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Spring 2019 Preview

A few Spring books of note now that the season is a couple weeks old. Very likely that I will acquire all but the Atkinson. Lots of old friends....

Let me know in the comments what you are looking forward to this Spring.

CELTIC EMPIRE - Clive and Dirk Cussler - OUT NOW
I have been reading Dirk Pitt adventure novels for going on 30 years. Realistically I should have stopped about 20 years ago. The books can be rousing tales but now I brush past the long action set pieces. I’ve read too many. There is a vintage car, lots of bullets, careening through streets, or something with a boat, etc. It has all gone a little stale. His 'long-lost' kids showed up about 6 or 7 books ago. Snooze. Neither Cussler has figured out how to use them without making them into frustrating dopes who always do the wrong thing. Now ‘doing the wrong thing’ is the stuff of narrative tension, here the kids are only annoying plot devices. I read these books for me, as a reminder of who I was back then. They are a time machine. And despite my qualms, they are a ride I will always take.

HEAT WAVE - Maureen Jennings - April 30
New series from this Canadian author, and one of my favorite historical mystery writers. Excited to see what is new.

IF SHE WAKES - Michael Koryta - May 14
I always look forward to a book by Michael Koryta. Something about his Midwestern sensibilities and the fact that he vacationed in Wisconsin as a boy. I can't think of a book of his that has ever disappointed.

CARI MORA - Thomas Harris - May 21
New work by Thomas Harris is always welcome, but it is complicated for me. I tried to wrestle with why a few months ago.

THIS STORM - James Ellroy - June 4
SNL did a skit on Weezer. Matt Damon hosted that week. It got a little play, went viral for 48 hours. In the skit, you have two characters arguing about the rock band Weezer. Leslie Jones thinks Weezer peaked with Pinkerton and has been terrible since. Matt Damon says "he rides or dies" for all of it. And then his girlfriend mutters incredulously "For Weezer?" So yeah I'm buying the latest book by James Ellroy.

BIG SKY - Kate Atkinson - June 25
Officially 10 years late to the Kate Atkinson bandwagon. After taking a few books off BIG SKY is the follow-up to STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG...which is without a doubt one my favorite title since a book that was titled ANOTHER BULLSHIT NIGHT IN SUCK CITY.

Currently Reading: NEW IBERIAN BLUES - James Lee Burke
To Be read: 34


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