Action/Adventure Aficionados discussion

I liked the one McDermott book I read, vowed to read more. The Navy phrase that comes to mind is... "Exercise overtaken by evnts."

I just finished Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell. I found it rather dry, but the ending was good. I have the next book here to read after a break for something else on the list.

I love his books. I'm reading his latest, Return To atlantis. It's just as breathtaking as his others.

I had no idea he had a new book out and that Nina and Eddie are returning to Atlantis. Thanks for letting me know.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Just started The Sisters Brothers. Odd book. It was recommended here as dark humor, action and a bit unique. I'd say so far that's fairly true though the humor has left me a bit cold so far, mostly..."

I've got this book in my TBR pile but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

It's set in the American west apparently during the later years of the gold search. There's a certain anachronistic feel if it's supposed to be during the gold rush as it began in 1849 and was pre-Civil War while this has the post-Civil War "western" feel in some ways. Still you can't call it a typical western. As I said, sort of it's own animal.

All done with MHI Legion and another great book in a series that I can't get enough of. So I decided to read another of Larry Correia books, Hard Magic. I'm also doing the audio book and I seem to be having a problem with the narrator. For me he sounds like Forest Gump and I can't get past it. I'm not sure why it bothers me, I'll give it another try today.

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "I just finished Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell. I found it rather dry, but the ending was good. I have the next book here to read after a break for something else on the list."

I thought the third book really came alive in that series. I liked the first two because the way Black Jack worked the fleet reminded me of my old days in CIC figuring out course and speed to get on station, and course to stay on station once we got there. About the time that got old, I think the message about "how do we wage war, in an honorable way with all the carnage and chaos that comes with it?" started coming out and I found the message was really good, and helpful, as a serviceman.

I also like the idea of "Conducting your life in a way that would honor your ancestors." That's a great way of expressing spirituality, without bringing religion into it. (not that it's not there.)

Eileen wrote: "All done with MHI Legion and another great book in a series that I can't get enough of. So I decided to read another of Larry Correia books, Hard Magic. I'm also doing the audio book and I seem to ..."

I'd hang with it. I have a hard time changing narrators on the same author. It messes with me for a few chapters but, eventually I adjust. I did a lot of the Sigma Force Books as audio books and changing Narrators really made me struggle to adjust... but if the books good, and they were, I came around before the need to abandon the read took root.

Janey wrote: "I love his books. I'm reading his latest, Return To atlantis. It's just as breathtaking as his others.

I had no idea he had a new book out and that Nina and Eddie are returning to Atlantis. Than..."


You're welcome. Andy has about 6 or 7 Chase and Wild books out. They're all worth reading.

I finished Gone by Randy Wayne White, which was tightly plotted and executed, with a bold twist: woman investigator chasing to ground a vicious sexual predator. Ladies may raise their eyebrows, a bit -- Possibly (YMMV) the way this heroine's character was detailed seemed (deliberately?) slanted for an audience of male readers. Didn't detract from the tension, though, taken as a thriller, she's a strong lead, and the narrative is first rate.

My other read is nonfiction, Navy Seals: A History: Post-Vietnam to the Present.

Have you read the Jack Daniels books Janny. I found the parts from the psychopath's point of view a bit too much but the books are well written. A female cop searching out sadistic murders. Whiskey Sour is the first.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Have you read the Jack Daniels books Janny. I found the parts from the psychopath's point of view a bit too much but the books are well written. A female cop searching out sadistic murders. Whiske..."

Mike - shudder, ;) no, I've not read Jack Daniels (I have to add, grin, I prefer single malt!) I don't find books from a psychopath's POV my cuppa, no matter how splendidly written. Getting into their heads = creepy.

Gone did not make any attempt to sympathize with the monster. It's more of a heroic escape book. I like Randy White's work, there's a lot to admire - but even the exemplary handling in Deep Shadow - I had the audio version - and I admit without shame to fast forwarding PAST the gristly bits at the start - too much up close 'gritty' detail in murders/abuse of women and children by the antagonist - when it reads like nightmares, I sometimes find the over the top trend toward the 'graphic' at times too much for my already ultra vivid imagination.

I don't avoid grim, per se, but when the dosage is heavily horrific - I get the point best without the emotional overload of All That technicolor, blow by blow detail.

