Archeology/Adventure

Raptor Red
Robert T Bakker

Robert Bakker, a contributor to the film Jurassic Park wrote Raptor Red in a style that initially caught me by surprise but after settling into the narration, I found the style worked very well. Raptor Red is the name of the dinosaur whose story is being told, oddly enough in the first person with Raptor Red as the protagonist. Left on her own after an attack killed Red’s mate, she joins forces with her sisters to survive. Exciting and emotional without becoming maudlin, Raptor Red quickly became a favorite of mine once I began reading the book.

Neanderthal
John Darnton

Somewhere in the mountains of Asia people are disappearing, first a guerrilla fighter, then a well respected paleontologist. Who or what is causing these disappearances? From the title of the book, it certainly doesn’t take much to glean the cause. A race of Neanderthals has been discovered in the hills of Afghanistan.

How did they survive so long without being noticed?
How did they survive at all? Guess you’ll have to read this roller coaster of a book to discover the answers. This was a fun little excursion and one I particularly enjoyed.

Earthly Remains
Peter Hernon

A reporter in the Middle East to cover the conflict in the late 1940s stumbles on an even greater story. Bedouins have discovered a cave with the remains of a body that appears to have been crucified. Another exciting heart pounding book to wrap your hands around.

Until next time…

…Turn the page.

–

Chris

Courtroom Thrillers

When someone says Courtroom thrillers what title comes to mind? Remember what I said in one of my opening columns at Scranton Pageturner?

That I wasn’t going to write about the “popular” titles here.

I sometimes love heart pounding thrillers where you’re not quite sure what will happen at the turn of a page. These three courtroom thrillers offer all that and more.

I wanted to dig under the surface to find some of the other gems. I think it’s more important to shine a light on the somewhat darker corners of literature, to give some of the lesser known authors a spotlight as well.

Fade the Heat
Jay Brandon
A D.A. in Texas only a short while has his son brought in on charges of an assault, the son denies. Mr Brandon tells an exciting story of behind the scenes machinations of courtroom dynamics. The son’s attorney doubts his story, even his father, the D.A. is having a crisis of conscience.

Is the son telling the truth?

Is he lying? His story seems too far fetched to be believable.

Shadow of a Doubt
William J. Coughlin
Charlie Sloan lost everything in a haze of alcohol much like Paul Newman’s character in the movie The Verdict. Sloan has a chance at redemption if he can pull himself together to help a former lover’s daughter who has been charged murder.

Inadmissible Evidence
Philip Friedman
NYC D.A. Joe Estrada has a case handed to him that could make or break his career. Defendant, Roberto Morales is well respected locally and has been charged with murder. As Estrada begins investigating the case, he finds all is not what it appears to be and his client may very well be innocent.

Until his next time…
Turn the page…
–
Chris

Recurring Characters

I tend to read mysteries quite a bit as they are another genre I find particularly entertaining. As you have seen from previous columns here I enjoy reading books where there are recurring characters. Another three authors who I’ve embraced are:
Reed Farrel Coleman
Tom Corcoran
Ridley Pearson

Reed Coleman:

Writes the character Moe Prager. The first in the series with Moe as the protagonist is:
Walking the Perfect Square. I’ve read several of Coleman’s books and each one continually surprises me. He is a fine writer and I don’t think you’ll be unhappy if you give him a try.

Tom Corcoran:
Writes Alex Rutledge, a professional photographer who lives in Key West, Florida. As a photographer, Alex is sometimes called on by the local police to photograph crime scenes. Being a photographer myself and having spent some time in Key West you can naturally see the appeal these books have for me. I actually started reading Corcoran the week I returned from my first trip to Key West on January, 2006.

The books were so much fun as I was able to relate to EVERY location Alex Rutledge visited. Corcoran’s description of the Island and its haunts were spot on and reading about the island made it seem as if I’d never left. Key West quickly became my most favorite spot and I was fortunate to be able to travel there once more. The books by Tom Corcoran became a salve for my aching heart, in missing the spot. I’ve actually gone back and reread several of the books just to put me back in the location, even if only in my mind’s eye.

