Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, by Philip K Dick

• Title:  Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said
• Author:  Philip K Dick
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started: 8/1/2025
• Finished: 8/9/2015

I haven't read too much of Dick.  Definitely read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and liked it, and maybe a couple of others.  This book ("Flow My Tears...") was not a book I enjoyed very much.  I suffered through it.  Seemed like a potentially interesting short story, but it was a slog to get through this as a novel-length work.  Way too dated.

Fiskadoro, by Denis Johnson

• Title:  Fiskadoro
• Author:  Denis Johnson
• Purchased (used) on Amazon.com
• Started: 8/1/2015
• Finished: 8/8/2015

Another Denis Johnson book, the author whose work I only recently discovered and subsequently devoured.  This one sounded like it would be my favorite (post-apocalyptic, takes place in the Florida Keys) but I had a tough time getting through it.  I still enjoyed it more than many other books I've read recently, just not as much as the other Johnson books.

Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee

• Title:  Go Set a Watchman
  
• Author:  Harper Lee
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 7/26/2015
  
• Finished:  7/31/2015
  

I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time just a month ago, and liked it a lot.  But having just recently read it I haven't had my entire life to idolize Atticus.  So this new book, while not great, didn't somehow ruin Atticus for me.  I think a lot of people who have idolized Atticus over the years were probably reading more into the book TKAM than was actually there.  

Either way, GSAW isn't a very good book.  It isn't bad, but it is desperately in need of a good editor.  Harper Lee obviously had one, and the book that came out of the edits & rewrite was TKAM.

I, Claudius, by Robert Graves

• Title:  I, Claudius
  
• Author:  Robert Graves
  
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 7/21/2015
  
• Finished: 7/25/2015
  

I had hit a bit of a dry spell with books lately.  I enjoyed one of the recent books (The Voices, by FR Tallis) but otherwise haven't been enjoying much of what I've read since early June.

That all ended, triumphantly, with I, Claudius.  I have avoided this book since my youth.  Always seeing it in book stores when I perused fiction and literature, always listed on top 100 books ever written.  I thought it looked dense and sounded boring, the cover was always just a bust of Claudius and made it look impenetrable.

Well, I'm an idiot.  One of the best books I've ever read, struggled not to put it all away in one sitting.  Could not get enough of of this one, hated that it ended. 

Wonder what other books I've let go for decades out of sheer ignorance?

All You Zombies, Five Classic Stories, by Robert Heinlein

• Title:  All You Zombies, Five Classic Stories
  
• Author:  Robert Heinlein
  
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  
• Started: 7/19/2015
  
• Finished: 7/20/2015
  

Pretty good collection of Heinlein stories, a couple were great and the other three were at least decent.

The Voices, by FR Tallis

• Title:  The Voices
  
• Author:  FR Tallis
  
• Borrowed From DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  
• Started:  7/15/2015
  
• Finished:  7/18/2015
  

When I first start this book I thought I wouldn't like it.  The set up seemed too much like other works (Burnt Offerings to name one).  But I found myself unable to stop listening and by the end I have to admit, I really liked it.

What I didn't love, was the myriad of questions left hanging at the end.  It isn't that I needed the whole book wrapped up nicely.  True haunting or not, there were just too many unresolved plot lines and/or red herrings.  In particular, the story of the friend Simon Ogilvy.  I find the lack of answers or resolution to Simon's story to be the most difficult to ignore.  The reader is led to believe his double-life is that he is a closet homosexual, but since that is not ever truly resolved there are other (possibly more far-fetched) more sinister interpretations.

Maybe I wouldn't feel so unresolved on this one if I had read it with a book club or something like that and could discuss it.  But as it, there are not many reviews or others commenting on this in any detail, and those that have done so mostly express these same frustrations.  Overall very happy I read this one.

Wastelands 2 - More Stories of the Apocalypse, by John Joseph Adams

• Title:  Wastelands 2 - More Stories of the Apocalypse
• Author (editor): John Joseph Adams
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started: 6/24/2015
• Finished:  7/15/2015

 
I wanted to like this one more than I did.  I had to go back and read my post on the original Wastelands  anthology and it turns out I felt the same way about that one as well.
 
