Merry Christmas!
This month has been unusually warm so far but this weekend it got a lot more seasonal. My tree is up, my gifts are wrapped, and I've got my car's radio tuned to the "All Christmas Songs" station. I've been busy but I did get to read a couple of books this month. Interestingly, there are several coincidences here. They are purely serendipitous.
Miscellaneous
Slaughter House Five - Kurt Vonnegut ($6.99/$4.25, copyright 1966, 215 pages, Paperback)
I read the book before I saw the movie. Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time and experiences the events of his life out of chronological order. War and absurdity ensue. In other words, it's a collection of non-chronological events in Billy's life - his experiences in World War II (specifically as a German prisoner in Dresden during the bombing), his life after the war (the wife, the daughter), and his abduction by the Tralfamadorians (the zoo, the woman). Though usually classified as Science Fiction, I think this is Vonnegut's way of coming to grips with his experiences during the war - he was that prisoner in Dresden. So it goes. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf
The Caine Mutiny - Herman Wouk ($2.95/$2.95, copyright 1951, 639 pages, Paperback)
I saw the movie before I read the book. The plot is pretty simple, Willie Keith, the son of a rich family, joins the Navy rather then get drafted into the Army. He's assigned as an Ensign aboard the Caine - a run-down minesweeper with a slip-shod group of officers. A by-the-book captain - Queeg - soon takes over and the officers start to resent him. They ultimately relieve him of command and a court martial follows. Like Vonnegut, Wouk has used his experience on minesweepers to bring a lot of detail to the book. His characters are well written and, in my opinion, Bogart did a great job depicting a man who was overwhelmed by his position. I enjoyed it.
That's it this month.This is going to be my Granddaughter's first Christmas and I can't wait to see how she reacts to things. So ...
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! And ..
Keep Reading!
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Sixth Anniversary Issue!!
It's hard for me to believe that I've been doing this for six years and I've probably got enough books already stacked up to last for another six. Of course, a lot has changed in my life over all that time so I've had to adapt a bit and I've begun to try a few different genres. Anyway, here's what I've read this month.
Miscellaneous
Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut ($7.99/$.25, copyright 1990, 324 pages, Paperback)
This is the story of Eugene Debs Hartke, a Vietnam veteran, who - after leaving the Army - became a teacher at an upstate New York private school very close to a prison. After a prison break, he is mistaken for one of the ring leaders and ends up awaiting trial, dying of TB, contemplating his life and trying to count the number of women he has slept with. Vonnegut tells the story through small snippets supposedly written on random pieces of paper and has put together a beautiful satire of just about every aspect of American life, from the idiocy of Vietnam, the treatment of the vets when they got home, the sale of just about everything to the Japanese, and the ignorance of the majority of Americans. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
Thunderstruck - Erik Larson ($16.00/$.50, copyright 2006, 392 pages, Trade Paperback)
In 1910 a true, sensational story ran in newspapers around the world. An American physician living in London - Hawley Crippen - poisoned, flayed, deboned and buried his overbearing wife in the couple's basement for the love of a younger woman. He and his lover, who was disguised as a boy, were fleeing justice on an ocean liner from Antwerp to Quebec City. On another ship, the Scotland Yard inspector in charge of the second most notorious murder in British history (Jack the Ripper being the first) was speeding to overcome the suspects before their arrival in Canada. What made the difference between escape and capture was Guglielmo Marconi's invention - the Wireless radio. Larson uses the same process here that he used in "The Devil In The White City" - which I read a few years ago. He jumps back and forth between what was happening with each character and creates an interesting narrative. I have to admit, though, that I found a lot of the material Larson has compiled about Marconi to be kind of boring. It was OK.
Young Adult
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1964, 155 pages, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know this. The reclusive candy maker who decides to open up his factory to a select few. The Golden Tickets. Charlie and his grandfather, along with the other child winners and their parents. The factory. The Oompa-Loompas. I've only seen the Gene Wilder version but they did stick pretty close to the book. Of course, there are things that don't appear in the movie and things that the movie plays up that aren't in the book, but it's a still a great way to spend a couple of hours. I enjoyed it.
Totals
It's been an interesting year for me. I'm now a Grandfather and - since September -I'm spending a lot of time babysitting. This has had an impact on my reading time and what I read. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact it will continue to have. Anyway, here are this years numbers.
Series - 12 books, $105.96 total cover price, $15.46 actual cost
Non-fiction - 6 books, $84.00 total cover price,$3.50 actual cost
Young Adult - 3 books, $24.97 total cover price, $1.75 actual cost
Miscellaneous - 10 books, $85.26 total cover price, $8.76 actual cost
Off The Shelf - 4 books, $9.95 total cover price, $9.95 actual cost.
Holmes - 1 book, $2.95 total cover price, $.25 actual cost.
This years totals are:
36 books, $323.09 total cover price, $39.67 actual cost.
Six year totals are:
264 book, $2,752.91 total cover price, $270.60 actual price.
Next month is December and it's gonna be my Granddaughter's First Christmas! I can't wait to see how she reacts to things, and I can't wait to introduce her to some of the true classics of literature. Till then ...
Keep Reading!
Miscellaneous
Hocus Pocus - Kurt Vonnegut ($7.99/$.25, copyright 1990, 324 pages, Paperback)
This is the story of Eugene Debs Hartke, a Vietnam veteran, who - after leaving the Army - became a teacher at an upstate New York private school very close to a prison. After a prison break, he is mistaken for one of the ring leaders and ends up awaiting trial, dying of TB, contemplating his life and trying to count the number of women he has slept with. Vonnegut tells the story through small snippets supposedly written on random pieces of paper and has put together a beautiful satire of just about every aspect of American life, from the idiocy of Vietnam, the treatment of the vets when they got home, the sale of just about everything to the Japanese, and the ignorance of the majority of Americans. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
Thunderstruck - Erik Larson ($16.00/$.50, copyright 2006, 392 pages, Trade Paperback)
In 1910 a true, sensational story ran in newspapers around the world. An American physician living in London - Hawley Crippen - poisoned, flayed, deboned and buried his overbearing wife in the couple's basement for the love of a younger woman. He and his lover, who was disguised as a boy, were fleeing justice on an ocean liner from Antwerp to Quebec City. On another ship, the Scotland Yard inspector in charge of the second most notorious murder in British history (Jack the Ripper being the first) was speeding to overcome the suspects before their arrival in Canada. What made the difference between escape and capture was Guglielmo Marconi's invention - the Wireless radio. Larson uses the same process here that he used in "The Devil In The White City" - which I read a few years ago. He jumps back and forth between what was happening with each character and creates an interesting narrative. I have to admit, though, that I found a lot of the material Larson has compiled about Marconi to be kind of boring. It was OK.
Young Adult
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1964, 155 pages, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know this. The reclusive candy maker who decides to open up his factory to a select few. The Golden Tickets. Charlie and his grandfather, along with the other child winners and their parents. The factory. The Oompa-Loompas. I've only seen the Gene Wilder version but they did stick pretty close to the book. Of course, there are things that don't appear in the movie and things that the movie plays up that aren't in the book, but it's a still a great way to spend a couple of hours. I enjoyed it.
Totals
It's been an interesting year for me. I'm now a Grandfather and - since September -I'm spending a lot of time babysitting. This has had an impact on my reading time and what I read. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact it will continue to have. Anyway, here are this years numbers.
