Books, Books, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink

I have a lot of books. More than you, probably. And don't be a hair splitter - "Gee, CB, that's pretty big headed to think you have more books than anyone." Hair splitters drive me crazy. So, let's assume that I have more books than you. It's okay that I do - I'm not going to give you a trophy for trying and I'm not going to not keep score - I've been collecting books for twenty-five years. You probably haven't, and that's okay, too.

I've smuggled boxes of books into the house under the cover of darkness. I have a hundred at my office, because there aren't any other nooks or crannies at my house. I buy books that I know I'll never read. Sometimes it's a good value. Sometimes it's part of a series I collect that I know I'll never read. I'd have to look it up to be exact, but I bet I have over a thousand hardbacks. I could tell you the exact number, because I built and Access database about fifteen years ago, and I update it every time I buy something new.

This glut of books got me thinking: maybe it's time to sell some, make room for books that I want to collect. So, here's your chance to catch up with me. I'll post some books here that are available. I'll tell you the condition, add some pics, etc. These are also listed on ebay (in the event you don't want to meet me in a parking lot with unmarked, non-sequential bills).

Buy early and often. I have a book habit to support.

John D. MacDonald & Travis McGee

I'm having some trouble with John D. MacDonald, and it's likely to go unresolved. He was a prolific writer (The Executioners for example, basis for two Cape Fear movies), known mainly to me as the creator of the Travis McGee series.

Besides seeing his books (less frequently, it seems) on the shelves of used bookstores I scrounge through, I also am aware of him due to modern mystery/thriller writers. They're all there, whether it's Lee Child in an interview, or Carl Hiaasen writing an introduction to re-released editions, many current writers throw themselves at the MacDonald altar.

And this raises the apposite question: why haven't I read any of his stuff? Well, now I have (two four, in quick succession). I put aside moderns writers, and plunged into the Travis McGee series, reading the first four of twenty-one installments, The Deep Blue Good-By, Nightmare in Pink, A Purple Place for Dying, and The Quick Red Fox, all from the early '60s.

It's more than action, or characterization, it's the way he brings it to you in a roundabout way. I had to re-read a section because I wasn't sure if Trav and one of his lady friends had rolled around together. Instead of having McGee brood, MacDonald has him stir awake in bed and think "all the little gods of irony must whoop and weep and roll on the floors of Olympus when they tune in on the night thoughts of a truly fatuous male." Or as McGee flies cross-country: "A stewardess took a special and personal interest in me. She was a little bigger than they usually are, and a little older than the norm. She was styled for abundant lactation, and her uniform blouse was not."

The irreconcilable trouble I have with John D. MacDonald is that he's no longer alive, and dead people rarely write. At least I have nineteen seventeen more McGee books to go. Vaya con dios, Juan. Thanks for all of your good work.

The Man on the Roman Candle

Free Thursday 2/13/14 and Friday 2/14/14. Click here and let me know your thoughts.

Bike Lane (A Road Rage Tale) Free 10/4 & 10/5

Pick up a copy here and let us know your thoughts.

Bike Lane by Hugh Gentry

I have it on good sources that Bike Lane will be free Amazon 4/19 - 4/20. Pick up a copy and check out his other work.

Texas Independence Day

Most people outside of the state probably don't give March 2nd too much thought, but it's a big day here. A buddy of mine had a post on FB about it, so I dug up my old copy of T.R. Fehrenbach's Lone Star, and found a passage I had highlighted. (If you're in the know, then you know that Lone Star is an outstanding go-to for Texas history).

From Fehrenbach: "Tired, dirty, bearded, hungry, angry - terrible - the army leveled its long rifles and went forward across the open plain. A Georgian Huegenot on the right, a Kentucky colonel on the left, at the head a Scotch-Irish agent of destiny from Tennessee, paced by a German fifer and a Negro beating on a drum, the Texans marched across the grass, up the swell, and down upon a dozing Mexican camp."

Happy Independence Day, Texas.

A Lonely Resurrection by Barry Eisler

TLDR: Buy all of Eisler's stuff and read it.

Authors lie. Their biggest lie is this: "Yeah, this is part of a series, but you can read it as a stand alone and not miss anything." They say it, but it's a lie.

The exception to my rule may be Lee Child's Jack Reacher series, but outside of him, you need to begin with book numero uno.

Now, to Eisler's book, A Lonely Resurrection (originally publish as Hard Rain), is the second book in the John Rain series, and you need to have read the first one (which I did and reviewed here!). I don't want to falsely claim that Eisler claims you can read these in any order, because he may not, but just don't do it. He recently got the rights back to his backlist, and the summarily changed all of the titles (he gives an entertaining explanation here).

To the book: Look, this guy can flat out write. There aren't plot twists every page, or explosions every paragraph, but he doesn't need them. This is about as close to a literary thriller I've read. Character driven vs. plot driven. I can tell by the writing that Eisler is a sharp cookie, meaning he's smarter than me, and that does piss me off a little.

I have several more of his books in first edition hard back (a couple are signed, I think), so I have more John Rain in my future.

Short of recapping the book, just read it. But be sure to read the first one first.

Fo' Stars, Barrio. Great job.

Stonewall's rating system here.