Started: 9/19/09
Finished: 9/23/09
Year: 2008
Pages: 367
Genre: Short Stories: horror
Grade: B
Reason for reading: borrowed book from mother
Blurb (from book jacket): "Stephen King-who has written more than fifty books, dozens of number one New York Times best-sellers, and many unforgettable movies-delivers an astonishing collection of short stories, his first since Everything's Eventual six years ago. As guest editor of the bestselling Best American Short Stories 2007. King spent over a year reading hundreds of stories. His renewed passion for the form is evident on every page of Just After Sunset. The stories in this collection have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, McSweeney's, The Paris Review, Esquire, and other publications.
"Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-O-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogheter too well. Or an execise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivating-and then terrifying-journey . Set on a remote key in Florida, 'The Gingerbread Girl' is a riverting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerable-and resourceful-as Audrey Hepburn's character in Wait Until Dark. In 'Ayana,' a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any momemnt. In one of the longer stories here, 'N.," which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psychiatric patient's irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countryside...or keep the world from falling victim to it."
Opinion: I've always enjoyed King's short stories and this collection is just as good as his others. Some stories will stick with me for a while.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Man in the Middle by Brian Haig
Started: 8/31/09
Finished: 9/19/09
Year: 2007
Pages: 647
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "For newly promoted Army Lieutenant Colonel Sean Drummond, his latest assignment seems simple enough: find out if the demise of an influential defense official was murder or suicide. But the case soon leads Drummond and Bian Tran, the attractive Army Military Police officer investigating the death, into the labryinthine channels of American intelligence an the war in Irag-not to mention the shadowy motives of his so-called colleagues. What Drummond uncovers will make him question everything he believes in. And force him to ask: Are my loyalities to my superiors or to the American soldiers battling for their lives?"
Opinion: This was better than I thought it was going to be. Solid book. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com
Finished: 9/19/09
Year: 2007
Pages: 647
Genre: Suspense
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "For newly promoted Army Lieutenant Colonel Sean Drummond, his latest assignment seems simple enough: find out if the demise of an influential defense official was murder or suicide. But the case soon leads Drummond and Bian Tran, the attractive Army Military Police officer investigating the death, into the labryinthine channels of American intelligence an the war in Irag-not to mention the shadowy motives of his so-called colleagues. What Drummond uncovers will make him question everything he believes in. And force him to ask: Are my loyalities to my superiors or to the American soldiers battling for their lives?"
Opinion: This was better than I thought it was going to be. Solid book. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Started: 8/24/09
Finished: 8/30/09
Year: 1996
Pages: 272
Genre: Chick Lit
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Bridget Jones's Diary charts a devastatingly self-aware, hilarious year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton. Here is the compulsively readable, laugh-out-loud daily chronical of her permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement-a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not merely to buy a sandwich , form a functional relationshp with a responsible adult, and not fall for any of the following: misogynists, megalomaniacs, people with girlfriends or wives, emotional fuckwits, alcoholics, workaholics, chauvinists, or perverts. And to learn to program the VCR.
"Over the course of the year Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Caught between her Singleton friend (who are all convinced they will end up dying alone and found three weeks later half-eaten by an Alsatian), the Smug Marrieds (whose dinner parties offer ever-new opportunities for humiliation), and crazed parental attempts to marry her off to a rich divorce in a diamond-patterned sweater, Bridget struggles to keep her life on an even keel-or at least afloat. Whenever her plans meet with disaster, as they invariable do, she manages to pick herself up, go out on the town, and tell herself it will be all right in the morning, when life will definitely be different this time and totally alcohol, calorie, and preverted-fuckwitted-misogynist free."
Opinion: A quick and fun read. Now I can go watch the movies.
