Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Miscellaneous Blogs -> Begging the Question

Miscellaneous

: Begging the Question

50 Book Challenge: Catching Up

By "Milbarge" and "Fitz-Hume"

I decided my reviews would never catch up with my reading if I forced myself to do full reviews of the last few books I read. So, herewith, a few thoughts on the following books. If you want to know more about any of them ask away in the comments.

11. Money Shot by Christa Faust. This is from the "Hard Case Crime" pulp novel series. I had read one or two others, and this one was the most enjoyable yet. A former porn star turned talent director is coaxed into one last shoot, but of course it turns out to be a double-cross and the start of a deadly cat-and-mouse. Shorter: If Jackie Brown had been about porn. Fun.

12. The King of Lies by John Hart. Very good. A struggling Southern lawyer is suspected when his father (a successful Southern lawyer) turns up dead. The mystery plot is well-done, but what really makes the book a stand-out is the character development and exploration of the family secrets that have led the characters to this point. Compares very favorably with the classic of this genre, Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent. I'm looking forward to reading Hart's follow-up Down River.

13. Criminal Paradise by Steven M. Thomas. Pleasant beach reading. Another minor-caper-turns-into-major-one story. The (anti)hero is likable, and the book is useful for a few tips on breaking and entering. Not essential reading, but worth waiting for the paperback and reading on an airplane sometime.

14. Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class by T.J. Waters. I wanted to read this one in conjunction with Legacy of Ashes. I was curious about the insider's perspective. We don't get a lot of big picture thinking, aside from how badly the recruits personally want to kill bin Laden. Some interesting tidbits about training on "The Farm," but of course a lot of details are classified. Skippable. Only worth reading if you're interested in joining the CIA and want to convince yourself it's the right decision, or if you're already in the CIA and want to read a love letter.

15. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee. Don't read on an empty stomach. Or read a chapter and get hungry for another in an hour. I could go on all day. Actually, it was enjoyable and edifying book. It's puffed up a little by Lee's search for the "greatest Chinese restaurant in the world," but still worth it. I especially enjoyed the journey to the real General Tso's birthplace. There are meatier chapters on human smuggling and immigration (and migration, like when a Chinese family from New York takes over a restaurant in rural Georgia). The book is tied together by Lee's search for the origin of the fortune cookie. Spoiler: it's not Chinese.

(Previous 50 Book Challenge reviews)

Full post as published by Begging the Question on July 07, 2008 (boomark / email).