What are you reading the week of March 16th?

[Goblinmonger]

What's hot in the world of fiction?

[shenmue]

1. Camilla Lackberg, "The Preacher"

It's good so far. I'm about 40 pages into it.

[scarletwoman]

3. Ah, any book by Camilla Lackberg is a great read!

I've read her entire Detective Patrik Hedstrom & Erica Falck series in order - which I highly recommend. Her 8th book in the series comes out this year (don't know when), and I'll be anxiously waiting for my library to get it.

I found the 7th book in the series, The Lost Boy, particularly haunting. Lackberg has a very deft hand with psychological drama and mystery. Hope you enjoy the book!

[shenmue]

4. Thank you

[scarletwoman]

2. *sigh* I wish I knew. I just finished Ian Rankin's latest Rebus book,

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2014, 11:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Saints of the Shadow Bible, and the library isn't open until Tuesday.

I don't know how "hot" Saints of the Shadow Bible would be considered at this point. I'm always several months behind getting my hands on new releases, since I get all my books through my local public library, and there's usually several months of delay before there are copies available in the system.

I've read Rankin's entire Rebus series from start to finish now, as well as his two Matthew Fox books (meh). So if Rankin is currently working on yet another new Rebus book, it will be at least another year before I'll be able to get it.

As for SotSB, I must admit I found it mildly disappointing. All the usual ingredients were there, and I love the Rebus character no matter what, but the story just didn't particularly sparkle and whiz the way most of the earlier Rebus stories did, it just seemed a bit flat. I couldn't work up much interest in the events or the persons involved in the events, and the story as a whole felt sort of rushed to me - as though Rankin just wanted to get the pieces assembled and be done with it.

Like Arthur Conan Doyle with Sherlock Holmes, Rankin tried to retire John Rebus and move on, but the legions of Rebus fans would have none of it. Saints is basically the 2nd book featuring Rebus since he was resurrected from retirement. Reading this latest, I found myself wondering if Rankin's heart is really in it.

As for what I'll read next, I have a list I'll be bringing to the library on Tuesday and in the meantime I'll have to make do with randomly picking out a few books from the shelves. Maybe if I'm lucky some of the other books I've had on order for months will finally show up.

Still anxiously waiting for Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason, Cockroaches by Jo Nebso, and a couple other titles that I got on the waiting list for so many months ago I can't remember what they were. Which is fine, it's always fun to get a notice that my book is in when it's a total surprise!

(explanation of late edit - in case anyone cares - I had to change the Jo Nesbo title from The Bat to Cockroaches. I already read The Bat, which was actually Nesbo's first Harry Hole book. Cockroaches is the second Harry Hole book, but only the latest to finally be translated in English.)

[Inkfreak]

5. I just finished The Troop by Nick Cutter.

It's a horror/thriller about a scout troop on a small island. And an experiment gone wrong. It had me squirming in my seat. Couldn't put it down.

http://pages.simonandschuster.com/the-troop

Now I need to read a nice drama or something less gut-churning to "come down". I'm fairly certain this book will give many people the shivers. Loved, loved, loved it.

[pscot]

6. Bridge of Sighs by Ohlen Steinhauer

This is tightly written detective novel set in an Eastern European country in 1948, before the Iron Curtain came down. It's not all that long. I read it straight through in about 5 hours. There are no low spots. It just pulled me along with it. The young detective, Emil Brod, is very strongly drawn. If you like Krimis, this is a good one.

[SheilaT]

7. Rain Fall by Barry Eisler.

It's the first of a series about a killer for hire. I've just begun it, but it's quite good from the first sentence. If you like this sort of thing.

[Tindalos]

8. Children of Men by P D James

and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

[Tracer]

9. A bunch of awful non-finishers and one good one: The Bear by Claire Cameron

An unusual and frightening story written from a 5 year-old's perspective.

While camping on a Canadian lake, the parents are attacked and killed by a bear. The 5 year-old girl, Anna must somehow save herself and her 3 year-old brother Stick.

Based on an actual occurrence (minus the kids), the author manages to bring spot-on believability to the difficult task of getting into a child's mind.

[Enthusiast]

10. Tampa Burn by Randy Wayne White.