Well, it's almost the end of February and I'm happy to see it go. It's been a tough one considering that my car was buried by the plows during the first storm and I've had to rely on local stores and family. But, they say this weekend should be warm and I'm hoping to dig out tomorrow. And Spring is just around the corner. And St. Patrick's Day, too, so there's hope in sight.
Let me tell you about what I've been reading to occupy myself.
Series
Lost on Venus - Edgar Rice Burroughs ($2.75/$3.95, 224 pages, Paperback)
This is the second in the Carson Napier series and picks up where the first one left off. He's been captured by the enemy and must escape in order to go after the Princess, Duare. This is the literary equivalent to an Indiana Jones movie - with the hero bouncing from one predicament to another - including the River of Death and a mad scientist and his kingdom of zombies. This is a classic Burroughs' book but there's an element of humor and it's a bit more political then I've seen from him. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
The Barbed-wire Kiss - Wallace Stroby ($6.99/$.50, copyright 2003, 334 pages, Paperback)
What drew me to this book is that it's set along the Jersey shore, specifically southern Monmouth and Ocean counties. But this is not the "Jersey Shore" that was seen on TV. This is the shore of boarded up buildings and blue collar workers in places like Asbury Park that rubs up against the white collar, new money set of Colt's Neck. It's about ex-cop Harry Rane who tries to help his boyhood friend Bobby out of a jam. Bobby's problem is a drug deal gone bad, and now he owes a local mobster money. Stroby keeps things moving along briskly and throws in lost loves, mafia connections, double crosses, violence, and revenge that make for a satisfying read. I enjoyed it.
Spade & Archer - Joe Gores ($15.00/$0, copyright 2009, 337 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm not a fan of a writer signing on to do a sequel to a deceased writer's classic work like what was done to "Gone With The Wind". I'm also not a fan of continuing with a popular character even after the creating writer has passed on (James Bond, for example). This is a slightly different situation. Gores has created a prequel to Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" and gives some interesting background to Sam Spade and his detective agency. Gores actually wrote a fictionalized book about Hammett and his career so I was willing to give this a shot. What we have is a series of cases that get more and more complicated as Spade builds his reputation. The characters ring true (even if, like me, you envision Bogart as Spade) and there's a master criminal involved that makes things even more interesting. I enjoyed it.
I was watching the weather while writing this. There's another cold front coming in on Monday with, maybe, more snow by Wednesday. I'm really tired of this. But it's the weather and there's nothing we can do about it except carry on and ...
Keep reading.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Chapter Forty-eight
Happy New Year!
We made it through the holiday season and into 2014 unscathed, but I can't say I'm too happy with it so far. It's been nothing but heavy snow storms and sub-zero temperatures. Still, it is winter - just a worse one then we've had for a while. Let me tell you about a couple of books you might want to hunker down with until Spring.
Series
Drown All The Dogs - Thomas Adcock ( $5.50/$.25, copyright 1994, 342 pages, Paperback)
This is part of a series that I recently came across. The main character is Neil Hockaday - Hock - an Irish-American detective with the NYPD. In this volume, Hock and his girlfriend Ruby - an African-American actress - fly to Ireland to visit his dying uncle, Liam. Hock is hoping to find out more about his father who died when he was very young. While he's dealing with this, there are a series of murders, suicides, and assaults that take place on both sides of the Atlantic. Of course, as in all books involving The Irish, there's a lot of drinking and a lot of politics. The payoff is interesting but the characters are such stereo-types that I couldn't bring myself to invest in any of them. It was OK.
Dark of The Moon - John Sanford ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2007, 418 pages, Paperback)
Sanford is more popularly known for his Lucas Davenport series of "Prey" novels involving the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Here, he's spun off a subordinate character in those novels - Lucas Flowers - and taken the action out of the city and into the country. Flowers is a laid-back kind of guy given to wearing rock T-shirts and liking women. He's sent to the small town of Bluestem to investigate the murder of a retired doctor and his wife and comes across several other murders. It's interesting to see how Flowers works his way into the lives of the locals while building up a whole list of suspects and Sanford throws in some misdirection to keep things moving along. There's not much action until the very end, but it's all tied up neatly. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Mr. Arkadin - Orson Welles ($3.50/$2.10, copyright 1956, 256 pages, Paperback)
Yes. That Orson Welles. As I understand it, Mr. Arkadin was the last movie that Welles produced and directed and this was his own novel on which he based the screenplay. The main character, Guy van Stratten, is a small-time smuggler in Europe and Mr. Arkadin is one of the richest men in the world. But, Arkadin claims to have amnesia and doesn't remember a large chunk of his past so he hires van Stratten to look into it. It's an easy 10 Grand until the people that he's interviewed
start dying and Van Stratten starts to get suspicious. It's a pretty good noir novel, but I did some checking and there seems to be some doubt as to Welles' authorship. There's also speculation that it's adapted from several episodes of a radio series "The Lives of Harry Lime" (which Welles wrote and performed in) and that Arkadin is based on the Harry Lime character (Lime being Welles' role in "The Third Man"). Still, I enjoyed it.
