Fiction books read in 2002
This is a list of books that I read at some point in 2001-2002 - part
of my 3/24/03 reorganization of my recently read
book page. There'll be a link if comments are necessary. Most of
these are complete fluff that I picked up for a dollar at the used
bookstore or for reading on planes, and probably aren't worth picking
up unless you're really bored. I'll note that most of these are
mysteries, because I've grown bored with sci-fi, and was looking for
something new to read. And most of these are from the past six
months, I haven't kept close enough track to know what I've been
reading for the past two years on the fluff side of things.
- The Ultimate Rush, by Joe Quirk - (Sept 2002) Set in San Francisco
with a protagonist of a roller-blading tattooed computer-hacking
courier, this book starts with an opening sequence that is the best I
have read since Snow Crash.
Quirk draws you in right away with his breezy language, and spins you
into an action sequence that is as exciting as it is wholly
implausible. But that doesn't matter. It's a wild joyride, and it
goes by fast enough that the reader never gets bogged down in details.
I love the writing style, with wacky vocabulary and ridiculous
analogies (somebody on Amazon complained that nobody would talk like
that in real life. Duh). I highly recommend it, especially if you
liked Snow Crash better than Diamond Age.
- (10/02)Shadow of the Hegemon, by Orson Scott Card
I picked this up while staying at a friend's house, and read it.
Well, re-read it, as it turned out. I must have read it at some
point because I remembered events as I read them, but the plot was so
forgettable that I had no recollection of the experience whatsoever.
I really hate this re-working of Ender's universe, even though some of
Card's geopolitical plots are amusing.
- (10/02)Coyote Moon, by Christopher Moore
Amusing book which attracted me because it featured Coyote, the
American Indian version of Trickster.
- (9/02)The Curse of Chalion, by Lois
McMaster Bujold
Bujold's foray into fantasy away from her Vorkosigan-series space
opera. Well-constructed world, interesting characters, but it didn't
really grab me. May be me, though.
- (9/02)Demolition Angel, by Robert Crais
- (9/02)Void Moon, by Michael Connelly
Standard "hard-boiled" mysteries. Not particularly memorable.
- (9/02)The Roads of Heaven, by Melissa Scott
I really liked some of Scott's other books, like Trouble and Her
Friends, so when I saw this early trilogy of hers at the library, I
had to read it. Didn't do a lot for me, though. The universe was
never really explained, and the characters were not compelling.
- Dennis Lehane
- A Civil Campaign, by Lois McMaster
Bujold
- Diplomatic Immunity, by Lois
McMaster Bujold
- Issola, by Steven Brust
- The Preacher series, by Garth
Ennis
- Dead and Gone, by Andrew
Vachss
- Pain Management, by Andrew
Vachss
- Gone, but Not Forgotten, by Phillip Margolin
- Caper, by Lawrence Sanders
- A Cold Day in Paradise, by Steve Hamilton
- Keeper, by Greg Rucka
- Finder, by Greg Rucka
- Smoker, by Greg Rucka
- Grift Sense, by James Swain
- The Bourne Ultimatum, by Robert Ludlum
- Quiller's Run, by Adam Hall
- Quiller KGB, by Adam Hall
- Hannibal, by Thomas Harris
- Money to Burn, by Gloria White
- A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, by Lawrence Block
- Tourist Season, by Carl Hiaasen
- Skin Tight, by Carl Hiaasen
- The Sweet Forever, by George Pelecanos
Back to the Eric Nehrlich, bookworm page.
Eric Nehrlich's WWW home page / nehrlich@alum.mit.edu