Finished: 8/30/09
Year: 1996
Pages: 272
Genre: Chick Lit
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Bridget Jones's Diary charts a devastatingly self-aware, hilarious year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton. Here is the compulsively readable, laugh-out-loud daily chronical of her permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement-a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not merely to buy a sandwich , form a functional relationshp with a responsible adult, and not fall for any of the following: misogynists, megalomaniacs, people with girlfriends or wives, emotional fuckwits, alcoholics, workaholics, chauvinists, or perverts. And to learn to program the VCR.
"Over the course of the year Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Caught between her Singleton friend (who are all convinced they will end up dying alone and found three weeks later half-eaten by an Alsatian), the Smug Marrieds (whose dinner parties offer ever-new opportunities for humiliation), and crazed parental attempts to marry her off to a rich divorce in a diamond-patterned sweater, Bridget struggles to keep her life on an even keel-or at least afloat. Whenever her plans meet with disaster, as they invariable do, she manages to pick herself up, go out on the town, and tell herself it will be all right in the morning, when life will definitely be different this time and totally alcohol, calorie, and preverted-fuckwitted-misogynist free."
Opinion: A quick and fun read. Now I can go watch the movies.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Started: 8/11/09
Finished: 8/24/09
Year: 2006
Pages: 334
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: friend gave it to me
Blurb (from back cover): "In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want-husband, country home, successful career-but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and raptuous book is the story of how she left behind all these outwards marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression. Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasere in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldy enjoyment and divine transcendence."
Opinion: I enjoyed the writing style of Elizabeth Gilbert-just the right amount of sarcasm and humor mixed with the seriousness of one's life. I'll definitely be picking up more of her books.
Finished: 8/24/09
Year: 2006
Pages: 334
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: friend gave it to me
Blurb (from back cover): "In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want-husband, country home, successful career-but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and raptuous book is the story of how she left behind all these outwards marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression. Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasere in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldy enjoyment and divine transcendence."
Opinion: I enjoyed the writing style of Elizabeth Gilbert-just the right amount of sarcasm and humor mixed with the seriousness of one's life. I'll definitely be picking up more of her books.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
Started: 8/7/09
Finished: 8/11/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 270
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and Trenton vice cop Joe Morelli join forces to find the madman killer who shot and barbecued the youngest son of international black-market arms dealer Alexander Ramos.
"Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, is caught on video just minutes before the crime occurs. He's at the scene, he's with the victim, and he's the number-one suspect. Manoso is former special forces turned soldier of fortune. He has a blue-chip stock portfolio and no known address. He moves in mysterious circles. He's Stephanie's mentor-the man who taught her everything she knows about fugitive apprehension. And he's more than her friend.
"Now he's the hunted and Stephanie's the hunter, and it's time for her to test her skills against the master. But if she does catch him...what then? Can she bring herself to turn him in?
"Plus there are other things keeping Stephanie awake at night. Her maternal grandmother has set up houskeeping in Stephanie's apartment, a homicidal maniac has selected Stephanie as his next victim, her love life is in the toilet, she's adopted a dog with an eating disorder, and she can't button the top snap of her Levi's.
Opinion: Been a while since I read one of Evanovich's books. A fun and easy read.
Finished: 8/11/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 270
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and Trenton vice cop Joe Morelli join forces to find the madman killer who shot and barbecued the youngest son of international black-market arms dealer Alexander Ramos.
"Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, is caught on video just minutes before the crime occurs. He's at the scene, he's with the victim, and he's the number-one suspect. Manoso is former special forces turned soldier of fortune. He has a blue-chip stock portfolio and no known address. He moves in mysterious circles. He's Stephanie's mentor-the man who taught her everything she knows about fugitive apprehension. And he's more than her friend.
"Now he's the hunted and Stephanie's the hunter, and it's time for her to test her skills against the master. But if she does catch him...what then? Can she bring herself to turn him in?
"Plus there are other things keeping Stephanie awake at night. Her maternal grandmother has set up houskeeping in Stephanie's apartment, a homicidal maniac has selected Stephanie as his next victim, her love life is in the toilet, she's adopted a dog with an eating disorder, and she can't button the top snap of her Levi's.