That's it for now. I better get started on the next book since February is a short month.
It's cold out there so stay inside, stay warm, and...
Keep Reading!
We made it through the holiday season and into 2014 unscathed, but I can't say I'm too happy with it so far. It's been nothing but heavy snow storms and sub-zero temperatures. Still, it is winter - just a worse one then we've had for a while. Let me tell you about a couple of books you might want to hunker down with until Spring.
Series
Drown All The Dogs - Thomas Adcock ( $5.50/$.25, copyright 1994, 342 pages, Paperback)
This is part of a series that I recently came across. The main character is Neil Hockaday - Hock - an Irish-American detective with the NYPD. In this volume, Hock and his girlfriend Ruby - an African-American actress - fly to Ireland to visit his dying uncle, Liam. Hock is hoping to find out more about his father who died when he was very young. While he's dealing with this, there are a series of murders, suicides, and assaults that take place on both sides of the Atlantic. Of course, as in all books involving The Irish, there's a lot of drinking and a lot of politics. The payoff is interesting but the characters are such stereo-types that I couldn't bring myself to invest in any of them. It was OK.
Dark of The Moon - John Sanford ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2007, 418 pages, Paperback)
Sanford is more popularly known for his Lucas Davenport series of "Prey" novels involving the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Here, he's spun off a subordinate character in those novels - Lucas Flowers - and taken the action out of the city and into the country. Flowers is a laid-back kind of guy given to wearing rock T-shirts and liking women. He's sent to the small town of Bluestem to investigate the murder of a retired doctor and his wife and comes across several other murders. It's interesting to see how Flowers works his way into the lives of the locals while building up a whole list of suspects and Sanford throws in some misdirection to keep things moving along. There's not much action until the very end, but it's all tied up neatly. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Mr. Arkadin - Orson Welles ($3.50/$2.10, copyright 1956, 256 pages, Paperback)
Yes. That Orson Welles. As I understand it, Mr. Arkadin was the last movie that Welles produced and directed and this was his own novel on which he based the screenplay. The main character, Guy van Stratten, is a small-time smuggler in Europe and Mr. Arkadin is one of the richest men in the world. But, Arkadin claims to have amnesia and doesn't remember a large chunk of his past so he hires van Stratten to look into it. It's an easy 10 Grand until the people that he's interviewed
start dying and Van Stratten starts to get suspicious. It's a pretty good noir novel, but I did some checking and there seems to be some doubt as to Welles' authorship. There's also speculation that it's adapted from several episodes of a radio series "The Lives of Harry Lime" (which Welles wrote and performed in) and that Arkadin is based on the Harry Lime character (Lime being Welles' role in "The Third Man"). Still, I enjoyed it.
That's it for now. I better get started on the next book since February is a short month.
It's cold out there so stay inside, stay warm, and...
Keep Reading!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Chapter Forty-seven
Well, here we are in December and the temperature outside is in the sixties as I write this (about 5:30 PM). This must be what Christmas in Florida is like (except most of our trees are bare). Anyway, I have something interesting this month so let's get to it.
Series
The Renegades - T. Jefferson Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 392 pages, Paperback)
I picked this up because the blurbs on the back sounded interesting. The protagonist is Charlie Hood, an L. A. Deputy who transfers to an outlying precinct because of his involvement in an earlier case. He's a late-20's, ex-Iraqi War vet with a personal code of honor and here he and his partner get called out to a housing issue. On the way back, they're attacked in their car. His partner dies but he - strangely - survives. The rest of the book deals with his involvement with Internal Affairs and his investigation into his late partner's life - which wasn't as clean as everyone assumed - and why he was spared. The last third of the book barrels along, but I found the beginning - and the use of multiple voices - to be confusing. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
The Corsican Brothers - Alexander Dumas ($13.95/$13.95, written in 1847, published in 2007, 126 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Dumas, and when I came across this while Christmas shopping I couldn't resist. (As it turns out, that was a good decision since the discount sites I use say it's out of print.) I also have to say, up front, that I remember seeing various filmed versions of this story over the years (including a made-for-TV version in early '85 while rocking our newborn daughter so her mom could get some sleep) so I was excited to find it. Dumas actually acts as the narrator here, discussing his tour of Corsica and his meeting with the de Franchi family. Here he learns about the 2 brothers - Louis and Lucien - and the fact that they had been conjoined when born and now, though separated, still share an important bond. While the underlying concept of the brothers' relationship has carried through to the movies (they share each other's pain), the actual story hasn't. The book, though well written, isn't as exciting as any of the filmed versions. I did enjoy it, though.
A little explanation is due here before I talk about the last of this month's selections.
