Title: Razor Girl
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 25, 2016
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Yancy, Merry Mansfield, Brock Richardson and Deb, Buck Nance and family, Big Noogie, agent Lane Coolman and his boss Amp, sand guy Martin Trebeaux, Blister Krill
What happens? Merry has a racket where she crashes into cars and then pretends to have been shaving "down there." It distracts the victim until a dude comes to kidnap, collect money, etc. She accidentally takes out Lane Coolman when she is supposed to get some one else. Lane is not able to baby sit Buck, who launches into a homophobic racist rant at a Key West night club, which is a bad idea. On it goes...
How long was this? 333 pages
Did I like this? Entertaining, not compelling, usual Carl H.
Overall grade: B+
Monday, December 26, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Title: The Fiery Cross
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: December 2, 2016
When was the book published: 2005
Main Characters: Jamie and Claire are settled in Fraser's Ridge in North Carolina in the early 1770s with the "war against the regulators" going on, as they search for and try to kill Stephen Bonnet.
What happens?
How long was this? 1400 pages in paperback!
Did I like this? Took me 7 months to finish. Great audio listening if you have a really bad commute.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: December 2, 2016
When was the book published: 2005
Main Characters: Jamie and Claire are settled in Fraser's Ridge in North Carolina in the early 1770s with the "war against the regulators" going on, as they search for and try to kill Stephen Bonnet.
What happens?
How long was this? 1400 pages in paperback!
Did I like this? Took me 7 months to finish. Great audio listening if you have a really bad commute.
Overall grade: B+
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Title: Commonwealth
Author: Ann Patchett
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 17, 2016
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Fix and Beverly Keating, their kids, Carolyn and Franny, Bert and Teresa Cousins, their kids, Cal, Holly, Jeannette and Albie. Leon Posen. Kumar.
What happens? Everyone lives their lives, Beverly runs off with Bert. Franny marries Leo. Leo writes a book called Commonwealth about the Keating and Cousins families.
How long was this? 448 pages
Did I like this? Pretty OK. Very good writing, plot just rolls along.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Ann Patchett
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 17, 2016
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Fix and Beverly Keating, their kids, Carolyn and Franny, Bert and Teresa Cousins, their kids, Cal, Holly, Jeannette and Albie. Leon Posen. Kumar.
What happens? Everyone lives their lives, Beverly runs off with Bert. Franny marries Leo. Leo writes a book called Commonwealth about the Keating and Cousins families.
How long was this? 448 pages
Did I like this? Pretty OK. Very good writing, plot just rolls along.
Overall grade: B+
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Long Shot by Jack Coughlin
Title: Long Shot
Author: Jack Coughlin
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 9 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Kyle Swanson, spy for hire and VP of sales for Excalibur, weapons mfg. General Levchenko, Russian traitor Ivan Strakov. Anneli Kallasti,young revolutionary in Estonia.
What happens? Strakov demands that Swanson is the only one he will talk to when he decides to defect. He sends him to Estonia to figure out what the Russian are up to. Is he really helping them, or is he part of a secret plot?
How long was this? 294 pages
Did I like this? Not much. Lots of military action and weapons described accurately. A plot that continually raises questions. Why does Strakov insist on Swanson? Never explained. More important, it is 100% unbelievable that three expert agents took a 20 year old novice (Anneli) into an extremely dangerous mission. I can't believe that they would have done this, and the characters question it but they never provide a reason. Unbelievable.
Overall grade: C
Author: Jack Coughlin
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 9 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Kyle Swanson, spy for hire and VP of sales for Excalibur, weapons mfg. General Levchenko, Russian traitor Ivan Strakov. Anneli Kallasti,young revolutionary in Estonia.
What happens? Strakov demands that Swanson is the only one he will talk to when he decides to defect. He sends him to Estonia to figure out what the Russian are up to. Is he really helping them, or is he part of a secret plot?
How long was this? 294 pages
Did I like this? Not much. Lots of military action and weapons described accurately. A plot that continually raises questions. Why does Strakov insist on Swanson? Never explained. More important, it is 100% unbelievable that three expert agents took a 20 year old novice (Anneli) into an extremely dangerous mission. I can't believe that they would have done this, and the characters question it but they never provide a reason. Unbelievable.
Overall grade: C
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Title: Truly Madly Guilty
Author: Liane Moriarty
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 3, 2016
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Erica and Oliver (childless and boring,) Clementine (cello player) and Sam and their kids Holly and Ruby, Vid and Tiffany (former pole dancer) and Dakota (10 year old daughter,) Pam and Martin (Clementine's parents,) Erika's mom, the hoarder, Sylvia
What happens? In the Sydney suburbs, a terrible thing happens during a barbeque at Vid and Tiffany's house, and we alternate between the days leading up to it, and the aftermath. Erika and Clementine have a strange friendship stemming from their youth when Clementine took in Erika because her mother was (is) an out of control hoarder. Clementine is working on an audition for the Sydney symphony. You get to see everyone's viewpoint chapter by chapter as the event stresses all of the marriages and families.
How long was this? 416 pages
Did I like this? Not the usual thing I read, frustrating to be wondering for hundreds of pages "what could have happened that was so awful?" - but ultimately it is rewarding when the truth is revealed.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Liane Moriarty
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: December 3, 2016
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Erica and Oliver (childless and boring,) Clementine (cello player) and Sam and their kids Holly and Ruby, Vid and Tiffany (former pole dancer) and Dakota (10 year old daughter,) Pam and Martin (Clementine's parents,) Erika's mom, the hoarder, Sylvia
What happens? In the Sydney suburbs, a terrible thing happens during a barbeque at Vid and Tiffany's house, and we alternate between the days leading up to it, and the aftermath. Erika and Clementine have a strange friendship stemming from their youth when Clementine took in Erika because her mother was (is) an out of control hoarder. Clementine is working on an audition for the Sydney symphony. You get to see everyone's viewpoint chapter by chapter as the event stresses all of the marriages and families.
How long was this? 416 pages
Did I like this? Not the usual thing I read, frustrating to be wondering for hundreds of pages "what could have happened that was so awful?" - but ultimately it is rewarding when the truth is revealed.
Overall grade: B+
The Crescent Spy by Michael Wallace
Title: The Crescent Spy
Author: Michael Wallace
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: November 26, 2016
When was the book published: 2015
Main Characters: Josephine Breaux, the Captain, her mother the dancer on paddlewheel riverboats, pinkerton agent Allen Gray
What happens? During the Civil War, Josephine is working for a Washington DC newspaper filing stories with the name Joseph until she is exposed and fired. The Pinkertons get to her to hire her to go to New Orleans to spy for the North. She gets a job with a newspaper and helps the North plan an attack on New Orleans.
How long was this? 325 pages
Did I like this? really good historical fiction, a good engaging spy story. Suprising!
Overall grade: A-
Author: Michael Wallace
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: November 26, 2016
When was the book published: 2015
Main Characters: Josephine Breaux, the Captain, her mother the dancer on paddlewheel riverboats, pinkerton agent Allen Gray
What happens? During the Civil War, Josephine is working for a Washington DC newspaper filing stories with the name Joseph until she is exposed and fired. The Pinkertons get to her to hire her to go to New Orleans to spy for the North. She gets a job with a newspaper and helps the North plan an attack on New Orleans.
How long was this? 325 pages
Did I like this? really good historical fiction, a good engaging spy story. Suprising!
Overall grade: A-
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