It’s Time For The List — The Top 12 of 2013

63

12

5

30

2

Yep, it’s the end of the year, which means it’s time for “The List.”  You know you have been waiting all year for it.

One of my favorite things about having this weekly blog is the ability to prepare a year-end list of my favorite books.  I love reading other people’s lists because typically I find out about books I had never heard of and they sometimes even lead to new discoveries.  For example, a few years ago I was reading Stephen King’s year-end list and he included a book called “Tree of Smoke” by Denis Johnson, a Vietnam War novel which I had never heard of and quickly snapped up and enjoyed.  So who knows, you might make a new discovery from my list…

First, the key to the numbers:

63 total reading experiences;

12 books I rated at 5 stars;

5 classics of literature;

30 books rated 3 stars or less; and

2 books that I didn’t finish (Life’s too short, you know?  I used to feel that I had to finish every book I started, but I have too many books on my “to be read” shelf that I might as well move on if I am not enjoying a book after 100 pages—that’s my new rule.)

Aside from the 2 books I did not finish, here is the total:  46 fiction books; 5 non-fiction books (including 3 autobiographies); 5 novellas/short stories/short story collections; and 5 classics of literature.  Unfortunately, of the 61 reading experiences, I rated 30 of them at 3 stars or less and 18 of them at 4 stars.  This leaves only 12 books at 5 stars. 

Thus, I have termed this the “Year of Reading Disappointedly.”  A year of true disappointment in reading. 

In the past I have provided 2 separate lists; a Top Ten list of all non-classics and a Top Five list of classics.  This year, since the “5 Stars” were so few, I have combined them into one “Top Twelve” list, in no particular order.

1.         It seems poetic that I should start my “Top Twelve” list with the book called The Twelve by Justin Cronin, the second in a trilogy about government-engineered vampires that eradicate the vast majority of the world’s population and the aftermath of rebuilding.  After having read A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Stand by Stephen King this year also, it is obvious that both those novels were major influences for The Twelve and its predecessor The Passage.  I may be in the minority, but I think that The Twelve surpassed its predecessor and I cannot wait for the final chapter in the trilogy.

2.         Night Film by Marissa Pessl was the most interactive of reading experiences that I had this year.  A mystery involving the death of the daughter of a reclusive underground film maker, filled with newspaper reports, magazine articles, pictures, emails, websites and even an interactive application for the phone all contributed to a harrowing and nightmarish descent into the psyche of an ambitious reporter and his obsession with an unknowable subject.

3.         Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was nothing like I expected.  At times I found myself yearning for the society envisioned by Huxley, of no stress, everyone in his/her place, simplicity in relationships and general calm.  But at its root, it’s a cautionary tale, and one which reaches its true vision in its final pages of death. 

4.         The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders is the only non-fiction book to make it on the list this year.  An education of England in the 1800s and its fascination with murder and the events that made murder glamorous and must-watch television (before television, that is.)  A perfect complement to my frequent endeavors into 19^th century London crime novels.

5.         The Black Country by Alex Grecian is the second novel involving London’s Murder Squad, taking place shortly after the Jack the Ripper murders and the creation of a new squad of detectives at Scotland Yard.  Almost as good as its precursor The Yard (which you will recall was in my top 10 of last year), Alex Grecian has become my new favorite.

6.         Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was so much better than I had expected it was astounding how wrong I truly was.  I knew that the novel was nothing like the Universal Studios caricatures and the classic films, but after having seen the Kenneth Branagh film from a few years ago, I was expecting boring and more boring.  Instead, I found the novel to be a fascinating study of the passion for discovery and the risks of playing creator.  My only detraction about the book is that it was quite scary enough.  But a wonderful method of storytelling and a great story.

7/8.     As you may recall, I typically do not include multiple books by the same author in my list, however this year I had to make an exception.  The Solitary House and A Fatal Likeness by Lynn Shepherd were both astonishing mysteries taking place in Victorian Era London with a wonderful new character named Charles Maddox.  If I had to give an edge to one of the books, it would have to be The Solitary House because of its use of characters from Dickens’ Bleak House and Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White.  But both books were absolutely fantastic and required reading for anyone interested in Victorian Era mysteries and literature.

