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!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
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.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Chapter Fifty-seven
Officially, winter comes in tomorrow but I'm pretty sure, temperature-wise, that it's been here for a couple of weeks. The only good thing to come out of this season - besides Christmas, of course - is that the nights are longer so there's more time to cover up in bed and read. Here are some suggestions for you.
Series
Boca Knights - Steven M. Forman ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 331 pages, Paperback)
This is Forman's first novel and the start of a new series. Our hero, Eddie Perlmutter, is a 60-year old,
retired Boston cop who suffers with arthritis so his friends convince him to move to Florida for the
warmth. He settles in to the resort life in Boca Raton taking a job at one of the local golf courses. That doesn't work out but he stumbles upon a Russian counterfeiting ring and that changes everything. Soon he's got a P. I. License and he gets involved in a murder and with some tough skin-head types. It's funny at times, crass at times, but it's always interesting and it has a great ending. I enjoyed it.
Year Of The Tiger - Jack Higgins ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1996, 259 pages, Paperback)
I've posted about several of Higgins' works that I've come across before and liked. Several of them have been centered on Paul Chevasse, a member of England's "secret" service. This is another one and revolves around his rescue of an important scientist being held as a prisoner by the Chinese in Tibet. I'm a fan of Higgins and he's put in plenty of action and intrigue but this one is very similar to the one where Chevasse rescued the Dalai Lama which I read recently. It was OK.
Non-fiction
History's Last Stand - Gerard and Patricia Del Re ($10.00/$1.00, copyright 1993, 210 pages, Trade Paperback)
Every once in a while, I pick up a non-fiction book because there's something about it that grabs me. This one has thumb-nail entries of how some of history's empires ended; how some Presidents and Rulers left office (or died); how some famous people met infamous ends; and other interesting endings. Some of these I knew and others I didn't. I have to say it was a bit pedantic and I was hoping for some more of the "famous last words" kind of thing. It was OK.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much - Allison Hoover Bartlett ($15.00/$.50, copyright 2009, 256 pages, Trade Paperback)
Bartlett has gone to great lengths to present the story of Ken Sanders, a book store owner and self-
appointed book thief catcher and his most infamous catch -John Gilkey. It's an interesting story, and Bartlett tells it from both sides - having interviewed both of the principles. You get to feel Sanders' passion to catch the thief but, somehow, she's not able to explain Gilkey's desire. I've been a bookie for years and I can understand - on a certain level - why he would covet a particular book but Bartlett doesn't offer any insight as to why he does it. It was OK.
So, Merry Christmas .... Happy New Year .... and
Keep reading.
Series
Boca Knights - Steven M. Forman ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 331 pages, Paperback)
This is Forman's first novel and the start of a new series. Our hero, Eddie Perlmutter, is a 60-year old,
retired Boston cop who suffers with arthritis so his friends convince him to move to Florida for the
warmth. He settles in to the resort life in Boca Raton taking a job at one of the local golf courses. That doesn't work out but he stumbles upon a Russian counterfeiting ring and that changes everything. Soon he's got a P. I. License and he gets involved in a murder and with some tough skin-head types. It's funny at times, crass at times, but it's always interesting and it has a great ending. I enjoyed it.
Year Of The Tiger - Jack Higgins ($6.99/$.50, copyright 1996, 259 pages, Paperback)
I've posted about several of Higgins' works that I've come across before and liked. Several of them have been centered on Paul Chevasse, a member of England's "secret" service. This is another one and revolves around his rescue of an important scientist being held as a prisoner by the Chinese in Tibet. I'm a fan of Higgins and he's put in plenty of action and intrigue but this one is very similar to the one where Chevasse rescued the Dalai Lama which I read recently. It was OK.
