Well, we made it through another calendar year. There were family highs and lows, and national disasters and tragedies. But, at this time of year, we tend to count our blessings and look forward to the New Year. Here's this months selections.
Series
Think of a Number - John Verdon ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 497 pages, Paperback)This is what I believe to be the first of a series. The hero here is Dave Gurney, a retired NYC detective who can't seem to relax in retirement. Gurney is a criminological genius but his personal life sucks. He gets involved with an old acquaintance who’s been getting some threatening mail - whoever sends it asks him to think of a number, then he’s to open the smaller, enclosed envelope which amazingly - reveals the same number. Then the guy gets killed and the killer‘s footprints seem to lead into the middle of a field, then disappear. Unfortunately, this has taken me 136 pages to get here and it takes me another 30 pages or so to see Gurney finally get asked to join the case. By now, I couldn’t care less how the killer pulled off the number trick or the murder. To me, it was taking too long and I just lost interest. Simply put, this new character just isn’t interesting to me. This one goes back on The Pile.
Brother Odd - Dean Koontz ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2006, 430 pages, Paperback)This is the third book in the Odd Thomas series. Odd was a short order cook who happens to see dead people. The operative word here is “see”. They don’t communicate with him. They just seem to hang around with him until he figures out what they need. In this one, he’s taken refuge in a monastery to get away from things that happened in the first two books. . Of course, that never actually works out. He winds up dealing with the monastery staff, a resident ghost who likes to ring the bells, creatures made of bone, a federal agent, and a nut case - all while trying to protect some children in the monastery’s school shortly before Christmas. I enjoyed the first book, I think because the character was new. The second was a little weirder, but the character of Odd rang true. I didn’t enjoy this one as much but the ending leads me to believe that there will be a fourth volume and maybe the Odd character will find some closure. Then again, sometimes, you can take a character a little too far. I’ll have to wait and see. It was OK.
Killing Floor - Lee Child ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1997, 407 pages, Paperback)This is the first of the Jack Reacher novels. Since Tom Cruise is starring in a movie about the character, I decided to check him out. Reacher is a former military policeman who, having left the army, decides to drop off the grid. He carries no ID and travels only by bus, rail, or simply walking. In this book, he’s arrested for a murder just after he enters a town. There’s something going on but he tries not to get involved until it becomes personal. Child builds the plot nicely, mixing in several other murders (some of which Reacher commits), a criminal undertaking that seems far-fetched but is reasonably explained, and an upcoming deadline. Reacher is an interesting, intelligent character (although I'm not sure how Cruise will do). I liked it.
Miscellaneous
The Avengers :Too Many Targets - John Peel & Dave Rogers ($8.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 181 pages, Paperback)These are not the Marvel Universe Avengers. These are the one’s from the BBC. John Steed, Emma Peel, Tara, Mother, etc. Every one of them true to life and a story that plays to their strengths. Someone is killing British agents. They suspect it's someone on the inside. Steed is supposed to believe it is Mother. Mother is supposed to believe it is Steed. The action is spaced out nicely so as to bring the major characters together. The dialog is fun to read. And there's robots. Jolly good fun. I enjoyed it.
Graphic Novels/Comics
Showcase Presents: Rip Hunter, Time Master - Various ($19.99/$5.00, copyright 2012, 511 pages, Trade Paperback) This is one of those collections that I mentioned last month. Rip Hunter is a “B” list character in the DCU who pops up whenever they have a crossover event that involves time travel. In effect, he’s the man. This volume includes Showcase numbers 20, 21, 25 and 26, and Rip’s own magazine numbers 1 through 15. This covers a time period from May 1959 through August 1963 (published bimonthly). They were all written by Jack Miller, one of the unsung bullpen members and includes artist Neil Caddy, Alex Toth, Bill Ely, and Ross Andru. Here, most of the action takes place in the past - the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, etc. - with some futuristic aliens mixed in every now and then. The cast includes Rip, his good buddy Jeff Smith, his girlfriend bonnie Baxter, and her kid brother Corky. (This seems to have been a theme back then, a girlfriend who’s tough buts gets into trouble and a kid brother.) Again, these become repetitive if read in a single sitting so I spaced them out to 1 a week. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month - and this year.
I wish you all health and happiness in the New Year.
Keep reading!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Third Anniversary Issue!!
Happy November, all! We blew through Halloween pretty quickly - or, rather, Sandy blew through it - and now we're at the threshold to the holiday season. And - more importantly - this is the Third Anniversary of this blog! I have some interesting selections for you this month so let's just dig right in and I'll update you on the numbers later.
Series
Day of Atonement - Faye Kellerman ($7.99/$.5 0, copyright 1991, 373 pages, Paperback)This is one of the early works in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. Decker is an L. A. cop and Lazarus is a woman he met and fell in love with in the first volume. She also happens to be an Orthodox Jew. All of the books in the series involve some aspect of the religious rituals they follow. This one takes place after their wedding and they’re in N. Y. for the holidays. It revolves around a missing boy and a psycho who takes him in. There’s a subplot that involves family, and I think a message that the ending that you look for isn’t always a happy one. I picked it up because of the NY connection, hoping that there’d be some insight into the orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn but, after the set up is taken care of, the second half moves back to L. A. and it wrapped up too quickly It was OK.
No Badge, No Gun - Harold Adams ($8.95/$1.00, copyright 1998, 203 pages,Paperback) This is one of the Carl Wilcox mysteries that Mr. Adams has produced. Wilcox is an ex-con, sign painter during the Great Depression, who - sometimes - gets involved in mysteries in order to make some extra money. In this one, he’s hired to solve the rape and murder of a young girl in a small town. I am usually a sucker for a mystery that takes place in some era other then the modern age so I was drawn to the setting/time frame but, unfortunately, these don’t really have an impact on the story. I have to admit that I found this hard to get through. Basically, it just plods along. Wilcox talks to people and gathers information. I didn’t like it.
Miscellaneous
Yeats is Dead! - Joseph O'Conner, ed. ($12.95/$.25, copyright 2001, 257 pages, Paperback)
Mr. O’Connor is only the editor of this truly Irish novel. It’s actually written by 15 Irish writers, each of them taking a chapter. Starting with Roddy Doyle and ending with Frank McCourt it tells the story of an eclectic collection of Dubliners - from cops to crooks - on the hunt for the long-lost last novel of James Joyce. This was a real joy to read as each writer adds his/her own twists while maintaining the integrity of the whole (although there were a couple of chapters that could‘ve been tweaked). It’s too long to make into a decent movie, but would make an excellent mini-series along the lines of an old Alec Guinness comedy or a toned-down Monty Python script. I enjoyed it.
The Postcard Killers - James Patterson and Liza Marklund ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 402 pages, Paperback)Here’s another book from the Patterson “studio”. This one revolves around some serial murderers running around in some of the famous cities in Europe. They’re being chased by an NYPD detective who’s daughter was one of the first victims. Most of the book takes place in Sweden and Marklund, being a writer from there, gives it some local color. It has the usual Patterson short-chapter approach, alternating between the cop, the killers, and a Swedish newswoman who gets involved. I found that it didn’t really get going until about 1/3 of the way through. It had some interesting twists, but the ending wraps up some of the details in an off-handed manner. It was OK.
Comic Books
I know, I said that I wouldn't be buying these collections because they were just too pricey but I came across a used book store in Metuchen who had a few priced very reasonably. Here's the first one I've finished.
Showcase Presents - Various writers/artists ($19.99/$5.00, copyright 2012, 539 pages, Trade Paperback)I have been a comic book fan all of my life. I was lucky enough to actually start to be able to read when the Silver Age started in 1956, and even more lucky to have parents who didn’t mind that the material was comics just as long as I (and my brothers and sisters) were reading. At that time comics were still being printed but consisted mostly of war, scifi, western, and romance genres. And then National Comics (who later changed their name to DC) had an idea. They started a publication called Showcase. Here they could test out some new character ideas. This volume contains the first 21 issues starting from March/April 1956 to July/August 1959. It’s an interesting mix. There’s a couple of issues dealing with a fireman. There’s one about frogmen in WW2. There’s a couple starring The Space Ranger. These fit in with the times. But mixed in are characters that have carried on into the DC Universe. Lois Lane, of course, has been a character in the long-running Superman books but takes center stage in a few issues of her own. And we have the creation of some new memorable characters - The Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and Rip Hunter. But the most important character to appear here is Barry Allen - The Flash. Appearing for the first time in issues 4 (Sept/Oct 1956) and later in issues 8, 13, and 14. The Silver Age is considered to have started when he got his own magazine. It's an interesting, eclectic mix and includes the works of Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Jack Kirby, Gardner Fox, Wally Woods, and Gil Kane. I enjoyed it immensely.
Numbers
This year, the numbers break down as follows: 15 Series books, cover prices $154.27, my costs $8.75. 23 Miscellaneous books, cover prices $239.30, my costs $10.95. 6 Graphic Novel/Comic books, cover prices 91.90, my costs $6.00. 2 Non-fiction books, cover prices $27.00, my costs $1.50. 3 Sherlock Holmes books, cover prices $44.99, my costs $3.24. Totals this year are 49 books, cover prices $557.46, my costs $30.44, average cost per book $.62. Three year totals 147 books, cover prices $1630.45, my costs $118.71. average cost per book $.81.
And it's all still a lot of fun.
That's it for this month. Just a reminder....Thanksgiving is in 3 days. This year, after what has happened in the last few works (some of it personal, too), I know that I have a lot to be grateful for. Let's not lose that feeling of gratitude amid the onrush of Christmas commercialism that seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year.
Keep Reading!