9.         Living Dead Girl by Tod Goldberg is the rare novel that stuck with me weeks after I had finished reading it.  And it wasn’t just the story itself, but it was also the experience of reading it that stayed with me.  Even now, I think of the book and get chills about just how uncomfortable I was during reading.  To give you any more information about the book would be unfair to you.  Just read it, that’s my advice—you’ll thank me later.

10.       If you recall, my number one classic from last year was Animal Farm by George Orwell, a book I read in one sitting and grinned the whole way through.  So is it any surprise that 1984 by Orwell should make it on the list this year?  Another book that I was nervous about reading; a book which I had seen my friends struggle with in high school.  And yet, this one totally blew me away.  I couldn’t put it down.  It was absolutely riveting and would have been my number one classic novel for the year except for

11.       The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.  I cannot say enough about this book other than to say it was marvelous.  A lengthy read and one which really required savoring, it was well worth the investment of time and focus.  I can count on one hand the books I would call amongst my all-time favorite reading experiences and this one is definitely on that list.  A mystery, a thriller, a novel of suspense and a social commentary all rolled into one makes for the perfect book.

12.       And no Rob Cohen book list would be complete without the annual entry from Michael Connelly, my favorite author of all time.  The Gods of Guilt, Connelly’s 26^th novel, delivers yet again.  This one, the fifth involving Michael Haller, the famed Lincoln Lawyer, is a riveting courtroom drama involving the murder of a prostitute and Mickey’s defense of the accused.  My only wish is that the books were longer because I hate having to wait for the next Michael Connelly novel. 

So that’s my list for the year.  On the whole, a disappointing year but I am definitely looking forward to 2014.

What’s on your list?  I am always looking for recommendations.

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“Wait a minute, Doc. Ah… Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?”

Friends:

It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but it wasn’t a dream I’d want to have again either.  It started with a fire, turned into a flood and ended with a tall building falling through the roof of my house and burying me under tons of rubble.  I remember distinctly how I waited patiently for the sound to die down so that I could take stock of myself, catch my breath and figure out how I was going to get out of it.  And before I was pulled out of the rubble by my legs and rescued, I had a moment of clarity and this is what I thought…

Mind over matter—I can get out of this.  I can do this.

It occurred to me last week as I participated in the Spartan Challenge, a 5k run with 18 grueling obstacles and physical challenges, that the strongest muscle in my body was under my total control.  It wasn’t my leg muscle, it wasn’t my arm muscle, it wasn’t my 6-pack abs or massive delts… it was my brain.  As long as I kept my head, didn’t panic and focused on the task at hand, my mind could propel me to complete the course despite the fatigue and the cold and the pain.  Up-hill climbs, wet, muddy and rocky terrain, barbed wire, freezing water and unpredictable footfalls were insignificant.  I needed to keep my focus, keep my head on straight and ignore the pain and discomfort and I could complete the course.

And grueling it was.  I confess I wanted to quit.  About half a mile into the course, when it seemed like we were hiking up Mount Everest and the calves and thighs were burning and the cold air made breathing difficult, I seriously considered quitting.  I wasn’t in good enough shape for this!  I hadn’t been training for months, doing sit-ups and pushups and burpees and running 10 miles at a time!  I had been sitting behind a desk, staring at the calendar and procrastinating about getting ready – until the time for training was long since expired and the day of the race had arrived.

I wasn’t even mentally prepared.  There was no dedication to the task at hand, no intense focus.  I was my usual self, cynical and sarcastic about the course and downplaying my own nervousness.  Until I had finished that first half mile and the thought actually occurred to me that I could quit, I could just throw in the towel, walk off the course and go get a nice hot chocolate.

It was then that I had my epiphany.  I was at a turning point; commit to the course and finish or take the easy way out.  So I made my choice and pushed through and got a better handle on my focus.  I put my mind to it and convinced myself I could do it.  And if I couldn’t, then darn it I was going to give it my absolute best effort. 

