# Books Recommended by our Members (Februrary 2011)



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

For the list of recommendations in January, look here:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,47274.msg820535.html#msg820535

If you are an author or publisher, please do not 'recommend' your own books. Instead you may start a discussion/promotion thread in the Book Bazaar.

Also, please use generic links, or, even better, the link maker above to make KindleBoards affiliate links. But please do _not_ link through another site. 

Please see Forum Decorum for guidelines: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html


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## Sunset (Nov 10, 2010)

Sunset's Indie Spotlight!

Let's go with something a little more horror this month. Here are some great stories that will probably creep you out in ways you never thought possible.


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## spiritualtramp (Feb 3, 2011)

I finally read The Princess Bride. I love the movie and was not disappointed at all by the book.



I'd also like to recommend any of the books by Nathan Lowell, a fellow podcast novelist. He just finished up a series, his books were picked up by a small press last year, and they are awesome. Start with Quarter Share and move forward.


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## JimJ (Mar 3, 2009)

Just finished The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. Finshed it in under two hours, only put it down for a short break at the 50% mark. That's my only compaint about the book, it's WAY too short. Other than that though it's absolutely amazing and well worth the 9.99 price tag despite it's short length. One of the most original ways of telling a love story I've ever seen. There really aren't enough good things I can say about it, I really loved it.


ETA: I just noticed that this was loanable and I put up a thread in the Lend and Borrow Exchange if anyone's interested.


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## libro (Dec 3, 2008)

This is a beautifully intriguing debut novel. It caught me by surprise and definitely held my interest. A great read for $0.99.


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans by David Lummis http://amzn.to/hk3oN7

Here's a little article I wrote about it:

Catfish is a mysterious character in David Lummis' novel The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans. A reluctant heir to a sugarcane fortune, Catfish is also a civil rights activist. His friend B. Sammy Singleton seems obsessed with Catfish, especially after the colorful character is (dubiously) arrested for grave robbing and then goes missing. Singleton's search entails "a personal journey into a past [he] thought he had laid to rest, an excavation of buried truths about himself and about what the tragedy-bound Catfish calls the American Holocaust."

Set in the French Quarter and Faubourgs Marigny and Tremé, The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans - Part 1 blends satire, mystery, and historical fiction. Within this story are a million others. The Coffee Shop Chronicles reads like the diary of a young, ADD-challenged writer. Singleton attempts to review local coffee shops (including CC's, Rue de la Course, Café du Monde, Café Rose Nicaud, and Envie), but he always gets distracted about life, exploring such themes as the "sacrament" of coffee drinking, living sober, New Orleans' civil rights history, and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow in America.

People who are attracted to New Orleans for its history and quirkiness will love this book. Fun, intriguing, and engaging The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans offers a glimpse into the wacky world of N'Awlins characters who live on the fringes of normalcy. Locals, transplants, and visitors can all appreciate the novel which serves an armchair passport to a world like no other. Do what reader David S. Sprinkle of Baltimore urges you to do: "Read this book if you love New Orleans or intend to. It's knowing, observant, passionately felt, and beautifully written."


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Camille by Tess Oliver.

I picked it up earlier this year at only $.99 at the off chance that it was good and I have to say that I had a really hard time putting it down. It was amazing, far beat my expectations and then some. I already went ahead and purchased another of her books as well because I loved this one so much.



I definitely recommend it. It has a little romance, some historical fiction and a little paranormal in it as well.


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## pateacher (Jan 5, 2011)

I just started this book over the weekend. I am learning so much about Tiffany's creations and the people behind them.


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## Arthur Slade (Jan 20, 2011)

One of my favourite authors is Cliff Burns who writes mystery, sci-fi, horror...well he's hard to categorize but his writing is excellent. And gut churning. Here are his two books on Kindle:


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Blind Your Ponies by Stanley Gordon West. Long an indie author before the rest of us knew the word.

http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Your-Ponies-ebook/dp/B004GKNBXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297127260&sr=1-1

Miriam Minger


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## TerryB (Jan 5, 2011)

Just finished _*"In the Company of Others" * _ by Jan Karon.

