No. 11 - Dreamcatcher

by Stephen King

Started: January 27
Finished: February 7

Notes: One of the handful of King novels I've yet to read. Here goes.

Mini review: The best of the last four or five King novels I've read. A real pleasure to read. There's a car chase that happens in the last half of the book that drags on for too long, but otherwise this was an excellent story.

No. 10 - Tricks

by Ed McBain

Started: January 26
Finished: January 27

Notes: Keeping with my recent hard-boiled reading, I thought I'd return to my favorite and another in his long series of 87th Precinct novels. This one interests me because it takes place on a Halloween night, and two decades before 24, this novel is supposed to take place entirely within one shift of the precinct.

Mini review: Another excellent read from McBain. Perhaps the most tense one yet, with several plots running alongside one another, sometimes rubbing shoulders. I can't get enough of this author. I'm going to have to try out some of his fiction besides the 87th Precinct stories, but I've still got plenty of those stories to read, too.

No. 9 - The Simple Art of Murder

by Raymond Chandler

Started: January 23
Finished: January 26

Notes: I gave this author a shot a couple of years ago, but his writing didn't blow me away, though it didn't suck either. Thought I'd give him another chance. This book is a collection of short stories from the 1930s and thereabouts, and also included is one essay on detective/mystery fiction.

Mini review: I didn't care much for the first story, and the last one was too longwinded though not a bad story. But the two stories in the middle were quite good. The essay was a bit difficult to understand, as was some of the dialogue in the stories, as Chandler has a tendency to use lots of 1930s street slang that went over my head (though not all of it ... I mean, heck, I know what a "gat" is, fer cryin' out loud). There was enough here to keep me interested in trying more from this writer.

No. 8 - The Godfather's Revenge

by Mike Winegardner

Started: January 12
Finished: January 23

Notes: Yep, this novel is a continuation of the Godfather movies, and more specifically, the Godfather novel by the late Mario Puzo. This novel was a Christmas present from the wife. We both are big fans of the movies, and I liked the original novel.

Mini review: The plot here is pretty interesting, though somewhat implausible in that in hints at organized crime connections to the assassination of the president in 1964 (the dates and names are slightly changed as this is a work of fiction). I like all of the newer characters, but I didn't care much for the portrayal of the tried-and-true characters such as Tom Hagen and Michael Corleone. The portrayal of the known characters didn't work for me as I remember them from the original novel by Puzo and the movies. The writing was decent, but not exciting. There were a few places where there was too much telling and not enough showing. The Nick Geraci character was by far my favorite.

Taking a break

My life, as has been the case so much for the last couple of years since I moved back to my hometown, is a mess of late. Yet again, I need a new job.

But I'm not here today to write about all the woes of unemployment and unpaid bills, etc.

I'm writing about my current projects.

I'm taking some time off.

No, I'm not stopping writing. But I've recently finished the latest (and maybe last?) round of rewrites on my fantasy trilogy. My original plan was to then get to work editing a novel of a friend of mine, but he told me to hold off for a while because he's doing some rewriting.

So, what to do? I have plans for another novel, but I don't want to get into a project that big right now while I'm busy looking for work.

Instead, I'm going back to short stories, at least for a while. I'm currently editing/rewriting two short stories I wrote several months back then shelved them for a while to let them stew. Once I'm finished with those two stories and have them sent off to editors, I'll probably start some new stories.

Short stories have become a break for me, while novels are more like work.

So, I'm taking a break. But I'm still writing. Happy? I am.

No. 7 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

Started: January 10
Finished: January 12

Notes: This is the first book I'm getting to on my list of books I want to read. I have seen this movie and found it quite awful, but I've always heard the book is much, much better. Besides, I like humor and some science fiction and this combines both. Also, this is one of those books everyone seems to have read but me, so I guess it's time I got to it.

Mini review: Full of silliness, which is fine if that's what you are in the mood for. Unfortunately, I wasn't. It was a fun, fast read, but my frame of mind wasn't there. Nothing turned me off, however, so I'll have to give this author another try in the future. Definitely better than the movie.

No. 6 - We Have Always Lived in the Castle

by Shirley Jackson

Started: January 8
Finished: January 10

Notes: If you aren't familiar with author Shirley Jackson, you should be, especially if you have interests in being a writer of dark fiction. Jackson is probably best known for her story "The Lottery." I've read some of her short fiction, but this is the first novel of hers that I've opened.

Mini review: An excellent tale. Basically, hopefully without giving too much away, this is the story of a small town's local haunted house, or more accurately, how it became to be the local legend that it is. There are no ghosts to be found here, but there is plenty that's deeply disturbing, mostly dealing with one family's history and their secrets. Modern reading audiences might find this one a bit slow going, but the book is short and I enjoyed it immensely.