I've mentioned, over the past year, how I've come across John Dunning's books about Cliff Janeway and how I can identify with his business as a Bookman - the search for something unique and the itch for something when you find it. Well, recently I was in the library in Metuchen when I came across the following book. I read the blurbs and it sounded interesting but I didn't know the author and it was marked at $2.00. I have to admit that I try to keep my library purchases to $1.00 and under so I was going to pass. Then I noticed the small tag on the spine - "signed by author". That changed everything. I took it to the counter and the clerk took a quick glance at it and only charged me $1.00 anyway. These things happen. Now, to the book ....
The Tesseract - Alex Garland ($16.65*/$1.00, copyright 1998, 226 pages, Trade Paperback)
The story is set in Manila and is told in 3 sections. The first involves a young seaman who's waiting in a seedy hotel for a crime boss and the hope for a resolution to his current dilemma; the second revolves around a female doctor and how her life didn't turn out how she'd hoped; and the third involves a 13-year-old street kid who's hoping for the big time. Garland brings Manila and the small towns surrounding it to life, using the language and customs effectively, and depicting the heat, the crowds, and the disparity in life-styles wonderfully. And he brings all 3 stories together in a way that seems natural. There is violence here, and there is love, and there is fun but - sometimes - I had to reread a paragraph or two because I got confused by the dialog. I enjoyed it.
(* This book was actually published in England so I've had to estimate the USD price.)
So, was this a good investment? Pricewise, yes. Will it be worth something in the future? I don't know. I can say that I'm happy that I scratched that itch. Anyway, ...
That's it for this month and this year.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! And ....
keep reading.
Series
The Renegades - T. Jefferson Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 392 pages, Paperback)
I picked this up because the blurbs on the back sounded interesting. The protagonist is Charlie Hood, an L. A. Deputy who transfers to an outlying precinct because of his involvement in an earlier case. He's a late-20's, ex-Iraqi War vet with a personal code of honor and here he and his partner get called out to a housing issue. On the way back, they're attacked in their car. His partner dies but he - strangely - survives. The rest of the book deals with his involvement with Internal Affairs and his investigation into his late partner's life - which wasn't as clean as everyone assumed - and why he was spared. The last third of the book barrels along, but I found the beginning - and the use of multiple voices - to be confusing. It was OK.
Miscellaneous
The Corsican Brothers - Alexander Dumas ($13.95/$13.95, written in 1847, published in 2007, 126 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Dumas, and when I came across this while Christmas shopping I couldn't resist. (As it turns out, that was a good decision since the discount sites I use say it's out of print.) I also have to say, up front, that I remember seeing various filmed versions of this story over the years (including a made-for-TV version in early '85 while rocking our newborn daughter so her mom could get some sleep) so I was excited to find it. Dumas actually acts as the narrator here, discussing his tour of Corsica and his meeting with the de Franchi family. Here he learns about the 2 brothers - Louis and Lucien - and the fact that they had been conjoined when born and now, though separated, still share an important bond. While the underlying concept of the brothers' relationship has carried through to the movies (they share each other's pain), the actual story hasn't. The book, though well written, isn't as exciting as any of the filmed versions. I did enjoy it, though.
A little explanation is due here before I talk about the last of this month's selections.
I've mentioned, over the past year, how I've come across John Dunning's books about Cliff Janeway and how I can identify with his business as a Bookman - the search for something unique and the itch for something when you find it. Well, recently I was in the library in Metuchen when I came across the following book. I read the blurbs and it sounded interesting but I didn't know the author and it was marked at $2.00. I have to admit that I try to keep my library purchases to $1.00 and under so I was going to pass. Then I noticed the small tag on the spine - "signed by author". That changed everything. I took it to the counter and the clerk took a quick glance at it and only charged me $1.00 anyway. These things happen. Now, to the book ....
The Tesseract - Alex Garland ($16.65*/$1.00, copyright 1998, 226 pages, Trade Paperback)
The story is set in Manila and is told in 3 sections. The first involves a young seaman who's waiting in a seedy hotel for a crime boss and the hope for a resolution to his current dilemma; the second revolves around a female doctor and how her life didn't turn out how she'd hoped; and the third involves a 13-year-old street kid who's hoping for the big time. Garland brings Manila and the small towns surrounding it to life, using the language and customs effectively, and depicting the heat, the crowds, and the disparity in life-styles wonderfully. And he brings all 3 stories together in a way that seems natural. There is violence here, and there is love, and there is fun but - sometimes - I had to reread a paragraph or two because I got confused by the dialog. I enjoyed it.
(* This book was actually published in England so I've had to estimate the USD price.)
So, was this a good investment? Pricewise, yes. Will it be worth something in the future? I don't know. I can say that I'm happy that I scratched that itch. Anyway, ...
That's it for this month and this year.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! And ....
keep reading.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Fourth Anniversary Issue!!!
That's right, I've been posting this blog monthly for four years now, and I'm still having a good time with it, largely because I love doing it. I get to tell you about the books I've read - once in a while about a movie I've seen - and, to some extent, express my opinions on other things. So, let's get into this month's selections.