I was really shocked when I read the many Amazon reviews who thought this was her worst book ever written! I completely disagree! Yes - it is different - no - it is NOT the Mitford series. This is the "Father Tim" series and true to form there is something "new" in store for readers of this series.

It takes place entirely in Ireland. Only Father Tim and his beloved wife Cynthia are present from the earlier series - although there are some phone calls and emails from Dooley his son and Emma his former church secretary. Otherwise the entire cast of characters are from Ireland - past and present!

I thought it was a lovely book of forgiveness and redemption. Never has Jan Karon gone so far into the discussion of God's grace, love and forgiveness as she does in this particular book. Whereever Father Tim goes - whether it's Mitford or Ireland - God continues to use him as an instrument of His love. Reminded me several times of the saying, "He doesn't call the equipped - He equips the called."

It's beautifully written as only Jan Karon can write. It's a lovely story - do not let the nay-sayer's have their way!

If you go into it with the expectation of something new you will be extremely satisfied!!


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

I recently finished PEGASUS by Robin McKinley (YA Fantasy) and I loved it. That woman breaks so many writing 'rules' and still manages to put out the best books...

http://www.amazon.com/Pegasus-Robin-McKinley/dp/0399246770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297184067&sr=1-1

Warning: it's part 1 of 2, and you can tell from the ending. Not a cliffhanger, per se, but definitely makes you want more. Is it 2012 yet??

Kristan


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

How about the "just-released" new Mike Hicks book: Season of Harvest - available today for $.99.
But the price will go back to a more normal price right away.



I got it.
I read it.
I love it.

Just sayin.....


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I have started following the author, Paolo Bacigalupi. (Pump Six, Ship Breaker The Windup Girl)  
Writes of a post petroleum world and develops characters wonderfully.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I recently finished reading State of Rebellion - A Pug Connor Novel - Book One by Gordon Ryan, and now I'm reading the second book in the series, Uncivil Liberties - A Pug Connor Novel - Book Two. Think of Tom Clancy, but in my opinion, Ryan does it much better.



*EDIT: I just finished the second book. It included a preview of Gordon Ryan's third book in the Pug Connor series. Sign me up!*


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## KimberElliott (Feb 9, 2011)

spiritualtramp said:


> I finally read The Princess Bride. I love the movie and was not disappointed at all by the book.
> 
> 
> 
> I'd also like to recommend any of the books by Nathan Lowell, a fellow podcast novelist. He just finished up a series, his books were picked up by a small press last year, and they are awesome. Start with Quarter Share and move forward.


The Princess Bride is an excellent book.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Just finished LOVING RACHEL by Jane Bernstein. A fantastic, brutally honest memoir about being the parent of a child with special needs.

http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Rachel-Familys-Journey-Grief/dp/0252074831/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297541222&sr=1-1

I also just got the sequel today, RACHEL IN THE WORLD. Can't wait to start reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-World-Memoir-Jane-Bernstein/dp/0252032535/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297541222&sr=1-2

Kristan


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## Gordon Ryan (Aug 20, 2010)

JimC1946 said:


> [size=11pt]I recently finished reading State of Rebellion - A Pug Connor Novel - Book One by Gordon Ryan, and now I'm reading the second book in the series, Think of Tom Clancy, but in my opinion, Ryan does it much better.


Jim, thank you for that great recommendation. I am in your debt for certain.

Cheers,

Gordon Ryan


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## DaneGrannon (Feb 13, 2011)

I recently finished reading Dead: The Ugly Beginning by TW Brown. This story is excellent in that it focuses more on the effects of the outbreak on the individual. As a reader, I am "treated" to vignettes of the absolute best and worst of humanity. My only complaint is that I don't like where the story arc ends. I am quite eager to see the sequel.


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## AlexSeverin (Feb 14, 2011)

US LINK

UK LINK

I was utterly captivated by WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. It's not a book I would have bought for myself - it was a gift from my husband. He bought it because I've always had a fascination for the Circus and Freak Shows.

I'm so glad he bought it! The writing is just superb and the ending is the most perfect ending I have ever read in a book. You will really love and hate the various characters. They're so developed and Sara Gruen seems to have known her characters so well, you'll feel you know them too. There's even characters you will start of despising and will grow to care for. This is _very_ rare and I've never encountered it before. It will make you smile, laugh and cry.