Series
Day of Atonement - Faye Kellerman ($7.99/$.5 0, copyright 1991, 373 pages, Paperback)This is one of the early works in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. Decker is an L. A. cop and Lazarus is a woman he met and fell in love with in the first volume. She also happens to be an Orthodox Jew. All of the books in the series involve some aspect of the religious rituals they follow. This one takes place after their wedding and they’re in N. Y. for the holidays. It revolves around a missing boy and a psycho who takes him in. There’s a subplot that involves family, and I think a message that the ending that you look for isn’t always a happy one. I picked it up because of the NY connection, hoping that there’d be some insight into the orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn but, after the set up is taken care of, the second half moves back to L. A. and it wrapped up too quickly It was OK.
No Badge, No Gun - Harold Adams ($8.95/$1.00, copyright 1998, 203 pages,Paperback) This is one of the Carl Wilcox mysteries that Mr. Adams has produced. Wilcox is an ex-con, sign painter during the Great Depression, who - sometimes - gets involved in mysteries in order to make some extra money. In this one, he’s hired to solve the rape and murder of a young girl in a small town. I am usually a sucker for a mystery that takes place in some era other then the modern age so I was drawn to the setting/time frame but, unfortunately, these don’t really have an impact on the story. I have to admit that I found this hard to get through. Basically, it just plods along. Wilcox talks to people and gathers information. I didn’t like it.
Miscellaneous
Yeats is Dead! - Joseph O'Conner, ed. ($12.95/$.25, copyright 2001, 257 pages, Paperback)
Mr. O’Connor is only the editor of this truly Irish novel. It’s actually written by 15 Irish writers, each of them taking a chapter. Starting with Roddy Doyle and ending with Frank McCourt it tells the story of an eclectic collection of Dubliners - from cops to crooks - on the hunt for the long-lost last novel of James Joyce. This was a real joy to read as each writer adds his/her own twists while maintaining the integrity of the whole (although there were a couple of chapters that could‘ve been tweaked). It’s too long to make into a decent movie, but would make an excellent mini-series along the lines of an old Alec Guinness comedy or a toned-down Monty Python script. I enjoyed it.
The Postcard Killers - James Patterson and Liza Marklund ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 402 pages, Paperback)Here’s another book from the Patterson “studio”. This one revolves around some serial murderers running around in some of the famous cities in Europe. They’re being chased by an NYPD detective who’s daughter was one of the first victims. Most of the book takes place in Sweden and Marklund, being a writer from there, gives it some local color. It has the usual Patterson short-chapter approach, alternating between the cop, the killers, and a Swedish newswoman who gets involved. I found that it didn’t really get going until about 1/3 of the way through. It had some interesting twists, but the ending wraps up some of the details in an off-handed manner. It was OK.
Comic Books
I know, I said that I wouldn't be buying these collections because they were just too pricey but I came across a used book store in Metuchen who had a few priced very reasonably. Here's the first one I've finished.
Showcase Presents - Various writers/artists ($19.99/$5.00, copyright 2012, 539 pages, Trade Paperback)I have been a comic book fan all of my life. I was lucky enough to actually start to be able to read when the Silver Age started in 1956, and even more lucky to have parents who didn’t mind that the material was comics just as long as I (and my brothers and sisters) were reading. At that time comics were still being printed but consisted mostly of war, scifi, western, and romance genres. And then National Comics (who later changed their name to DC) had an idea. They started a publication called Showcase. Here they could test out some new character ideas. This volume contains the first 21 issues starting from March/April 1956 to July/August 1959. It’s an interesting mix. There’s a couple of issues dealing with a fireman. There’s one about frogmen in WW2. There’s a couple starring The Space Ranger. These fit in with the times. But mixed in are characters that have carried on into the DC Universe. Lois Lane, of course, has been a character in the long-running Superman books but takes center stage in a few issues of her own. And we have the creation of some new memorable characters - The Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, and Rip Hunter. But the most important character to appear here is Barry Allen - The Flash. Appearing for the first time in issues 4 (Sept/Oct 1956) and later in issues 8, 13, and 14. The Silver Age is considered to have started when he got his own magazine. It's an interesting, eclectic mix and includes the works of Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Jack Kirby, Gardner Fox, Wally Woods, and Gil Kane. I enjoyed it immensely.
Numbers
This year, the numbers break down as follows: 15 Series books, cover prices $154.27, my costs $8.75. 23 Miscellaneous books, cover prices $239.30, my costs $10.95. 6 Graphic Novel/Comic books, cover prices 91.90, my costs $6.00. 2 Non-fiction books, cover prices $27.00, my costs $1.50. 3 Sherlock Holmes books, cover prices $44.99, my costs $3.24. Totals this year are 49 books, cover prices $557.46, my costs $30.44, average cost per book $.62. Three year totals 147 books, cover prices $1630.45, my costs $118.71. average cost per book $.81.
And it's all still a lot of fun.
That's it for this month. Just a reminder....Thanksgiving is in 3 days. This year, after what has happened in the last few works (some of it personal, too), I know that I have a lot to be grateful for. Let's not lose that feeling of gratitude amid the onrush of Christmas commercialism that seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year.
Keep Reading!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Chapter Thirty-five
I’m going to start this month with the book that I was still reading when I posted the last Chapter. It is the book that got me to finally decide to go online to place an order. Barnes & Noble’s carried it but not in stock so I went to one of their in-store terminals. They had it listed for $17.95 and I was going to use a Gift Card that I’d received. While looking it up, I noticed an option called Dealer Network which took me to several associated book outlets that connected to Barnes & Noble. I wound up getting it for about $4.50 (not out-of-pocket). This copy’s condition is classified by the bookseller site as “Used - Very Good”. Amazon has no Used copies of this edition listed, but does price a New copy at $120.88. Pretty good buy on my part.
Miscellaneous
The Sunlight Dialogues - John Gardner ($6.95/Gift Card, copyright 1972, 746 pages, Paperback)I’ve been looking for this book for a while - on and off - but got serious once I picked up a copy of Gardner’s "Grendel" about a month ago. I’d read this book first just after it was published, and it’s stayed with me all these years. It is set in the 1960‘s and it’s the story of the Chief of Police (Clumly) in a small town in upstate NY (Batavia) and how he deals with the disruptions caused by an eccentric character who invades his town (The Sunlight Man). Sunlight has been arrested for painting the word “LOVE“ across a road and is being held in jail pending a psychiatric exam. Revolving around this core are subplots involving other townsfolk and other crimes. Gardner brings each member of this huge cast to life - even the stereotypes - and this creates the daily life of Batavia that Clumly is trying to maintain. It’s order versus chaos, tradition versus change and Gardner does it justice. To be honest, some 35 years later, I found it hard at times to wade through some of the conversations between Clumly and Sunlight (and Sunlight‘s ramblings to others) that give the book it‘s name. I guess I’m not as idealistic as I once was. It was OK.
Castleview - Gene Wolfe ($13.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 278 pages, Trade Paperback)I picked this up because the cover illustration has a castle superimposed over a small town street, and one of the jacket blurbs references “Idylls of the King“. I thought this would be Wolfe’s attempt to merge Camelot with Midwestern America. Maybe it was. I don’t know. A family moves into Castleview (named for the apparition of a castle that appears from time to time). There’s a murder, car accidents, scenes in a hospital, scenes at a camp for girls, characters that move in and out and..oh, yes..some people die then come back. There is an attempt to explain it involving the world of fairies but there are too many situations left hanging to make any real sense of it. It’s well written, but ultimately not worth reading.
The Q Document - James Hall Roberts ($.60/$.50, copyright 1964, 224 pages, Paperback)
As I read this I couldn’t help but visualize it as a movie from the late 40’s/early 50’s. It is the story of a scholar - an educated man - with a recent tragedy in his past who is hired by a “business” man in Japan to verify a set of documents which may - or may not - topple Christianity. There are really only 4 main characters. I see a young Vincent Price as the scholar, Sidney Greenstreet as the businessman, an older Lauren Bacall as the writer, and Peter Lorre as the priest (only because of the one scene with Greenstreet). There isn’t any action, as would be expected today. Instead there is a steady increase in the tension and in how things move inexorably to the end regardless of what the scholar tries. The “revelation” doesn’t take place until the last few pages and is totally unexpected and actually sounds plausible. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Interestingly, there really is a Q Document Theory. Similarities in the Gospels of Mark and Luke have led scholars to extrapolate that there is a missing source document containing the actual teachings of Jesus. This theory originated in Germany and "Q" stands for the german word "quelle" which means "source".)
Thanks to the Gift Card givers for the chance to pick up some books I've been looking for (you know who you are). The Holiday season unofficially kicks off at the end of the month so - Happy Halloween to all! And..............
Keep Reading!
Miscellaneous
The Sunlight Dialogues - John Gardner ($6.95/Gift Card, copyright 1972, 746 pages, Paperback)I’ve been looking for this book for a while - on and off - but got serious once I picked up a copy of Gardner’s "Grendel" about a month ago. I’d read this book first just after it was published, and it’s stayed with me all these years. It is set in the 1960‘s and it’s the story of the Chief of Police (Clumly) in a small town in upstate NY (Batavia) and how he deals with the disruptions caused by an eccentric character who invades his town (The Sunlight Man). Sunlight has been arrested for painting the word “LOVE“ across a road and is being held in jail pending a psychiatric exam. Revolving around this core are subplots involving other townsfolk and other crimes. Gardner brings each member of this huge cast to life - even the stereotypes - and this creates the daily life of Batavia that Clumly is trying to maintain. It’s order versus chaos, tradition versus change and Gardner does it justice. To be honest, some 35 years later, I found it hard at times to wade through some of the conversations between Clumly and Sunlight (and Sunlight‘s ramblings to others) that give the book it‘s name. I guess I’m not as idealistic as I once was. It was OK.
Castleview - Gene Wolfe ($13.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 278 pages, Trade Paperback)I picked this up because the cover illustration has a castle superimposed over a small town street, and one of the jacket blurbs references “Idylls of the King“. I thought this would be Wolfe’s attempt to merge Camelot with Midwestern America. Maybe it was. I don’t know. A family moves into Castleview (named for the apparition of a castle that appears from time to time). There’s a murder, car accidents, scenes in a hospital, scenes at a camp for girls, characters that move in and out and..oh, yes..some people die then come back. There is an attempt to explain it involving the world of fairies but there are too many situations left hanging to make any real sense of it. It’s well written, but ultimately not worth reading.