Sometimes a scene has that and it also depicts more/a breakthrough insight about human nature. Sometimes it is a seamlessly needful part of a story and not gratuitous - but the writer who can handle that degree of compassionate sensitivity, in my reading mileage, is very rare.

One of the bones I pick with regularity is the trope of Establishing the Bad Guy with the almost yawnfully requisite scene of showing abuse to women or kids, even animals - and the flip side of that - establishing the good guy by the contrast, of saving some screaming female from rape.

Gone was UNUSUAL - in that - the male predator hit on women who had the same flaws and insecurities as the woman protagonist - that was very bravely written, and a striking take.

This book ISN'T a police procedural story. Not a bit.

I should have added - Gone's heroine is not a police woman, but a Florida fishing guide who, before the book's opening, once helped out with her deceased uncle's PI business.

I simply used the expedient of skipping the parts from the psychopath's point of view... :)

If I plan to drink however I do prefer Tennessee Whiskey, though I'd probably take George Dickel over Jack, ;)

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I simply used the expedient of skipping the parts from the psychopath's point of view... :)

If I plan to drink however I do prefer Tennessee Whiskey, though I'd probably take George Dickel over Ja..."

Janny wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Have you read the Jack Daniels books Janny. I found the parts from the psychopath's point of view a bit too much but the books are well written. A female cop searching ou..."

Between Whiskey Sour (Jack Daniels), and The Pawn(the Patric Bowers Files) I'm on record as liking both, but I give the nod to Patrick bowers (By Steven James).

I also aquiess that in the opening chapters of the pawn, he gets as intimate with the villain as most stories and his villains are bad guys. Very bad guys and crazy.

I belive, this is a good thing because, he's got a moral message in these book that doesn't come all the way out until the end. (Look up Seven James and you will see that he is also a spiritual writer, like ted dekker).

I think his books are the best of it's genre, because his touch with the spiritual message is so light, that it does not detract from the story, and once you get it, it's more of a spiritual nature than it is a religious one. More about living a good live than following God.

To make his spiritual point come clear, he's got to first make bring Bowers and the Villian on a paralell heading so you can see that Bowers is suffering from depression and grief and he's uncertain about taking care of his daughter who more than anything needs him to step up and actually "BE" Dad, not just the legal gardian.

So he very skillfully (and intelligently) gives you a peak at both of them, (and his daughter is on a similar course) then, allows the hero (and the hero of the spiritual story who is is daugher, Raven) to "Choose" to be good people and Choose to be healtiher, not give in to their very real, and very overwhelming issues.

That the distance between dealing in a healthy way with all the bad things they had to process and giving in and becoming like the villain is actually very very short, to help understand what it means to commit to the life that you have, and give up clinging to the life that you lost. (Sure Pat's wife was gone, but he hadn't moved on. Sure he had never been a Dad, but that was the life he had. He had to step up and "BE" Dad. Sure Raven was Borderline and cutting and other things, but she could look to Bowers for strength to help her overcome grief from her mother, but also that everything is inter-related. Bowers has to be there, when she is ready to reach out.

Anyway. Without the looks into the villain, that really powerful spiritual message would likely be lost. We have to see how close to the same we all really are before the importance of choices make a difference.

I just started reading Cryptozoica by Mark Ellis. I'm not sure about it yet, but it's got decent ratings, so I'll keep going.

I really like Andy McDermott's books too, although I've only read 2 so far. I also need to play catch up with his books.

I just finished "Dirty White Boys" by Stephen Hunter for the second time...about fifteen years apart. I didn't remember much about the book, other than the fact that I really liked it. I'm a fan of Hunter's, especially some of his earlier stuff.

The flawed protagonist, combined with a cast of characters I only wish I could have invented, makes for a different sort of story. There are many subplots and back-stories, but not to the point where they're annoying.
Anyone who enjoys Stephen Hunter and hasn't read this needs to, at least in my humble opinion.

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "I just finished Dreadnaught by Jack Campbell. I found it rather dry, but the ending was good. I have the next book here to read after a break for someth..."

Maybe the first books have more action. I hope so.

I liked some of the ideas. I just think there needed to be more action and less talking.

I'm another who got caught up in these Lady D (my biggest problem was the Copresident being so annoying). I recall quite a bit of action, but not sure if it picked up more in the third book. I've got the last one to go and it has to wait behind library books as I own it.

