I Am Pilgrim By Terry Hayes

I read a lot of books. So I have gotten a little picky over the years. So when I find a book that is pretty remarkable, I have to say something about it. Especially when it is a first novel.
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes is such a book. Oh My Gosh! I remember seeing this book in an airport bookstore in Denver a couple months ago. The cover wasn't spectacular but for some reason I picked it up and read the blurbs and the synopsis and filed it away in the "to be read" box in my head.
Fast forward to a week ago. I am in my little local library just seeing if there is anything new that would keep me busy and I noticed in the large print new releases, I Am Pilgrim. My memory kicked in and I remembered that I had wanted to give it a try. Large print didn't bother me, my eyes probably need it.
So, I took it home. I was in the middle of reading another favorite author, Terry Brooks, but right before bed I picked up Pilgrim and read the first page. And the second, and the third and realized very quickly that I had found something special.

It is a rare thing for this to happen. For me, only a handful of times. The Unlikely Spy by Daniel Silva, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, a very little known book by Martin Davies titled, The Conjurer's Bird, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Now, I add Mr. Hayes to the list. There is a depth to this book that rises it above most thrillers. A book I will actually remember as opposed to many that are just so much fluff. James Patterson comes to mind. There are some great thriller authors out there, Ben Coes, Marc Cameron, the late Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Matthew Dunn, Daniel Silva, Richard Doetsch, Greg Rucka. I read everything that is produced by these fine authors, but the only one that comes close to Hayes is Silva.

Pilgrim begins with a brutal murder scene in New York City, a emotionally and physically wounded homicide detective and a brilliant investigator who has no name. From this beginning we learn all about this man, what he has done and where he has been. The action ranges from the dark days of 9/11 to the corridors of power in Washington DC, a farmhouse in North Dakota and to the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan as well as a city square and a beheading in Saudi Arabia which leads to a birth of a new kind of terrorist that will be hunted to prevent the deaths of millions of people.

Hayes brilliantly weaves the histories and locales of all of these disparate entities into a novel that at times you long to put down, but can't. Watching the matching of wits between the Pilgrim and the Saracen is a thing to behold.

This book and Mr. Hayes are the real deal. I am ready for the next one.

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

The English Girl by Daniel Silva




The English Girl (Gabriel Allon Series #13)


There are very few authors who consistently put out books that are unputdownable. Daniel Silva is one of the few. The English Girl is just another example of this. Gabriel Allon is one of the greatest creations in thriller fiction in the last 20 years. When reading his exploits, it feels as if you are reading about actual living breathing people. You care about these characters. For the unitiated, Gabriel Allon is a member of the Israeli Secret Service. But, even more interesting is his talent as a restorer of great art.
As with the other Allon books, all is not what it seems. The story revolves around the British PM and the blackmail scheme surrounding him regarding his mistress who has been kidnapped and given 5 days to live if the ransom demand not met. With secrecy needed. Gabriel is asked to track down the kidnappers and save the girl. For long time Silva readers, the reemergence of Christopher Keller from The English Assassin is a welcome addition. (Mr. Silva, Keller needs his own series, please)
Throw in the old favorites, Chiara, Eli, Mikail, Dina, Rimona and the rest of Gabriel's crew and The English Girl is thoroughly entertaining and one of the best books of the year. Shamron would be pleased. 

The series begins with The Kill Artist, but the second book in the series explains much of the first and is one of the best of the series. That would be the aforementioned English Assassin. Try it and you will be hooked. These are classy well written books.

It has been too long! I am bad blogger!

Hello all. I am so sorry that it has been so long since my last post. I have read many books and found some cool new authors that I think that you all would love. I am also very willing to answer any questions relating to books I have read this year so far. Here is the list..
In order of being read..

