Delusion - A Novel of Suspense

Peter Abrahams has written eighteen novels. Somehow I never have read him before I read Nerve Damage in 2007. That story was compelling and when I saw a new title I grabbed it. Apparently I am a pushover for suspense thrillers from good writers. Abrahams makes a story hard to put down. His characters are interesting and the reader just HAS to know what is going to happen next.

Delusion starts with the character Pirate in his prison cell. Abraham gets inside his mind and presents a pretty unsettling picture of someone who may or may not be capable of murder. New evidence, surfacing after a hurricane twenty years after his conviction, may allow Alvin DuPree to become a free man.

Scenes move back and forth between DuPree's plight and the seemingly perfect marriage of Nell and Clay. Nell turns out to have identified DuPree as the man who murdered her boyfriend during a botched robbery. Clay was the Detective on the case. He later married Nell and is now the Police Chief. More and more details and connections begin to emerge forcing the characters together. The conclusion, a real roller coaster ride, may find you holding your breath and praying the characters find out what you the reader know so they can save themselves.

A New Source for ARCs!

I was browsing in the Nomad Bookstore in Jackson waiting to meet a friend and got to talking with owner Bridget Rothenberger. Moaning about my problems with overdues at the library and the fact that I no longer had a source for ARCs (advanced reading copies), she offered to let me choose several from their stock as long as I provided a short review and returned the books eventually! Can you imagine? I was delighted. Not wanting to be greedy, I only chose three: Delusion (4/08) by Peter Abrahams; So Brave, Young, and Handsome (5/08) by Leif Enger; and Another Thing to Fall (3/08) by Laura Lippman. I've read all the authors before so I was playing it safe this time.

NOTE: ARCs or advanced reading copies are unedited proofs distributed to bookstores and some libraries to encourage professional staff to become familiar with books expected to be big sellers or that deserve wide exposure.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

A year or so ago, Jodi Picoult came to Jackson to speak. It was amazing that she could speak to a room with 150 people and make you think she was just talking to you.

The first of her books I actually listened to as an audiobook. I was hooked. My Sister's Keeper, which deals with parents having another child to serve as a donor to an ill child. What does that do to everyone involved? As an author she is able to get inside the heads of her characters and present both sides of an issue as fairly as possible. I don't know if she changes minds, but she insists you think about issues you may have stopped exploring.

Her research makes her books special as well. I have learned something new from each one. So far I have read: My Sister's Keeper; Second Glance; Vanishing Acts; The Tenth Circle; and Nineteen Minutes.

I hesitated to read Nineteen Minutes, which deals with a school shooting similar to Columbine, because the subject matter is so disturbing. Jodi Picoult seems to know just when to introduce information so the reader does not turn away.

For lots more information about Jodi Picoult visit her website. The fact that her family has not just one but two Springer Spaniels ranks her even higher in my estimation!

Diablerie

It took me less than one day to read Walter Mosley's new book (2008) Diablerie. I have heard his name mentioned for years but never got around to checking his work out until this title was staring me in the face at my local public library. Of course, I had to check it out.

Even though the author had a character explain the meaning of the title (the word can mean either mischievous or evil), I googled it to see what else I would find. It has a number of connections with gamers, vampires, and was even used in the classic Uncle Tom's Cabin!

This is my first Walter Mosley and I am guessing it must be very different from most of his work to get such negative reviews from his readers on Amazon.

The story and the writing is powerful. It took me less than a day to read and I couldn't put it down. Dark, erotic, and dangerous are the words I would use to describe Diablerie.

The Celestine Prophecy

Back in the 1990s, when I first read The Celestine Prophecy - An Adventure by James Redfield, I became fascinated with the idea that every person has a message for you if you choose to pay attention. I also liked the idea of synchronicity since those experiences do happen.

Celestine is also a mineral. I discovered that right after reading the book. We were on vacation on South Bass Island and discovered that "the largest known celestine geode is located near the village of Put-in-Bay, Ohio on South Bass Island in Lake Erie." It is in a cave that happened to be closed so I spent months until I found a sample I could buy in a rock hound shop in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is sitting on my desk.

This time I pretty much skimmed the book since the story isn't that well developed even though it is called a novel. The author claims he was actually writing a parable so he could share the principals. I noticed The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes seemed to share a lot of the same ideas.

There is an entire industry that has grown up around this new age book including a movie. Take a look at the author's website if you are intrigued.

Read about the nine insights and other information about The Celestine Prophecy at Wikipedia.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

It is finished! After sitting by my bed for many years, I have actually picked up and read the entire fourth volume of the Harry Potter series. My New Years Resolution was to finish reading all the remaining books in 2008. One down and three to go!

The most amazing thing is that I have seen the movie and it was wonderful but didn't interfere one bit with my enjoyment of the book. I felt compelled to turn pages even when I knew what was going to happen. J.K. Rowling's storytelling skills are magical.

There are 5, 158 reader reviews on Amazon.com and it has earned 5 stars. What more is there to say? These books are this generation's fairytales. Good conquers evil but evil is always lurking and vigilance is necessary for good to survive.

For fun you can visit the Official Warner Brothers Harry Potter website here.

The Game of Bookchase

And now for something completely different . . .

“Bookchase is also the world’s first board game about books which comes with your own bookshelf, library card, bookshop, and your own set of tiny books to collect. First one to collect six books and head home wins! Simple really.”

You can learn more about the game here (US).
[via The Shifted Librarian via kimbooktu]

Literary Gluttony - How to Consume More Books This Year

I subscribe to Life Hack, which provides pointers on productivity and getting things done. Today the subject was reading more books this coming year so I had to share this link.

Scott H Young has given his reasons for reading more in the face of the 2002 Survey that found Americans were reading less. One comment that I found interesting is his belief that reading 10-20 books on a subject will make you more knowledgable than most people. When you hit 200-300 books on a subject you will be considered an expert!

Young also gives some hints about how to manage to read those extra titles in 2008. Check out his column here.