Ridley Pearson:

Writes Lou Boldt/Daphne Matthews. Boldt, a Seattle Police detective, began his fictional career with the book Undercurrents. Daphne Matthews is his partner, a police psychologist. They play off each other well and there a whole host of background characters in the series as well. You can’t go wrong with any of these books.

No Witnesses About a Grocery Store chain poisoning and Middle of Nowhere about a “Blue Flu” epidemic running through the Seattle Police Department are my favorites. But you simply won’t find a bad book among this series.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

Animals

Seabiscuit
Laura Hillenbrand
brought this horse magnificently to life. When this book was making its rounds I let it pass me by, thinking why would I want to read about a horse? Boy was I wrong. I did things backward in this case as well, watching the movie first which in this case actually worked out for the better. I was able to constructively see the challenges with the movie versus the book.

And I found one glaring plot hole they left out in the movie. I realize that movies can’t include every significant storyline from the book. However, I thought this piece of the story was significant enough to have placed in the movie. The plot line directly influenced the entire story.
I loved this book and think it is not just a book about horses, it is also a story about American Ingenuity.

Merle’s door :
Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
Ted Kerasote
Merle’s Door will always hold a special place in my heart because a close friend who recently passed recommended the book to me.

While camping in the mountains, author, Ted Kerasote bumps into a Labrador mix dog who was living on his own in the rugged mountainous area where Kerasote was hiking. The two bonded and Mr Kerasote made a decision that would alter both of their lives. Ted decides to adopt the dog and bring him home.

Having lived in on his own for as long as Ted Kerasote can imagine, he can’t bring himself to confine his new friend to human living. Once back in his home, the book takes on a new form, teaching us what the author feels is the best way to train a dog. While Mr Kerasote himself lives in an area that affords him the ability to train Merle the way he sees fit, there are are so many things that we are not doing, that Kerasote points out that we COULD be doing.

This book left an impression on me not simply because a close friend recommended it, not simply because it was enjoyable to read, but also because it gave us tools to be educated about how dogs instinctively behave and how we can better understand them and how to give them the life they most want.

I’ve given this book to many of my friends and family who own dogs as I feel the book will certainly help all dog owners. If you have a dog, or are considering getting one, this is a book you should own in your library and refer to it often.

Firebringer
David Clement Davies
Okay, I’m sort of breaking an unwritten rule with Firebringer as the previous two books were non fiction. However as I was looking for topics for this blog, I couldn’t decide on a third non fiction book to write about. I opted for Fire Bringer. This book is similar to another favorite of mine by Richard Adams, Watership Down which is about rabbits.

Firebringer is about a herd of deer. I can’t begin to explain how much I love this book. It’s one of the books I reread occasionally as it has left that lasting an impression on me. Good and Evil play starring roles in this book and I found it giving strong life lessons throughout. For that reason alone I thoroughly recommend it and though it is written for young adults, I read it about six years ago and I think the book has value for anyone who decides to give it a try.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

Series

As with recurring character mysteries, trilogies and quadrilogies have special meaning for me because they are revisiting old friends who stop by to give me new details from their lives. Science Fiction and Fantasy seem to lend themselves best to that theme. The three series below are three of my favorite series books.

Galactic Milieu Series
Julian May
The books in this series in order of publication are:
Jack the Bodiless
Diamond Mask
Magnificat
With humankind on the brink of being accepted into a new world, the Remillards, a powerful family is leading humanity into this “Galactic Milieu.” Before Earth can be accepted it must be seen that it is ready to be enveloped into the new world. One of the alien races from outside Earth’s influence has been chosen to watch for any cracks in the armor so to speak.

One crack appears with the birth of the title character. While there are many interconnected tales within this series and the series may appear challenging to follow, remember what I said in one of my first columns here:
That I won’t recommend anything that I couldn’t follow along with and that I didn’t enjoy.
If you can recall that and step outside your comfort zone for a time, you may just discover something about yourself:
That you REALLY do enjoy other genres than your safe reads.
Fern Capel Series
Jan Siegel
The books in this series in order of publication are:
Prospero’s Children
Dragon Charmer
Witch Queen
The fabled lost island, Atlantis plays a key role in this series, as does a witch and a doorway to another world. Another fantastic trip through the multiverse.

