One of my regrets with the books I’ve read in 2011, is not being able to read more of Brett Battles work, but that does at least mean I’ve got plenty read in 2012!
The Cleaner by Brett Battles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Month: December 2011
Book Review: The Cyclops Conspiracy by David Perry
The Cyclops Conspiracy by David Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 25 – A Stab in the Dark by Lawrence Block
Written by one of the masters of the genre, Lawrence Block has been writing the Matt Scudder series for what seems like a very long time. This is one of the early ones, and one of the best with Matt solving an old closed case when new evidence comes to light. Short, tight and a crime story at it’s best.
A Stab in the Dark by Lawrence Block
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 26 – Shedworking by Alex Johnson
Another one on the digital nomad vein, but in this case a more practical guide as to how to work from a shed in your garden. Great place to start from, and also full of some useful practical tips, as well as also having some great and inspirational photographs.
Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution by Alex Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 27 – Borkmann’s Point by Hakan Nesser
Rereading my review again below, you might be wondering why this one made it into the top 31 at all. Well there are a number of Scandanavian authors who are getting a lot of press at the moment, and Hakan Nesser doesn’t seem to be one of them for some reason. Although I didn’t rate this very highly it was much better than some of the others that I have read which get far more publicity. So I think it’s worthy of inclusion above some of the others that I’ve read this year, but haven’t made it in the top 31.
Borkmann’s Point: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery by Håkan Nesser
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 28 – The Remains by Vincent Zandri
I had to include this one somewhere in the overall list for the year. It’s one of the stand-out reads, and would be easy to place it much higher up, but then so are many of those books above it.
The Remains by Vincent Zandri
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Guest Post From Benjamin Wallace: Writer By Night!
Today it is my pleasure to welcome Benjamin Wallace to my blog, I reviewed Ben’s book “Dumb White Husband Vs. The Grocery Store” a while a go. Like me Ben is a writer with a “Day Job”, and Ben discusses how he gets his writing done. I’m taking notes, because I think I can learn a lesson or two.
Please everyone welcome Ben to the Electronic Scrapbook!
Writer by Night
People constantly ask me how I find the time to write. I tell them I’m a writer by night.
Writer by night. Browse around Twitter a bit and you’ll see this phrase in more than a few bios. It’s kind of romantic isn’t it? As if quill and parchment sit before the impassioned author as the flame of a candle flicks and the muse strums a lire over the literary genius’ shoulder.
I’m a writer by night.
There is no power on Earth that can make me a morning person. If I woke up early to write, my works would be filled with senselessly violent scenes that explored the different sounds a coffee urn would make if it was used to punch someone in the face. And, while that specific scene will now make it into one of my books, such a singular focus on coffee pot face-punching would not make for a lasting career.
I can’t write during the day. That’s when I’m at what has now become known as my day job. They want me to do stuff that isn’t my stuff. And, since they still keep the lights on and bellies full, I can hardly protest. It is still the day job that I shouldn’t quit.
My evenings are dedicated to my family for two reasons. 1) Because they’re pretty cool. I’ve got three kids and they all have stories about what they did during the day, they have pictures that they’ve colored for me and they have new theories about super heroes that, if they don’t share, will cause them to explode. 2) Hollywood has convinced me that if I don’t spend time with them they will all grow up to be criminals or I will have to endure some formulaic life swap with another man to truly appreciate the life I already have. I don’t have time for any life swapping.
So, I’m a writer by night. I tuck in the kids, feed the dogs, yell at the kids to get back into bed, disappear into a home office (which I share with the dogs), step back out to tell the kids to get back into bed and type until I’m exhausted, stopping only to tell the kids to get back into bed. Should the lire-playing muse ever visit me I have no doubt that I would yell at her and threaten to shove the lire places if she didn’t knock off the racket.
Sometimes when I tell people this they still don’t understand it. So, I tell them that I’ve learned a lot being a writer by night. But, there are some things I haven’t learned. I haven’t learned who the next American Idol is. I haven’t learned which bar has the best happy hour. I haven’t learned what the producers/writers/key grips of Lost have been up to. I haven’t learned a thing about what hours the gym is open. Though I probably have learned about the internet video where the dog is dressed as a Wampa. (I’m only human)
Writer by night means writer by night. There’re a lot of us out there. And we love to talk about it. So ask us. But don’t ask us what the score was, who won a Grammy, or if we caught so and so on Letterman/Kimmel/The Daily Show. We don’t know. We were busy writing. By night.
Benjamin Wallace is the author of the bestselling action/adventure comedies Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (A Duck and Cover Adventure) and Tortugas Rising as well as the Dumb White Husband short stories. You can learn more at benjaminwallacebooks.com or follow him on twitter @BenMWallace
Books of 2011 # 29 – Off the Grid by Nick Rosen
I’ve often dreamed of being a digital nomad. Nothing but me, some tech and the wide world, living off-grid. This book had an obvious appeal, and covered those people who do actually do that, rather than like me day dream about it! An enjoyable little escape, it look at those peoples real lives and how breaking the connection from “society” has changed their lives.
Off the Grid by Nick Rosen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 30 – Short Lean Cuts by Alex M Pruteanu
This was a memorable book for me, not least because I know the author. It was his first book, and it was an interesting read, the author was also kind enough to come on to this site for a Q&A session, which can be found here.
Short Lean Cuts by Alex M. Pruteanu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 31 – Dinosaur in a Haystack by Stephen Jay Gould
It’s been exceptionally difficult to fill a list of 31 books, from a total of the 72 that I’ve read this year. The stand-out reads, those who won’t be appearing until the end of the month were relatively easy but the lower orders (if you like), were more difficult. So anyway coming in at the end of the order is a classic. I love science-fact, and Stephen Jay Gould stands out amongst his peers. He passed away in 2002, but had an immense impact on the science community and also in my years as a science student. I also particularly love the cover on this one in particular.
Dinosaur in a Haystack by Stephen Jay Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Electronic Scrapbook 