Top Book Picks Of 2018 In 10 Quirky Categories

 

I love reading. I’ve always loved reading. I think I love reading almost more than I love writing. It’s certainly easier than writing. I didn’t think reading one book a week would be any kind of a problem. So, as I blogged last week,  I pledged to read 50 books this year in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. As of this week I’ve read 44 ( I got behind because of my own writing and edits on Book3.) Six more books to read in the next 9 days. Piece of cake!

In the meantime, here are my top picks in the following categories:

Made Me Want To Pack Up and Move to Another State: 

A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier. This is Paula’s debut novel about Mercy Carr, a retired — and traumatized— MP who has recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan accompanied by Elvis, a bomb-sniffing K-9 dog “bequeathed” to her by her slain fiance, Martinez.

Paula, a literary agent, better known for her informative how-to books on writing, sets her fictional series in Vermont. This is what I wrote in my review of her novel: “Paula brings the cool Vermont wilderness right to you. No other book I’ve read recently made me feel like packing up my things and moving to the location where the book is set. I could see myself moving right into the secluded log cabin where Mercy lives, sitting in one of her rocking chairs on the porch, and enjoying all the books on her glorious floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.”

Thriller(s) I Should Have Read Years Ago:

The Affair (or any thriller in the Jack Reacher series) by Lee Child. This is how I started my Goodreads review of The Affair, the first Reacher novel I ever read: “I fell in love last week. It happened on one of those flights between Florida and New York […] I spent the entire three-hour flight with him. And, the rest of the night. I couldn’t get enough. In other words, last week, I discovered Lee Child, and his bestselling creation, Jack Reacher.”

In the week since then, I’ve read two more Reacher thrillers, Killing Floor, Lee Child’s first novel in the series which was published in 1997, and Midnight Line. And, I’m going to keep going. There are 20 more novels in the series for me to read before the next one is published next year. Yay!

Real Life Masquerading As Fiction?

Amanda Wakes Up by Alisyn Camerota is a novel which seems to be based on a true story which I wrote about in a blog earlier this year. If you want to decide for yourself, please click on the link. And, bear in mind, that since my blog, David Pecker, the publisher of the National Enquirer admitted to Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trump and Russian collusion that the magazine had a number of stories that the Enquirer decided to pay for and not publish about Trump so as not to ruin his chances of being elected President of the U.S.

Thriller Set In World I Wasn’t At All Interested In:

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott. I never thought that a thriller set in the world of highly competitive teen girl gymnasts would hold me as enthralled as it did. It’s a page-turner which I finished reading in 24 hours.

Good Thriller Spoiled By Hype & Too Much Drinking (Not Mine):

Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.  The thriller focuses on an agoraphobic who spends her time guzzling bottles of merlot, popping pills, watching noir movies and spying on her neighbors. It roared up the bestseller charts a couple of weeks before it was officially released. It was reviewed enthusiastically in major newspapers and magazines across the U.S. And received hundreds of 5-star ratings on Goodreads based on advance copies. When a novel is hyped as much as this one was, it’s difficult not to feel a little let down when you actually get to read it.

Saddest True Crime:

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. Author Michelle McNamara started this true crime book and pursued an incredible investigation with the help of Web sleuths into finding a serial killer who terrorized California in the 1970s , but did not live long enough to see publication of her book, or the capture of the Golden State Killer. I was so knocked out by her story, I wrote two blog posts about her and the book earlier this year.

Memoir Panned By Every Other Reviewer in America:

At Home In the World by Joyce Maynard. It seems that almost every reviewer in America hated Joyce Maynard and her memoir when it was published in 1997. The reason? Maynard revealed details about her “affair” with iconic, reclusive author J.D. Salinger. Well, it was her story to tell, right?

Apparently wrong. Back then, few reviewers/columnists commented on the weird pedophilic aspect of the 53-year old Catcher in the Rye author inducing an 18-year old college freshman to come and live with him in the wilds of New Hampshire. Most were too busy castigating Maynard for spilling the beans about her nine months with Salinger who was famous for his reclusive behavior. Aside from details of that short-lived relationship, Maynard’s account of her early life with an alcoholic father and a brilliant mother is absolutely riveting

Autobiography Written by A Friend and Former Boss:

An Untidy Life by Les Hinton.

The memoir documents Les’s life as a journalist in Australia and on London’s Fleet Street and follows him on his amazing journey to the U.S. where he became the right-hand aide of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

The upside of having a friend/former boss who has written an autobiography is that you get invited to the launch party in Manhattan.

Most Frightening Non-Fiction Book:

Fear by Bob Woodward. Everything we’ve read about the buffoon in the Oval Office in newspapers, and seen about him on TV is confirmed in this tome. Super investigative reporter Woodward of Watergate fame spoke and taped hundreds of inside sources making this book a must-read for anyone interested in going behind the scenes of the current chaotic White House.

Debut Novel I Really Really Wanted to Read But NetGalley Hasn’t Sent Me A Preview Copy:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. This book will not be published till next February but hundreds of advance copies have yielded reviews like this, ” a mind-blowing, to-die-for twist” and this, “a staggering, twisted, satisfying and savory read” and this, “Holy MotherF*cker. This book has literally just blown my mind.” I was so intrigued, I knew I just couldn’t wait till publication date. So, I signed up with Netgalley, a website that facilitates distribution of advance copies from publishers to reviewers/bloggers.

So far, no sight of any advance copy for me. All I can say is that this one better live up to the hype!!!!!

The full reviews of most of the books mentioned here may be accessed on my Goodreads Books page.

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