[Irish Rover]

Boomer - I just read three books by Daniel Silva and they were good. All three follow the same character - Israeli Assassin - who poses as an art restorer. I think you might like them "The Kill Artist" "The English Assassin" and "The Confessor". Happy reading.
IR

[collie1228]

I2ridehd, I too have discovered Nelson Demille. And I too loved Plum Island. Good character development! I recommend him highly.

[Cassie325]

After reading this thread again....I personally think you should write a book!!

I believe it would be thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking!!


What would you write about? Hhmmmm....that is a good topic for a new thread. Will start one...

But seriously...write a book!!

[uujudy]

Thanks to the wonderful information from you folks, I took your list of recommended Florida authors to The Villages library yesterday. The librarian was so helpful, but when she looked at my list she said, "You left off an author. Patrick Smith should be on that list." She said his A Land Remembered is usually on their reserved list, and she was surprised the book was on the shelf. She was being so darned helpful I didn't want to go into "Well, the authors should be funny, too..." so I took the book.

She then took me directly to the Carl Hiaasen section. She pronounced it HI - uh - sun, like the flower (sort of). I've been calling him hi - ASS - un. Oops! Again, based on your recommendations, I did NOT get Sick Puppy; I got Nature Girl as my first Hiaasen book.

What a good feeling! I have 2 new authors of 2 new library books, and I'm a happy Villager Let's hope I can finish them before the due date. TV is one busy place!

Thanks again for all the great recommendations! You guys are

[BritParrothead]

I am a great fan of Carl Hiaasen and have read all his books. So if you like him you should try:
Lawrence Shames; all set in the Keys
Tom Corcoran; Florida based
Randy Wayne White; Florida and thereabouts
Les Standiford; Florida
And last but by no means least
Jimmy Buffett

[Boomer]

This afternoon I started Tim Dorsey's Hammerhead Ranch Motel. I am not too far into it yet, but far enough to know I like this guy. The sleazeball characters he introduces to the reader first thing rank right up there with some of Hiaasen's creeps. I hope that Dorsey, too, has a wicked fate in store for the slime. CH never disappoints on that one.

One of the very early scenes in this book is set on that bridge over Tampa Bay. That bridge! I hate that bridge! I always have to close my eyes. And this book won't make that bridge any easier for me.

But I think I like Tim Dorsey.

The back of the book blurb compares him to Hiaasen, but it says that while Hiaasen fires bullets, Dorsey makes sure his gun is filled with hollow-point.

Boomer

[BritParrothead]

OOH, I forgot about Tim Dorsey, and his books are sitting right here in front of me! I think he is soo funny. We share the same sense of humour (weird)
You should try to read them in order, Florida Roadkill is the first I think.

[uujudy]

Boomer, it's all your fault! You did this to get back at me for the 57 Chevy on the ribbon of moonlight, didn't you? I hadn't read anything by Carl Hiaasen, but since you introduced me to him I've read Nature Girl, Basket Case, & Skin Tight. I love his books. I should say Thank You, but thanks to you I'm falling behind in my classes, and Mr. Judy can't sleep.

Boomer, The Villages is a very busy place. I don't have time for this. I'm taking a drawing class and a watercolor class, and they both have homework. I'm reading Carl's books instead of doing my homework during the day, and at night I read Carl under the covers with the bitty book light so I don't wake Mr. Judy -- but the bed shakes when I try to stifle my guffaws, and I snort and I have tears running down my face. Mr.Judy wakes up and gives me the look. I just checked out Stormy Weather from The Villages library. I'll start it tonight. You're a very bad influence.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by uujudy

Boomer, it's all your fault! You did this to get back at me for the 57 Chevy on the ribbon of moonlight, didn't you? I hadn't read anything by Carl Hiaasen, but since you introduced me to him I've read Nature Girl, Basket Case, & Skin Tight. I love his books. I should say Thank You, but thanks to you I'm falling behind in my classes, and Mr. Judy can't sleep.

Boomer, The Villages is a very busy place. I don't have time for this. I'm taking a drawing class and a watercolor class, and they both have homework. I'm reading Carl's books instead of doing my homework during the day, and at night I read Carl under the covers with the bitty book light so I don't wake Mr. Judy -- but the bed shakes when I try to stifle my guffaws, and I snort and I have tears running down my face. Mr.Judy wakes up and gives me the look. I just checked out Stormy Weather from The Villages library. I'll start it tonight. You're a very bad influence.

Wow! Judy, when I read your post I started feeling downright influential for a few minutes. Hubris was starting to set in. But then I thought I had better get over myself before I could not stand myself.

Even though I am really glad you like Carl Hiaasen's books, I think we had better have a little talk about that guffawing and snorting you are doing, resulting in getting "the look." I know that look. And I certainly hope you are not drinking milk or anything while you read Hiaasen. Having it come out your nose would be most unattractive. You must be careful. I do not want to read about you and Mr. Judy in that magazine that runs that monthly feature "Can This Marriage Be Saved?"