Series - 12 books, $105.96 total cover price, $15.46 actual cost
Non-fiction - 6 books, $84.00 total cover price,$3.50 actual cost
Young Adult - 3 books, $24.97 total cover price, $1.75 actual cost
Miscellaneous - 10 books, $85.26 total cover price, $8.76 actual cost
Off The Shelf - 4 books, $9.95 total cover price, $9.95 actual cost.
Holmes - 1 book, $2.95 total cover price, $.25 actual cost.
This years totals are:
36 books, $323.09 total cover price, $39.67 actual cost.
Six year totals are:
264 book, $2,752.91 total cover price, $270.60 actual price.
Next month is December and it's gonna be my Granddaughter's First Christmas! I can't wait to see how she reacts to things, and I can't wait to introduce her to some of the true classics of literature. Till then ...
Keep Reading!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Chapter Sixty-seven
October is winding down but we still have Halloween to look forward to. This year it's on a Saturday and it will be the first one for my Granddaughter, although I don't know how much of it she'll understand - she's only 6 months old.
As I mentioned last month, my days are heavily invested in babysitting so my reading time has been cut back. It's mostly at night now but I did manage to squeeze in a few chapters during the baby's nap time.
Series
Worst Case - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 320 pages, Paperback)
This is another book from the Patterson Factory and an addition to his Michael Bennett series. Detective Bennett, along with FBI Agent Emily Parker, must try to figure out who is abducting New York's wealthiest people's children and, more importantly, why. The pressure is amped up after the first two turn up dead. The Patterson short-punchy-chapters approach works well here, moving the story along quickly and the authors do a good job of covering a lot of New York's neighborhoods. There is also a fair amount of humor in this one and, of course, the obligatory family scenes with Bennett's 10 kids. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote ($15.00/$.50, copyright 1965, 343 pages, Trade Paperback)
As True Crime novels go, it doesn't get much better then this. The root of this work is a ghastly crime committed in 1959. Two recently released convicts - Dick Hickock and Perry Smith - seeking a fortune that did not exist, invade the Clutter family home in Holcomb, Kansas. They tie up the four family members present and then, deciding to leave no witnesses, kill them with shotguns. It takes some time for the perpetrators to be identified, then tracked down. While that was happening, Capote went there and immersed himself. He looked at how the townspeople reacted. He looked at the investigation that led to the capture of the suspects. He looked in depth at the criminals. It took him 6 years to complete this book and it was worth it. I enjoyed it.
(NOTE: I did read several other books this month but, since they were Picture Books for my Granddaughter, I decided to leave them off the list. When she's old enough to sit through a chapter or 2 of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" I'll start to include those.)
Well, the Holiday Season starts at the end of the month and we're going to have to gear up for that. I hope I can find some time to do some shopping. Maybe I'll get my Granddaughter some books.
Keep Reading!
As I mentioned last month, my days are heavily invested in babysitting so my reading time has been cut back. It's mostly at night now but I did manage to squeeze in a few chapters during the baby's nap time.
Series
Worst Case - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 320 pages, Paperback)
This is another book from the Patterson Factory and an addition to his Michael Bennett series. Detective Bennett, along with FBI Agent Emily Parker, must try to figure out who is abducting New York's wealthiest people's children and, more importantly, why. The pressure is amped up after the first two turn up dead. The Patterson short-punchy-chapters approach works well here, moving the story along quickly and the authors do a good job of covering a lot of New York's neighborhoods. There is also a fair amount of humor in this one and, of course, the obligatory family scenes with Bennett's 10 kids. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote ($15.00/$.50, copyright 1965, 343 pages, Trade Paperback)
As True Crime novels go, it doesn't get much better then this. The root of this work is a ghastly crime committed in 1959. Two recently released convicts - Dick Hickock and Perry Smith - seeking a fortune that did not exist, invade the Clutter family home in Holcomb, Kansas. They tie up the four family members present and then, deciding to leave no witnesses, kill them with shotguns. It takes some time for the perpetrators to be identified, then tracked down. While that was happening, Capote went there and immersed himself. He looked at how the townspeople reacted. He looked at the investigation that led to the capture of the suspects. He looked in depth at the criminals. It took him 6 years to complete this book and it was worth it. I enjoyed it.
(NOTE: I did read several other books this month but, since they were Picture Books for my Granddaughter, I decided to leave them off the list. When she's old enough to sit through a chapter or 2 of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" I'll start to include those.)
Well, the Holiday Season starts at the end of the month and we're going to have to gear up for that. I hope I can find some time to do some shopping. Maybe I'll get my Granddaughter some books.
Keep Reading!
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Chapter Sixty-six
Once again, the Summer slipped away too quickly and September is here. The weather has continued to be warm but they say there's a front coming in that will change that. And, of course, Autumn starts this week.
This month, I've started baby-sitting my new Granddaughter while her parents are at work. Our daily schedule depends on when she gets up, when she's hungry, etc., so I haven't been reading as much as usual but I did manage to finish a couple.
Miscellaneous
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman ($6.99/$.25, copyright 1996, 370 pages, Paperback)
I mentioned last month how much I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's work so you can imagine how happy I was to come across this. Richard Mayhew is an average man with a boring life. One night, he finds a girl bleeding on the street and takes her home so she can rest up and get better. This girl, Door, is the only surviving member of her family, and a denizen of the world under London. Her presence drags Richard into this strange place and, along with some new companions, he sets out to return to the life he had before. Gaiman has created some fully-fleshed out, three-dimensional characters and a world that is well thought out and had me wishing that such a place could actually exist beneath every great city of the world. I enjoyed it.
Series
The Gods of Gotham - Lyndsay Faye ($16.00/$5.98, copyright 2012, 434 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the first book in a trilogy. Timothy Wilde was a bartender who was doing well by the standards of 1845 but a devastating fire leaves him homeless, unemployed, and disfigured. Tim’s brother, Valentine, gets them both jobs on the newly formed New York police department. When Tim comes across a female child prostitute covered in blood, it leads to the discovery of other dead children who were killed in a similar way. The Wilde brothers have to quickly solve the crime before the bloody deaths are used as propaganda that could tear New York apart. Faye does a great job of depicting the New York of 1845 including the anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment of the time. Still, I found myself skimming through some of Faye's descriptive passages and I thought that she made Tim too self-centered. I hope that the sequels might change my opinion. It was OK.
That's it for this month.
October is up next which means that the Holidays are on the way (and, sadly, are already in the stores.) Till then, enjoy and ...
Keep Reading.
This month, I've started baby-sitting my new Granddaughter while her parents are at work. Our daily schedule depends on when she gets up, when she's hungry, etc., so I haven't been reading as much as usual but I did manage to finish a couple.
Miscellaneous
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman ($6.99/$.25, copyright 1996, 370 pages, Paperback)
I mentioned last month how much I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's work so you can imagine how happy I was to come across this. Richard Mayhew is an average man with a boring life. One night, he finds a girl bleeding on the street and takes her home so she can rest up and get better. This girl, Door, is the only surviving member of her family, and a denizen of the world under London. Her presence drags Richard into this strange place and, along with some new companions, he sets out to return to the life he had before. Gaiman has created some fully-fleshed out, three-dimensional characters and a world that is well thought out and had me wishing that such a place could actually exist beneath every great city of the world. I enjoyed it.
