Road Trip

Now Playing -

Nothin' But A Good Time
by Poison

Life - 

My wife and I both have the day off tomorrow, for the first time in a bit, so we've decided to take a road trip! They're building a new store to the North in Belfast, so I figured we should head up there and check out the area. Not that I have any delusions of getting the store as a manager, but I like to keep up to date with the new stores and it's a good excuse for us to head up there. We've heard we'll like the Northern parts of Maine, they're supposed to be more rural and small-town, with a rougher, laid back feel. Sounds good to me! 

We plan to take the boys with us, they need a good stroll around a new town too. We'll leave Orbie to take care of the cats. I plan to take a good pile of pictures, and I'll see you upon the return!

Reviews Of Unusual Size - 

Books - 

Five Things About....

UNDER THE DOME

by Stephen King

2009, 1074pages, E-Book

 1 - This is the fifth book by Stephen King that I've read, and probably my least favorite. It was still enjoyable, but there were times when I wished he was a new writer again, and had to pare things down to their most important elements to get an agent's attention. I think it would make his books a lot stronger.

2 - As you can tell from the title and knowing King, this novel is about a small Maine town that gets trapped under a mysterious dome and the chaotic, interpersonal events that result.

3 - King does some nice stuff here. Some of the characters are strong and likable, some are perfectly villainous, and there are some fun twists and directions he takes with the story.

4 - All the same, there's that little something that has bothered me about previous King books, and I'm not even sure how to define it. Kind of a... Okay, he's a good guy, and those are clearly very bad guys, so something horrible is gonna happen... get it over with already! kind of thing.

5 - As much as I want to love his books, Stephen King has still always hung on that little nail between annoyance and the love of a great idea. I do know one thing - I love his monthly column in Entertainment Weekly.

6/10

 THE KILLING FLOOR

by Lee Child

1997, 544 pages, E-Book

1 - The first Jack Reacher Novel. This set the standard for all to follow. Short sentences. Tough guy. Pretty Girl. Right Place. Wrong Time. Copious use of the term Cloverleaf.

2 - It had been a while since I'd read a Reacher novel, so when I downloaded the newest, I figured I should re-read the first and refresh my memory. Not that it's neccesary, his novels are nicely stand alone for the most part.

3 - Upon reading this, I kept telling myself that I'd read it before, but none of it was familiar. I'm still not sure if I've just forgotten the entire plot or if I managed to miss the first in the series. Usually I'm pretty anal about that kind of thing.

4 - An interesting, tight plot, that manages to be a bit twisty and introduce Jack as a cool character. 

5 - I love the Reacher novels for being a modern heroic take on the classic crime novel. It's easy to picture Reacher in an earlier time, wearing a fedora and knocking over a payroll truck.

8/10

61 HOURS

by Lee Child

 2010, 400 pages, E-Book

1 - Lee Child's most recent Reacher novel, the 14th, finds Reacher trapped in a small South Dakota town. Snowbound, and because, frankly, it's all Reacher knows how to do to pass the time, he gets involved with a little problem the police are having. And the bodies start piling up.

2 - Read directly after the first book in the series, I have admire the way Child keeps Reacher the same man. Taciturn and tough, but ages him just a bit. 

3 - Great supporting characters this time around. A lot of  his earlier books left me feeling like the people surrounding Reacher were a little weak, but I really liked some of the people in this. The villain in particular would have felt at home in a Bond adventure.

4 - Though I guessed a major point early in, the story was really good. I loved the little town feel of things, and how Child made the novel feel very isolated and cut off from the world. There were a few over the top things, but for the most part, a strong entry in the Reacher series.

5 - Who decided to release a novel about being trapped in a South Dakota town during a fierce winter storm in the middle of summer? Child does a truly excellent job making you feel the harsh, bitter cold of the storm and I think I would have enjoyed it all the more if I was curled up with some hot cocoa and a blanket with the flakes falling outside, rather than 80 degree weather.

9/10

 

The Bookman Cometh!

