Books I’ve Read in 2014
Here are the books I’ve read so far during 2014. I rate them with 1-5 stars. The book must be truly phenomenal to get 5 stars.
- ****Satori (Don Winslow, 2011). Winslow is one of my favorite authors. This book, set in 1951, revolves around Nicholai Hel, 26, a man well-trained in the martial arts who has spent the last three years imprisoned (brutally) by Americans in Japan. He’s released with the mission to kill the Russian envoy to China. A beautiful French woman is involved, as are the Russian, various Chinese officials, and Hel’s American handler and chief captor. The French war in Indochina (Vietnam) comes into play. It’s a lengthy, involved book. Very good. 1/2
- ***Boy Nobody (Allen Zadoff, 2013). Zach, 16, is a highly trained assassin for a shadow organization called The Program. He typically enrolls in a school, makes friends with the kids of whoever he’s supposed to kill, and uses those connections to complete the hit. Now he’s supposed to kill the mayor of New York City, and has just five days to do it. He becomes attached to the mayor’s daughter. Things get complicated. 1/5
- ****The Zebra Striped Hearse (Ross MacDonald, 1962). An ex-colonel doesn’t like the man his daughter wants to marry. He hired Lew Archer to find dirt on the guy. This is really an excellent book, full of interesting characters and plot twists. You really don’t know how it’ll end. This is one of MacDonald’s best. 1/6
- **Everybody Pays (Andrew Vachss, 1999). A collection of short stories from Andrew Vachss, including a 110-page novella starring Cross (a Chicago counterpart to Burke). His first collection, Born Bad, was much better. 1/29
- *****Duty (Robert Gates, 2013). Most political figures write books to burnish their legacy, and that’s why I avoid such books. However, I have viewed Bob Gates as a true man of integrity who would tell the story straight, as it happened. And that’s what he does in Duty. It’s a fascinating look at his years as Secretary of Defense, 2007-2012, during which he was constantly fighting wars. His comments on both presidents, Bush and Obama, are most interesting. He speaks highly of both. But his greatest admiration is for the troops, which is why he is called “the soldier’s secretary.” This is an outstanding piece of history. 2/5
- ***Guns Will Keep Us Together (Leslie Langtry, 2013). The second book in the series about the Bombay Family of assassins. This one revolves around Dakota, who just learned he has a six-year-old son who is coming to live with him forever (since his mother died). Meanwhile, Dakota and Paris are assigned to knock off a five-person team of rival assassins. 2/10
- ****Stand By Your Hitman (Leslie Langtry, 2013). The third book in the series about the Bombay Family of assassins. This one involves Missi, the Bombay family counterpart of Q–an inventor, who devises all kinds of creative ways to kill people. She finds herself on “Survival,” a Canadian TV version of “Survivor,” with the task of assassinating another of the contestants. This is my favorite book of the series so far. Very witty. 2/11
- ****I Shot You Babe (Leslie Langtry, 2013). The fourth Bombay Family book. This one involves Coney, who has a PHd in Philosophy but mostly works as a carnie at state fairs, etc. He’s been assigned to kill a ruthless mercenary. At the same time, he keeps crossing paths with a young grad student. The story finds him in Mongolia for a good stretch participating in a national fighting contest. That’s quite interesting. Some real twists in the Bombay Family story. 2/21
- ****Paradise by the Rifle Sights (Leslie Langtry, 2013). The fifth Bombay Family book, this one a novella. Paris Bombay is entered into a Bachelor-type TV show as a way to kill the producer, who is involved in white slavery. At the same time, Paris finds himself targeted by assassins. It’s quite a funny book, especially as Langtry pokes malicious fun at the whole Bachelor/Bachelorette genre. 2/23
- ****A Climate for Change (Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley, 2009). Subtitled “Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions.” Two Christians give an excellent overview of climate change, and why it should matter to Christians. A totally non-partisan book. Easy to read, and wonderful information. 2/25
- ****The Sour Lemon Score (Richard Stark, 1969). Parker and three others rob a bank, getting away with $33,000. But one of the others, George Uhl, pulls a double-cross. He kills two of the robbers, and almost gets Parker. The rest of the book finds Parker searching for George Uhl, wanting to even the score and retrieve the money. 3/1