I'll probably go back and try the first books. I signed up for the one I read and she sent me the sequel.

Allison wrote: "I just started reading Cryptozoica by Mark Ellis. I'm not sure about it yet, but it's got decent ratings, so I'll keep going.

I really like Andy McDermott's books too, although I've only read 2 s..."

I have The Hunt For Atlantis in the pile.

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Allison wrote: "I just started reading Cryptozoica by Mark Ellis. I'm not sure about it yet, but it's got decent ratings, so I'll keep going.

I really like Andy McDermott's books too, although I'..."
I like the McDermott books too. Plus i got a few cheap on kindle which helps.

I'm getting ready to start Grimspace...I've been wanting to read this for a while now.

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I simply used the expedient of skipping the parts from the psychopath's point of view... :)

If I plan to drink however I do prefer Tennessee Whiskey, though I'd probably..."

That's exactly what I meant about the writer who gives us something on the journey, not just a wallow in how nasty the antagonist can get. Personal preference: I don't find my fun in futility, in any of its forms.

Randy Wayne White's bad guys are (in Deep Shadow,) in many ways, adults stunted by rage and locked into destructively childish outlooks - and the depiction is extremely realistically done, they way they 'reason' and flip on the crazy side. It was (for the first chapters I mentioned) all the graphic detail in what they DID that was horrific; not how they were depicted as personalities. I admit it added a huge charge to the suspense, later on, since you knew how nuts things are going to get. I only skipped the sections where (STORY POINT MADE) the blow by blow detail drew out the violence and made me feel skin-crawling sick. (and that's me, YMMV for those passages) - the story was superb, and won my admiration. Gripping read, well researched, with a very sharp cut view of place and character and situation.

I have started the monthly read - wow, an indie author with a polished style! This one may be quite a lot of fun. Resurrected: An Adam Wolf Thriller

Janny wrote: "I, Curmudgeon wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I simply used the expedient of skipping the parts from the psychopath's point of view... :)

If I plan to drink however I do prefer Tennessee Whiske..."

That's what I found interesting about "The Pawn" in the begining, things got down right nasty, but, as time went on in the book. We'd just "flash to him" and we'd get a sense of how "evil" the guy was, but he'd focus more on other things than the actual crime. It was very effective for keeping us intune and scared of the bad guy without grossing us out every time he came up.

In the spiritual story, Severn also served the role of the devil. I don't mean that litterally and in the spirit of the spiritual story Steven James put out there I don't think he was thinking about dual character roles.... more that Severn (the killer) showed how, without actually becoming Evil Patrick Bowers could be consumed in his role as a guy who catches serial killers to the point it kept him from doing what was "spiritually important", being a father.

In fact, it was set up well in the first couple of chapters. Right from the start I was wondering if Bowers would ever deal with is Daughter, or if he would keep pawning it off on his parents (if you'll pardon the expression) or if he would ever be able too. The idea of becoming a father of a 16 year old girl without a mother around to help seemes overwhelming to me.. and I adopted two children (at less than 1 year old each). It even supported the sense that... maybe the damage done to his family was just the cost of catching a guy this evil who could hurt many...(the old Spock Kirk thing. Do the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one.)

I like contrasting Jack Daniels with Patrick Bowers because they are both going after the same thing, a really crazed psycho. ... really, really really evil and crazy. But where Konrath wrote Daniels with faults, James wrote Bowers with Damage.
The difference was, Daniel's faults make her human and likeable. Bowers "damaged" personality has to become healed before we like him (and it does).

Contrast Bowers to somebody like Virgil Flowers and I think the last Flowers book I read, Bad Blood got harder and harder to read. With Bowers, James takes us in the wide mouth of the funnel and out the small end as "exposure" to the mind of the villain goes.

With Flowers, Sanford goes the other direction. Things kept getting harder and harder to hear about and uglier and uglier to experience. So, by the end of the book, we recover from James's villains, and at the end of Sanfords, we're ready to kill his villians ourselves.

((and don't forget to visit the Discussion on Reserection in the Featured Member Author Section...

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...)

It's a good Noir-ish story about a really tough, older guy. Adam Wolf is a lot like the character played by Sean Conery in the movie "The Rock!"

