I don't think I need to go into what's going on right now - we're all living through it. My situation may be slightly different from yours because I do have to go out daily for radiation but I've been self-isolating since the transplant in late 2008 and I'm getting to like social distancing. The supermarkets are still a problem but I've started shopping at my local Quick Chek and Walgreen's for what I need. In the meantime, I've been spending more time then I should online, checking out Facebook and ordering stuff. I did manage to finish a couple of books though. No genre ones this month but two by authors that I really like.
Miscellaneous
Trans Atlantic - Colum McCann ($3.99/$16.00, copyright 2013, 300 pages, Trade Paperback)
I've read several of McCann's novels and really enjoyed them. One of the interesting things he does is that he changes his formats to fit the overall story. This one follows the way he laid out "Let The Great World Spin" - a series of what appears to be short stories that he ultimately ties together. Here he gives us 3 historical events and people, set at different times, that involve crossing the Atlantic between Ireland and America. The 1st is about 2 British airmen making the first crossing after WW1. The 2nd features Frederick Douglass who flies over for a speaking tour in 1845. The 3rd is centered on George Mitchell and his help in negotiating the Northern Ireland Peace Accord between '95 and '98. Each of these works on their own but McCann adds his connection. A young Irish immigrant girl gets to meet the pilots in Newfoundland and gets a picture. We find out that she's connected to a woman who interacted with Douglas and a woman who will be involved with the Mitchell visit. Although slightly out of chronological order McCann makes this work. Every one of these characters is clearly defined and the writing is crisp and entertaining. I enjoyed it.
Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman ($5.88/$15.99, copyright 2017, 265 pages, Trade Paperback)
I mentioned one of Gaiman's books last month but this one is totally different. I grew up reading comic books and was there at the start of the Marvel Era. I read them all including "Thor". Over the years, the writers expended the cast and the background to include Asgard and all of the major gods. Gaiman has done the same here in one volume. We get them all - Odin, Thor, Loki, Balder, etc. Their stories are told in detail, chapter by chapter, and lead up to Ragnarok, the Final Days. I'm not going to go into any details because it's not a novel that I need to explain. I will say that Gaiman's writing brings all the characters to life and his descriptions of the various backgrounds are great. I enjoyed it.
It's starting to get warm now although we did have rain mixed with some flakes this morning. I'm not sure what's gonna happen in April but I'm pretty sure we'll get through it. In the meantime stay home, stay safe and ….
Keep Reading!
Monday, March 23, 2020
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Not to make a big deal out of it but I'm going through another round of treatments that take place early in the morning. Combined with the Insomnia side effect from the last round, I haven't read so much lately. (Of course, these things haven't kept me from continuing to order books.) Anyway, I did manage to finish a couple.
Miscellaneous
The Master Of Ballantrae - Robert Louis Stevenson ($9.95/$4.82, Published 1996, 246 pages, Paperback)
This is Stevenson's retelling of the familiar family divided/two Brothers against each other story. Set in Scotland during the 1745 Jacobite Revolution, he gives us the Drurie family. James, the oldest, supports the Scottish side while Henry the younger, is faithful to The Crown. James leaves home to fight for the cause and winds up fleeing to sea where he spends some time as a pirate in the French Indies. Meanwhile, Henry has taken over as the Master. James ultimately returns to demand his Birthright and begins a huge feud that takes them from their home in Scotland to the American Wilderness. Stevenson does a great job with his descriptions of the various locations and he's created some very memorable characters, especially James who comes across as very manipulative. Another plus to this book is that Stevenson uses multiple Narrators to tell the story which I found interesting. I enjoyed it.
The Ocean At the End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman ($7.99/$5.88, copyright 2013, 237 pages, Paperback)
I am a big fan of Gaiman and I've just ordered 2 more of his books ("American Gods" and "Anansi Boys"). This is another of his Adult books. He gives us a middle-aged man in England who returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He decides to drive around for a while afterwards and winds up at a farm at the end of a road that he seems to be drawn to. He didn't know why at first, but as he wanders around he remembers. 40 Years ago, His Father took in a Boarder from Australia who wound up stealing their car and crashing it. When the boy went out to the site he wound up walking around and met a girl named Lettie Hempstock who took him to her farm, fed him, and introduced him to her Mother and her Grandmother. Then she took him for a walk and things got really strange. I can't begin to describe or explain what happens without spoiling the book. Gaiman has created some great characters here and he always paints a wonderful narrative. I enjoyed it.