Series
The Bookman's Wake - John Dunning ($5.99/Free, copyright 1995, 432 pages, Paperback)
I've written - and raved - about this series before. Dunning's Janeway is now a book seller in Denver but he had been a cop. In this one he reluctantly takes a bail-jumper case in Seattle for an old acquaintance because he gets convinced it's a quick and easy way to pick up 5 grand and all expenses are paid. Of course, things don't work out that way. The jumper turns out to be a young woman named Eleanor Rigby (seriously) and she turns out to be a book scout (someone who spends their life scouting out books in thrift stores, yard sales, etc.) - which intrigues Janeway. That's when things spiral out of control. It revolves around the printing of books - specifically a Poe edition - and how a specific printer's editions can be more important then the actual book. To be honest, there was a lot of detail here on the printing process that I found tedious and the "big bad" turned out to be pretty mundane. They can't all be great. It was OK.
Night And Day - Robert B. Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 307 pages, Paperback)
This is one of Parker's Jesse Stone books. Jesse is the Chief of Police in Paradise, a small town along the Massachusetts coast.He has a long history of failed jobs and a failed marriage. Here he's faced with a Peeping Tom case that escalates, a group of "swingers" who's actions affect their children, and a female principal who oversteps her bounds. And he's still dealing with a drinking problem and an obsession for his ex-wife. In fact, it all has to do with obsessions. Parker excels in the use of conversations, and his back-and-forth between Jesse and his fellow officers (and during his conversations with suspects/victims) are amusing and revealing at the same time. There's no real mystery here, just a good story. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
The Bormann Testament - Jack Higgins ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1962, 292 pages, Paperback)
I've mentioned Jack Higgins' books before and how I've enjoyed them. One of those even featured this book's main character - Special Agent Paul Chavasse. This one is set in 1962, and Chavasse is sent into Germany after a manuscript written by Martin Bormann ( a former Nazi official) and, possibly, Bormann himself, who disappeared after the war. He gets involved with neo-Nazis, Israeli agents, and a woman. I admit that parts of it dragged but there is a lot of action at the end. It was OK.
Beau Geste - P. C. Wren ($5.99/$3.97, written 1924, 341 pages, Paperback)
One of the earliest TV shows that I remember is "Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion" starring Buster Crabbe,which aired in the mid '50's. I have had a fascination with the Foreign Legion ever since then and have seen several TV/movie adaptations of this story (the best being the 1939 version with Gary Cooper). It's a curious mix of mystery and adventure, revolving around the 3 Geste brothers, Beau being the youngest. TV The theft of a jewel creates a family crisis and all 3 brothers windup enlisting. The bulk of the book deals with the brutal situations at a fort in the African desert, a
sadistic sergeant, and what happens when the enemy attacks. Wren brings this all to life although the language is kind of flowery and the sentences tend to run on too long, but that was the style at that time. It took a while to get through and I think that, in this case, the movie did a better job with the story. It was OK.
Recap
It's been an interesting year and I've come across some new authors and discovered some new series. Here are this year's totals. 17 Series books with a cover price of $139.81 that I paid $23.61 for. 20 Miscellaneous books with a cover price of $201.80 that I paid $30.20 for. 1 Graphic Novel with a cover price of $19.99 that I paid $5.00. And 1 Sherlock Holmes book with a cover price of $13.95 that I used a Gift Card for. The total for this year is 40 books with a cover price of $389.55 that I paid $59.31 for. My four year total is now 187 books with a cover price of $2020.00 that I paid $178.01 for.
God, I'm loving this!
Keep reading!
Series
The Bookman's Wake - John Dunning ($5.99/Free, copyright 1995, 432 pages, Paperback)
I've written - and raved - about this series before. Dunning's Janeway is now a book seller in Denver but he had been a cop. In this one he reluctantly takes a bail-jumper case in Seattle for an old acquaintance because he gets convinced it's a quick and easy way to pick up 5 grand and all expenses are paid. Of course, things don't work out that way. The jumper turns out to be a young woman named Eleanor Rigby (seriously) and she turns out to be a book scout (someone who spends their life scouting out books in thrift stores, yard sales, etc.) - which intrigues Janeway. That's when things spiral out of control. It revolves around the printing of books - specifically a Poe edition - and how a specific printer's editions can be more important then the actual book. To be honest, there was a lot of detail here on the printing process that I found tedious and the "big bad" turned out to be pretty mundane. They can't all be great. It was OK.