Series
The Gods of Gotham - Lyndsay Faye ($16.00/$5.98, copyright 2012, 434 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the first book in a trilogy. Timothy Wilde was a bartender who was doing well by the standards of 1845 but a devastating fire leaves him homeless, unemployed, and disfigured. Tim’s brother, Valentine, gets them both jobs on the newly formed New York police department. When Tim comes across a female child prostitute covered in blood, it leads to the discovery of other dead children who were killed in a similar way. The Wilde brothers have to quickly solve the crime before the bloody deaths are used as propaganda that could tear New York apart. Faye does a great job of depicting the New York of 1845 including the anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment of the time. Still, I found myself skimming through some of Faye's descriptive passages and I thought that she made Tim too self-centered. I hope that the sequels might change my opinion. It was OK.
That's it for this month.
October is up next which means that the Holidays are on the way (and, sadly, are already in the stores.) Till then, enjoy and ...
Keep Reading.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Chapter Sixty-five
It's August and it's hot out. No surprise there. Last month, I mentioned that I had an idea for this month's post. I started in that direction but, like Burns said about the best laid plans, they ".. gang aft agley". I picked up a couple of books that I dove into immediately.
Off The Shelf - Sherlock Holmes
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Richard Lancelyn Green, ed. ($6.00/$6.00, copyright 1985, 272 pages, Paperback)
Green went out of his way to pick out authors who tried to write Sherlock Holmes stories as they were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and they have refrained from taking any liberties with the traits of the characters. They are very much in the late Victorian era style. Not all them are of
equal merit. Sadly, in my opinion, the one by Adrian Conan Doyle - Sir Arthur's son - is the weakest, but there are some really good ones here and it's always fun to spend time with old friends. I enjoyed it.
Young Adult
Theses are the couple of books that threw me off my original intent. I came across them on the library sale shelves in Middletown.
Tunnels - Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams ($8.99/$.25, copyright 2008, 472 pages, Trade Paperback)
Will Burrows is a 14-year-old London boy who doesn't really fit in. His Dad runs a museum and loves to dig tunnels as a freelance archaeologist. Will has accompanied his Dad on a few and has even started his own. He befriends Chester, another outcast at his school, and talks him into helping him. When Will's dad disappears they set off in search of him. This leads them to an underground colony where they hate people from above ground and Will's life is thrown into disarray when questions arise about who he really is. I have to say that it didn't interest me at all and I didn't know that it was the start of a series. I didn't like it and I won't be continuing with it.
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman ($8.99/$1.00, copyright 2008, 307 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the story of a young boy who, as a toddler, wakes up one night, decides to wander around the neighborhood, and winds up in the graveyard. The inhabitants - ghosts, of course - take him in and name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. While this was happening, a man named Jack has murdered the child's family and is looking for him. Gaiman plays the story out in individual chapters that stand alone and yet continue to build to a bittersweet but satisfying ending. I've been a big Gaiman fan for years having read many of his Sandman comics and adult novels. He could have stretched this out into one of those but, I think, he realized that it worked best in this format. I really enjoyed it.
Next up is September and I'm going to be spending a lot of time babysitting my new granddaughter. It should be interesting to see how that affects what I read going forward. Till then ..
Keep reading.
Off The Shelf - Sherlock Holmes
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Richard Lancelyn Green, ed. ($6.00/$6.00, copyright 1985, 272 pages, Paperback)
Green went out of his way to pick out authors who tried to write Sherlock Holmes stories as they were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and they have refrained from taking any liberties with the traits of the characters. They are very much in the late Victorian era style. Not all them are of
equal merit. Sadly, in my opinion, the one by Adrian Conan Doyle - Sir Arthur's son - is the weakest, but there are some really good ones here and it's always fun to spend time with old friends. I enjoyed it.
Young Adult
Theses are the couple of books that threw me off my original intent. I came across them on the library sale shelves in Middletown.
Tunnels - Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams ($8.99/$.25, copyright 2008, 472 pages, Trade Paperback)
Will Burrows is a 14-year-old London boy who doesn't really fit in. His Dad runs a museum and loves to dig tunnels as a freelance archaeologist. Will has accompanied his Dad on a few and has even started his own. He befriends Chester, another outcast at his school, and talks him into helping him. When Will's dad disappears they set off in search of him. This leads them to an underground colony where they hate people from above ground and Will's life is thrown into disarray when questions arise about who he really is. I have to say that it didn't interest me at all and I didn't know that it was the start of a series. I didn't like it and I won't be continuing with it.
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman ($8.99/$1.00, copyright 2008, 307 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the story of a young boy who, as a toddler, wakes up one night, decides to wander around the neighborhood, and winds up in the graveyard. The inhabitants - ghosts, of course - take him in and name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. While this was happening, a man named Jack has murdered the child's family and is looking for him. Gaiman plays the story out in individual chapters that stand alone and yet continue to build to a bittersweet but satisfying ending. I've been a big Gaiman fan for years having read many of his Sandman comics and adult novels. He could have stretched this out into one of those but, I think, he realized that it worked best in this format. I really enjoyed it.
Next up is September and I'm going to be spending a lot of time babysitting my new granddaughter. It should be interesting to see how that affects what I read going forward. Till then ..
Keep reading.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Chapter Sixty-four
Today was sort of representative of the month of July so far. It was overcast and rainy this morning, pleasant and sunny this afternoon, and now hazy and hot. According to the reports for tomorrow, it's going to be really hot. In fact, they're calling for 90-degree temperatures and high humidity. I'll be out early to get whatever I need done then I'll be home, in front of the fan, with a book.
Here are the ones that caught my interest this month.
Off The Shelf - Biography
My Wicked, Wicked Ways - Errol Flynn ($1.50/$1.50, copyright 1959, 383 pages, Paperback)
With all the commotion about stars and starlets in the popular press today it was refreshing to read about someone who is more interesting, at least to me. Although I have heard the wickedness admitted to in Flynn's biography may be (and probably was) exaggerated, by all measures it is more exciting that anything any actor or actress today could dream up. I thought the best part of this book was the first half- which covers Flynn's life up to his rise to popularity. It is a great collection of stories about a young man growing up in Tasmania who happily seeks adventure in New Guinea and the South Pacific. Here he was a health official, a gold prospector, a captain of a ship, slave trader, hunter, guide, and overseer of a coconut farm. He fought briefly as a volunteer in the Chinese army against the invading Japanese. He stood trial for murder, and was shot and stabbed. He was seduced by older women, and stole their jewelry before leaving in the night. He fought cannibals in the jungle. Unfortunately, the second half isn't as interesting as it describes Flynn's older years when his life took a downward spiral into debt and alcohol. Still, I really enjoyed it.
Series
Resolution - Robert B. Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 321 pages)
This is the second in a limited series revolving around two gun men in the Old West - Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. Hitch is riding solo when he arrives in the town of Resolution and takes a job at the Blackfoot saloon as a security guy working for the owner Amos Wolfson. Wolfson is intent on buying up as much of the town and surrounding land as he can, and he's made enemies of the local ranchers and Eamon O'Malley, Resolution's other financial baron, who is also making moves at a major land grab. Cole rides in just as the action starts to build and, of course, sides with Hitch.
Although Parker concentrates on the relationship between the two friends, he paints an interesting picture of an Old West town being born. The shifting fortunes of the populace bounce back and forth between Wolfson and O'Malley as each of them squares off to become top dog of Resolution with Hitch and Cole in the middle. This is a very quick read and - as are many of Parker's works - consists mostly of dialog. I enjoyed it.