It's cold today but supposed to get warmer for the next couple of days. I have to run some errands tomorrow but then I should have time to kick back and enjoy one of the books I'm juggling.
Talk to you next month. Until then ….
Keep reading.
Miscellaneous
The Master Of Ballantrae - Robert Louis Stevenson ($9.95/$4.82, Published 1996, 246 pages, Paperback)
This is Stevenson's retelling of the familiar family divided/two Brothers against each other story. Set in Scotland during the 1745 Jacobite Revolution, he gives us the Drurie family. James, the oldest, supports the Scottish side while Henry the younger, is faithful to The Crown. James leaves home to fight for the cause and winds up fleeing to sea where he spends some time as a pirate in the French Indies. Meanwhile, Henry has taken over as the Master. James ultimately returns to demand his Birthright and begins a huge feud that takes them from their home in Scotland to the American Wilderness. Stevenson does a great job with his descriptions of the various locations and he's created some very memorable characters, especially James who comes across as very manipulative. Another plus to this book is that Stevenson uses multiple Narrators to tell the story which I found interesting. I enjoyed it.
The Ocean At the End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman ($7.99/$5.88, copyright 2013, 237 pages, Paperback)
I am a big fan of Gaiman and I've just ordered 2 more of his books ("American Gods" and "Anansi Boys"). This is another of his Adult books. He gives us a middle-aged man in England who returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He decides to drive around for a while afterwards and winds up at a farm at the end of a road that he seems to be drawn to. He didn't know why at first, but as he wanders around he remembers. 40 Years ago, His Father took in a Boarder from Australia who wound up stealing their car and crashing it. When the boy went out to the site he wound up walking around and met a girl named Lettie Hempstock who took him to her farm, fed him, and introduced him to her Mother and her Grandmother. Then she took him for a walk and things got really strange. I can't begin to describe or explain what happens without spoiling the book. Gaiman has created some great characters here and he always paints a wonderful narrative. I enjoyed it.
It's cold today but supposed to get warmer for the next couple of days. I have to run some errands tomorrow but then I should have time to kick back and enjoy one of the books I'm juggling.
Talk to you next month. Until then ….
Keep reading.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
A Belated 10th Anniversary
I tend to read more then 1 book at a time so I choose them from different genres. Jumping back and forth like that usually keeps me from getting bored. This month, however, I had a medical procedure to check on something and I've had to wait on the results. Needless to say, I haven't been able to concentrate very well. I got the results yesterday and I have to go back for Radiation but at least there's no Chemo or Surgery and the Prognosis is good.
Right now, I'm juggling a great Fantasy book by Neil Gaiman, the first of the Travis McGee Detective books by John D. MacDonald, and a book by Robert Louis Stevenson that was made into a pretty good movie starring Errol Flynn. But being a Bookie, there's always something else I want. Since Friday the 3rd, I've ordered 8 different books from 2 different Discount sites for a total of about $40. That's about $5 each but I have to say that 1 of these was about $11 and I'll explain that shortly. Some of them have come in already.
I ordered the 2 Captain Nemo books by Jules Verne, 1 of which just came in.
I ordered a Paperback copy of William S. Baring-Gould's Biography of Sherlock Holmes. I've had a Hard-copy edition since the '70's but it's easier to carry around something smaller. Shipped but still waiting for it.
I ordered what is described as an "Unauthorized Biography" of Sherlock Holmes by Nick Rennison. I don't know anything about this but it sounded interesting. This just came in.
I ordered 2 Holmes Pastiches, 1 of which involves "The Giant Rat of Sumatra". They just came in.