I'm not even going to pigeon-hole it with a category or genre. It's just a fantastic, enchanting book. Period. I'm in love with it.

- Alex.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Time to toot the horn for a good book:
Pelgraff by D.A. Boulter @ $2.99



I like everything Doug Boulter has written. 
And most of it is slightly different from the others. 
Courtesan is great. 
But I like this book the best. 
It is about a man's man. 
Mad Dog McLean. 
If you enjoyed the movie Gunga Din or any John Wayne movie, you will like this book. The tone is "right". McLean is unjustifiably hounded. And looks for redemption. But a hero he is.

I love the quote that the author uses when he describes the book:

"I have often been asked, had I the chance to do it again, if I would. I have never answered that question and have ignored those who asked. But I answer it now. In a heartbeat. For her. I pay my debts. If she were to call I, and all the others, would answer that call. But she will not call; for she knows we have given enough.

Alan (Mad Dog) McLean"

Just read it.


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## Pamela (Oct 6, 2010)

I love Kay Kenyon science fiction novels, especially the four book series, The Entire and The Rose.

Here's the link to Bright of the Sky, the first in the series.

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Book-Entire-Rose-ebook/dp/B003N7MYQK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297804508&sr=1-7


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## DaneGrannon (Feb 13, 2011)

http://www.amazon.com/First-Time-Dead-2-ebook/dp/B004NIFN5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297873977&sr=1-1

This is an excellent anthology.

I wrote a review on my blog http://danegrannonwriter.blogspot.com/


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## GeNext (Feb 17, 2011)

I recommend THIRD SIGHT by Ian Woodhead.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004J4W0AG


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## prairiesky (Aug 11, 2009)

I just finished these two books by Jeffery Deaver. Both were entertaining reads. If you are familiar with the Lincoln Rymes book, The Burning Wire is a good one.


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## jdj5585 (Feb 13, 2011)

Anyone have any 99 cent fantasy books by Kindle hopefuls to recommend? I'd like to read more of the genre and support the group at the same time


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## SashaSavage (Feb 17, 2011)

I saw all the Twilight movies. Now i am reading the ebooks. I just finished Twilight. The book is so much better than the movies but they usually are. Stephenie Meyer is amazing.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

SashaSavage said:


> I saw all the Twilight movies. Now i am reading the ebooks. I just finished Twilight. The book is so much better than the movies but they usually are. Stephenie Meyer is amazing.


If you like TWILIGHT, check out THE HOST. You will not be disappointed!

Kristan


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## cftodd (Jan 30, 2011)

One of my favorite authors Jon F. Merz currently has his novel PARALLAX for 99 cents. http://www.amazon.com/Parallax-ebook/dp/B0020HR7KW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1298092351&sr=1-3 It is more sci-fi action than fantasy but still a great read.



jdj5585 said:


> Anyone have any 99 cent fantasy books by Kindle hopefuls to recommend? I'd like to read more of the genre and support the group at the same time


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I just finished reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I had heard a lot of hype about this book so I was actually hesitant to read it. It seems like lately most books don't live up to their hype but this one did. It was amazing, great new twist on the genre. Yes it is YA but it is well written. The only bad thing is that it ends on a sort of cliffhanger and the next in the series doesn't come out until sometime in 2012.


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## JulianneMacLean (Feb 5, 2011)

If you like historical fiction, here's one I LOVED and couldn't put down. It's called Pope Joan, and it's about a woman in the dark ages who becomes pope for a brief time before her gender is discovered. They've made a movie, which I would really love to see! Here's a link to the Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/Pope-Joan-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B002BH5HO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC&s=digital-text&qid=1298228983&sr=1-1


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## velicion (Sep 22, 2010)

The first book I downloaded when my Kindle arrived was a zombie book called Necropolis Rising by Dave Jeffery. Most fun it was too.
http://www.amazon.com/Necropolis-Rising-ebook/dp/B0042P53RY/


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## William Meikle (Apr 19, 2010)

Given my love for all things monstrous, I couldn't turn this down.