- ****Deadly Edge (Richard Stark, 1971). Parker and three other rob a rock concert. But two deranged killers come after them, one by one. Parker’s girlfriend, Claire, figures big in this book. This is a real good one. 3/4
- ****Slayground (Richard Stark, 1971). After an armored car robbery goes somewhat bad, Parker takes refuge (with the stolen money) in an amusement park. It’s the off-season. But two crooked cops and two mobsters, in the midst of a pay-off, are in the park and see him enter. There’s no way out except for the main entrance. Mobster reinforcements are called in, and they begin searching for Parker. He’s not easy to catch. 3/11
- ****Dexter is Delicious (Jeff Lindsey, 2010). A girl is kidnapped, apparently by a group of vampire/cannibal wannabes who intend to eat her. Deborah, Dexter’s police sergeant sister, is obsessed with rescuing her, and recruits Dexter to help her. We also see much of Dexter’s baby girl, Lily Anne, with whom he is equally obsessed–so much that she may convert him away from his killer ways. Then Dexter’s brother Brian, from the first book in the series, shows up and wants to be part of the family. And Doakes remains suspicious. 3/16
- ****How I Live Now (Meg Rosoff, 2006). A very interesting piece of juvenile fiction. Daisy, a 15-year-old American girl, is sent to live for a while with an aunt in England. Daisy and her three cousins are left alone while the aunt is visiting in Norway. During that time, some kind of war breaks out in England, and unknown aggressors occupy the country. The cousins must fend for themselves. Daisy and her cousin Edmond fall in love, but are separated when soldiers take over their home. It’s a wonderful little book. 3/20
- ***NYPD Red (James Patterson/Marshall Karp, 2014). The movie industry has come to New York City, but someone is killing big-name actors–three in one day, in fact. It’s up to the folks at NYPD Red–a special unit catering to cases involving the rich, famous, and/or powerful–to solve the case. Heading the case are Detective Zach Jordan and his new partner, Kylie MacDonald, who in a very contrived fashion just happens to be his ex-girlfriend (but now married). This is a new series. The second one just came out in hardback. I’ll have to think about it. 3/26
- ****I’m Out to Change My World (Ann Kiemel, 1983). I read this in my post-college days. Her little stories of trying to change parts of her world really inspired me. They still do. 3/30
- ****Two Dollar Bill (Stuart Woods, 2004). Woods created one of his most colorful characters in Billy Bob Barnstormer, who starts out as a client of Stone Barrington but quickly comes under suspicion for sundry criminal activities. It’s a fun plot. We’re also introduced to Tiffany Baldwin, the new US attorney for New York. Obviously, she and Stone end up in bed together. The book also features Lance Cabot, a CIA operative whom Woods treats as a somewhat fun guy. 4/6
- ****Dark Harbor (Stuart Woods, 2006). Stone Barrington unexpectedly receives notice that he’s the executor of an acquaintances estate…just as the man and his wife and daughter are murdered in their home. The will gives the home to Stone. He moves in, and with help from Lance, Dino and Holly Barker, tries to figure out why the man was murdered. Other murders follow. Some retired CIA operatives living in Dark Harbor get involved. Interesting plot. Didn’t go where I thought it was going. 4/14
- ***Fletch Won (Gregory McDonald, 1985). The second Fletch book. Our intrepid reporter investigates the murder of an unsavory lawyer outside the newspaper office. His wedding is just a few days away. He also is assigned to go undercover to do a story on a brothel, but his main interest is the lawyer’s murder. That story also belongs to the newspaper’s ace reporter, Biff Wilson, who doesn’t appreciate Fletch insinuating himself into his story. A lot of madcap stuff. 4/18
- ****Fletch Too (Gregory McDonald, 1986). This continues right where the first book left off–with Fletch getting married. After the ceremony, Fletch is given a message from his father, who he thought was dead–congratulations on your marriage, now here’s a couple tickets to come spend your honeymoon with me in Kenya. Long story short–they go to Kenya (along with their skis, originally destined for Colorado). This is a truly wonderful book. I loved it, and I’m afraid it hooked me on the Fletch series. 4/25