I ordered a copy of Steinbeck's 1st novel which is about Henry Morgan the Pirate. Shipped but still waiting for it.
Finally, I ordered a book that I had on a Wish List for about 6 months. It's a memoir of a French Pilot's experiences during WW2. It's been out of print a long time but a copy just turned up and they contacted me. This is the book that was about $11 and I hope it's worth it. Shipped but still waiting for it.
I.m looking forward to reading every one of these.
Now to the reason for this - my Totals for the 10th year of this Blog which ran from December 2018 to November 2019.
Totals Face Value Actual Cost
Series
14 $98.82 $40.23
Misc
8 $64.82 $32.44
Pulp
1 $.75 $.75
Non-Fiction
4 $32.80 $19.67
____ ______ ______
27 $197.19 $93.09
Grand Totals for the 10 years.
380 $3,642.16 $473.38
Anyway, we've had some really nice weather lately but it's changing back to more seasonal temperatures. They say there's a possibility of snow this weekend so on my way home from my Doctor's Appointment tomorrow I'll make sure to stock up on some food.
February is up next. Say warm, stay safe and ……..
Keep Reading.
Right now, I'm juggling a great Fantasy book by Neil Gaiman, the first of the Travis McGee Detective books by John D. MacDonald, and a book by Robert Louis Stevenson that was made into a pretty good movie starring Errol Flynn. But being a Bookie, there's always something else I want. Since Friday the 3rd, I've ordered 8 different books from 2 different Discount sites for a total of about $40. That's about $5 each but I have to say that 1 of these was about $11 and I'll explain that shortly. Some of them have come in already.
I ordered the 2 Captain Nemo books by Jules Verne, 1 of which just came in.
I ordered a Paperback copy of William S. Baring-Gould's Biography of Sherlock Holmes. I've had a Hard-copy edition since the '70's but it's easier to carry around something smaller. Shipped but still waiting for it.
I ordered what is described as an "Unauthorized Biography" of Sherlock Holmes by Nick Rennison. I don't know anything about this but it sounded interesting. This just came in.
I ordered 2 Holmes Pastiches, 1 of which involves "The Giant Rat of Sumatra". They just came in.
I ordered a copy of Steinbeck's 1st novel which is about Henry Morgan the Pirate. Shipped but still waiting for it.
Finally, I ordered a book that I had on a Wish List for about 6 months. It's a memoir of a French Pilot's experiences during WW2. It's been out of print a long time but a copy just turned up and they contacted me. This is the book that was about $11 and I hope it's worth it. Shipped but still waiting for it.
I.m looking forward to reading every one of these.
Now to the reason for this - my Totals for the 10th year of this Blog which ran from December 2018 to November 2019.
Totals Face Value Actual Cost
Series
14 $98.82 $40.23
Misc
8 $64.82 $32.44
Pulp
1 $.75 $.75
Non-Fiction
4 $32.80 $19.67
____ ______ ______
27 $197.19 $93.09
Grand Totals for the 10 years.
380 $3,642.16 $473.38
Anyway, we've had some really nice weather lately but it's changing back to more seasonal temperatures. They say there's a possibility of snow this weekend so on my way home from my Doctor's Appointment tomorrow I'll make sure to stock up on some food.
February is up next. Say warm, stay safe and ……..
Keep Reading.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Chapter One Hundred and Twelve
It's almost Christmas and it's been very cold lately. We've had a few snow alerts but, thankfully, nothing serious where I live. I did all my shopping on-line this year and I had it all delivered, wrapped, bagged, and tagged by the end of November. We'll be getting together at my Daughter's and I dropped off some of my presents this morning. I went with books this year.
I've ordered some more books recently and I'm waiting for them to come in so I decided to go for a couple of classics first.
