Blues Clues and Skinner Butte Park

Both of them in big kid swings! Too bad I mistakenly pushed the little one out of the swing right after I took this. Poor little bunkin.

Before we went to the park we went to the local theatre and saw a production of Blues Clues. It was perfect for the kids. They had great time.

Heceta Head

My happy beachcombers

Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley

This one didn't sit right with me for most of the way. Paris Minton's self-deprecating prattle bothered me to the point that I was missing out on some positive parts of the story and the writing. The whole thing about him being such a fraidy cat just didn't jibe with all the ballsy things he was doing. I had a hard time getting past that. A mirror image of the same thing was happening with Fearless Jones -- he was being talked up as the man you don't mess with yet that wasn't coming across too well. All talk and no walk. Not Fearless himself, but Paris's build up of him. I actually found myself more interested in the back story of Fearless' World War II assassination missions.

Perhaps these things wouldn't have been a problem if I hadn't started with the third book in the series? Of course, that in itself wouldn't say much about this books ability to stand on its own.

Yet, by the end of the book I was open to some more Fearless and Paris. So maybe I'll give them another spin sometime.

Pale Horse Coming by Stephen Hunter

Wow! This was a great book in so many ways. This is the first Stephen Hunter book I've read, and I know I'm coming back for more. I was expecting more run-of-the-mill pop fiction, but instead I got some really excellent writing that kept me turning page after page. A good "story" can keep me turning pages, but this was good "writing". Excellent research, compelling story, well developed characters, multi-layered plot line, great action -- just great writing.

Earl Swagger is a character I want to read more of. He's elemental, and I'm sure Hunter has more backstory on him in some of his other books. I'm looking forward to tracking those down. Looks like Hunter writes some books with his son Bob Lee Hooker as the main character. Gotta get my hands on those as well.

Definitely some squirmy topics touched on in this book: the South in the Jim Crow era, war and the morality of killing, biological warfare to name a few.

Very impressive to come across a "thriller" that is well crafted piece of fiction rather than just another pop story.

'The Hot Dog has a Penis'

My three year old calling it like she sees it at "The Dog House", Eugene, OR.

The Hunt Club by John Lescroart

I don't know about this one. Fairly good story, but thin in many areas. The main character is Wyatt Hunt a former military inspector and former child protective services field agent turned PI. Definitely not of the traditional gumshoe mold -- he's a bit too self aware with some scars from the past left by growing up in the foster care system and later losing his fiance. I really wanted to like this guy, but I don't think Lescroart developed his character well enough or allowed for a rich enough story line for him to grow on me. He did a far better job with the other characters in the book like Hunt's friends Amy Wu and Devin Juhle. But maybe Hunt grew on my just enough, because I do think that I'd give a "Hunt" novel another chance. Just to see whether Lescroart can redeem him.