem story outline, or whether the commissioned author wrote this book singlehandedly. If this is indeed an original de-novo piece of writing, then the true author deserves not only a great deal of credit, but ought to publish under his/her own name rather than remain anonymous; s(he) would make a genuine contribution as an independent, skilled and accomplished writer of thrillers. I have the uncomfortable gut sense that this ship may be flying under a false flag ... unless and until the authorship provenance is more fully clarified.

THE MIST, by Stephen King

2007-12-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

This adaptation of the Stephen King story (found in Skeleton Crew)is perfect for long car rides. Even more so if you have to drive at night. This story of an inexplicable mist that engulfs a small, New England town has long been a fan favorite and this superb production helps prove why. The screams and cries of pain are startling, the sound effects make this work incredibly, allowing for a real level of fear to develop. The voice acting (for the most part) is amazing. This really isn't an audio book as much as it is audio theater, kinda like the old radio shows. The Mist is an experience that Stephen King fans ought to know, especially if you have ever read the story. Also, Frank Darabont (director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile)has the movie rights to the story. And if this cd doesn't whet your appetite for the film adaptation I don't know what will. A prime example that radio is still a powerful storytelling medium.

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett.

2007-12-07T02:30:00.000-08:00

In recent months, PILLARS OF THE EARTH has spread like word-of-mouth wildfire through my circle of family and friends. It has become one of the most talked-about and widely read books among my acquaintances...and for good reason: It's one of the best novels I've ever read.
It all started early this year when we attended a tour of Mont St. Michel in France. Near the end, the tour guide indicated that if we "really wanted to understand" the medieval mind, we should read PILLARS. I had never read any of Follett's books before, but I vaguely recalled him as some sort of espionage writer. Nevertheless, I gave PILLARS a try upon my return to the states, and was thoroughly engrossed.
Anyone who has stared with awe upon the great cathedrals of Europe such as Chartres in France has wondered how they were built, who was responsible, what drove the hearts and minds of these long-ago architectural geniuses who etched the record of their religious conviction literally into stone. PILARS OF THE EARTH brings the era to life, in the decades-spanning tale of the creation of (fictional?) Kingsbridge Cathedral. The characters are real people; full of passions, triumph and tragedy, and their world is as real as if we were breathing their same air.
Any criticism one could air about this book would be a mere quibble compared to the narratives power to entertain, inform, and bring a lost world back into existence. Trust me, you'll always remember PILLARS OF THE EARTH. (After reading it, I've gone on to discover other Follett novels...they've all been wonderful).

TREASURE OF KHAN, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler

2007-12-07T02:27:00.000-08:00

Ever since it was first published, "Raise the Titanic" has ranked among my favorite heart-pounding action/adventure novels. Now, Clive and Dirk Cussler present the nineteenth Dirk Pitt endurance test, "Treasure of Khan." Like Superman and other fictional heroes, Pitt never leaves behind someone in need or danger, is always gallant to gentleladies (but not necessarily to women up to no good), quips while suffering, and possesses the ingenuity to solve puzzles that stump others. Joining him in "Khan" is the whole gang. Happily, faithful sidekick, Giordino, and Pitt get most of the book space allocated to TFGG (the familiar good guys). The young Pitts -- Summer and Dirk Jr. -- do play a notable role, but aren't as prominently featured as in "Black Wind." That satisfies this reader who wasn't thrilled when these fraternal twins were conjured up a few outings ago, but who is willing to afford them a place in the Dirk Pitt scheme of things as long as they don't usurp their elders. It was also great to see Rudi Gunn have more to do this time around. Too bad Admiral (Vice President) Sandecker got only a cameo. Like all Dirk Pitt novels, "Treasure" follows the proven formula of our heroes tracking down and confronting a wildly rich private citizen of some country (in this case, Mongolia) whose megalomania and perverted use of cutting-edge science and technology are threatening the world's security. Had my druthers, the Cusslers would make their villains two-dimensional at least. It would add some character robustness. But we're talking action/adventure, so I won't quibble too much. As usual, the book begins in the past; in this case, when Kublai Khan ruled. Then we are whisked to China in 1937, where a British Museum representative tries to safeguard some treasures before the invading Japanese arrive. Thereafter the time is just a bit ahead of present day and our minds can buzz about how these blasts from the past will challenge our heroes. The first time we see Dirk Pitt he is aboard a survey ship on Lake Baikal in Russia. This portion of the book is, to my mind, the most engrossing part of the adventure. Not only is there some superduper action (with a very sharp save by Giordino), but the Cusslers manage to pack in a lot of fascinating facts about the real pristine-water lake without losing plot momentum. "Treasure of Khan" isn't great literature (and I doubt anyone would think that's its goal), but it is rousing, adrenaline-pumping fun. Especially since we readers can sit back comfortably and only vicariously chew our nails over 30-feet water walls, Gobi Desert death marches, or ramming drill ships! Enjoy.

