Patricia Highsmith has to rank as one of quirkiest writers in Mystery Land. From Strangers on a Train to the Ripley series featuring a sociopathic murderer, Highsmith’s work has been unusual and distinctive. In this slim volume, Highsmith describes how she wrote her novels and short stories, from “The Germ of an Idea” to “Development” and “Plotting” to the “First Draft” and “Second Draft.” But the chapter that makes this book must reading is Chapter 10: “The Case History of a Novel: The Glass Cell” where Highsmith goes step by step through the creative process and the publishing process of her underrated novel. First published in 1985, Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction has been operating under most mystery fans’ radar for decades. Highsmith’s approach to writing (and Life) encourages innovation and uniqueness. This book is still in print: check out a copy and be enlightened.

Bill Crider, gifted writer and astute judge of blogging talent at  http://billcrider.blogspot.com/ was nice enough to include me as one of the recipients of the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD.

Now, it is now my pleasure to pass on this award. These are the rules for the individual I chose:

1) Accept the award, and don’t forget to post a link back to the awarding person.
2) Pass the award on.
3) Notify the award winners.

And the envelope, please (drum roll): the winner of the One Lovely Blog Award is my son, Patrick at http://patrickgage.com/ who happens to be the creator of this blog. The picture of Megan Fox in my Library is a totally gratuitous gesture for Steve Stilwell.

Gretchen Morgenson is the New York Times business columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for her coverage of Wall Street. The subtile of The Capitalist Bible is “The Essential Guide to Free Markets and Why They Matter to You.” With the meltdown of the economy and the lingering bitterness of the recession, many people are questioning capitalism (as Michael Moore’s new movie will) and the need for free markets. The Capitalist Bible provides an eloquent defense not only of capitalism, but the need to keep markets free from excessive regulation and meddling (well-intentioned or otherwise) by Government. Capitalism and free markets are not panaceas but useful tools to improve economic well-being and our own individual life-styles. Despite their flaws, no other system yet invented comes close to the immensity of their wealth-creating powers. The articles assembled in this book provide plenty to think about. GRADE: B+

Ever buy a book just because it has a cool cover? That’s why I own Al Sarrantonio’s Haydn of Mars. I’m allergic to cats, but the cat on the eye-catching cover of this book is very enticing. The covers of the sequels, Sebastian of Mars and Queen of Mars lack the magic of that first cover. No, I have not read the books and I doubt if I ever will. But the cover of Haydn of Mars has that “It” factor that classic covers possess. The cover artist is Matt Stawicki, if you want to see more of his fine artwork look here:  http://www.mattstawicki.com/galleries.html

Why did a transporter station explode and kill 10,000 humans? That’s the mystery behind Neal Asher’s third Polity novel, Gridlinked. Gridlinked is actually Asher’s first novel, published in 2001. It features Polity agent Ian Cormac, a futuristic James Bond. There are plenty of subplots: an enigmatic alien who calls itself “Dragon,” a Separatist plot to kill Cormac, and the personal struggle Cormac has in withdrawing from the grid after having been linked with the Artificial Intelligences for 30 years. Like most first novels, Gridlinked has plenty of excesses: too many characters, too many plots, too much violence. But there are lots of action and suspense to make up for the flaws in Gridlinked. Again, if you like space opera as much as I do, you’ll enjoy Gridlinked. GRADE: B.

AMAZON wants $42.99 for this three DVD set (it retails for $59.99). However, if you have a B. J.’s Warehouse near you, you’ll find The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency for a mere $34.99. If you’ve seen these episodes on HBO, you know they follow Alexander McCall Smith’s novels fairly closely. Jill Scott, the R&B singer, displays some terrific acting talent in this series. But my favorite actress is Scott’s quirky secretary, Grace Makutsi, played by Anika Noni Rose who also wowed me in the recent Star Trek movie. HBO hasn’t decided if they’re going to renew this series, but I hope they do. Diane and I found it very entertaining. GRADE: B+

I loved these comics when I was growing up and every time I read these magical pages I turn into a kid again. In a time when graphic novels have a different meaning, these adventures of Donald Duck and his nephews take on almost a mythic power. I find their antics delightful and memorable even after 50 years. If you somehow missed these classics, you should seek them out and make up for lost time! You’re missing a lot of fun. And, if you’re a Carl Barks fan, you might want to read:

This satisfyingly thick volume of Murray Leinster’s work includes two “fix-up” novels: The Planet Explorer and The Forgotten Planet. The Forgotten Planet affected me powerfully when I read it as a kid: a starship is marooned on a planet whose existence has been forgotten by the galactic bureaucracy. The marooned crew have to battle the planet’s giant insects to survive. At the time, I read it as a metaphor for surviving Junior High School. The Planet Explorer shows how Leinster invented the SF concept of “First Contact.” It also includes the Hugo Award-winning novella, “Combat Team.” Leinster knows how to spin a story and Planets of Adventure includes some of his best work.