Books I Read in March 2014

I’ve decided to start a new section here on BSIO, which is “Books I read in the last month”. Fairly simple – right? I read a lot of books each month, and I’ll keep track of them, then write about them here.

I’ll make sure these are spoiler-free bar a vague plot description, and maybe you can find some new books to read. Feel free to post in the comments with whatever YOU have read in the past month as well as I love to read new books and try out new authors.

For March 2014, I was on an Andy McNab kick. In particular, I was re-reading the Nick Stone Series of Books for the second time.

I’d actually started reading these last year for the 2nd time, then started reading other stuff. However I realized that I owned the latest book in the series, Silencer, yet had never actually read it! So I decided to go and continue my 2nd read of the series, then read Silencer.

Deep Black: Takes place in Baghdad and Sarajevo, where Nick Stone is trying to lure out of hiding someone that the US Government is very interested in. McNab always does a great job of describing places like Baghdad and the hotels there.

Aggressor: This one starts to fall apart at the end – but everything up to that was great. Felt like the ending was a bit stretched out.

Recoil: Honestly I didn’t read this one. I didn’t like it the first time. McNab usually does a great job of describing the locations but this one mostly takes place in the jungle, and I just felt it was very weak and skipped it.

Crossfire: This was a book I really liked. It becomes personal for Stone, which is where the character is at his best.

Brute Force: A fantastic book, where people are out to kill Stone – so the hunted becomes the hunter, having to meet up and work with someone he has always despised in the Yes Man.

Exit Wound: This is one of those books that the first half are great – but then there’s a twist, and the second half becomes amazing. McNabs ability to write non-action scenes are always great. Even just him and his two comrades walking through a mall in Dubai is fascinating the way he write sit – and you picture yourself there.

Zero Hour: There’s an added twist to this one that is explained at the beginning of the book so I may as well mention it; Nick Stone has an illness, and is going to die. A sad twist, considering he is happy in life and ready to give up what he does best. But with possibly just one last mission to go, and no care in the world – Stone accepts the job.

Dead Centre: Another thrilling book that starts off with Nick making a promise to his dead friend, and then sees him working for the Russians to rescue the dead friends ex-wife and son. This one gets a little “roll-eyes” at times when he’s fighting people who are on one plane while he’s on the other – but it’s still a fun read.

After all that – I didn’t read Silencer! That’s a lot of books and I don’t know – I needed a change of pace. Flicking through my Kindle prior to a flight, I decided to read a Harlan Coben book. Actually I planned to read “the first few pages”. That was Tell No One. Dr. David Beck and his wife Elizabeth are celebrating their first kiss anniversary. Suddenly she is abducted and murdered. 8 years pass – and then Beck receives an e-mail that links him to a webcam…..where his wife is shown on camera.

Yeah – I picked that up to “read the first few pages” and ended up awake the whole flight reading it. Not sure if I am ready for the Myron Bolitar series yet – but I’m going to be reading every standalone novel that Harlan Coben has written I expect.