Chapter Seventy-three

So far, May has been kind of a bust weather-wise. Sure, we've had a couple of really good days but it seems like it's mostly been overcast and rainy. I did manage to take my Granddaughter out for a walk a couple of times. She's 13 months old now. She's now only napping once a day while I'm there and she's walking. These changes cut into my daily reading time but I did manage to finish these.

Series

Private #1 Suspect - James Patterson and Maxine Paetro ($10.00/$.50, copyright 2012, 377pages, Paperback)
I've always tried to read at least one book from all of the Patterson Factory Series'. This is the first one of the  "Private"  series that I came across. The central character, Jack Morgan, is the owner of a private security firm which is involved in several cases at once in this book - including the murder of a former girlfriend that he's accused of committing . All of these must be solved by the end of the book. As you might expect the action is continuous right up to the end (where the book starts to drag a bit, but by then, it's only a few more pages and you're done). There's nothing heavy-duty here (although Jack's having an evil twin brother is interesting) , and anyone who wants to stick with it should be able to finish it up in one day. It moves fast and held my attention. I enjoyed it.

Miscellaneous

Burr - Gore Vidal ($4.95/$.50, copyright 1973, 564 pages, Paperback)
I first read this book in Hard Cover back in the late 70's and was very happy to come across this Paperback edition at a Library Sale. This is a historical fiction novel, so the characters in the story actually existed. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton all make appearances  but the book's main character is Charlie Schuyler, a law clerk and budding journalist in the employ of the aging Aaron Burr, who is still living down his famous duel with Alexander Hamilton. The story is set in the 1830's, well after the American Revolution and towards the end of Burr's life. Schuyler has some powerful friends that want him to get Aaron Burr to admit that he is the father of Martin Van Buren, who is running for president. They hope to discredit Van Buren by linking him to the hated Burr, as well as painting Van Buren as a bastard. The whole book is Burr's recollections to Charlie about his life in the American Revolution, as vice-president to Thomas Jefferson, and his supposed attempt to split the United States and make himself emperor of Mexico. These recollections are interspersed with Charlie's relationship with Burr and with Helen Jewett, a prostitute that Charlie wants to marry. Vidal writes with passion and humor, and he brings all of the characters (real and imaginary) to life, although he doesn't hold some of our Founding Fathers in high regard. I enjoyed it.

That's it for this month. Looks like we're in for warmer weather mid-week which, I hope, will last through the Memorial Day weekend.

Up next, June and a couple of autobiographies (if I can finish them).

Keep reading!

Chapter Seventy-two

This has been a great April so far. My Granddaughter celebrated her First Birthday on the 5th and we had her big party on the 10th. It was kinda chilly that day but everyone had a great time. She's got a couple of teeth now and she's walking all over. I was lucky to get these books read during her nap times.

Series

The Reversal - Michael Connelly ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2010, 420 pages, Paperback)
This is the third entry in Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller series. He's usually a Defense Attorney but gets an unusual offer from the D. A.  to join the team as an independent prosecutor for the purpose of retrying a convicted child killer who has been granted a new trial. Haller agrees to the proposition and brings in his own people - including his half-brother, Harry Bosch (Connelly's most famous creation). The story is told in alternating chapters, one from Haller's first-person POV and the next from Bosch's third. It's not a bad book but I thought that the ending felt like a last minute change that wasn't very satisfying. It was OK.


All The Flowers Are Dying - Lawrence Block ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2005, 354 pages, Paperback)
I actually didn't know that this was part of a series. I picked it up at a Library sale about 6 months ago and finally got around to reading it. Matt Scudder is hired to do some digging on a man who may not be exactly who he says he is. At the same time, a man in Virginia is awaiting execution after being given the death penalty for the gruesome murder of several young boys. While in jail, the prisoner is interviewed by a psychologist who may not have the best of intentions. The story is broken up between Scudder and this shadowy psychologist for the length of the novel. I'm going to have to look into the rest of this series because Scudder has a great supporting cast and I'd like to see how this came about. I enjoyed it.

Today started with rain but it's warm and sunny out now. The forecast is for continuing warm weather. I'm good with that.

Until next month ..

Keep reading.

Chapter Seventy-one

It's March and, as usual, the weather has run the gamut from really good to really bad. Still, Spring is here  and every day gets a little longer and, hopefully, a little warmer. This month, I found something that I didn't have and revisited something that I did.

Miscellaneous

M.A.S.H -Richard Hooker ($.50/$.95. copyright 1968, 180 pages, Paperback)

I came across this in the Metuchen Library. It's the novel that gave life to Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John, Hot Lips Houlihan, Frank Burns, Radar O'Reilly, and the rest of the gang that made the 4077th M.A.S.H. (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) what it was. Hooker gives us all of it - those martini-laced mornings and sexual escapades, and that unforgettable foray into assisted if uncompleted suicide--all of them as enjoyable now as they were before they became a part of America's culture. I loved the TV show but the movie was truer to Hooker's original version. I enjoyed it.