Now Playing -
Dog Eared Page by The Matches

Life - 

Pretty generic night at work, considering it was a full moon. I think the fridgid cold kept most of the nuts at home, cuddled up with their mescalin and strawberry cheesecake tyrannosauruses. Although my cashier's constant, almost manic, good moods are starting to drive me crazy.



What are twelve good reasons to join the Hard Case Crime Book Club?

These twelve books, after shipping, only twenty bills, baby. It's like finding a suitcase full of money behind a dumpster without all of the gangsters chasing you. Nothing like hot crime on a cold night in the middle of Idaho.

Book Reviews

Catching up here, I've been lax on my reviews!

FIVE THINGS ABOUT -

FALSE DAWN

by Paul Levine

1994, 368 pages

Yet another Miami-based novel about a PI and the ever present problems with Cuba and people that love both places.

Readable, but a bit self-important and preachy.

Nice characters, though the wind surfing seemed completely superfluous.

A major character seems to be introduced through a completely implausible coincidence.

Missing artwork heist book!

2/5

THE WRATH OF THE GRINNING GHOST

by John Bellairs and Brad Strickland

1999, 176 pages

Yet another Bellairs book, if you can't tell, I may be addicted to nostalgia.

Extremely outlandish plot, even for this genre.

Fun and quick moving, especially when Fergie is around.

Once again, Strickland does a stellar job of sounding like Bellairs yet adding his own touches.

My least favorite of the Gorey covers, done just before he died, I believe.

3/5

GONE FISHIN'

by Walter Mosley

1997, 244 pages

A throwback to Easy Rawlin's early days in the 1930's.

Great dialogue, characters and situations.

The atmosphere is so compelling and vividly written that you can't help but see it clearly, feel the wet heat on your skin.

Recommended whether you've read any of the Easy Rawlins novels or not, can stand on it's own.

Surprisingly brief, with large print and margins, almost like a book typeset for younger people.

4/5

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY

by Trenton Lee Stewart

2008, 512 pages

What I had hoped the Lemony Snickett books would be like, full of intrigue and secrets.

Great cast of characters, creative and memorable.

Fun, twisty, subversive villain and a plot to rule the world!

The artist is a graduate of the University of Montana, my wife's alma mater. Go Griz!

Thick book, but it reads smoothly, the story drawing you along on it's clever twists and turns.

4/5

BLASPHEMY
by Douglas Preston
2008, 416 pages

A typically fun novel from the co-author of The Relic.

Skirts around religion, creation and man's views on each, coming away with a truly unique take on it.

As unique as it is, it somehow still felt like we'd seen it before.

I never really felt any strong connection to the characters.

A not so sly dig at Scientology?

3/5


KING CON
by Stephen Cannell
1998, 448 pages

Fast paced novel about a family of con men and an attorney caught in their latest scheme.

Talks the talk, but never really walks the walk.

A great, slow burning con that fizzles out, never giving you the twist you expect throughout.

Still satisfying though, Beano, King Con himself, is a lot of fun.

Cannell is a regular cameo on the television program "Castle" where he plays poker with the writer main character.

3/5




THE LONGEST CHRISTMAS LIST EVER
by Greg and Evan Spiridellis
2007, 32 pages

Cute, energetic artwork.

Creative, modern rhymes and storyline.

I saw this book and couldn't resist it - the perfect combination of story, art and subject matter

The plot does strike a little close to home for me!

"Six Trillion Dollars!"

5/5


Writing - 

Nothing, again. In fact, I didn't even manage to get any revising done last night.

Book Reviews

Man, this a lot of books for one set of reviews... I didn't think it had been that long, but its been 27 days since the last one... Odds are I missed a book at some point.

THE SPELL OF THE SORCERER'S SKULL
JOHN BELLAIRS


1984, 170 PAGES

A classic. This is probably one of my favorite Bellairs, has some fun images and great ideas, topped off by Gorey art - What's better, I ask? Hooray to my friend Mike's dog for chewing the cover so that they had to buy it from the library.

8/10

SERPENT
CLIVE CUSSLER

1999, 470 PAGES

One of the better Cussler's, in my opinion. Age old mysteries surrounding who really reached the Americas first, undersea explorations, treasure, no cameo by the big man himself, rock and roll!

