Thursday, December 29, 2016

The Blue Hammer, by Ross MacDonald

  • Title:  The Blue Hammer
  • Author:  Ross MacDonald
  • Borrowed from Fairfax, VA Public Library (Audiobook)
  • Started: 12/23/2016
  • Finished: 12/29/2016
Book 101 for 2016, and my final book for the year. Also the final book in the Lew Archer series, and thus complete my in-order reading of the series which started in July.  Enjoyed this one, as I enjoyed them all.  Some more than others, only one was a real let down to me (find a victim).  My all time favorite is The Chill, a masterpiece in my opinion.

So long, Lew.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Sleeping Beauty, by Ross MacDonald

  • Title: Sleeping Beauty
  • Author:  Ross MacDonald
  • Borrowed from Fairfax, VA Public Library (AudioBook)
  • Started: 12/16/2016
  • Finished: 12/22/2016
Book # 100 for 2016!  Holy crap, I have consumed a bunch of books this year, blowing away my second-highest year (2015) where I read 72 books...  At least two thirds have been audiobooks, but that doesn't bother me.  My commute to the office went from a 5 block walk (2007-2014) to a 30/40 minute walk.  

Sleeping Beauty is the second to last book in the Lew Archer series.  I like this one a lot, the oil spill felt topical and sad -- this did not feel like a book from 50 years ago...

One thing I find interesting about these later Archer books is MacDonald has him sleeping with women more often.  Women were always interested in Archer, some blatantly but there were only a few (that I can recall) times when Archer succumbed.  These last few books have all included such dalliances. 

I just started the final Lew Archer book, will be sad to have this one completed.  Really enjoy these books.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

The Underground Man, by Ross MacDonald

Title: The Underground Man 
Author: Ross MacDonald 
Purchased used in print on Amazon.com
Started: 12/11/2016
Finished: 12/18/2016

Continuing my reading of the Lew Archer series in order, I really enjoyed this one.  Didn't see the ending coming, though I should have, so it all came together and made for an enjoyable read. 

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Goodbye Look, by Ross MacDonald

Title: The Goodbye Look
Author: Ross MacDonald
Purchases used on Amazon
Started: 11/20/2016
Finished: 12/10/2016

Continuing my Lew Archer series in order, I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to, but I suspect that comes from my 20 mins a night reading of a book with a complicated plot.  I was lost by the end - need to reread at a time when I can devote more attention to this for extended periods. 

Saturday, December 10, 2016

The Asylum, by John Harwood

Title: The Asylum
Author: John Hardwood
Started: 12/1/2016
Finished: 12/10/2016

So-so period piece mystery/drama. 

Friday, December 9, 2016

The Hard Way, by Lee Child

  • Title:  The Hard Way
  • Author:  Lee Child
  • Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
  • Started:  12/1/2016
  • Finished: 12/9/2016
These Jack Reacher novels are terrible, just the worst.  This guy just seems like the biggest asshole in the world.  Yet, here I am having devoured the first 10 books in this series, so I must be a glutton for punishment.