Monthly Archives: January 2012

on reading, on writing

On Reading and Writing…

I love a good story. I love to read – I love to write. This blog is about what I like to read and why. Sometimes I’ll write a review of a particular book, but most often I’ll talk about a group of books and what it is that makes them work for me. I’ll also post about writing.

There are many good authors out there. A short list of some of my favorites, without getting into details are: Dennis Lehane (dark), Tim Dorsey (outrageously funny), Ed McBain, Sue Grafton, Ian Rankin, and Shakespeare. I threw Shakespeare in to get your attention. He writes good characters and humor. Then there are the SF writers – Isaac Asimov, Connie Willis, Orson Scott Card, Frank Herbert, Ursala Le Guin, David Brin, Arthur C. Clark, Larry Niven (my favorite) and many more.

I’m always looking for new authors. I go the library every couple of weeks and pick up six to eight books. Most of them are by first-time authors or authors I’ve never read. There is nothing like a good story with interesting characters to keep you entertained.

character, humor, reviews

Colin Cotterill – Slash and Burn

I just read Slash and Burn by Colin Cotterill (along with a couple of other books.) A great read. He is an author I haven’t previously read, but the book is not a first novel for him. This is the eighth book in his Dr. Siri series.

The series is set in Laos in the late seventies. Dr. Siri is the official coroner for Laos. A job he never wanted. He’s pushing eighty and keeps trying to retire. I’ve never been to Laos, never wanted to go, and have no clue about the culture or the environment. Yet, I felt right at home there through Cotterill’s writing. He writes great descriptions of the place and of his crazy characters.

The interactions between the locals and a group of Americans on an MIA mission are thoroughly entertaining. The story has a wild plot and lots of good humor.

I always enjoy discovering a good author. Please forgive me if I don’t talk about books I don’t like. I couldn’t do any of them justice since I usually don’t read past the first few chapters. I do almost all of my reading at night for an hour or two or three when I go to bed. I finished Slash and Burn in two late nights.