What book(s) are you currently reading?

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Street Lawyer by John Grisham
Step on a Crack by James Patterson

“bansenshukai” by fujibayashi yasutake, translated by antony cummins, yoshie minami

interesting, so far.

The Kingdom of Infinite Space, A Fantastical Journey Around Your Head - Raymond Tallis

I've developed a liking for having several books on the go at once. I'm a returned writer who was starting out when I stopped writing many years ago, I've regained my footing and have in turn found more books related to this interest. I'm reading a magazine by Writer's Digest titled Writer's Workbook; Telling True Stories: Navigating the challenges of writing narrative non-fiction, by Matthew Ricketson; Reading Like a Writer: A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them, by Francine Prose; The Qu'ran by (I forget who and don't have access to the book right now), but the author translator came recommended by Dr. Bill Warner who is an expert on Political Islam. I was heavily adverse to Islam at my earliest understanding of it, as I succumbed to all the wrong information that was out there. I'm not very good at researching, it seems; not a happy moment for me to admit because I'd like to consider myself someone who arrives at an accurate understanding of things which matter to him.

I'm about half way through Telling True Stories, and have to admit the author has intrigued me on the narrative non-fiction avenues available in a writer's occupation. I've barely touched Reading Like a Writer but I'll give some insights of my liking for them, once I've read them (in random discussions); The Writer's Workbook has provided some nice suggestions for writing and provided a worksheet which I've yet to complete. I'm hoping this is some basis for a bigger project - maybe revealed later on throughout the short two, and three page articles. It's a smorgasbord of information, and actually the second edition of this magazine I've purchased. There's another out already and I haven't finished reading this one yet (mainly taking it to the toilet to read, or only reading one article per day), and not that it isn't interesting. The only downside to this particular magazine is that it's published in the US and so many of the events being marketed are directed at that audience.

Blood Memory by Greg Iles. Stunning crime mystery, intricate plotting, believable characters, and compassionate accounting of the dynamics of the sexual exploitation of children. Southern Gothic at its very best.

Usually with crime mysteries I figure out the how and who in the first 3 chapters. Not this one, the mystery is brilliantly woven to the last page.

It's a big book, which added to the enjoyment, as it lasted me a while. I like to read for a few hours before I go to sleep at night.

"Strangers on a Train" by Patricia Highsmith

It is referenced so often as a plot idea in tv shows that I decided to watch the movie.
Then I found out how much of the book they changed to make it more "audience friendly" so I decided to read the book myself.
So far so good.

Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates.

Good FRIDAY Lynda La Plant

I'm reading a novel based on the IRA bombings that were taking place in London during the seventies uprisings.
Tennison is the lead on the case and I've only gotten as far as remembering all the fictional characters on all the squads and herself being caught up in the Convent Garden bombing. What makes it more poignant I guess was that I had been there this summer to look at the galleries so I ended up there and it's always been busy. Just not the same as I visualised it. Bit of a culture shock.
Books are like a lifeline to me, I'm a bit of a bookworm, I've read over seven this spring/ summer.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because, while I loathe the contemporaneous "words," I think there is a special place in hell for those who erase any original writings, for whatever reason.

Also, because I read two or three books at a time, I am reading Heroes of Karth: The Curse of the Undead, the first book of a fantasy series involving LGBTQ and autistic characters. I know the author, Grant Hamilton, and he asked if I would preview his second book in some months. Would I?!?

My last ongoing reading is Memory In Autism. It is a clinical collection of research about memorization skills among autists.

I'm still trying to finish Cujo by Stephen King.

^ that was one of King's duds for me. King is very hit or miss for me.


Madeleine Roux: the asylum
good so far, although Jordan is annoying with his jerk like behavior at times

John Rector: the ridge
also good so far

Beth Pfeffer: the shade of the moon
Good, but gad the main characters are annoying!

in book one I really liked the Evans family.

Book 2 followed another set of characters that I never warmed up to. I thought Alex Morales was a jerk and then some, and his sister Bri was such a lost case, not realizing their parents were dead. Between all the religious crap and the sexism, I was just annoyed reading about them, but the plot was interesting enough that I wanted to read on despite them. Julie was okay though.

Book 3: I think the mother was crazy for putting the baby above her own kids. Syl seemed like a freeloader, and I hated her for 2 things she did (the cat, the mom). I have no idea why Miranda liked Alex from book 2, I saw no redeeming qualities in him. I really disliked how some characters from book 1 now had turned religious when there was nothing to suggest such a thing in book 1.

Now in the 4th book, Jon is the main character, and the first dumb thing he does is go after a girl that will only get him in trouble in a very dangerous world where he needs all the protection he can get. And then his mother goes on and does something so pointless and plain dumb that I had to read it twice. What did she think that would accomplish? I'm glad to see Lisa not seeming religious anymore, at least I haven't read anything about it.
In this book, Alex actually came off as a sympathetic guy, what little we saw of him (at least so far). The book is exciting enough but I wanna talk some sense to the characters!
Apparently the author intended the book to be very different. I wonder what the original manuscript was like.