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Series that need to be Read in Order

This Blog has moved.....visit the new location here. 

I have been busy subbing in a 7th grade class for the past 5 weeks. Lots of fun and a super great learning experience. Unfortunately, this blog and my technical blog are being ignored. A few months ago, I planned on posting a blog that gave you an idea of what books (and or authors) need to be read in order....

As luck may have it, I have been seeing people at Barnes and Noble and Costco who looked confused and had the same question.

Really quickly....of the authors I have read (see the list to the right) here are those that do need to be read in order. When I get time, I'll list the books in order, but, for now you can probably get the order at the authors web site.

1. My all time favorites: Perri O'Shaughnessy's series about Nina Reilly. The first book in this series is "Motion to Supress". 5 WaterTowers....I love this series and I love Nina and the two Perri's.

2. Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series starts with "A". That one is easy! Start with "A is for Alibi" and move on from there. 3.5 to 4 WaterTowers.

3. D.J MacHale's Pendragon series. Another 5 WaterTower series. Start with "Pendragon The Merchant of Death".

4. J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (but I bet everyone knows that). 5 WaterTower series, start with "Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone".

5. Vince Flynn's Mitt Rapp series. 4 or 5 WaterTowers. Mitch Rapp rocks. Start with "Term Limits".

6. Barry Eisler's John Rain series. New to my list of favorites. 3.5 to 4 WaterTowers (I'm still getting used to John Rain). Start with "Rain Fall".

7. Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series.

8. C. J. Box's Joe Pickett series.

9. Mike Lawson's Joe DeMarco series.

10. Steve Martini's Paul Madriani series.

There are a number of authors who are predominantly "stand alone" but who have written a few books in a series....

11. Stephen Frey's Christian Gillette series ran for three or four books.

12. David Baldacci's Oliver Stone (Camel Club folks) is one series...another is Sean King and Michelle Maxwell...both of which need to be read in order.

I'll add to this as I have time....

Best of Reading!

Pendragon Book Review Marathon

Hobey-Ho

I have made a decision, based on my daughters input (she is now reading Raven Rise) and the fact that I have just finished "Pendragon Black Water" which I will post this weekend (hint: this is a whopping, rollicking "tum-tigger" 5 WaterTower book).

I will read the rest of the Pendragon series now, so I will be ready for Book 10 when it comes out.

So in the coming weeks stay tuned to this Blog as it will become a Pendragon Book Review Marathon. There will be 5 book reviews in a row...assuming I survive the stress...

I'll tell you about it starting this weekend.

Hobey-Ho

WEbook.com

There is an online book publishing site that recently opened up. I have taken a quick peek at it, and it looks interesting for aspiring writers.

WEbook Main Web site is here.

And, for readers of TracyReaderDad's humble blog, there is a link to a WEbook "Thrillers" project.

I'll be taking a look at some of the work there over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, happy reading.

Some news: I am getting two advance reading books to read! Progress for a book reviewer.

Fathers Day - I'll take a REAL book

Being YeOldeTechy...I like techy stuff. Not to the extreme, but a new gadget every now and then catches my eye and I have to check it out.

There is one gadget I will NEVER check out and will never want....the electronic book. I have been seeing Sony ads touting their latest electronic book that can hold 80 something books and, truthfully, it looks slick. Perfect for that person constantly on the run who can't seem to let their email go for the weekend, or put down their Blackberry or cell phone.

Not for me.

What the electronic book does not have is the smell or the feel of a good (or bad) book. Walking into our local Barnes & Noble store, or the Tracy Library, you can smell the books. Reading a book, holding it in your hands, flipping the pages...there is nothing like that experience.

I hope that never goes away...and I will make it my life duty to further the love of a good book...a REAL book.

Books: Clunkers and Charms

Clunkers

Lest you get the idea that all the books I read are great. Here are a few of the clunkers, that for whatever reason, the bookmark is stuck:

"Spy Catcher" by Peter Wright

Reading this autobiography, you would think he was responsible for everything right (Wright) in this world. Bookmark on page 191. I swore off non-fiction thanks in large part to this book.

"Enemy Within" by Robert K. Tannenbaum

Cops and Robbers. I got bored. I may try it one more time, because I understand Tannenbaum is a very good author. Bookmark on page 182.

