The Cold Spot - Tom Piccirilli

My first book for the Thriller and Suspense Challenge was The Cold Spot by Tom Piccirilli. The story is about a man named Chase who was raised to be a getaway driver in a crew run by his grandfather after his mother and father both die in separate incidents. After a witnessing a member of the crew's murder, Chase decides to go his own way and moves to the South to start a new life that doesn't involve criminal activity. While there, he meets and marries a police officer. Eventually they move back to the Northeast where they begin their life anew until tragedy strikes and Chase once again has to decide whether or not to take up a life of crime.

I have to say that this book was a REALLY quick read for me. It was not very long and read really fast. I finished it in a few hours. The story is pretty engrossing although I found the characters to be a little less than compelling for the first 100 pages or so (there are only 303 pages in the book). I don't think I ever truly connected to the characters even though the story had some pretty exciting moments. Still, I am going to pick up The Coldest Mile which is the sequel to The Cold Spot because it was a nice little weekend read. If you are looking for a crime thriller that is not overly complicated and helps you escape from your boring day at the office, this book will give you a few hours of enjoyable entertainment.

The Waste Lands - Stephen King

The Waste Lands is Book 3 in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I got so caught up in The Drawing of the Three that I wanted to read The Waste Lands a few months ago but ended up getting sidetracked by other books. So, here I am months later finally getting to it and I have to say that I think it was phenomenal! In the series, King has created these minor characters in each book that I really fall in love with. I loved the lobstrosities in The Drawing of the Three, and now I absolutely love the Tick Tock Man, Charlie the Choo-Choo, and Oy. Oh if I could only have a companion like Oy!

The story picks up with Susannah, Eddie, and Roland continuing their quest to find the Dark Tower. Along the way, Roland's boy, Jake comes back into the story and has one of the more scary parts of the series. For most people I wouldn't say Jake' story is scary, but there is one scene that a lightweight like me would be a little freaked out reading. Let's just say if there is a Dutch Hill in Brooklyn then I don't want to visit! The group travels to a few places and meet some very interesting people.

I don't know if Stephen King does this in every book he writes, but I often feel like I'm missing something that I'm so close to understanding with The Dark Tower books. It's not a bad thing of course. It means that the story has enough nuances to it that it keeps me guessing about things that aren't necessarily a huge part of the story. I admit that his writing sometimes isn't the greatest, but the man is a masterful storyteller. The story is truly original and is unlike any fantasy I have ever read. I highly recommend this series to anyone that likes westerns and wants to break into the fantasy genre. What can be cooler than a gunslinger in another world?!! I can't wait to start the fourth book in the series, Wizard and Glass!

Read The Book, See The Movie Challenge

You know how I said that I was done signing up for challenges? Well, I lied. I have been following C.B. James' blog and he is running a challenge that I couldn't pass up. It also doesn't add any actual reading to my 2010 list (though it does add to my movie/TV watching), and I am a movie/TV addict so I figure why not just add one more?!! So, here it is...my last challenge sign up of 2010 (we can only hope)...

From C.B. James' Blog (you can click on the image to go to his Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge page):

The Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge is based on a simple idea--read a book, see a movie based on the book, include both in your review. Whether yours is a book blog or a movie blog, this could be a way to add some spice to your posts, expand your outlook, have some fun. Mostly, have some fun.

You don't have to write full reviews both the movie and the book. You can write a review of one then add a brief paragraph or just a sentence or two about the other at the end.

Here's how to join:

1. Select a challenge level:

• Matinee: one book/movie
• Double Feature: two books/movies
• Saturday Movie Marathon: four books/movies
• Film Festival: eight books/movies
• Festival Jury Member: ten books/movies

2. Copy and paste the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge button to your blog. (Optional. If you don't have a blog, you can still sign-up and play along. You can post reviews here.)

3. Sign up using Mr. Linky below. Please list your challenge level in a comment.

4. Get together a list of books/movies that you plan on reviewing. (Optional. You can just see what comes along during the year if you'd rather.)

I'll post monthly link lists so you can post links to your reviews here and I'll try to feature a few reviews each month.

The challenge will begin on New Year's Day 2010 and will last all year. There will be prizes. I don't know what the prizes will be yet, but expect several. I'm a big fan of giveaways. See here, here and here.

You can double count this challenge with any other challenges you're doing in 2010.

Hope you'll join and play along.....

**I will be doing the Film Festival since at least eight of my books have films adaptations of them. Wish me luck!

Anne McCaffrey BotM - Dragonquest

Well, it's time for my Anne McCaffrey Shelfari Group Book of the Month post! I am so excited. I am really enjoying revisiting the Pern books. It has been so many years since I first read them that it is like reading them for the first time in some ways. I am already very attached to the characters, but the stories I have forgotten somewhat over the years. Last month, I wrote about Dragonflight and how much I enjoyed rereading it. Can it be possible that I liked Dragonquest that much more? Yes! I have to admit that Dragonquest blew Dragonflight out of the water. I loved every minute of the story and fell in love with the characters all over again.