Night And Day - Robert B. Parker ($9.99/$.50, copyright 2009, 307 pages, Paperback)
This is one of Parker's Jesse Stone books. Jesse is the Chief of Police in Paradise, a small town along the Massachusetts coast.He has a long history of failed jobs and a failed marriage. Here he's faced with a Peeping Tom case that escalates, a group of "swingers" who's actions affect their children, and a female principal who oversteps her bounds. And he's still dealing with a drinking problem and an obsession for his ex-wife. In fact, it all has to do with obsessions. Parker excels in the use of conversations, and his back-and-forth between Jesse and his fellow officers (and during his conversations with suspects/victims) are amusing and revealing at the same time. There's no real mystery here, just a good story. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
The Bormann Testament - Jack Higgins ($7.99/$.50, copyright 1962, 292 pages, Paperback)
I've mentioned Jack Higgins' books before and how I've enjoyed them. One of those even featured this book's main character - Special Agent Paul Chavasse. This one is set in 1962, and Chavasse is sent into Germany after a manuscript written by Martin Bormann ( a former Nazi official) and, possibly, Bormann himself, who disappeared after the war. He gets involved with neo-Nazis, Israeli agents, and a woman. I admit that parts of it dragged but there is a lot of action at the end. It was OK.
Beau Geste - P. C. Wren ($5.99/$3.97, written 1924, 341 pages, Paperback)
One of the earliest TV shows that I remember is "Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion" starring Buster Crabbe,which aired in the mid '50's. I have had a fascination with the Foreign Legion ever since then and have seen several TV/movie adaptations of this story (the best being the 1939 version with Gary Cooper). It's a curious mix of mystery and adventure, revolving around the 3 Geste brothers, Beau being the youngest. TV The theft of a jewel creates a family crisis and all 3 brothers windup enlisting. The bulk of the book deals with the brutal situations at a fort in the African desert, a
sadistic sergeant, and what happens when the enemy attacks. Wren brings this all to life although the language is kind of flowery and the sentences tend to run on too long, but that was the style at that time. It took a while to get through and I think that, in this case, the movie did a better job with the story. It was OK.
Recap
It's been an interesting year and I've come across some new authors and discovered some new series. Here are this year's totals. 17 Series books with a cover price of $139.81 that I paid $23.61 for. 20 Miscellaneous books with a cover price of $201.80 that I paid $30.20 for. 1 Graphic Novel with a cover price of $19.99 that I paid $5.00. And 1 Sherlock Holmes book with a cover price of $13.95 that I used a Gift Card for. The total for this year is 40 books with a cover price of $389.55 that I paid $59.31 for. My four year total is now 187 books with a cover price of $2020.00 that I paid $178.01 for.
God, I'm loving this!
Keep reading!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Chapter Forty-six
I love October but it has always been a sort of strange month. Maybe that's because Autumn finally starts to settle in, the days get shorter and cooler, and the trees blaze with color. Maybe it's because the month ends with the creepily funny holiday, Halloween. For whatever reason, I love it.
This October I only have two books to tell you about, which is kind of strange by itself, but there's a story behind each one.
Sherlock Holmes
I read an article last month that Ian McKellen (Gandolf, Magneto) was going to play Holmes in a screen adaptation of a book. Of course I was interested and I immediately went to my favorite online discount book site. I found it and ordered it for about $3.50 (no shipping and handling). I got the acknowledgement email and they charged my account. The next day I got an email that they couldn't fill the order and would recredit my account. Oh well.
I then went to another online discount bookseller that I knew about and found the book at about $5.50 (no shipping and handling). I ordered it, they emailed a confirmation and charged my account. Two days later, I got an email that the book had shipped. Three days after that, I got another email that they couldn't fill the order and would recredit my account.
I went to Amazon. I found the book, but they charge shipping and handling. It was going to cost $7.90 but I had a gift card balance. I ordered it and they confirmed. This time I got the book.
A Slight Trick of The Mind - Mitch Cullin ($13.95/Gift Card, copyright 2005, 253 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is about Holmes at the age of 93. All of his close acquaintances are long gone, and he's living out his days at his home in the Sussex Downs with his gardens and his bees - and a housekeeper and her son. The book moves seamlessly between this life, Holmes' visit to Japan after World War 2, and his attempt to finish a manuscript of an investigation he undertook in 1902. These are all interesting in themselves but Cullin has woven a thread through all 3 about how people deal with the loss of loved ones and - ultimately - leads to Holmes' "slight trick". I have to admit that it took me longer then usual to read this because I found myself stopping frequently to consider what was going on. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
I first came across this book in the late 60's and actually got into the habit of reading it every October for reasons that will become obvious. I got out of the habit several years ago but, while rearranging some stuff to make some more room on the shelves, I found it again.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury ($1.25/owned, copyright 1962, 215 pages, Paperback)
This is, in my opinion, the perfect Halloween book. It's the story of 2 boys - James and William - who were born two minutes apart. William at 11:59 PM October 30th and James at 12:01 AM October 31st. They are best friends and neighbors but total opposites, living in a small town in Midwest America in the late 20's. Just as they're about to turn 14 a carnival comes to town. A carnival that offers to show you what it is that you really want. It's a great story but what makes this book really work is Bradbury's ability to make you feel the crispness of an autumn day or the eeriness of a dark night. I enjoyed it.
