Yet more books I read in Aug 2011

As I mentioned in a previous post, in 2011, I used to put quick lists of books I'd read on social media, and only moved to more detailed reviews later in life.

So here are a few summaries from those halcyon days. Latest posts first. Commenters (if any) anonymised.

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2011-08-01

Just finished re-reading: The Money-changers by Arthur Hailey. This book was published in the 70s, and is still a good read. Arthur Hailey was renowned for his exquisite research and believable and engaging characters. (Contrast with a recently re-read Sidney Sheldon, whose characters were like something out of a sitcom trailer (not the sitcom itself, do note).) You may be pleasantly surprised how little the thinking in the 70s actually impinges upon the story. Worth a read. Rating: Very good.

Recently finished (re)reading: The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver. Rating: Excellent
Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver Rating: Excellent
The Collectors by David Baldacci Rating: Very good
Risk by Dick Francis (re) Rating: Excellent

How this blog started: July 2011, listing books I read and what happened then

Somewhere in mid 2011, I started posting on Google+ (now, alas, defunct), listing books I was currently reading. People would occasionally post comments, or ask more about the books. So I started adding comments to the list, and eventually, it became detailed enough that I started this blog.

These are not the first of such posts, but they were some of the early ones. (Commenters have been anonymised, newest post is first).

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2011-07-19

Currently rereading: The Collectors by David Baldacci. It's the sequel to The Camel Club. Somewhere in chapter 2, I realized, to my chagrin, that I wasn't reading it, I was re-reading it. Rats! But since I've forgotten whodunit though not howdunit (no longer being a teenager, I don't remember the plot, characters and everything else in fine detail), so it's ok.

Next up (probably): The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver

Recently finished (re)reading:
Risk by Dick Francis (re) Rating: Excellent
The Sky is Falling by Sidney Sheldon (re) Rating: Poor
The Camel Club by David Baldacci Rating: Very good

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2011-07-18

Currently rereading Risk by Dick Francis

Next up (probably): The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver

Recently finished (re)reading:
The Sky is Falling by Sidney Sheldon
The Camel Club by David Baldacci
Vengeance of Ravana by Ashok K Banker

Should I stop posting this?
Will you hate me more if I continue or if I stop? :D

Comments:

PGS: how's ravana?

Me: if you liked the other books, Ravana is fairly good; better than a couple of the previous books in the set but not the best. Banker doesn't like the idea that his beloved Rama banished his beloved Sita, so he changed the old story somewhat to reduce his cognitive dissonance. That said, Ravana's revenge as per Banker is breathtaking in its scope. Wow moment. Worth a read.

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2011-07-15

Currently rereading The Sky is Falling by Sidney Sheldon

Recently finished reading:
The Camel Club by David Baldacci
Vengeance of Ravana by Ashok K Banker

But you don't care, do you?

Comments:

SB: If you haven't read his books yet, I recommend Murakami after you're done with your current book.

Me: What book do you recommend I start with?

SB: 'Underground' - slightly one-sided but it was a good read.

Me: Sounds heavy. I just read the summary. :-O

SB: Hmmn...Ok. How about 'Roots' - Alex Haley?

Me: Oh, Roots I read decades ago. :-)
I've also read about the controversy that it was largely plagiarised from previous authors' works. ;-)

More Books I read in Sep 2011 (Part 2 of 2)

I had to split the post because I couldn't include enough tags. <shrug>

The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson (thriller). It's weird to realise James Patterson was writing bestsellers in 1976. What a different style he had. I'm also beginning to notice style differences between decades. Books in a certain decade have similar writing styles, even among widely-different writers. Rating: Good

Down the Long Hills by Louis L'Amour. A young boy takes a young girl across the plains of the old West (USA) after their wagon train is massacred. Villains get after them, while the boy's father hunts for him equally desperately. Sweet story, happy ending. Rating: Very good.

Risk by Dick Francis (thriller). One of his better ones, and the hero is a chartered accountant. This was the book that made me feel CAs were not boring; something for which I am very grateful now. Rating: excellent.

Reign in Hell by William Diehl (thriller). After a bit, I realised this was the middle book in a series. Lawyer Martin Vail tries to bring down a parallel government/militia in the USA, under direct orders from the General (Attorney General, ha!), and mixes up with his old nemesis, the evil mass-murderer Aaron Stampler. Rating: Good.

Stone Cold by David Baldacci (thriller). The third in the series, and equally good. Rating: Very Good.

Part 2 of 2. Part 1 is here.

Come September 2011

Scimitar by Peter Nieswand (thriller). It's always interesting these days to read a book written in the 1980s. The Afghan mujahideen were the good guys then, and the Russians were unadulterated villains. The protagonist in the book keeps turning out to be an unmitigated creep. Still, some good points, though avoidable overall, unless you  want to specifically read an 80s book.

The Secret of the Nagas by Amish (myth/fantasy). I loved the first book in this series, The Immortals of Meluha, despite its sometimes too-modern dialogue. This one goes smoother. The book introduces Sanskrit/Hindi words in italics, and, within the next line or two, their meaning in English, also italicised (for dummies). It gets a bit annoying (gee, it's for dummies!) but is probably greatly useful for people who don't know the words. I loved this book too, and am bouncing and screaming for the next (and last) one. For less than Rs 500, you can get both books. Paisa wasool, these books are worth every paisa.

High Citadel by Desmond Bagley (thriller). An excellent light read from the 70s. If you like stories in which medieval weapons turn the tide, also try Mother of Demons by Eric Flint (science fiction).

The Quick and the Dead by Louis L'Amour (western). My son asked me if the book came first or the movie. Heh! A very typical Louis L'Amour book. The good guys win; the Indians are not evil, just different. Rating: Good

The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson (thriller). It's weird to realise James Patterson was writing bestsellers in 1976. What a different style he had. I'm also beginning to notice style differences between decades. Books in a certain decade have similar writing styles, even among widely-different writers. Rating: Good

Down the Long Hills by Louis L'Amour. A young boy takes a young girl across the plains of the old West (USA) after their wagon train is massacred. Villains get after them, while the boy's father hunts for him equally desperately. Sweet story, happy ending. Rating: Very good.

Risk by Dick Francis (thriller). One of his better ones, and the hero is a chartered accountant. This was the book that made me feel CAs were not boring; something for which I am very grateful now. Rating: excellent.

Reign in Hell by William Diehl (thriller). After a bit, I realised this was the middle book in a series. Lawyer Martin Vail tries to bring down a parallel government/militia in the USA, under direct orders from the General (Attorney General, ha!), and mixes up with his old nemesis, the evil mass-murderer Aaron Stampler. Rating: Good.

Stone Cold by David Baldacci (thriller). The third in the series, and equally good. Rating: Very Good.