I've actually read almost all of MC's books. However, many of them were read before I started my website so I need to go back and reread them. Among those are JP, LW, Sphere, and A Case of Need (his first book from his med school days). I had also read Rising Sun back then, but reread it recently. It didn't blow me away as much as it did the first time, I agree. But I try to put these books in the context of when they were written. That makes it easier to deal with any issues that are out of date. It's almost a necessity when you're reading James Patterson as he makes so many pop culture references in his books that they get dated rather quickly. Try reading some of Patterson's pre nursery rhyme titles. You'll see what I mean. Very dated.

I think the fact that I've spread out my reading of MC has made it easier for me to not get sick of his style. Prey was my "return to Crichton" novel of late. After reading that one, I read a bunch more. So I wasn't ruined on his style. It had been nearly six years before that point since I had read an MC book. Considering the lapse, Prey floored me. I loved it. I could see some of it coming, yeah. But I love MC's writing. He has such a way of making nearly impossible to grasp science and business terminology easy to understand for the common person. Reading JP back in high school is what got me interested in genetics and I wound up taking a HS course on it. Aced it.

Great Train Robbery remains my fave, though. I love Victorian era England and I feel that Crichton did a good job of capturing it in that novel. Waiting to see if Patricia Cornwell's "Portrait of a Killer" can capture it that well as she hypothesizes about the identity of Jack the Ripper. On my reading list, just have to get to it.