Home Books Books By Year Archive by category "2018 Reads" (Page 2)

Category: 2018 Reads

Don’t Look For Me – Mason Cross (Carter Blake #4)

Carter Blake finds people who don’t want anyone to find them. For the last six years he  has  been one of those people. The reason why, revolves around Blake’s last days in the secret organization  known as Winterlong. During those last days an American Senator was assassinated and Blake became the prime suspect. In those final days the  Blake contacted his girlfriend Carol Langford and told her that for her safety she needed to go into hiding, too. When she finally decided on that course of action, she sent Blake a four-word note – “ Don’t Look for Me” and for six years he hasn’t! read more

Reading Update and Ward Larsen’s Cutting Edge

So in my last post on Saturday (partially written Friday night) I outlined how I was going to tackle reading the eight books I have checked out of the library. At the time, I stated that I had already started two of the books: Cutting Edge from Ward Larsen and Dark Sky by Mike Brooks.

About Ward Larsen’s Books

Since then I have finished one of those Larsen’s Cutting Edge. Cutting Edge is a stand-alone book of which Larsen has written several. However, he may be best known for his two series books.

One series features former Israeli assassin David Salton and the other aircraft investigator Jammer Davis. Last year I read three out of the four books in the Slaton series. They were great. And I am looking forward to the next book in the series that will be release later in 2018. I started one of the Jammer Davis books but something happened and I abandoned the book but I do intend at some point to get back to it. read more

Tackling The Six Books On My March – April “To Be Read” Pile

The Six Books on My March – April “To Be Read” Pile

So my last post was Part 1 of  2 concerning my library “to be read” pile. Post 2 was to deal with the order I was going to read the eight books that I now  have out of the library. At the time I was already reading two books from the pile, Cutting Edge by Ward Larsen and Dark Sky from mike Brooks.

My plan was to read five or more books at a time and to list them according to the date I checked them out of the library. But like they say, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry“. So over the last several days I have spent most of my reading time with Ward Larsen’s Cutting Edge. As a result, I finished that book.  I will provide my thoughts on Cutting Edge soon  but the meantime, I want to get back to the books on my library TBR pile.  The last six books on my March-April “to be read” pile will be tackled as follows… read more

Tackling My March-April “to be read” Pile – Part 1

How to Tackle My March-April  “to be read” pile – Part 1

So over the last several weeks new books have become available at my library. As a result I have been swapping out books, returning some books read, others have been returned unread. The unread ones were returned because I know I won’t get to them now. The bottom line is I now have eight books on my “to be read” pile from the library. Here is a rundown of the books starting with the books I’m currently reading.

Currently Reading

I am currently reading two of the books. They are Cutting Edge by Ward Larsen and Dark Sky from Mike Brooks. I have previously read books from both authors. read more

Victim Without a Face – Stefan Ahnhem is a Winner!

Victim Without a Face – Stefan Ahnhem

Victim Without a Face is the first book in the Fabian Risk series from Swedish writer Stefan Ahnhem. I stumbled across this series when I was in the library last week.I found it was, when I was looking through the new releases, and the book , The 9th Grave caught my eye.

Once I saw the book was a Swedish mystery novel I figured it would be something I would like. However,  I saw  it was the second book in the series. Since there are only book two in the series, I figured I should go back and start with book one. Checking  the library catalog I discovered book one , Victim Without a Face was checked  in at the branch of the library I was in. So I checked it out! read more

The Sinister Pig – Tony Hillerman – Another Visit with an Old Favorite

Another The Sinister Pig – Tony Hillerman 

So I have read almost all of the books in the Jim Chee – Joe Leaphorn series. However, the last Tony Hillerman  book I read was in 2000, when I read  Hunting  Badger (Book #14)!The Sinister Pig (Book #16) in the series has probably been on my bookshelves unread for about 5 years or more. Since one of my reading challenges for 2018 is to read 25 books that are on my TBR shelves and specifically books from series that I have not read for years, choosing The Sinister Pig was a no-brainer. read more

The Shadow District Begins a New Series from Arnaldur Indridason

The Shadow District – Reykjavik Wartime Mystery #1

The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indridason is book one in his new Reykjavik Wartime Mystery series.