Non-fiction
History's Last Stand - Gerard and Patricia Del Re ($10.00/$1.00, copyright 1993, 210 pages, Trade Paperback)
Every once in a while, I pick up a non-fiction book because there's something about it that grabs me. This one has thumb-nail entries of how some of history's empires ended; how some Presidents and Rulers left office (or died); how some famous people met infamous ends; and other interesting endings. Some of these I knew and others I didn't. I have to say it was a bit pedantic and I was hoping for some more of the "famous last words" kind of thing. It was OK.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much - Allison Hoover Bartlett ($15.00/$.50, copyright 2009, 256 pages, Trade Paperback)
Bartlett has gone to great lengths to present the story of Ken Sanders, a book store owner and self-
appointed book thief catcher and his most infamous catch -John Gilkey. It's an interesting story, and Bartlett tells it from both sides - having interviewed both of the principles. You get to feel Sanders' passion to catch the thief but, somehow, she's not able to explain Gilkey's desire. I've been a bookie for years and I can understand - on a certain level - why he would covet a particular book but Bartlett doesn't offer any insight as to why he does it. It was OK.
So, Merry Christmas .... Happy New Year .... and
Keep reading.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Fifth Anniversary Post!!!
I know! Right! I'm kind of surprised that I've been doing this for 5 years! OK ... I would still have been reading for the last 5 years but my having a car has let me visit some libraries that I wouldn't have been able to get to otherwise and I wouldn't have been able to blog about them if I didn't have this laptop. So, first, this month's selections.
Series
NYPD Red - James Patterson and Marshall Karp ( $10.00/$.50, copyright 2012, 360 pages, Paperback)
This is the latest series out of the Patterson workshop and it's a doozy. NYPD Red is an elite squad who's primary responsibility is to protect the rich and famous. Detective Zach Jordan has worked it for years and he and his new partner - and former lover - Kylie McDonald are faced with a serial killer. It's Hollywood on the Hudson time and some of the powerful people are being killed - dramatically. The killer is very well prepared and stages some dramatic escapes, and there is some great character development here. Like all of Patterson's books, the chapters are short and the action keeps on intensifying. I enjoyed it.
Odd Hours - Dean Koontz ($9.99/$.25, copyright 2008, 397 pages, Paperback)
This is the fourth in Koontz's Odd Thomas series and I understand he intends it to run to seven volumes. Odd is a fry-cook with a special power - he sees ghosts. They don't speak to him but he feels compelled to help them resolve whatever keeps them here. And he gets visions of upcoming tragedies that he tries to prevent. Here, Odd is working as a personal chef to a retired actor in a place called Magic Beach. His vision leads him to a mysterious, pregnant woman and gets him involved in a plot to smuggle nuclear weapons into California. There are the usual assortment of strange characters that Odd deals with, and some of them are very interesting, but I found Koontz's mixing of the supernatural with a real-world situation felt forced. And he's left a lot of open questions, which I guess will be answered in the next three volumes. I don't think I'll be looking for them. I have to say that I was disappointed with this.
Miscellaneous
Boy's Life - Robert R. McCammon ($5.99/$1.99, copyright 1991, 578 pages, Paperback)
This is the story of Cory Mackenson, an 11-year-old boy living in Zephyr, Alabama. It starts when he's helping his father with the early morning milk deliveries and they come across a dead man - an obviously murdered man. This imbues the book, and it creeps in from time to time, but it's not the main focus. This is the story of a young boy's coming-of-age, and McCammon fills in with the joys and tragedies that life holds. He gives us Cory and his friends as they go to movies, ride their bikes, play baseball, and camp out. And he shows us how Cory and his family and friends deal with racism, bullying, and death. I've read several of McCammon's earlier works and I'd thought of him as a "horror" writer, and he does include some elements here but they're seen through Cory's eyes and that makes them sort of magical. If you haven't read this book, go out right now and get yourself a copy. I love it.
Totals
There's a couple of things I feel that I should say here. Firstly, I no longer mention books that I start but don't finish. My opinion shouldn't cloud yours. Secondly, I tend to read several books at the same time. So when you see that I've read a 500 page book in a month along with other books you should imagine a carry-over effect.
Now to the numbers ....
Series - 20 books, $198.57 total cover price, $23.68 actual cost.
