A = John Altman

The first book in my journey to read an author representing every letter of the alphabet is "A Gathering of Spies" by John Altman.

This was John Altman's first novel and the perfect way for me to start. I've said before that I love spy novels, so the title grabbed my attention. I read the inside cover and thought it sounded interesting. While I didn't find Altman to be the best spy novelist I've ever read, I did enjoy the book.

The premise of the novel is that Nazi spies were dropped all over the U.S. in the years leading up to World War II. They had either been discovered as spies and arrested or had assimilated into the American culture and were living and continuing to spy. A female spy is dealt with extensively. Now, she's no softie by any stretch. She's a hardened Nazi spy who can and will kill to get what she needs and remain free. Using her willingness to murder and the lack of background information checks available in the 1930's, she marries a scientist who is working to help develop "The Bomb." You can see this is not a good thing. I won't give any thing else away, just know that she's not hesitant to keep killing to get this information back to her Nazi handlers in Berlin. She does have someone on her tail though. Thanks to a CIA agent who goes a bit rogue, she's followed by him and the always sexy MI5 from Britain. Will she escape? will she get her information to Berlin? Will our hero be reunited with his wife, who is being held in a concentration camp? You know how the war ends, but you'll enjoy some of the twists and turns and the what might have beens that are presented in John Altman's "A Gathering of Spies."

Next, we hit the B's. Until then, get out to your local library and check out a good book!

Reading from A-Z

One of my favorite places in all of the booming metropolis that is Reidsville, North Carolina is the public library. I love the hushed voices, the faces transfixed at the computer screens and of course, the stacks and stacks of books. I was in the library just days before the end of the year, trying to decide what to check out. I had one book in hand, another Kathy Reichs novel, but I wasn't sure what else I wanted. I was wandering down aisle after aisle when I ended up at the very first fiction aisle. It was just a little stack, about 1/3 the size of the other rows. I was in the A's. That's when it hit me.

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I decided to make a New Year's project. While looking at about 100 books from authors who had last names starting with an A, I decided to read my way through the alphabet.

I looked at this smaller selection of books and found something comfortable to me: a spy novel. I thought this would be a good place to start. I wasn't jumping in in a crazy way, but I was jumping in.

During 2010, I plan to read one book from an author from every letter of the alphabet. I know some of the letters won't be easy. I don't plan to keep things easy on myself. I will branch out. I won't just read fiction and when I do read fiction, it won't all be spy novels, but I will read some because I just love them.

If you're reading this blog, I invite you to join me. Go to your library, maybe it's been a while. Get a new card, if you need one. They are one of the few things in life that remain free. Check out a book or 2 or 3. Challenge yourself to read outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to read!