Friday, March 28, 2014

More of the Best


More of the Best

When I wrote my list of bests, I could not get all of the best books in one blog.




So here are a few more:


Scott Turow’s Ordinary Heroes rated by my late father (a World War II combat
Infantry veteran) as the most realistic description of combat he had read.

Susan Wittig Albert’s A Wilder Rose is the best book I know examining the question of how much of 
the writing of the Little House books was done by Laura Ingalls Wilder and how much was done by
her daughter Rose, a notable professional writer.

The best environmentalist character in fiction: Skink in the novels of Carl Hiaasen.

Best description of Kansas City: author Joel Goldman. 

Best depiction of a damaged hero: The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry.

Best inclusion of “sneaky humor,” i.e. during a dramatic scene the author throws in unexpected: Sue 
Grafton. There is a wonderful example in T is for Trespass. When the heroine is checking the 
credentials of a nursing care person she happens upon a former co-worker of that person.  The co-worker  gives a description of the person’s work, which is hilarious. 

Best description of an arson investigation: California Fire and Life by Don Winslow.

What writers do you consider "the best" and why? 

3 comments:

  1. I haven't read any of those books, Warren. I'll have to put them on my TBO list. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thank you for the list of books, Warren. I didn't know that Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter was a writer or that she collaborated with her mother on the Little House books. I wonder why she wasn't credited? A Wilder Rose is now on my TBR list.

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  3. Agreed on the best environmental character. Give Carl Hiassen also the "Best of" for sneaking environmental issues into a storyline, too. I'll have to check out Sue's T-book now and re-read it. If you haven't read any of Randy Wayne White, he is another Floridian who writes with humor and environmental issues as fodder. Different sort of book from both of the above (except that this series, too, is unique.)

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