The Thieves of Heaven - Richard Doetsch (St. Pierre #1) Really good start to a series.
The Thieves of Faith - Richard Doetsch ( St. Pierre #2) 4 stars
The 13th Hour - Richard Doetsch (Stand Alone) 5 stars.. Really innovative. I will write a review..
Half Past Dawn - Richard Doetsch (stand Alone) 5 stars Can you see a pattern here? I was captivated by this author
Appaloosa - Robert B Parker (Cole and Hitch #1) Fun western as only Parker could write it.
Resolution - Robert B Parker (Cole and Hitch #2) Ditto
Brimstone - Robert B Parker (Cole and Hitch #3) Double Ditto
Blue Eyed Devil - Robert B Parker (Cole and Hitch #4) Triple Ditto
A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time #14) The end of one of the greatest fantasy series ever written.
Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion - Brandon Mull  (#2 in a series, YA fantasy, very well done)
The Fallen Angel - Daniel Silva ( Allon #12) One of the greatest thriller series currently being written, smart and interesting
Assassin's Code - Jonathon Maberry ( Joe Ledger #4) AA really awesome and mind blowing series. Very original and awesome. The first book is Patient Zero. Highly Recommended!
The Paladin Prophecy - Mark Frost (Paladin #1) YA Fantasy for boys. Very cool and well done. Has the WOW! factor.
The Key - Simon Toyne (Ruin #2) Good thriller
The Innocent - David Baldacci (Robie #1) Start of anew series about an assassin with a heart. Good book.
Abandon - Blake Crouch (Stand Alone) A very good horror novel from a talented writer. Takes place in the 1800's and today, involves an old ghost time.
The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey ( First book of a series, a VERY good YA book, dystopian future.
The Hit - David Baldacci (Robie #2)
The Last Refuge - Ben Coes ( Dewey Andreas #3) One of the best thriller writers around at the moment. A very good writer, Start the series with Power Down.
Extinction Machine - Jonathon Maberry ( Joe Ledger #5) Again what can I say. Extremely cool series with some very cool ideas.
Silken Prey - John Sandford ( Davenport #23) I have been reading this series for 20 years. Ever since being blown away by Rules of Prey way back when. This series must be read in order to get the full flavor of his character, Lucas Davenport and his life.
Inferno - Dan Brown (Langdon #3) I want to go to Italy so bad after reading this book. If you like puzzles, history and art, you can't miss with this book, likewise with Silva.
The English Girl - Daniel Silva (Allon #13) I can't say enough about this guy. Everyting he has ever written has been stellar.
Hounded - Kevin Hearne (Atticus #1) Extremely fun and cool series about the last Druid, alive for 2100 years he now resides in Phoenix, looks 21 and his life is far from boring Along with his Irish Wolfhound Oberon, I doubt there is a cooler human / canine duo in speculative fiction. If you are fans of Butcher or Hamilton, this is right up you alley. VERY CLEVER and FUN!! I will be reviewing.
Hexed - Kevin Hearne (Atticus #2) Ditto

So there you have it through July of this year. Currently I am reading Hammered the next Aticus/Oberon book and The Thieves of Darkness by Doetsch. Both outstanding.

Stay tuned for reviews..

The BookGod

The Deep Zone by James M. Tabor

   


The Deep Zone

I just finished this wonderful first thriller by the non fiction author of Blind Descent, James Tabor. This guy is the real deal. I really liked his characters and pacing. I don't know why but I am very partial to thrillers and fiction that take place deep underground. The standard for this type of book is The Descent by Jeff Long. Extremely scary and interesting to boot.
But, The Deep Zone is a very worthy read. In a nutshell:

 Unjustly fired from a clandestine government laboratory, microbiologist Hallie Leland swore she would never look back. But she can’t ignore an urgent summons from the White House to reenter the realm of cutting-edge science and dangerous secrets.
 
“Potentially the worst threat since Pearl Harbor” is how the president describes a mysterious epidemic killing American soldiers  in Afghanistan—and now poised for outbreak in the States and beyond. Millions will die unless Hallie and a hastily mobilized team can recover the ultrarare organism needed to create a new antibiotic. The good news is that Hallie knows more about the organism than anyone else on the planet. The bad news is that it can be found only at the bottom of Earth’s deepest cave.

Hallie’s team is capable—especially the mysterious Wil Bowman, who knows as much about high-tech weaponry as he does about microbiology—but the challenge appears insurmountable. Before even reaching the supercave, they must traverse a forbidding Mexican jungle populated by warring cartels, Federales, and murderous locals. Only then can they confront the cave’s flooded tunnels, lakes of acid, bottomless chasms, and mind-warping blackness. But the deadliest enemies are hiding in plain sight: a powerful traitor high in the Washington ranks and a cunning assassin deep underground, determined to turn Hallie’s mission into a journey of no return. 

The idea of being miles undergound is just plain spooky and the landscape that Hallie and her team have to travel is brutal. When reading this it is easy to start feeling claustrophobic. Traversing one of the largest and deepest caves in the world is no picnic especially when you consider it is all done by headlamps. Just the thought of running out of batteries makes you squirm.

