In a diary I posted yesterday, a few of our fellow members here at the Tribune suggested a place to talk books and movies. Everyone likes one or the other, don’t they?
So here’s a place to chat about any good books you’ve read, whether political or not, and movies you’ve seen that you’d recommend to the rest of us. We want to hear from you! What’s out there that we should check out? What fantastic entertainment are we missing?
I’ll start, below the fold.
I am a big Dean Koontz fan. I’ve read most of his stuff and think he’s great. His books are always so descriptive (admittedly, sometimes he goes overboard in that department) and he writes good stories. Entertaining, enthralling stories that grab you and keep you interested throughout.
I just read his latest, ‘Life Expectancy’. It’s about a man, Jimmy Tock, whose grandfather predicts he will have five special, extraordinary, and dangerous days in his lifetime.
As Jimmy is being born, his grandfather is in the ICU of the same hospital dying of complications from a stroke, and suddenly, his grandfather sits up in bed and starts talking, sounding very clear and strong. He speaks to his son, Jimmy’s father, and orders him to write these five dates down, five dates that will have an impact on his son’s life. What follows is the story of Jimmy and how these five days play out.
The book is excellent. The story is rich with character and is surprisingly humorous, and had me laughing out loud a few times. I enjoyed it so much that I finished it this past Saturday in two sittings, between cleaning bathrooms. 😉
I definitely recommend this one, not only to Koontz fans but to anyone that enjoys a well told story.
I also recently read another Koontz, ‘Odd Thomas’, that I absolutely loved. It’s about a young man who has the power to communicate with the dead, and all the problems and blessings that come with that power.
These two Koontz novels are, in my opinion, a departure of sorts from what he normally writes, but I honestly think that they’re my two favorites of his now. Try one or the other, but if I were you, I’d go with both.
Now, it’s your turn. Whatcha got?
