Myron Bolitar

Okay, I am behind the times. I read my first Myron Bolitar book just a couple of months ago. I know, I know. Where have I been? This character is the coolest! The first Myron book was published in 1997 with “Deal Breaker" and Harlan Coben is his creator. He has written a total of 8 Myron books since then.
I have read some of his stand alone books Like “The Woods” and “Tell No One.” They were good reads with twists and turns that leave you dizzily hanging onto the last pages but honestly they don’t stand up to Myron.
Take a tablespoon of witty repartee, add a cup of a decent “who done it”, sprinkle liberally with man humor, and stir in a cast of well drawn side kicks and you have a really tasty series. Myron is an almost famous basketball player. He made it to the big court but was injured during the first game. Instead of wallowing in self pity, Myron goes back and finishes getting his law degree. Since he can’t be a sports star anymore he decides he is going to represent them. He opens MB Sports Reps. (The MB stands for Myron Bolitar, tricky, eh?) He is joined in this business by his assistant the sexy and bodacious Esperanza, a former professional wrestler and his best friend, the sociopath Windsor Lockwood III.
What makes this series great for me is each book stands on its own but when read in order I feel like I have made some crazy friends. I can’t wait to see who Myron is going to rescue next or whether it will be a woman or a man Ezperanza is hooked up with. Let us not forget Win. He cares for nothing and no one but Myron and Ezperanza. He is a really rich, really screwed up guy who uses his evil powers for good and never fails to rescue Myron from every near death predicament he finds himself in.
In between car chases, gun point confrontations Myron and Win play movie, tv and broadway trivia. Name the show and those guys know it and can tell you when it first ran. In “Back Spin” they have a bet about whether or not Jack Klugman wore a toupee in “The Odd Couple.” Myron proves it by going back to a long lost episode of the Twilight Zone where Jack’s hairline is farther up his forehead than his Oscar character 10 years later does.
Again there are good plots here. From the story of his girlfriend’s missing sister to the golfer couple who had their son kidnapped, mystery abounds. These are not suspense novels. These are seriously great mysteries and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Pull a fully body lager from the fridge and belly up to the books, gang. You won’t want to put either down.

Eat, Pray Love

Well, here goes, I have decided to put my reading and sipping to some good use. I have decided to blog about books and my favorite beverage while reading, wine.
I live in South Florida and I average about 2 books or so a week. I read everything from paranormal romance to metaphysical self help stuff and an entire gamut of great literature in between.


Right now I am reading "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is a combination of travelogue, journal, and self help. Ms. Gilbert takes me from New York all the way to Indonesia with stops in Rome, Naples, and an ashram in India. She intersperses her wonderful descriptions of places I have only dreamed about with tales of love, breakups, family and friends. I didn't like Ms. GIlbert at first. Leaving her husband because she doesn't want to be married any more really bugged me. I have a hard time with leaving a marriage because "we've grown apart." How about trying to grow back together again? I have been married 25 years and there were definite times when I didn't want to be married anymore but I went to bed and in the morning I got up and tried again. (I am now stepping down from my soap box).



After the marriage or as the marriage is dissolving she falls in love with another man and another dysfunctional realtionship. I want to say at this time I think Gilbert is really brave. She puts herself all out there, warts and all and says "It's not so bad." She leaves the ex-husband, the boyfriend and heads out by herself to the great wide open world.

I loved her time in Italy. I felt like I became friends with her. She made even the most simple meal of cheese and olives a gourmet treat. I wanted to stand next to her and giggle over the frolicking nymph fountains. I can't wait to get enough money together to explore her cities, eat pizza at Pizzeria de Michele and visit Venice bfore it sinks. Shiraz was my wine of choice as I traveled Italia with Elizabeth, spicy, rich and aromatic just like the country of Ceasear.



Her stay in the Ashram in India was, for me, nothing short of profound. I felt her frustration with her meditation practices and loved the outspoken Richard from Texas. He is a true Southern Sage. I especially loved what he had to say about soulmates. He said, "Soulmates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave." That is worth thinking over. This morning as I drove down Ocean Ave. toward work I wound down car windows, breathed in deeply of the ocean air and chanted : Ohm Namah Shivayah. It was soothing but no great insights yet. I have to say I didn't feel wine was appropriate with all the yoga and vegetable eating going on in this section of the book. Grapefruit juice with its sweetness and hint of bitter was the beverage of enlightenment.



After reaching several serious moments of Bliss, Liz heads to Indonesia, Bali to be specific. She has healed a lot of wounds since leaving the Ashram. Amidst the rice terraces and monkeys she hooks up with a medicine man she met 2 years previous and embarks on a love affair with a sexy, older Brazilian. Hmmmm... I am thinking maybe something light like a Chardonnay with green, tarty, flirty flavors.



It would be easy to say this book is about one woman's journey around the world. Love and spirituality were the spices of the story. The truth of the matter is this book is about one woman's journey to love and spirituality and the world just added some flavor. Namaste:)Mame