Well, the government has decided to play nice for the rest of the year so we should have a stress free holiday season to look forward to. Enjoy it and ...
Keep reading.
This October I only have two books to tell you about, which is kind of strange by itself, but there's a story behind each one.
Sherlock Holmes
I read an article last month that Ian McKellen (Gandolf, Magneto) was going to play Holmes in a screen adaptation of a book. Of course I was interested and I immediately went to my favorite online discount book site. I found it and ordered it for about $3.50 (no shipping and handling). I got the acknowledgement email and they charged my account. The next day I got an email that they couldn't fill the order and would recredit my account. Oh well.
I then went to another online discount bookseller that I knew about and found the book at about $5.50 (no shipping and handling). I ordered it, they emailed a confirmation and charged my account. Two days later, I got an email that the book had shipped. Three days after that, I got another email that they couldn't fill the order and would recredit my account.
I went to Amazon. I found the book, but they charge shipping and handling. It was going to cost $7.90 but I had a gift card balance. I ordered it and they confirmed. This time I got the book.
A Slight Trick of The Mind - Mitch Cullin ($13.95/Gift Card, copyright 2005, 253 pages, Trade Paperback)
This is about Holmes at the age of 93. All of his close acquaintances are long gone, and he's living out his days at his home in the Sussex Downs with his gardens and his bees - and a housekeeper and her son. The book moves seamlessly between this life, Holmes' visit to Japan after World War 2, and his attempt to finish a manuscript of an investigation he undertook in 1902. These are all interesting in themselves but Cullin has woven a thread through all 3 about how people deal with the loss of loved ones and - ultimately - leads to Holmes' "slight trick". I have to admit that it took me longer then usual to read this because I found myself stopping frequently to consider what was going on. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
I first came across this book in the late 60's and actually got into the habit of reading it every October for reasons that will become obvious. I got out of the habit several years ago but, while rearranging some stuff to make some more room on the shelves, I found it again.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury ($1.25/owned, copyright 1962, 215 pages, Paperback)
This is, in my opinion, the perfect Halloween book. It's the story of 2 boys - James and William - who were born two minutes apart. William at 11:59 PM October 30th and James at 12:01 AM October 31st. They are best friends and neighbors but total opposites, living in a small town in Midwest America in the late 20's. Just as they're about to turn 14 a carnival comes to town. A carnival that offers to show you what it is that you really want. It's a great story but what makes this book really work is Bradbury's ability to make you feel the crispness of an autumn day or the eeriness of a dark night. I enjoyed it.
Well, the government has decided to play nice for the rest of the year so we should have a stress free holiday season to look forward to. Enjoy it and ...
Keep reading.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Chapter Forty-five
Well, Summer's over and Autumn is upon us. Frankly, I like this time of year the best. The days may be shorter, but they're also cooler and the air is crisper, and the colors are brighter. Here are this months selections, which are a real mixed bag.
Series
Honor's Kingdom - Owen Parry ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2002, 407 pages, Paperback)
I've written about Parry's Abel Jones novels before. He's a Welshman who served in the English army in India, emigrated to America, and - even though embracing the Methodist way of life - joined the Union army during the Civil War. Here he's been sent to England to find out if they are really building ships for the Confederacy. Unfortunately - as is the case in these kinds of books - there is a murder that draws Jones in. Parry's strength is in the research he's done and how he conveys the time, the location, and the language (Jones' Welsh, the English upper and lower classes, and the Scotch). There are some great twists and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed it.
Pirates of Venus - Edgar Rice Burroughs ($3.95/$3.37, copyright 1932, 183 pages, Paperback)
This is the first volume in yet another series by Burroughs. The hero here is Carson Napier who,while attempting a trip to Mars, miscalculates and ends up on Venus. As is typical with Burroughs, he spends the first half of the book on the preparations, the flight, and Napier's acclimation to the people and their language and customs. Then he throws in giant spiders, slavers, pirates, mutinies, sea fights, rescues and captures - all in the second half. I'm pretty sure that Burroughs expected this
to be a series as he leaves this one with a cliff-hanger. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Pay The Devil - Jack Higgins ($7.50/$.25, copyright 1999, 294 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about another Higgins book several months ago and mentioned that I could very easily see it as a movie from the '40's. This one is even more cinematic. Colonel Clay Fitzgerald, along with his
friend and servant Joshua, leave America for Ireland after their side loses the Civil War. Clay has come into some property there and is eager to make a new start. However, nothing was simple in Ireland at that time. He finds himself caught up in the troubles between the English landowners and the Irish tenants. There's action and adventure aplenty. I could imagine Errol Flynn as Clay, Olivia
DeHaviland as the love interest, Basil Rathbone as the landowners henchman, with roles for Claude Raines and Alan Hale. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous - books That Were Made Into Movies
The Wanderers - Richard Price ($.25/$10.91*, copyright 1974, 239 pages, Trade Paperback)
This s a story about teenage gangs in the Bronx, supposedly in the early '60's. I grew up there and then and none of this rings true, but it does take place on the far side of the borough. It seems more like the late 50's and I thought it was stylized. It's really a series of vignettes that revolve around a small circle of friends and their girlfriends, and their families, and their interactions. It's well written, and Price gives the characters lives of their own. Still, there are parts of it that I couldn't associate with. It was OK.