Abarat
Clive Barker
The books in this series in order of publication are:
Abarat
Days of Magic, Nights of War
Absolute Midnight
The Price of Dreams
Clive Barker is one of my favorite authors and the Abarat Series is quite enthralling. The story starts off in a fictional town in Minnesota with a young girl as the protagonist. While out walking through town one day she stumbles across a portal that transports her into an imaginary archipelago of twenty five islands. Each island signifies a time of day and one of the islands stands outside of time. The young girl, Candy Quackenbush thinks she’s been to the archipelago before but she can’t recall. She is going to play a role in saving the chain of islands but doesn’t know how.

Mr Barker is an accomplished painter and all the illustrations in the series were created by his hand. The illustrations alone drew me into the series. I stayed for the fantastic literary quality.
Until next time…
Turn the page.
–
Chris

American History

David McCullough
Stephen Ambrose
Nathaniel Philbrick

These are three of my favorite history writers writing today. You can’t go wrong if you pick any of the books from any one of the authors. To make it easier for you:
My favorites from McCullough are:
Path Between the Seas
This book is about the construction of The Panama Canal.

The Great Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is another feat of mankind. One of the things I like so much about McCullough’s style is the research he puts into each book he writes. He writes for the layperson without sacrificing knowledge. You can actually pick up any one of his many books and not be disappointed.

My favorites from Ambrose are:
Nothing Like it in the World
This is about the construction of the Trans-Continental Railroad. You’d think I had a building fetish what with the three books I’ve spoken of thus far. I don’t know. Maybe I do. Ambrose is another writer like McCullough who writes for the layperson.

Undaunted Courage
This is my favorite book by Ambrose. It details the trek across the country by Lewis and Clark and opening of the American West. For a similar tale, McCullough’s Brave Companions tells the story from McCullough’s point of view. It might be interesting to read them back to back. Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve read these books that I don’t recall the similarities and differences. However I can say without reservation that they were both well written and well researched.

My favorite from Philbrick is:
In the Heart of the Sea
This is the book that put Philbrick on the map and it still after several years resonates deeply with me. The incident discussed in the book laid the groundwork for Melville’s quintessential novel Moby Dick. I highly recommend scoping out Philbrick’s other books as well, including Mayflower and The Last Stand Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. While as well written and researched as In the Heart of the Sea, the latter two books don’t pack as big a punch for me as did In the Heart… I think it’s because In the Heart… is the first book I read by Philbrick and it made such a huge impression on me seeing as I’m a big Moby Dick fan. Not to take anything away from Philbrick’s other books because he is a fabulous writer and you certainly can’t go wrong in choosing to read any of his books.

Check any of these three writers out and I think you’ll come away more informed, entertained and appreciative of history.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

Character Mysteries

Thomas Perry
(Jane Whitefield Series)
Jane Whitefield:
“I’m a guide . . . I show people how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is.”
From The Thrilling Detective.com.

I’ve only read the Whitefield series. Thomas Perry has written many other stand alone books, but I’m particularly enamored by series characters, because I like following a character as they develop. When returning for a new adventure it’s like reconnecting with an old friend.

Jane Whitefield is a Native American woman living in Upstate New York, who helps people disappear who are running from something. One of my compatriots who I work with here at the library recommended Thomas Perry and I went through every Jane Whitefield book in matter of about two months. Check the series out. I think you’ll find them captivating

James Grippando
(Jack Swyteck Series)
Jack Swyteck is criminal defense lawyer in Florida. His best friend, Theo Knight was on death row being wrongly convicted of murder. Jack’s father the former governor of Florida signed Knight’s death warrant. Theo was eventually freed when Swyteck discovered DNA evidence that exonerated his friend.

