Book List 2010

Book List 2010

Total Books Read: 161

Mystery/Thriller 74

Rick Mofina- No Way Back (Pinnacle Books 2003) 4 Stars

Lee Child- Tripwire (Jove Books 2009) 4.5 Stars

Michael Connelly- The Lincoln Lawyer (Warner Books 2006) 4 Stars

James Patterson- The Big Bad Wolf (Doubleday 2003) 3.75 Stars

Tess Gerritsen- The Apprentice (Ballantine Books 2003) 3.75 Stars

James Patterson- London Bridges (Warner Books 2005) 3.5 Stars

Harlan Coben- Fade Away (Dell Publishing 1998) 4.75 Stars

James Patterson- Mary Mary (Warner Books 2006) 3.5 Stars

Lawrence Block- Burglars Can’t Be Choosers (HarperTorch 2004) 3 Stars

James Lee Burke- Cimarron Rose (Hyperion 1997) 3.25 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- The Twelfth Card (Pocket Star Books 2006) 4.75 Stars

Michael Connelly- Blood Work (Little, Brown & Company 1998) 4.5 Stars

Phillip Margolin- Fugitive (Harper 2010) 3.75 Stars

Stuart Woods- Capital Crimes (Signet 2004) 3.75 Stars

Lee Child- The Visitor (Bantam Books 2000) 4.75 Stars

Stieg Larsson- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Penguin Books 2008) 3 Stars

Ted Dekker- BoneMan’s Daughters (Hachette 2010) 4 Stars

Stuart Woods- Fresh Disasters (Signet 2007) 3.25 Stars

James Patterson- Cross (Grand Central 2007) 3.5 Stars

Lee Child- Echo Burning (Jove Books 2002) 3.5 Stars

Michael Connelly- The Concrete Blonde (St. Martin’s Press 1995) 3.75 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- The Bone Collector (Signet 1999) 4 Stars

Harlan Coben- Just One Look (Signet 2005) 4 Stars

Brian Haig- Secret Sanction (Warner Books 2002) 4.25 Stars

Michael Pennington- Dohch (ebook 2010) 3.5 Stars

Michael Connelly- The Poet (Warner Books 2004) 3.75 Stars

Lee Child- Without Fail (Jove Books 2003) 3.5 Stars

James Patterson- Cross Country (Vision 2009) 4 Stars

Max Allan Collins- Dick Tracy (Bantam Books 1990) 3.75 Stars

Michael Crichton- Rising Sun (Ballantine Books 1993) 3.75 Stars

Elizabeth Gunn- Triple Play (Dell Publishing 1998) 3.5 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- The Coffin Dancer (Pocket Books 1999) 4 Stars

Harlan Coben- Deal Breaker (Dell Publishing 2007) 4 Stars

Michael Connelly- Trunk Music (St. Martin’s Press 1998) 4.25 Stars

Lee Child- Persuader (Dell Publishing 2004) 4.25 Stars

Steven James- The Knight (Revell Books 2009) 3.5 Stars

James Patterson- I, Alex Cross (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 3 Stars

Iris Johansen- And Then You Die (Bantam Books 1998) 3.25 Stars

Faye Kellerman- Street Dreams (Warner Books 2004) 3 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- The Bodies Left Behind (Pocket Star Books 2008) 3.75 Stars

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child- Reliquary (Tor Books 1997) 3.5 Stars

Anne M. Dooley- Plane Death (NeWest Press 1996) 3 Stars

Harlan Coben- Drop Shot (Bantam Dell 2008) 3.75 Stars

Michael Connelly- A Darkness More Than Night (Warner Books 2002) 3.75 Stars

John Douglas- Man Down (Pocket Books 2004) 3.25 Stars

Lee Child- The Enemy (Dell 2007) 4.5 stars

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child- Thunderhead (Warner Books 2000) 4 Stars

Linwood Barclay- No Time for Goodbye (Bantam Books 2008) 4 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- The Stone Monkey (Pocket Books 2004) 4.25 Stars