Opinion: Been a while since I read one of Evanovich's books. A fun and easy read.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Alive by Piers Paul Read
Started: 7/31/09
Finished: 8/7/09
Year: 1974
Pages: 352
Genre: Non-fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Lost in the vast snowy wastes of the high Andes...all offical rescue efforts abandoned...no food...inadequate clothing for sub-zero temperatures...no mefical supplies to ease the suffering of the dying. So began a terrible ordeal for the young men and women who, on October 12, 1972, had set out from Uruguay in high spirits for a series of rugby matches in Chile. Their chartered airplane had enterd a cloudbank, lost altitude in a series of downdrafts, and crashed into a mountain peak.
"The Fairchild had carried five crewmen anf forty passengers. Some were killed instantly. But those who survived clung to life with extrsordinary tenacity and ingenuity. They formed themselves into an ordered society, distributing tasks according to individual skills and degrees of physical fitness. Leaders emerged who had never been leaders before.
"Realizing that what little chance they had to live lay in their own hands, they planned their escape. Rather than die of starvation, they made a difficult decision: they would use the bodies of their dead companions for food. They were still to endure unexpected and terrible hardships, and one unforseen tragedy almost overwhelmed them with despair. Yet they refused to be demoralize, and their determination to save themselves increased by sheer strength of will."
Opinion: I had heard about parts of this story growing up-mostly about the consumption of human flesh. An amazing story of survival in one of the most harshest territories out there in the world.
Finished: 8/7/09
Year: 1974
Pages: 352
Genre: Non-fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Lost in the vast snowy wastes of the high Andes...all offical rescue efforts abandoned...no food...inadequate clothing for sub-zero temperatures...no mefical supplies to ease the suffering of the dying. So began a terrible ordeal for the young men and women who, on October 12, 1972, had set out from Uruguay in high spirits for a series of rugby matches in Chile. Their chartered airplane had enterd a cloudbank, lost altitude in a series of downdrafts, and crashed into a mountain peak.
"The Fairchild had carried five crewmen anf forty passengers. Some were killed instantly. But those who survived clung to life with extrsordinary tenacity and ingenuity. They formed themselves into an ordered society, distributing tasks according to individual skills and degrees of physical fitness. Leaders emerged who had never been leaders before.
"Realizing that what little chance they had to live lay in their own hands, they planned their escape. Rather than die of starvation, they made a difficult decision: they would use the bodies of their dead companions for food. They were still to endure unexpected and terrible hardships, and one unforseen tragedy almost overwhelmed them with despair. Yet they refused to be demoralize, and their determination to save themselves increased by sheer strength of will."
Opinion: I had heard about parts of this story growing up-mostly about the consumption of human flesh. An amazing story of survival in one of the most harshest territories out there in the world.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Pawing Through the Past by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown
Started: 7/19/09
Finished: 7/30/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 275
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Emotions are running high around tiny Crozet, VA, among the Class of 1980, as plans get under way for the upcoming twentieth high school reunion. There's nothing like a reunion to stir up memories, rivalries, and insecurities. It's even put Crozet's normally placid postmistress, Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen, who's on the organizing committee, on edge, as she wonders if everythng will come together on time.
"Still, when each member of the class receives an anonymous letter edged in the Crozet High School colors that reads 'You'll never get old,' Harry takes it as a compliment. Others think it's a joke. But even blitzed out on fresh catnip, Mrs. Murphy senses a much more sinister meaning.
"And the sly tiger cat is soon proven right...when divinely handsome Charlies Ashcraft, the class womanizer, turns up dead with a bullet between his eyes. At first folks around Crozet figure that when a man is sleeping with other men's wives, trouble is sure to follow. But when another threatening note to the members of the Class of 1980 is followed by the murder of a second classmate, it becomes all too clear that someone is determined to spoil this reunion...someone who has waited twenty years to take bitter revenge.
