Book Reviews by Richard Sutton

The Dark Tower Series, Books 1-5

I'd reached a point of rewrite malaise and found no new sparks of idea cricling, so I decided to find a long series to be absorbed in. I have a fondness for fantasy series, and have read Stephen King since his first novel/movie. I've really enjoyed several of them, so having heard of the Dark Tower series, I jumped in.

I just closed the fifth book. There are two left, but I'm not sure I will add my additional contributions to Mr. King's coffers, and here's why: I'm disappointed...

Brendan

It took me quite a few days to read this book, but despite the slow going, it was well worth my time. This is what I left on Amazon:

A Song of Ice and Fire: The Complete Series

Right up front — no spoilers, here or bite-sized impressions…

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book One

I read the reviews. The majority quite glowing. One said "I've read 3,000 pages of your drivel! Enough!" Really? 3,000 pages? I wish I had readers that loyal!

I knew nothing of this writer, but I was so enamoured of the HBO series, that I jumped right in. Fortunately, the film production adhered very closely to the book, so there were few distractions. I read it in three sittings. He had me after the first chapter.

The Tender Bar

If you've ever wondered why drinking in a public group is more enjoyable, or wondered where you felt safest growing up, or gave any thought at all to how you might have given yourself a clearer pathway to your future, J.R. Moehringer's heartfelt memoir will help. This wonderful book, bursting with the most honest, convivial view of tavern life since I read Pete Hamill, isn't just for fun, though. It carries an important message about belonging and about believing in whatever you need...

The Messiah of Morris Avenue

If my son-in-law didn't work at an FDNY firehouse near Morris Avenue, I probably would not have bothered to read this book. It would have been a terrible loss. The writing is rollicking, humorous, character-driven, but works mysteriously into full-blown biblical cross-references through a spiritual journey set in the near future. Those of you who have spent some time in the New Testament will find this book really engaging, but if you don't like your religion taken with a...

Trinity

Leon Uris died a few years back in his home on Shelter Island, only a few miles from my NY home. This book made me want to visit it. I knew of his body of work and had read Exodus when I was in High School, but I really had no idea of the level he could achieve. Trinity, I found out, through an Amazon chat room, is perfect for any student of Irish history who still doesn't really understand the "troubles". I thought I did, but Trinity revealed an avalanche of detail,...

Spartina

I'm a Northeasterner by choice. Coming up on forty years. I'm also a bit of a water rat. I first heard of this book, back in the early nineties when it won the National Book Award for fiction. One of the first rave reviews, this one from the NY Times, was "Probably the best American novel... since The Old Man and the Sea, maybe Moby Dick." The fact that it dealt in depth with an area I consider home waters yet had never read it weighed on me. So I bought it two weeks...

Bird Cloud

I've been reading the author's short stories since the 1980s and have always had a great deal of respect for the no-nonsense way she writes, the incorporation of the setting as a character in the story, and the revealing way she displays the quirks and beauty of life in human interaction.

Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish

If you are a reader who enjoys tales of pre-Christian Celtic tradition, especially if you're also of Irish ancestry, this book should be a must-read. It tells the story of the conquest of Ireland by the Milesian Gaelic clans of what is now Galicia, in Spain. It is told in a very bard-ish voice that draws the reader into the tale to the point where you can hear the battle shouts and the ringing of the iron blades. Smell the cattle and the salt air.

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