Miscellaneous - 13 books, $150.84 total cover price, $23.04 actual cost.
Graphic Novels -2 books, $17.98 total cover price, $.25 actual cost.
Sherlock Holmes - 4 books, $38.98 total cover price, $2.50 actual cost.
Ten Books/Off The Shelf - 2 books, $3.45 total cover price, $3.45 actual cost.
Yearly Total - 41 books, $409.82 total cover price, $52.92 actual cost.
Five Year Total - 228 books, $2429.82 total cover price, $230.93 actual cost.
I would like to acknowledge the fact that my parents allowed my brothers and sisters and I to read whatever we wanted to. This included comic books which - growing up in the early '50's - were restricted under the Comics Code. (And my Dad always read my Mad Magazine when I was finished with it.)
Anyway.
I have another - more personal - anniversary coming up in a few days. Thanksgiving is just a week away. Christmas is coming up quickly. It's cold out so find yourself a good book to cuddle up with and ..
Keep reading.
Series
NYPD Red - James Patterson and Marshall Karp ( $10.00/$.50, copyright 2012, 360 pages, Paperback)
This is the latest series out of the Patterson workshop and it's a doozy. NYPD Red is an elite squad who's primary responsibility is to protect the rich and famous. Detective Zach Jordan has worked it for years and he and his new partner - and former lover - Kylie McDonald are faced with a serial killer. It's Hollywood on the Hudson time and some of the powerful people are being killed - dramatically. The killer is very well prepared and stages some dramatic escapes, and there is some great character development here. Like all of Patterson's books, the chapters are short and the action keeps on intensifying. I enjoyed it.
Odd Hours - Dean Koontz ($9.99/$.25, copyright 2008, 397 pages, Paperback)
This is the fourth in Koontz's Odd Thomas series and I understand he intends it to run to seven volumes. Odd is a fry-cook with a special power - he sees ghosts. They don't speak to him but he feels compelled to help them resolve whatever keeps them here. And he gets visions of upcoming tragedies that he tries to prevent. Here, Odd is working as a personal chef to a retired actor in a place called Magic Beach. His vision leads him to a mysterious, pregnant woman and gets him involved in a plot to smuggle nuclear weapons into California. There are the usual assortment of strange characters that Odd deals with, and some of them are very interesting, but I found Koontz's mixing of the supernatural with a real-world situation felt forced. And he's left a lot of open questions, which I guess will be answered in the next three volumes. I don't think I'll be looking for them. I have to say that I was disappointed with this.
Miscellaneous
Boy's Life - Robert R. McCammon ($5.99/$1.99, copyright 1991, 578 pages, Paperback)
This is the story of Cory Mackenson, an 11-year-old boy living in Zephyr, Alabama. It starts when he's helping his father with the early morning milk deliveries and they come across a dead man - an obviously murdered man. This imbues the book, and it creeps in from time to time, but it's not the main focus. This is the story of a young boy's coming-of-age, and McCammon fills in with the joys and tragedies that life holds. He gives us Cory and his friends as they go to movies, ride their bikes, play baseball, and camp out. And he shows us how Cory and his family and friends deal with racism, bullying, and death. I've read several of McCammon's earlier works and I'd thought of him as a "horror" writer, and he does include some elements here but they're seen through Cory's eyes and that makes them sort of magical. If you haven't read this book, go out right now and get yourself a copy. I love it.
Totals
There's a couple of things I feel that I should say here. Firstly, I no longer mention books that I start but don't finish. My opinion shouldn't cloud yours. Secondly, I tend to read several books at the same time. So when you see that I've read a 500 page book in a month along with other books you should imagine a carry-over effect.
Now to the numbers ....
Series - 20 books, $198.57 total cover price, $23.68 actual cost.
Miscellaneous - 13 books, $150.84 total cover price, $23.04 actual cost.
Graphic Novels -2 books, $17.98 total cover price, $.25 actual cost.
Sherlock Holmes - 4 books, $38.98 total cover price, $2.50 actual cost.