"What could have happened so long ago to trigger such rage? While Harry, whose high school memories consist of football games and first love, tries to make sense of the crimes, it's up to Mrs. Murphy, her feline pal Pewter, and the corgi Tee Tucker to try to sniff out the truth. Yet when ugly rumors surface and Harry herself has a brush with violence, Mrs. Murphy is the first to realize that in the killer's mind, Harry's been chosen Most Likely to Die. And now, unless the daring tiger cat and her animal pals can stop a relentless killer, Crozet's High's twentieth reunion may very well be Harry Haristeen's last..."
Opinion: It's been a while since I had read one of these mysteries. They are entertaining and a good read.
Finished: 7/30/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 275
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Emotions are running high around tiny Crozet, VA, among the Class of 1980, as plans get under way for the upcoming twentieth high school reunion. There's nothing like a reunion to stir up memories, rivalries, and insecurities. It's even put Crozet's normally placid postmistress, Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen, who's on the organizing committee, on edge, as she wonders if everythng will come together on time.
"Still, when each member of the class receives an anonymous letter edged in the Crozet High School colors that reads 'You'll never get old,' Harry takes it as a compliment. Others think it's a joke. But even blitzed out on fresh catnip, Mrs. Murphy senses a much more sinister meaning.
"And the sly tiger cat is soon proven right...when divinely handsome Charlies Ashcraft, the class womanizer, turns up dead with a bullet between his eyes. At first folks around Crozet figure that when a man is sleeping with other men's wives, trouble is sure to follow. But when another threatening note to the members of the Class of 1980 is followed by the murder of a second classmate, it becomes all too clear that someone is determined to spoil this reunion...someone who has waited twenty years to take bitter revenge.
"What could have happened so long ago to trigger such rage? While Harry, whose high school memories consist of football games and first love, tries to make sense of the crimes, it's up to Mrs. Murphy, her feline pal Pewter, and the corgi Tee Tucker to try to sniff out the truth. Yet when ugly rumors surface and Harry herself has a brush with violence, Mrs. Murphy is the first to realize that in the killer's mind, Harry's been chosen Most Likely to Die. And now, unless the daring tiger cat and her animal pals can stop a relentless killer, Crozet's High's twentieth reunion may very well be Harry Haristeen's last..."
Opinion: It's been a while since I had read one of these mysteries. They are entertaining and a good read.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Cat Who Went into the Closet by Lilian Jackson Braun
Started: 7/18/09
Finished: 7/19/09
Year: 1993
Pages: 235
Genre: mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "The mansion on Goodwinter Boulevard is more than a retreat for crime writer Jim Qwilleran-it is the scene of another delightful Cat Who...mystery.
"Qwill rents the Gage mansion in Pickax, and soon after moving in, he and Koko discover fifteen closets jammed with several generations' worth of junk. Koko, of course, is on the case, and what he discovers will shock Pickax and Moose County. What connection could obsolete currency, canceled checks, and an old bankbook have with mail clippers, foot powder, and a man's argyle sock? Something is definitely brewing in Pickax. But what starts out as junk turns into something else.
"The action begins when Qwill decides to simulate a newscast covering the great fire of 1869. An infamous even in Moose County, this fire burned half of the county to the ground. Now Qwill is about to put Pickax back on the map with a discovery that will uncover long-buried secrets of the Gage family.
"While enjoying a new life in Florida, the mansion's former occupant, Euphonia Gage, apparently committed suicide. But why would someone as happy and full of life as Euphonia kill herself? And what is the connection between the Gage famiy and dead potato farmer Gil Inchpot-who is found in the snow with a bullet hole in his head?
"Can Qwill and the cats get to the bottom of this mystery before the winter yields another dead body?"
Opinion: A quick read but not a lot of twists and turns that I like in a mystery.
Finished: 7/19/09
Year: 1993
Pages: 235
Genre: mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "The mansion on Goodwinter Boulevard is more than a retreat for crime writer Jim Qwilleran-it is the scene of another delightful Cat Who...mystery.