The Q Document - James Hall Roberts ($.60/$.50, copyright 1964, 224 pages, Paperback)
As I read this I couldn’t help but visualize it as a movie from the late 40’s/early 50’s. It is the story of a scholar - an educated man - with a recent tragedy in his past who is hired by a “business” man in Japan to verify a set of documents which may - or may not - topple Christianity. There are really only 4 main characters. I see a young Vincent Price as the scholar, Sidney Greenstreet as the businessman, an older Lauren Bacall as the writer, and Peter Lorre as the priest (only because of the one scene with Greenstreet). There isn’t any action, as would be expected today. Instead there is a steady increase in the tension and in how things move inexorably to the end regardless of what the scholar tries. The “revelation” doesn’t take place until the last few pages and is totally unexpected and actually sounds plausible. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Interestingly, there really is a Q Document Theory. Similarities in the Gospels of Mark and Luke have led scholars to extrapolate that there is a missing source document containing the actual teachings of Jesus. This theory originated in Germany and "Q" stands for the german word "quelle" which means "source".)
Thanks to the Gift Card givers for the chance to pick up some books I've been looking for (you know who you are). The Holiday season unofficially kicks off at the end of the month so - Happy Halloween to all! And..............
Keep Reading!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Chapter Thirty-four
I have made a change this month. Not to what I read but to how I go about acquiring the books that I post about. Piqued your curiosity? I hope so, but you'll have to wait just a bit while I run through the following:
Series
On the Wrong Track - Steve Hockensmith ($12.95/$.50, copyright 2007, 290 pages, Trade Paperback)This is the second book in the Amlingmeyer Brothers series. They’re 2 one-time cattle drovers in the Old West of the late 1800’s who’ve taken a shine to the Sherlock Holmes stories (believing him to be as real as the Western heroes and villains pumped up in the dime novels popular at the time) and decide to do some “detectifying” of their own. Here they take jobs as railroad detectives and get mixed up with murders, train robbers, and other western stereotypes. There are gun fights and out-of-control trains to keep the plot moving at a quick pace. It’s told with an eye for detail, and an ear for a good laugh. I enjoyed it.
Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson ($14.99/$1.00, copyright 2011, 364 pages, Trade Paperback)I’ve written about Patterson's Alex Cross series before. In this one, Cross has to deal with the kidnapping of the President’s children while Washington, D. C. is being panicked by terrorist attacks. Patterson’s style holds true here - short, snappy chapters bouncing between the good guys and the bad, with a dash of domestic drama/life for Detective Cross. (And he's brought back a strong supporting character who's been missing for several volumes.) It’s a formula that has served Patterson well. I enjoyed it.
Graphic Novels
Cardboard - Doug Tenniel ($12.99/$0, copyright 2012, 283 pages, Trade Paperback)I read this graphic novel in a couple of hours, while “helping out” at a Book Fair so I didn't actually purchase it but I'm including it anyway. It revolves around an out-of-work, recently widowed construction worker (Mike) trying to keep things together while raising his young son (Cam). It’s the boy’s birthday and all the dad can afford is a cardboard box. But it’s magic cardboard. Soon they have created a cardboard man named Bill who, not surprisingly, comes to life. What follows involves a jealous, rich kid (Marcus) who steals the cardboard, monsters threatening to take over, and heroics by humans young and old (and cardboard). Of course, this is really aimed at a young audience, so good triumphs and lessons are learned, and there’s a nice twist at the end. The art work is appealing, and the dialog rings true. I enjoyed it.
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
In one of the early chapters I mentioned that I knew I could buy books online but that the thrill was in finding them on my own. Well, thirty-some-odd chapters later I found myself with three books that I knew I was never going to find on my own. But still I persisted until last month, when I got a couple of gift cards for my birthday - one to Barnes & Noble and one was a TD Bank card. Long story short...I've decided to join the 21st Century and ordered all three books online and I got good prices for them. So, here are two of them. I 'm still reading the third, and hope to have it for next month's post.
Miscellaneous
The Man Without a Country & Other Stories - - Edward Everett Hale ($4.99/Gft Card, published 1995, 175 pages, Paperback) This is actually out of print and although published by Wordsworth American Classics is no longer listed in their catalog. I am guessing at the cover price based on similar works that they carry. I’ve been looking for this one since Sept. of 2011 when I learned that Cliff Robertson died. I remembered seeing him in a televised version back in the 60's that has stayed with me all these years. It is the story of Philip Nolan who, through a mistaken allegiance and a bad temper, is sentenced to never see or hear of the United States again. I have to admit that I was surprised to find out that it was such a short story and yet I found it a powerful one. “The Man…” was written in 1863, and this volume includes other stories written between 1842 and 1866. Like any collection, some of the stories are really good and some not so much. These cover an interesting range of topics, some humorously. It’s a mixed bag. As a whole, it was OK. To me, it was worth it and I really did enjoy “The Man…”.
Comic Books
Showcase Presents: Challengers of The Unknown, Vol. 1 - Jack Kirby and others ($16.99/GC, published 2006, 544 pages, Trade Paperback) This volume starts with the first appearance of the Challengers in the January/February 1957 issue of Showcase (#6) and ends with the December 1960/January 1961 issue of Challengers of The Unknown (#17) - their own titled magazine. In all, 21 issues comprising the introduction of the Challengers to the DC Universe. I’ve been chasing this down since the end of 2009 when I came across a copy of Volume 2 in a comic book store in Oakhurst. The Challengers' philosophy of “We’re living on borrowed time.” resonated with me. (Since, at times, I’ve felt the same way.) To my knowledge, Jack Kirby - one of the true greats in comic book history - was the creative force behind the Challengers, drawing every issue up to and including Challengers #8, and writing most of the stories in their own magazine. The writing in the Showcase issues is attributed to Dave Wood, and the pencil work for Challengers #9 onward is by Bob Brown. Back then these were bimonthly publications. In every issue Ace, Rocky, Prof and Red (and sometimes June) would be faced with some scientific/alien/magical menace that would take all of their combined skills to defeat. I would recommend that these should be read over a period of time (say 1 a week/month) as they tend to get repetitive. Still, I found it very enjoyable.
That's it for now. Stayed tuned for next month when I'll tell you about the second book I ordered through Barnes & Noble's Dealer Network. Until then..........
Keep Reading!
Series
On the Wrong Track - Steve Hockensmith ($12.95/$.50, copyright 2007, 290 pages, Trade Paperback)This is the second book in the Amlingmeyer Brothers series. They’re 2 one-time cattle drovers in the Old West of the late 1800’s who’ve taken a shine to the Sherlock Holmes stories (believing him to be as real as the Western heroes and villains pumped up in the dime novels popular at the time) and decide to do some “detectifying” of their own. Here they take jobs as railroad detectives and get mixed up with murders, train robbers, and other western stereotypes. There are gun fights and out-of-control trains to keep the plot moving at a quick pace. It’s told with an eye for detail, and an ear for a good laugh. I enjoyed it.
Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson ($14.99/$1.00, copyright 2011, 364 pages, Trade Paperback)I’ve written about Patterson's Alex Cross series before. In this one, Cross has to deal with the kidnapping of the President’s children while Washington, D. C. is being panicked by terrorist attacks. Patterson’s style holds true here - short, snappy chapters bouncing between the good guys and the bad, with a dash of domestic drama/life for Detective Cross. (And he's brought back a strong supporting character who's been missing for several volumes.) It’s a formula that has served Patterson well. I enjoyed it.
Graphic Novels
Cardboard - Doug Tenniel ($12.99/$0, copyright 2012, 283 pages, Trade Paperback)I read this graphic novel in a couple of hours, while “helping out” at a Book Fair so I didn't actually purchase it but I'm including it anyway. It revolves around an out-of-work, recently widowed construction worker (Mike) trying to keep things together while raising his young son (Cam). It’s the boy’s birthday and all the dad can afford is a cardboard box. But it’s magic cardboard. Soon they have created a cardboard man named Bill who, not surprisingly, comes to life. What follows involves a jealous, rich kid (Marcus) who steals the cardboard, monsters threatening to take over, and heroics by humans young and old (and cardboard). Of course, this is really aimed at a young audience, so good triumphs and lessons are learned, and there’s a nice twist at the end. The art work is appealing, and the dialog rings true. I enjoyed it.
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
In one of the early chapters I mentioned that I knew I could buy books online but that the thrill was in finding them on my own. Well, thirty-some-odd chapters later I found myself with three books that I knew I was never going to find on my own. But still I persisted until last month, when I got a couple of gift cards for my birthday - one to Barnes & Noble and one was a TD Bank card. Long story short...I've decided to join the 21st Century and ordered all three books online and I got good prices for them. So, here are two of them. I 'm still reading the third, and hope to have it for next month's post.
Miscellaneous
The Man Without a Country & Other Stories - - Edward Everett Hale ($4.99/Gft Card, published 1995, 175 pages, Paperback) This is actually out of print and although published by Wordsworth American Classics is no longer listed in their catalog. I am guessing at the cover price based on similar works that they carry. I’ve been looking for this one since Sept. of 2011 when I learned that Cliff Robertson died. I remembered seeing him in a televised version back in the 60's that has stayed with me all these years. It is the story of Philip Nolan who, through a mistaken allegiance and a bad temper, is sentenced to never see or hear of the United States again. I have to admit that I was surprised to find out that it was such a short story and yet I found it a powerful one. “The Man…” was written in 1863, and this volume includes other stories written between 1842 and 1866. Like any collection, some of the stories are really good and some not so much. These cover an interesting range of topics, some humorously. It’s a mixed bag. As a whole, it was OK. To me, it was worth it and I really did enjoy “The Man…”.