And great fun it is too

Giant Killer Eels! by Stuart Neild

http://www.amazon.com/Giant-Killer-Eels/dp/B0046LU9Q4


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## stuartneild (Sep 14, 2010)

This was one of the first books I bought when I first got my Kindle and it's still one of my favorites.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Invasion-Extended-Version-ebook/dp/B003HS4V8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=digital-text&qid=1298235862&sr=1-1


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

I really liked Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane.  It was an adult 'coming of age' story.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Just finishing THE ARK by Boyd Morrison which is a Clive Cussler clone.  
A fun page turner, but not quite Clive.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NapCat said:


> Just finishing THE ARK by Boyd Morrison which is a Clive Cussler clone.
> A fun page turner, but not quite Clive.


See, and I thought it was superior to Clive. 

Here's a link:


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> See, and I thought it was superior to Clive.
> 
> Here's a link:


Either way I'm glad to hear it's good, because we just sent it to my boyfriend's brother in Afghanistan for entertainment. 

If anyone else has reccos on books that guys aged 18-26 would enjoy, non-military themes, that'd be great. (So like, Dan Brown yes, Tom Clancy no.) Doesn't have to be "action" books either. We also sent THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein. Just stuff that's not too "girly," and that would be of interest/entertainment to those guys. Right now I'm trying to think of some good, funny books, but I'm not sure whether or not David Sedaris would fly.

Kristan


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## bertcarson (Jan 28, 2011)

I just finished _*Painted Ladies*_ by Robert B. Parker - it's an awesome read - here's a line that grabbed me -

"No ducks, no geese, no loons, no cormorants, no sea gulls, no sailboats, no canoes, no kayaks, just the gray water, looking cold, with ice formed along the riverbanks where the current wasn't strong."

Published a few months after his death, _*Painted Ladies*_ is a great read.

Bert Carson

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane is a very good read

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## leeannebenjamin (Feb 20, 2011)

https://www.createspace.com/3558873

Great book by a new author!!

Life is But a Dream
Authored by Cheryl Shireman

Imagine going alone to a secluded lake cabin to redefine your life.

In this stunning debut novel by writer Cheryl Shireman, the main character, Grace Adams, is a woman who faces an uncertain future. Despite the fact that she built her life around them, and without her ever noticing, her daughter and husband have created lives that no longer include her.

The novel begins with Grace waking from a nightmare alone in a cabin on a secluded island in Michigan. Her beloved home, a beautiful grey Cape Cod with a white porch and gigantic hanging baskets of dark magenta petunias, has been repossessed. Her marriage has fallen apart after her husband lost both his job and his mother.

Waking in the cabin, frightened and alone, Grace reviews her life and feels as if it no longer has meaning. She gets up, walks through the woods to the edge of the lake, and while standing on the pier and looking into the water, decides to kill herself. She cannot swim and has, literally, surrounded herself with the option of death.

As the novel progresses, Grace tries to compose a suicide note to her soon to be ex-husband and determine the best method for taking her life, including some that are a bit comical and impractical. Like life, the process of suicide is more complicated than Grace had imagined.

The reader is introduced to Grace's family through a series of flashbacks. Laney, her independent daughter who is hiking in the rugged Colorado Rockies. Matt, her soon to be ex-husband who is struggling to rouse himself from a crippling depression. In addition, Grace's life becomes more complicated as she builds relationships with some of the people who live on the lake, including the beautiful but mysterious Nick Brandt who shows up on her doorstep unexpectedly. As she contemplates her fate, Grace makes a startling discovery that changes not only the course of her life, but also forces her to take action in ways she could never have imagined.

The novel is written for women and through a woman's point of view. Like the main characters in the novels of Elizabeth Berg, Grace is easy to identify with and easy to understand; for at some point, we have all felt the emotions she is experiencing. Thought provoking, sometimes frightening, and often funny, Life Is But a Dream is the story of a woman redefining herself and taking control of her life as she struggles to understand her present circumstances. It is the story of the power of love, the devastating consequences of depression, and the strength of the human spirit.