Some of the stories were good, some were terrible.  Most were only ok.  None were amazing.  Maybe The Postman, but I'd already read the full novel. 
 
Also, I shouldn't use this as a complaint about the content of the anthology but here goes -- the audiobook was terrible.  The readers were just not very good, and in some cases took away from the stories.
 
 
 
 

Hickory Dickory Dock, by Agatha Christie

Title: Hickory Dickory Dock

Author:  Agatha Christie

Borrowed from "little library" in Northside Park, in Ocean City, MD

Started: 7/11/2015

Finished: 7/11/2015

Woke up early at the beach this morning and took the dog for a walk around Northside park in ocean city, md. Stopped to check out the free books at the little library box (https://www.facebook.com/LittleLibraryByTheBay?ref=stream) and found a Poirot book. Started reading it about 7 am and finished it in the early afternoon.  A very relaxing day...

The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft, by HP Lovecraft & Leslie S. Klinger

• Title: The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft
• Author:  H.P. Lovecraft
• Editor/Annotator:  Leslie S. Klinger
• Borrowed from DC Public Library
• Started: 5/12/2015
• Finished: 6/28/2015

 
A rare swing & a miss by Klinger, in my opinion.  If you read through this blog you'll see nothing but praise for Klinger's other new annotated volumes on Holmes and Dracula, but this Lovecraft edition pales in comparison.
 
I'll start with a remark that might help explain my lack of enthusiasm -- I don't really like Lovecraft.  I don't find his stories fun, scary, interesting.  I've always struggled to read them and to maintain interest when doing so.
 
Having said that, I have always loved annotations, and in previous works Klinger's annotations were wonderful and really added to the stories.  Unfortunately it appears that Klinger isn't much of a fan of Lovecraft either, if his annotations are any indication.  These were dry, few and far between, and really did not add anything to the works.
 
I decided not to make separate entries for each story, but I'm going to list out those included so I have a note of them when running searches against this blog.  The stories included follow:

• Dagon
• The Statement of Randolph Carter
• Beyond the Wall of Sleep
• Nyarlathotep
• The Picture in the House
• Herbert West: Reanimator
• The Nameless City
• The Hound
• The Festival
• The Unnamable
• The Call of Cthulhu
• The Silver Key
• The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
• The Colour Out of Space
• The Dunwich Horror
• The Whisperer in Darkness
• At the Mountains of Madness
• The Shadow over Innsmouth
• The Dreams in the Witch House
• The Thing on the Doorstep
• The Shadow Out of Time
• The Haunter of the Dark

And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie

• Title:  And Then There Were None
• Author:  Agatha Christie
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Audiobook)
• Started: 6/20/2015
• Finished: 6/23/2015

 
I had never read this book before, only seen the old movie from the 40's and then various other versions in pop culture.  So the ending was a surprise, in that I wasn't positive of the murder or motives, even if I knew the killer was one of the earlier victims.
 
Extremely enjoyable book.

Tree of Smoke, by Denis Johnson

• Title:  Tree of Smoke
• Author:  Denis Johnson
• Borrowed from DC Public Library
• Started: 6/2/2015
• Finished: 6/19/2015

Continuing with my literary man-crush on Denis Johnson, I listened to his huge novel, Tree of Smoke over the last three weeks.  Like each of the past novels by Johnson, I loved it.  But unlike those other novels, this one has more mixed reviews.  Those reviews, including a particularly harsh one from The Atlantic, haven't swayed my opinion of this work.  I found it funny, moving, and an amazing read.  

I'm going to do my best to take break from Johnson while I still have a few of his works left unread, so I can enjoy them over a longer period of time.

The Laughing Monsters, by Denis Johnson

• Title:  The Laughing Monsters
• Author:  Denis Johnson
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started:  5/27/2015
• Finished: 6/1/2015

 
 
Much like the infatuation the narrator of this story, Nair, feels for Michael Adriko, my man-crush on Denis Johnson continues unabated.  Much like Nobody Move, and (for me) before that Train Dreams, I could start this one as soon as it was finished. 
 
