Coffee Klatch

But first, a commentary: because trying to schedule Kathleen and I reading a book at the same time is like trying to schedule all 3 of our kids sitting down and being quiet at the same time, we finally decided that if we really wanted to have a blog where we talk about books, that the talking part was key. So now we're hoping that we've read some of the same (and we'll still pick a book at intervals to do our old Q&A format), but mostly, we're gonna Ramble About Stuff We've Read. So sit back and enjoy the ramble.

I'm starting: First of all, I should caveat this by saying that a lot of the books I read are "read" in audiobook format. I got totally addicted to audiobooks back when I commuted 60 miles each way from Redlands, California to Newport Beach. For those of you unfamiliar with California traffic, that translated into about 4 hours on the road each day. I burned through a lot of audiobooks!

At any rate, Books on Tape ceased renting books a few years ago and put all their old rentals on sale, and I bought about 47 billion audiobooks (okay, about twenty, but it seemed like more) and I've been going through them. Considering my commute is now about 7 minutes each way to and from C's day care, it takes a lot longer to get through the books! Two of the books I bought and just got around to listening to (fortunately, I had road trips in there to Dallas and San Antonio, so the story went faster) were James Patterson's The Big, Bad Wolf and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Brimstone. Kathleen, I'm pretty sure you've read BBW. Have you read Brimstone?

Big Bad Wolf, first. Definitely not my fav among the Alex Cross book's I've read. Maybe part of the problem is that I've read them out of order (the last Alex Cross book I read, Alex had just gotten together with the principal of his kid's school). I wish I could put my finger on it, but it just seemed like a very even keel sort of book, when I wanted TONS of suspense. I also think Patterson had quite a task having Alex be NEW at the FBI, have the book be realistic about what tasks he'd have, and still have him be "the man." I did really like the premise of a chat room where The Evil Ones gather to talk about their dastardly deeds. But that wasn't enough to make me love the book.

Possibly I’m overly frustrated because I really like Cross and I really wanted to like this book more. The one I listened to next, I loved. And since this entry is way too long already, I think I'll leave the next one for later. It, by the way, was Gods in Alabama and that book TOTALLY made my fab book list. Gods in Alabama rocked, in my opinion. So come back and I'll embellish :)

(Soon to be blathered on about: Gods In Alabama, Brimstone, Harlen Coben's Tell No One).

Bye for now!