"Qwill rents the Gage mansion in Pickax, and soon after moving in, he and Koko discover fifteen closets jammed with several generations' worth of junk. Koko, of course, is on the case, and what he discovers will shock Pickax and Moose County. What connection could obsolete currency, canceled checks, and an old bankbook have with mail clippers, foot powder, and a man's argyle sock? Something is definitely brewing in Pickax. But what starts out as junk turns into something else.
"The action begins when Qwill decides to simulate a newscast covering the great fire of 1869. An infamous even in Moose County, this fire burned half of the county to the ground. Now Qwill is about to put Pickax back on the map with a discovery that will uncover long-buried secrets of the Gage family.
"While enjoying a new life in Florida, the mansion's former occupant, Euphonia Gage, apparently committed suicide. But why would someone as happy and full of life as Euphonia kill herself? And what is the connection between the Gage famiy and dead potato farmer Gil Inchpot-who is found in the snow with a bullet hole in his head?
"Can Qwill and the cats get to the bottom of this mystery before the winter yields another dead body?"
Opinion: A quick read but not a lot of twists and turns that I like in a mystery.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Ghost Hunting by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
Started: 7/15/09
Finished: 7/18/09
Year: 2007
Pages: 273
Genre: Non-fiction: Ghost hunting
Grade: A
Reason for reading: fan of the show
Blurb (from back cover): "The Atlantic Parnanormal Society, also known as T.A.P.S., is the brainchild of two plumbers by day, paranormal investigators by night: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Their hair-raising investigations, fueled by their unique abilites and a healthy does of scientific method, have made them the subject of a hit TV Show: The SCI-FI Channel's Ghost Hunters.
"Now their experiences are in print for the first time, as Jason and Grant recount for us, with the help of veteran author Michael Jan Friedman, the stories from some of their most memorable investigations. The men and women of T.A.P.S. pursue ghosts and other supernatural phenomena with the most sophisticated scientific equipment available-from thermal-imaging cameras to electromagnetic-field recorders to digital thermometers-and the results may suprise you."
Opinion: A great companion guide to the show. Some cases were done before the SCI-FI show. A great and quick read.
Finished: 7/18/09
Year: 2007
Pages: 273
Genre: Non-fiction: Ghost hunting
Grade: A
Reason for reading: fan of the show
Blurb (from back cover): "The Atlantic Parnanormal Society, also known as T.A.P.S., is the brainchild of two plumbers by day, paranormal investigators by night: Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. Their hair-raising investigations, fueled by their unique abilites and a healthy does of scientific method, have made them the subject of a hit TV Show: The SCI-FI Channel's Ghost Hunters.
"Now their experiences are in print for the first time, as Jason and Grant recount for us, with the help of veteran author Michael Jan Friedman, the stories from some of their most memorable investigations. The men and women of T.A.P.S. pursue ghosts and other supernatural phenomena with the most sophisticated scientific equipment available-from thermal-imaging cameras to electromagnetic-field recorders to digital thermometers-and the results may suprise you."
Opinion: A great companion guide to the show. Some cases were done before the SCI-FI show. A great and quick read.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun
Started: 7/11/09
Finished: 7/15/09
Year: 1998
Pages: 227
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Qwilleran, Koko, and Yum Yum are hoping for a peaceful month of July spent sitting on the porch of their cabin by a lake in Mooseville. It's not so far from home-but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Pickax that Quill figures he might actually find some peace and quiet.
"When rumors begin to circulate that UFOs are responsible for the disappearance of a stray backpacker, whose body is later discovered on the lakeshore, Quill finds it difficult to maintain 'vacation' mode.
"Then, of course, there's the knitting craze, which is attracting some very unlikely members of the community, and some highly innovative plans for this year's Fourth of July parade, and a dog-cart race. Yet all of this is just par for the course in slightly out-of-whack Moose County...
