OrderOfBooks October 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to October!
I always use this month as an excuse to read some horror-related books. I try and mix it up, but I usually just go back to reading Bentley Little. I’m such a fan of his writing style.
I’m also a fan of short story collections and wrote a related article for Book Notification: 5 Chilling Horror Collections Perfect for Halloween Night.
On that note, I of course have to start the newsletter with some promotion for Book Notification, Launched last year, you can get notified of new books by your favourite authors, track your “want to read” list, rate and review books, see what books you are still to read by an author and so much more.
We’re now at over 56,000 authors audited and listed, more than 11x the size of Order Of Books.
So if you’re not registered yet – head over to Book Notification and start getting notified of new books by your favourite authors, as well as enjoying all of the other features. My favourite is still the “What’s Next” feature in tribute to Fictfact, letting me know the next books I need to read in each series I have ongoing.
I started off September by reading the latest Mitch Rapp novel, and the first written by Don Bentley. When Kyle Mills took over, I felt he nailed Vince Flynn’s writing style so it made the transition a lot easier, and the two were very similar.
That wasn’t the case with Capture or Kill.
It was a drastic change in writing style, and it threw me right off after being used to one particular style in that series for the last 25 years. There were a lot of differences, but one thing that really stood out to me was something would happen, but it would stop progressing for the backstory to fill it up.
A random example – Scott Coleman has to go to a specific group to ask if they can run a mission with their helicopters, and is speaking to the captain.
Captain: “Who the hell are you?”
[insert 3 pages of backstory as it is explained why this is a tough question for Coleman to answer, while also describing the scene in front of him involving the plot drinking beer which he hopes is non-alcoholic]
Coleman: “My name is Scott Coleman. I’m OGA.”
Captain: “And you need gunship support and the 160th boys are all in Iraq?”
[Insert 3 pages of backstory explaining what the 160th boy’s comment means]
It was quite difficult to adjust to this. It also meant things progressed a lot slower – one particular mission takes up practically half the book, and the majority of it was that background information.
However, I ended up adapting to it and ended up really enjoying it. He clearly cares about the Rapp universe, and if you are a Mitch Rapp fan I’d highly recommend it. I enjoyed it enough that I’ll be seeing more books by Don Bentley in the future – not just Rapp.
I next read Edge of Madness, the second full-length novel in the Edge of Collapse series by Kyla Stone. That series also has a prequel which I’ve read. It’s one of those EMP survival-type series.
I read the first one, Edge of Collapse, a couple of months ago. I enjoyed it but not enough to immediately pick up the next one. That one was more about two people forced together trying to survive as they traveled. Edge of Madness was more about the event, and how a small town reacts to it. I enjoyed that a lot more, to the point that I immediately read Edge of Darkness, the next in the series, and am currently reading Edge of Anarchy.
Planning on binging the rest of that series I expect. If you’re a fan of those sorts of survival books, be sure to check it out.
I listened to the third novel in the Lily Kintner series by Peter Swanson, A Talent for Murder. I’m a big fan of Peter, and this book is the perfect example of it.
It’s the story of a wife who suspects her husband, when he attends conventions, is secretly murdering women there. She gets in touch with her old school friend, Lily Kintner, and the two start to investigate it.
I listen to audiobooks when running. I usually stick with thrillers, as I need fast-paced books that keep my attention. I was at the halfway point in this book when I realized something: it was extremely slow-paced. That 37-word book description above? Essentially, that was all that had occurred. No twists or turns. No murders since the prologue. It was all at a very slow pace.
Yet I was engrossed in it. Peter just has that ability to completely hook you. Everything that is happening in the book you can picture in your head – but he does it without the long descriptions that the likes of Dean Koontz do. He just presents enough of a picture to let your mind fill in the blanks.
It’s an incredible and rare talent. I guess you could say – he has a Talent for Writing!
Overall, a superb book. I thought the ending felt a little flat then it had that epilogue which just sealed the deal as one of my favourite books by Peter.
I listened to If Something Happens To Me by Alex Finlay next. A standalone about a murder that took place five years ago, with a narrative that jumps between three different characters: the man who many think committed the murder, a local gangster boss, and a new sheriff deputy.
I really liked the setup for this one; each chapter would be a different narrative and it would go through each one. Many ended with cliffhangers, but you had to wait 3 more chapters to hear how it played out. Perfect sort of book for listening to. I’ve got a few hours yet until I finish it.