Indridason is the author of the excellent Detective Erlender series. However, I must admit that while I have loved the series books I have read, I have fallen behind in the series. As a result, I often forget about the series. Can out say once again “too many books too little time”.

Anyway, when I saw The Shadow District in the library and discovered it was book one in a new series It was a no brainer to check it out. read more

Return to Promise Falls in Linwood Barclay’s Parting Shot

Parting Shot Continues Linwood Barclay’s Promise Falls Trilogy.

Parting Shot is the fourth book in the Promise Falls trilogy from Linwood Barclay. In this episode the story revolves around a case that Detective Barry Duckworth is working and a new job Private Investigator Cal Weaver has taken.

Duckworth is trying to figure out what happened to a young man who awoke in a Promise Falls alleyway injured and confused with his back married by a sinister tattoo. The question is who attacked him and why??

Meanwhile. Cal Weaver has been hired as a bodyguard for a teenager who has enraged the community. At a party the drunk teenager stole a car that ended with a crashed car and a dead young woman. The teenager eventually was not convicted his defense was that he didn’t know right from wrong because he had been babied his whole life. He became known as the “big baby” read more

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America…

If You Want to Understand the Roots of Our Current Political Situation – Read this Book!

Over the last few weeks I am finding it more and more difficult to post. Again I haven’t stopped reading, listening or exercising just that when I sit down to write a post, I get distracted and pick up a book or good do something else. Anyway I just finished book 9 of 2017. The following read though is for book 7. Hopefully, if I can get myself focused and motivated reviews for book  8 Parting Shot by Linwood Barclay and book 9 Descent by Tim Johnston, will follow shortly.

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean. 

This is the story of the Radical Rights campaign  to steal our democracy. The blueprint for the campaign was laid out but conservative economist James Buchanan.  Buchanan merged states rights thinking with free-market principles and laid the groundwork for the “makers”and “takers” philosophy of today’s Republican party. The campaign  has been funded by Charles Koch and is bearing fruit beyond his wildest dreams. The Radical Right has goals like establishing and assuring minority rule, the elimination of both the government safety nets i.e. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and programs and agencies that protect our health and safety. They seem like current GOP goals to me. And I am scared for my country!  Throughout the last year we have seen time after time the majority of Americans opposing what the GOP was trying to do. We watched them try to destroy The Affordable Care act. Then we watched them pass a Tax Bill designed to make the richer richer. Anyway if you want to read about how we got to where we are today read this book.  From author Greg Grandin author of Fordlandia a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

“How did we get to where we are today? How did corporations come to possess rights? How did democracy come to be defined as selfish individualism? Or money as free speech? Nancy Maclean’s Democracy in Chains provides the answers. It is essential reading in order to understand the ideas billionaires use to justify their control over our political institutions. I can’t imagine a more timely or urgent book.”  read more

Finally I Decide on My 2018 Reading Challenges

I Think These Reading Challenges Will Lead to a Great Year of Reading!

Ok so I think that I may have my 2018 Reading Challenges set up.  In total I want to read 65 books. The is 5 over my 2017 of 6o books, but only two morethan I actually read in 2017. This year though I have set up my challenges a little differently.Fina

My biggest challenge this year is to read books that I already have, i.e. books that are either on my Kindle or on my bookshelves. Based on the chart shown below I plan to read 16 books that are currently on my Kindle and five new books that will be added in 2018 for a total of 21 books. Likewise, I want to read 28 books that are currently on my bookshelves.That leaves 16 books that will come from the library. (Note to self good luck with limiting yourself  -big guy!) Ok so the challenges breakdown as follows….. read more