Comic Books
Showcase Presents: Challengers of The Unknown, Vol. 1 - Jack Kirby and others ($16.99/GC, published 2006, 544 pages, Trade Paperback) This volume starts with the first appearance of the Challengers in the January/February 1957 issue of Showcase (#6) and ends with the December 1960/January 1961 issue of Challengers of The Unknown (#17) - their own titled magazine. In all, 21 issues comprising the introduction of the Challengers to the DC Universe. I’ve been chasing this down since the end of 2009 when I came across a copy of Volume 2 in a comic book store in Oakhurst. The Challengers' philosophy of “We’re living on borrowed time.” resonated with me. (Since, at times, I’ve felt the same way.) To my knowledge, Jack Kirby - one of the true greats in comic book history - was the creative force behind the Challengers, drawing every issue up to and including Challengers #8, and writing most of the stories in their own magazine. The writing in the Showcase issues is attributed to Dave Wood, and the pencil work for Challengers #9 onward is by Bob Brown. Back then these were bimonthly publications. In every issue Ace, Rocky, Prof and Red (and sometimes June) would be faced with some scientific/alien/magical menace that would take all of their combined skills to defeat. I would recommend that these should be read over a period of time (say 1 a week/month) as they tend to get repetitive. Still, I found it very enjoyable.
That's it for now. Stayed tuned for next month when I'll tell you about the second book I ordered through Barnes & Noble's Dealer Network. Until then..........
Keep Reading!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Chapter Thirty-three
Interestingly enough, the majority of the male members of my immediate family have been born in August. My late father, myself, my younger brother, two of my nephews and a nephew-by-association. By my count that leaves a brother, two nephews, a brother-in-law and a son-in-law. More then half of the males in my immediate family are August babies. How about that?
Of course, this really has nothing to do with this month's posting. It's just something that I found interesting. Much like at least a couple of the books listed below.
Series
Flood - Andrew H. Vachss ($4.50/$.25, copyright 1985, 344 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about several of Vachss’ books a couple of months ago. This is the first in that series about Burke, an ex-con and unlicensed PI who travels in the NY underworld and deals primarily with cases involving child molestation and abuse. I enjoyed the first Burke book I read (which happened to be the 2nd in the series) . The second one I read, and now this one, were somewhat unsatisfying. This one has the cast of characters dealing with a murderous child molester and a brutal pimp, but there’s nothing new here. I like the supporting cast of characters, but here they are only introduced, not really defined. Later volumes give them life. It was OK.
Non-fiction
The Lost Continent - Bill Bryson ($13.00/$1.00, copyright 1989, 299 pages, Trade Paperback)
I picked this book up because of it’s title, as anyone who knows me would understand. Then I saw the sub-title - “Travels in Small Town America”. Still, I read a few random passages, flipping pages, and I was hooked. This is one person's account of his travels through middle America, starting and ending in Des Moines, Iowa. At first, I found that his vision of small town America is described with such humor and warmth that you want to go there. Then you find that it becomes a bit repetitive. Maybe this would’ve worked best as a series of newspaper/magazine articles or a sort of Charles Kurault “On the Road” type of TV thing. I have to admit that I skimmed through the last third of it. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Bad Men - John Connolly ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 451 pages, Paperback)
Connolly is the author of the Charlie Parker series, one or two of which I’ve mentioned here before. This is a stand-alone and combines elements of two distinct suspense novel formats. On one hand, we have the abused wife escaping her criminal husband with a lot of his money. Of course, he’s escaped from prison, gathered a gang of killers, and is hunting her down. On the other hand, we have the small island community - cut off from the mainland - that has a horrible tragedy buried in it’s past. Only a few people, including the island’s 7-foot deputy, can feel what’s happening. The two hands slam together in a great story that keeps the surprises going until the end. I enjoyed it.
Grendel - John Gardner ($10.95/$1.00, copyright 1971, 174 pages, Trade Paperback)
Put simply, this is just a retelling of the Beowulf story from the monster’s - Grendel’s - perspective. But this book can’t be read simply. Of course, if you know the Beowulf story, you know how it ends and Gardner stays true to the story, but he has a great time getting there. Grendel screams, yells, cries, and waxes rhapsodic for the length of the book, passing his judgement on Hrothgar and his Danes as representatives of all men. Good vs. evil, intelligence vs. ignorance, there's a lot under the surface here. At times funny, at times tragic, it is always entertaining. I enjoyed it.
Well. August is just about over, and September is only 10 days away. In about a month, Summer will end and Autumn will start. I don't know about you, but this year I'm looking forward to it. Till next time.....
Keep Reading.
Of course, this really has nothing to do with this month's posting. It's just something that I found interesting. Much like at least a couple of the books listed below.
Series
Flood - Andrew H. Vachss ($4.50/$.25, copyright 1985, 344 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about several of Vachss’ books a couple of months ago. This is the first in that series about Burke, an ex-con and unlicensed PI who travels in the NY underworld and deals primarily with cases involving child molestation and abuse. I enjoyed the first Burke book I read (which happened to be the 2nd in the series) . The second one I read, and now this one, were somewhat unsatisfying. This one has the cast of characters dealing with a murderous child molester and a brutal pimp, but there’s nothing new here. I like the supporting cast of characters, but here they are only introduced, not really defined. Later volumes give them life. It was OK.
Non-fiction
The Lost Continent - Bill Bryson ($13.00/$1.00, copyright 1989, 299 pages, Trade Paperback)
I picked this book up because of it’s title, as anyone who knows me would understand. Then I saw the sub-title - “Travels in Small Town America”. Still, I read a few random passages, flipping pages, and I was hooked. This is one person's account of his travels through middle America, starting and ending in Des Moines, Iowa. At first, I found that his vision of small town America is described with such humor and warmth that you want to go there. Then you find that it becomes a bit repetitive. Maybe this would’ve worked best as a series of newspaper/magazine articles or a sort of Charles Kurault “On the Road” type of TV thing. I have to admit that I skimmed through the last third of it. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Bad Men - John Connolly ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 451 pages, Paperback)
Connolly is the author of the Charlie Parker series, one or two of which I’ve mentioned here before. This is a stand-alone and combines elements of two distinct suspense novel formats. On one hand, we have the abused wife escaping her criminal husband with a lot of his money. Of course, he’s escaped from prison, gathered a gang of killers, and is hunting her down. On the other hand, we have the small island community - cut off from the mainland - that has a horrible tragedy buried in it’s past. Only a few people, including the island’s 7-foot deputy, can feel what’s happening. The two hands slam together in a great story that keeps the surprises going until the end. I enjoyed it.
Grendel - John Gardner ($10.95/$1.00, copyright 1971, 174 pages, Trade Paperback)
Put simply, this is just a retelling of the Beowulf story from the monster’s - Grendel’s - perspective. But this book can’t be read simply. Of course, if you know the Beowulf story, you know how it ends and Gardner stays true to the story, but he has a great time getting there. Grendel screams, yells, cries, and waxes rhapsodic for the length of the book, passing his judgement on Hrothgar and his Danes as representatives of all men. Good vs. evil, intelligence vs. ignorance, there's a lot under the surface here. At times funny, at times tragic, it is always entertaining. I enjoyed it.
Well. August is just about over, and September is only 10 days away. In about a month, Summer will end and Autumn will start. I don't know about you, but this year I'm looking forward to it. Till next time.....
Keep Reading.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Special Insert # Eight - Something I Don't Understand
They say that the older you get, the more you tend to think about your own mortality. Well, I'll be 61 tomorrow and, having come pretty damn close to it almost 4 years ago, I don't pay much attention to Death. And yet I find myself addressing this topic because it just hit pretty damn close to home and I realize that I have some questions.
In literature, Death has been seen differently by different people.
Emily Dickinson wrote of it:
" Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;"
Giving the impression that you can try to ignore Death but you have to accept him .
Dylan Thomas had a different take:
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Giving the impression that although you can't ignore Death you sure as hell can fight him.
These seem to be opposing views of the same subject. What does that mean? To me it means that, perhaps Death is different for each of us, that rules can't be applied to him.
Now, let me point out a few people who I've posted about on FaceBook since the beginning of June. See if you can guess what they have in common.
June 2 - Richard Dawson, 79, TV actor/host
June 5 - Ray Bradbury, 91, writer
June 8 - Frank Cady, 96, TV actor
July 3 - Andy Griffith, 86, actor
July 8 - Ernest Borgnine, 95, actor
July 23 - Sally Ride, 61, astronaut
July 24 - Sherman Hemsley, 74, TV actor
August 1 - Gore Vidal, 86, writer
August 12 - Joe Kubert, 85, artist
That's right. Every one of these represents a piece of my life, a chip out of the bedrock of my past. These actors, writers, and the one astronaut entertained and enthralled me as I grew up. And, of course, they all died recently.
Also, every one of them has died at a fairly advanced age. They had the chance to live the lives they wanted. They had the chance to take risks, make mistakes, love and be loved.
They had the chance.
This brings me to my point. Over the weekend a member of the family died. There was no horrible accident; there had been no lengthy illness; in fact, there had been no sign of illness at all. He, simply, died.
He was 25. He didn't get to have the chance. And I don't understand.
Look at that list of names again. These were famous people. During those same 10 weeks there were hundred of others who died, regular people who were not as famous, but they had the chance. Why should this one young man on the threshold of life be the one to die, to lose the chance? Why?
I don't know.
If it had been due to an accident or an illness we would still grieve but there would be an answer. Here, we don't have one. Just a hole where a young man used to be. A son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a friend. Why?
I don't know.
As Christians - as Catholics - we're told that God works in mysterious ways. There are hymns and prayers, there will be a homily, all meant to provide comfort, to give solace. We accept the words, because we've been raised that way. Do they help? When I think of the grieving parents, I have my doubts. After all, what can you do? Kneel before the altar begging and weeping, or stand there yelling and cursing? I don't think it would make a difference. And it wouldn't change anything. I was raised in the New Testament of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love. This seems so Old Testament to me. A test of Faith? Why?