James Patterson- 1^st to Die (Little, Brown and Company 2001) 3.75 Stars

Ridley Pearson- Chain of Evidence (Hyperion 1995) 3.75 Stars

Max Allan Collins- CSI: Body of Evidence (Pocket Star Books 2003) 3 Stars

Michael Connelly- Chasing the Dime (Warner Books 2002)3.5 Stars

Harlan Coben- Play Dead (Signet Books 2010) 3.5 Stars

Debbi Mack- Identity Crisis (Lulu 2009) 3.5 Stars

Lee Child- One Shot (Dell Books 2009) 4.25 Stars

Linwood Barclay- Too Close to Home (Bantam Books 2009) 3.5 Stars

David Morrell- Scavenger (Vanguard Press 2007) 4.25 Stars

Jeffery Deaver- Shallow Graves (Pocket star Books 2000) 3.5 Stars

David Ellis- Line of Vision (Berkley Books 2002) 4 Stars

James Patterson/Andrew Gross- 2^nd Chance (Little, Brown and Company 2002) 3.75 Stars

Michael Connelly- The Scarecrow (Grand Central Publishing 2008) 3.75 Stars

Harlan Coben- Back Spin (Dell Books 2009) 3.75 Stars

James Ellison- Panic Room (Pocket Books 2002) 3.5 Stars

Lee Child- The Hard Way (Dell Publishing 2007) 4.25 Stars

Linwood Barclay- Never Look Away (Anchor Canada 2010) 3.25 Stars

Barry Eisler- Requiem for an Assassin (Onyx 2007) 3.25 Stars

Ted Dekker- Thr3e (Center Street 2010) 3.75 Stars

Ridley Pearson- The First Victim (Hyperion 1999) 3.75 Stars

Harlan Coben- The Final Detail (Orion 2004) 4.25 Stars

Ridley Pearson-Middle of Nowhere (Hyperion 2000) 3.5 Stars

James Patterson and Andrew Gross- 3^rd Degree (Warner Books 2005) 3.75 Stars

Michael Connelly- Lost Light (Warner Books 2004) 3.75 Stars

Lee Child- Bad Luck and Trouble (Dell Books 2008) 4.5 Stars

Western 30

Louis L’Amour- Radigan (Bantam Books 1969) 3.75 Stars

John S. Daniels- The Crossing (Signet Books 1969) 3.75 Stars

Ralph Compton- The Chisholm Trail (St. Martin’s Press 1993) 3.5 Stars

William W. Johnstone- Warpath of the Mountain Man (Pinnacle Books 2002) 3.75 Stars

Louis L’Amour- Killoe (Bantam Books 2007) 3.25 Stars

Mike Blakely- The Snowy Range Gang (Forge 1996) 3.25 Stars

Max Brand- The Smiling Desperado (Warner 1974) 3.5 Stars

Jory Sherman- The Barons of Texas (Forge 1999) 3.25 Stars

William W. Johnstone- Trek of the Mountain Man (Pinnacle Books 2002) 3.5 Stars

John Benteen- Fargo: The Sharpshooters (F.A. Thorpe 1970) 2.75 Stars

A Ralph Compton novel by Joseph A. West- Vengeance Rider (Signet 2004) 4 Stars

Ralph Cotton- Jackpot Ridge (Signet 2003) 3.5 Stars

William W. Johnstone with Fred Austin- The First Mountain Man: Preacher’s Fortune (Pinnacle Books 2006) 3.5 Stars

Bill Brooks- Leaving Cheyenne (Dell 1999) 3.25 Stars

William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone- The First Mountain Man: Preacher’s Showdown (Pinnacle Books 2008) 3.25 Stars

Nelson Nye- Desert of the Damned (Belmont Books 1965) 2.75 Stars

Ralph Cotton- Showdown at Rio Sagrado (Signet 2004) 3.5 Stars

Bill Brooks- Law for Hire: Saving Masterson (HarperTorch 2004) 3.25 Stars

William W. Johnstone- Return of the Mountain Man (Pinnacle Books 2000) 4 Stars

Ben Smith- Gunfighter’s Return (Priory Books 1959) 3.75 Stars

Frank O’Rourke- Ambuscade (Signet 1959) 3 Stars

William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone- Six Ways from Sunday (Pinnacle 2009) 2.75 Stars

Hal G. Evarts- Renegade of Rainbow Basin (Pocket Books 1977) 3.5 Stars

Gary McCarthy- The Cimarron River (Bantam Books 1999) 2.5 Stars

William W. Johnstone/J.A. Johnstone- Matt Jensen: The Last Mountain Man (Pinnacle Books 2007) 3.25 Stars