Off The Shelf

The Right Stuff - Tom Wolfe ( $16.00/$16.00, copyright 1979, 352 pages, Trade Paperback)

Earlier this month, Astronaut Scott Kelly returned from a record-setting stay in space. That made me want to reread this book. Wolfe starts in the late 1940's, when Chuck Yeager breaks through Mach 1 and then shifts his focus to the seven initial Mercury  astronauts. He takes it from Alan Shepard's suborbital flight  through John Glenn's complete orbit. Then he brings it full-circle  with a return to Yeager and his late-career exploits. Wolfe's style is to research a subject in-depth then fictionalize it by adding dialog. It works for me. I enjoyed it.

We just passed Easter and are coming up on my Granddaughter's First Birthday. I'm also on "Spring Break" (my daughter is a Teacher) so I've got a little over a week's break from Babysitting. I'm not sure how I'll pass the time but I'm guessing that there are books involved.

Until next month ..........

Keep reading.

Chapter Seventy

January was kinda rough on me but February has been much better - so far. I'm still babysitting my Granddaughter several days a week but I'm no longer doing the early morning radiation. We haven't had any appreciable snow (although there is a storm predicted for Tuesday/Wednesday). And we've had some really cold weather but this weekend has been warm. I'm still not reading as much as I used to but I'm still able to find the time to squeeze in a book or two. Here's what I read this month.

Series

Good Night, Mr. Holmes - Carole Nelson Douglas ($4.49/$4.99, copyright 1990, 408 pages, Paperback)
I first read this book years ago and recently found out that this was the first volume in a series by finding two more at a Library sale in Metuchen. Of course, I had to reread this one first so "Off the shelf" it came.  Douglas has written a prequel to "A Scandal In Bohemia" in which we learn how Irene Adler and her personal assistant, Penelope Huxleigh, met and how they got caught up in the situation that introduced Sherlock Holmes into their lives.The pairing of the ultra-respectable Penelope, the country parson's daughter, with Irene, the convention breaking American singer, and their interaction with Godfrey Norton, a Barrister, bring a bit of lightness to the book. Also, appearances by famed historical personages (Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, and later on the Divine Sarah Bernhardt) and famed fictional personages (Holmes and Watson) make this a bit more realistic and amusing to read. I enjoyed it.

Miscellaneous


The Hot Kid - Elmore Leonard ($6.99/$.50, copyright 2005, 387 pages, Paperback)
I picked this up because I hadn't read a Leonard book before and  the time-frame interested me -1930s Oklahoma - which includes the Dust Bowl, Prohibition, Bank Robbers, and U. S. Marshals. It's not really a novel but a series of vignettes in the life of oil-well boy Carl Webster, who witnesses a crime as a child and grows up to become the most respected Marshal in the state. His nemesis is Jack Belmont, a wanna-be criminal rebelling against his millionaire dad, and the two cross paths repeatedly throughout the book. Leonard has created a cast of memorable characters and his writing captures the feel of that other time and place. I enjoyed it.

That's it for this month. I just started 2 new books in 2 different genres and we'll see how that goes. It's too early to tell. While we're waiting, the days are getting longer and warmer and Spring is on the way. Until next month ...

Keep reading!

Chapter Sixty-nine

It's the start of a new year and we've just gone through the worst snow storm in years. I stayed in all day yesterday which gave me time to catch up on my sleep and finish a few things - specifically a book. Here are this month's selections.

Miscellaneous

Lincoln - Gore Vidal ($.50/$4.95, copyright 1984, 657 pages, Paperback)
I read this in Hardcover format when it was first released (it was a selection of a book club I belonged to at the time) and I happened across it recently at a library sale. It centers on Lincoln's experiences during the Civil War and is one of the best works of  historical fiction I've read. It  gets into the minds and motives of the men surrounding Lincoln, including his personal secretary John Hay, cabinet members William Seward and Salmon P. Chase, and his wife, Mary Todd. It is a longer book then I usually read but it's fascinating and it never loses sight of the intimate and personal in its depiction of the power struggles that accompanied Lincoln's efforts to preserve the Union at all costs. I enjoyed it.

Off The Shelf

Flashman - George MacDonald Fraser ($.95/$.95, copyright1969, 246 pages, Paperback)
This is a book for lovers of historical fiction, military fiction, or British history, but will be enjoyed by those who otherwise would never read in these areas.  This is the first book in a series and introduces Harry Flashman  beginning with his being expelled from school (he was the bully in "Tom Brown's School Days"), forced into the British Army, and suddenly finding himself in the midst of the disastrous British Afghan campaign.  He is a coward but he has the extraordinary ability to come out of tight situations looking like a hero. Fraser has created a truly unique character and uses him to have fun with history and historical characters. I enjoyed it.

I lucked out today and found someone to dig out my car for $25. I've been home all afternoon working on a few things and now I'll be starting a new book. Who has it better then me?

Stay tuned for next month and ...

Keep reading!

Chapter Sixty-eight

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!

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!