7/10


STOWAWAY
KAREN HESSE

2000, 319 PAGES

I would imagine a HUGE amount oif research went into this book. Written from the diary view of a young stowaway on Captain Cook's Endeavour, it gives a great feel for daily ship life. It wasn't extremely engaging, and with true life historical novels like this, I always feel that the research plays a much bigger part than the actual writing, but a good book. Fun Fact - Books like this, with short diary entries are perfect reading for bathrooms!

7/10


THE STONES ARE HATCHING
GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN

1999, 230 PAGES

I checked this book out, primarily because if I ever get published, I would be very close to her name on bookstore shelves. Damn, I'm glad I did. Her style of writing is fascinating and beautiful, with sentences that I read twice, just because I liked them so much. Very Highly reccommended.

9/10


WICKED BREAK
JEFF SHELBY

2006, 247 PAGES

Whoo-hoo! A slacker/surfer/PI old-school mystery! Cracking story, wise-ass men and an interesting plot. Surfs Up!

7/10


SAND DOLLARS
CHARLES KNIEF

1998, 322 PAGES

Hawaiian detective, houseboats, hot nights, hotter ladies, even hotter lead, money, violence, humor, geriatric gunmen! Oh yeah, one other thing, enjoyment!

Only nit-pick... I can only assume that last name is made up... Cheesy!

8/10


THE FIGURE IN THE SHADOWS
JOHN BELLAIRS

1975, 155 PAGES

This book is currently late being returned to the Marshall Public Library. My current fine is $1.30. If I could only get my hands on a magic amulet that would help me erase my fine!

7/10


ROSES ARE RED
JAMES PATTERSON

2000, 404 PAGES

A semi-early patterson novel, his famed detective Alex Cross finds himself against a bank robber and killer named the mastermind who may just live up to the name. It spends a lot of time building an ineteresting case, but seems to run out of bullets a bit too soon.

5/10


THE CABINET OF WONDERS
(THE KRONOS CHRONICLES: BOOK 1)
MARIE RUTKOSKI

2008, 258 PAGES

Loved everything about this book, from the gorgeous cover, to the creative world, to the perfect storyline, pretty much perfect! I must buy this asap.

9/10


THE SIGN OF THE SINISTER SORCERER
(A JOHN BELLAIRS MYSTERY)
BRAD STRICKLAND

2008, 168 PAGES

I hadn't planned to get yet another Bellairs/Strickland book, but this had a giant Three on the cover, so my friend Thom would have disowned me for passing it up. Sorcerers, baseball and creepy puppets, pretty much par for the course in creepy, gothic, 1950's Michigan.

6/10


KOCKROACH
TYLER KNOX

2007, 356 PAGES

This was a last minute grab at the library, and damn, I'm glad I did. A Cockroach turns into a man, learns what that means, eats, mates, creates a criminal syndicate and survives, like all cockroaches. Amazingly great book. Riveting.

9/10


THE KING IN THE WINDOW
ADAM GOPNIK

2005, 410 PAGES

I'm still really torn about this book. I love the ideas and some of the imagery is striking, but it seemed kind of uneven in places and they placed unneccesary emphasis on a few things that never played right to me. Nice young adult fantasy about a boy who is accidentally nominated the king of the window wraiths.

6/10

Book Review - Son of Recent Reads

THE BELL, THE BOOK AND THE SPELLBINDER
By Brad Strickland

2001, 149 pages

This was the first book by Brad Strickland, who took over John Bellairs' characters after he died. I enjoyed it quite a lot, Strickland seemed to have a good grasp on the characters and locations, and the story was a typical over-the-top romp. Pretty Fun.

7/10

SHOCK WAVE
By Clive Cussler

1996, 567 pages

An international diamond company is using a revolutionary new mining procedure, in addition to slave labor to unearth massive amounts of of the hard stone, as part of an elaborate plan to destroy the diamond and gemstone industry and make the owner, Arthur Dorsett a very rich and powerful man. Unfortunately for him, his new technique is killing people and animals every time it's used and Dirk Pitt gets wind of it. Better watch out, Dorsett, cause we all know Dirk Pitt and Co. never fail.