- ***Ex-Communications (Peter Clines, 2013). Legion, who can control zombies, continues trying to assault the Mount, where the last humans of Los Angeles live in a fortified town, protected by an odd assortment of superheroes. But a new threat arises, a threat they thought had been vanquished. 5/1
- ***Ex-Purgatory (Peter Clines, 2013). The superheroes find themselves in an alternate world, and oblivious to the real world–a world of zombies and death. They’re all working regular jobs or going to school. But gradually, they realize things are not quite right. The book centers mostly on George Bailey, AKA St. George the Mighty Dragon, who is now just a janitor who begins realizing he’s very, very strong. 5/4
- ****The Innocent (David Baldacci, 2013). First of a series about Will Robie, a elite hitman for the US government. He is asked to assassinate a woman in Washington DC who actually works for the same agency he does. But he refuses at the last minute, and becomes a target himself. While running, he helps a 14-year-old runaway who is herself being pursued by the persons who killed her parents. Everything gets complicated. I really like Will Robie, and will read other books about him (there are currently three). 5/11
- ***The Light of Day (Eric Ambler, 1962). Arthur is a small-time thief living in Athens. He robs the wrong guy, and ends up being blackmailed into driving a vehicle to Istanbul, Turkey. He knows it’s criminal in some way, but doesn’t know quite how. Interesting little tale set almost entirely in Turkey. 5/20
- ****Soft Target (Stephen Hunter, 2011). Ray Cruz, elite Marine sniper, is in the Minneapolis Mall of America when terrorists take over the place. There are a thousand hostages, plus hundreds more hiding in stores. Lots of folks get into the act–a grandstanding Minnesota Chief of Police, SWAT snipers, FBI computer geeks, a girl from the hood. But it’s mostly Cruz, who works from the inside. A fun read. 5/25
- ****The Expats (Chris Pavone, 2013). Kate and Dexter are married and moving to Luxembourg, where Dexter landed a lucrative job in bank cyber-security. Kate previously worked as a field agent for the CIA, but Dexter doesn’t know it. Now she’s basically just a housewife. But she becomes suspicious of an American couple who befriend them, and begins investigating. That raises questions about Dexter’s actual work. A very interesting plot, told from Kate’s point of view. 6/2
- **The Island (Jen Minkman, 2014). A post-apocalyptic, somewhat dystopian novella. You have a bunch of teens in a mini-colony on an island. A wall separates them from “The Fools,” who inhabit the other side. Told from the point of view of Leia, who suspects that the stories they’ve been told about their existence aren’t entirely true. The author has some fun with Star Wars. A harmless, not too serious, quick read. 6/8
- ***Swamp Sister (Robert Edmond Alter, 1993). A plane goes down in the Everglades, somewhere, with $80,000. Years later, locals are still looking for the Money Plane. Then Shad Hark finds it. The money helps him with his dream girl, Dorry Mears. Lots of other locals suspect he found the plane. An insurance agent is involved. Good fun. 6/15
- ***Mistress (James Patterson, 2014). Told through the eyes of Ben, who runs a celebrity rag website. He’s obsessed with Diana Hotchkiss…whom he watched plummet to her death from her apartment. He looks into it, and suddenly has people trying to kill him. Various parties are involved in one way or another. An okay book. 6/28
- ****Iron Orchid (Stuart Woods, 2006). My first encounter with Teddy Fay, an ex-CIA mastermind who is killing people he deems a threat to the country. Teddy Fay is supposedly killed in a plane crash, but turns up alive. Holly Barker, only part-way through her CIA training at The Farm, is pulled to New York to help Lance Cabot find Teddy Fay. Very good book.7/3
- ***Shoot Him if He Runs (Stuart Woods, 2008). Stone, Holly, and a couple others are sent by the CIA to St Marks, a Caribbean island where they think Teddy Fay is hiding out. An early Stone Barrington book took place there, and most of the main characters return. 7/8
- ***Becoming Quinn (Brett Battles, 2011). A prequel to the Jonathan Quinn series, showing how a rookie cop named Jake Oliver became the government cleaner named Quinn. A covert group kills a couple guys in a barn. Oliver begins following some leads on his own. It goes on from there. The cleaner in the covert group watches Quinn from afar and takes a liking to him. Good book. 7/16