I’ve been watching Bad Monkey on Apple TV, based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen. I didn’t actually realize that until three episodes in, otherwise, I would have read the book first. I’m really enjoying it, as I’m a big Bill Lawrence fan, and it’s a great role for Vince Vaughn. The book has a sequel so I’m hoping to go back and read the book at some point.
Each month we give away 5 $25 Amazon gift certificates to random subscribers.
To win all you have to do is be a subscriber. Nothing more! When we go to hit “Publish” we take a list of all of our subscribers, throw them into a random draw and those are the winners.
Our winners this month are:
Gail S. from Tucson, AZ
Lisa B. from USA (e-mail starts with xeno)
Brian D. from Mazeppa, MN
Virginia C. from Grand Blanc, MI
Dodie from Aliso Viejo, CA
All of you have been e-mailed. If you don’t see anything, check your junk folder or contact me.
Graeme
OrderOfBooks.com
Quotes of the Month
“Censorship is the child of fear, the father of ignorance, and the weapon of tyrants.”
“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
– Joseph Brodsky
“The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.”
“I hate it that Americans are taught to fear some books and some ideas as though they were diseases…”
“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.”
Submit your own quotes; just hit reply. Book-related is great but happy to share non-book related too! Love seeing quotes from books!
Book Recommendations
John Stratton Series by Duncan Falconer: I remember reading these books one after the other about 10 years ago. It’s disappointing that there haven’t been any since 2012, but if you want an action thriller “lone badass” series of books to keep you fired up during the cold Fall nights, this is the series for you.
The first book in the series, titled The Hostage, features John Stratton, an SBS (Special Boat Service) operative. An undercover op involving the Real IRA has gone wrong, and Stratton is called in as the only man who can get the undercover agent out alive.
Anty Boisjoly Mysteries by P.J. Fitzsimmons: This is an ongoing series, and current has nine books in it. Betty wrote in last month about the first book in the series, writing:
“the book I most enjoyed recently, The Case of the Canterfell Codicil by P.J. Fitzsimmons, read by Tim Bruce. English locked room mystery with a delightfully Bertie Wooster-ish amateur detective.”
In The Case of the Canterfell Codicil, 1920s gadabout Anty Boisjoly tackles his first case involving two locked-room murders, an eccentric cast of characters, and a multi-layered mystery filled with wit, twists, and inspired by Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse.
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea: Named one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2023, Those Empty Eyes is a chilling suspense novel.
Keith wrote in to recommend it. Here’s what he wrote:
“I enjoyed Vivienne Leheny’s fine performance of Charlie Donlea’s 2023 release, “Those Empty Eyes”. 17-year-old Alexandra Quinlan was the lone survivor of the night her parents and brother were brutally murdered in the family home. When the police arrived, they found “Alex” in a state of shock, holding the murder weapon. They immediately assumed that Alex killed her family.”
“Despite a highly publicized trial where Alex was found to be “factually innocent”, there are legions of people who believe that she got away with murder. It just adds fuel to the fire when Alex successfully sues the State for illegal interrogation, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution, winning a multi-million $ settlement. Alex tries to evade fanatical true crime podcasters and unethical tabloid reporters by changing her name, changing her appearance, and moving to England. Then things go really bad…I liked this book enough to put Charlie Donlea on my “automatic read” list.”
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton: Paul wrote in to recommend this award winning novel, and I really appreciate the honesty and perspective he gave, so I’m going to paste his e-mail in its entirety:
“I am writing to recommend a book that I found on the “New” table at my local library and picked up on a whim. It is titled “The Final Revival of Opal and Nev”, by Dawnie Walton. I am a white male boomer, raised by a bigot in the Deep South, so I have racism baked into my being. I recognize this and fight it all the time, but it does affect my ability to relate to black protagonists”
“This is the first book that I have read that I could identify and empathize with the main protagonist, a black female singer from the late 60s – early 70s, as well as her partner in their performing duo, a white, offbeat, British immigrant who truly LOVES performing.”
“The book is framed with a series of interviews of both of the protagonists and some of their contemporaries in both familial and professional arenas. It is very cleverly crafted, including entries by some of the iconic performers of that era. It is so well done that you sometimes find yourself wondering if they were a duo that you just might have missed if you lived in that time (they are entirely ficitional, of course). A lot of thought went into writing this novel, and I am sure that the editing was exceptional as well.”