Off The Shelf
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens ($1.95/$1.95, published in 1867, 481 pages, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know this story. Oliver is an orphan who runs away from a workhouse and the cruel Mr. Bumble and winds up on the streets of London where he meets up with the Artful Dodger who introduces him to Fagin and his gang of youthful pickpockets. Besides these characters, Dickens populates the book with others that have become stereotypes including Nancy, the prostitute with a heart of gold and Bill Sikes the vicious burglar. It was originally published as a series in Bentley's Miscellany and Dickens does a great job of describing the criminal underground of London at the time. I can only imagine how the readers waited impatiently for the next chapter. I enjoyed it.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas ($1.50/$1.50, copyright 1956 (this edition), 441 pages, Paperback)
Again, here's another story that you should be familiar with. In 1815 Edmond Dantès a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been told that he will be taking over from Captain Leclère as he retires. With this happy news he returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. What he isn't aware of is that there are others who have a different idea and he gets arrested and thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed. He gets sent to the prison fortress of the Chateau D'If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas does a great job with the characters and the different set-ups throughout the book but I felt he could've spent more time on how Edmond got his revenge. Still, I enjoyed it.
Series
Black Money - Ross McDonald ($11,00/$.50, copyright 1965, 238 pages, Trade Paperback)
I spoke about the first Lew Archer book several months ago and I think I said I liked it. I'm not sure where this one falls into the series but it's one of the books I picked up at the Library Sale months ago. He's hired by a rich guy named Peter Jamieson to find out why his supposed fiancé - Ginny Fablon - ran away with a Frenchman. Archer tracks things back and winds up investigating a sports club and looking into a death that was previously classified as a suicide. McDonald has a good eye for background but I found myself struggling with this. Maybe because he never gives us a description or any background for Archer. It was OK.
I've already started a couple of other books and, coincidentally, they're by the same author but not the same genre.
Curious?
Stay tuned. Stay warm. Have a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and …..
Keep reading!
I've ordered some more books recently and I'm waiting for them to come in so I decided to go for a couple of classics first.
Off The Shelf
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens ($1.95/$1.95, published in 1867, 481 pages, Paperback)
I'm guessing that you all know this story. Oliver is an orphan who runs away from a workhouse and the cruel Mr. Bumble and winds up on the streets of London where he meets up with the Artful Dodger who introduces him to Fagin and his gang of youthful pickpockets. Besides these characters, Dickens populates the book with others that have become stereotypes including Nancy, the prostitute with a heart of gold and Bill Sikes the vicious burglar. It was originally published as a series in Bentley's Miscellany and Dickens does a great job of describing the criminal underground of London at the time. I can only imagine how the readers waited impatiently for the next chapter. I enjoyed it.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas ($1.50/$1.50, copyright 1956 (this edition), 441 pages, Paperback)
Again, here's another story that you should be familiar with. In 1815 Edmond Dantès a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been told that he will be taking over from Captain Leclère as he retires. With this happy news he returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. What he isn't aware of is that there are others who have a different idea and he gets arrested and thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed. He gets sent to the prison fortress of the Chateau D'If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas does a great job with the characters and the different set-ups throughout the book but I felt he could've spent more time on how Edmond got his revenge. Still, I enjoyed it.
Series
Black Money - Ross McDonald ($11,00/$.50, copyright 1965, 238 pages, Trade Paperback)
I spoke about the first Lew Archer book several months ago and I think I said I liked it. I'm not sure where this one falls into the series but it's one of the books I picked up at the Library Sale months ago. He's hired by a rich guy named Peter Jamieson to find out why his supposed fiancé - Ginny Fablon - ran away with a Frenchman. Archer tracks things back and winds up investigating a sports club and looking into a death that was previously classified as a suicide. McDonald has a good eye for background but I found myself struggling with this. Maybe because he never gives us a description or any background for Archer. It was OK.
I've already started a couple of other books and, coincidentally, they're by the same author but not the same genre.
Curious?
Stay tuned. Stay warm. Have a great Christmas, and a Happy New Year, and …..
Keep reading!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
The weather has been changeable lately and I found myself bogged down in a couple of books that I just haven't been able to make any progress with. I decided to revisit this set that has been on my living room shelves for the 20+ years that I lived in this apartment.
