I'm going to Bouchercon this year. Third time. I'm not good at this sort of thing--not unless you give me chairs to set up or a water pitcher to fill. I think I performed such tasks at my own wedding.
Last Bouchercon, the only one I introduced myself to was Sandra Ruttan.
But gee, the chance to see and hear some of those authors gets me every time. So here I go again.
My panel is: MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: Books we love that you should too.
There are some famous people on it and I'll probably freeze or talk too much. Guaranteed, I won't get it right.
But as this project has always been a joint one--between you and me--maybe you can suggest some books that would fall into this category. What do you love that I should too?
Just throw some names at me and I'll take it from there. I'm taking a handout of all the books chosen here and a card to give to new recruits. (It's beginning to sound strangely religious). Let's call them volunteers instead.
I'll post this invitation once a week until I go. Maybe armed with your picks, I'll get it right. It'll be easier to look down at a list than out at the audience. Maybe I'll talk a little but not excessively. Maybe I won't be in the ladies room or stairwells most of the time. Where are you, Sandra? Anyone want some water?
18 comments:
This time, Patti, I'd like to have lunch or at least a drink or something. I'm aiming for a slower pace with more meaningful meetings instead of just the blur of names and faces.
What I love that others should too? How about Mosby's The 50/50 Killer, Rankin's Black and Blue, Reasoner's Dust Devils, Guthrie's Savage Night, Lippman's Every Secret Thing, McDermid's A Place of Execution, Read's A Field of Darkness and...
You know, I think one of the problems your panel faces is that it's easy to pull the popular names - Rankin, Bruen, Lippman. I think the key will be talking about some of the up-and-coming authors or lesser-known. From that side of the coin, I think three biggies I'd plug would be Tom Piccirilli (The Fever Kill), James Sallis (Salt River) and James Reasoner (Dust Devils). For up-and-comers I'd plug John McFetridge, Sean Chercover, Craig McDonald.
I'll quit while I'm ahead.
All great ideas, Sandra. The list I was composing was going to the older writers and that makes no sense really.
Yes, let's have a drink for sure.
One of my two favorite books this year is Money Shot by Christa Faust. One of the best books Hard Case Crime has published. The other book I love is The Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow. And I thoroughly enjoyed Duane Swierczynski's Severance Package.
Someday, I shall get to Bouchercon.
Hey, I'm on that panel! Be sure to introduce yourself. I'm too shy to say anything to anybody who doesn't speak first.
I know. You're one of the famous ones I alluded to.
You'll also be the one with the greatest list of books you personally have read. I wish you could do a slideshow of your book jacket covers for the panel.
Great ideas, Scott. You'll get there soon. Indiana next year. Are you closer to there?
I look forward to finally meeting you at Bouchercon, Patti. In the meantime, here are a few novels I think every crime-fiction reader ought to like: The Chill, by Ross Macdonald; A Small Death in Lisbon, by Robert Wilson; March Violets, by Philip Kerr; Wolves Eat Dogs, by Martin Cruz Smith; The Jazz Bird, by Craig Holden; Waxwork, by Peter Lovesey; The Lime Pit, by Jonathan Valin; River of Darkness, by Rennie Airth; Blood on the Tongue, by Stephen Booth; Mr. Timothy, by Louis Bayard; Bangkok 8, by John Burdett; and L.A. Requiem, by Robert Crais.
I could surely come up with more titles ... but then I'd actually have to look over my bookcases for ideas.
Cheers,
Jeff
Thanks, Jeff. I'd completely forgotten Jonathan Valin, an early love of mine (on paper I mean). I hope to run into you too. I'll be there TH-FR and looking out for all the bloggers I read. maybe other people look for authors, but I look for bloggers.
I shall be there from Thursday through Sunday, so should have plenty of time to see everyone I want to see--and then some. I shall make it a point to track you down.
I'm in Houston so the 2010 St. Louis location is more likely. Plus, two folks from my local mystery bookstore, Murder by the Book, will be guest hosts.
For the folks going to Bouchercon, take some photos. I'd like to see what it was all about. Thanks.
Jeff-Just check out water pitchers and ladies rooms. Well, maybe not the latter.
There are usually plenty of photos. I hope I'm alive in 2010 to meet you.
Hi Patti, I'd like to offer a few authors for you: Michael Koryta, Craig Johnson, Timothy Hallinan. I just read Tim Hallinan for the first time with his Fourth Watcher. Excellent!! Koryta can do no wrong with me and Craig Johnson is just amazing. I also adore everything I've read by Ariana Franklin and Alafair Burke! I hope you have a wonderful time!!
Tim is doing a forgotten book this week and is so NICE. So I will seek his book out at once. Thanks, Jen.
I'm really out of it since I don't recognize any of those authors. I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I enjoy some of the historical series, in particular, the Ursula Blanchard series by Fiona Buckley, set at the court of Elizabeth I. I also enjoy the Isaac of Girona series by Caroline Roe. Her sleuth is a blind Jewish physician in Medieval Spain. Very different detective and series.
Good luck at Bouchercon. I know you'll be nervous but you'll do fine.
Linda
Oh, Linda. Such cool suggestions and I'll put them on the list. I wish you would do a review for Forgotten Books on one of them.
Hope to meet you at Bouchercon, Patti (and Bill, whom again I've never met.)
A book that everyone should love: A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine.
Another - A Judgment in Stone by Ruth Rendell (aka Vine)
A great Rendell fan. I think I've read all the Wexlers and most of the rest.
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