Ever since I got a Kindle I have been buying books at a feverish pace. Not only new ones but old favorites. I want to have them on hand so if I want to dive into a new book I just have to click on it and start reading. So I have gone out and repurchased many titles that I already own in hardcover.
Block and Ellroy and Vachss OH MY!!!
I have been busy downloading the complete works of three of the all stars in mystery/detective/hard boiled writing for the Kindle.
You all know how I feel about the great Lawrence Block who it the reigning king of the mystery novel. I have just finished rereading all of the Matt Scudder books that I had downloaded after I had purchased his latest entry in the series "A Drop of the Hard Stuff." Rereading these books is like visiting an old friend. You can really get an appreciation of the talent on display when you read them one after another.
After our recent discussions with "J" on the evil blogger ladies blog I also started downloading some of my favorite James Ellroy novels. Ellroy is a manaic but one of the most talented writers around today. He is an acquired taste...sometimes he veers off into really strange places. Dark places. But there is a lot of substance there.
I am just jumping back into "White Jazz" and it is a crazy ride. Well worth you notice.
Finally I also downloaded a bunch of Andrew Vachss books about Burke. He is really dark and some of it is a tough go. But he is a much more linear writer than Ellroy even though they seem to touch on the same themes some of the time. The Burke series is one of the best hard boiled detective series out there and you really get a slice of low life when you read them.
So I can spend what little time I have this Labor Day Weekend reading some of my favorite books from some of my favorite authors.
What could be better than that?
Hey that gives me an idea for a poll!
10 comments:
I tried to read Ellroy once but the intensity was like what gives with this guy? I don't remember the details but wasn't his mother murdered in a particularly gruesome way and he was witness to either the murder itself or the murder scene and he was only like 11 years old? Anyway, he has demons that are inexpungible and they're always the story inside the story he's telling.
OH MY!!!!! Yes! The Trooper is made of tougher stuff than MamaM, who can only take on one Vachss a year without feeling overwhelmed. And that's without adding anything else dark to the mix.
"Are James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard brothers? Don't they both write about LA.? I live in LA. My twazzie is swollen. Baseball is boring, like the Kentucky Derby.
Carol "Ditzy" Herman
What could be better than that?
I bought a keg and box of cigars for my neighbors on Sunday is what could be better. We'll see.
Real community, El Pollo style.
I just inherited a Kindle from my bride, she bought a new Nook. I'm reading the biography by George Vecsey on Stan Musial on my inherited Kindle and love both the book and the device. Trooper, did you know Brooklyn fans gave Stan the nickname "The Man." He killed the Dodgers and they had a grudging respect for him.
You will enjoy your kindle. I do recomend Lawrence Block highly.
Ellroy is a tougher pick because his style is very choppy and takes some getting used to. But if you get some of his early stuff like "Silent Terror" or "The Black Dhalia" you will enjoy them.
Andrew Vachss stuff is the real deal as MamaM mentioned. He worked in the field of child abuse so he has a lot of stories that he tells that he must have adapted from what he dealt with in his real life. Some of it is heartbreaking. But it is a really good read.
chickenlittle said...
What could be better than that?
I bought a keg and box of cigars for my neighbors on Sunday is what could be better. We'll see.
Hey. I am on my way! Save a stogie and a growler for me.
Actually the wife won't let me smoke cigars anymore because I have this stupid cough. So I have to ration them out.
And she hates when I drink beer because I become a crazy person.
So I am walknig the straight and narrow path these days.
Hey. I am on my way! Save a stogie and a growler for me.
I'll post you a photo tomorrow when I pick it up.
When I was in the Caribbean last year I wanted to pick up a box of cigars but I couldn't deal with the custom and duties bullshit. Plus I wouldn't get to smoke them every day so I held off and just bought some to use while I was on the ship.
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