Sharpe's Escape - Bernard Cornwell($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 447 pages, Paperback)
I read several books in this series many years ago and was happily surprised to find this one while on one of my library runs. Set in 1810, the story finds the British Army in Portugal executing a strategic retreat from the overconfident French forces in Spain. Lord Wellington has ordered the land stripped of all food so that the massive French army will overextend itself and face severe logistical problems when it does finally engage the British. Early on, now-Captain Richard Sharpe and his men stumble across a cache of foodstuffs at a signaling tower. He destroys the supplies, creating enemies out of the two brothers who were going to sell it to the French. What follows is some really vintage Cornwall with lots of derring-do, close calls, and fighting - on both large and small scales. And Cornwall doesn't slack on the human element, throwing in Sharpe's camaraderie with his men, dislike for his fellow officers, and - of course - a young lady for Sharpe to rescue. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month. I've got an idea for next month but we'll see how that goes. It's still summer out there so stay cool, stay hydrated, and ..
Keep reading.
Here are the ones that caught my interest this month.
Off The Shelf - Biography
My Wicked, Wicked Ways - Errol Flynn ($1.50/$1.50, copyright 1959, 383 pages, Paperback)
With all the commotion about stars and starlets in the popular press today it was refreshing to read about someone who is more interesting, at least to me. Although I have heard the wickedness admitted to in Flynn's biography may be (and probably was) exaggerated, by all measures it is more exciting that anything any actor or actress today could dream up. I thought the best part of this book was the first half- which covers Flynn's life up to his rise to popularity. It is a great collection of stories about a young man growing up in Tasmania who happily seeks adventure in New Guinea and the South Pacific. Here he was a health official, a gold prospector, a captain of a ship, slave trader, hunter, guide, and overseer of a coconut farm. He fought briefly as a volunteer in the Chinese army against the invading Japanese. He stood trial for murder, and was shot and stabbed. He was seduced by older women, and stole their jewelry before leaving in the night. He fought cannibals in the jungle. Unfortunately, the second half isn't as interesting as it describes Flynn's older years when his life took a downward spiral into debt and alcohol. Still, I really enjoyed it.
Series
Resolution - Robert B. Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2008, 321 pages)
This is the second in a limited series revolving around two gun men in the Old West - Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. Hitch is riding solo when he arrives in the town of Resolution and takes a job at the Blackfoot saloon as a security guy working for the owner Amos Wolfson. Wolfson is intent on buying up as much of the town and surrounding land as he can, and he's made enemies of the local ranchers and Eamon O'Malley, Resolution's other financial baron, who is also making moves at a major land grab. Cole rides in just as the action starts to build and, of course, sides with Hitch.
Although Parker concentrates on the relationship between the two friends, he paints an interesting picture of an Old West town being born. The shifting fortunes of the populace bounce back and forth between Wolfson and O'Malley as each of them squares off to become top dog of Resolution with Hitch and Cole in the middle. This is a very quick read and - as are many of Parker's works - consists mostly of dialog. I enjoyed it.
Sharpe's Escape - Bernard Cornwell($7.99/$.50, copyright 2004, 447 pages, Paperback)
I read several books in this series many years ago and was happily surprised to find this one while on one of my library runs. Set in 1810, the story finds the British Army in Portugal executing a strategic retreat from the overconfident French forces in Spain. Lord Wellington has ordered the land stripped of all food so that the massive French army will overextend itself and face severe logistical problems when it does finally engage the British. Early on, now-Captain Richard Sharpe and his men stumble across a cache of foodstuffs at a signaling tower. He destroys the supplies, creating enemies out of the two brothers who were going to sell it to the French. What follows is some really vintage Cornwall with lots of derring-do, close calls, and fighting - on both large and small scales. And Cornwall doesn't slack on the human element, throwing in Sharpe's camaraderie with his men, dislike for his fellow officers, and - of course - a young lady for Sharpe to rescue. I enjoyed it.
That's it for this month. I've got an idea for next month but we'll see how that goes. It's still summer out there so stay cool, stay hydrated, and ..
Keep reading.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Chapter Sixty-three
It's June. School is out - or will be shortly. The days are longer. TV shows are in reruns. Right now we're in a weather pattern that's been giving us more rain then sun. And - tomorrow is Father's Day - my first as a Grandfather. There was a bit of medical drama over "live virus" vaccinations but everything worked out and I can't wait to hold my Granddaughter tomorrow.
Anyway, let's get into this month's books.
Series
To Kingdom Come - Will Thomas ($4.98/$9.95, copyright 2005, 275 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the second volume in Thomas' Cyrus Barker/Thomas Llewelyn series. Barker is a Private Enquiry Agent in Victorian England and Llewelyn is his assistant. In this one, a militant group of Irish blows up part of Scotland Yard. Barker and Llewelyn - for a fee - go undercover as a bomb maker and his assistant in order to find out who the perpetrators are and what their next move is going to be. Thomas has a great way with accents and includes some historical figures to make the story interesting - Charles Parnell and William Butler Yeats being the most prominent. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf - The Movie Edition
I got the urge to re-read a particular book so I started to dig through the shelves. It took me 2 days and I didn't find it but I did come across these 2 books that - strangely enough - were stacked pretty close to each other.
A Coffin For Dimitrios - Eric Ambler ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1937, 214 pages, Paperback)
Charles Lattimer is a professor turned detective story writer who, while vacationing, meets a police inspector who introduces him to the story of a criminal known only as Dimitrios. It fascinates him so much that he decides to try and fill in some of the missing pieces by traveling through Europe where he meets with some people who can supply answers and some people who can supply only threats. Ambler has made a career out of writing books that deal with international intrigue and this is one of his best. (The movie based on this book was called "The Mask Of Dimitrios" and starred Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, and Zachary Scott.) I enjoyed it.
The Treasure of The Sierra Madre - B. Traven ($.50/$.50, copyright 1935, 311 pages, Paperback)
Dobbs is a down-on-his-luck American veteran trying to eke out a living doing odd jobs in Mexico shortly after World War I. He picks up some short-time work here and there but mostly has to beg for some money in order to get by. He teams up with another American - Curtin - and a grizzled old prospector - Howard - and they go up into the Sierra Madre mountains to search for gold. Traven takes this simple story and gives us a brutally honest example of what greed can do to any one of us. (The movie based on this book starred Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Walter Huston.) I enjoyed it.
Up next - Summer. I hope you all get to enjoy it and - while you're out at the beach or lounging in your back yard -
keep reading!
Anyway, let's get into this month's books.
Series
To Kingdom Come - Will Thomas ($4.98/$9.95, copyright 2005, 275 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is the second volume in Thomas' Cyrus Barker/Thomas Llewelyn series. Barker is a Private Enquiry Agent in Victorian England and Llewelyn is his assistant. In this one, a militant group of Irish blows up part of Scotland Yard. Barker and Llewelyn - for a fee - go undercover as a bomb maker and his assistant in order to find out who the perpetrators are and what their next move is going to be. Thomas has a great way with accents and includes some historical figures to make the story interesting - Charles Parnell and William Butler Yeats being the most prominent. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf - The Movie Edition
I got the urge to re-read a particular book so I started to dig through the shelves. It took me 2 days and I didn't find it but I did come across these 2 books that - strangely enough - were stacked pretty close to each other.
