Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books Of

It's been a VERY long time since I participated in a Top Ten Tuesday. And technically I'm not really participating since it's over an hour past midnight and well into Wednesday! But I saw what the topic was and felt I should contribute my Top Ten since I think I may actually have a good list!

1. RL Stine (42+) - Goosebumps Original Series - Yes, I own "almost" all 60+ books! Any true 80's baby and RL Stine fan would! I also have the first book of the series signed by him!

2. Sue Grafton (23) - Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Series - I own from the letter A to the recent letter W. My grandmother started me out by giving me A through P for Christmas over a decade ago.

3. Glenn Beck (16) - I didn't realize I owned so many of his books till I counted them just now. That's all I'm going to say about that.

4. Agatha Christie (14+) - I mostly own her Hercule Poirot mysteries, but there is something about the book And Then There Were None because I currently have it 3 times on my shelf!

5. JK Rowling (14+) - Soon to be 21. Not sure if owning more than one boxed set of a series counts? But I own the original first editions hard copy and then I bought the set as a soft cover. I'm in the process of buying the UK Editions. I also own Casual Vacancy as well as her 2 books written under the name of Robert Galbraith.

6. Christopher Moore (14) - He's currently written 14 novels and I own them all! Not only that, but I have all of them personalized by him! I love a good book signing!

7. Lemony Snicket (13) - I recently purchased the entire 13 books of the Series of Unfortunate Events.

8. Dean Koontz (11) - I am collecting his Frankenstein and Odd Thomas series.

9. Gregory Maguire (7) - I have all 4 of the Wicked series as well as 3 of his stand-alone books.

10. Kurt Vonnegut (6) - I'm simply collecting all of his works.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Scott, Frank L. Baum, Stephen King, Margaret L'Engle, JRR Tolkien, Brandon Mull, Richard Paul Evans, Christopher Paolini, Robert Ludlum, Brad Thor, Marissa Meyer, Veronica Roth, Chris Colfer, Ben H. Winters, etc.

Brother Odd by Dean Koontz (Book Review)

Brother Odd

An Odd Thomas Novel, #3

by Dean Koontz

430 pages

Bantam Books, 2012

thriller / mystery

Finished in 10 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

"Embraced by stone, steeped in silence, I sat at the high window as the third day of the week surrendered to the fourth."

Review: Took me longer than I had anticipated to read this third book in the Odd Thomas Series, but it was well worth the extra time. At 430 pages Dean Koontz does NOT disappoint. If you've followed my other two reviews for the first two books at all? Or you're just joining me now for the first time and deciding on whether or not this is a series worth picking up? Allow me to do a quick overview on who exactly Odd Thomas is...

He's just an average former fry cook who makes a mean stack of pancakes and he can also see/communicate with dead people. He's definitely not someone you meet every day and if he were, with a name like his, you'd remember it. I don't want to spoil too much about who he is because it would be telling you cliff hangers and surprise endings to this last two books, but one thing I love about him is how Elvis Presley is one of the ghosts that stays with him and his desire to help Elvis cross over at some point. I fear I've said too much already! Moving on...

In this third book Odd moves to a monostary because after Forever Odd he needed some alone time and what better place than with Monks and Nuns. But aside from them, there are also children with various levels of severe mental and physical challenges. And of course you know, wherever Odd is, danger and oddities are sure to follow him. He becomes aware of this when he sees the first few Bodachs arrive at St. Bartholemew's church. Bodach's are a name he created for these formless, Godless, black creatures that he sees in large numbers just before something really bad is about to happen to a lot of people, namely death, in the most horrific of ways.

It's a genuinely good series because it's not just about scaring the pants off of you. It's about much more than that. Getting to know Odd Thomas and see his into his heart and how much he really does care about those around him, dead or alive, and just wants to help them all by using the abilities he was given. Like most of us, he didn't have an easy growing up but he's not using that as an excuse to not be great at whatever he can do. It's a story of hope and he's a character anyone could and probably should admire.

Summary: Loop me in, odd one. The words, spoken in the deep of night by a sleeping child, chill the young man watching over her. For this was a favorite phrase of Stormy Llewellyn, his lost love. In the haunted halls of the isolated monastery where he had sought peace, Odd Thomas is stalking spirits of an infinitely darker nature.

