posted
Just read Baldacci's Christmas Train. Stupid book. My husband got it at the library thinking it was another of his crime books which he likes.
The level of writing was about sixth grade. Don't know if his others are that level but I think I will stick to my British police procedurals. Or maybe I will order a Henry Kisor book.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank you, Vicki, but there are no passenger trains in my novels -- they are set in the wilderness of Upper Michigan.
There *are* two railroads in the area, the Escanaba & Lake Superior and the White Pine sub of the CN (ex Wisconsin Central). Both are in deep trouble. The E&LS (ex MILW) wants to tear up its tracks from Sidnaw to Ontonagon because its only customer in Ontonagon, the Smurfit-Stone paper mill, has closed permanently. When the White Pine Copper Refinery closes in July, it is expected that CN will close the subdivision from Marengo Junction, Wis., to White Pine, Mich.
Probably won't be writing them into the novel-in-progress, except to mention them as victims of Hard Times in the U.P.
Last week I photographed the cute little EMD SW1 (ex PRR, ex PC, ex Amtrak) that works the White Pine yard. It had only six boxcars of refined copper to ship south:
posted
I agree Vicki. After reading a few pages and thinking ugh. I put the book in the return to library pile. BTW as aformer 6th grade teacher of gifted kids let me say that any of my kids could and some did write circles around that book. One of them wrote a novel about the War of Roses and each week we were "mesmerized" listening to the new chapter. unfortunatly the mode of transportation was horse not train
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, train lady, it's not much of a stretch from horses to ponies, then...who knows? Bagpipes? Trains?
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, I should have told you--I tried The Christmas Train a while ago from the library and dumped it after a few pages. I had tried another of Baldacci's books earlier and gotten further but still didn't finish and wasn't very impressed with that one either (though the writing was somewhat better than The Christmas Tree).
I read a mystery I liked pretty well while in Colorado, though--Colorado set (I like reading mysteries set where I'm traveling, as long as they are reasonably well written), author a John Dunning, detective a book vendor. It was called Sign of the Book. I don't think it was first in the series but it was the one I was able to buy (possibly used). It petered out a bit at the end, plotwise, but it held my interest, and thought it was decently written. Unfortunately, however, no trains were featured!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, Ms. Sojourner, if you "dumped' Christmas Train 'after a few pages', then you missed the absurdity of that work.
Actually I found that the description of the ride Wash-Chi on the Capitol Limited to be reasonably factual. The author may actually have dispatched a Research Assistant to ride it.
However apparently you did not hang around for the absurdities portrayed aboard the Southwest Chief.
As likely surmised, I don't think you missed too much.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Just checked out Lehrer's book from the library and will read it next week aboard Texas Eagle to Chicago in a Roomette. Also have a Stephen Coonts Deep Black series action/suspense novel as a backup. Super does have nice cover art, but you know what they say,,,
Printer-friendly view of this topic