Non-fiction
Bloodletters And Bad Men - Jay Robert Nash
I'm going to approach these a little differently. It's a 3-volume set and they each deal with the same type of people - the murderers, robbers, assassins, kidnappers, etc. that have grabbed our attention since the country was established. Each volume deals with a different time period and the series is progressive. Nash has done thumb-nail portraits of his subjects and, in most cases, has been able to add a photo or illustration. Some are interesting, some are not, and some became repetitive after a while. These books have been described as an encyclopedia of crime and there are a lot of entries but I'm only going to mention the people that you might know. My only problem is that Nash lists his subjects alphabetically while I would've preferred chronologically.
Book 1, Captain Lightfoot to Jesse James ($4.95/$4.95/ copyright 1973, 415 pages, Paperback)
While Nash does bring up some early criminals, it doesn't get interesting until the entries from the "Wild West" era and the Civil War. He gives us Sam Bass, William "Billy the Kid" Bonny, and Jesse James as well as William Quantrill and his Raiders (including a separate entry for his Lieutenant William "Bloody Bill" Anderson). We get the Gunfight at the OK Corral and we get the story of Herman Webster Mudgett AKA H. H. Holmes who created the "Murder Castle" in Chicago during the Chicago Worlds Fair of1893.
Book 2, Butch Cassidy to Al Capone ($4.95/$4.95, copyright 1973, 431 pages, Paperback)
Here Nash brings us up into the 20's and 30's and introduces us to other criminal activity. Now we get Bootleggers, Bank robbers, Gangsters and Swindlers. He gives us Legs Diamond, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson. We get Bonnie and Clyde and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We get Al Capone, the Black Hand, and the Mafia. And he gives us Leopold and Loeb and Charles Ponzi.
Book 3, Lucky Luciano to Charles Manson ($4.95/$4.95, copyright 1973, 423 pages, Paperback)
Nash moves us up into the 40's to 60's by adding Racketeers, Mafia Chiefs, and assassins. The mobsters include Joe Bonanno, Carmine Galante, Joe Gallo, Vito Genovese, Sam Giancana, and Lucky Luciano. We get Bruno Hauptmann. He gives us the assassins Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, and Sirhan Sirhan. We get the mass killers Richard Speck and Charles Whitman. As a bonus, he gives us Willy Sutton.
There are a lot of other fascinating people here and I understand that Nash has updated his work as 1 volume with new material. I read them straight through although, I have to admit, by the 3rd volume I was getting bored. This is probably something you might just want to pick and choose what you want. Still, I enjoyed it.
Thanksgiving is next week and Then we get Christmas. I did all my shopping online and the last present should be in next week. Now I have to figure out the best way to wrap this stuff. Maybe just gift bags this year.
Enjoy the Holidays, keep warm, and ….
.
Keep Reading.
Non-fiction
Bloodletters And Bad Men - Jay Robert Nash
I'm going to approach these a little differently. It's a 3-volume set and they each deal with the same type of people - the murderers, robbers, assassins, kidnappers, etc. that have grabbed our attention since the country was established. Each volume deals with a different time period and the series is progressive. Nash has done thumb-nail portraits of his subjects and, in most cases, has been able to add a photo or illustration. Some are interesting, some are not, and some became repetitive after a while. These books have been described as an encyclopedia of crime and there are a lot of entries but I'm only going to mention the people that you might know. My only problem is that Nash lists his subjects alphabetically while I would've preferred chronologically.
Book 1, Captain Lightfoot to Jesse James ($4.95/$4.95/ copyright 1973, 415 pages, Paperback)
While Nash does bring up some early criminals, it doesn't get interesting until the entries from the "Wild West" era and the Civil War. He gives us Sam Bass, William "Billy the Kid" Bonny, and Jesse James as well as William Quantrill and his Raiders (including a separate entry for his Lieutenant William "Bloody Bill" Anderson). We get the Gunfight at the OK Corral and we get the story of Herman Webster Mudgett AKA H. H. Holmes who created the "Murder Castle" in Chicago during the Chicago Worlds Fair of1893.