Now Theo helps Swyteck with his defense cases. There is sporadic humor laced throughout the series. Some of the humor reminds me just a bit of Carl Hiaasen. That shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with Florida Fiction as most all Florida mystery writers can trace the good fortune back to Hiaasen.

Randy Wayne White
(Doc Ford Series)
Doc Ford, ex CIA now living on the West coast of Florida and trying to lead a restful life doesn’t quite work out for him. Being ex CIA has its pratfalls as his talents keep him busy. Looking for someone to read after John D MacDonald’s Travis McGee? Doc Ford fits the bill nicely. Having read several Travis books, I can rightly agree.

You won’t be disappointed. I can pretty much recommend John D MacDonald’s Travis McGee as well.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

Science

Coming of Age in the Milky Way
Timothy Ferris
Timothy Ferris is an author I was introduced to through this book. I’ve since read many others by him. Coming of Age… is a detailed account of science. One of the reasons this book appeals to me to such a degree is the way it is written. Ferris never writes down to his audience. He keeps the dialog going as well.

Coming of Age… tells the story of science through many of the great scientists of the past, including Galileo, and Kepler. You’d think with scientists like these peopling his book he would get verbose and write over his audiences head. To Timothy Ferris’s credit he does not. He writes in such a way that the lay person will understand what he is saying. For anyone wanting an intimate knowledge of science from its very beginning, you certainly can’t go wrong with Coming of Age in the Milky Way.

A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking
Two books of somewhat the same nature as both our science related. That’s where the similarity ends however. Hawking, unlike Ferris is not writing for the layperson. His language is tremendously challenging to comprehend. The themes hawking discusses are probably challenging for many scientists to understand as well. Even after reading A Brief History of Time several times over I’m still not sure I grasp everything he discusses. That being said, I must also say this is an important book to at least attempt a read through, even if you only understand a bit of what he says. It also presents a dichotomy of two writing styles. That in itself should be reason enough to read both of these books.

In the Shadow of Man
Jane Goodall
While attending Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, I enrolled in many anthropology classes; So many in fact, that I could very well have minored in Anthropology. In one of the classes we studied Jane Goodall extensively.

I’d always been fascinated by anthropology as a child. I knew quite a bit about Lucy the Australopithecus from having studied on my own before attending Southern, knew she was discovered at Hadar in Ethiopia.

Jane Goodall has always been an important figure to me. Having no degree, Ms Goodall was one of a select few to have been accepted at Cambridge University to receive a PhD.

In the Shadow of Man was one of the required readings from one of the Anthropology classes I took at Southern. The book details Ms. Goodall’s life as Chimpanzee researcher. Amazing detail of a chimps life is in this book. Sharing so many qualities between human and chimp is what drew me into this fascinating character study. And boy, each chimp that Goodall discusses in this and each of her books have distinct character traits.

If you are interested at all in the origin of Mankind, you can’t go wrong starting out by reading Jane Goodall.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

Childhood Memories

One Fish Two Fish
Red Fish Blue Fish
Dr. Seuss
This book and Hop on Pop are very dear to my heart as my maternal grandfather used read them to me all the time. I vividly recall seeing these two books in my grandparents living room sitting on the top of a headrest of a white chair, waiting to be read. One Fish… was returned through the book drop last week and I was flooded with memories of sitting in that white chair while my grandfather read from the book.

I loved the rhyming when these books were read to me and every time these two books cross my view I must set aside the time to read them again. Because these books were read to me by my grandfather, they have become my favorite Seuss books.

Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains?
May Garelick
This was the VERY first book I EVER bought at a book fair. In 1970 while attending Noah Wallace School in Farmington, Connecticut, Scholastic sponsored the school book sales. I was in first grade at the time and I came across this book. I still have the original copy of the book at home. Surprisingly some area libraries still carry it and it looks like the book is still in print.
It is such an important book to me as it carries much sentimental value.

Encyclopedia Brown
Donald J. Sobol
Wow!
Talk about childhood memories. Living in Branford, Connecticut and attending Branford Intermediate School at the time. Now the school is named after the principal at the time I was going. (Francis Walsh Intermediate School) It seems so odd to call it that after attending the school when he was principal.