I don't know.
I'm a parent, too. I can pretend to know what they are going through but I know, deep down, that I really can't. And, frankly, I don't want to. I don't want to lose my child. Ever. I don't know what it would do to me. But I can see what it's doing to them and it breaks my heart.
The way I see it, it comes down to this. The natural order should be that you live your life, raise your family, grow old, and when you die your children bury you. A parent should never have to bury a child. It isn't natural.
But there are no rules in Death. And those questions I have...well, there really is only one. Why? And the answer is...
I don't know.
And this will remain something I don't understand.
Rest in peace, Daniel.
In literature, Death has been seen differently by different people.
Emily Dickinson wrote of it:
" Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;"
Giving the impression that you can try to ignore Death but you have to accept him .
Dylan Thomas had a different take:
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Giving the impression that although you can't ignore Death you sure as hell can fight him.
These seem to be opposing views of the same subject. What does that mean? To me it means that, perhaps Death is different for each of us, that rules can't be applied to him.
Now, let me point out a few people who I've posted about on FaceBook since the beginning of June. See if you can guess what they have in common.
June 2 - Richard Dawson, 79, TV actor/host
June 5 - Ray Bradbury, 91, writer
June 8 - Frank Cady, 96, TV actor
July 3 - Andy Griffith, 86, actor
July 8 - Ernest Borgnine, 95, actor
July 23 - Sally Ride, 61, astronaut
July 24 - Sherman Hemsley, 74, TV actor
August 1 - Gore Vidal, 86, writer
August 12 - Joe Kubert, 85, artist
That's right. Every one of these represents a piece of my life, a chip out of the bedrock of my past. These actors, writers, and the one astronaut entertained and enthralled me as I grew up. And, of course, they all died recently.
Also, every one of them has died at a fairly advanced age. They had the chance to live the lives they wanted. They had the chance to take risks, make mistakes, love and be loved.
They had the chance.
This brings me to my point. Over the weekend a member of the family died. There was no horrible accident; there had been no lengthy illness; in fact, there had been no sign of illness at all. He, simply, died.
He was 25. He didn't get to have the chance. And I don't understand.
Look at that list of names again. These were famous people. During those same 10 weeks there were hundred of others who died, regular people who were not as famous, but they had the chance. Why should this one young man on the threshold of life be the one to die, to lose the chance? Why?
I don't know.
If it had been due to an accident or an illness we would still grieve but there would be an answer. Here, we don't have one. Just a hole where a young man used to be. A son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a friend. Why?
I don't know.
As Christians - as Catholics - we're told that God works in mysterious ways. There are hymns and prayers, there will be a homily, all meant to provide comfort, to give solace. We accept the words, because we've been raised that way. Do they help? When I think of the grieving parents, I have my doubts. After all, what can you do? Kneel before the altar begging and weeping, or stand there yelling and cursing? I don't think it would make a difference. And it wouldn't change anything. I was raised in the New Testament of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love. This seems so Old Testament to me. A test of Faith? Why?
I don't know.
I'm a parent, too. I can pretend to know what they are going through but I know, deep down, that I really can't. And, frankly, I don't want to. I don't want to lose my child. Ever. I don't know what it would do to me. But I can see what it's doing to them and it breaks my heart.
The way I see it, it comes down to this. The natural order should be that you live your life, raise your family, grow old, and when you die your children bury you. A parent should never have to bury a child. It isn't natural.
But there are no rules in Death. And those questions I have...well, there really is only one. Why? And the answer is...
I don't know.
And this will remain something I don't understand.
Rest in peace, Daniel.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Chapter Thirty-two
My usual routine is to read whatever number of books I can, and post an entry here, typically by the 24th of the month. Looking back, I realized that I tend to soften my opinion of a book as the month wears on. Basically, I may not like/hate it as much when I post as I did when I finished it. To change that, I've taken to keeping notes in Word so you get my honest opinion.
Miscellaneous
Gentlemen of the Road - Michael Chabon ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2007, 206 pages, Trade Paperback)
I’ve read several of Chabon’s works in the past. They have all been different - different characters, even different genres. Here we have two disparate adventurers - Zelikman and Amram - plying their “trade” wherever the road takes them in a past time somewhere around 950 AD. True to type for these kinds of stories, they wind up involved in rescuing a member of a royal family and saving a kingdom all while trying to make a few dinars. I wanted to like this, but Chabon has a tendency towards really long run-on sentences and he comes on pretty heavy with the fact that a lot of his characters are Jewish. (Also, he dedicates the book to Michael Moorcock when he obviously owes more to Fritz Leiber. AND this was originally serialized in the New York Times so, in my mind, the cover price isn‘t justified.). It was OK.
White Sky, Black Ice - Stan Jones ($15.00/$.50, copyright 1999, 264 pages, Trade Paperback)
An interesting premise. The main character, Nathan Active, is an Alaskan State Trooper looking into a string of suicides by Eskimos. He's also a native-born Eskimo who was given up for adoption to a white couple but now finds himself serving in the town of his birth. I was hoping for some fish-out-of-water stuff, maybe some Northern Exposure stuff. Definitely some Alaskan nature/harsh weather stuff. Jones glosses over all of it. There's some interesting stuff here but I figured it out early. It was OK.
Alex Cross's Trial - James Patterson & Richard Dilallo ($9.99, $.50, copyright 2009, 392 pages, Paperback)
And the Patterson Machine keeps on rolling them out. I'm listing this one under Miscellaneous because I don't believe it should be classified as part of Patterson's Alex Cross series. In part, because he has a co-writer, in part because it is supposed to be a book written by Alex Cross about something that happened to his ancestor. It revolves President Theodore Roosevelt sending a friend, Ben Corbett, down to Mississippi to investigate reports about lynching, and what happens when he gets there. I have to admit that having read all of the Alex Cross books, I found it a bit difficult remembering that the main character wasn't black. But there are scenes involving local color, violence, and court rooms that ring true. I was reminded at times of the movies To Kill A Mockinbird and Inherit the Wind. I enjoyed it.
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith ($13.99/$5.99/Gift Card*, copyright 2010, 336 pages, Trade Paperback)
OK. I don't see how I can talk too much about this since the title pretty much tells it all. What I will say is that it is well written, mixes first and third person narratives (sometimes confusingly) to keep the story moving forward, and actually makes sense as you read through it. Unfortunately, I couldn't agree with the ending, but I did enjoy it. (*The cover price was $13.99 but it was reduced to $5.99 and I used what was left on a gift card.)
Something Special
Aaron Burr - Samuel H. Wandell and Meade Minnigerode
I'm guessing that you've noticed that there are no particulars about this work. That's because I haven't read it yet. I mention it because, once in a great while, you can find something interesting. As I've said, I usually confine myself to libraries, but once in a while I do check out used book stores. Particularly when I'm looking for something specific. I was looking for a copy of Edward Hale's "The Man Without a Country" and didn't have any luck. But I did buy this. A 2 volume, hard cover, biography of a very interesting character in early American history, copyright 1925. I paid $10.00 for the 2 of them. When I got home, I checked out Amazon. Collector's editions were selling for $75.00, used for $30.00. Not a bad investment. I hope it reads well.
Anyway, it's mid-July, it's very warm, and you should stay cool and..........
Keep reading.
Miscellaneous
Gentlemen of the Road - Michael Chabon ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2007, 206 pages, Trade Paperback)
I’ve read several of Chabon’s works in the past. They have all been different - different characters, even different genres. Here we have two disparate adventurers - Zelikman and Amram - plying their “trade” wherever the road takes them in a past time somewhere around 950 AD. True to type for these kinds of stories, they wind up involved in rescuing a member of a royal family and saving a kingdom all while trying to make a few dinars. I wanted to like this, but Chabon has a tendency towards really long run-on sentences and he comes on pretty heavy with the fact that a lot of his characters are Jewish. (Also, he dedicates the book to Michael Moorcock when he obviously owes more to Fritz Leiber. AND this was originally serialized in the New York Times so, in my mind, the cover price isn‘t justified.). It was OK.
White Sky, Black Ice - Stan Jones ($15.00/$.50, copyright 1999, 264 pages, Trade Paperback)
An interesting premise. The main character, Nathan Active, is an Alaskan State Trooper looking into a string of suicides by Eskimos. He's also a native-born Eskimo who was given up for adoption to a white couple but now finds himself serving in the town of his birth. I was hoping for some fish-out-of-water stuff, maybe some Northern Exposure stuff. Definitely some Alaskan nature/harsh weather stuff. Jones glosses over all of it. There's some interesting stuff here but I figured it out early. It was OK.
Alex Cross's Trial - James Patterson & Richard Dilallo ($9.99, $.50, copyright 2009, 392 pages, Paperback)
And the Patterson Machine keeps on rolling them out. I'm listing this one under Miscellaneous because I don't believe it should be classified as part of Patterson's Alex Cross series. In part, because he has a co-writer, in part because it is supposed to be a book written by Alex Cross about something that happened to his ancestor. It revolves President Theodore Roosevelt sending a friend, Ben Corbett, down to Mississippi to investigate reports about lynching, and what happens when he gets there. I have to admit that having read all of the Alex Cross books, I found it a bit difficult remembering that the main character wasn't black. But there are scenes involving local color, violence, and court rooms that ring true. I was reminded at times of the movies To Kill A Mockinbird and Inherit the Wind. I enjoyed it.
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith ($13.99/$5.99/Gift Card*, copyright 2010, 336 pages, Trade Paperback)
OK. I don't see how I can talk too much about this since the title pretty much tells it all. What I will say is that it is well written, mixes first and third person narratives (sometimes confusingly) to keep the story moving forward, and actually makes sense as you read through it. Unfortunately, I couldn't agree with the ending, but I did enjoy it. (*The cover price was $13.99 but it was reduced to $5.99 and I used what was left on a gift card.)