Lisa wrote: "I'm getting ready to start Grimspace...I've been wanting to read this for a while now."

It was really good, Lisa. Hope you enjoy it!

I'm reading Bedeviled, which is UF. Don't care much for the main character. Hoping to finish this in the next day.

I also started The Affair, Jack Reacher 16 (but actually a prequel) on audio. Really liking it so far. I love the way Reacher's brain works. How he analyzes a situation and reacts accordingly. Also like his sarcasm.

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "I'm reading Bedeviled, which is UF. Don't care much for the main character. Hoping to finish this in the next day.

I also started The Affair, Jack Reacher 16 (but actually a prequel) on audio. Rea..."

I love Jack Reacher as well and Harry Bosch is another really good character.

Currently listening to Zero Day. Starting to really get into Baldacci.

Started the audio of Hard Magic then stopped wasn't to my liking. Gave it a second try and getting better.

Recieved my copy of 12.21 by Dustin Thomason, I'm about 120 pages in.

So far, so good.

Just started Child of Fire, pretty good so far. Of course I never heard of the Twenty Palaces books till Del Rey had already canceled the series.

Also reading Legacies, also good so far.

Tracy, what is Baldacci's writing style like? I am enjoying trying new authors in the thriller/suspense/action genre. I might have to give him a try as well.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Just started Child of Fire, pretty good so far. Of course I never heard of the Twenty Palaces books till Del Rey had already canceled the series.

Also reading Legacies, also good so far."

I'll be curious to see what you think of it, Mike. It's very dark and gritty, but I liked it.

Eileen wrote: "Started the audio of Hard Magic then stopped wasn't to my liking. Gave it a second try and getting better."

Have this in paperback. Need to get around to it!

What's a good place to start reading Baldacci? Thanks!

Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress wrote: "Tracy, what is Baldacci's writing style like? I am enjoying trying new authors in the thriller/suspense/action genre. I might have to give him a try as well."

I get a Michael Connelly feel from him on some of his writings. Like the one I'm reading now, Zero Day, I really expect Bosch to come into the scene. He has two other novels that are related that were really good, The Wholeone Truth and DeliverI Us From Evil. They are bother terrific reads.

I'll look to see if my library has any of those by Baldacci. Thanks, Tracy!

I finished Santiago (Review Pending) and I've started the audiobook: Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia.

Holy Smoke! This thing started faster than any of the others. Earle even cracked a funny "Paranormal Testicles"... and Holly...(dreamy sigh)...(blink) um... yes, the team's all back and up to their wise cracking serious assed butt kicking....

Unknown fact of the day... "Serious Bad-assery can keep you from falling out of an aircraft."

Quote of the day: (Holly) "I know, I know, if he starts to change or anything I'll just kick him out of the door of the helicopter."...."I've never heard of a Were-bird, so I figure that will take care of him."

She's so sweet!

I am currently reading "The Night Stalker" by Chris Carter and "The Chimera Vector" by Nathan M. Farrugia...Already a fan of books by Chris carter... the Chimera Vector is debut novel, but it too is really good and fast paced and loving so far...
Also have just brought a new book - The Mayan Prophecy by Steve Alten.. Anyone has read this book? Reviews?

Sharan wrote: "I am currently reading "The Night Stalker" by Chris Carter and "The Chimera Vector" by Nathan M. Farrugia...Already a fan of books by Chris carter... the Chimera Vector is debut novel, but it too i..."

I haven't read it yet, but here is a good review on it.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I, Curmudgeon wrote: "I finished Santiago (Review Pending) and I've started the audiobook: Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia.

Holy Smoke! This thing started faster than any of the others. Earle even cracked a ..."

I totally agree!! They just keep getting better and better.

I do have one gripe... this book is shorter than the others. That's no fair!

I have it waiting in line...again, I own it so I have library books in front of it.

Currently reading Scarecrow and the army of thieves. So far so good. Fast paced and guns blazing. Lovely.

Love the Scarecrow books, Bev!

So do I in fact I love Matthew Reilly's books. Have you read Contest?

I haven't read Contest yet. I do love Matthew Reilly period, although I am still working my way through his books.

It was one of his first and a one off. It combines action with a little almost sci fi. fantastic!

My first was Ice Station. Freaking love that book!

Lady D, you are in for a treat. He got panned for it, but I thought it was an awesome read.