Think I read every Encyclopedia Brown book while going to the Intermediate school. Leroy Brown is a ten year old trivia buff. With is encyclopedic sense of knowledge (hence his name) he solves mysteries in his hometown with the help of his friends.

Loved this series growing up in middle school and I heartily recommend it to any middle school student. Pick one up and I bet you’ll be hooked.

Until next time…
… Turn the page.
–
Chris

Destination Fiction

Margaret Coel
Wind River Reservation
Father John O’Malley and Vicky Holden are characters I’ve followed for awhile now. The Wind River Reservation stories take place in Wyoming. Tight storytelling. Place takes a character all to itself. I’ve turned on several Scranton Library members to this series and last week someone came in and thanked me for talking Margaret Coel up. He said if it hadn’t been for me he would never have known about the author.

See? That’s what gives this job meaning for me. That’s what drives me. That’s what brings me so much joy. When someone comes back to me after a first recommendation and tells me how much they enjoyed my opinion. I’ve made another person happy and now they trust me enough to offer more opinions. I know what my readers like and I steer them in the right direction. Every once in awhile I like to take someone outside their comfort zone. If they are a mystery fan and that’s all they read I like to stir the pot a little and offer them something else. How about a bit of magic realism ala Alice Hoffman? What I’m doing here is turning them onto my favorite genre which is strict fantasy but I’m approaching them carefully. I will start out out with someone who dabbles in fantasy, then move them further down the road.

Rose Connors
Sandwich, Cape Cod
I’ve spent time in Cape Cod and I know the area quite well. When reading Rose Connors I can close out all thought and be in the same places that she describes in her books. That’s the mark of a talented writer. When you can sense every scene as if you’re there, there is nothing better. I felt the same way when I read Tom Corcoran’s Key West Series. These writers that tell stories about the home are few and far between and if you want a true sense of place, I can’t recommend a better place to start then Margaret Coel, Rose Connors and Tom Corcoran.

John Sanford
(The Prey Series)
John Sandford, author of Lucas Davenport’s “Prey” series has many books in the Davenport Catalog. Of all the books he has written my two favorites are:
–Certain Prey (The 1st w/female serial killer Clara Rinker)
–Mortal Prey (the 2nd and concluding Chapter of Rinker.) Mortal Prey has the 2nd best ending of a Prey book.

My favorite ending was the 1st in the entire series:
Rules of Prey.

You MUST MUST MUST read this series in order as there is HUGE character development of Lucas throughout. Mortal Prey in my opinion was the last best book in the series.

Minnesota in the winters can be brutal, especially if you are police detective Lucas Davenport. Lucas is probably one of all time favorite fictional detectives as he has been so finely developed through this entire series. It is extremely extremely important to start this series with the first book and read each book in succession only because with each book more layers are built on from the last book. Lucas develops a history and what an amazing character he develops into. Because of his development throughout the series, he has become like a cherished friend. I can’t recommend this series highly enough; and the wonderful part is that there are so many in the series that it will take you a bit if time to get through. The first thirteen are my favorites:
1. Rules of Prey (1989)
2. Shadow Prey (1990)
3. Eyes of Prey (1991)
4. Silent Prey (1992)
5. Winter Prey (1993)
6. Night Prey (1994)
7. Mind Prey (1995)
8. Sudden Prey (1996)
9. Secret Prey (1998)
10. Certain Prey (1999)
11. Easy Prey (2000)
12. Chosen Prey (2001)
13. Mortal Prey (2002)

You won’t be disappointed if you start. I believe the last best book in the series is Mortal Prey. After that I attempted two or three others and was never as excited about the series. I’ve only listed the first thirteen in the collection because these are the books that I like the most. My concept for this blog is to only recommend books that I resonate with. I never want to steer someone down a wrong path. It’s up to you, my fellow readers whether to continue reading after you’ve reached number 13.

Until next time…
…Turn the page.
–
Chris

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