Something Special
Aaron Burr - Samuel H. Wandell and Meade Minnigerode
I'm guessing that you've noticed that there are no particulars about this work. That's because I haven't read it yet. I mention it because, once in a great while, you can find something interesting. As I've said, I usually confine myself to libraries, but once in a while I do check out used book stores. Particularly when I'm looking for something specific. I was looking for a copy of Edward Hale's "The Man Without a Country" and didn't have any luck. But I did buy this. A 2 volume, hard cover, biography of a very interesting character in early American history, copyright 1925. I paid $10.00 for the 2 of them. When I got home, I checked out Amazon. Collector's editions were selling for $75.00, used for $30.00. Not a bad investment. I hope it reads well.
Anyway, it's mid-July, it's very warm, and you should stay cool and..........
Keep reading.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Chapter Thirty-one
A couple of weeks ago, one of my nephews posted on FaceBook that he was interested in writing, and asked for suggestions on how he should proceed. I replied with the old adage.."Write what you know". Now, that may not always be true - particularly in Fantasy/SciFi works - but, interestingly, I have recently read a few books that justify that saying. That being said, I'm going to change the format I usually post in so that I can explain this.
Series
Andrew Vachss
Vachss has been a Federal investigator, a social caseworker, and a director of a maximum security prison for youthful offenders. His life has been focused on the exploitation of children. I had the opportunity to pick up several of his books at the same time, and read two of them back-to-back.
Strega - ($11.00/$.50, copyright 1987, 293 pages, Trade Paperback)
Vachss' main character is Burke. He's a product of the "system" - no known parents, foster-raised and street-trained,with time spent honing himself in prison. He has created a family of his own among the street people and criminals that people the city. In this one, he's hired to locate a photograph of a young boy who's being abused. He does what he has to do, meeting with damaged people and dealing with the seamy underside of New York. I enjoyed it.
Choice of Evil - ($13.00/$.50, copyright 1999, 305 pages, Trade Paperback)
Burke is faced with a part of his past that he's not entirely comfortable with. His girlfriend has been killed in a drive-by that appears to be anti-gay which, in turn, leads to some serious reprisals by an anonymous killer. The consensus is that this killer is an old associate of Burke's who is supposed to be dead. I found this one to be less interesting. Burke seemed more needy, and his supporting cast less effective. It was OK.
Eddie Muller
This Eddie Muller's father was the Eddie Muller who wrote the "Shadow Boxing" column in the old San Francisco Examiner starting back in the 1930's. Boxing continued to be very big into the 1950's, actually becoming one of the major draws at the birth of TV. Eddie Junior (the author) has made his reputation on books about Film Noir - and the ways people deal with different crimes under mundane circumstances.
The Distance - ($14.90/$.50, copyright 2004, 413 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is set in a time and place I was totally unfamiliar with - the boxing scene in 1948 San Francisco as seen through the eyes of a newspaper columnist - Mr. Boxing, Billy Nichols. It starts with him stumbling into a crime scene and trying to help out a friend, and then spirals outward. Boxers, fixers, cops, dames...they're all here, and they look good in the black-and-white that they're painted in. This would've been a great movie. I enjoyed it.
I have several books - directions - to go from here. Not sure which way I'll turn. But the bottom line is - write what you feel, what pours out of you. If it makes you happy, nothing else matters.
Oh, and...
Keep reading.
Series
Andrew Vachss
Vachss has been a Federal investigator, a social caseworker, and a director of a maximum security prison for youthful offenders. His life has been focused on the exploitation of children. I had the opportunity to pick up several of his books at the same time, and read two of them back-to-back.
Strega - ($11.00/$.50, copyright 1987, 293 pages, Trade Paperback)
Vachss' main character is Burke. He's a product of the "system" - no known parents, foster-raised and street-trained,with time spent honing himself in prison. He has created a family of his own among the street people and criminals that people the city. In this one, he's hired to locate a photograph of a young boy who's being abused. He does what he has to do, meeting with damaged people and dealing with the seamy underside of New York. I enjoyed it.
Choice of Evil - ($13.00/$.50, copyright 1999, 305 pages, Trade Paperback)
Burke is faced with a part of his past that he's not entirely comfortable with. His girlfriend has been killed in a drive-by that appears to be anti-gay which, in turn, leads to some serious reprisals by an anonymous killer. The consensus is that this killer is an old associate of Burke's who is supposed to be dead. I found this one to be less interesting. Burke seemed more needy, and his supporting cast less effective. It was OK.
Eddie Muller
This Eddie Muller's father was the Eddie Muller who wrote the "Shadow Boxing" column in the old San Francisco Examiner starting back in the 1930's. Boxing continued to be very big into the 1950's, actually becoming one of the major draws at the birth of TV. Eddie Junior (the author) has made his reputation on books about Film Noir - and the ways people deal with different crimes under mundane circumstances.
The Distance - ($14.90/$.50, copyright 2004, 413 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is set in a time and place I was totally unfamiliar with - the boxing scene in 1948 San Francisco as seen through the eyes of a newspaper columnist - Mr. Boxing, Billy Nichols. It starts with him stumbling into a crime scene and trying to help out a friend, and then spirals outward. Boxers, fixers, cops, dames...they're all here, and they look good in the black-and-white that they're painted in. This would've been a great movie. I enjoyed it.
I have several books - directions - to go from here. Not sure which way I'll turn. But the bottom line is - write what you feel, what pours out of you. If it makes you happy, nothing else matters.
Oh, and...
Keep reading.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Chapter Thirty
Wow! Thirty chapters. Plus a couple of Special Inserts along the way. I guess I've been making entries to this blog for over 2 1/2 years now. And I've got enough books piled up in the other room to do another 2 1/2 without buying another volume. The old time flies/enjoying yourself thing, I guess. Anyway, let's get to it.
Miscellaneous
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2008, 276 pages, Trade Paperback)
There are a lot of superlatives thrown around on the cover for this book, from sources ranging from USA Today to the New York Times. It is the "life" story of a young man in India and his path out of The Darkness to becoming a success. I was marginally aware of the poverty, crowding, and living conditions of much of India, but this book really brings it home - and with just the right touch of black humor to make it interesting. I enjoyed it.
The Threepenny Opera - Bertolt Brecht ($6.95/Gift Card, copyright 1949, 110 pages, Paperback)
Everyone remember Mack the Knife? You know, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin? Well, Mack was the main character in this play written by Brecht with music contributed by Kurt Weill. It's sort of a slice of life depiction of how the lower (read criminal) class lived in London and takes place just before a coronation. This volume includes instructions on how to stage a production which would be interesting to see. I enjoyed it.
Sherlock Holmes
Rasputin's Revenge - John Lescroart ($14.00/$.25, copyright 1987, 269 pages, Trade Paperback)
I wrote about Lescroart's previous Holmes-related volume - Son of Holmes - several months ago. I enjoyed that one, but this one's even better. As you can tell from the title we're dealing with pre-revolutionary Russia and the early years of World War I. Jules Giraud - the narrator of both volumes - is sent to Russia on a mission for the French war effort and encounters Auguste Lupo (the Son of Holmes), murders, court intrigue, and - of course - Rasputin. And there's a surprise appearance by a couple of interested parties towards the end. Very satisfactory. (Get the reference?)
Graphic Novels
OK. I know that I wrote previously that I would be staying away from these since the prices had gotten prohibitive, but I got these (and another volume or two) for free as "payment" for helping with a Book Fair at an Elementary School in Elizabeth. Remember, these are aimed at school children.
Sidekicks - Dan Santat ($10.99/$.0, copyright 2011, 217 pages, Trade Paperback)
The premise here is that the greatest superhero in the world is getting old, and he decides to hold auditions for a sidekick. His pets decide to try out. (I told you these were aimed at school children). We also get a super-villain to fight, and lessons on family, friendship, and how using your brain can win out over brawn. I enjoyed it.
Poe - J. Barton Mitchell (writer) and Dean Kotz (art) ($10.99/$.0, 2011, pages unnumbered, Trade Paperback)
I'm guessing that you figured out who this slim volume is about. The premise is that Poe, while dealing badly with his wife's death, helps his police-officer brother solve a series of brutal crimes. The writer brings in references to many of Poe's famous stories, but I found it at times a bit disjointed and the art work is way too dark. It was OK.
Here's wishing you all a Happy Memorial Day Weekend, and...
Keep reading.
Miscellaneous
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2008, 276 pages, Trade Paperback)
There are a lot of superlatives thrown around on the cover for this book, from sources ranging from USA Today to the New York Times. It is the "life" story of a young man in India and his path out of The Darkness to becoming a success. I was marginally aware of the poverty, crowding, and living conditions of much of India, but this book really brings it home - and with just the right touch of black humor to make it interesting. I enjoyed it.
The Threepenny Opera - Bertolt Brecht ($6.95/Gift Card, copyright 1949, 110 pages, Paperback)
Everyone remember Mack the Knife? You know, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin? Well, Mack was the main character in this play written by Brecht with music contributed by Kurt Weill. It's sort of a slice of life depiction of how the lower (read criminal) class lived in London and takes place just before a coronation. This volume includes instructions on how to stage a production which would be interesting to see. I enjoyed it.
Sherlock Holmes
Rasputin's Revenge - John Lescroart ($14.00/$.25, copyright 1987, 269 pages, Trade Paperback)
I wrote about Lescroart's previous Holmes-related volume - Son of Holmes - several months ago. I enjoyed that one, but this one's even better. As you can tell from the title we're dealing with pre-revolutionary Russia and the early years of World War I. Jules Giraud - the narrator of both volumes - is sent to Russia on a mission for the French war effort and encounters Auguste Lupo (the Son of Holmes), murders, court intrigue, and - of course - Rasputin. And there's a surprise appearance by a couple of interested parties towards the end. Very satisfactory. (Get the reference?)
Graphic Novels
OK. I know that I wrote previously that I would be staying away from these since the prices had gotten prohibitive, but I got these (and another volume or two) for free as "payment" for helping with a Book Fair at an Elementary School in Elizabeth. Remember, these are aimed at school children.