It is hard for me to describe what I like (love?) about Johnson's writing.  There is a feeling I get when reading his work... I don't know, but I damn  sure do enjoy it.

A Family Affair, by Rex Stout

• Title:  A Family Affair
• Author: Rex Stout
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started: 5/21/2015
• Finished:  5/27/2015 

 
The final Nero Wolfe book (at least the final one by Stout), not the best but not the worst either.  Comfortable to the very end.

To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

• Title:  To Kill a Mockingbird
• Author:  Harper Lee
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started:  5/12/2015
• Finished: 5/20/2015 

 
My great hidden shame has finally been exercised.  The college literature major, from the south, who had never read Lee's classic is gone forever.  Despite knowing the characters names, and catching pieces of the famous film here and there, I had never read the book or seen the movie from start to finish.
 
With the recent news of the (unauthorized?) prequel that has been released, I thought I should finally get my act together and read what many consider to be one of the greatest books ever written.
 
Hard to argue with those who believe so.  I wish I had read it as a high school student, seems like it could have led to good classroom discussions.  None the less I was often mesmerized, finished the book this morning on a hour long run in DC, and found myself choking up several times.
 

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami

Title:  The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Author:  Haruki Murakami
Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
Started: 4/21/2015
Finished: 5/11/2015
 
It took me three full weeks to get through this one, which is something like 23 or 24 hours long.  I had no idea it was such a huge book, and such a long read, but I didn't mind -- I loved it. 
 
I'm not sure what was going on, really, or more to the point I'm not sure what the ultimate message was supposed to be.  But this was just such an enjoyable experience, and was expertly read by Rupert Degas.  I would never have been able to have read the character of May Kasahara in my head, the way Degas reads her, and the novel would have been much less enjoyable without his inflections.  I think I looked forward to May's interactions with the main character Toru more than any other part of the book (outside of the WW2 stories, maybe).
 
Anyway, an excellent long read, that I finished just a few hours shy of the mandatory return date by my public library.

Arms of Nemesis, by Steven Saylor

• Title:  Arms of Nemesis
• Author: Steven Saylor
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Book)
• Started: 4/20/2015
• Finished: 5/7/2015 

 
Despite not liking the first Roma Sub Roma book all that much, I read the second (published order second) because I couldn't find anything else to start.  Liked this one even less, I think I'm finished with this series.

Woman with a Birthmark, by Hakan Nesser

• Title:  Woman with a Birthmark
• Author:  Hakan Nesser
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
• Started: 4/16/2015
• Finished: 4/21/2015 

 
Another Inspector Van Veeteren mystery, notable for the total lack of police influence in the case.  Characters were enjoyable as ever.

Roman Blood, by Steven Saylor

• Title:  Roman Blood
• Author:  Steven Saylor
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 3/27/2015
• Finished:  4/19/2015 

 
I wanted to like this one more than I did, particularly the ending that felt forced.  Still, it was fun to have another take on Cicero and Tiro, will probably give the second book in the series a chance at a later date.

March Violets, by Philip Kerr

• Title:  March Violets
• Author:  Philip Kerr
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started: 4/8/2015
• Finished:  4/15/2015 

 
Wanted to like this one more than I did.  There was one really unnecessarily detailed sex scene (same complaints two books in a row, maybe I am a prude), and the book was wrapped up much too quickly with a coincidence that was too ridiculous to overlook.
 
Having said that the atmosphere of the book and the protagonist were both good -- probably good enough to eventually read the rest of the series, but not anytime soon.

Kindness Goes Unpunished, by Craig Johnson

• Title:  Kindness Goes Unpunished
• Author:  Craig Johnson
• Borrowed from Worcester County, MD Public Library (AudioBook)
• Started: 3/31/2015
• Finished: 4/7/2015 

 
I was going right along with this third book in the Longmire series, enjoying it a fair amount despite the ridiculous plot, and then the out of nowhere sex scene.  I'm no prude, I don't mind sex in books at all, but it was so out of place and unnecessary  that it ruined the book for me.  Seems like I'm not the only reviewer (from my web searches) to feel this way. 