"Things become downright eerie when Koko begins to pass hours on the porch in the dark, watching the sky for stars-or something. And as the inexplicable goings-on get stranger and stranger, Qwill starts to wonder who or what is in fact responsible, if not extraterrestrial visitors."
Opinion: An average read. Onto the next one.
Finished: 7/15/09
Year: 1998
Pages: 227
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "Qwilleran, Koko, and Yum Yum are hoping for a peaceful month of July spent sitting on the porch of their cabin by a lake in Mooseville. It's not so far from home-but far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Pickax that Quill figures he might actually find some peace and quiet.
"When rumors begin to circulate that UFOs are responsible for the disappearance of a stray backpacker, whose body is later discovered on the lakeshore, Quill finds it difficult to maintain 'vacation' mode.
"Then, of course, there's the knitting craze, which is attracting some very unlikely members of the community, and some highly innovative plans for this year's Fourth of July parade, and a dog-cart race. Yet all of this is just par for the course in slightly out-of-whack Moose County...
"Things become downright eerie when Koko begins to pass hours on the porch in the dark, watching the sky for stars-or something. And as the inexplicable goings-on get stranger and stranger, Qwill starts to wonder who or what is in fact responsible, if not extraterrestrial visitors."
Opinion: An average read. Onto the next one.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Deadly Angel by Fred Rosen
Started: 7/6/09
Finished: 7/11/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 223
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Mechele Hughes came to Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 4200), looking for a new life and easy money. As an exotic dancer at the Great Alaskan Bush Company in nearby Anchorage, she was soon earning thousands a night-and getting expensive gifts from admiring male clients. Three in particular fell under her spell. Each claimed to be engaged to her...and they all lived with her together in the same house. But in May 1996, the bullet-ridden body of Kent 'T.T.' Leppink, a local fisherman and one of her fiances, was discovered in a wooded area ninety miles away-possibly slain by suitor number two, John Carlin III, at the stripper's urging.
"Ten years would elapse before the arrests and trials of Mechele Hughes Linehan and John Carlin III. Was the real Mechele a murderess, a ruthless sexual manipulator as the prosecution claimed, killing for insurance money-or the loving wife and mother she had since become, dedicated to children, animals, and charitable causes?"
Opinion: An interesting story but is was evident that not a lot of first hand interviews were received-author also makes a note of that. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com in the upcoming months.
Finished: 7/11/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 223
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: Review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Mechele Hughes came to Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 4200), looking for a new life and easy money. As an exotic dancer at the Great Alaskan Bush Company in nearby Anchorage, she was soon earning thousands a night-and getting expensive gifts from admiring male clients. Three in particular fell under her spell. Each claimed to be engaged to her...and they all lived with her together in the same house. But in May 1996, the bullet-ridden body of Kent 'T.T.' Leppink, a local fisherman and one of her fiances, was discovered in a wooded area ninety miles away-possibly slain by suitor number two, John Carlin III, at the stripper's urging.
"Ten years would elapse before the arrests and trials of Mechele Hughes Linehan and John Carlin III. Was the real Mechele a murderess, a ruthless sexual manipulator as the prosecution claimed, killing for insurance money-or the loving wife and mother she had since become, dedicated to children, animals, and charitable causes?"
Opinion: An interesting story but is was evident that not a lot of first hand interviews were received-author also makes a note of that. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com in the upcoming months.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Hanging Time by Leslie Glass
Started: 6/29/09
Finished: 7/6/09
Year: 1995
Pages: 413
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "In an expensive boutique on New York's Upper West Side, a young salesgirl is persuaded to open the door to her death.
"In the chaos of a police station, ambition and sexual politics raise the stakes of solving a vicious crime.
"In his office, a famed psychoanalyst hears a sister's tale of emotional terrorism and madness.
"For April Woo and Jason Frank, suspense fiction's most engrossing detective team, the clock is ticking on another brutal killing."
Opinion: A strong mystery that hints at the conclusion.
