Tuesday, May 01, 2007

April Books Bought and Read

For once, I actually read more books than I bought...but just barely. The first three books bought were either ex-library copies or thrift store purchases, so I didn't spend much for them. The rest of the books were purchased on my recent Texas trip.

I hadn't realized that April was such a month for mysteries - I read three of them. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries. I've read them all, but it's been two years since I read one. I'm taking my time, reading them in the order they were published. If you haven't read any of the Nero Wolfe novels, I'd recommend trying one of the collections of novellas. (You can see the complete list here.)

As always, highly recommended books from "Books Read" are linked.

BOOKS BOUGHT

The Ragamuffin Gospel (NF 1990) - Brennan Manning

Duel: Terror Stories (collection 2003) - Richard Matheson

H.P. Lovecraft Tales (Library of America 2005)

Altmann's Tongue: Stories and a Novella (1994) - Brian Evenson

The Bride of Hell & Other Stories (1949/2006)- Marjorie Bowen

The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: Stories (1998) - Aimee Bender

The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories (1941/2006)- Wilkie Collins

Microcosmic God: Volume 2 of the Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (1995)

The Green Glass Sea (YA 2006) - Ellen Klages

Invitation to a Beheading (1959)- Vladimir Nabokov

The World of Nabokov's Stories (NF 1999) - Maxim D. Shrayer

BOOKS READ

Seven Money Mantras for a Richer Life (NF 2004) – Michelle Singletary

The Door Within (Juv. 2005) – Wayne Thomas Batson

Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture (NF 2006) – Walt Mueller

Fledgling (2005) – Octavia E. Butler

Art & Fear (NF 1993) – David Bayles and Ted Orland

Heart-Shaped Box (2007) – Joe Hill

Marley & Me (NF 2005) – John Grogan

Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories (2007) – Elizabeth Hand

School Days (2005) – Robert B. Parker

The Ragamuffin Gospel (NF 1990) – Brennan Manning

The Silent Speaker (1946) – Rex Stout

Baltimore Blues (1997) – Laura Lippman

And there you have it.

6 comments:

John said...

Thanks for the chronological Nero Wolfe link. Growing up it seemed like my dad had a thousand slender Rex Stout paperbacks, and I'd like to be able to make sense of them (and maybe abscond with a few). Lots of Ngaio Marsh in there, too, I think.

Andy Wolverton said...

It takes a few books for Stout and his characters to hit their stride, but a chronological journey is a lot of fun.

gs said...

After reading them chronologically, it's interesting to go back through them in alphabetic order by title. This has the effect of "jumbling" them up, and you read early stories intermingled with later ones. This allows you to contrast the differences in writing style and characters' personalities as they changed over the decades.

Andy Wolverton said...

Welcome aboard, gs --

Yeah, the first time I read them as I found them in used bookstores, so chronologically I was all over the place. But you're right - some interesting contrasts in character and style.

What do you think of the A&E Nero Wolfe episodes? I just ordered Season One Disc 1 from Netflix yesterday, so I'm eager to see if they are - dare I say it? - satisfactory.

Unknown said...

Can you say a little about Heart-Shaped Box and why it's not highly recommended? Everyone I've talked to drools over Joe Hill and the couple stories of his I've read are damn fine, but I'm wondering what didn't get Joe the coveted italics.

Andy Wolverton said...

Trent, I'm no doubt swimming upstream on Heart-Shaped Box, but the problem for me was I had no interest in rooting for the main character. Just didn't do it for me. I think Hill is a very good writer with some great ideas (I've only read a few of his short stories, but I think those are outstanding.), but I was a bit disappointed with the novel. Too much hype, maybe? But it wouldn't keep me from reading his next one.