- ****Alpha (Greg Rucka, 2014). The first Jad Bell book. Bell, a high-calibre special forces kind of guy, is hired to oversee security at Wilsonville, a Disneyesque theme park. There is chatter about a terrorist action against an American theme park, and of course, it happens to Wilsonville. I’d not heard of Rucka, but he is an exceptional writer. I will most definitely read more. 7/21
- ****The Hit (David Baldacci, 2014). The second Will Robie book, following the excellent “The Innocent.” A top government assassin, Jessica Reel, is killing some CIA officials. Robie is tasked with hunting her down. It’s a complex plot, but very satisfying. I loved the book. 7/23
- ****Tier One Wild (Dalton Fury, 2012). The second Kolt “Racer” Raynor thriller. Kolt heads an elite Delta Force counter-terrorism outfit. This book starts in India with a daring rescue, moves on to Egypt for a while, and finishes in Mexico and the USA. Kolt and his team are tracking an Al Qaeda leader from the United States, a guy who figured prominently in the first Raynor novel, “Black Site.” Now he’s got his hands on deadly shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles from Libya. Fury is really a good writer. 7/26
- **CallSign (Brad Taylor, 2014). A short ebook featuring Pike Logan and the TaskForce. 7/26
- ****Plunder Squad (Richard Stark, 1972). Several plotlines are involved in this very good book in the Parker series. There’s a caper in California that Parkers gets involved with. There’s George Uhl, from a previous book, who is trying to kill Parker and whom Parker wants to kill back. Then there’s an art theft in the east, which had its own subplots. Very good. 7/29
- ****Torn (Justin Lee, 2013). A truly superb and intellectual honest book subtitled, “Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs-Christians Debate.” Lee begins with his own story, growing up conservative Christian but always being attracted to me. Valuable insights galore. He wrestles fairly and honestly with Scripture, as he seeks to determine how he, as a gay person, should live. I cheer that so many gay Christians stay with Christ, rather than abandoning Christ because they are abandoned by the Church. For people (like me) trying to understand these issues, this is the book I would heartily recommend. 8/2/
- ****No Country for Old Men (Carmac McCarthy, 2005). The movie, which won the 2007 Best Picture Oscar, closely follows this excellent book. It was a pleasure to read. The hitman Anton Chigurh is one of the creepiest villains in film, and he’s just as creepy in the book. Javier Vardem nailed the character, and deserved the Best Support Actor Oscar. The movie revolves around a couple million dollars from a drug deal gone bad–the person who finds the money, the people who hunt the person who found the money, and the police who can’t figure out what the heck is going on and why so many people are turning up dead. This is my first Carmac McCarthy book. I’m anxious to find another one. 8/5
- **The Hole in Our Holiness (Kevin DeYung, 2014). A good reminder of the need for holiness–what it is, why it’s important, and how to pursue it. You don’t hear much about holiness anymore. 8/6
- **Night Train (Martin Amis, 1997). A very unusual mystery, centering around a young woman who apparently committed suicide, but of course our intrepid hero–a guy, of course–thinks was murdered. Nothing special, but very unusual in construction. 8/15
- ****Funny in Farsi (Firoozeh Dumas, 2003). The author’s family immigrated from Iran to the United States when she was 7. Her father worked for an Iranian company. They returned for Iran for a bit, but then came back to the States and, after the Iranian revolution, stayed for good. Dumas, with great wit, tells stories about her family, about adjusting to life in America, and other subjects. Story after story. I loved it 8/24
- ****Jesus is Better than You Imagined (Jonathan Merritt, 2014). One of the best Christian books I’ve read in a long time. Jonathan Merritt is a Baptist preacher’s kid and a highly-regarded journalist (with a Master of Divinity to boot!). The guy can WRITE. But what stands out is his heart for knowing God. Merritt has a strong contemplative streak, and writes with a great deal of personal vulnerability. He deals with a collection of subjects, all of which take you closer to understanding, or at least recognizing, the mysterious ways of God. So many Christian books have one great thought which gets dealt with in the first couple of chapters, and the rest of the book is just padding. In this book, Merritt brings it with every chapter. I highly recommend this book. 8/27