Shock Wave was a typical Cussler book, that is, fun, kind of silly and exciting. He added himself into the story again for some annoying reason, but other than that, I liked it.

6/10

UNSPEAKABLE
By Sandra Brown

1998, 486 pages

Bleah. Overly dramatic and cheesy, I was very unimpressed with this book. Struggled to finish it.

2/10

SAMMY KEYES AND THE SKELETON MAN
By Wendelin Van Draanen

1998, 172 pages

How fun! A sassy, feisty little lady sleuth. Written from Sammy's POV and full of fun characters, I really enjoyed this book! Gonna have to find more of 'em, though the authors name is kind of difficult to remember...

8/10

THE BOOK OF LIES
By Brad Meltzer

2009, 464 pages

I dug this book. The ending seemed a little goofy, and I know some people had issues with the logic, but seriously, anyone that doesn't take a book with a conspiracy involving the creators of superman and the weapon that killed Abel with a grain of salt is far too stuffy.

7/10

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS BOOK 5 - THE AUSTERE ACADEMY
By Lemony Snickett

2000, 240 pages

Better than book 4, the Lowly Lumberjacks, or whatever, but still the kids foiling a transparent plot by Count Olaf. They did throw in a different set of orphans and started hinting a bit at a greater conspiracy, which would be nice. The overly aggressive and excessively strong-pinchered crabs annoy.

4/10

THE BEASTS OF CLAWSTONE CASTLE
By Eva Ibbotson

2007, 256 pages

Loved this kids book. A couple of kids recruit some ghosts to work in their castle, scaring tourists so that they can help their family support some rare white cattle that exist exclusively in their little field in England. It was a little simple, clearly focused more for a bit younger age than John Bellairs and the like, but a lot of fun. I dug that the kids just took for granted the existence of ghosts, and it was written with a very lighthearted and British style.

8/10

SHADOW OF POWER
By Steve Martini

2008, 464 pages

This was the first book I've read by Martini, a writer of legal thrillers. It seemed to flow pretty smoothly, and I liked the premise, though the later chapters got a little over the top with world reactions. Really to give much more of the plot than "Lawyer defends racist bellboy who may or may not have killed an author who just wrote an incendiary racially themed book" would give it away, but I thought the story was pretty engrossing and satisfactory.

7/10

Book Review - More Recent Reads

It seems like I'm missing a few titles that I've read recently here, but I can't think of what....

The Freakshow
by Bryan Smith
2007, 324 pages

The Freakshow seemed like a book that the idea for it was developed over a long drunken night while the author tried to think of the best way to cram as much unneeded violence and nasty events into a book as possible. When I read the back of the book, the idea had promise, an old school freakshow rolls into town, full of creepy people and mysterious secrets, and soon, the townsfolk start disappearing. Unfortunately, the book never really even follows that description, quickly eliminating most of the denzins, creating a bizaare and sort of silly backstory for the freaks and eventually dissolves into violence and gore as a substitute for story. That said, Bryan Smith is a good writer with an eye for detail, and it was a pretty good, mindless horror book.

3/10


Higher Authority
by Stephen White
1994, 420 pages

Higher Authority was an interesting read. It tells the story of a lawyer and her sister who are attempting to sue a Mormon political figure for sexual harassment. A female political figure. Needless to say, it does not go over well with certain people in the church, and soon, a larger conspiracy is uncovered. Stephen White writes an interesting novel that, while obviously biased against Mormons, manages to give a lot of interesting facts about the religeon and the state of Utah that makes for a very unique backdrop. I found the characters little personal flaws grating rather than humanizing, however. They spent more time bickering and exchanging nasty looks than working the case.

6/10


The Bancroft Strategy
by Robert Ludlum

2007, 736 pages

Somehow, I'd never read a Robert Ludlum novel, despite loving the Bourne series of movies. To give much of the plot of this story would be to give away some of the lightning fast twists and turns that the author throws at you with every page turn, but essentially, its an international thriller with spies, secret societies and plans to overthrow the earth. Nothing that will change your life, but a good, brainless thriller.