So what happened?  I finished in a little less than an hour and a half.  Was I physically able to complete all of the obstacles?  No – unfortunately the strength of my mind still couldn’t convince my muscles to climb up a rope, something I have struggled with since 8^th grade.  But I gave it my best effort and I was proud of that.  The freezing water was no match for my intensity and focus.  The climbing walls and fire jump were surmountable. 

And it reminded me of something that sounds trite but is oh so true.  When you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.  Athleticism and brute strength are no match for the strength of one’s will power.  Unfortunately, we forget about this sometimes because we have to have a goal in place at which our will power is to be focused.  But once you find that goal and you set your mind to it, the goal is as good as reached.  Just put your mind to it.

Of course, you may get bumps and bruises, but those bruises are a symbol of your focus.  Bruises and scars are like medals.  Something you can look at to remind you of your accomplishments.

And the hot chocolate at the end tasted that much sweeter.

“I sent him out here to stay out of trouble and get a good education, but, Vivian, I also taught that boy the value of hard work and I don’t want him to lose that.”

Friends: 

I am a member of networking groups, trade associations, religious communities and business development groups and, with minimal exceptions, many of them at one time or another suffered from a shortage of members.  But it wasn’t just a shortage of members, but a shortage of participation and a shortage of attendance.  A member of one of the groups of which I am involved cannot seem to figure out why attendance is poor and why membership is falling.

My friends, I have the answer and it is a universal truth, whether it is in a networking group, a trade association, a fraternal or religious organization and even all of our own businesses…

When I conclude a meeting with a client or a prospective client or even a phone consultation, my final question to the other party is this:  “Was this helpful?” 

In this day of heavy competition, bargain shoppers and easy access to information, we must invent new ways to drive commerce.  It can’t just be because we are who we are.  The day of hanging out your shingle and expecting people to walk in the door is an artifact and belongs in a museum.  Instead we have to find ways to differentiate ourselves, to convince someone that their hard-earned money is properly spent for our services.  And how do we do that?  We provide them with something of value. 

I am currently a member of one specific networking group that is having terribly difficult times attracting members and participation.  Some of the members have expressed bewilderment as to why people aren’t coming more often.  “Why would people not want to come?  If they show up, they might get business!” 

This may be absolutely true, but even in networking groups, there is competition for time.  Whatever time the meeting is scheduled for, there is always something else that a prospective member could be doing.  Does he or she want to go to a meeting and hear the same introductions and the same spiels or does he or she want to help the kids with homework or respond to e-mails or simply do some work?

The attraction to the group cannot be the prospect of future business.  The attraction has to be the value that will be provided at the meeting such that missing the meeting is not an option.  And it doesn’t have to be a financial value.  It can simply be a stirring conversation, or an interesting presentation, or even the refreshments.,  The trick is not to keep the outline for the meeting the same, but to play around with options until you hit the one that works, until you find the option that provides the most value for the participants, so that they mark their calendar and ensure that they don’t miss the next and the next and then the one after that.

As attorneys, we like to think that we have all of the answers and that our clients should simply listen to what we tell them to do and follow our instructions; that because we have a fancy law degree and took an incredibly grueling examination that they should be happy to be sitting in our office receiving our wisdom.   But that isn’t the case.  An attorney’ job, an accountant’s job, a financial advisor’s job is just as much about making sure you are in tune with your client’s needs as it is in ensuring that you have the right strategies to employ.  For how impactful with the strategy be if it doesn’t actually accomplish the client’s goals?

The lawyer who gets the right result but burns considerable bridges along the way may not be providing the best value for his client if that is not his client’s ultimate goal.  The key is in figuring out what will provide the most benefit and value to the client and delivering on that expectation.

In my networking group, the key is in figuring out what will provide the most benefit and value to the potential members and delivering on that expectation.  In the bar associations, the key is in figuring out what will provide the most benefit and value to the potential members and delivering on that expectation.  In the religions organizations, the key is in figuring out what will provide the most benefit and value to the potential members and delivering on that expectation.

Are you catching my drift here?  It isn’t about hanging out your shingle and expecting people to walk in the door anymore.  It isn’t about tempting members with the potential for new business. 

It’s about the value you can provide to them so that they think twice before they walk past your door.