Nobody Move, by Denis Johnson

• Title:  Nobody Move
• Author:  Denis Johnson
• Borrowed from DC Library (Audiobook)
• Started: 3/26/2015
• Finished:  3/30/2015 

 
Denis Johnson has quickly become my favorite author that I had never heard of.  A couple of books back I read his "Train Dreams" and loved it.  This time around it was the noir-ish Nobody Move and I almost read it again as soon as I finished, I enjoyed this book so much.
 
 

The Spartacus War, by Barry Strauss

Title: The Spartacus War
Author: Barry Strauss
Borrowed from DC Public Library
Started: 3/31/2015
Finished: 3/26/2015

The final book on Spartacus for me, I think. This was a very good description of the possible/hypothetical rise and fall of Spartacus based on ancient texts. I've seen the authors name around quite a bit and was curious to see how I like his writing. My favorite is still the Howard Fast novel, but these are two very different books and not competing against each other. Both were great reads.

On a side note: this is the first book I've read in a long time that was in print and not an ebook on the kindle or an audiobook. Last one was sometime in 2014 I guess. That is hard to believe.

Savage Season, by Joe Lansdale

• Title:  Savage Season
• Author:  Joe Lansdale
• Borrowed from DC Public (audiobook)
• Started: 3/23/2015
• Finished:  3/25/2015 

 
The old saying "you can't go home again" might apply here.  I've read all of the Hap & Leonard books and really enjoyed them, so I thought I'd listen to the audiobook version of the first in the series, Savage Season.  Probably a mistake.  I could barely stand the book this time.  Still some good humor, but I found most of this book really off-putting this time around.  Oh well.

Salvation of a Saint, by Keigo Higashino

Title: Salvation of a Saint
Author: Keigo Higashino
Borrowed from dc public library (audiobook)
Started: 3/16/2015
Finished: 3/22/2015

Another book in the detective Galileo series by my new favorite Japanese crime writer. I liked this one, but not as much as the previous book in this series that was amazing (devotion of suspect x).

Conspirata, by Robert Harris

Title: Conspirata
Author: Robert Harris
Borrowed from DC public (kindle book)
Started: 3/10/2015
Finished: 3/20/2015

Roman Empire-fest continues for me with the second of the Robert Harris trilogy on Cicero. I liked this one quite a bit, even though it took me a while to get through. Looking forward to finishing this series, but taking a short break with yet another book about Spartacus up next.

Death Without Company, by Craig Johnson

Title: Death Without Company
Author: Craig Johnson
Borrowed from Worcester County (MD) public library (audiobook)
Started: 3/11/2015
Finished: 3/15/2015

The second Longmire book. Not nearly as good as the first, but still an enjoyable read. Will take a break from the series for a few books before continuing.

Train Dreams, by Denis Johnson

• Title:  Train Dreams
• Author:  Denis Johnson
• Borrowed from Worcester County (MD) Public Library (Audiobook)
• Started: 3/9/2015
• Finished:  3/10/2015

 
This was a short work, a novella, and took just a couple of hours to read/listen to.  I have to admit I had not heard of Johnson, and it was by title alone that I decided to borrow this one.  Well I'm glad I did, what a wonderful story, powerful, and very different from the usual (crap?) I read.  A short work that will stay with me for quite some time, I'm certain.

Spartacus, by Howard Fast

• Title:  Spartacus
• Author:  Howard Fast
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 3/3/2015
• Finished:  3/9/2015

 
My Roman historical fiction fetish continues with Spartacus, by Howard Fast.  As I mentioned in my last post I've had a really good run of books so far in 2015, and Spartacus continues that trend.  I can't get over what a great book this was, despite barely telling the story of Spartacus, his rise, an the battles fought.  The book bounced around between voices, stories, time, and it was just so good.  It is no wonder it was made into a movie not long after it came out, and I like the movie.  But the movie is nothing compared to this extremely readable, enjoyable book.

