Dirty Eight

WOW. just finished reading Skin by Ted Dekker.

Funny thing about reading Dekker's books is the sense of deja vu I get when I read them. I sometimes complain that his books are too much the same so that you can't really tell if you've read them before, or if they're too predictable or what the deal is. Kind of the same feeling I get when I read Stephen Lawhead.

And yet I keep reading.

Skin was very similar to several of Dekker's latest books in theme, but the actual storyline is crazy out of this world. I figured out some of the twists and turns, others were beyond my fathoming. And despite all my griping, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough (in fact, I snuck ahead and read the last two pages and still couldn't figure it all out!)

Bottom line? They'd so better make this into a movie. It's billed as a sort of a horror/thriller but I think it fits in more with iRobot, Paycheque and the Matrix. Way rad.

thirT seven

Mountain View Drive by James R. Coggins: This one was set in Abbotsford so you KNOW I loved reading it and trying to figure out where he was all the time. I had no idea the House of James is a converted car dealership. Or that the walk around Mill Lake is over a mile long. Or that we get some of the best views of Baker. Great stuff.

The story was good too, but I must be catching on to his mind. I couldn't figure out the first two, I had this one solved (though I wasn't sure. Other books I KNOW I've figured it out so maybe I was actually just lucky!)

On to the next one...

34 - 36

Wow, I'm starting to get scared. We're in the countdown now till 2008, or at least the last quarter of 2007 and I've only read 37 books...and nothing much of substance! AHHHHHH!!! must try harder!

Well, I made a little trip to House of James with my Mother in Law while she was here and scored some great deals. I've finally had some time to do some reading:

DEADLINE by Randy Alcorn: I've read some of his other books and I think they were kind of Frank Perrettiish, but this one (which seemed like more of a thriller/mystery) really surprised me. There was a lot of good stuff in here as well as a storyline which kept me reading despite the almost 450 pages in about a size SEVEN font!!! My only complaint is that he got a bit preachy at times (why do Christian writers do that. Hello, I bought your book in a Christian bookstore, I'm probably a Christian!) Other than that, Great book.

Who's Grace by James R. Coggins: This was part of a three pack I got cheap like Borscht. Written by the ex-editor of the MB Herald who lives in Vancouver BC. Lots of Canadian references. Interesting story - CSI meets christian Medium. liked it enough to keep reading...

Desolation Highway by JRCoggins: This John Smyth guy who plays the lead totally reminds me of Bob Larson. Short, red beard, balding...That's who I picture in my mind when I'm reading this anyway. Another good mystery. Think I'm going to go crack open number three....

32 and 33

Magdalene by Angela Hunt - an interesting take on the story of Mary of Magdalene. I always find the sort of story interesting just because I wonder how much is actually historical and how much is pure imagination. This author was kind enough to break it down a bit at the end of her book. A great read with lots of twists and turns.

Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy - still one of my favorite authors though I do find that her books are a bit hopeless. This one in particular ended on a bit of a depressing note - well for me at least.

The Lowlands of Scotland Trilogy (29 - 31)

Thorn in my Heart, Fair is the Rose and Whence Came a Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs.

Two brothers fight to claim one father's blessing.
Two sisters long to claim one man's heart.

In the autumn of 1788, amid the moors and glens of the Scottish Lowlands, two brothers and two sisters each embark on a painful journey of discovery.

Jamie and Evan McKie both want their father Alec's flocks and lands, yet only one brother will inherit Glentrool. Leana and Rose McBride both yearn to catch the eye of the same handsome lad, yet only one sister will be his bride.

A thorny love triangle emerges, plagued by lies and deception, jealousy and desire, betrayal and broken promises. Brimming with passion and drama, Thorn in My Heart brings the past to vibrant life, revealing spiritual truths that transcend time and penetrate the deepest places of the heart.

Though these books are what I consider "fluff", the stories were interesting enough that I found myself gobbling them up...even staying up late a few times to finish a chapter or two. I'm not really a big fan of the Romance genre, but I love historical fiction. I wasn't sure about an author so blatantly stealing a story (sheesh, if I could do that I could be a prolific author too!) but her characterization was good, and it was interesting to see a traditional Biblical story in a new light.

I see she's written a fourth book about the next generation of McKies, I may just have to pick it up.

The Winds of Change (28)

Quite by chance I seem to have been getting Martha Grimes' books in sequence. Which is odd because I just go on to the FVRL website and do a search for her name and then request whatever books come up.

I'm loving reading the books in sequence though because SO many story elements continue from one book to the next.

This was both my favorite and least favorite of her Richard Jury books.

On the one hand, I felt it was the one in which she was least British. I'm not sure if that's because I was so aware that she's an American (and so it was just me being silly and making her seem more American) or if she was being a bit careless with her references.

On the other hand, I was so excited to be following so closely on the heels of the Grave Maurice story line that I really enjoyed the continued character development of ALL her major characters and references back and forwards to stories I've already read.

The story itself was quite dark and for the first time I figured out the mystery (though I asked Andrew if he thought maybe that was because I've read so many of her books that I'm starting to think like her ha hah).

Anyhoo, I have one more of the Martha Grimes books borrowed, then I think I'll read something more weighty for a while. Save the mysteries for when I need light reading!!

Twenty Six and Seven

Dust by Marsha Grimes - I forgot to blog about this one when I finished reading it. Now that I've pretty much finished Agatha Christie and PD James' mysteries, I've turned to Marsha Grimes. I love how she fools me into thinking she's a British author. She's an American who almost gets it right.

What sticks out in my memory most about this book is Wiggins' tirade against the end of the "happy eater" restaurant chain in England (due to Burger King buying out the chain). My family spent many hours in Happy Eater when house hunting throughout the South of Britain. Such a tragedy.

End in Tears by Ruth Rendell - I've watched the Ruth Rendell mysteries on television often enough. Now that I've found the mystery section of my library, I thought I'd give this book a go. I have to say that I couldn't figure this mystery out until the same moment CID Wexford did. So to me that's a good thing. It was sooooooo hard not to peek at the end of this book, but I restrained myself.

Having discovered the mystery section, I'm afraid I'm overindulging. I expect I'll read something more...intellectual? sometime or other, just not till I'm done with all the lovely thrillers currently on my shelves...