Book 2, Butch Cassidy to Al Capone ($4.95/$4.95, copyright 1973, 431 pages, Paperback)
Here Nash brings us up into the 20's and 30's and introduces us to other criminal activity. Now we get Bootleggers, Bank robbers, Gangsters and Swindlers. He gives us Legs Diamond, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Baby Face Nelson. We get Bonnie and Clyde and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We get Al Capone, the Black Hand, and the Mafia. And he gives us Leopold and Loeb and Charles Ponzi.
Book 3, Lucky Luciano to Charles Manson ($4.95/$4.95, copyright 1973, 423 pages, Paperback)
Nash moves us up into the 40's to 60's by adding Racketeers, Mafia Chiefs, and assassins. The mobsters include Joe Bonanno, Carmine Galante, Joe Gallo, Vito Genovese, Sam Giancana, and Lucky Luciano. We get Bruno Hauptmann. He gives us the assassins Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, and Sirhan Sirhan. We get the mass killers Richard Speck and Charles Whitman. As a bonus, he gives us Willy Sutton.
There are a lot of other fascinating people here and I understand that Nash has updated his work as 1 volume with new material. I read them straight through although, I have to admit, by the 3rd volume I was getting bored. This is probably something you might just want to pick and choose what you want. Still, I enjoyed it.
Thanksgiving is next week and Then we get Christmas. I did all my shopping online and the last present should be in next week. Now I have to figure out the best way to wrap this stuff. Maybe just gift bags this year.
Enjoy the Holidays, keep warm, and ….
.
Keep Reading.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Fall is here and the days are getting shorter and cooler. I've had more spare time lately which means more time to read so I've tried a few different things this time.
Miscellaneous
Different Seasons - Stephen King ($7.99/$3.99, copyright 1982, 99 pages, Paperback)
I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of short stories or Stephen King and yet I did pick up a copy of this book. In my defense, they are actually novellas and I really wanted to read one of them.
Interestingly, 3 out of the 4 have been made into films and I've only seen 1. I'll leave it up to you to guess which one. the 1st is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the story of Andy Defresne who's been imprisoned for the murder of his wife and her lover. King does a good job of depicting the struggle Andy goes through which, at times, was very brutal. Apt Pupil is the story of a teen aged boy who discovers that a Nazi war criminal has been quietly living in his home town. King actually keeps the suspense climbing in this one. The Body was the basis for the movie "Stand By Me". 4 young Oregon boys set out to find the body of a boy who - they learned - was killed by a train. Various mishaps occur that will make you laugh and cry. The Breathing Method was the least interesting to me but was closest to the work King usually wrote. It revolves around an unmarried woman who finds herself pregnant and is desperate to give birth. I won't say any more about this except that it's pretty powerful. It took me a while to get through this but I enjoyed it.
Spade and Archer - Joe Gores ($15,00/$4.19, copyright 2009, 337 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Hard-boiled fiction and one of the greats was Dashiell Hammett. Several of his books were made into movies and my favorite is "The Maltese Falcon". Gores, with the permission of the Hammett estate, has written this prequel because of his fictionalized biography of the author. Spade quits the agency and goes private and we get to meet Effiie, his secretary, and Archer, who he brings on as a partner. This is actually 3 different cases that are tied together eventually. The 1st being the theft of gold off an Australian ship. The 2nd revolves around the murder of a San Francisco Banker. The 3rd involves missing money that was meant for Sun Yat Sen. It ends with Effie introducing someone familiar. Gores does a great job with Hammett's characters although I did think it dragged at times. Still, I enjoyed it.
Nonfiction
Atlas Obscura - Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras - ($17.95/$4.82, copyright 2017, Trade Paperback)
I ordered this book because it popped up on my Facebook Newsfeed. A friend liked it so I checked it out. I thought that it was going to share the off-the-beaten-track sites that would be interesting to see in foreign cities even though I'll probably never see them. Well, turns out the first 2/3rd's of the book consists of blank paper which, I guess, you're supposed to make notes in while you're traveling. The last 1/3rd however is kind of fun. They do tell you about some of the interesting places to see in cities like Berlin (Subterranean Berlin), Buenos Aires ( Castillo de Naveira), and New York (the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage and Museum, which I've seen). It was interesting.