Sidekicks - Dan Santat ($10.99/$.0, copyright 2011, 217 pages, Trade Paperback)
The premise here is that the greatest superhero in the world is getting old, and he decides to hold auditions for a sidekick. His pets decide to try out. (I told you these were aimed at school children). We also get a super-villain to fight, and lessons on family, friendship, and how using your brain can win out over brawn. I enjoyed it.
Poe - J. Barton Mitchell (writer) and Dean Kotz (art) ($10.99/$.0, 2011, pages unnumbered, Trade Paperback)
I'm guessing that you figured out who this slim volume is about. The premise is that Poe, while dealing badly with his wife's death, helps his police-officer brother solve a series of brutal crimes. The writer brings in references to many of Poe's famous stories, but I found it at times a bit disjointed and the art work is way too dark. It was OK.
Here's wishing you all a Happy Memorial Day Weekend, and...
Keep reading.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Chapter Twenty-nine
April has been a pretty busy month for me personally, so I didn't have much time to read. I'm in the middle of something interesting right now, but I don't know if I'll have it finished within the next day or so. Since I like to post these on or before the 24th of the month, I'm gonna have to go with the 3 books that I have finished since my last post. Coincidentally, they all fall within the same category.
Series
Night Prey - John Sandford ($9.99/$.50, copyright 1994, 435 pages, Paperback)
Sandford has been writing this series about Lucas Davenport for a long time. Davenport leads a special police unit in and around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, and in this book they deal with a serial killer. It's an interesting read, and Sandford alternates sections of each chapter between Davenport and his people, the killer, and a potential victim. Unfortunately, Sandford seems to presume that you're familiar with his characters and their relationships so he just jumps in and brings in whoever he needs when he needs them. It was OK.
The Chicago Way - Michael Harvey ($13.95/$.50, copyright 2007, 303 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the first volume of a projected series. The main character is a former cop turned private investigator named Michael Kelly. Here, he's hired to look into an eight-year-old rape case by a cop and former friend. As cold cases go, this one stirs up a lot of heat and Kelly relies on an array of friends and colleagues who happen to be involved in professions that provide him with information - a coroner, a reporter, someone in the DA's office, etc. Nothing really new here. The author, Harvey, is the co-creator of "Cold Case Files" so he's familiar with how the procedures work, but sometimes this reads like he tried to expand on a television script and still left some details out. It was OK.
The Case of the Missing Books - Ian Sansom ($13.00/$1.00, copyright 2005, 326 pages, Trade Paperback)
Another first in a possible series. This is a sort of fish-out-of-water story. Israel Armstrong - a young, unremarkable English man - takes a job as a librarian in a small little town in the far north of Northern Ireland. Only the library has been closed, but he's to drive around the mobile library. Only all the books are missing, and the local government insists that it's his responsibility to find them - after all, he's the librarian. The village characters - and they are all characters - ring true, the dialog is great, and some of the scenarios are very inventive. I enjoyed it.
This Month
As I mentioned earlier, I was busy this month. April is Donate Life Month, and there were a few things I was involved in that took up a lot of time. There was also the Woodbridge Domestic Violence Response Team Annual Walk/Run which was held last Saturday and was a lot of fun. Additionally, my daughter and her husband moved into their first house on Sunday and, although I can't lift anything heavy, I was there to do what I could. Looking ahead to May, I don't seem to have as many demands on my time so maybe there will be more then 3 books next month.
Sign up as an organ donor and...
Keep Reading.
Series
Night Prey - John Sandford ($9.99/$.50, copyright 1994, 435 pages, Paperback)
Sandford has been writing this series about Lucas Davenport for a long time. Davenport leads a special police unit in and around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, and in this book they deal with a serial killer. It's an interesting read, and Sandford alternates sections of each chapter between Davenport and his people, the killer, and a potential victim. Unfortunately, Sandford seems to presume that you're familiar with his characters and their relationships so he just jumps in and brings in whoever he needs when he needs them. It was OK.
The Chicago Way - Michael Harvey ($13.95/$.50, copyright 2007, 303 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the first volume of a projected series. The main character is a former cop turned private investigator named Michael Kelly. Here, he's hired to look into an eight-year-old rape case by a cop and former friend. As cold cases go, this one stirs up a lot of heat and Kelly relies on an array of friends and colleagues who happen to be involved in professions that provide him with information - a coroner, a reporter, someone in the DA's office, etc. Nothing really new here. The author, Harvey, is the co-creator of "Cold Case Files" so he's familiar with how the procedures work, but sometimes this reads like he tried to expand on a television script and still left some details out. It was OK.
The Case of the Missing Books - Ian Sansom ($13.00/$1.00, copyright 2005, 326 pages, Trade Paperback)
Another first in a possible series. This is a sort of fish-out-of-water story. Israel Armstrong - a young, unremarkable English man - takes a job as a librarian in a small little town in the far north of Northern Ireland. Only the library has been closed, but he's to drive around the mobile library. Only all the books are missing, and the local government insists that it's his responsibility to find them - after all, he's the librarian. The village characters - and they are all characters - ring true, the dialog is great, and some of the scenarios are very inventive. I enjoyed it.
This Month
As I mentioned earlier, I was busy this month. April is Donate Life Month, and there were a few things I was involved in that took up a lot of time. There was also the Woodbridge Domestic Violence Response Team Annual Walk/Run which was held last Saturday and was a lot of fun. Additionally, my daughter and her husband moved into their first house on Sunday and, although I can't lift anything heavy, I was there to do what I could. Looking ahead to May, I don't seem to have as many demands on my time so maybe there will be more then 3 books next month.
Sign up as an organ donor and...
Keep Reading.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Chapter Twenty-eight
Well, the Winter's finally over - although I gotta admit it was a pretty mild one. Today is the first day of Spring, we've passed St. Patrick's Day, and we've got a couple of week's of Lent left. I hope you all get to enjoy the upcoming seasons (and sorry to all you allergy sufferers out there). I only have three books to tell you about this time, but it's an example of quality over quantity.
Series
Bronx Tales - Joseph Teller ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 366 pages, Paperback)
This is one of the early works in the Jaywalker series. He's a defense lawyer whose name is actually Harrison J. Walker, but everyone calls him Jaywalker ( which, I have to admit, annoyed me after a while). It is a flashback dealing with one of his earliest cases - a multiple rape case. There are some interesting angles here, but too much time spent on legal details and procedures. To be honest, I picked it up because it had "Bronx" in the title, and there are some references to local areas I recognized. The ending was interesting, but too pat and too quick. It was OK.
Sherlock Holmes
Dust and Shadow - Lyndsay Faye ($14.00/$1.00, copyright 2009, 322 pages, Trade Paperback)
My fascination with the Holmes mythos should be known to anyone who actually reads this blog. Here, we add in that greatest of all English mysteries - the Jack the Ripper case! Yes, I know, there are any number of Holmes/Ripper novels already in print, but here we have something unusual - a new slant on who the Ripper was. And it is the first novel written by a young woman who has given new life to Holmes, Watson, Lestrade and the other characters and their interactions. I enjoyed it.
Old Favorites
Tai-Pan - James Clavell ($3.25/$2.20. copyright 1966, 734 pages, Paperback)
I mentioned the last time that I'd come across a couple of books that I'd read years and years ago, and was going to reread. This is one of them, and I have to admit that I've read this at least twice before. Clavell may be more famous for his epic novel Shogun, which was made into an excellent mini-series on television.( And there was a movie made of this book that I've never seen that didn't do so well.) For my money, this is Clavell's best work. He deals here with the British taking over Hong Kong, the China Traders and their dealings with the Chinese, opium smuggling, and their rivalries. This book has everything - action, adventure, intrigue, humor, history, and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.
Like I said, quality over quantity (if you discount the first book). Hopefully, I'll have some more great stuff to tell you about in the upcoming months.
Keep reading.
Series
Bronx Tales - Joseph Teller ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 366 pages, Paperback)
This is one of the early works in the Jaywalker series. He's a defense lawyer whose name is actually Harrison J. Walker, but everyone calls him Jaywalker ( which, I have to admit, annoyed me after a while). It is a flashback dealing with one of his earliest cases - a multiple rape case. There are some interesting angles here, but too much time spent on legal details and procedures. To be honest, I picked it up because it had "Bronx" in the title, and there are some references to local areas I recognized. The ending was interesting, but too pat and too quick. It was OK.
Sherlock Holmes
Dust and Shadow - Lyndsay Faye ($14.00/$1.00, copyright 2009, 322 pages, Trade Paperback)
My fascination with the Holmes mythos should be known to anyone who actually reads this blog. Here, we add in that greatest of all English mysteries - the Jack the Ripper case! Yes, I know, there are any number of Holmes/Ripper novels already in print, but here we have something unusual - a new slant on who the Ripper was. And it is the first novel written by a young woman who has given new life to Holmes, Watson, Lestrade and the other characters and their interactions. I enjoyed it.
Old Favorites
Tai-Pan - James Clavell ($3.25/$2.20. copyright 1966, 734 pages, Paperback)
I mentioned the last time that I'd come across a couple of books that I'd read years and years ago, and was going to reread. This is one of them, and I have to admit that I've read this at least twice before. Clavell may be more famous for his epic novel Shogun, which was made into an excellent mini-series on television.( And there was a movie made of this book that I've never seen that didn't do so well.) For my money, this is Clavell's best work. He deals here with the British taking over Hong Kong, the China Traders and their dealings with the Chinese, opium smuggling, and their rivalries. This book has everything - action, adventure, intrigue, humor, history, and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.
Like I said, quality over quantity (if you discount the first book). Hopefully, I'll have some more great stuff to tell you about in the upcoming months.