A Coffin For Dimitrios - Eric Ambler ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1937, 214 pages, Paperback)
Charles Lattimer is a professor turned detective story writer who, while vacationing, meets a police inspector who introduces him to the story of a criminal known only as Dimitrios. It fascinates him so much that he decides to try and fill in some of the missing pieces by traveling through Europe where he meets with some people who can supply answers and some people who can supply only threats. Ambler has made a career out of writing books that deal with international intrigue and this is one of his best. (The movie based on this book was called "The Mask Of Dimitrios" and starred Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, and Zachary Scott.) I enjoyed it.
The Treasure of The Sierra Madre - B. Traven ($.50/$.50, copyright 1935, 311 pages, Paperback)
Dobbs is a down-on-his-luck American veteran trying to eke out a living doing odd jobs in Mexico shortly after World War I. He picks up some short-time work here and there but mostly has to beg for some money in order to get by. He teams up with another American - Curtin - and a grizzled old prospector - Howard - and they go up into the Sierra Madre mountains to search for gold. Traven takes this simple story and gives us a brutally honest example of what greed can do to any one of us. (The movie based on this book starred Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Walter Huston.) I enjoyed it.
Up next - Summer. I hope you all get to enjoy it and - while you're out at the beach or lounging in your back yard -
keep reading!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Chapter Sixty-two
Well, May has come in big-time. We haven't had much rain and we've had some really summer-like days. Also, the pollen counts have been very high so I've been really itchy lately. It's a good thing I have a stack of books to take my mind off things.
Series
The Price of Blood - Declan Hughes ($13.99/ $.50, copyright 2008, 312 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is, I think, the third of Hughes' Ed Loy series. Loy was a private investigator in L. A., who came home to Dublin to deal with his mother's passing and wound up staying. In this one, Loy is asked by Father Vincent Tyrell to solve the disappearance of a jockey who worked for the prominent racehorse trainer, F. X. Tyrell - the priest's brother. He also takes on a case, assisting Joe Leonard in catching some vandals. As Ed Loy pursues the Leonard case, he discovers a body dumped, a body with some shocking details and a piece of paper that might relate to his jockey case. When Loy looks closer into the history of the jockey, the body count increases. Hughes takes the reader into the midst of contemporary Irish life in Dublin during the Christmas Season and introduces a cast of interesting characters - and you can practically hear the Dublin accent in his dialogs. I enjoyed it.
Retribution - Stuart M. Kaminsky ($6.99/$.50, copyright 2001, 227 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about one of Kamisky's Tobey Peters series last month and was pleasantly surprised to come across this book. The protagonist is Lew Fonseca - a one-time investigator in Chicago who lost his wife and, sinking into depression, dropped everything and moved to Sarasota where he works as a process server for a law firm and just wants to be left alone. Of course, that doesn't happen. This time around, he's trying to find out what happened to a young runaway named Adele. She is somehow connected to a very solitary and eccentric bestselling author and the loss of some valuable manuscripts. Kaminsky's style is lean and taut, with no wasted words and he's created a compelling mystery. My complaint is that this is the second book in the series and most of the recurring characters were introduced in the first so, when they appear here, Kaminsky doesn't give any back-story - which would have been helpful. And I didn't really find any of them to be very sympathetic either. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Shame The Devil - George Pelecanos ($7.50/$.50, copyright 2000, 374 pages, Paperback)
In 1995, two crooks hit a pizza place in Washington, D. C. which they know is a front for a gambling ring. They're after the money but things go wrong and they wind up killing everyone there and running over a small boy while they get away. Now it's three years later and the killers are coming back. Pelecanos gives us how the surviving family members are doing by having them get together on a regular basis to help each other out. Nick Stefanos - bartender and part-time investigator - gets pulled in and has to deal with all of it. Pelecanos has created some great characters and they interact well. He moves the story along by jumping between several of the characters - including the killers - in each chapter and he knows how to throw in some surprises. I enjoyed it.
Up next - June and Father's Day. My first as a Grandfather.
Till then, enjoy yourselves and ....
Keep reading.
Series
The Price of Blood - Declan Hughes ($13.99/ $.50, copyright 2008, 312 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is, I think, the third of Hughes' Ed Loy series. Loy was a private investigator in L. A., who came home to Dublin to deal with his mother's passing and wound up staying. In this one, Loy is asked by Father Vincent Tyrell to solve the disappearance of a jockey who worked for the prominent racehorse trainer, F. X. Tyrell - the priest's brother. He also takes on a case, assisting Joe Leonard in catching some vandals. As Ed Loy pursues the Leonard case, he discovers a body dumped, a body with some shocking details and a piece of paper that might relate to his jockey case. When Loy looks closer into the history of the jockey, the body count increases. Hughes takes the reader into the midst of contemporary Irish life in Dublin during the Christmas Season and introduces a cast of interesting characters - and you can practically hear the Dublin accent in his dialogs. I enjoyed it.
Retribution - Stuart M. Kaminsky ($6.99/$.50, copyright 2001, 227 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about one of Kamisky's Tobey Peters series last month and was pleasantly surprised to come across this book. The protagonist is Lew Fonseca - a one-time investigator in Chicago who lost his wife and, sinking into depression, dropped everything and moved to Sarasota where he works as a process server for a law firm and just wants to be left alone. Of course, that doesn't happen. This time around, he's trying to find out what happened to a young runaway named Adele. She is somehow connected to a very solitary and eccentric bestselling author and the loss of some valuable manuscripts. Kaminsky's style is lean and taut, with no wasted words and he's created a compelling mystery. My complaint is that this is the second book in the series and most of the recurring characters were introduced in the first so, when they appear here, Kaminsky doesn't give any back-story - which would have been helpful. And I didn't really find any of them to be very sympathetic either. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Shame The Devil - George Pelecanos ($7.50/$.50, copyright 2000, 374 pages, Paperback)
In 1995, two crooks hit a pizza place in Washington, D. C. which they know is a front for a gambling ring. They're after the money but things go wrong and they wind up killing everyone there and running over a small boy while they get away. Now it's three years later and the killers are coming back. Pelecanos gives us how the surviving family members are doing by having them get together on a regular basis to help each other out. Nick Stefanos - bartender and part-time investigator - gets pulled in and has to deal with all of it. Pelecanos has created some great characters and they interact well. He moves the story along by jumping between several of the characters - including the killers - in each chapter and he knows how to throw in some surprises. I enjoyed it.
Up next - June and Father's Day. My first as a Grandfather.
Till then, enjoy yourselves and ....
Keep reading.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Chapter Sixty-one
Well, we made it to April and some really nicer, warmer weather. Oh sure, we've had some rain and wind to contend with but any day that's it's not snowing or below freezing is a good one to me. Here's this month's listing.
Non-fiction
Great American Scandals - Michael Farqhar ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2003, 317 pages, Trade Paperback)
This volume is subtitled .. "Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing". For those who are looking for the stories history books can't tell, this a book for you - it has some great accounts of dueling, murder, affairs, insane mother's and wife's, treason, and other scandalous behavior by our founding fathers and other highly esteemed people. You will read of feuds amongst our countries founding fathers, an attempt to steal one of our former President's graves, and the many prejudicial comments made by former President Nixon, among other things. I admit to having a problem with how Farqhar arranges the chapters and, at times he does get repetitive and his writing style is pretty dry. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Now You See It - Richard Matheson ($12.95/$.50, copyright 1995, 220 pages, Trade Paperback)
Have you ever seen the play or movie "Deathtrap"? This is a lot like that. The Great Delacorte is a famous magician who's summoned his agent to his home to discuss the future - and to take revenge for the agents' affair with his wife. It all takes place in one room - the Magic Room -and this really is one of those books where nothing is what it seems to be. I had a bit of a problem getting started but it quickly becomes one of those books that you keep reading because you have to find out what happens. I enjoyed it.