(* This book, like one from last month, was published in England for 6 Pounds 99 pence. I've converted the price.)
That's it for September. Next up, October and the start of the year-end Holiday season.
Stay warm, stay happy, and...
Keep reading.
Series
Honor's Kingdom - Owen Parry ($7.99/$.50, copyright 2002, 407 pages, Paperback)
I've written about Parry's Abel Jones novels before. He's a Welshman who served in the English army in India, emigrated to America, and - even though embracing the Methodist way of life - joined the Union army during the Civil War. Here he's been sent to England to find out if they are really building ships for the Confederacy. Unfortunately - as is the case in these kinds of books - there is a murder that draws Jones in. Parry's strength is in the research he's done and how he conveys the time, the location, and the language (Jones' Welsh, the English upper and lower classes, and the Scotch). There are some great twists and a satisfying ending. I enjoyed it.
Pirates of Venus - Edgar Rice Burroughs ($3.95/$3.37, copyright 1932, 183 pages, Paperback)
This is the first volume in yet another series by Burroughs. The hero here is Carson Napier who,while attempting a trip to Mars, miscalculates and ends up on Venus. As is typical with Burroughs, he spends the first half of the book on the preparations, the flight, and Napier's acclimation to the people and their language and customs. Then he throws in giant spiders, slavers, pirates, mutinies, sea fights, rescues and captures - all in the second half. I'm pretty sure that Burroughs expected this
to be a series as he leaves this one with a cliff-hanger. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous
Pay The Devil - Jack Higgins ($7.50/$.25, copyright 1999, 294 pages, Paperback)
I wrote about another Higgins book several months ago and mentioned that I could very easily see it as a movie from the '40's. This one is even more cinematic. Colonel Clay Fitzgerald, along with his
friend and servant Joshua, leave America for Ireland after their side loses the Civil War. Clay has come into some property there and is eager to make a new start. However, nothing was simple in Ireland at that time. He finds himself caught up in the troubles between the English landowners and the Irish tenants. There's action and adventure aplenty. I could imagine Errol Flynn as Clay, Olivia
DeHaviland as the love interest, Basil Rathbone as the landowners henchman, with roles for Claude Raines and Alan Hale. I enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous - books That Were Made Into Movies
The Wanderers - Richard Price ($.25/$10.91*, copyright 1974, 239 pages, Trade Paperback)
This s a story about teenage gangs in the Bronx, supposedly in the early '60's. I grew up there and then and none of this rings true, but it does take place on the far side of the borough. It seems more like the late 50's and I thought it was stylized. It's really a series of vignettes that revolve around a small circle of friends and their girlfriends, and their families, and their interactions. It's well written, and Price gives the characters lives of their own. Still, there are parts of it that I couldn't associate with. It was OK.
(* This book, like one from last month, was published in England for 6 Pounds 99 pence. I've converted the price.)
That's it for September. Next up, October and the start of the year-end Holiday season.
Stay warm, stay happy, and...
Keep reading.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Chapter Forty-four
I remember August as being the hottest month of the summer but, so far, this one has been feeling a lot cooler then normal. Still, the days are long, the living is easy, and there are plenty of books out there that need to be read.
And, I have a slight twist to an old category in this chapter so let's get to it.
Series
Booked To Die - John Dunning ($7.99/$4.07, copyright 1992, 394 pages, Paperback)
Last month I told you about my first experience with Dunning's Cliff Janeway series. I was so impressed that I ordered the first volume through Thriftbooks.com (shameless plug) . Here he introduces Janeway, a Denver Detective (with a love of books) who has developed an unhealthy obsession with one particular criminal, and the murder of a small-time book agent causes him to step over the line. After that, he turns his attention full-time to books and even opens his own store. There's a lot of interaction between Janeway and the other Bookmen in town but that past murder crops up again, and some new ones strike close to home. The mystery holds your interest but, to me, it's almost secondary to the book talk and the tips on what to look for. I really enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous - Books That Were Made Into Movies
No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy ($14.00/$.25, copyright 2005, 309 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm gonna tell you up front that I did not see this movie, although I did see the trailers and I probably - subconsciously - identified the characters with the actors. That doesn't really matter. It's a simple enough story. A guy stumbles on to the aftermath of a failed drug deal and walks away with the money. He winds up being hunted by a vicious killer. There's also a local sheriff trying to find him, and trying to catch the killer. I have to admit that I'm not a McCarthy fan. I've tried reading him because one of my nephews used to speak highly of him. I don't get it. McCarthy doesn't use quotation marks when he writes conversations, which I found confusing at times, and there are times when McCarthy jumps from one scene to another leaving gaps in the story. Finally, he tells the story through all 3 main characters but, with some minor exceptions, the voice doesn't change. It was OK.