Dragonquest introduces Brekke of Southern Weyr and her gold dragon, Wirenth. I loved Brekke because of how solid and hard working she is. I wish I could be more like her in some ways! I also really enjoyed the growing friendship between her and F'nor (who by the way is my Pern crush...yes, I am that nerdy) as he recovers from wounds he received in an altercation. I also enjoyed reading about Lessa and F'lar whose relationship has really grown in the seven Turns between Dragonflight and Dragonquest. This book embodied how I remembered Lessa: a strong, competent woman who made solid decisions and was very self-assured. I really admired her character growing up and this book really brought that out.

Some of the other books in the Pern series focus on Hold life, but this one is much more focused on the Weyrs and their interactions with the Holds and other Weyrs. It also continues the story in Dragonflight of the Oldtimers after their journey forward through time to help Benden Weyr fight Thread. All I can say is, "Wow...things have changed!" The story is also much more focused on the bond between dragon and rider which I find so engrossing.

Over the years I have recommended the Pern books to so many people. I am not sure if any of them have picked the series up, but I think it's a great series to break into science fiction and fantasy. The reason I say this is because there are no magic/spells, elves, dwarves, space battles, or other weird creatures that people associate with fantasy and science fiction. It reads more like a novel out of the middle ages with the added fantastical element of dragons and fire lizards. These are some of my favorite books of all time and I am sincere when I say that I had to live on any other planet, Pern would be my first choice! I love the books, and I love Anne McCaffrey for bringing so much life to her fictional world that it almost feels real to me. It's one of the best reading escapes around!

2010 Reading List

For 2010, I am trying a new way of posting my reading list. I have a chronological list on the left sidebar of my main blog page. For the ratings, click on the 2010 Books tab at the top of the main blog page. I hope that works out better than my plan for 2009--I accidentally deleted all my list and had to redo it!

Excellent, a favorite!

1. Dragonquest - Anne McCaffrey

2. The Waste Lands - Stephen King
3. Storm Front - Jim Butcher

Great read, almost perfect but not quite.

1. Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

2. The White Dragon - Anne McCaffrey

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

4. American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson

Really good read. Recommend it to people who like the author.

1. The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios - Yann Martel

2. Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind

3. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

4. Blood of the Fold - Terry Goodkind

5. Temple of the Winds - Terry Goodkind

Good read. Something was lacking for me, but the story was good or it was well written, but not both.

1. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

2. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum

3. The Rowan - Anne McCaffrey

4. The Killing Floor - Lee Child

5. When the Bough Breaks - Jonathan Kellerman

              

OK, entertaining but not the best read around

1. The Cold Spot - Tom Piccirilli

2. Beat the Reaper - Josh Bazell

3. The Way of Shadows - Brent Weeks

Pick this up if you are out of other things to read and can't get another book.

Better left on the shelf and turn on the boob tube instead. I did not enjoy this book.

Why is this book in my possession? Well, at least I finished it.

I tried. I really did, but I just couldn't finish this book.

(I probably won't ever review books I don't completely finish)

RYOB Challenge Book List - 2010

It's January 1, 2010 which means it's time to start the RYOB Challenge! I am so excited! I ought to be banned from buying anymore books until I read what is on my shelf, but I know that won't happen!

Here's my list (28 in total):

Fantasy

• The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower: Book III) - Stephen King
• Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower: Book IV) - Stephen King
• Wolves of Calla (The Dark Tower: Book V) - Stephen King
• Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower: Book VI) - Stephen King
• The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower: Book VII) - Stephen King
• Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind
• Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Dragon Heart - Todd McCaffrey
• Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
• The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien

Science Fiction

• Against a Dark Background - Iain M. Banks
• Freedom's Landing - Anne McCaffrey

General Fiction

• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios - Yann Martel
• Dreaming Water - Gail Tsukiyama
• Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
• Ceremony - Leslie Marmon Silko
• The State Boys Rebellion - Michael D'Antonio
• All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
• Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
• The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

Classics

• Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

Thrillers

• Guilty as Sin - Tami Hoag

Non-Fiction

• Through Harsh Winters: The Life of a Japanese Immigrant - Akemi Kikumura
• The Professor and the Mad Man - Simon Winchester
• American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Behrendt

Fantasy Challenge 2010

After thinking for weeks about whether or not I should sign up for one final challenge, I decided that the Fantasy Reading Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews wouldn't be too difficult for me to complete in 2010.

For my level, I have chosen Addicted and will read 12 Fantasy novels in 2010. Shouldn't be too hard since Fantasy is my favorite genre, right?!!

Here are the instructions from Royal Reviews in case you are interested in signing up:

The Fantasy Reading Challenge can include YA Fantasy or Historical Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy or any other sub genre of Fantasy. There really are no limits to this challenge as Fantasy is such a wide and varied genre. Just enjoy and have fun! I'm planning on reading the Katherine Kerr Deverry series if anyone would like to join me in a read along.

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

-- Curious – Read 3 Fantasy Fiction novels.

-- Fascinated – Read 6 Fantasy Fiction novels.

-- Addicted – Read 12 Fantasy Fiction novels.

-- Obsessed – Read 20 Fantasy Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to the post about the Fantasy Fiction Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can find join in and read your reviews and post.




**Edit**
I lied. I am going to do OBSESSED and read 20 Fantasy novels because I realized that this month alone I plan to read three fantasy novels.