Category Archives: Recent Reads

Rereading Novels…

Every once in a while I read a novel whose plot forces me to read FAST. This happens because the plot is so intriguing that I NEED to find out how it ends. And I need to find out FAST.

When this happens I am not reading “close” like a writer should read. So, sometimes, I read books a second time.

This happened to me with the trilogy that began with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. And it also happened to me with The Hunger Games trilogy. When I read a story I love for the second time, I am able to look closer at how the author developed characters and plot. The first read was fun, the second read interesting, but both are enjoyable.

Pay close attention to how you read a novel. Are you merely enjoying the story or are you paying attention to how a character is developed? Are you looking for clues that the author might have dropped to help you figure out the ending?

Reading a novel for the second time is a different experience than the initial read. For me, it solidifies how the author drew me into the story and shows me  how he or she captured my heart. As a writer I want to know how the author did this. A second read will usually clarify this for me.

But not always.

Those are the books I read three times.

CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith

If you like novels with tightly woven original plots, then you should enjoy Child 44. This thriller was written by Tom Rob Smith, a British author. It was his first novel. It has been described as being a “relentless page-turner” and I have to agree with that description.

In the novel, the writer does an excellent job of describing the paranoid world of the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It is described as a time when “there is no crime.”

Because the main character, Leo Demidov, is idealistic he goes from being a proud MGB officer to being demoted and arrested.

This is the story of love in a world where it would be easy to suspect your spouse. It is a story about finding a child murderer in a world where that kind of crime is not even recognized. The writer touches on many topics including the social paranoia in the Soviet Union, the Soviet school and police systems, orphanages, and homosexuality.

Child 44 is based on a real soviet serial killer named Andrei Chikatilo who was convicted and executed for over 50 murders in the Soviet Union.

The author has published two additional book which feature Child 44′s main character, Leo Demidov. These books are titled Agent 6 and The Secret Speech. I have not read these last two novels but I plan on doing so.

All three novels are available in Kindle format and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

The Chair: A Novel by James Rubart

This story is based on the premise that Jesus Christ made a chair that still exists today. Does the chair heal? Does it hold unique powers? That is what is explored in the story.

The protagonist, an antique dealer named Corin Roscoe, is given this chair, and the writer shows Corin’s growth, from doubting the chair to a belief of sorts.

Who gave him the chair? Any why? This is explored in the story. And, as other people learn about the chair, numerous antagonists pursue it and the plot thickens.

The protagonist loves extreme sports and, in my opinion, the writer spent too much time on the sports angle of the story but, despite this, I enjoyed the story

Rubart’s writing style is straight-forward and easy to read. I don’t think many people will be disappointed with this story.  I found the book to be a “quick read.”