The Dinosaur Hunter, by Homer Hickam

I'm a big fan of Homer Hickam, with The Keeper's Son and Rocket Boys two of my favorite books.  Unfortunately, I didn't like The Dinosaur Hunter.  The book just never got going until about the 85% mark.  (I read on a Kindle which shows the percentages.)  Until then, the reader just doesn't know what the book is about or what the main conflict is.  There's a mystery of dead cows, a mysterious dinosaur fossil hunter, a conflict between Montana ranchers and government agents over land use, and an unrequited love between the main character and his female boss.  But none of these take center stage and none of them drive the action.  The hero never really responds to or takes action against any of these possible conflicts, except until the end of the book.  I think Hickam could learn a lot from Larry Brooks' Story Structure Series.  Hickam is a good writer who could be great if he mastered story structure.

The Book of Vice, by Peter Sagal

This was an interesting and entertaining look into some current American vices such as gambling, stripping and sex clubs.  Sagal is a witty writer keeps the prose light.  He has some interesting psychological theories on why people are attracted to vice, and it makes for interesting food-for-thought.