Taking a little break from the “big” book I am reading [I’ll do a “currently” post soon]…

Subtitled “A Joe Pike Novel” which makes me hope (HOPEHOPE) that implies an entire series focused on Pike.

I thought the Elvis Cole books were draggin’ a little, getting too caught up in Elvis’ personal life and not enough focus on the mysteries. This was a refreshing change; Pike is such an engimatic dude. The only comparable character for me is Jack Reacher and I would actually run off with Pike first if given the choice.

He’s fierce and fearless and smart and determined and crazy ass cool. I keep warning my dad I am soooo tempted to get matching deltoid arrows…

Second in the series I started in March.

Some really dark and twisted stuff in here, in such a cool way. All spicy and bitter with emotion and imagination. I am enjoying them a great deal. [Another one already bought and in the TBR pile!]

Another English language pickup in Kyoto, I was really getting desperate for reading material there at the end. (And you know I had to save something for the plane!)

The first Miss Marple, when she’s just annoying as hell and only one person in the story even seems to realize that although annoying, she’s probably right. (You know, versus later on, when she’s still as annoying but people heed her advice because of her track record.)

Part of the 33 1/3 series (details here or here).

There is much more to this book than you might think. Truly a philosophical treatise on not just Celine and her music (and importance or not); but on personal taste, crowd reaction, social commentary… The level of research was pretty impressive and the combination of sarcasm and thoughtfulness had a nice smooth tone. Doesn’t make me anymore interested in listening to Dion’s music, but that’s not really the point.

Not really sure where I am in this series, I may have skipped ahead a few books to read this one, but I was out of reading material and this was the only thing in the “english books” section of that particular store in Kyoto that I wanted to read.

Rebus is still the same disreputable mess as always, but the byplay between him and Siobhan here is great, felt very refreshing and upbeat from the last one I read. And the ins and outs of the mystery here were really well done.

Charming, fun, lively, light. Great dialogue. Engaging.

Two more in the Sister Jane Hall/Jefferson Hunt Club series (got started a few years ago with an Xmas present).

I liked both of these for the things I’ve liked before: the intrigue and details of the mystery, the awesome dogs and horses and the foxes (I love the foxes) and their reactions and relations and really vital role in the story. Man I love reading the scenes with Cora and Dasher. The hunt scenes are really wonderful and atmospheric, take you right into the thick of things.

And I didn’t like the same stuff that bugs me in each of these books: Sister Jane’s incredible self-satisifed-ness and the “how to be upstanding and moral” lessons that crop up throughout. Often has a very pedantic feel. Too preachy and often those paragraphs aren’t even in any particular character’s voice so they really throw you right out of the action.