I always keep an eye out for new ideas on Authors to read. Here are a few items that caught my eye this week:
Alistair Maclean - I was reading a technical manual, brushing up on some skills for work this week. I had the TV playing in the background - and I tried to pick a channel that would not distract me. So I put it on AMC - which was playing some sort of war movie(Guns of Navarone). Well - I ended up peeking at it a few times (did I mention technical manuals can be pretty dry?) because I saw Gregory Peck was in it (Atticus Finch from the greatest book/movie combo ever - To Kill a Mockingbird).... Then after the movie ended, the host (Robert Osbourne) discussed the next movie - 'Ice Station Zebra'. It turned out that they were doing a movie tribute night to Alistair MacLean. He was a military/spy novelist who had many of his novels adapted into movies in the 50/60s. Essentially a forerunner of Tom Clancy. Now - Tom Clancy is not my normal reading comfort zone - but I do enjoy the occasional spy novel when I am in the right mood (Hunt For Red October, Bourne Identity). So - I have put MacLean on my list to try - when I am in the right kind of mood for a thriller. I am always interested in authors that were popular in their time who have slipped into obscurity.
Speaking of obscurity - one publisher I am very intrigued by is Persephone Press. They specialize in resurrecting books from women writers that have gone out of print. The Amy Adams movie 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' was adapted from one of their titles. I plan to write a longer post about them soon!
I recently checked out the Dan Simmon's book 'The Terror' because I was reading the reviews for his newest novel 'Drood.' Many of the Amazon posters were mixed in their reviews of Drood but mentioned being a fan of Simmons earlier novel 'The Terror'. So I will be giving it a shot!
My friend tried reading Shutter Island - but it wasn't her type of book. She has passed it to her husband and he is starting it now. I am waiting to see what he thinks. The movie trailer certainly looks good, and I have never read anything by Dennis Lehane. Again, this is not my normal type of book - which is exactly why I am interested in it.
