Books

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

An underground classic since its first publication in 1996, Fight Club is now recognized as one of the most original and provocative novels published in [that] decade. Chuck Palahniuk's darkly funny first novel tells the story of a god-forsaken young man who discovers that his rage at living in a world filled with failure and lies cannot be pacified by an empty consumer culture. Relief for him and his disenfranchised peers comes in the form of secret after-hours boxing matches held in the basements of bars. Fight Club is the brainchild of Tyler Durden, who thinks he has found a way for himself and his friends to live beyond their confining and stultifying lives. But in Tyler's world there are no rules, no limits, no brakes.

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The Man Booker Prize for Fiction represents the very best in contemporary fiction (from the UK, Ireland, and the Commonwealth). One of the world’s most prestigious awards, and one of incomparable influence, it continues to be the pinnacle of ambition for every fiction writer. It has the power to transform the fortunes of authors, and even publishers. In 2004, not only did Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty reach the bestseller lists, but previous winners The Life of Pi (2002) and Vernon God Little (2003) were also amongst the bestselling books of the year. Congratulations to last year's winner John Banville for his novel The Sea.

The winner receives £50,000 with a guaranteed increase in sales and recognition worldwide. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their own book.

	The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
	The Secret River by Kate Grenville
	Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland
	In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
	Mother's Milk by Edward St Aubyn
	The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Unlocking a cold case with explosive implications for the future of civil rights, forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme and his protegee, Amelia Sachs, must outguess a killer who has targeted a high school girl from Harlem who is digging into the past of one of her ancestors, a former slave. What buried secrets from 140 years ago could have an assassin out for innocent blood? And what chilling message is hidden in his calling card, the hanged man of the tarot deck? Rhyme must anticipate the next strike or become history -- in the bestseller that proves "there is no thriller writer today like Jeffery Deaver" (San Jose Mercury News).

It seems like every Mystery/Suspense author has a serial character, one who appears in nearly all of their books. James Patterson has Alex Cross, Janet Evanovich has Stephanie Plum, Michael Connelly has Harry Bosch...and Jeffery Deaver has Lincoln Rhyme. I dabble in the works of some other Mystery/Suspense writers, but my favorites are the Lincoln Rhyme books. Most Mystery/Suspense novels follow essentially the same outline and only differ in the people and the places. Deaver breaks the mold when writing Lincoln Rhyme, and for that I am grateful.

It had been a long time since I read a book in this series, so it was refreshing to get back to it. It was almost like coming home after a long trip. It's just nice to be back.

The detail into which Deaver goes is noteworthy. The level of his research is evident in his books and he just seems to spend more time learning about the subject matter than another author would. (Sidenote: The one exception to that rule came out in The Twelfth Card where his plot dealt with some young men and women from Harlem. He did not have the best handle on his Ebonics, but I'm sure many of his readers would never know the difference.)

I like the creativity in which Deaver wraps his stories. Instead of starting a new book and just having a different killer, he focuses on a bigger picture and devises elaborate plot lines and intricate motives for his killers. I am sure it is at least somewhat self-serving because without that, he would have no reason to do all of the research for which he is respected.

The Twelfth Card featured a plot that was very involved, including the attempt to get to the bottom of a crime that was 140 years old. For his creative plots, this one was a little far-fetched. I thought he had to scramble a little to make things tie out in the end, but after taking a step back, I did not mind. (Those of you with a mind to pshchoanalyze me will get a kick out of this.) The heart of these books is in the chase. That is what is so great about them. The ending did not take too long, so it was relatively unobtrusive to my overall enjoyment of the book.

If I were asked to recommend to you a Jeffery Deaver, even specifically a Lincoln Rhyme book, I would not pick The Twelfth Card. Of the now 7 Lincoln Rhyme books, this may actually be the worst of the series, but the other books are just that good. I liked it a lot and am glad I read it. My suggestion is to read the entire series; start anywhere you like. You do not need to read them in any order, though I recommend you do.

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Mitch Albom has captivated readers with his earlier novels Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. At the end of September, 2006 he will begin his book tour for his latest novel, For One More Day. The book is on sale now and will be released on September 26, 2006. For more information about the book, visit ForOneMoreDay.com. There is also a complete list of tour dates available here.

Appearances of note:
Friday, October 6
Noon – 1:00 PM
Starbucks
Maple & Lahser
3584 West Maple
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Q&A & signing
248-642-6904

Saturday, October 7
Noon
Borders
612 E. Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
signing
734-668-8124

Why ... were adults so insistent that kids be polite? The ones who were most polite always seemed fundamentally untrustworthy.