The Cold Dish, by Craig Johnson

• Title:  The Cold Dish
• Author:  Craig Johnson
• Borrowed from MD Worcester Public Library (AudioBook)
• Started: 3/2/2015
• Finished: 3/8/2015 

 
A quick preface:  Until this entry, all of the audiobooks I've listened to that have been noted on this blog were downloaded through "Overdrive."  This book marks the first "OneClickdigitial" book I've listened to, which is offered by Worcester County public library (they also offer Overdrive).  I had just about given up on finding anything of interest on OneClickdigital, until I noticed they had the Longmire series.
 
I'm a late-comer to the Longmire books, having only discovered the Wyoming sheriff after watching the A&E tv series.  I knew they were based on books, and I liked the TV show, but I wasn't sure I liked it enough to bother with the books.
 
Well as I mentioned in the preface, I wasn't finding much of interest on the OneClickdigital page provided by my library, until I saw they had several Longmire books.  I figured out which was the first in the series (The Cold Dish), download it, and was hooked. 
 
Look, the TV is great and all, but wow, the book?  Incredible.  And much as Michael Prchard is Archie Goodwin (and Nero Wolfe), and Simon Vance is jack Aubrey (and Stephen Maturin), this book was read by George Guidall and by god he is Walt Longmire.  The reading of this book is an incredible performance. 
 
I've had a good run of really enjoyable books in 2015, and this is one of the most enjoyable so far.
 

Imperium, by Robert Harris

• Title: Imperium
• Author:  Robert Harris
• Borrowed from Worcester County MD Public Library (Kindle Book)
• Started: 2/16/2015
• Finished:  3/2/2015 

 
I finally finished the TV series Spartacus recently (my sister calls it "Spartacus:  Porn and More Porn") and it put me in the mood for some fun Roman historical fiction.  I'd been wanting to start the Robert Harris Cicero trilogy and I figured what better place to start than the fall of Spartacus?  Very much enjoyed the book, and as I approached the end I stayed up later than intended this past Sunday night.  Rarely do I let a book allow me to lose sleep on a Sunday night, but this time I did.
 
As it turns out, the second book in the trilogy isn't available for download by my library yet (sorry Mr. Harris, no royalties from me), so I'm reversing course and about to start the Howard Fast novel, Spartacus, on which the Kirk Douglas movie was based.

One Came Home, by Amy Timberlake

• Title:  One Came Home
• Author:  Amy Timberlake
• Borrowed from Worcester County Public Library (Ocean City, MD) -- AudioBook
• Started: 2/26/2015
• Finished: 3/1/2015

 
I don't read many young adult books (this one is recommended for grades 5-8!), but I was desperate for a new book and needed on ASAP, and the description of One Came Home sounded interesting enough.  Sort of a toned down version of "True Grit" and "The Searchers."
 
It was pretty good, story kept me entertained through my workouts.  Ending dragged a bit, especially after the conflict had been resolved. 

The Return, by Hakan Nesser

• Title:  The Return
• Author:  Hakan Nesser
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started: 2/19/2015
• Finished:  2/25/2015

 
Another Inspector Van Veetren mystery, my least favorite so far.  While plot is never my biggest concern when reading mysteries (it's all about the characters), this one is too farfetched, even for me.  Still enjoy these characters, but the book wasn't great otherwise.

The Devotion of Suspect X, by Keigo Higashino

•  Title:  The Devotion of Suspect X
• Author:  Keigo Higashino
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started: 2/14/2015
• Finished:  2/18/2015

 
I'm blowing through audiobooks these days.  When you factor in an hour at the gym in the morning, and then 30 minutes or so walking to/from the office, I'm racking up the books. 
 
Anyway, this book is by the same author of the book "Malice" I just listed to a couple of weeks ago, and I think I like this one even more than Malice (and I loved Malice).  These are great "I know who did it" mysteries, where there are so many plot twists and turns, very fun.  I could read these all day.