The Night of The Hunter - Davis Grubb ($11.10*/$6.65, copyright 1953, 255 pages, Trade Paperback)
Does the title sound familiar? That's right, this is the book that the movie was based on. Back on August 6th I mentioned Robert Mitchum's birthday on Facebook and included a clip from this picture. While looking for that clip I found out about the book and, not being able to find it on my own, ordered in through Thriftbooks.com (another shameless plug). We learn up-front that a man is convicted and executed for a robbery/murder, but the money is never recovered. The rest of the book deals with his widow, his children, and a homicidal maniac posing as a Preacher who's after the money. Grubb gives it all that Down South/Bible-thumping feel, overlaid with just the right amount of creepiness and suspense. It comes down to a young boy's struggle to keep the word he swore to versus an adult with no regard for the Word he sways people with. It really gives depth to how Mitchum and the rest of the cast brought these characters to life. (To be perfectly clear, Grubb doesn't use quotation marks when he writes conversations either, but he makes it easy to understand.) I really enjoyed it.
(* This copy of the book was actually printed in England in 1968 and has a cover price of 3 pounds, 50 pence. I Googled the exchange rate for the time and came up with a converted price of $11.10.)
Catch the "slight twist to an old category"?
Well, that's another month down and Summer on the wane. I actually like Autumn. There's a crispness to the air, a brightness to Nature's colors, and the evenings start to get cool enough that you want to just hunker down in bed with a good book. Till next month ...
Keep reading.
And, I have a slight twist to an old category in this chapter so let's get to it.
Series
Booked To Die - John Dunning ($7.99/$4.07, copyright 1992, 394 pages, Paperback)
Last month I told you about my first experience with Dunning's Cliff Janeway series. I was so impressed that I ordered the first volume through Thriftbooks.com (shameless plug) . Here he introduces Janeway, a Denver Detective (with a love of books) who has developed an unhealthy obsession with one particular criminal, and the murder of a small-time book agent causes him to step over the line. After that, he turns his attention full-time to books and even opens his own store. There's a lot of interaction between Janeway and the other Bookmen in town but that past murder crops up again, and some new ones strike close to home. The mystery holds your interest but, to me, it's almost secondary to the book talk and the tips on what to look for. I really enjoyed it.
Miscellaneous - Books That Were Made Into Movies
No Country For Old Men - Cormac McCarthy ($14.00/$.25, copyright 2005, 309 pages, Trade Paperback)
I'm gonna tell you up front that I did not see this movie, although I did see the trailers and I probably - subconsciously - identified the characters with the actors. That doesn't really matter. It's a simple enough story. A guy stumbles on to the aftermath of a failed drug deal and walks away with the money. He winds up being hunted by a vicious killer. There's also a local sheriff trying to find him, and trying to catch the killer. I have to admit that I'm not a McCarthy fan. I've tried reading him because one of my nephews used to speak highly of him. I don't get it. McCarthy doesn't use quotation marks when he writes conversations, which I found confusing at times, and there are times when McCarthy jumps from one scene to another leaving gaps in the story. Finally, he tells the story through all 3 main characters but, with some minor exceptions, the voice doesn't change. It was OK.
The Night of The Hunter - Davis Grubb ($11.10*/$6.65, copyright 1953, 255 pages, Trade Paperback)
Does the title sound familiar? That's right, this is the book that the movie was based on. Back on August 6th I mentioned Robert Mitchum's birthday on Facebook and included a clip from this picture. While looking for that clip I found out about the book and, not being able to find it on my own, ordered in through Thriftbooks.com (another shameless plug). We learn up-front that a man is convicted and executed for a robbery/murder, but the money is never recovered. The rest of the book deals with his widow, his children, and a homicidal maniac posing as a Preacher who's after the money. Grubb gives it all that Down South/Bible-thumping feel, overlaid with just the right amount of creepiness and suspense. It comes down to a young boy's struggle to keep the word he swore to versus an adult with no regard for the Word he sways people with. It really gives depth to how Mitchum and the rest of the cast brought these characters to life. (To be perfectly clear, Grubb doesn't use quotation marks when he writes conversations either, but he makes it easy to understand.) I really enjoyed it.
(* This copy of the book was actually printed in England in 1968 and has a cover price of 3 pounds, 50 pence. I Googled the exchange rate for the time and came up with a converted price of $11.10.)
Catch the "slight twist to an old category"?
Well, that's another month down and Summer on the wane. I actually like Autumn. There's a crispness to the air, a brightness to Nature's colors, and the evenings start to get cool enough that you want to just hunker down in bed with a good book. Till next month ...
Keep reading.
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