Elmore Leonard- Last Stand at Saber River (Dell Publishing 1994) 3.25 Stars

Robert Vaughan- Vendetta Trail (HarperCollins 2005) 2.75 Stars

William W. Johnstone- Honor of the Mountain Man (Pinnacle Books 1998) 2.75 Stars

Elmore Leonard- Hombre (HarperTorch 2002) 2.5 Stars

William Colt MacDonald- Powder Smoke (Leisure Books 2006) 3.5 Stars

Drama 5

John Grisham- Playing for Pizza (Dell 2008) 3.5 Stars

Gil Roscoe- Company of Thieves (Kensington Books 2001) 3 Stars

Robert Louis Stevenson- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Washington Square Press 1995) 2.75 Stars

David Baldacci- Wish You Well (Warner Books 2000) 4 Stars

David Baldacci- The Christmas Train (Warner Books 2004) 3 Stars

Fantasy 5

J.R.R. Tolkien- The Hobbit (HarperCollins 1999) 4.75 Stars

J.R.R. Tolkien- The Fellowship of the Ring (HarperCollins 1999) 4.25 Stars

J.R.R. Tolkien- The Two Towers (HarperCollins 1999) 4.5 Stars

J.R.R. Tolkien- The Return of the King (HarperCollins1999) 4.5 Stars

Kristin Cashore- Graceling (Graphia 2008) 4 Stars

Historical Fiction 6

Jeffery Deaver- Garden of Beasts (Pocket Star Books 2005) 4.5 Stars

Harper Lee- To Kill a Mockingbird (Grand Central Publishing 1982) 4.75 Stars

Jennifer Lee Carrell- The Shakespeare Secret (Published in the U.S. as Interred with Their Bones) (Plume 2008) 4 Stars

Tony Earley- Jim the Boy (Little, Brown and Company 2001) 4.75 Stars

Tim LaHaye and Greg Dinallo- Babylon Rising (Dell Publishing 2004) 3.25 Stars

Tom Rob Smith- Child 44 (Grand Central Publishing 2008) 3.5 Stars

Middle Reader 18

Eric Wilson- The Inuk Mountie Adventure (HarperCollins 1996) 4 Stars

Rudyard Kipling- Captains Courageous (Moby Books 1983) 4 Stars

Alexadre Dumas- The Man in the Iron Mask (Moby Books 1983) 3.25 Stars

Eric Wilson- The Emily Carr Mystery (HarperCollins 2003) 3 Stars

Brad Strickland- Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Stowaways (Minstrel Books 1994) 3.25 Stars

Roald Dahl- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Puffin Books 1997) 4.5 Stars

Eric Wilson- The Unmasking of ‘Ksan (HarperCollins 2003) 3.5 Stars

Charles Dickens- David Copperfield (Moby Books 1979) 3 Stars

Julilly H. Kohler- The Boy Who Stole the Elephant (Scholastic 1970) 3 Stars

Andrew Clements- The School Story (Aladdin Paperbacks 2002) 4 Stars

Diane Carey- Star Trek: Starfleet Academy: Cadet Kirk (Pocket Books 1996) 3 Stars

Nancy Yi Fan- Swordbird (HarperCollins 2007) 3.25 Stars

Avi and Rachel Vail- Never Mind! (HarperCollins 2004) 4.5 Stars

Peter David- Starfleet Academy: Survival (Minstrel Books 1993) 3 Stars

Avi- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avon Camelot 1997) 3 Stars

Peter Lerangis- Spy X: The Code (Scholastic 2004) 2.75 Stars

John Vornholt- Starfleet Academy: Capture the Flag (Minstrel Books 1994) 3.25 Stars

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor- Shiloh (Dell Yearling1991) 3.25 Stars

YA 8

Franklin W. Dixon- The Hardy Boys: Competitive Edge (Archway Paperback 1996) 3 Stars

Norah McClintock- The Body in the Basement (Scholastic 1997) 3.5 Stars

Maureen Bayless- No Fixed Address (Scholastic 1997) 3 Stars

Elizabeth Janet Gray- Adam of the Road (Puffin Books 1988) 3.75 Stars

Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games (Scholastic 2009) 4.75 Stars

Suzanne Collins- Catching Fire (Scholastic 2009) 4 Stars

Ridley Pearson- Steel Trapp: The Challenge (Disney Editions 2008) 4 Stars

Suzanne Collins- Mockingjay (Scholastic 2010) 4 Stars

Religious 4

Gary Chapman- The Five Love Languages (Northfield Publishing 2004) 4.5 Stars

Warren W. Wiersbe- Devotions for Comfort and Hope: Isaiah and 1 Peter (Honor Books 2005) 3.75 Stars
Warren W. Wiersbe- Devotions for Contentment and Wisdom: Ecclesiastes and 1 Corinthians (Honor Books 2006) 4 Stars