A Battle Won, by S. Thomas Russell

Title: A Battle Won
Author: S. Thomas Russell
Borrowed from: DC public kindle book
Started: 2/5/2015
Finished: 2/15/15

The second in the Captain Hayden/Themis series, entertaining enough. But I'm not sure how much more of these I can read, as it is a constant "perfect man beaten down constantly by those around him" thing, to the point that it is comical and unappealing. Will take a break and see if it seems worth coming back to the series.

An Inquiry into Love and Death, by Simone St. James

• Title:  An Inquiry into Love and Death
• Author:  Simone St. James
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started:  2/6/2015
• Finished: 2/13/2015 

 
Recommended to me on my public library audiobook account, I took a chance on this period piece love/ghost story.  I wasn't crazy about the ending, but overall the book was enjoyable.  I would have preferred a little more ghost, and maybe not the "surprise" Nazi bad guys, but overall an enjoyable book.

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel

• Title:  Station Eleven
• Author:  Emily St. John Mandel
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Book)
• Started:  1/20/2015
• Finished:  2/4/2015 

 
Shortly after I finished "The 39 Steps" I started reading "Abominable" by Dan Simmons.  Made it more than halfway through that novel before I had to admit I wasn't enjoying it, and shouldn't torture myself just because I hate to leave a book half-read.
 
So I move onto the book for this post, "Station Eleven."  A post-apocalyptic novel, but not like any I'd ever read.  This wasn't the struggle for survival with roving bands of outlaws.  Told through several voices, going between past (pre-flu) and present (post-flu) it was a strangely enchanting book.  Not sure how else to put it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Borkmann's Point, by Håkan Nesser

Title: Borkmann's Point

Author: Håkan Nesser

Borrowed from DCPublic (audiobook)

Started: 2/2/2015

Finished: 2/5/2015

I thought "Minds Eye" which I read recently was the first of the Inspector Van Veeteren mysteries, but it turns out it was the third. This book was the first. Very much enjoying this series, although the murderer was pretty easy to guess early on, the motive was not.  

Malice, by Keigo Higashino

• Title:  Malice
• Author:  Keigo Higashino
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started: 1/28/2015
• Finished:  2/1/2015

 
I read about this book in the WSJ several months back and thought it sounded interesting.  "Keigo Higashino combines Dostoyevskian psychological realism with classic detective-story puzzles reminiscent of Agatha Christie..."
 
I'd like to pretend I understand exactly what that review meant months ago, but it was only after devouring the book that I feel up to speed.  When I first started listening I was so put off by the reader's voice that I almost quit.  I'm glad I stuck it out, once the reader switched from the first narrator to the second, I began to appreciate how the book was being read.  That's hard to explain unless you listen to it, of course, but I digress.
 
This book was fantastic, an excellent mystery.

Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie

• Title:  Murder on the Orient Express
• Author:  Agatha Christie
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started: 1/22/2015
• Finished:  1/27/2015 

 
The most famous mystery by Christie?  Poirot's most impressive deduction using his little grey cells?  I've seen ever film and tv version of this story (including the first porn to ever grace my adolescent eyes, "Lust on the Orient Express" -- a classic!), and have enjoyed them all.  But until recently I had not read any of Christie's works, and only now have finally read MotOE.
 
I can see now why this work is so famous.  Even having the ending spoiled by all the film adaptations, the book is a masterpiece.  I can't imagine what it must have been like when first published, with the big reveal.  What a great read.

Under Enemy Colors, by S. Thomas Russell

• Title:  Under Enemy Colors
• Author:  S. Thomas Russell
• Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
• Started:  1/15/2015
• Finished:  1/21/2015

 
I think maybe, initially, I didn't want to like this one.  It was read by (a surprise to me), Simon Vance, whom I've praised repeatedly in this blog.  This one was read wonderfully as well, but I was taken aback to hear Vance's characters/voice on a work so similar to the Aubrey/Maturin novels. 
 