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## glotta (Feb 22, 2011)

I just finished a few books, first was Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs. This is the 5th book in the Mercy Thompson series and finally there was some resolution fo Samuel. He has been severly neglected in the past couple of books. 
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/index.shtml#RiverMarked

The next book I read took a sharp change in genre for me. Happy Hour by Michele Scott had me hesistant at first because I'm typically not a women's fiction fan, but I quickly got attached to many of the qualities in the four main characters. It went into some deep issues without getting too depressing. Great read for anyone. 
http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hour-Michele-Scott/dp/1449505570

My third book was Bitten by Kelly Armstrong. I also really liked this book but it wasn't a home run with me. The plot was a little predictable but overall I still enjoyed the read.
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/bitten/Gwen Lotta


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

I loved "Girl in Motion" by Miriam Landis Wenger. It's an indie YA book that's a coming of age account of dancers at a ballet boarding school.

The author is a former professional ballerina.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003Z9K530/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&n=133140011&s=digital-text


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I just finished reading Bastard Husband: A Love Story by Linda Lou. It's a superb memoir about an ill-fated marriage and how the author recovered from the hurt in - of all places - Las Vegas.


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## Marian Allen (Aug 18, 2010)

I reviewed Tobias Buckell's CRYSTAL RAIN at Dark Valentine Magazine. I give it MANY stars!

It's a Steampunk/Starpunk adventure with wonderful characters. Although it's a stand-alone, it's also the first of a series. Although the cover is like, "Oh, no, not sky pirates again," there are no sky pirates. Sky AZTECS, yes.

I haven't been overly charmed by Steampunk on the whole--up until now. This was... this was... this was _really *really*_ good!


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

Reading K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain by Ed Viesturs.  Really fascinating stuff to see inside the mind of some of the world's elite climbers.


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## Freedom-Reader (Feb 22, 2011)

I would recommend The Darkness of Bones by crime writer Sam Millar. It's based on a true story and is very gripping, if somewhat gory in places. I see it on Kindle for less than a buck. Can't complain about the price. 
The Darkness of Bones


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

I love Richard Russo's books.  If you want to laugh, read Straight Man, about a creative writing professor at a college who holds a duck hostage.  Russo also won the Pulitzer for Empire Falls.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

Last month _KerylR_ recommended Hard's Day Knight by John G. Hartness Hard Day's Knight , which I enjoyed tremendously. Thank you KerylR!! The writing is lean and funny - no unnecessary step-by-step accounts of every thought and action, no boring descriptions. It was as if the author simply didn't write anything he wouldn't enjoy reading. Way to go, IMHO. 
Despite the lack of tedious details, those two smart-mouth vampire boys totally came alive for me. I think I've seen Jimmies and Gregs at all the places I've ever been to - from Eastern Europe to a gun range in Florida, here they are - wisecracking Jimmy with eyes just a little too close to together, and slightly chubby Greg, better informed but a bit more clueless, sticking together no matter what, as they probably were in ancient Egypt and will be hundreds of years from now. It's not the vampire thing that drives the book - it's the friendship of those two, a nice antidote to the "lone hero" stories. Mr. Hartness got that right. And now the sequel* Back in Black * is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OL25WW (I can't make a link from the LinkMaker, sorry). I started reading it last night and I liked it a lot so far!


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## CSheehanMiles (Feb 20, 2011)

Bob_Mayer said:


> I love Richard Russo's books. If you want to laugh, read Straight Man, about a creative writing professor at a college who holds a duck hostage. Russo also won the Pulitzer for Empire Falls.


Empire Falls was wonderful, not available for Kindle yet. Still watching for it.


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## SimonWood (Nov 13, 2009)

My recommendations go to:

Debbi Mack LEAST WANTED.  2nd the Sam MacRae series and is a cracking read.
BLOOD SPORT by Dick Francis. 40+yrs old and still as fresh. 
EIGER SANCTION by Trevenian.  Just as good as the movie.


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## dmcounts (Nov 26, 2009)

I just finished Swamplandia by Karen Russell and I enjoyed it so much I have now started her first book of short stories: St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

http://www.amazon.com/Swamplandia-Karen-Russell/dp/0307263991/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298859995&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Lucys-Raised-Wolves-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307276678/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1298859995&sr=8-3

don


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