Comics 5

Jim Davis- Garfield Hams It Up: His 31^st Book (Random House 1997) 3.75 Stars

Jim Davis- The Second Garfield Fat Cat 3 Pack (Ballantine Books 1994) 3.75 Stars

Jim Davis- The Eighth Garfield Fat Cat 3 Pack (Ballantine Books 1998) 3.5 Stars

Jim Davis- The Seventh Garfield Fat Cat 3 Pack (Ballantine Books 1997) 4 Stars

Jim Davis- The Tenth Garfield Fat Cat 3 Pack (Ballantine Books 1999) 3.75 Stars

Short Story 1

Louis L’Amour- Riding for the Brand (Bantam Books 1993) 3.25 Stars

Non-Fiction 4

James Patterson & Martin Dugard- The Murder of King Tut (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 2.75 Stars

Brent W. Jeffs- Lost Boy (Broadway Books 2009) 5 Stars

Grace Jasmine- FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner (Fabjob 2010) 4.25 Stars

Augusten Burroughs- A Wolf at the Table (St. Martin’s Press 2008) 3.75 Stars

Miscellaneous 1

JJ Ritonya- Sunset (Createspace 2009) 2.75 Stars

Book Awards 2010

Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope it has been a good one!

Book Awards 2010

Best Mystery/Thriller: Lee Child- The Visitor

Runner Up: Harlan Coben- Fade Away

Honourable Mention: Jeffery Deaver- The Twelfth Card

Best Middle Reader/ Young Adult: Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games

Runner Up: Avi and Rachel Vail- Never Mind!

Honourable Mention: Roald Dahl- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Best Miscellaneous Read: Brent W. Jeffs- Lost Boy

Runner Up: Tony Earley- Jim the Boy

Honourable Mention: Harper Lee- To Kill a Mockingbird

Favourite Book of 2010: Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games

Runner Up: Brent W. Jeffs- Lost Boy

Honourable Mention: Lee Child- The Visitor

Best Little Known Author: Tony Earley

Runner Up: Brent W. Jeffs

Honourable Mention: Jennifer Lee Carrell

Favourite Author: Lee Child

Runner Up: Harlan Coben

Honourable Mention: Suzanne Collins

Worst Book Read in 2010: Gary McCarthy- The Cimarron River

Runner Up: Elmore Leonard- Hombre

Dishonourable Mention: James Patterson & Martin Dugard- The Murder of King Tut

Book Review- Andrew Clements- The School Story

Andrew Clements- The School Story (Aladdin Paperbacks 2002) 4 Stars

Natalie has written a book and her best friend Zoe has just finished reading it. Now Zoe is convinced that it is good enough to have published. There is just one problem, Natalie is twelve. Her mother works as an editor at a publishing company, but she does not want her mother to know that the book is from her. Zoe decides that Natalie needs a pen name and Zoe can be her literary agent. Can they pull off the scheme and end up with a published book?

This book was really quite well done. It gives young readers an interesting look into the world of writing and publishing. This incite was very interesting to read about and it will show children a little of what it takes to get published and some of the challenges/work that are behind it. I did not like how over-simplified it was as it is not that easy getting published, especially when the sections of the book shown that were supposed to be so amazing, really weren’t great. The characters were interesting and well-developed; you felt that you really got to know Zoe and Natalie quite well. Clements is a great children’s author and he has shown it through this book. I look forward to reading more by this author.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Author Interview: Quinton R. Wall

My first author interview. This interiew is with Quinton R. Wall, author of Seed o Hope, the start of a series based on the Talent Tree.

1.Tell us about yourself.

Well the first answer is pretty obvious; My name is Quinton Wall, and I tell stories. I am a fantasy writer, with my debut book The Seed of Hope, out in stores next month.I am originally from Melbourne, Australia, but now live in the central coast of California where I spend countless hours hunched over my laptop in my local starbucks trying to get all my ideas out, and into story. I guess you could say I have the writing bug, and love what I do.

2.When did you start writing?

I have written in some shape or another all my life. As a teenager I filled notebook after notebook of stories, and maps, and puzzles for my weekly game of Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. As I grew older I moved into technical marketing where I wrote whitepapers, articles, and actively blogged on my IT sites. As for my novel writing career, this was something I had often thought about, but never really took too seriously until I finished reading Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. I loved the first book, and put it down once I was finished thinking to myself, “If a 16 year old kid can write a book like this, what is stopping me?” In someway I had surpressed the creative side of me; what with work, and a young family, but Paolini’s book, unleashed a torrent I had been holding back for a long time. The first result of that is The Seed Of Hope, which I started writing in April 2006, and finished a little over a year later.