WILD FIRE, by Nelson DeMille

2007-12-07T02:23:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had to sit through a meeting that you thought would never end? A meeting where staying awake seemed to be a Herculean task? In Wild Fire the bad guys have a meeting near the beginning of the novel. You, the reader, have to sit there and listen to them discuss their plans that go on until page 127. First they can't decide the day of the week for their big event. That takes some pages. Then they can't decide what cities to stage it in. More long discussions ensue. When we finally stagger out of that marathon session we join John Corey and his long suffering wife. She's his FBI boss, and he works for the anti terrorism task force. His response to everything she says (and to what anyone else in the novel says) is a smartass wisecrack. How does she put up with it? Well the two of them talk a lot, and drive around a lot tracking down the Bad People. Well they can't do that 24/7 so they get drunk at night in their hotel. The plot moves along (slowly) until our chatty couple finally meets up with the Chief Bad Person. This happens about 50 pages before the ending of the book, and if you want to save time you can just stop reading the book and go to sleep. Those last 50 pages contain writing that is pure clichéd formula. You know just how everything is going to turn out. It is really totally by the numbers stuff. There are no plot twists and turns, no surprises, just hack writing. Oh yes, when Mr. DeMille runs out of clever dialog he just has his characters say "F*&^% You" to each other. There's a lot of that actually. What can I say? Nelson DeMille is (was?) one of my favorite writers, but this novel has to be one of his poorest works.

THE ALCHEMIST, by Paulo Coelho.

2007-12-06T10:04:00.001-08:00

Dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure follow the reader like echoes of ancient wise voices in "The Alchemist", a novel that combines an atmosphere of Medieval mysticism with the song of the desert. With this symbolic masterpiece Coelho states that we should not avoid our destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams, because to find our "Personal Myth" and our mission on Earth is the way to find "God", meaning happiness, fulfillment, and the ultimate purpose of creation. The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After listening to "the signs" the boy ventures in his personal, Ulysses-like journey of exploration and self-discovery, symbolically searching for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt. When he decides to go, his father's only advice is "Travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest, and our women the most beautiful". In his journey, Santiago sees the greatness of the world, and meets all kinds of exciting people like kings and alchemists. However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired. "The Alchemist", is an exciting novel that bursts with optimism; it is the kind of novel that tells you that everything is possible as long as you really want it to happen. That may sound like an oversimplified version of new-age philosophy and mysticism, but as Coelho states "simple things are the most valuable and only wise people appreciate them". As the alchemist himself says, when he appears to Santiago in the form of an old king "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". This is the core of the novel's philosophy and a motif that echoes behind Coelho's writing all through "The Alchemist". And isn't it true that the whole of humankind desperately wants to believe the old king when he says that the greatest lie in the world is that at some point we lose the ability to control our lives, and become the pawns of fate. Perhaps this is the secret of Coelho's success: that he tells people what they want to hear, or rather that he tells them that what they wish for but never thought possible could even be probable.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE, by Diane Setterfield

2007-12-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a rich story about secrets, ghosts, winter, books and family. The Thirteenth Tale is a book lover's book, with much of the action taking place in libraries and book stores, and the line between fact and fiction constantly blurred. It is hard to believe this is Setterfield's debut novel, for she makes the words come to life with such skill that some passages even gave me chills. With a mug of cocoa and The Thirteenth Tale, contentment isn't far away.

Pros
The writing is poetic.
The characters are unique.
The story is interesting, imaginative, exciting.
Cons
You will want to drink lots of cocoa while reading (this is only a con for the weight conscious).
Description
Margaret Lea works in her father's book store and is haunted by a loss in her past.
One night Margaret is summoned to the home of the most famous author in England's house to record her autobiography.
Vida Winter, the author, tells a layered tale, with stories within stories, keeping Margaret (and readers) curious.
Guide Review - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Book Review
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is reminiscent of classic British novels, like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. It has tragedy, romance, moors, and dark, stormy nights. In a way, The Thirteenth Tale is a homage to these and all other great works of literature. The power of books and stories is foremost in the novel, and as the main character gets lost in one story, you'll find yourself lost with her in the story within a story (as well as the story surrounding the character's story).
This is not a realistic book. It isn't meant to be. The aura of fairytale lends power and mystery to the writing. While place is utterly important to the book, time is not. I did not try to figure out when the novel was supposed to take place, but it could just as easily have been now as a hundred years ago.
Perhaps all this talk about place, time and story seems roundabout to you. Perhaps you want a synopsis of plot and a straightforward review that tells you what to expect so that you can decide whether to read this book. For those of you who want that from this review...here's what to expect: A good story written by a very good writer about a good story told by a very good writer. Not clear enough? Pick up the book. Setterfield can tell it much better than I can.

THE ROAD, by Cormac McCarthy.