Series
Last month I mentioned that I'd come across a book from a series that I'd read years ago - a Lew Archer book by Ross MacDonald. Serendipitously, I just came across two books from two other series from way back when.
The Fala Factor - Stuart M. Kaminsky ($4.99/$.25, copyright 1984, 214 pages, Paperback)
It's 1942 and private detective Toby Peters is hired by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to retrieve the President's beloved pooch, Fala. Mrs. Roosevelt believes Fala was snatched and a substitute left in his place. This quirky plot is a trademark of Kaminsky's Toby Peters series - a famous person (mostly actors in previous volumes) hires the down-on-his luck detective to help them. What really works in this series is the supporting cast - Jeremy, the janitor, poet, and sometimes muscle; his best friend Gunther who's a "little person"; Shelly Minck, the dentist he rents office space from; and his brother Phil, a real detective with the LAPD who has anger issues. Not that much mystery to the plot but Kaminsky has a lot of fun with it. I read most of these over 30 years ago and they still hold up. I enjoyed it.
McNally's Puzzle - Lawrence Sanders ($6.99/$.25, copyright 1996, 343 pages, Paperback)
Bird store owner Hiram Gottschalk is a wealthy widower with a paranoid son and heir, twisted twin daughters, and several shady employees. As the owner of Parrots Unlimited, Hiram believes that his life is in danger, so he hires playboy-turned-Palm Beach private investigator Archy McNally and his sidekick Binky to protect him. Of course, Hiram soon turns up dead and Archy's left to figure out who and how. I read Sanders' "Deadly Sins" series many years ago and I enjoyed it. And I had read one or two of the McNally books way back when. I have to admit, however, that I did have some trouble getting back into the style of the writing, largely because Sanders paints McNally as effete and somewhat pedantic. It was annoying at first, but I did eventually get used to the character and Sanders has created an interesting set of characters and a pretty good mystery. I liked it.
Special Announcement!!!
This month has also brought me, personally, another "New Chapter" - my first grandchild - a beautiful little girl - who was born on Easter Sunday. She made here debut on April 5th at 11:39 P. M. weighing 8 lbs., 9 oz. and measuring 20 inches. Maybe in a few months I'll have to add a new category - Children's Books.
Till next month ...
Keep reading.
Non-fiction
Great American Scandals - Michael Farqhar ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2003, 317 pages, Trade Paperback)
This volume is subtitled .. "Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing". For those who are looking for the stories history books can't tell, this a book for you - it has some great accounts of dueling, murder, affairs, insane mother's and wife's, treason, and other scandalous behavior by our founding fathers and other highly esteemed people. You will read of feuds amongst our countries founding fathers, an attempt to steal one of our former President's graves, and the many prejudicial comments made by former President Nixon, among other things. I admit to having a problem with how Farqhar arranges the chapters and, at times he does get repetitive and his writing style is pretty dry. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
Now You See It - Richard Matheson ($12.95/$.50, copyright 1995, 220 pages, Trade Paperback)
Have you ever seen the play or movie "Deathtrap"? This is a lot like that. The Great Delacorte is a famous magician who's summoned his agent to his home to discuss the future - and to take revenge for the agents' affair with his wife. It all takes place in one room - the Magic Room -and this really is one of those books where nothing is what it seems to be. I had a bit of a problem getting started but it quickly becomes one of those books that you keep reading because you have to find out what happens. I enjoyed it.
Series
Last month I mentioned that I'd come across a book from a series that I'd read years ago - a Lew Archer book by Ross MacDonald. Serendipitously, I just came across two books from two other series from way back when.
The Fala Factor - Stuart M. Kaminsky ($4.99/$.25, copyright 1984, 214 pages, Paperback)
It's 1942 and private detective Toby Peters is hired by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to retrieve the President's beloved pooch, Fala. Mrs. Roosevelt believes Fala was snatched and a substitute left in his place. This quirky plot is a trademark of Kaminsky's Toby Peters series - a famous person (mostly actors in previous volumes) hires the down-on-his luck detective to help them. What really works in this series is the supporting cast - Jeremy, the janitor, poet, and sometimes muscle; his best friend Gunther who's a "little person"; Shelly Minck, the dentist he rents office space from; and his brother Phil, a real detective with the LAPD who has anger issues. Not that much mystery to the plot but Kaminsky has a lot of fun with it. I read most of these over 30 years ago and they still hold up. I enjoyed it.
McNally's Puzzle - Lawrence Sanders ($6.99/$.25, copyright 1996, 343 pages, Paperback)
Bird store owner Hiram Gottschalk is a wealthy widower with a paranoid son and heir, twisted twin daughters, and several shady employees. As the owner of Parrots Unlimited, Hiram believes that his life is in danger, so he hires playboy-turned-Palm Beach private investigator Archy McNally and his sidekick Binky to protect him. Of course, Hiram soon turns up dead and Archy's left to figure out who and how. I read Sanders' "Deadly Sins" series many years ago and I enjoyed it. And I had read one or two of the McNally books way back when. I have to admit, however, that I did have some trouble getting back into the style of the writing, largely because Sanders paints McNally as effete and somewhat pedantic. It was annoying at first, but I did eventually get used to the character and Sanders has created an interesting set of characters and a pretty good mystery. I liked it.
Special Announcement!!!
This month has also brought me, personally, another "New Chapter" - my first grandchild - a beautiful little girl - who was born on Easter Sunday. She made here debut on April 5th at 11:39 P. M. weighing 8 lbs., 9 oz. and measuring 20 inches. Maybe in a few months I'll have to add a new category - Children's Books.
Till next month ...
Keep reading.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Chapter Sixty
Yesterday was the official start of Spring and - of course - it snowed. Today, thankfully, was warm enough to melt whatever fell (at least where I live) so I will welcome Spring with open arms. Here are the books that held my interest over the last month.
Series
The Instant Enemy - Ross MacDonald - ($4.50/$.50, copyright 1968, 212 pages, Paperback)
I haven't read one of McDonald's Lew Archer novels in over 30 years so I was very happy to come across this one in a library in Metuchen. He's summoned to the Woodland Hills home of Keith Sebastian and his wife Bernice. Their 17 year old daughter has run away and they want him to find her without involving the police. He wends his way up and down much of the California coast looking to unravel the truth behind the shocking series of events that rapidly ensue. MacDonald paints a vivid picture of California - both the sunny and the seamy side. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Confessional - Jack Higgins ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1985, 293 pages, Paperback)
The main character in this book is Liam Devlin who is semi-retired from the IRA and working as a professor of English literature at Trinity College in Dublin. The KGB has placed a deep-cover operative in Ireland (code name Cuchulain), where he's killed both Protestants and Catholics at
key times, in order to maintain the state of strife and distrust that exists in Northern Ireland.
