The Brass Verdict - Michael Connelly

The Brass Verdict is another Mickey Haller book. Mickey is making a comeback from his shooting in The Lincoln Lawyer. He got off track along the way and he's recovering from pain killer addiction in addition to the shooting injuries. In this book Mickey inherits a fellow lawyer's practice after the other lawyer is murdered. The problem is, will one of the inherited cases get Mickey murdered too? To make it even more interesting, Connelly brings in Harry Bosch to investigate the murder. If you're a Connelly fan you'll be very familiar with Harry. Very highly recommended.

Key of Valor - Nora Roberts

Key of Valor is the third and final book in Robert's Daughters of Glass trilogy. This time Zoe is searching for the final key to conclude the quest. This is Nora Roberts so you know there will be romance, there will be sex, and there will be a happy ending. You never know quite how she'll put it off though. Another book you don't want to stop reading until the last page. Highly recommended.

The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly

The Lincoln Lawyer is about a good lawyer who's not sure he's one of the good guys. He fall prey to his biggest fear, an innocent client. How he manages to resolve the problem is full of twists and turns and makes an excellent story. Highly recommended.

I have a love/hate relationship with authors like Connelly. I love books like his that keep pulling you along with tight prose and suspense. I was working until after 11:00 last night, and then I couldn't put The Lincoln Lawyer down until I'd finished it after 1:30 in the morning. This morning is the part I hate. I call it a book hangover. My name is Jerry and I'm a bookaholic.

By the Sword - F. Paul Wilson

By the Sword is the latest Repairman Jack novel. It follows Bloodline. You have to read the Repairman Jack books in order to really appreciate them. The reason for the title of this story becomes evident early. How a sword fits in the thread of these novels takes a while longer to surface. More answers and more puzzles, like all of Wilson's books. Very highly recommended.

Brisingr - Christopher Paolini

Brisingr is the third book in Paolini's Inheritance series. The first two are Eragon and Eldest. This is an excellent series for children old enough for the books. I've already purchased the first two books in paperback for some of my grandchildren to read. I'll add Brisingr to that list when it comes out in paperback.

The Inheritance series follows a young boy, Eragon, as he discovers a dragon egg and grows to become the first free dragon rider of his generation. Eragon is human, but in the world of these books there are elves, dwarves, urgals, and more. In Brisingr, Eragon and his dragon Saphira rescue a maiden, defeat a corrupt dragon and rider, help pick a dwarf king, forge a new sword, and discover what might be the key to defeating the evil Galbatorix. Please read these wonderful books in the right order. Highly recommended.

Key of Knowledge - Nora Roberts

Key of Knowledge is the second book in Roberts' Daughters of Glass trilogy. You have to read Key of Light first to really appreciate this novel. This story follows Dana in her search for the key of knowledge that's needed to unlock the souls of the three trapped demi-goddesses. Look forward to more magic, adventure, and romance. I've already started reading Key of Valor, the final book in the trilogy. Highly recommended.

Key of Light - Nora Roberts

Key of Light is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. I really enjoy Roberts and she's at her best in this novel. Three women, three keys, and since it's Roberts, three romances. The first romance is in this book and it's intense. The keys are magic and will free three demi-goddesses who's souls are trapped in a locked box. The book keeps your interest late into the night, like all Roberts' stories. I've already started Key of Knowledge. Highly recommended.

Bloodline - F. Paul Wilson

Bloodline is the latest Repairman Jack novel from Wilson. It's got a wicked cliff hanger. I've already pre-ordered the next in the series, By the Sword, which should come out this month. I can't put down Repairman Jack.

This story starts out with a simple fixit that expands to be pivotal to Jack's struggle with the Otherness. This book has more twists than a roller coaster and is a much more interesting ride. Very highly recommended.

The Crystal Prison - Robin Jarvis

The Crystal Prison is the second Deptford Mice novel. This is a good series for kids and I'll be buying copies for some of my grandkids. It's a little dark, but kids don't mind scary when the ending is positive. This time some of the mice head for the country, along with Madam Akkikuyu the rat, to return Twit back to his home. All is not as it seems and there are some interesting adventures to be had. Highly recommended.

Woken Furies - Richard Morgan

Woken Furies is the third Takeshi Kovacs novel I've read. Morgan has an amazing ability to make his future worlds believable. This story follows the ex-envoy back to his home planet for an interesting mix of revenge and revolution. It would be interesting to see a swamp panther -- from a distance! The Martian technology circling Harlan's World plays an important role in this book too. Highly recommended.

Diplomatic Immunity - Lois McMaster Bujold

Diplomatic Immunity is a Miles Vorkosigan novel. If you're not familiar with Bujold's diminutive intergalactic hero this is a reasonable novel to start with. You don't need to know all the details of Miles' history to appreciate this story. There are references to Miles' past in the story, and you'll want to explore some of the earlier novels in the thread, but this is an engrossing tale with plenty of twists and turns and enough weird aliens to make any scifi buff happy. Highly recommended.

