What Am I Reading Wednesday (2/22/2017)
Did anyone guess from the sneak peek last week what today's book is? I couldn't have made the clue any more literal this time if I'd tried!
Today's book is:
Title: The Hook
Author: Donald E. Westlake
First Reading: Third or fourth...I may have lost count.
Initial Impression: A mind is a dangerous thing to lose.
Final Thoughts: I would LOVE to see this book made into a movie!
The story of 'The Hook' centers around two writers, Bryce and Wayne. Both started out as twenty-something, fresh-faced hopefuls in New York City, but soon lost touch. Bryce became an internationally famous author of action-packed thrillers. (Think Michael Crichton or Dan Brown.) Wayne, on the other hand, had a handful of successful novels, but was ultimately dropped by his publisher for not generating enough sales to appease the revenue-calculating computer gods.
Fast forward twenty-five years, Bryce and Wayne happen to meet in a New York City library and decide to grab a drink to catch up. (Apparently a Bloody Mary is considered a food. Good to know!) While one man is successful and the other not so much, the tables are about to turn in big way: Bryce has a book due to his publisher, but hasn't been able to write in months. Wayne has a completed novel, but no one will publish it. As you can probably guess, a bargain is struck. There's just one little catch...
Curious? Go pick up a copy of 'The Hook' and find out what happens next!
About the Author:
Donald E. Westlake wrote over 100 novels, not to mention many short stories, screen plays, and nonfiction work. (Phew!) He wrote under his own name as well as several pen names: Tucker Coe, Curt Clark, Samuel Holt, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, and Judson Jack Carmichael. So, you might have already read something by Westlake and you didn't even know it!
Westlake's work was published continuously from the 1950's until his death in 2008. Two postumous novels were published in 2010 and 2012, with another set to come out this year.
For a more in-depth look at Westlake's life and works, I recommend a visit to his official website run by his son, Paul Westlake. There is a fantastic autobiography written by Westlake himself.
The Movie Question:
I wasn't kidding when I said this book ought to be made into a movie, or even a television series. And now that I've gotten my wish on the upcoming 'American Gods' series, (The countdown has begun!) I've been giving some thought as to who could possibly play our two twisted writers. I swear, I'm not usually very good at this, but this time I think I've got it.
Based purely on other rolls they've played previously, my choices are:
Bryce (the wildly successful, yet creatively blocked author) - Ben Affleck
Wayne (the midlist author with a finished book, but no publisher) - Matt Damon
There it is. Make of that what you will, but when I picture these two characters come to life, this is what I see!
Tell me, if you've already read 'The Hook', do you agree with my on-screen character choices? If you could choose any two actors, who do you see playing Bryce and Wayne?
**Disclaimer: The "What Am I Reading Wednesday" posts are my personal opinion and not to be taken as "professional" literary reviews. I just love to share books I've enjoyed!**
Today's book is:
Title: The Hook
Author: Donald E. Westlake
First Reading: Third or fourth...I may have lost count.
Initial Impression: A mind is a dangerous thing to lose.
Final Thoughts: I would LOVE to see this book made into a movie!
 |
| Didn't I tell you the clue was a literal one? |
The story of 'The Hook' centers around two writers, Bryce and Wayne. Both started out as twenty-something, fresh-faced hopefuls in New York City, but soon lost touch. Bryce became an internationally famous author of action-packed thrillers. (Think Michael Crichton or Dan Brown.) Wayne, on the other hand, had a handful of successful novels, but was ultimately dropped by his publisher for not generating enough sales to appease the revenue-calculating computer gods.
Fast forward twenty-five years, Bryce and Wayne happen to meet in a New York City library and decide to grab a drink to catch up. (Apparently a Bloody Mary is considered a food. Good to know!) While one man is successful and the other not so much, the tables are about to turn in big way: Bryce has a book due to his publisher, but hasn't been able to write in months. Wayne has a completed novel, but no one will publish it. As you can probably guess, a bargain is struck. There's just one little catch...Curious? Go pick up a copy of 'The Hook' and find out what happens next!
About the Author:
 |
| Donald E. Westlake (July 12, 1933-December 31, 2008) (Photo credit: donaldwestlake.com) |
Donald E. Westlake wrote over 100 novels, not to mention many short stories, screen plays, and nonfiction work. (Phew!) He wrote under his own name as well as several pen names: Tucker Coe, Curt Clark, Samuel Holt, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, and Judson Jack Carmichael. So, you might have already read something by Westlake and you didn't even know it!
Westlake's work was published continuously from the 1950's until his death in 2008. Two postumous novels were published in 2010 and 2012, with another set to come out this year.
For a more in-depth look at Westlake's life and works, I recommend a visit to his official website run by his son, Paul Westlake. There is a fantastic autobiography written by Westlake himself.
The Movie Question:
I wasn't kidding when I said this book ought to be made into a movie, or even a television series. And now that I've gotten my wish on the upcoming 'American Gods' series, (The countdown has begun!) I've been giving some thought as to who could possibly play our two twisted writers. I swear, I'm not usually very good at this, but this time I think I've got it.
Based purely on other rolls they've played previously, my choices are:
Bryce (the wildly successful, yet creatively blocked author) - Ben Affleck
Wayne (the midlist author with a finished book, but no publisher) - Matt Damon
 |
| I'm just saying. It could work! |
Tell me, if you've already read 'The Hook', do you agree with my on-screen character choices? If you could choose any two actors, who do you see playing Bryce and Wayne?
**Disclaimer: The "What Am I Reading Wednesday" posts are my personal opinion and not to be taken as "professional" literary reviews. I just love to share books I've enjoyed!**
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