I am woefully behind in blogging through the books I have read. I will have to redouble my efforts to achieve my goals of one day providing reviews for the library mags. I will soon begin receiving advanced copies of books and need to hone my reviewing. So, I will do a once over of the last few and try again after that.
To reach my goal of once again reading 200 books this year I have to average about 17 per month. I reached number 34 on February 27th so I am in good shape.

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch–This thriller is the best fiction book I have read this year and is a likely contender for my best books of the year list. What separates this thriller apart from others is that it is told in reverse. Nick Quinn is accused of murdering his wife and has 12 hours to figure out how to stop her murder. Starting with chapter 13 the book works in reverse by moving to the previous hour with each. What could be a distracting gimmick turns into a fresh approach and reminds me of a literary Memento. A Must Read.

Panic Attack by Jason Starr–At the other end of the spectrum this thriller is morally bankrupt and devoid of any redeeming quality. What starts out as good suspense quickly devolves into a mess of unlikeable characters and a wholly unsatisfying resolution. I’ll spare you even the synopsis and simply say avoid it.

Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan–The second entry in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series finds Percy and Annabeth on a mission to rescue Grover from a pissed-off Cyclopes. Riordan has put together a highly entertaining series that puts Greek Mythology in a new light.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins–Years after the United States comes to a violent end a new empire, named Panem, has risen up to take its place. Each year the Capital of Panem selects a boy and girl from each of the 12 districts to fight to the death in The Hunger Games. I listened to the audio version and was pleasantly surprised with this young adult novel that hits all the right dystopian notes.

Point Omega by Don Delillo–I complain often about books that are overly long or fail to be concise. Delillo is a master when it comes to the economy of words. This slight novel, a treatise on the nature of war, solitude and sorrow is one that will stick with you long after you are done. With Delillo it is never about what he writes but about what he doesn’t that resonates so strongly. A middle aged filmmaker goes to the remote mountains of Colorado to film a retired war advisor for a documentary film. When the old man’s daughter visits the facade of loneliness comes shattering down. A solid piece that ranks up there with the greatness that was Falling Man.

Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music by Greg Kot–Kot has written a serviceable look at the progression of music formats over the last 25 years. Chapters on Bright Eyes and Death Cab are revealing but what is missing is a narrative thread that weaves it all together. I was looking for a unity that was not to be found.

Horns by Joe Hill–This has been my most anticipated title of the year. Hill, the son of Stephen King, had a tremendous debut with Heart Shaped Box a couple of years back. However, this novel is not a straight horror tale. Ignatius wakes up one morning to find that horns have sprouted from his temples and now people tell him their deepest secrets. Several days later I still don’t know what I think of this book. I liked it and Hill is an accomplished storyteller. It kept my interest as a real page turner. But there is something about the book that bothers me. I’m just not sure what that is yet.

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci–Although I was not the target audience for this graphic novel I enjoyed it. If you like comix then this is a fun and fast read.