I just got something in the mail that I've been looking forward to reading. Maybe I'll be able to tell you about it next time.
Happy Halloween all! And …
Keep reading.
Miscellaneous
Different Seasons - Stephen King ($7.99/$3.99, copyright 1982, 99 pages, Paperback)
I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of short stories or Stephen King and yet I did pick up a copy of this book. In my defense, they are actually novellas and I really wanted to read one of them.
Interestingly, 3 out of the 4 have been made into films and I've only seen 1. I'll leave it up to you to guess which one. the 1st is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the story of Andy Defresne who's been imprisoned for the murder of his wife and her lover. King does a good job of depicting the struggle Andy goes through which, at times, was very brutal. Apt Pupil is the story of a teen aged boy who discovers that a Nazi war criminal has been quietly living in his home town. King actually keeps the suspense climbing in this one. The Body was the basis for the movie "Stand By Me". 4 young Oregon boys set out to find the body of a boy who - they learned - was killed by a train. Various mishaps occur that will make you laugh and cry. The Breathing Method was the least interesting to me but was closest to the work King usually wrote. It revolves around an unmarried woman who finds herself pregnant and is desperate to give birth. I won't say any more about this except that it's pretty powerful. It took me a while to get through this but I enjoyed it.
Spade and Archer - Joe Gores ($15,00/$4.19, copyright 2009, 337 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Hard-boiled fiction and one of the greats was Dashiell Hammett. Several of his books were made into movies and my favorite is "The Maltese Falcon". Gores, with the permission of the Hammett estate, has written this prequel because of his fictionalized biography of the author. Spade quits the agency and goes private and we get to meet Effiie, his secretary, and Archer, who he brings on as a partner. This is actually 3 different cases that are tied together eventually. The 1st being the theft of gold off an Australian ship. The 2nd revolves around the murder of a San Francisco Banker. The 3rd involves missing money that was meant for Sun Yat Sen. It ends with Effie introducing someone familiar. Gores does a great job with Hammett's characters although I did think it dragged at times. Still, I enjoyed it.
Nonfiction
Atlas Obscura - Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras - ($17.95/$4.82, copyright 2017, Trade Paperback)
I ordered this book because it popped up on my Facebook Newsfeed. A friend liked it so I checked it out. I thought that it was going to share the off-the-beaten-track sites that would be interesting to see in foreign cities even though I'll probably never see them. Well, turns out the first 2/3rd's of the book consists of blank paper which, I guess, you're supposed to make notes in while you're traveling. The last 1/3rd however is kind of fun. They do tell you about some of the interesting places to see in cities like Berlin (Subterranean Berlin), Buenos Aires ( Castillo de Naveira), and New York (the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage and Museum, which I've seen). It was interesting.
I just got something in the mail that I've been looking forward to reading. Maybe I'll be able to tell you about it next time.
Happy Halloween all! And …
Keep reading.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Chapter One Hundred and Nine
It's just past the middle of September and the weather is starting to moderate, which I like. I'm dog-sitting again for a few days (not the same dog as last month) and I wound up packing a couple of books that I wasn't already reading. I'm not sure that I'll finish any more before the end of the month so I'll let you know what I did.
Miscellaneous
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time - Mark Haddon ($12.00/$4.48, copyright 2003, 221 pages, Trade Paperback)
Christopher John Francis Boone is a fifteen year old boy who lives with his father, loves animals, and doesn't understand human emotions-including his own. He's Autistic but seems to be High-Functioning although that's not specifically mentioned. He comes across the body of his neighbor Mrs. Shears' dog, Wellington, with a pitchfork sticking out of it. Christopher loves animals so he tries to help but gets accused of the crime. Once this is straightened out, he decides to investigate just like Sherlock Holmes. He's good with facts and math but not so good with human interaction. He follows a trail that takes him on a trip away from his familiar routine, including dealing with buying a train ticket. His comfortable life begins to unravel as the clues he uncovers and records in his book lead him back to his own home. Haddon does a good job with all the characters but his depiction of Christopher is great. I have a young relative who's High-Functioning and this rings true. I enjoyed it. (FYI, I didn't make a mistake with the title, it actually is all in lower case.)