Keep reading.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Chapter Twenty-seven
I hope I don't jinx things by saying this, but so far it's been a very mild winter and we're expecting that the next couple of days may be near 60. And it's Leap Year, so here's an early Happy Birthday shout out to anyone out there born on February 29th. What I have for you this month is an interesting mixed bag.
Series
Faceless Killers - Henning Mankell ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 369 pages, Paperback)
This is the first in the Kurt Wallander series, a police procedurals set in Sweden. There's a cover blurb suggesting that if you liked "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", you'll like this book. To me, the only similarities are the setting and the weather. Wallander is a police inspector trying to solve a brutal double murder while also trying to prevent a witch hunt against immigrants. Oh, and he's dealing with several personal crises, including a possibly senile father, an absent daughter, and a wife who's left him. It was OK.
The Reapers - John Connolly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 515 pages. Paperback)
This is part of the grim and gritty Charlie Bird series, but deals mostly with two characters who have played supporting roles in the past. Louis and Angel are killers, and have been payed very well, in the past, for their services. They are also gay lovers, though that isn't pertinent to this story. Here we learn a lot about Louis' past, and how it is now catching up with him, and how he and his friends deal with it. It's a good read, but if you're not familiar with the series I think you'd have a hard time trying to catch up on what's happening. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Dead Even - Brad Meltzer ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1998, 529 pages, Paperback)
I've read several of Meltzer's books, and I've always found the underlying premises to be a little strained. Here we have a wife on her first day as an Assistant District Attorney snatching a case that was earmarked for one of her superiors, hoping that it will keep her from getting let go do to upcoming budget cuts. It looks like a simple robbery, but soon things get tricky. And to make matters worse, her husband is hired as the Defense Attorney. There are death threats, outside influences, and more murders to complicate the situation. I enjoyed it.
Make Love, the Bruce Campbell Way - Bruce Campbell ($23.95/$.50, copyright 2005, 309 pages, Hard Cover)
That's right, I said Bruce Campbell. THE Bruce Campbell. Star of the Evil Dead movies, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Burn Notice. (OK..maybe only co-star of Burn Notice). Who could pass this up? Especially at this price! This is an account of his involvement in the Mike Nichols movie "Let's Make Love!" starring Richard Gere. Actually, I'm pretty sure Campbell made this whole thing up, but who wouldn't want to spend a few hours listening to his stories over a couple of cold ones? I enjoyed it.
End Notes
Over the last week, I came across a couple of books that I read many years ago. They're by different authors; deal with different subject matters; and I read them at different stages in my life. They got me to thinking, and I've decided to change things up at times and reread one or two of my personal favorites. Not back-to-back, but added into the mix. We'll see how that works. Happy Mardis Gras, and......
Keep Reading.
Series
Faceless Killers - Henning Mankell ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 369 pages, Paperback)
This is the first in the Kurt Wallander series, a police procedurals set in Sweden. There's a cover blurb suggesting that if you liked "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", you'll like this book. To me, the only similarities are the setting and the weather. Wallander is a police inspector trying to solve a brutal double murder while also trying to prevent a witch hunt against immigrants. Oh, and he's dealing with several personal crises, including a possibly senile father, an absent daughter, and a wife who's left him. It was OK.
The Reapers - John Connolly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 515 pages. Paperback)
This is part of the grim and gritty Charlie Bird series, but deals mostly with two characters who have played supporting roles in the past. Louis and Angel are killers, and have been payed very well, in the past, for their services. They are also gay lovers, though that isn't pertinent to this story. Here we learn a lot about Louis' past, and how it is now catching up with him, and how he and his friends deal with it. It's a good read, but if you're not familiar with the series I think you'd have a hard time trying to catch up on what's happening. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Dead Even - Brad Meltzer ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1998, 529 pages, Paperback)
I've read several of Meltzer's books, and I've always found the underlying premises to be a little strained. Here we have a wife on her first day as an Assistant District Attorney snatching a case that was earmarked for one of her superiors, hoping that it will keep her from getting let go do to upcoming budget cuts. It looks like a simple robbery, but soon things get tricky. And to make matters worse, her husband is hired as the Defense Attorney. There are death threats, outside influences, and more murders to complicate the situation. I enjoyed it.
Make Love, the Bruce Campbell Way - Bruce Campbell ($23.95/$.50, copyright 2005, 309 pages, Hard Cover)
That's right, I said Bruce Campbell. THE Bruce Campbell. Star of the Evil Dead movies, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Burn Notice. (OK..maybe only co-star of Burn Notice). Who could pass this up? Especially at this price! This is an account of his involvement in the Mike Nichols movie "Let's Make Love!" starring Richard Gere. Actually, I'm pretty sure Campbell made this whole thing up, but who wouldn't want to spend a few hours listening to his stories over a couple of cold ones? I enjoyed it.
End Notes
Over the last week, I came across a couple of books that I read many years ago. They're by different authors; deal with different subject matters; and I read them at different stages in my life. They got me to thinking, and I've decided to change things up at times and reread one or two of my personal favorites. Not back-to-back, but added into the mix. We'll see how that works. Happy Mardis Gras, and......
Keep Reading.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Chapter Twenty-six
Looking back at the last chapter, I noticed that the authors I spoke of were all new to me (except Robert B. Parker, but his was an "historical" western which is different from his usual work). This month, I seem to have picked books by authors that I've spoken about in the past, one of which is an entry in a familiar series.
Series
9 Dragons - Michael Connelly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 449 pages, Paperback)
This is a recent addition to the excellent Harry Bosch series. Harry gets involved with the murder of a Chinese liquor store owner, and it quickly becomes complicated. For one thing, his daughter gets kidnapped in Hong Kong, where she lives with her mother (I must've missed a few volumes since this was a surprise to me). Of course, Harry has to go after her. Several real surprises, some excellent action sequences, and Connelly's great grasp of people and locations. However, I did think that the ending was a little rushed. I enjoyed it.
Hour Game - David Baldacci ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 590 pages, Paperback)
Baldacci's books tend to be based in Washington, D. C., or on characters who have ties to that area. Here he gives us 2 former Secret Service agents - one male (the older Sean King), one female (the younger Michelle Maxwell) - who now operate as private detectives in a small Virginia town. They get involved in a serial killer situation where the killer is copying other past serial killers - Son of Sam, the Zodiac Killer, etc - while also investigating a burglary case. There are some very interesting developments, and the main characters are well drawn, but others are merely caricatures of southern archetypes and some questions are left unanswered. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
True Detectives - Jonathan Kellerman ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 462 pages, Paperback)
I am a fan of Kellerman's Alex Delaware series featuring Detective Milo Sturgis, and they make what amounts to cameo appearances here. The main characters are Moses Reed, an uptight, white Detective, and Aaron Fox, a stylish, black Private Detective. They both get involved in a cold missing person's case. Oh, and they're also half-brothers who's fathers had been police partners, and, of course, they don't get along. Kellerman tries, but it never rings true and I didn't find anything likable about the main characters. I didn't like it.
King Con - Stephen J. Cannell ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1997, 419 pages, Paperback)
Stephen J. Cannell, of course, was the creator of several of the more popular TV series' including "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team". Here he gives us the King of Con men - Beano Bates - who runs afoul of a vicious mob boss and the bosses equally vicious but crazier brother. Beano sets out to get even by running a con on the brothers, with the help of his family of crooks and grifters, and a prosecuting attorney who wants the mob boss behind bars. Some of the situations and set-ups seem far-fetched, but I've seen similar ones shown on those news programs that warn us about what to watch out for, so...maybe Cannell had an inside source. It's a little too long, but I enjoyed it.
I came across this quote from Tom Clancy recently.."The difference between fact and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." Makes sense to me.
Keep reading.
Series
9 Dragons - Michael Connelly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 449 pages, Paperback)
This is a recent addition to the excellent Harry Bosch series. Harry gets involved with the murder of a Chinese liquor store owner, and it quickly becomes complicated. For one thing, his daughter gets kidnapped in Hong Kong, where she lives with her mother (I must've missed a few volumes since this was a surprise to me). Of course, Harry has to go after her. Several real surprises, some excellent action sequences, and Connelly's great grasp of people and locations. However, I did think that the ending was a little rushed. I enjoyed it.
Hour Game - David Baldacci ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 590 pages, Paperback)
Baldacci's books tend to be based in Washington, D. C., or on characters who have ties to that area. Here he gives us 2 former Secret Service agents - one male (the older Sean King), one female (the younger Michelle Maxwell) - who now operate as private detectives in a small Virginia town. They get involved in a serial killer situation where the killer is copying other past serial killers - Son of Sam, the Zodiac Killer, etc - while also investigating a burglary case. There are some very interesting developments, and the main characters are well drawn, but others are merely caricatures of southern archetypes and some questions are left unanswered. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
True Detectives - Jonathan Kellerman ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 462 pages, Paperback)
I am a fan of Kellerman's Alex Delaware series featuring Detective Milo Sturgis, and they make what amounts to cameo appearances here. The main characters are Moses Reed, an uptight, white Detective, and Aaron Fox, a stylish, black Private Detective. They both get involved in a cold missing person's case. Oh, and they're also half-brothers who's fathers had been police partners, and, of course, they don't get along. Kellerman tries, but it never rings true and I didn't find anything likable about the main characters. I didn't like it.
King Con - Stephen J. Cannell ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1997, 419 pages, Paperback)
Stephen J. Cannell, of course, was the creator of several of the more popular TV series' including "The Rockford Files" and "The A-Team". Here he gives us the King of Con men - Beano Bates - who runs afoul of a vicious mob boss and the bosses equally vicious but crazier brother. Beano sets out to get even by running a con on the brothers, with the help of his family of crooks and grifters, and a prosecuting attorney who wants the mob boss behind bars. Some of the situations and set-ups seem far-fetched, but I've seen similar ones shown on those news programs that warn us about what to watch out for, so...maybe Cannell had an inside source. It's a little too long, but I enjoyed it.
I came across this quote from Tom Clancy recently.."The difference between fact and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." Makes sense to me.
Keep reading.
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