Stormy Weather is still my favorite. Skin Tight comes in second.

But I cannot see a wood chipper without thinking of Skin Tight. In fact, a couple of weeks ago we had to have two big trees taken down. Mr. Boomer loves to cut down trees, but on these I had to change his mind. They were bigguns.

Anyway, you know how retired guys are. So, of course, he was hanging out with the tree-cutter-downer guys while they were working. I looked out the window from time to time but I stayed out of the loop.

But on one trip past the window, I looked and I did not see Mr. Boomer! I could not find him anywhere! I could see all the other guys! I could see their big wood chipper! I could hear it running! And you know what I thought! "Ohhhhh, Nooooo, was Mr. Boomer out there giving them helpful retired guy hints on how to take those trees down?!!"

Boomer

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Boomer

. . . And I certainly hope you are not drinking milk or anything while you read Hiaasen. Having it come out your nose would be most unattractive. You must be careful. I do not want to read about you and Mr. Judy in that magazine that runs that monthly feature "Can This Marriage Be Saved?"

Stormy Weather is still my favorite. Skin Tight comes in second.

But I cannot see a wood chipper without thinking of Skin Tight. . . . But on one trip past the window, I looked and I did not see Mr. Boomer! I could not find him anywhere! I could see all the other guys! I could see their big wood chipper! I could hear it running! And you know what I thought! "Ohhhhh, Nooooo, was Mr. Boomer out there giving them helpful retired guy hints on how to take those trees down?!!"

Boomer

Boomer,
Oh Man! (or Boy Howdy!) That's the first thought I would have, too! You did find Mr. Boomer, right? Please tell me you found him?
And I don't drink anything in bed that might squirt out my nose. I'm very careful drinking anything when I'm reading Carl's books.

BritParrothead,
Please don't! Please don't introduce me to more funny Florida authors. I have homework. Mr. Judy has to sleep! Please!

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by uujudy

Boomer,
Oh Man! (or Boy Howdy!) That's the first thought I would have, too! You did find Mr. Boomer, right? Please tell me you found him?
And I don't drink anything in bed that might squirt out my nose. I'm very careful drinking anything when I'm reading Carl's books.

BritParrothead,
Please don't! Please don't introduce me to more funny Florida authors. I have homework. Mr. Judy has to sleep! Please!

Thanks Judy. Yes, I found him. (Actually I knew he was getting along fine with those guys.)

I showed him what I wrote here. He just laughed. He is used to me. Me and that constant narrator that lives inside my head. Most people would look out the window and think nothing of the scene. I, on the other hand, went immediately into an entire story. 'tis an affliction of sorts. But I feel better to know that you would have thought the same thing.

That wood chipper scene in Skin Tight sure made an impression. And that was before the wood chipper in Fargo.

Boomer



.

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Boomer

. . . Most people would look out the window and think nothing of the scene. I, on the other hand, went immediately into an entire story. 'tis an affliction of sorts. But I feel better to know that you would have thought the same thing. . . .

OMG! Boomer! We ARE related! It IS an affliction! You think up stories, and I think up headlines! They usually begin with "Utah woman" and include the word "tragic." LOL

I'm glad you found Mr. Boomer safe and sound. Glad we didn't have to read "Cincinnati man not so chipper after tragic chipper accident"

[tony]

oooooooo, Judy. omygudness.

Journalists everywhere will wince tonight and they won't know why.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by uujudy

OMG! Boomer! We ARE related! It IS an affliction! You think up stories, and I think up headlines! They usually begin with "Utah woman" and include the word "tragic." LOL

I'm glad you found Mr. Boomer safe and sound. Glad we didn't have to read "Cincinnati man not so chipper after tragic chipper accident"

Judy, that sounds just like something seen on the front page of one of those tabloids. I showed Mr. B the headline you wrote and he just laughed and shook his head. -- mumbled something about birds of a feather.

So you write headlines in your head. This is such great news.

I could use a headline for a story that popped into my head one time, and I told it, right there, on the spot, and uh oh. It was just a story. But it got away from me and took on a life of its own. It was the story of me and Johnny Marzetti. And then there was the story that I told a kid who, as it turned out, got him into big trouble with his teacher and I had to go get him out of it. (That teacher had absolutely no sense of humor.)

Anyway Judy, my real life is calling me away from the computer right now, but I plan to come back and tell the story of me and Johnny Marzetti and I hope you will write a headline for it. (And I do not think that Carl Hiaasen will care one single bit that I am hijacking his thread for a little while.)

Boomer

[tony]

This is like standing in front of an aquarium, but I'm not watching fish, I'm watching English majors.

Instead of fish floating by taking big gulps and striking at bits of food, I'm seeing English majors swimming round looking for adjectives.

Wonder what Mr. Hiaasen would say if he saw this carrying-on and hijacking a thread about his work?