KenCarpenter.com

Recently Read

Michael Connelly: The Black Echo
I've been reading Connelly's novels out of order, so I went back to the first. A solid introduction of homicide detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. (****)
James Patterson: Alex Cross
(Also published as "Cross" in 2006). ... Pedestrian Patterson (**)
Lee Child: The Affair
Not as as crackling as some of the other Reacher books, but a decent read. (***)
Michael Connelly: The Fifth Witness
Mickey Haller's at it again! (****)
Michael Connelly: Angels Flight
You have to love Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch! (****)
Lee Child: Killing Floor
Finally got around to "reading" Child's first Jack Reacher novel (actually listened on audiobook). Pretty great! (****)
Michael Connelly: The Lincoln Lawyer
Just outstanding! I'm now on a quest to read all of Connelly's books! Movie review will come soon ... (*****)
Witold Rybczynski: City Life: Urban Expectations in a New World
I'm an urban guy. This book made me feel like I was back at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. Rybczynski has an easy-reading yet authoritative style. (****)
Nicholas Carr: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Fascinating ... and frightening. John Horgan's review in the Wall Street Journal calls it "quite absorbing ... and disturbing." The neuroscience segments can get a little deep, which keeps it from being 5 stars out of 5. (****)
Charles Leerhsen: Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America
Enjoyable, interesting and, at turns, entertaining — but there's not enough about horse racing. Dan Patch competed primarily against the stopwatch — he was a time-trialer — thus the book lacks the drama of "Seabiscuit" or other racing tales. (***)
Clay Shirky: Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age
I liked this book so much I'm going to return it to the library, and then buy a copy for future reference! (*****)
Witold Rybczynski: My Two Polish Grandfathers (And Other Essays on the Imaginative Life)
I enjoyed this little book immensely. I plan to read more of Rybczynski's work. (Rekindling the fire that led to an Urban Studies degree.) (****)
Michael Connelly: The Last Coyote: A Harry Bosch novel
Outstanding! After reading two of the Harry Bosch novels (Nos. 3 and 4), I'm hooked! (*****)
Michael Connelly: The Concrete Blonde: A Harry Bosch novel
I met Connelly briefly at the Storytellers Summit at the University of Florida, March 2010. I liked his presentation, I liked him, and I liked this book. It's his third novel, and his reputation suggests the others will get better and better. (***)
Lee Child: Worth Dying For
The Jack Reacher novels are implausible, yet irresistible! This one is another winner! (****)
Noah Boyd: The Bricklayer
Steve Vail has potential as an interesting investigator, but right now he's playing junior varsity to Jack Reacher. ... Decent story, but with a few too many too-fast leaps to conclusions. (***)
Stieg Larsson: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Not enough Lisbeth Salander action, compared to the first two Larsson books, but worth the effort to complete the trilogy. (***)
Lee Child: 61 Hours: A Reacher Novel
A shocking ending ... New book expected in October might explain things. (****)
Stieg Larsson: The Girl Who Played with Fire
Would rate this one a hair below "Dragon Tattoo," but don't have the option of 4.9 stars. (*****)
Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Very late to this party, but I agree with the tens of millions before me — simply stunning. (*****)

May 08, 2013

The new normal as a friend signs off

BY KEN CARPENTER
© KenCarpenter.com

Some of my best friends are gay. And some of my best friends are vegetarians. And some of them drive BMWs. And some of them even watch the NBA. ... Vive la différence, I always say.

The gay person I know best is not a friend, per se, but I've checked in on him once a week for more than 16 years. That's around 800 conversations. I've missed some weeks, and so has he. That's more than I talk to my parents, come to think of it. (Bad son.)

You might know Craig Wilson, too. Most Wednesday mornings his "weekly postcard from a friend" has appeared in USA Today, on the bottom of the purple Life section. Craig had the second best job in America, after Anthony Bourdain. He got paid to write one column a week for one of the most-read newspapers in America.

Gannett offered Craig, and other veteran journalists, a buyout, and he took the package. His last column appears in today's paper.

Most of you aren't like me in that you don't get USA Today delivered to your home. I'd be surprised if any of my 863 Facebook friends do. I guess that makes me not "normal." But you've had to bump into Craig somewhere along the way, probably when you were traveling and writing your own postcards back home.