What I've Read - More of Parker's Spenser novels.

The 6th, 7th and 8th books in the series, Looking for Rachel Wallace, Early Autumn and A Savage Place. A series of 38 books, according to Wikipedia. Of which it looks like I'll be reading all of... the quality is outstanding and I consider myself officially addicted since book 5, The Judas Goat. I have a hard time thinking the level of writing will fall off at all. Just really well crafted books.

Of this batch I probably enjoyed Early Autumn the most, mostly because in it Spenser mentors a young man who, well, really, never learned how to be a man. Kind of an inspiring if somewhat idealized story showing how you raise a person to adulthood, and kind of how I imagine how everyone wants to be brought up. Good story.

I kind of enjoy the fact, as well, that the books are both works of their time periods - the 1970s, so far - and kind of universal. I'm not quite sure how he's pulling that off, or how the books will evolve as far as that goes. Popular series tend to stop being grounded in those kinds of details as they get longer in and deal with their own longevity.

And there's a plethora of excellent pull quotes. Words to live by.

"Too much positive is either scared or stupid or both. Reality is uncertain. Lot of people need certainty. They look around for the way it's supposed to be. They get a television comercial view of the world... They spend their lives trying to e what they're supposed to be and being scared they aren't. Quiet desperation."

"A way of living better is to make the decisons you need to make based on what you can control. When you can."

"Systems. The system gets in the the way. You end up serving [the system, instead of helping people...]" - making the case for autonomy

"'...you're a white male, you can't understand a minority situation. It's not your fault.'

Extend that logic, and we eventually have to decide that no one can understand anyone. Maybe the matter of understanding has been overrated. Maybe I don't have to understand your situation to sympathize with it, to help you alter it, to be on your side...

Maybe civilization is possible, if at all, only because people can care about conditions they haven't experienced. Maybe you need understanding like a fish needs a bicycle."

"I do the best I can to approve and disapprove only of my own behavior. I don't always succeed, but I try."

"I am a long way past the point where I see the world in terms of debating points. I don't care if I win or lose arguments."