Ten Books/Off The Shelf - 2 books, $3.45 total cover price, $3.45 actual cost.
Yearly Total - 41 books, $409.82 total cover price, $52.92 actual cost.
Five Year Total - 228 books, $2429.82 total cover price, $230.93 actual cost.
I would like to acknowledge the fact that my parents allowed my brothers and sisters and I to read whatever we wanted to. This included comic books which - growing up in the early '50's - were restricted under the Comics Code. (And my Dad always read my Mad Magazine when I was finished with it.)
Anyway.
I have another - more personal - anniversary coming up in a few days. Thanksgiving is just a week away. Christmas is coming up quickly. It's cold out so find yourself a good book to cuddle up with and ..
Keep reading.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Chapter Fifty-six
Well, it's beginning to get colder, the day's are growing shorter, and the leaves are going out in a blaze of glory. This is October Country (I couldn't resist. I stole that from Ray Bradbury.) It's time to start hunkering down under the covers with a good book. Here's a few you might like.
Series
Darkest Fear - Harlan Coben - ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2000, 319 pages, Paperback)
This is one of Coben's Myron Bolitar novels. Myron is a sports agent who used to play pro basketball until he had his knee injured. He also used to be a lot of other things. In this one, he's approached by a former lover. She needs his help because her son needs a bone marrow transplant and the donor has disappeared and - 0h, yes - Myron is the father. There's an old, bitter rivalry involved, Myron's cast of colorful friends are still here including Win - the roommate and sociopath - Esmeralda, and Big Cindi, and there's plenty of Myron's trademark sarcasm. Coben mixes this with the story of a serial killer, a rich family, and the FBI. At times funny, at times suspenseful, and at times emotional. I enjoyed it.
Alex Cross, Run - James Patterson ( $10.00/$.50, copyright 2013, 378 pages, paperback)
I've mentioned Patterson's books in the past - how he's got all these different series' where he has co-writers - but he writes the Alex Cross series himself. In this one, Alex is faced with a pair or serial killers and a stalker who has a personal agenda against him - a stalker who actually frames him for assault. What I like about the Alex Cross books is that Patterson brings Cross's personal life - specifically his family - into every book and this one is particularly effective because it involves a sub-plot that revolves around a recently added foster child. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf
Last month, I added a new category - Top Ten - that led me to re-read some books that have stayed with me. The book I mentioned then was one that I pulled off of one of my bookshelves. Right behind it, I found this one which I really wanted to revisit. Hence, the start of another new category.
King Rat - James Clavell ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1962, 352 pages, Paperback)
This book is set in the Changi Prison Camp on the island of Singapore during 1945. It's the first novel that Clavell had published and there's an auto-biographical aspect to it since he was actually imprisoned there. The prisoners are a mix of British (or British colonists) and Americans. Conditions are terrible and people do what they can to survive. Although some of the characters are stereotypes, the story revolves around several fully fleshed-out people: the King, an American Corporal and Wheeler-dealer who's living well; Flight Lieutenant Philip Marlowe, a young man who the King takes under his wing; and the Provost Marshal Robin Grey, the King's nemesis. This is Clavell's shortest book but, in my opinion, his most powerful. There are a lot of things going on here but, in the end, it is a story of humanity stripped to it's basic elements. I enjoyed it.
Don't forget the Halloween falls on a Friday this year so I think it's a law that you can celebrate for the whole weekend. Whatever you do, stay safe and ....
Keep reading.
Series
Darkest Fear - Harlan Coben - ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2000, 319 pages, Paperback)
This is one of Coben's Myron Bolitar novels. Myron is a sports agent who used to play pro basketball until he had his knee injured. He also used to be a lot of other things. In this one, he's approached by a former lover. She needs his help because her son needs a bone marrow transplant and the donor has disappeared and - 0h, yes - Myron is the father. There's an old, bitter rivalry involved, Myron's cast of colorful friends are still here including Win - the roommate and sociopath - Esmeralda, and Big Cindi, and there's plenty of Myron's trademark sarcasm. Coben mixes this with the story of a serial killer, a rich family, and the FBI. At times funny, at times suspenseful, and at times emotional. I enjoyed it.
