So on Easter we had a flood in East Timor. Hit our place, took out a bunch of my books, including my collection of the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. Probably about 2/3 of them. So I decided to buy them back on Kindle and re-read them all. All 39 of them. And they're as good, if not better, than I remember. The first three in the series are good, but maybe not great. Though with the fourth -"Promised Land" - which won the Edgar Award, he really starts firing on all cylinders and is excellent. Probably doesn't hurt that's the one that introduces Hawk. The comparison and contrast between the two is a great appeal to the series. It doesn't hurt that my mind's eye always sees Avery Brooks. (Whereas, oddly, I don't see Robert Urich as Spenser. Though he was good in the series. I always pictured Spenser looking like the author, to be honest.)
That being said, there are also 39 of Parker's novels, 40 if you count the Young Spenser book. Which took about 5 months to get through, putting on hold a bunch else I'd planned on reading this year. Alack and alas and all that kind of thing. But worth it.
There's something in those books. Good pulp-y detective fiction, to be sure, but a lot more. Ruminations on life, philosophy, relationships, friendships, autonomy, purpose, even the care and feeding of pets. Things I didn't recall from the first reads, years ago, things I'm likely more attuned to now as I get older. The follow up novels after Parker's death, over a decade ago at this point, are well crafted by Ace Atkins. But still, there's something in the original works that defy capture. And it always strikes me as, if not appropriate, but nevertheless meaningful that Parker was found dead at his desk, ready to set forth more stories.
So I re-read the Spenser Novels 1-39, his one Young Spenser book plus the Xmas novel finished by his literary agent. And then I re-read the nine works by Atkins. The tenth is due in January, so I'm well prepared.
Which didn't leave me a great deal of time elsewhere, but here's the remainder:
The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale
Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams
Extreme Fitness: How to Train Like an Action Hero by Dolph Lundgren
75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself by Andy Frisella
The Furious Method: Transform Your Mind, Body & Goals by Tyson Fury
Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power and Live Your Dream by Sylvester Stallone
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod
Prodigal Son: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer
The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins
The Eye of Revelation: The Ancient Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation by Peter Kelder and J. W. Watt
Jesse Stone Novels 1-9 (Night Passage, Trouble in Paradise, Death in Paradise, Stone Cold, Sea Change, High Profile, Stranger in Paradise, Night and Day, Split Image) by Robert B. Parker
Earl Nightingale's Greatest Discovery: Six Words that Changed the Author's Life Can Ensure Success to Anyone Who Uses Them by Earl Nightingale
The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey
King Bullet by Richard Kadrey
The Chaos Kind by Barry Eisler
Hail Mary by Andy Weir
A Dud at 70... a Stud at 80! and how to do it by Noel Johnson
Staying Supple: The Bountiful Pleasures of Stretching by John Jerome
Ancient Secrets of the Fountain of Youth by Peter Kelder
The Eye of Revelation 1939 & 1946 Editions Combined: The True Five Tibetan Rites by Peter Kelder and Carolinda Witt
The Five Tibetan Rites: Ancient Anti-Aging Secrets of the Five Tibetan Rites by Carolinda Witt, Peter Kelder
Training With Weights by Robert B. Parker and John R. Marsh
COMICS
The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons
Wolverine: Not Dead Yet by Warren Ellis & Leinil Yu
Shazam and The Seven Magic Lands by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, Marco Santucci
Absolute Planetary V2 by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday
The Middleman - The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Armando M Zanker, Les McClaine
Department of Truth, Vol 1: The End Of The World Book by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds
Superman: American Alien by Max Landis, Francis Manapul, Jock, Jae Lee, Joelle Jones, Tommy Lee Edwards, Matthew Clark, Nick Dragotta, Jonathan Case
Luthor by Bryan Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Batman, Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Batman: Earth One - Volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
The Boys: Dear Becky by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun
Superman & Batman Generations Omnibus by John Byrne
The Art of War: A Graphic Novel by Kelly Roman and Michael DeWeese
The Batman's Grave by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan
BRZRKR Vol. 1 by Matt Kindt, Keanu Reeves, Ron Garney
Hagakure: The Code of the Samurai (The Manga Edition) by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Sean Michael Wilson and Chie Kutsuwada
Fantastic Four 1234 by Grant Morrison & Jae Lee
