SMF

brothers wrote:I'm still enjoying The Litigators by John Grisham. I'm halfway through, and it's an easy read. It's a current release, and very believable. I can already "see" the movie in my mind, as I'm reading it. Grisham is totally in the groove. As I'm reading, I'm trying to visualize which actors will be used in the movie. Of course, I'm just presuming there'll be a movie. I'd go see it!

For a while, Grisham's novels felt like he was working on a word count only -- writing good stories, and finishing them badly. The last couple, however, are more in keeping with his early stuff. I still have yet to read a Grisham novel that is as good as Time To Kill or The Firm -- both of which are still my top Grisham books - although Testament, The Partner, and Runaway Jury are still up there as well.

Finished my annual foray into Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - one of my favorite modern novels.

Am now re-reading Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by le Carré. Love that book --- I remember when I first read it when I was a teen -- it was definitely a tough read, but now as a full-blown adult anglophile -- I get the imagery and dialogue --- which makes the book all that much better. George Smiley -- a regular guy spy -- if there ever was one ..... kind of like one of us, perhaps.

I'm between books right now, but unless I change my mind, the next one is going to be Killing Rommel, by Steven Pressfield. A bit of history.

I'm just back from a long motor trip to the Carolinas. Unfortunately, the audio book I had with me for the trip was Terry Goodkin's "The Law of Nines". I don't know which annoyed me more, the cardboard characters or the leaden prose. The plot was no prize either, being a inelegant combination of Robert Ludlum intrigue and Goodkin's "Sword of Truth" series. I listened to it all expecting that an author as popular as Goodkin would eventually reward my persistence. He never did.

Seamaster wrote:I'm revisiting all the Fleming Bonds in chronological order on my Kindle. I'm about half way through — I haven't read them since I was a teenager and I'm thoroughly enjoying them.

Just in case anyone's interested, all the John Gardner Bond novels are being republished on Kindle. They're a mixed bag, but the first one — Licence Renewed — is terrific.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Gardner/e/ ... r_dp_pel_1

Picking up the complete Sherlock Holmes collection tomorrow (free, at the library). Never read a whodunnit novel so this should be an interesting exploration.

kronos9 wrote:Picking up the complete Sherlock Holmes collection tomorrow (free, at the library). Never read a whodunnit novel so this should be an interesting exploration.

These are classic, and I have them all on my Kobo Touch (free from Kobo directly). I would say that Holmes is probably less whodunit and more plays-with-your-head mystery. The best whodunits have to be from PD James, and Colin Dexter.

Never read a whodunnit novel

may or may not be of interest:

In most of its manifestations, the detective story is a modern morality tale with the heroes of good battling the forces of evil. The detective story is the conservative literary genre par excellence, which is why it has appealed for decades to readers across the world.

The genre’s critics say its conservatism is tied to an outdated, class-ridden structure as well as a reluctance to embrace modern ideas or left-wing points of view (loosely referred to as “social justice”).

more at:
http://takimag.com/article/the_eternal_ ... _whodunits


clive

The Seeker wrote:

My current read as well. Almost done. TR is a fascinating character.

Wendell, clive, thanks for the information. Only 1122 pages of small typeface await me.

Guy Gavriel Kay - Tigana

book looks interesting Richard....thanks for posting

clive

Clive wrote: [/quote]


In most of its manifestations, the detective story is a modern morality tale with the heroes of good battling the forces of evil. The detective story is the conservative literary genre par excellence, which is why it has appealed for decades to readers across the world.

The genre’s critics say its conservatism is tied to an outdated, class-ridden structure as well as a reluctance to embrace modern ideas or left-wing points of view (loosely referred to as “social justice”).

more at:
http://takimag.com/article/the_eternal_ ... _whodunits


clive[/quote]

I think the situation is much more complex than the cited piece makes it out to be. You might want to look at Julian Symon's book "Bloody Murder." Also the "Oxford Companion to Crime & Mystery Writing" has number of entries related to the subject. A good one to start with is the article entitled "Conservative vs. Radical Worldview."

Ken

Don't laugh...
Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica" (study material)..

Cheers
Harold

Just finished Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Think I may crack open Winter Solstice again -- seriously. Dunno really -- I'll have to see what takes my fancy -- I have a number of reads on my Kobo that I haven't cracked open yet.

Wendell, did you know there is a new TTSS movie out? Gary Oldman as Smiley, John Hurt as Control and Colin Firth as Bill Haydon. It's getting great reviews. Unfortunately, I read that the great beauty Lady Ann is never fully shown on camera. Pity.

Do you not feel like continuing on to The Honourable Schoolboy?

Jim -- after reading the reviews on TTSS, I was very disappointed at the liberties taken with script, and probably won't be seeing it. Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People lined up for 2012 sometime.

At the moment, I finished Winter Solstice (2nd time this year), with a calculated decision to finish it on Christmas Eve -- which I did yesterday morning.

I have now turned to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, which I am enjoying immensely -- I couldn't put it down the first installment last night, and only have about 80 pages to finish it - which I will probably do tomorrow -- then onto Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I anticipate all three to be done well before the holidays are out.

The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O'Brien.

Squire wrote:The Thirteen Gun Salute by Patrick O'Brien.

Another fine book in a great series.