- ***The Stolen Dog (Tricia O’Malley, 2013). The author’s Boston terrier is stolen from her porch, and she and her husband go all-out to get the dog back. They plaster the city with “lost dog” posters, and venture into some very seedy, dangerous areas in search of Briggs, their beloved dog. It’s amazing what they go through, and how many crank calls they receive–some very sadistic, in which adults and children tell how they have killed/beheaded/dismembered Briggs. Lots of involvement from psychics, too. It’s a short book, and I think I got it free on my Nook. 8/29
- ****HHhH (Laurent Binet, 2013). A totally unique book. Part history–the story of Reinhard Heydrich, a truly evil Nazi who was assassinated in 1942 by Czech partisans. Part historical novel. And part documentary–about the writing of the book itself. Laurent tells some of the story of Heydrich, and then tells how he learned that information and the decisions he had to make in telling the story. It’s almost impossible to adequately describe this book. Just take my word for it: it’s utterly fascinating and unique. 9/13
- **Custom Scars (Steve Henry, 2014). Written by a United Brethren pastor with Marfan’s Syndrome, a rare and terrible disease. He has undergone numerous heart and brain surgeries, while also raising five children (two of whom also have Marfan’s). It’s an inspiring story. 9/20
- ****Angel of Zin (Clifford Irving, 1984). Paul Bach, an SS investigator, is sent to the Zin Jewish extermination camp to figure out who is committing some murders and leaving tantalizing notes. It’s a somewhat surreal book. But Irving develops great characters, and you feel the horror of what occurs at Zin. I loved this book. 9/27
- ****An Event in Autumn (Henning Mankell, 2013). This is a novella about Kurt Wallander, which occurs just before the events in the very last Wallander book. It’s a nice story. Wallander is considering buying a country house, but in the backyard finds a hand sticking out of the ground. It’s a woman’s skeleton, and she’s been there many years. Who is she? The police squad mobilizes to identify her…and the other person they find buried nearby. At the end, Mankell writes about the character of Kurt Wallader–very fascinating stuff. 9/30
- ***Fletch and the Widow Bradley (Gregory McDonald, 1982). Fletch gets canned for writing a newspaper article in which he quotes somebody who is already dead. He then goes about tracking down the real story to exonerate himself. 10/18
- ***The Third Bullet (Stephen Hunter, 2013). Bob Lee Swagger investigates the JFK assassination. A very fascinating take on what happened. You learn an awful lot about the details of the assassination. 10/25
- ****Alex Cross, Run (James Patterson, 2013). Several stories come together. There Elijah and Josh, two guy with a long history of killing together. There’s Ron Guidice, a news blogger with a deep grudge against Alex Cross. And there’s Amanda, a foster girl in the Cross household. Very well done, and everything is wrapped up in a satisfying way. 11/1
- ****Cross My Heart (James Patterson, 2014). The 21st Alex Cross book, all of which I’ve read in order. This is the first cliff-hanger, to be continued in the next book. The villain is Marcus Sunday, AKA Thierry Mulch, who is targeting Cross’s beloved family. 11/5
- ****Never Go Back (Lee Child, 2014). The 18th Jack Reacher book, all of which I’ve read (pretty much in order). Reacher makes it to Washington, wanting to hook up with Major Susan Turner, whom he interacted with via phone two books before. She was head of the 110th MP, the unit Reacher previously commanded. But upon arriving, another guy is in charge and Turner is in a military jail. Meanwhile, Reacher gets dragooned back into the service, and thugs come after him. There’s a plot afoot, and Reacher goes about unraveling it. Oh, and he’s told he has a 15-year-old child living in California, a kid he didn’t know about. It’s a rather short Reacher book, but includes a 100-page short story featuring Reacher as a West Point cadet, who gets caught up in events in New York City involving Son of Sam and a city-wide blackout. 11/7
- ****The Ghosts of Belfast (Stuart Neville, 2009). A fascinating book set in Northern Ireland. It features Gerry Fegan, a renowned IRA hitman who is haunted by the ghosts of 12 people he killed nearly 20 years before. The ghosts won’t leave until he has killed the persons who ordered the hits. This leads him into all kids of trouble with IRA leaders. There’s also Marie McKenna, a pariah among the IRA, and her daughter Ellen. Lots of action, and I really had no idea how it was going to end. 11/9