Now, the jig is up and they decide to put him out of commission. They fail, and now he has no
where to run and nowhere to hide. In a last act of desperation, he sets his sights on the Pope, who'll soon be visiting England. Devlin, working in conjunction with the IRA and Brigadier Charles Ferguson, must stop him. It's slow going at first, setting things up, but the action picks up near the end, Cuchulain is unmasked and his romp through Great Britain, one step ahead of Devlin and Ferguson, is the best part of the book. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
101 Greatest Films Of Mystery & Suspense - Otto Penzler ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2000, 304 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is, of course, one man's opinion. However, when that man is the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan and the founder of The Mysterious Press and The Armchair Detective Library his opinion carries a lot of weight. Since this book was copyrighted in 2000, there are no recent movies. The ones here date from 1929 ("Bulldog Drummond") up to 1997 ("L. A. Confidential") and Penzler does a great job of listing the actors, directors, etc. as well as thumb nailing a synopsis. What I found enjoyable was what he's called a "Did You Know?" section where he goes into some of the background of how and why the movies were made and he ends each entry with what he considered to be the "Best Line" in the movie. I enjoyed it.
So, the mornings are starting to get brighter, the days warmer, and the sunsets later. It's time to forget this past winter and look forward to the summer. And don't forget to ....
Keep reading!
Series
The Instant Enemy - Ross MacDonald - ($4.50/$.50, copyright 1968, 212 pages, Paperback)
I haven't read one of McDonald's Lew Archer novels in over 30 years so I was very happy to come across this one in a library in Metuchen. He's summoned to the Woodland Hills home of Keith Sebastian and his wife Bernice. Their 17 year old daughter has run away and they want him to find her without involving the police. He wends his way up and down much of the California coast looking to unravel the truth behind the shocking series of events that rapidly ensue. MacDonald paints a vivid picture of California - both the sunny and the seamy side. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Confessional - Jack Higgins ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1985, 293 pages, Paperback)
The main character in this book is Liam Devlin who is semi-retired from the IRA and working as a professor of English literature at Trinity College in Dublin. The KGB has placed a deep-cover operative in Ireland (code name Cuchulain), where he's killed both Protestants and Catholics at
key times, in order to maintain the state of strife and distrust that exists in Northern Ireland.
Now, the jig is up and they decide to put him out of commission. They fail, and now he has no
where to run and nowhere to hide. In a last act of desperation, he sets his sights on the Pope, who'll soon be visiting England. Devlin, working in conjunction with the IRA and Brigadier Charles Ferguson, must stop him. It's slow going at first, setting things up, but the action picks up near the end, Cuchulain is unmasked and his romp through Great Britain, one step ahead of Devlin and Ferguson, is the best part of the book. I enjoyed it.
Non-fiction
101 Greatest Films Of Mystery & Suspense - Otto Penzler ($14.00/$.50, copyright 2000, 304 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is, of course, one man's opinion. However, when that man is the owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan and the founder of The Mysterious Press and The Armchair Detective Library his opinion carries a lot of weight. Since this book was copyrighted in 2000, there are no recent movies. The ones here date from 1929 ("Bulldog Drummond") up to 1997 ("L. A. Confidential") and Penzler does a great job of listing the actors, directors, etc. as well as thumb nailing a synopsis. What I found enjoyable was what he's called a "Did You Know?" section where he goes into some of the background of how and why the movies were made and he ends each entry with what he considered to be the "Best Line" in the movie. I enjoyed it.
So, the mornings are starting to get brighter, the days warmer, and the sunsets later. It's time to forget this past winter and look forward to the summer. And don't forget to ....
Keep reading!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Chapter Fifty-nine
Well, we've reached the last week of February and I've had my fill of snow and really cold weather. But I think the worst days were the gray ones - and that was most of the month. Fortunately, there's always a book around to occupy my time.
Miscellaneous
The Murder of King Tut - James Patterson and Martin Dugard (L6.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 326 pages, Trade Paperback)
This has been referred to as a non-fiction novel and is yet another example of the Patterson Book Mill's ability to expand it's horizons. Patterson and Dugard did a great deal of research to put this together and it reads well, using Paterson's patented quick, short chapters approach. It jumps back and forth between the present day (research), the late 19th and early 20th century (the discovery of Tut's tomb by Howard Carter and others), and the 1300's B. C. (Tut's time). It's an interesting book but - in the end - speculation (and they never positively identify the actual murderer). It was OK.
Mine - Robert McCammon ($5.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 487 pages, Paperback)
Last year, I wrote about McCammon's novel "Boy's Life" and how much I enjoyed it. When I saw this in the Edison library I had to pick it up. McCammon usually tends more towards the traditional monsters, vampires, etc.; but here, he has taken on the human monster. Mary Terrell is an overweight and aging hippie, unstable and unable to let go of her past as a member of a radical and violent group. She kidnaps a baby from a hospital and the real mother, Laura Clayborne, goes after them. What we are left with is a fingernail-biting chase across three thousand miles, with close calls and near misses and horrific anxiety at every turn. I liked it.
Hammett - Joe Gores ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1975, 253 pages, Paperback)
I've enjoyed Dashiell Hammett's books and I'm always up for a hard-boiled detective story. The fictional Hammett in Joe Gores' book was a detective and Pinkerton agent who's been writing for a while. He gets pulled back into the business when a former partner is killed. Gores paints a great picture of a vibrant and very corrupt California in the 1920's, and even has Hammett taking the streetcar instead of driving as he goes on dates or meets a contact in his investigation. He gives us the San Francisco that Hammett wrote about where the town is run by the cops, the crooks, and the big rich, and everything is for sale. I enjoyed it.
That's it for now. The weatherman just said we should be warming up over the coming weekend (which will lead us into March.)
Keep Reading!
Miscellaneous
The Murder of King Tut - James Patterson and Martin Dugard (L6.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 326 pages, Trade Paperback)
This has been referred to as a non-fiction novel and is yet another example of the Patterson Book Mill's ability to expand it's horizons. Patterson and Dugard did a great deal of research to put this together and it reads well, using Paterson's patented quick, short chapters approach. It jumps back and forth between the present day (research), the late 19th and early 20th century (the discovery of Tut's tomb by Howard Carter and others), and the 1300's B. C. (Tut's time). It's an interesting book but - in the end - speculation (and they never positively identify the actual murderer). It was OK.
Mine - Robert McCammon ($5.95/$.50, copyright 1990, 487 pages, Paperback)
Last year, I wrote about McCammon's novel "Boy's Life" and how much I enjoyed it. When I saw this in the Edison library I had to pick it up. McCammon usually tends more towards the traditional monsters, vampires, etc.; but here, he has taken on the human monster. Mary Terrell is an overweight and aging hippie, unstable and unable to let go of her past as a member of a radical and violent group. She kidnaps a baby from a hospital and the real mother, Laura Clayborne, goes after them. What we are left with is a fingernail-biting chase across three thousand miles, with close calls and near misses and horrific anxiety at every turn. I liked it.
Hammett - Joe Gores ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1975, 253 pages, Paperback)
I've enjoyed Dashiell Hammett's books and I'm always up for a hard-boiled detective story. The fictional Hammett in Joe Gores' book was a detective and Pinkerton agent who's been writing for a while. He gets pulled back into the business when a former partner is killed. Gores paints a great picture of a vibrant and very corrupt California in the 1920's, and even has Hammett taking the streetcar instead of driving as he goes on dates or meets a contact in his investigation. He gives us the San Francisco that Hammett wrote about where the town is run by the cops, the crooks, and the big rich, and everything is for sale. I enjoyed it.
That's it for now. The weatherman just said we should be warming up over the coming weekend (which will lead us into March.)