This is a very quick read and if I remember correctly there are no "F" bombs at all in the book. Just serious suspense and some really bad guys that you want to see come to justice. Overall, a very fun book.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage (Passage Trilogy Series #1)




Okay, sorry for the delay, but I will try to get more on here than I have been. This is my first "adult" book that I have posted. Meaning that the themes are for a mature reader. There are things that are not appropriate for those under 18. But, these are only a handful. The book isn't loaded with sex and language
.
That being said, I first heard about this book when it was released in June of 2010. It had widespread awesomely great reviews with Stephen King, (whom I don't always agree with) calling it one of the 10 best books of the year. Here is a sampling:

Men's Journal

Addictive, terrifying, and deeply satisfying. Not only is this one of the year's best thrillers; it's one of the best of the past decade - maybe one of the best ever.

Time

A literary richness that rivals Stephen King's The Stand.

Which points to my next remark. I think that "The Stand" by King is one of the best books ever written. It is huge, sprawling and terrifying in all the best ways. And so is The Passage.

Here is the gist of it..

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.” 

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

You literally cannot put this book down. Cronin is a real writer and his talents are on full display. When you are reading this book, you have to stop and look outside just to see if there are people still walking around and life is normal. It is that good. So, if you are looking for a great summer read, that will make you think about quite a few things and you want to be ready for the sequel in the fall. Do yourself a favor and put down the trash that is 50 Shades of Gray and read some real writing with real storytelling. Great book!

 

Suggestions for the kids.

Hello!  I hope all of you are well. I have been asked recently to recommend some books that are good for young readers. There are quite a few voracious readers out there that are in the 10-12 year old range that NEED some suggestions, or I guess Mom needs some suggestions to keep sane over the coming summer and try to not hear the dreaded "B" word uttered on a daily basis. I have read these books as well and there is nothing that is inappropriate.

First, The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan.




The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice Series #1)

This is a ten book series that is set in the fictional world of Aruluen. Flanagan's writing isn't cheap or contrived. His characters are full blooded and real. I am glad that Flanagan decided to write these books for young adults. He could have easily used his creation in more base ways and that would be a shame. This is by far one of the best crafted fantasy series available for any age.It follows the story of the foundling, Will and his experiences in training with the mysterious Ranger Halt. The Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom and Will finds adventure beyond his wildest dreams. Also check out John Flanagan's beautiful website for this series. Great music in the background.
www.rangersapprentice.com



 Next,

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson




Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz Series #1)

This is by far one of the funniest. most imaginative series that I have ever read. Here is the plot in a nutshell.
Alcatraz Smedry is an orphan who has gone from foster home to foster home. Not because he's unruly or bad, but because he has a Talent for breaking things. Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness. You will seriously laugh out loud with this one and it should stop the dreaded "Bored" conversation from happening in your home.
There are four books in the series.

Well, those are a couple that should help in the coming days. I will blog about a book for mom or dad later today hopefully. One that I couldn't put down.

The BG

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Okay, I am so sorry that this has taken so long but, we have a very busy month. A new baby granddaughter, a son graduating from High School and a wedding at the end of May. But, now I am ready to post the first book on this blog.
It is:
Divergent by Veronica Roth



Divergent (Divergent Series #1)

If you read Hunger Games and really who hasn't you will love this book. It is part of the current crop of Young Adult titles that have been hitting the shelves with mixed results ever since the remarkable Harry Potter came on the scene.

 Similar to Hunger Games but different. Divergent is a dystopian view of a future Chicago where most people belong to one five factions. Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Erudite and Candor. Each contribute something different to society and are crucial to the whole.

Upon your 16th birthday, after an assessment,  you choose which faction you will devote your life to. In doing this, you will in some cases leave the family and faction that you have grown up in to completely change your life and in essence become another person with a whole different life. You leave all friends, family and beliefs behind. Unless, you choose to stay in your current faction. As you will notice, I said most. Because there are also the factionless which are portrayed as outcasts and lost souls.
The story revolves around Beatrice Prior, turning sixteen and having to make the life changing choice of  leaving her family and the tenets of the Abnegation way of life or embark on a new path.
Like Hunger Games, this book has strong female characters and themes that make us step back an evaluate ourselves if put in a similar situations. Roth's writing is strong and pure. This reads very fast, you have a hard time putting down this tale of things that seem familiar but really aren't. There are surprises, cruelty, and excitement along the way as well as mysteries about just what is really going on in this society.

 I would recommend that those 12 and up read this. There are some normal teenage, coming of age feelings involving the opposite sex, violence/death and jealousy, but nothing that is done in poor taste. In fact I am amazed at the skill that Roth shows in this her first book. It makes me green with envy.

 I strongly recommend this book. It will be a big title in the coming months as will the follow up, Insurgent, which is now and available and which I am currently devouring and there will be a third volume probably in 2013.

This is a 5 bookmark read!