7/10


Series of Unfortunate Events Book 3 - The Wide Window
by Lemony Snickett
2000, 224 pages

I liked the Wide Window about as well as the previous novels in the series thus far, which is both good and bad. Again, it seems like very little happens in the story, the people around the twins seem just a little too dense and Snicketts method of explaining large words, while clever, gets old after too many, and you start wishing he would just write the words, and leave the reader to explore what the meaning is behind them. Still a fun kids book though, and written with a great light sense of humor. I don;t own book four, so I'll have to track it down at the library...

5/10


Bullet Blues
by Bob Burton
2004, 302 pages

Bounty hunters are cool! At least, they are according to Bob Burton, who should know, since he is one. Bullet Blues tells the story of Dev Shannon, who is simultaneously searching for a missing boat, lady, dog and his own would-be assassin. He deals with hot ladies, albino crime lords, jamaican cops, shady clients and a curmudgeonly old dad. What more could you ask for?

8/10


Manhattan Is My Beat
by Jeffery Deaver
1988, 294 pages

I like most of Jeffery Deaver's books, and when I noticed this one, one of his older novels, I was curious to see how he has changed. Turns out, he still had a talent for creating unique characters and situations, but his older books like Manhattan is my Beat, in which a bohemian punk type girl tries to find the missing loot from a decades old crime, lack some of the dialogue and tight plotting that his later books have, the "Boyfriend" especially seemed kind of grating and stupid to me. Still enjoyable though, and I dig the plot

6/10

Book Review - THE NAVIGATOR by Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos

THE NAVIGATOR (A Kurt Austin Adventure) by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos
2007, 448 pages

Last time I read a Clive Cussler book, I was pretty underwhelmed, but at the time, I was in the middle of a pretty stressful period in our Motel hunt, and I didn't really enjoy a few of the aspects of the story. The most recent, The Navigator by Cussler and Paul Kemprecos, is a much more recent novel, Cussler has written something like 2 dozen books since Sahara, and maybe that's why I liked this book better. Or it could be the co-author, or maybe I was just in a better mindset and could enjoy a cheesy worldwide adventure story. At any rate, The Navigator was a lot of fun. It tells the story of a Phoenician Captain, A couple of NUMA agents, Thomas Jefferson, a stolen antiquities recoverer, a Librarian, a Millionaire Ren-Faire player, Merriweather Lewis, Artichokes, Gold Mines, The Ten Commandments and more! Exciting, isn't it!

In all seriousness, I really got a kick out of The Navigator. The authors did a great job at keeping things moving, and creating a pretty good sized cast of characters constantly moving towards a little too pat and easy, but mostly satisfying conclusion.

7/10

Book Review - SAHARA by Clive Cussler

SAHARA by Clive Cussler
1993 568pgs

I bought this book at a thrift store sometime this summer, thinking it would be a perfect Beach Read style of book, and then forgot I bought it and never read it. Clive Cussler has a pretty good pile of books under his belt, and all of them are known for being rootin'-tootin' shoot 'em up thrillers, with big locations, bigger characters, and even bigger explosions.

This was my first exposure to Cussler, and unfortunately I wasn't too impressed. The story concerns a deadly red tide that, being fed by a mysterious chemical pollutant stemming from the Sahara Desert, threatens all life on earth, so Dirk Pitt, buff, brilliant, scientist/military mastermind leads a team into the desert illegally to discover the source. Along the way he finds a beautiful scientist, a evil warlord, a wicked french businessman, gold mines, a Civil War boat, an Australian pilot, and a prospector named Clive Cussler.

Now really, as ludicrous as the plot was, with all it entailed, the odd choice of naming the prospector after himself was the most annoying to me, the rest were all played out pretty well, and I did find the book pretty fun. I just don't understand why he chose to do that. Sahara is definitely one to just turn your mind off and let loose with, and I think if I re-read this in the summer on a beach, I'd probably rate it higher, but in the middle of a huge snowstorm, slightly grumpy about Christmas, it didn't catch my attention very well.

That said, I paid $.50 for it, and it was a decent enough way to pass a couple of evenings. If I found any more of his books for sale cheap, I'd probably give them a go too.

4/10

Now Reading - The Loch by Steve Alten