Steven Booth > Recent Status Updates

Compelling…….you don’t really know the plot if there is one, just a few threads about murder, baseball and the waste business, a few characters meandering through the lives, nothing dramatic- but I’m invested, and that’s the whole idea.

Sometimes too close to real life, sometimes as close as it needs to be. Funny, sad, linear and non-linear. A slightly left field portrait of an American family of the late 20th century. Saved from the maudlin by Franzen’s crazy prose. A bit too long perhaps?

Malcom Gladwell in Outliers seeks to debunk the myth of success in a vacuum. According to him, many of the folks who were widely successful in their fields and considered self starters actually were in environments very conducive their success. While they did take great advantages of their resources and their environment, many of them were in “perfect storms” to make things happen.
The Beatles played tirelessly for

Keegan says WW1 could've been easily avoided, but a comedy of errors and mis-communication led it down the rabbit-hole.

Have to read this for work. A fictional account of a new CEO taking over a talented yet troubles and underperforming team of a technology company. As we speak, she is on a retreat with them to first bring them together, but second to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Will keep you updated.

First in a series by Erickson. Never read him before. It is the aftermath of a huge battle, and the mages and soliders of the empire debate the aftermath and ponder the future. Very complex world with a torn empire fighting a long war with an unseen enemy gradually inserting itself. Still sorting through the characters, allegiances and intrigues.

Who am I to critique the masters. I'm in Dickens's world now. There is no other way to read him.

Crazy creativity.....................Earth is dying and all these crazy magicians are trying to screw each other over and create/enslave beautiful women. Like the decline of Rome on acid.

All hell breaking loose at the Chinese zoo, with the Chinese turning on themselves. The other group making big discoveries in Ecuador, but with another group of Chinese on their tail. I'm sure James Rollins is not high on the Politburo reading list. Fast moving page turner

Lieber is all about the story. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are the eyes into his wonderful imagination. Much of contemporary fantasy (Martin, Hobb, Goodkind come to mind) are reflections of modern society. Lieber is pure fantasy escapism, cut into loosely connected short stories.

Like Dan Brown, I can't wait to fact-check all the interesting stuff that comes up. Either way, great story. One group is in Ecuador, the kidnapped group is still in Peking, but there is another group trying to rescue them. Still on the edge of my seat.

Fitz, after the failed assassination attempt of Regal, goes searching for Verity. Hobb digs very deep into her characters, especially Fitz. The beating he received at Regal's hands deeply weighs on him, and his ties with the wolf are also explored. This is not some romantic fantasy. Fitz wants revenge and redemption, but isn't sure exactly what it entails.

Humorous and insightful. Starting my awful first draft as we speak...

Great page-turner. Rollins is great on the suspense. I was up two hours after my bedtime reading this thing. The team in Italy makes a narrow escape, while the bad guys let their ultimate plans be known to their captives.

Fitz works his way towards Regal, fighting Forged Ones and meeting others who have the Wit. Very engrossing.

Building slowly as Fitz pursues Regal.

Got injured in a car crash........Was deluged with books from family and friends (Thank You..............Heaven). Reading 4 at the same time.

Depending on your perspective, a good or bad book to read when you can't sleep at night................I had a hard time putting it down. Very well-paced, lots of details and foundation.

Great forward on Ms. Lamont's journey as a writer. Very funny and engaging.

They boys are entering this mysterious house with a treasure in it. The book appears to be more a collection of stories as opposed to a unified work. A bit like what they did to Robert Howard's Conan series. However, it looks like Leiber himself put it together. All the same, Leiber wrote with economy, but still had lots of colors in what he wrote

Starting to unfold nicely- The group in Croatia make a discovery and get attacked by bad guys, Sigma steps up and the bad guys come after them in Georgia too. Great, fast-paced suspense.

Great book about finding the inner self our modern society pressures us to forget. Lots of great case studies of historical figures who rose above their flaws to do great things.