While much less literary than those Master & Commander books, Under Enemy Colors was exciting and enjoyable all the same.  So my initial reluctance was won over, for the most part, by a very enjoyable book.

Mind's Eye, by Hakan Nesser

• Title:  Mind's Eye
• Author:  Hakan Nesser
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started: 1/7/2015
• Finished: 1/14/2015 

 
I think I was predisposed to like this one, having been wanting to read it for a while.  So even though the plot was pretty easy to figure out from the start, the characters are entertaining, the book is very well written, and, well, I liked it.

The 39 Steps, by John Buchan

• Title:  The 39 Steps
• Author:  John Buchan 
• Borrowed From DC Public (EPub)
• Started: 1/5/2015
• Finished: 1/6/2015

 
Needed a quick, free public library read and opted for this mystery/thriller.  It was a very fast, easy read.  Fun enough, but forgettable. 

Might as well be Dead, by Rex Stout

• Title:  Might as well be Dead
• Author:  Rex Stout
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started:  12/29/2014
• Finished: 1/6/2015

 
Another Nero Wolfe book, as I've mentioned before I really enjoy listening to these.  But I need a break of a couple of books between each.  Listening to two in a row, as I did hear, I find myself weary of the characters.  But just a short break between listens and these are entertaining again.

Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill

• Title:   Heart-Shaped Box
• Author:  Joe Hill
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 1/2/2015
• Finished: 1/5/2015

 
I think this was Hill's first novel, I liked it well enough.  Again I preferred the first half or so and felt that it fell apart in the second half.  But an enjoyable and quick horror read.

The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill

•  Title:  The Woman in Black
• Author:  Susan Hill
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Edition)
• Started:  12/28/2014
• Finished:  1/1/2015

 
 
First book of 2015?  I started it in 2014 but technically finished in 2015.  Very enjoyable but short book, followed up by watching the movie a day or two later.  Both were scary, book was better by far, but I did enjoy the atmosphere in both.

Horns, by Joe Hill

• Title:  Horns
• Author:  Joe Hill
• Borrowed from DC Public (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 12/14/2014
• Finished:  12/26/2014

 
Liked, but didn't love, this one from Joe Hill.  The opening was fantastic, first third or so of the book was really enjoyable.  But it sort of fell apart for me in the second two thirds.  Still looking for a good, scary book, to satisfy my craving...

If Death Ever Slept, by Rex Stout

• Title:  If Death Ever Slept
• Author:  Rex Stout
• Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
• Started:  12/18/2014
• Finished:  12/28/2014 

 
After a few weeks or so without steady exercise due to a home purchase and move, I started back to it over my lunch hour and needed a reliable audiobook to keep me going on the treadmill.  So I picked up (roughly) where I left off in the Nero Wolfe series.  Another reliable, enjoyable, easy to listen to mystery read so expertly by Michael Prichard (who I just learned has also read the complete Travis McGee series... that might be my next book line-up).

Thirteen, by Richard K Morgan

• Title:  Thirteen
• Author: Richard K Morgan
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Audiobook)
• Started:  11/10/2014
• Finished:  12/17/2014 

 
This was a mammoth audiobook, something like 22 hours.  Took me a long time to get through, and now it feels like there were dozens of smaller novels in there.  I liked it, overall, something of a Blade Runner feel to it, coupled with Total Recall and a few other Sci-Fi movies for good measure. 

20th Century Ghosts, by Joe Hill

• Title:  20th Century Ghosts
• Author:  Joe Hill
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 12/1/2014
• Finished:  12/12/2014

 
Was in the mood for some ghost stories and this one was available via my libraries overdrive system.  Not particularly scary, save the first story, but entertaining enough to keep me reading most nights.

Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur C Clarke

• Title:  Rendezvous with Rama
• Author:  Arthur C Clarke
• Borrowed from DC Public Library (Kindle Edition)
• Started: 11/1/2014
• Finished:  11/30/2014

 
Playing fast & loose with the dates, but it was somewhere in there.  Very enjoyable old scifi read.