Friday, April 20, 2018

FFB, April 20, 2018












Stoner, JohnWilliams

Second time reading this one, and I liked it as well as the first time. It reads so easily. Every word seems especially chosen for its clarity.
Stoner comes from a poor farming family in South Dakota and is sent to college at great expense to his family to study newer agricultural methods. But he discovers literature and that becomes the love of his life. And that love blinds him to an evil wife, enemies in his academic department, causes him to give up so much to pursue his dream. For anyone interested in a character study, this is tops. You will feel very sad for Stoner but understand he made the bed he lies in. He is not a heroic figure but he has no evil in him either. Much like all of us.

Mark Baker, J IS FOR JUDGMENT, Sue Grafton
Les Blatt, THE CASE OF THE MONDAY MURDERS, Christopher Bush
Elgin Bleecker, HONEY IN HIS MOUTH, Lester Dent
Brian Busby, THE BOX GARDEN, Carol Shields
CROSS EXAMINING CRIME, DEATH OF A FAVOURITE GIRL Michael Gilbert
Martin Edwards, THE TIN TREE, James Quince
Richard Horton, CURRENT CONFUSION, Kitty Grey
Jerry House,SIX-GUN GORILLA, Anon
George Kelley, Three by Carter Brown
Margot Kinberg, THE FACE OF A STRANGER, Anne Perry
Rob Kitchin, SLUMBERLAND, Paul Beatty
B.V. Lawson, THE PROBLEM WITH CELL 13, Jacques Heath Futrelle
Evan Lewis, SAY IT WAS MURDER, Stephen Mertz
Steve Lewis, TROUBLE RIDES TALL, Harry Whittington
Todd Mason, WORKS IN PROGRESS, edited by Martha Saxton
Matt Paust, ROLLING STONE, Patricia Wentworth
James Reasoner, LAND OF THE EARTHQUAKES, Henry Kuttner
Gerard Saylor, FRONTIER GIRL, Marian Monsoon
Kerrie Smith, DARKTOWN, Thomas Mullen
Kevin Tipple, COFFIN CORNER, Dell Shannon
TomCat, THE PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, Barry Ergang
TracyK, THE CASE OF THE ONE-PENNY ORANGE. E.V. Cunningham
Westlake Review, DUPLICATE KEYS

13 comments:

Elgin Bleecker said...

Patti – Thanks for doing the list. My FFB post is now up.

George said...

I'm a big fan of STONER, too. A very underrated book!

Mathew Paust said...

Tracy's link doesn't work. :)

Mathew Paust said...

Stoner does sound like a good read. Just from the title, tho, I might have passed it up thinking it was a cheap grab at the thriller/doper market.

Yvette said...

I'm sorry, Patti. Nothing from me this week. By the way, how are you feeling? Everything back to normal? I hope. :)

pattinase (abbott) said...

Well,there won't be any normal anymore. But we are hanging in there. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

A great set of books this week, Patti. Thanks for including mine.

Kevin R. Tipple said...

As one who experienced a new normal for several years and is now doing another and far worse new normal, hang in there. Not that it does a damn thing to help, please know I am thinking of both of you all the time.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Love you, Kevin. I know you are one of the ones that know this pain.

Todd Mason said...

Oh, I have entirely too much selfishness and self-justification in me, which can easily amount to something evil, if usually pettily so, and am on rare occasions heroic, if also usually pettily so. But I do try never to make the bed. I have unmade the bed, and still lie in it.

We all get to try to cope in our own ways. May things get at least somewhat better, and with any justice vastly so.

Mathew Paust said...
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pattinase (abbott) said...
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Mathew Paust said...
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