As he steadfastly journeys toward his mysterious destiny, Odd Thomas has established himself as one of the most beloved and unique fictional heroes of our time. Now, wielding all the power and magic of a master storyteller at the pinnacle of his craft, Dean Koontz follows Odd into a singular new world where he hopes to make a fresh beginning—but where he will meet an adversary as old and inexorable as time itself.

To learn more about Dean Koontz visit his site here.

Prodigal Son, Frankenstein Book One by Dean Koontz (Book Review)

Prodigal Son, Book One (Frankenstein)

by Dean Koontz

469 pages

Bantam Books, 2009

thriller / suspense

Finished in 7 days

Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon | BN

"Deucalion barely slept, but when he did, he dreamed."

Review: Dean Koontz has done it again. Such a quick and easy read. Just as good as the Odd Thomas series I am also reading. Just after the first book I'm already itching to find out what happens next. That, to me, is the mark of a great series, one that leaves you wanting more as well as predicting what comes next.

If you haven't guessed already, this book is about Frankenstein but taken from a bit of a different stand-point. In this series it is over two hundred years AFTER Frankenstein brings his monster to life. His monster's name is Deucalion in this novel, and he finds himself leaving the monastary he's been living in for quite some time to put a stop to Victor Frankenstein, now known as Victor Helio's. He convinces Detective Carson that he is who he claims to be and that the murders taking place are being done by someone who was created by Frankenstein himself. She, along with her partner, must stop this madman who is cutting open humans to discover what they have that he doesn't. He's seeking happiness and thinks it's because he was created from man and not from God that is the cause for his lack of this emotion.

It is very ingenious as well as sick at the same time. The best part for me was Erika Four, Victor's man-made wife, who through the love of poetry and the arts finds herself showing compassion for others. This is an emotion not programmed into any of Victor's creations. Right before he goes to kill her she forgives him for having created her in the first place. That was such a telling moment for him who sees himself as God to be forgiven and brought down to such a human level by one of his own creations. It shows that he can be defeated.

Two other great characters are Randall Six who is a child creation of Victor's who seeks to discover how he can overcome his autism. He believes the answers lie with a child, Carson's nephew, Arnie, who also has autism. The scenes where Randall Six has to figure out how he can leave the "Hands of Mercy" (Victor's headquarters) to seek out Arnie are insanely good.

One last point I'll make is that Victor, in his own warped mind, is using Aldous Huxley's Brave New World whenever he thinks to himself how he plans on replacing the "Old Race" with his "New Race." I found that so cool since I just got finished reading Brave New World not too long ago!

Summary: From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Here is the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of . . .

Every city has its secrets. But none as terrible as this. He is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who has traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives in New Orleans as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Deucalion’s path will lead him to cool, tough police detective Carson O’Connor and her devoted partner, Michael Maddison, who are tracking the slayer but will soon discover signs of something far more terrifying: an entire race of killers who are much more–and less–than human and, deadliest of all, their deranged, near-immortal maker: Victor Helios–once known as Frankenstein.

To learn more about Dean Koontz, visit his site here.

WWW Wednesdays (October 23)

What are you currently reading: Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Matt Dugard

What did you recently finish reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley & The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie

What do you think you'll read next: The Prodigal Son (Frankenstein Book #1) by Dean Koontz

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz (Book Review)

Forever Odd

An Odd Thomas Novel #2

by Dean Koontz

364 pages

Bantam Books, 2005

fiction/suspense/thriller/mystery

Read in 5 days

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"Waking I heard a warm wind strumming the loose screen at the open window, and I thought Stormy, but it was not."

Review: I know I'm gay and all, but can I still harbor a secret crush on Odd Thomas? I think he wouldn't mind since he's hopelessly devoted to Stormy, his fiancé. There's more to her story but I won't ruin it for you. I just hope you've read Odd Thomas before daring to read this book. Of course you don't have to. The mark of an excellent author seeking to carry a character through many books, is that he can move the new story forward, all the while reminding you of little nuances from the previous book(s). Dean Koontz is a master of that. He's also a master of suspense and throwing curves you don't realize until you've read the words and your face starts to scrunch up in disgust at what you JUST read! Yeah, that's happened to me once or twice while reading this book for sure.