"Hawke" by Ted Bell

I loved the premise (spys killing and murder) and the story location (Caribbean), and a great recommendation from one of my all time favorites: Clive Cussler. Dialogue like: "Will you get me something yummy" permeates the book....I could not take it anymore. Bookmark on page 220. See, I tried to like it.

"Executive Orders" by Tom Clancy

Wow...one of my original favorite authors. Surprised the heck out of me when reading this book became a JOB! 1358 pages long in paperback...I just could not see myself slogging through the book for that long. Bookmark stuck at 540...less than halfway thru! I tried. By the way, I have not read Clancy since.

"Deep Black" by Stephen Coonts and Jim DeFelice

I actually made it through this one, but skimmed the last 50 or 100 pages. Very repetitive and could have been shorter. I was surprised again since Coonts is a great author and one of my favorites. I'm not giving up...I have another one in this "series" in the queue.

Charms

There are a lot more good books than bad, here a few 4, 4.5, or 5 Water Tower books I read before I started this blog in earnest:

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

A classic in every sense of the word. 5 Water Towers

"Simeon Chamber" and "The List" by Steve Martini

Great books! 4.5 Water Towers each.

"The First Counsel" by Brad Meltzer

5 Water Towers, terrific book about the Secret Service, White House, and the First Daughter.

"Chromosome 6" by Robin Cook

5 Water Towers. Unbelievable medical thriller, will blow you away.

"Wish You Well" and "The Winner" by David Baldacci

Both 5 Water Tower books.

Happy Reading

"Author and Genre Overview"

Since this blog will contain-mostly-book reviews, I may as well give you a taste of what my taste is and what authors and genre(s) will be covered here.

First and foremost...I like Thrillers. Kind of an odd name since I associated Thrillers with Horror when I was younger. This is not the case however, so you will rarely see a horror book here ("Dracula" being the exception, and one of the best books I have ever read). The Thrillers I like are intrigue from many different areas (not in any order except, be it known, that Perri O'Shaughnessy is my all time favorite author...both of them).

1. Courtroom / Legal: Perri, John Grisham, John Lescroart, David Ellis, Steve Martini, Scott Turow

2. Mystery / PI: Sue Grafton, Sean Chercover (see mini-review below)

3. Finance: Stephen Frey, Christopher Reich

4. Medical: Robin Cook

5. Spys / Killing / Murder / Techno: Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, Brad Meltzer, Tim Green, Brian Haig, Alan Folsom, Stephen Coonts, Mike Lawson, W.E.B. Griffin (next book review here will be on "The Hostage"....almost done reading it), Gayle Lynds, David Baldacci, Brad Thor, Barry Eisler, and last but no way least, the late great, Robert Ludlum. (I stopped reading Clancy when his books got too burdensome)

6. General Adventure: Clive Cussler (of course!), Matt Reilly, Steve Berry, Dan Brown (anyone heard of him?), Michael Crichton, James Rollins

7. Misc (for me): Bob Schieffer (yea, a non-fiction, but Bob is GREAT!), J.K. Rowling, Bram Stoker, Robin White, Elizabeth Kostova, Lewis Perdue (way more violent than the others..), Michael Wiecek, and last and by no means least, the greatest of all: John Steinbeck.

As you can see...there is plenty of reading to do, and lots of reviews to come, and I am always picking up a new author to try.

For example, I had a HarperCollins early read of "Big City, Bad Blood" by newcomer Sean Chercover. I can't wait for his next book! Mike Lawsons's " The Inside Ring" was also in that can't wait category..here is a quicky (mind your thoughts!) on "Big City Bad Blood" which I also posted on Amazon...

"Terrific book! Hard hitting true-to-life hero, Ray Dudgeon,

is one tough PI. Ray is "conflicted" and respects the fact that life is not as easy (or virtuous) as he thought it would be when he was young, but, he has not given up trying to make the world a better place. The action is fast and furious with a few twists that take you completely by surprise. Sean Chercover has written a great book in his first outing. I am looking forward to a sequel. Ray Dudgeon is easily right up there with established characters such as Mitch Rapp and Nina Reilly. "