Normally, I reminisce about all the great things that happened during the year from the perspective of being a dad, being a husband, being a full-time employee, being a reader, and being a writer. But, this year, I won’t go on and on and on about it. I will just say, it was a very…
Author of the Year -2025
Without a doubt, for me, it’s got to be John Sandford. Of the 151 books I read in 2025, 50 were by John Sandford. He was actually recommended in a Facebook book group I belong to, and when I did my research on him, I learned that his Prey series of book all take place…
Book of the Year – 2025
This year, I read a lot of Fiction thrillers; James Patterson’s Michael Bennett and Women’s Murder Club books and John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers books. It’s not that I didn’t like them, I did and that is why I devoured them. I just couldn’t come to grips and mark any of them as…
The Forgotten Man (Elvis Cole, #10) – by Robert Crais
Normally, I don’t review books from a series (only, the first and the last). But, these Cole and Pike books are getting better. Yeah, they are predictable as we know Cole and Pike will figure out who did what to who. But, how they get from point A to point B is very different. I…
The Last Detective (Elvis Cole, #9) – by Robert Crais
I stopped reading this a few chapters in as I wanted to read Demolition Angel first as that is about Carol Starkey. In this book, she is helping Cole with a kidnapping as she works at the juvenile desk (prior, she was a bomb squad technician – hence, the title of Demolition Angel). In the…
Demolition Angel – by Robert Crais
I was reading The Last Detective (Elvis Cole, #9) and one of the characters that is helping to investigate a kidnapping is Carol Starkey. I don’t remember how I realized that this book, Demolition Angel, is about her and happens prior to The Last Detective. Carol is a former bomb squad technician, and after a…
L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8) – by Robert Crais
I really enjoyed this one, primarily because it revolved around Joe Pike and something that happened while he was a police officer. It also provided a lot of great insight to Pike. There is a lot of collaboration amongst LAPD and Cole and Pike. Eventually, Cole and Pike get in trouble with the law. The…
The Dad Is OOO
Well, I am off from work all next and the following week, as I go back Friday, January 2nd. Last year at this same time, I was off, but it was because we moved. And, totally unexpected, I also had emergency surgery for a heart attack a few weeks before that move. Yeah, shit happened. …
Snow Shoveling/Blowing
Since the day before Thanksgiving, snow has been on the ground where we live. Wait, where else would it be? In the air? I have already used the snow shovel and snow blower multiple times to clear the driveway. Our snow blower is a Toro, and it worked very well and quick. Don’t tell anybody…
The Monkey’s Raincoat (Elvis Cole, #1) – by Robert Crais
I finished all the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers books by John Sandford and just read the most recent Spenser book by Mike Lupica. I had the Harry Bosch and Lincoln Rhymes first books in my want to read list, and tried them, but just couldn’t get into them. So, I googled similar books to…
Remarkably Bright Creatures – by Shelby Van Pelt
Normally, this wouldn’t be a book I would read, but a few days ago I saw that Bill Gates recommended some books and this was one of them. The description intrigued me, so I decided to check it out. As I was reading it, it reminded me a little bit of the book called, A…
One Year Heartiversary
One year ago today, I was discharged from Methodist Hospital Texsan, one of the top heart hospitals in Texas, after an experience that changed everything. On December 5, 2024, I woke at 3 a.m. with chest pain, sweating, and a pounding headache. They were classic heart attack symptoms, but instead of calling an ambulance like…
Sushi
If you don’t know me, my name is Mark, and I like to eat. Not Sushi, though. It doesn’t appeal to me to eat raw food! I have never actually eaten Sushi, but that changed when Niko saw a video on it, and was intrigued to try it. But, Nina and I had no clue…
Robert B. Parker’s Showdown (Spenser #53) – by Mike Lupica
I have had this one in my want to read list since June 30th. The wait was definitely worth it, as I inhaled it and didn’t want to put it down once I started it. I was glad to see Hawk, Tony Marcus, Belson, Quirk, and even Jesse Stone back as well, and of course,…
Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum – by Michael J Fox
It’s funny because I had this book in my Want to Read list, and when it finally made it to my Currently Reading list, it was Thanksgiving and my wife turned on the movie, Back To The Future, for us to watch. And, I am glad to say my 9-year-old on liked it. Now, we…
Vagabond: A Memoir – by Tim Curry
It’s funny because I had this book in my Want to Read list, and when it finally made it to my Currently Reading list, it was Thanksgiving and my wife turned on the movie, Clue, for all of us. My 9-year-old son liked it so much, that we watched it again and then again the…
It Snowed (Twice) – Finally
Niko was off from school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and on Tuesday night it snowed and when we woke up on Wednesday morning, it was a winter wonderland. It’s been below freezing ever since and, according to my weather app, for the next 9 days, that won’t happen (on that 10th day, it says…
Unscripted – by Cheryl Hines
I only knew of Cheryl Hines from the tv show Curb Your Enthusiasm (even though I have never watched it). I didn’t know she was part of The Groundlings. Her teacher was Lisa Kudrow before she got Friends. How cool is that? If you are a fan of Curb, she provides a lot of great…
AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs – by Gina Gershon
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. Now, before I start, I need to tell you I have only seen a few of her movies, so I wasn’t that familiar with her. It was a really quick read for me, and I enjoyed her stories of…