- **Hot Mahogany (Stuart Woods, 2008). The 15th Stone Barrington book. This time he’s helping out CIA operator Lance Cabot, whose brother was beat up and had a very expensive piece of furniture stolen. You learn a lot about the high-end rare-furniture business. It’s kind of complicated and not as interesting as most Barrington books. Barrington meets up with a hot Russian woman in this book. She’ll be gone by the next one. Holly Barker also makes an appearance. 11/26
- ***Loitering with Intent (Stuart Woods, 2009). The 16th Stone Barrington book fine Stone and Dino in Key West, trying to find a young man who needs to sign some papers before a huge business sale can go through. The guy is set to inherit $21 million form the deal…but refuses to sign the paper. There are hitmen, Coast Guard, a former finalist at Wimbledon, a miscellaneous cops. Stone’s boss, Bill Eggars, is more involved than in most books. Stone hooks up with a hot woman doctor in this book. I really enjoyed this book. 11/27
- ****Butcher’s Moon (Richard Stark, 1974). The 16th Parker novel, and the last one for 20 years. This may be his best. Parker and Grofield go to Tyler, Texas, scene of a robbery two books ago in Slayground. It’s been a couple years. Parker left the money hidden in an amusement park. Now he figures it should be clear for him to go retrieve it. But it’s not there, and Parker figures the local mob found it. He’s determined to get his $73,000 back, and begins causing all kinds of headaches for the mob. It goes from there. Lots of references to previous books. 11/30
- ****Comeback (Richard Stark, 1994). Parker and several others rob the proceeds from a Christian revival meeting in a big stadium. There’s a double-cross, some lame-brained thugs trying to nose into the score, some not-so-righteous persons associated with the evangelist, and a cop with a sadistic side. A very enjoyable book. 12/1
- ****Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Cheryl Stayed, 2011). Still reeling from the death of her mother from cancer, a very recent divorce from a good guy, and adventures with heroin, Cheryl Strayed got inspired to walk the Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from Mexico to Canada. She started in central California and walked to the Washington border, about 1100 miles. The journey includes frequent flashbacks to recent events in her life. It’s all very fascinating, and told expertly. 12/11
- ****Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand, 2010). Louie Zamperini lived an amazing life. Juvenile delinquency. Olympic athlete at the 1936 Berlin games. B-24 bombardier during the war with Japan. Nearly 50 days in a life raft. Then several years of horrific abuse as a prisoner of war. Hillenbrand does an amazing job telling the story; she spent seven years writing it. 12/19
- ****Bad Chili (Joe Lansdale, 1997). This is the fourth book in the Hap and Leonard series, which I’ve grown to love. Lansdale is such a good writer. Hap and Leonard–a white guy, and a black gay man–are two really tough guys, and best friends. They live in a small town in Texas. This story winds around, involving a psycho ex-wrestler, some mysterious videos, a lost lover of Leonard, a new love for Hap, and a chili magnate. Four more books remain in the series, and three of them are sitting on my bookshelf. 12/25
- ****The Phantom (Jo Nesbo, 2011). Harry Hole, while in Hong Kong, learns that Oleg, a boy he helped raise, has been arrested for murder. He heads back to Oslo and begins investigating. It leads him into the drug underworld, which is dominated by a synthetic form of heroin called violin. Lots of twists and turns. 12/26
- ****The Terrorists (Maj Sowell/Per Wahloo, 1975). The 10th and final Martin Beck mystery (I read them mostly in order). This is one of the best. Several cases are dealt with, but mainly it’s about Martin Beck heading up a task force to protect a visiting American Senator from a band of terrorists who have been killing government leaders in countries around the world. 12/29
- ****Miracles (Tim Stafford, 2012). A superb exploration of miracles. Looks at how miracles occurred in the Bible (an impressive bunch of people never saw miracles, or at least none were recorded), how God tends to use miracles, the international Pentecostal movement which emphasizes miracles, and much more. I loved this book. Highly recommended. Really made me think, and expanded my view of God. 12/31
Favorite Books of 2014 (so far)
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
- HHhH
- No Country for Old Men
- Miracles
- Unbroken
- Butcher’s Moon
- Duty
- Fletch Too
- Jesus is Better than You Imagined
- Torn
- The Innocent