3. Who would you consider to be your writing mentors?

Mentors is a hard one, influencers is probably more accurate. My first entry to the fantasy genre was Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman, followed by a slew of others with Robert Jordan being the standout in traditional fantasy influences. Philip Pullman and JK Rowlings are my major influences in the world of Young Adult writers, with Mitch Albom being a heavy influence for future books I have planned. Mitch Albom has the incredible ability to paint a vivid story, and do it in half the amount of words that other writers do.

4.What inspired you to write The Seed of Hope?

As I mentioned previously I was inspired to write primarily after reading Eragon, and finding my reawakening so to speak. This was also about the same time I was doing a lot of traveling for work, and I was listening to audiobooks for hours each day. I think I listened to the entire Harry Potter series in a period of a few weeks. During the past few years I had also been making up little stories to tell my, now 7 year old, daughter as she fell asleep each night. Somewhere along the way we started making up stories together. It was then that I decided I wanted my first book to be something where I could weave the ideas my daughter and I conceived, and make a great story out of it.

5.How did you come up with the idea for The Seed of Hope?

Everybody always asks the ‘where do you get your ideas from’ question, and honestly for the most part, I really don’t know. They come from somewhere in the dark recess of my imagination I suspect. But with The Seed of Hope, a lot of the primary ideas came from the stories my daughter and I made up (the Bag of Brakka was 100% her idea, including the name), and the scenery near my home in Central California with its rugged coast line, abundant wildlife, and incredible vistas.

6. What were the inspirations behind each of the six main children?

I think the characters all have some parts of friends, and family peppered with personal experiences, and a lot of creative license thrown into the mix. Many of the characters, Gideon in particular, really grew throughout the many revisions of the manuscript: almost to the stage where he rivals Charlie as the primary protagonist. Gideon and Charlie really come from the opposite spectrum of family life, and a lot of the conflict throughout the novel is born from these difference. Throw a few other opinionated kids, and a bunch of magic, and who knows what could happen.

7.What other books are you currently working on?

I am currently hard at work finishing the first draft of book 2 of the Talent Tree series , currently titled Of Worldly Deeds, and will then roll straight into the final book. After that I have a standalone book, tentatively titled 9 lives, another fantasy trilogy called Magus Emporium, and finally I have a few ideas/notes about a prequal series set back in the Talent Tree universe where we follow the Seekers, and their motivations.Every day I sketch out a few more ideas --- its just a matter of prioritizing them, and working through them. 9 lives is the one book however, that is just begging me to be written.

8.What are some of your favorites? (Author, food, color, book)

I have so many favorite books/authors but Robert Jordan is the stand out for fantasy, with Mitch Albom, your more ‘mainstream fiction’. In terms of other favorites well Thai is my favorite food, Microphone Fiend by Eric B. and Rakim is my favorite song, and Imogen Heap is my favorite musician/artist. My favorite sport is running. I’ve completed 2 marathon’s and will likely do more, as soon as I can work out how to type, and run at the same time.

9.Any other fun facts about you?

Hmm fun facts, what witty comment can I add here. Not much, I’m pretty normal, aside from the idea knocking away inside my head waiting to be let out, and written down.Thanks for the opportunity to let me tell you more about me and The Seed of Hope. Don’t forget to check out HYPERLINK "http://quintonwall.com" http://quintonwall.com for all the latest information, and take advantage of the special pre-order discount through Amazon.com ( HYPERLINK "http://bit.ly/theseedofhope" http://bit.ly/theseedofhope). My book is officially released next month (August 2009) so you still have some time.


And that is all folks! Great interview. Thank you Quinton for your time and great answers!

Signing off from Swift Current, Saskatchewan,

Tony Peters

Review- Bill Manville- Writing to Get Published Student Handbook

Bill Manville- Writing to Get Published Student Handbook (http://www.writers.com/manville.html) 4.5 Stars

I would like to Bill Manville for sending me this handbook, it was a very informative read. This handbook gives aspiring writers the information that they will need in order to stand a chance at getting published. It explains all the important little details from showing and not telling, to what publishers are looking for. On his website Manville holds a teaching course for writers, which is what the handbook is supposed to go along with, although you can read the handbook and not take the course.
I would encourage writers to at least glance through this handbook as it does have some helpful hints and pointers. I enjoyed reading it, as an author every little thing helps. The writing market is tough and we authors need to take every bit of advice we can get!

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/