Keep Reading!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Chapter Fifty-eight
Happy New Year to you all! It's been kind of a strange winter so far. We've had some slightly warm days alternating with some really cold days; not much snow but some icing conditions; and a couple of storms in the upcoming forecast. just your typical January, I guess. Good weather to curl up with a good book, though. Here's a couple that you might be interested in checking out.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes And The Sacred Sword - Frank Thomas ($2.95/$.25, copyright 1980, 240 pages, Paperback)
This has a great twist on a standard beginning. Holmes and Watson are home on a typical, dreary London evening when one of Holmes' "associates" comes in with a dying man. The "associate" said that the man had asked for Holmes so he brought him right over. Before they can get any information from the dying man he gasps out .."They found it." .. and dies. Holmes realizes that the man wasn't looking for him but for his brother, Mycroft. This makes it political and turns out to involve a problem with a potential uprising in the Middle East. The rest of the book involves the search for Mohammad's battle sword - the "Sacred Sword" - and a race across two continents against a master criminal who wants it for his own reasons. Thomas does a good job with Holmes and some other familiar characters but I thought he treated Watson more like the Nigel Bruce version. Still, I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Joyland - Stephen King ($12.95/$.50, copyright 2013, 283 pages, Trade Paperback)
I gave up on King years ago for several reasons, one of which was that I didn't think he was able to write a decent ending. I picked this one up because it's centered around a carnival and I'm a sucker for carnivals. (Sadly, this did not turn out to be a traveling carnival filled with weird acts.) Here we have a young man, Devin Jones, who takes a summer job in Joyland, a stationary carnival in North Carolina. He makes friends with a couple of the other "Greenies" - Tom and Erin - and they do everything from clean-up duty through wearing "The Fur" - a dog suit of Howie the Happy Hound, the park's mascot. I loved the carny language King uses (and, thankfully, explains). There's also a minor ghost story and Devin becomes obsessed with a string of unsolved murders. But it's more of a coming-of-age story then anything else, and - in my opinion - more of a Bachman book. To me, it felt padded and could have done with some editing and the ending was too abrupt. It was okay.
This next book needs some explanation.
When I was a kid back in the early '50's, we didn't have the electronics or social media of today (obviously). What we had was black-and-white TV and books to keep us entertained - when we weren't outside playing with our friends. Anyway, my 2 maternal aunts were nuns - Sisters of St. Dominic out of Blauvelt, N. Y. - and would come by to visit several times a year. (Side Note: My Aunt Katherine is 92 and still causing trouble at the Mother House.) One Christmas - I think when I was about 8 - they brought my older brother and I two books, both - of course - with a religious connection. One was "Fighting Father Duffy" about the chaplain with the Fighting 69th during World War II. The other was this one which I serendipitously came across while looking up something else on one of the discount book sites that I visit from time to time ..........
Percy Wynn, or Making a Boy of Him - Fr. Francis J. Finn, S. J. ($9.00*/$3.31, copyright 1893, 248 pages, Paperback)
Percy is a young man who's been raised by overprotective parents and 10 older sisters. He's been kept from the company of other young boys but, due to circumstances, has now been thrust into an all male school. Fr. Flynn uses a cast of other boys, led by Tom Playfair (not too subtle a name) and his friends - representing fine, upstanding young Catholic boys - and Charlie Richards and his friends - representing the bullies - to educate Percy and the young reader in how to become a good person. I admit that this book is outdated and probably will not appeal to anyone outside of my generation. The world has changed a lot since I first read this and Percy's effeminate mannerisms would now be seen in a different light. (As would a priest writing about an all boy's school, I would imagine.) Still, there's an anachronistic element to this book that lured me in and a nostalgia that made me smile. I enjoyed it.
* I couldn't find a cover price on this volume so I took the new book price from Amazon.
Up next is February and you may find me start reviewing a lot of children's books since the Baby Shower for my first Grandchild - a girl - will be on Valentine's Day.
Till then, keep warm and ....
Keep reading.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes And The Sacred Sword - Frank Thomas ($2.95/$.25, copyright 1980, 240 pages, Paperback)
This has a great twist on a standard beginning. Holmes and Watson are home on a typical, dreary London evening when one of Holmes' "associates" comes in with a dying man. The "associate" said that the man had asked for Holmes so he brought him right over. Before they can get any information from the dying man he gasps out .."They found it." .. and dies. Holmes realizes that the man wasn't looking for him but for his brother, Mycroft. This makes it political and turns out to involve a problem with a potential uprising in the Middle East. The rest of the book involves the search for Mohammad's battle sword - the "Sacred Sword" - and a race across two continents against a master criminal who wants it for his own reasons. Thomas does a good job with Holmes and some other familiar characters but I thought he treated Watson more like the Nigel Bruce version. Still, I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Joyland - Stephen King ($12.95/$.50, copyright 2013, 283 pages, Trade Paperback)
I gave up on King years ago for several reasons, one of which was that I didn't think he was able to write a decent ending. I picked this one up because it's centered around a carnival and I'm a sucker for carnivals. (Sadly, this did not turn out to be a traveling carnival filled with weird acts.) Here we have a young man, Devin Jones, who takes a summer job in Joyland, a stationary carnival in North Carolina. He makes friends with a couple of the other "Greenies" - Tom and Erin - and they do everything from clean-up duty through wearing "The Fur" - a dog suit of Howie the Happy Hound, the park's mascot. I loved the carny language King uses (and, thankfully, explains). There's also a minor ghost story and Devin becomes obsessed with a string of unsolved murders. But it's more of a coming-of-age story then anything else, and - in my opinion - more of a Bachman book. To me, it felt padded and could have done with some editing and the ending was too abrupt. It was okay.
This next book needs some explanation.
When I was a kid back in the early '50's, we didn't have the electronics or social media of today (obviously). What we had was black-and-white TV and books to keep us entertained - when we weren't outside playing with our friends. Anyway, my 2 maternal aunts were nuns - Sisters of St. Dominic out of Blauvelt, N. Y. - and would come by to visit several times a year. (Side Note: My Aunt Katherine is 92 and still causing trouble at the Mother House.) One Christmas - I think when I was about 8 - they brought my older brother and I two books, both - of course - with a religious connection. One was "Fighting Father Duffy" about the chaplain with the Fighting 69th during World War II. The other was this one which I serendipitously came across while looking up something else on one of the discount book sites that I visit from time to time ..........
Percy Wynn, or Making a Boy of Him - Fr. Francis J. Finn, S. J. ($9.00*/$3.31, copyright 1893, 248 pages, Paperback)
Percy is a young man who's been raised by overprotective parents and 10 older sisters. He's been kept from the company of other young boys but, due to circumstances, has now been thrust into an all male school. Fr. Flynn uses a cast of other boys, led by Tom Playfair (not too subtle a name) and his friends - representing fine, upstanding young Catholic boys - and Charlie Richards and his friends - representing the bullies - to educate Percy and the young reader in how to become a good person. I admit that this book is outdated and probably will not appeal to anyone outside of my generation. The world has changed a lot since I first read this and Percy's effeminate mannerisms would now be seen in a different light. (As would a priest writing about an all boy's school, I would imagine.) Still, there's an anachronistic element to this book that lured me in and a nostalgia that made me smile. I enjoyed it.
* I couldn't find a cover price on this volume so I took the new book price from Amazon.
Up next is February and you may find me start reviewing a lot of children's books since the Baby Shower for my first Grandchild - a girl - will be on Valentine's Day.
Till then, keep warm and ....
Keep reading.
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