Harbingers - F. Paul Wilson

Harbingers is the 10th Repairman Jack novel. This is my second read because the new Bloodline is out and I'm refreshing my memory before I read it. If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel you're in for a treat, but I recommend starting from the beginning. I think there are 11 total now. You can see an earlier post of mine on Crisscross for a link to a list of all the novels in order.

This story brings a whole new set of characters into the battle between Jack and the Adversary. The problem is figuring out if their friends or foes. There's plenty of action and some big surprises. Very highly recommended.

The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass is the last book in Pullman's Dark Materials series. If you read The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife you should read this book. The story is still too sophisticated for children, but it does provide a conclusion to the series, although not in a particularly satisfying way.

Some authors write crisp clean prose that keeps the reader's attention. Patterson is a master at this. In this book, Pullman never said anything in one sentence that he couldn't stretch to a paragraph or more. I really wanted to find out what happened to Lyra, Will, and the worlds of this series, but this novel really began to drag toward the end.

A movie might be the best medium for this novel. Hollywood would throw away the wasted words. Probably along with a lot of important ones. They definitely changed the whole tone of The Golden Compass when they made it into a film. Recommended — only if you read the other books in the series.

Stone Cold - David Baldacci

Stone Cold is the latest in the Camel Club series. You can't really appreciate this book unless you read the previous books in the series so try and get them in order. This is an amazing book. Threads from previous books are tied together and new threads are left dangling in space. Sadly, the Camel Club loses a member in this novel. That's all I'm saying. You have to read this book. Very highly recommended.

Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan

Altered Carbon takes place in the 25th century, when people seldom suffer from real death. The body dies but the mind is resleeved into a new body. It opens up some interesting possibilities. This is the first Takeshi Kovacs novel. I've also read Broken Angels by Morgan and if you've never read a Takeshi Kovacs novel, and you like science fiction, you need to read one. Altered Carbon is the place to start. Highly recommended.

Monday Bike Ride

Last Monday morning a couple of friends and I went for a ride on the I&M Canal Trail between Ottawa and Utica Illinois, and on the trail in Buffalo Rock State Park. The weather was great. The problem was that the I&M Canal Trail between Buffalo Rock State Park and Utica was closed. It's been closed since last August when it was washed out in a storm. This is one of the most scenic sections of the I&M Canal Trail. Now I hear the state is closing two of the four state parks that span the trail. These are Channahon Parkway State Park and Gebhard Woods State Park. If the I&M Canal Trail closes it will be a serious loss to the many people who ride and hike this trail all year round. If you want to let the governer of Illinois know what you think, click on the Governor’s On-line Contact Form or call the governor’s office at 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121.  I'd try the 312 number since he spends most of his time in Chicago :(

The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman

The Subtle Knife is the second book in the Dark Matter trilogy by Pullman. Like The Golden Compass, it's not really a kids book. It's too violent for one thing. For another, the novel introduces complex social and religious issues that most kids will struggle with. That aside, the story is compelling. I found myself staying up too late to finish, only to hit another cliff hanger at the end. Now I have to find the third book! Highly recommended.

Lost Souls - Lisa Jackson

Lost Souls is a mystery about missing women, a vampire cult, and a young women who seems to attract serial killers like flowers attract bees. Kristi Bentz is the daughter of a famous cop and has been the focus of other books by Jackson. I started with this book but I'll be visiting the others. I just have to figure which of Jackson's books they are!

Kristi had a near death experience in a previous story and can see people who are about to die or come close to dying. She's started back to school and just happens to pick a campus where female students are going missing. She also coincidentally rents an apartment that one of the missing girls lived in. The story is addictive, meaning it was hard to stop reading. I found excuses to keep going until I finished the book. Highly recommended.

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in Meyer's Twilight Saga. I'm not going to do anything to spoil this for you. If you read the first three books in this series you have to read this one. If you haven't read the first three books then read them so you can read this one! You will not believe the twist that this book introduces. It is amazing and well done. Very highly recommended.

The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass is a real kid's adventure. Lots of fascinating characters pepper the story like witches, daemons, talking bears, and cliff-ghasts. The best part for kids is that Lyra, the heroine, is not just carried along by the adults in the story, she's the driving force in most of the action. Be aware that this book is not conclusive. It ends in a cliff hanger of sorts, and there's a sequel that's required reading.

The Golden Compass is supposed to be a kid's story. I enjoyed reading it but I don't know any kids the age of Lyra who could read it and really understand what's going on. I didn't see the movie made from this book, but if the producers were true to the book I would expect the movie to be just as confusing.

My recommendation is read the book along with your kids and make sure you understand what's going on so you can answer questions as they go. Given that caveat, highly recommended.