It’s been a very slow reading year for me and I can’t say that I’m sorry. There’s just been too much else going on, including really digging into my writing. If I do a major reading challenge every other year or so I cut myself some slack on the off years. One challenge I set for myself was to go an entire year without purchasing books for myself so I’d actually read the books I own and haven’t read yet. (Of course I still buy books as gifts for people, don’t be silly.)
One series off my to-read shelf is the Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake series. There are 28 books in that series currently, including novellas. Since I like to have an audiobook series playing when I’m driving, I also started in on Jussi Adler-Olsen and the Department Q series. In addition to the seven books that are out/translated so far, the first three stories have also been adapted into films available on Netflix.
I’ve so far read the first two Hamilton/Blake books, the first three Adler-Olsen/Dept Q books, and watched the first two movies. They’ve all been well written and entertaining. My only complaint might be that there was a different voice actor for each audiobook, but that may be a common style choice I’m just not used to, spoiled as I am by James Marsters/Jim Butcher/Harry Dresden.
While in previous years I might’ve captured several quotes from each volume, I only managed to have the wherewithal to collect these four quotes from volume 2 of Adler-Olsen’s. Enjoy.
Jobe
***
He was in the midst of a Led Zeppelin orgy while splattering soldiers on his Nintendo as his zombie girlfriend sat on the bed texting her hunger for contact to the rest of the world.
***
“Even though you’re a total asshole, know that you wouldn’t be the worst to have back if you chose to return after your leave of absence.”
The tired man looked at Karl surprised, or maybe the right word was overwhelmed. Burg Back’s microscopic emotional displays were difficult to interpret.
“You’ve never been especially kind, Karl,” he said, shaking his head, “but I guess you’re all right.”
For the two men this was a shocking orgy of compliments.
***
Suddenly she radiated a peacefulness Carl didn’t understand… A sense of release sent her spinning around and around, embracing the corpse in a dance without steps that seemed to make her levitate.
***
Then he breathed deeply, punched in the next number, and waited year-long seconds before Mona Ibsen answered.
J. Jobe 