“It was a thoroughly enjoyable book on many levels, and I am told that the audio book is very well done as well. I can imagine that it lends itself extremely well to an audio version, as the book is a series of interviews that weave the narrative! What could be better suited?”
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: Sherry write in to recommend this one, which she described as a “delightfully light read”. It landed on many Best Book of the Year lists such as the Washington Post and She Reads.
A reclusive children’s author resurfaces with a new book and a life-changing competition, offering Lucy Hart, a young teacher’s aide, a chance to win the only copy and secure a future for herself and an orphaned boy, but she must face fierce competition and unexpected twists along the way.
October Book Of The Month
Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter: My daughter was looking over my shoulder as I was debating between the latest Michael Connelly novel and the latest Jack Reacher novel for “Book of the Month”, and informed me that this book was coming out in October too, and I should make this the book of the month.
Your wish is my command, Ella!
This is the sequel to the New York Times bestseller Better Than the Movies. They are romantic comedies aimed at the teen market.
As this is the sequel, I’d rather stay away from the plot. To summarize the first book: “A romantic teen girl teams up with her annoying yet attractive neighbor to win over her longtime crush, only to realize she might be falling for her neighbor instead.”
My daughter, who is a big fan of romantic comedy movies, was listing various reasons she would recommend the book and one of them was that each chapter starts with a quote from a romantic comedy such as “Notting Hill”, or “Sweet Home Alabama”.
Maybe you are looking for a more light-hearted affair, or are looking for gifts for that teenage child or grandchild in your life, Either way, check it out.
10 More Notable Books Releasing in October
- Killing Time by MC Beaton & RW Green (Agatha Raisin)
- In Too Deep by Andrew & Lee Child (Jack Reacher)
- The Waiting by Michael Connelly (Renee Ballard)
- Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta)
- The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (Standalone)
- The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden (Standalone)
- A Merry Little Murder Plot by Jenn McKinlay (Cozy)
- Midnight and Blue by Ian Rankin (Rebus)
- Snowy Mountain Christmas by Sharon Sala (Standalone)
- Triangle by Danielle Steel (Standalone)
Brought to you by BookNotification.com where you can get updated on all the upcoming books by your favourite authors with your own personalized calendar!
October Charities
While I appreciate all offers of donations to show your appreciation for the site and newsletter, I’d much rather you do that by supporting some great causes. Each month I pick a few select charities broken down by our most popular countries or topics that you can support instead. Thanks! Feel free to donate to a similar charity but in your own area.
I rotate this list each month. Feel free to suggest a favourite charity – hit reply.
Pictures of the Month:
Really cool table submitted by Norma
Frog enjoying a good book. Submitted by Gayle
Submitted by Norma. Created by John Atkinson.
Books mug submitted by Pamela. I’ve always been disappointed in the lack of really good books mugs out there. If you have any, feel free to share!
Send in your own to site@orderofbooks.com or by replying! Images, jokes, etc. We’ll take it all! Bit of a backlog but working my way through it.
Your Thoughts!
Last month I asked, “What was the last book you read? What are you reading now? And what will you read next?”. The replies are later in the newsletter.
This month, we’re going to do something completely different.
Rather than write to me, I want you to take the time to write to an author you enjoy and thank them for the hours and hours of entertainment they’ve provided.
It’s just nice to take some time to write to an author and show your appreciation for their work. It’s something I try to do when I discover a new author, and every few years I’ll follow up with an author I’ve contacted in the past just to let them know I’m still enjoying them.
Most authors have websites with an e-mail address on them. If there isn’t one, they likely have social media. So take a few minutes and hunt them down, then thank them for the work that they do. Most authors I have e-mailed have replied, and you can tell it makes their day to get a personal note like that.
I personally sent Don Bentley a message a week or so ago which he was appreciative of, just mentioning how much I enjoyed the latest Mitch Rapp novel. It must be so stressful taking over a series as big as that, so I wanted to give him his props.
When you’ve done that, just send an e-mail to site@OrderOfBooks.com or reply to this e-mail to let me know you’ve did it. No need to paste the e-mail or anything like that. Everyone who does it and e-mails me will be entered in the random drawing for one of five $25 USD gift certificates for Amazon.