The Night Of The Hunter - Davis Grubb ($1.95/$5.98*, copyright 1953, 220 pages, Paperback)
This is the basis for one of my favorite movies and the only one that the great actor Charles Laughton ever directed. The reviews at the time were so bad that he never directed again. Too bad really because it's now considered a Classic and is, in my opinion, the best role Robert Mitchum ever played. In a small town in Ohio, Willa Harper is raising her two children Pearl and John, alone because her husband Ben has been executed for killing 2 people while stealing $10,000 from a bank. The thing is, no one knows what happened to the money. Ben's cell mate Henry "Preacher" Powell tried to get it out of him but couldn't. When he's released, Preacher heads to Ohio to woo Willa in the hopes of finding the money. They get married but the kids get wise to his game, figure things out, and run away. Of course, Preacher follows and the chase is on. Grubb has created some very interesting characters but I have to admit that I visualized them as they were in the movie.(In case you didn't figure it out, Robert Mitchum was Preacher.) I enjoyed it and recommend it.
That's it for now.
I'll still be here tomorrow dog-sitting but I do need to do a few other things. I have to swing by my apartment to feed the cat and pick up my mail. I need to fill up my gas tank and check the air in my front passenger-side tire. I need to spend some time with my Granddaughter. And I need to get back to the book I'll be starting in just a few minutes. I'll let you know how that goes next time. Until then ….
Keep Reading.
Miscellaneous
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time - Mark Haddon ($12.00/$4.48, copyright 2003, 221 pages, Trade Paperback)
Christopher John Francis Boone is a fifteen year old boy who lives with his father, loves animals, and doesn't understand human emotions-including his own. He's Autistic but seems to be High-Functioning although that's not specifically mentioned. He comes across the body of his neighbor Mrs. Shears' dog, Wellington, with a pitchfork sticking out of it. Christopher loves animals so he tries to help but gets accused of the crime. Once this is straightened out, he decides to investigate just like Sherlock Holmes. He's good with facts and math but not so good with human interaction. He follows a trail that takes him on a trip away from his familiar routine, including dealing with buying a train ticket. His comfortable life begins to unravel as the clues he uncovers and records in his book lead him back to his own home. Haddon does a good job with all the characters but his depiction of Christopher is great. I have a young relative who's High-Functioning and this rings true. I enjoyed it. (FYI, I didn't make a mistake with the title, it actually is all in lower case.)
The Night Of The Hunter - Davis Grubb ($1.95/$5.98*, copyright 1953, 220 pages, Paperback)
This is the basis for one of my favorite movies and the only one that the great actor Charles Laughton ever directed. The reviews at the time were so bad that he never directed again. Too bad really because it's now considered a Classic and is, in my opinion, the best role Robert Mitchum ever played. In a small town in Ohio, Willa Harper is raising her two children Pearl and John, alone because her husband Ben has been executed for killing 2 people while stealing $10,000 from a bank. The thing is, no one knows what happened to the money. Ben's cell mate Henry "Preacher" Powell tried to get it out of him but couldn't. When he's released, Preacher heads to Ohio to woo Willa in the hopes of finding the money. They get married but the kids get wise to his game, figure things out, and run away. Of course, Preacher follows and the chase is on. Grubb has created some very interesting characters but I have to admit that I visualized them as they were in the movie.(In case you didn't figure it out, Robert Mitchum was Preacher.) I enjoyed it and recommend it.
That's it for now.
I'll still be here tomorrow dog-sitting but I do need to do a few other things. I have to swing by my apartment to feed the cat and pick up my mail. I need to fill up my gas tank and check the air in my front passenger-side tire. I need to spend some time with my Granddaughter. And I need to get back to the book I'll be starting in just a few minutes. I'll let you know how that goes next time. Until then ….
Keep Reading.
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