Alex Cross, Run - James Patterson ( $10.00/$.50, copyright 2013, 378 pages, paperback)
I've mentioned Patterson's books in the past - how he's got all these different series' where he has co-writers - but he writes the Alex Cross series himself. In this one, Alex is faced with a pair or serial killers and a stalker who has a personal agenda against him - a stalker who actually frames him for assault. What I like about the Alex Cross books is that Patterson brings Cross's personal life - specifically his family - into every book and this one is particularly effective because it involves a sub-plot that revolves around a recently added foster child. I enjoyed it.
Off The Shelf
Last month, I added a new category - Top Ten - that led me to re-read some books that have stayed with me. The book I mentioned then was one that I pulled off of one of my bookshelves. Right behind it, I found this one which I really wanted to revisit. Hence, the start of another new category.
King Rat - James Clavell ($1.95/$1.95, copyright 1962, 352 pages, Paperback)
This book is set in the Changi Prison Camp on the island of Singapore during 1945. It's the first novel that Clavell had published and there's an auto-biographical aspect to it since he was actually imprisoned there. The prisoners are a mix of British (or British colonists) and Americans. Conditions are terrible and people do what they can to survive. Although some of the characters are stereotypes, the story revolves around several fully fleshed-out people: the King, an American Corporal and Wheeler-dealer who's living well; Flight Lieutenant Philip Marlowe, a young man who the King takes under his wing; and the Provost Marshal Robin Grey, the King's nemesis. This is Clavell's shortest book but, in my opinion, his most powerful. There are a lot of things going on here but, in the end, it is a story of humanity stripped to it's basic elements. I enjoyed it.
Don't forget the Halloween falls on a Friday this year so I think it's a law that you can celebrate for the whole weekend. Whatever you do, stay safe and ....
Keep reading.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Chapter Fifty-five
Here we are coming up on the last weekend of the summer and, from what I've read, we're in for a pretty colorful Autumn. So, as the days start to grow shorter and the nights start to get cooler, don't forget to stockpile some books just in case. Here's a couple that you might want to check out.
Miscellaneous
City of Thieves - David Berioff ($15.00/$.50, copyright 2008, 258 pages, Trade Paperback)
This book has popped up several times during my library visits over the last year or so and I finally picked it up. It takes place during the Siege of Leningrad in WWII and revolves around a young man, Lev, who's arrested for looting and winds up in a cell with an accused deserter, Kolya. Instead of being killed for their "crimes", they are charged by the commanding officer to find 12 eggs for his daughter's wedding cake - 12 eggs in a city and countryside that is literally starving. What follows is - at times - funny, sad, uplifting, and scary as the 2 go on this quest. It's a coming-of-age story that Berioff fills with vivid characters who are dealing with hardships while experiencing friendship, love, hope, and death. I enjoyed it.
Series
Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues - Michael Brandman ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2011, 290 pages, Paperback)
This is a continuation of the Jesse Stone novels originally created by Robert B. Parker, hence the way the title is written. Michael Brandman worked with Parker on the Jesse Stone made-for-TV-movies that starred Tom Selleck so, I suppose, he was considered the best person to resurrect the series. Jesse is the Chief of Police in Paradise, a small town on the coast of Massachusetts but he used to be a cop in L. A. and he carries a lot of baggage. In this one, he and his officers are faced with a bunch of car thefts that escalate into murder; an ex-con with a personal grudge who wreaks some havoc; and the bullying of a high school girl. To be honest, I thought that this read a lot more like a screenplay then a novel but that's probably due to Brandman's TV background. He does have a good feel for the characters though and it really moves along well. I enjoyed it.