2007-12-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

“Despite Cormac McCarthy’s reputation as an ornate stylist, The Road represents both the logical terminus, and a kind of ultimate triumph, of the American minimalism that became well-known in the 1980s under the banner of ‘dirty realism’ . . . The Road is a much more compelling and demanding book than its predecessor . . . The new novel will not let the reader go, and will horribly invade his dreams, too . . . The Road is not a science fiction, not an allegory, and not a critique of the way we live now, or of the-way-we-might-live-if-we-keep-on-living-the-way-we-live-now. It poses a simpler question, more taxing for the imagination and far closer to the primary business of fiction-making: what would this world without people look like, feel like? These questions McCarthy answers magnificently . . . [His] devotion to detail, his Conradian fondness for calmly described horrors, his tolling fatal sentences, make the reader shiver with fear and recognition . . . When McCarthy is writing at his best, he does indeed belong in the company of the American masters. In his best pages one can hear Melville and Lawrence, Conrad and Hardy. His novels are full of marvelous depictions of birds in flight, and The Road has a gorgeous paragraph like something out of Hopkins . . . The writing [is] often breathtaking.”–James Wood, The New Republic

I AM LEGEND, by Richard Matheson.

2007-12-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am Legend is arguably the greatest short horror novel ever written, and its influence on the horror genre has been profound. Stephen King and many other of today's masters rank this book highly in their personal top ten lists of favorites. It is a short novel that can be read in one sitting; it is hard to put down, building in intensity from start to finish. Matheson creates an entirely new type of vampire fiction herein. Transcending the traditional vampire tale, he adds science fiction elements to produce a refreshing new interpretation of Stoker's legend. The most fascinating part of the story is the protagonist's (Richard Neville's) attempts to explain the legendary aspects of the vampire myth in scientific terms. His discovery of a bacterium, which he dubs vampiris, as the true source of vampirism struck me anew reading the novel again after the events of September 11, 2001. Although we only get pieces of the story regarding the outbreak of the vampiric plague, including a reference to bombings, it can easily be seen as the fruits of germ warfare. Neville even conjectures that the Black Death of the Middle Ages was caused by this same vampiris germ, and he extrapolates facts and ideas from that history in his attempts to understand why such defenses as garlic, crosses, and stakes driven into the heart actually are effective against the hordes of undead creatures menacing his own time. He studies academic texts and conducts experiments with the blood of these creatures, which is the means by which he identifies the bacterium. The essence of garlic has no effect on the germ when injected into a blood sample, which initially he is unable to explain, but he later is able to explain garlic's effectiveness. Less scientific tests lead him to conclude that crosses are only effective against "Christian" vampires; the cross has no meaning to for vampires who were once Jews and Moslems, but sacred symbols of those religions, such as the Torah and the Koran, do. All of these scientific tests and speculations are just fascinating.
Neville is essentially the last man on earth, and the loneliness of his situation is the central part of the story. Matheson is able to communicate Neville's emotional feelings vividly, making him very real. We gradually acquire the story of the deaths of Neville's wife and daughter, essentially experiencing the pain he goes through when these memories overcome him. We watch him drink himself into a stupor as each night finds him besieged in his fortified house, surrounded by vampires, including his old friend and neighbor, calling for him to come out. We watch him slowly lose his grip on sanity and come very close to giving up. Then, however, we watch him overcome his depression and courageously fight to live in the nightmare world he is trapped in. The scenes with the dog he finds are full of emotion and really gripped this reader. This is Neville's first contact with nonvampiric life, and his attempts to befriend and help the poor creature (at the same time finally finding a companion) touched me greatly and brought tears to my eyes. His eventual discovery of another human being like himself is also powerful and emotional, although to speak more about this aspect of the story is to risk giving something away to the future reader.
This is a story of one man overcoming all obstacles and fighting to defend his way of life and his very humanity. The novel deals with the human condition, the essential ingredient to effective horror writing. Neville struggles constantly with his doubts and fears, particularly as he commits acts that he would have condemned as barbarous in the time before the plague. His needs for companionship of any kind offer us a clear image of the inner soul of man. By the end of the story, he does indeed become legend, both in his world and in ours.

THE MEMORY KEEPER’S DAUGHTER, by Kim Edwards

2007-12-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

Read with both understanding and understatement film and stage actress Martha Plimpton delivers a first rate performance of Kim Edwards's debut novel. Stage trained voices tend to have an added richness, a resonance not found among other audio book readers. Such is the case with Plimpton in this story of a Down's Syndrome child and the two families she binds together. When Dr. David Henry's wife goes into labor during a paralyzing winter storm he is forced to deliver his child. His wife, Nora, is under heavy sedation and he is assisted by Caroline, his nurse. Henry's joy is boundless when he delivers a healthy son and also discovers that he is to be the father of twins. With the birth of his second child, a daughter, he makes an immediate and fateful decision. The child is born with Down's Syndrome so believing that he will spare his wife pain he tells Caroline to immediately take the child to an institution and never reveal what she has done. He tells Nora that their son's fraternal twin died at birth. Caroline is far too kind hearted to obey Henry's orders, so she flees to another city where she raises the daughter, Phoebe. We can never know whether some decisions we make are for good or ill or what effect they will have upon the future lives of those we love. Author Edwards traces the story of this particular family over 25 years as Nora mourns the loss of her baby girl, and a long kept secret is revealed.