The difference here is the mystery starts almost immediately. No need in laying the ground work here on who Odd is or what his ability is or any of that back story. By the end of the first chapter you are well aware of the danger and that Odd will most assuredly be headed in its very direction. Aside from his ability to see the dead who are lingering in this world, not able to move on, he is also able to assist some of them to make that move to the other side. Elvis Presley is his most talked about ghost that visits him often. In the case of this book though, Odd has to rescue a very dear friend of his who he considers like a brother. He has this brittle bone disease that reminds me of the movie Unbreakable. I think the character in this book and the one Samuel L. Jackson plays in that M. Knight movie have the same, or similar, bone disease. Anyway, some psycho woman preys on Danny (Odd's friend) and his vulnerability when he seeks her out through a "phone sex" hotline. Long story short, this insane woman thinks Odd is some magical, mystical, wizard, communicator and conjurer of the dead. Of course he is NONE of those things. But in her warped mind he's supposed to help her see, communicate, and manipulate ghosts.

Like I said, it's a great read. Quick read too. I almost want to jump right into the third book, Brother Odd, if I didn't have SO many other books on my TBR list that must not be left waiting any longer. I will say though, after finishing this book I now know why the third book is called Brother Odd. But I'll let you read this one and figure that out on your own.

Summary: I see dead people. But then, by God, I do something about it. Odd Thomas never asked for his special ability. He’s just an ordinary guy trying to live a quiet life in the small desert town of Pico Mundo. Yet he feels an obligation to do right by his otherworldly confidants, and that’s why he’s won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death. But when a childhood friend disappears, Odd discovers something worse than a dead body and embarks on a heart-stopping battle of will and wits with an enemy of exceptional cunning. In the hours to come there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope.

You’re invited on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror and transcendence to wonders beyond imagining. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.

To learn more about Dean Koontz, visit his site here.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (Book Review)

Odd Thomas

by Dean Koontz

446 pages

Bantam Books, 2012

fiction/suspense/thriller/mystery

Read in 5 days

My Rating: ★★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

"My name is Odd Thomas, though in this age when fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist."

Review: I don't think I've ever read a book that made me need a soundtrack playing in the background in order to feel more at ease with the story. This book definitely requires a soundtrack and with that said I should start with who that soundtrack needs to be!

That's right, none other than the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley. When you start reading the book you will see what I mean. Anyway, I quickly found myself listening to all his music, even his moody blues and his gospel music as well. I listen to him regardless of the book because he is one of my all time favorite singers and actors (I've seen all his movies) but listening to him while reading about Odd Thomas just seemed right.

But listen to me, I haven't even said anything about the actual story yet! It was gripping and page turning and heart pounding all at once. There was a great pace too. It wasn't like Dean wanted to pack all the suspense in a few pages and that was that. No, instead he gave us about 4 or 5 different climactic points throughout the story. The gist of it all is obviously about a young man by the name of Odd Thomas. This is one instance where you should totally let the name fool you because Odd Thomas is definitely odd to say the least. What is his oddity? He can see dead people. And not in the Sixth Sense kind of Hollywood antics either. This is definitely no M. Knight kind of movie or book whatsoever. 

Odd is a normal kid with a seemingly normal life. He has an amazing girlfriend, a job he enjoys, even if it is just a fry cook, and friends who understand him as well as accept him. His gift, while not usual for most people, is one that he does not take lightly. If he is called upon to assist someone who comes to him for help then he does it, so what if that person needing help happens to be dead. Odd Thomas is a do-gooder. Possibly because he had quite a terrible childhood that no child should ever have to face. 

In this first installment of a series of Odd Thomas novel we are introduced to those who know of his gift at different levels and we are also introduced to him and how exactly it works. Along the way of solving a mystery where many could possibly die we get to peel back some layers to the mysterious life of Odd Thomas and how he got to be where he is today.

I find it interesting that he is visited by Elvis Presley (quite frequently actually) who finds joy and pain in his own music whenever he hears it. Don't believe me? Well read the book and see if I'm lying. I dare you!

Summary: "The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn." "Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different." "A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15." "Today is August 15." In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares - and a testament by which to live sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

To learn more about Dean Koontz visit his site here.