Ten Books
OK. This is a new category. A while ago, I was challenged on Facebook to list ten books that have stayed with me. The catch was that I had to do it immediately, which I did. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned a couple of them in this blog before and here's another one.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas ($1.50/$1.50, printed 1956*, 441 pages**, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know the plot to this book so I'll just lay out the bare bones. Set during the end of the Napoleonic Era, Edmund Dantes is a young man about to realize all his dreams - he's to become captain of a trading ship and he's about to get married. But there are people who resent and envy him so he's set up on a trumped up treason charge and sentenced to life in prison at the infamous Chateau d'If. He befriends a fellow prisoner who teaches him some things, stages an escape, and finds the hidden treasure of Monte Cristo. Then things get interesting. He takes his time as he plots his revenge on each of the men who destroyed his life. I enjoyed it.
* Dumas actually published this in installments in a paper or magazine (as he did with all his work, and like Dickens did with his) during 1844 and 1845. Which leads me to..
** I've had this book since the 60's and didn't realize that it's abridged. I went to Barnes & Noble's and found a complete edition which ran to 618 pages. Remember, back then authors were paid per installment so it's not unusual that there was some padding going on.
That's it for now.
October's up next and that leads into Winter and the Holiday Season.
Have fun, be well, and ..
Keep Reading!
Miscellaneous
City of Thieves - David Berioff ($15.00/$.50, copyright 2008, 258 pages, Trade Paperback)
This book has popped up several times during my library visits over the last year or so and I finally picked it up. It takes place during the Siege of Leningrad in WWII and revolves around a young man, Lev, who's arrested for looting and winds up in a cell with an accused deserter, Kolya. Instead of being killed for their "crimes", they are charged by the commanding officer to find 12 eggs for his daughter's wedding cake - 12 eggs in a city and countryside that is literally starving. What follows is - at times - funny, sad, uplifting, and scary as the 2 go on this quest. It's a coming-of-age story that Berioff fills with vivid characters who are dealing with hardships while experiencing friendship, love, hope, and death. I enjoyed it.
Series
Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues - Michael Brandman ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2011, 290 pages, Paperback)
This is a continuation of the Jesse Stone novels originally created by Robert B. Parker, hence the way the title is written. Michael Brandman worked with Parker on the Jesse Stone made-for-TV-movies that starred Tom Selleck so, I suppose, he was considered the best person to resurrect the series. Jesse is the Chief of Police in Paradise, a small town on the coast of Massachusetts but he used to be a cop in L. A. and he carries a lot of baggage. In this one, he and his officers are faced with a bunch of car thefts that escalate into murder; an ex-con with a personal grudge who wreaks some havoc; and the bullying of a high school girl. To be honest, I thought that this read a lot more like a screenplay then a novel but that's probably due to Brandman's TV background. He does have a good feel for the characters though and it really moves along well. I enjoyed it.
Ten Books
OK. This is a new category. A while ago, I was challenged on Facebook to list ten books that have stayed with me. The catch was that I had to do it immediately, which I did. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned a couple of them in this blog before and here's another one.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas ($1.50/$1.50, printed 1956*, 441 pages**, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know the plot to this book so I'll just lay out the bare bones. Set during the end of the Napoleonic Era, Edmund Dantes is a young man about to realize all his dreams - he's to become captain of a trading ship and he's about to get married. But there are people who resent and envy him so he's set up on a trumped up treason charge and sentenced to life in prison at the infamous Chateau d'If. He befriends a fellow prisoner who teaches him some things, stages an escape, and finds the hidden treasure of Monte Cristo. Then things get interesting. He takes his time as he plots his revenge on each of the men who destroyed his life. I enjoyed it.
* Dumas actually published this in installments in a paper or magazine (as he did with all his work, and like Dickens did with his) during 1844 and 1845. Which leads me to..
** I've had this book since the 60's and didn't realize that it's abridged. I went to Barnes & Noble's and found a complete edition which ran to 618 pages. Remember, back then authors were paid per installment so it's not unusual that there was some padding going on.
That's it for now.
October's up next and that leads into Winter and the Holiday Season.
Have fun, be well, and ..
Keep Reading!
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