Finished: 7/6/09
Year: 1995
Pages: 413
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "In an expensive boutique on New York's Upper West Side, a young salesgirl is persuaded to open the door to her death.
"In the chaos of a police station, ambition and sexual politics raise the stakes of solving a vicious crime.
"In his office, a famed psychoanalyst hears a sister's tale of emotional terrorism and madness.
"For April Woo and Jason Frank, suspense fiction's most engrossing detective team, the clock is ticking on another brutal killing."
Opinion: A strong mystery that hints at the conclusion.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Danny & Da Mob by John S. Niblock
Started: 6/28/09
Finished: 6/29/09
Year: 2008
Pages: 175
Genre: Thriller
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for friend
Blurb (from back cover): "Danny Molito is a comptroller for a printing company in Chicago's Loop. In fall 1961, he inadvertently stumbles upon a secret FBI listening post while trying to deliver a payoff to Da Mob. Both the feds and the hoods start looking for him. In disguise, Danny flees downstate to Homecoming and his alumni reunion at Monmouth College. A tipster phones Da Mob with Danny's whereabouts, the FBI overhears the call, and the chase is on. The campus is roiled with mayhem and murder as thugs invade a seminar on Shakespeare, Chautauqua presentations by Al Capone and Billy Sunday, and the Monmouth-Knox football game. They turn a corn-picker in the Homecoming parade into a murder weapon. The Senior Bench on campus is also a murder scene, with Danny as the intended victim. He and his classmate Kitty, a Chicado lawyer, face a showdown with Da Mob. Danny and Kitty use themselves as bait. Backdrop for the scene is a replica of the Iron Curtain donated by an alumnus who was a former Hungarian Freedom Fighter."
Opinion: This book is filled with cliches and lots of extra stuff. Probably would have made a much better short story than novella. Still highly entertaining.
Finished: 6/29/09
Year: 2008
Pages: 175
Genre: Thriller
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for friend
Blurb (from back cover): "Danny Molito is a comptroller for a printing company in Chicago's Loop. In fall 1961, he inadvertently stumbles upon a secret FBI listening post while trying to deliver a payoff to Da Mob. Both the feds and the hoods start looking for him. In disguise, Danny flees downstate to Homecoming and his alumni reunion at Monmouth College. A tipster phones Da Mob with Danny's whereabouts, the FBI overhears the call, and the chase is on. The campus is roiled with mayhem and murder as thugs invade a seminar on Shakespeare, Chautauqua presentations by Al Capone and Billy Sunday, and the Monmouth-Knox football game. They turn a corn-picker in the Homecoming parade into a murder weapon. The Senior Bench on campus is also a murder scene, with Danny as the intended victim. He and his classmate Kitty, a Chicado lawyer, face a showdown with Da Mob. Danny and Kitty use themselves as bait. Backdrop for the scene is a replica of the Iron Curtain donated by an alumnus who was a former Hungarian Freedom Fighter."
Opinion: This book is filled with cliches and lots of extra stuff. Probably would have made a much better short story than novella. Still highly entertaining.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Started: 6/25/09
Finished: 6/28/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 391
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after Kim McDaniels goes missing, her parents receive a terrifying phone call. Fearing the worst, they board the first flight to Maui and begin the hunt for their daughter.
"Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the L.A. Times gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief-Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim McDaniels to have a prayer. And for Ben to have the story of a lifetime.
"All the while, a killer sets the stage for his next production. His audience expect the best-and they won't be disappointed. Swimsuit is a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and horrors are hidden within paradise."
Opinion: I'm really wishing that James Patterson would take some time between books to really concentrate on his writing. It seems that every book that comes out now is rushed. This is still an enjoyable, fast-paced read.
Finished: 6/28/09
Year: 2009
Pages: 391
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after Kim McDaniels goes missing, her parents receive a terrifying phone call. Fearing the worst, they board the first flight to Maui and begin the hunt for their daughter.
"Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the L.A. Times gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief-Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim McDaniels to have a prayer. And for Ben to have the story of a lifetime.
"All the while, a killer sets the stage for his next production. His audience expect the best-and they won't be disappointed. Swimsuit is a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and horrors are hidden within paradise."
Opinion: I'm really wishing that James Patterson would take some time between books to really concentrate on his writing. It seems that every book that comes out now is rushed. This is still an enjoyable, fast-paced read.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Cold Paradise by Stuart Woods
Started: 6/22/09
Finished: 6/25/09
Year: 2001
Pages: 412
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Luxuriating in Palm Beach's winter warmth, Stone is stunned to recognize someone he thought was dead. Former client Allison Manning is alive and well-and suddenly very rich. Now she needs Stone's help in squaring a charge of insurance fraud that's been hanging over her head for years-and in getting rid of a recently acquired stalker. Suspects abound, including an elusive writer, an enigmatic businessman, and Allison's devious former husband. Only Stone can thwart the sly and greedy plan to steal the millions of dollars at stake-and the crafty killer behind it..."
Opinion: This was a fun and enjoyable read.
Finished: 6/25/09
Year: 2001
Pages: 412
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: Grabbed it off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Luxuriating in Palm Beach's winter warmth, Stone is stunned to recognize someone he thought was dead. Former client Allison Manning is alive and well-and suddenly very rich. Now she needs Stone's help in squaring a charge of insurance fraud that's been hanging over her head for years-and in getting rid of a recently acquired stalker. Suspects abound, including an elusive writer, an enigmatic businessman, and Allison's devious former husband. Only Stone can thwart the sly and greedy plan to steal the millions of dollars at stake-and the crafty killer behind it..."
Opinion: This was a fun and enjoyable read.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Of Two Minds by T.M. Luhrmann
Started: 6/15/09
Finished: 6/22/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 293
Genre: Non-Fiction/Psychiatry
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "In this groundbreaking book, T.M. Luhrmann penetrates the mysterious culture of psychiatry, showing how psychiatrists learn to undertand people as they do, and how the enormous ambiguities in the field affect both practitioners and patients. Drawing on her extensive interviews with doctors and patients, as well as years of investigative fieldwork in residency programs and private and state psychiatric hospitals, Luhrmann illuminates a compelling profession.
"At a time when psychiatry is beset by a struggle between those who argue for the primacy of the brain and those who believe the mind is supreme, when mood-altering drugs have revolutionized treatments and medical insurers are forcing caregivers to forsake talk therapy for drug therapy, Lyhrmann's witty, sharp, and soulful study is both necessary and inspiring."
Opinion: This wasn't what I thought it was going to be like. It was long and drawn out but still pointed out a lot of important points.
Finished: 6/22/09
Year: 2000
Pages: 293
Genre: Non-Fiction/Psychiatry
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "In this groundbreaking book, T.M. Luhrmann penetrates the mysterious culture of psychiatry, showing how psychiatrists learn to undertand people as they do, and how the enormous ambiguities in the field affect both practitioners and patients. Drawing on her extensive interviews with doctors and patients, as well as years of investigative fieldwork in residency programs and private and state psychiatric hospitals, Luhrmann illuminates a compelling profession.
"At a time when psychiatry is beset by a struggle between those who argue for the primacy of the brain and those who believe the mind is supreme, when mood-altering drugs have revolutionized treatments and medical insurers are forcing caregivers to forsake talk therapy for drug therapy, Lyhrmann's witty, sharp, and soulful study is both necessary and inspiring."
Opinion: This wasn't what I thought it was going to be like. It was long and drawn out but still pointed out a lot of important points.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin
Started: 6/14/09
Finished: 6/15/09
Year: 2003
Pages: 164
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38, or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside there are 8-inch-high curbs and there's always the horrible chance he might see a gas station attendant wearing a blue hat. So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aid to admire the California girl Zandy and to buy earplugs because they're on sale, he stays home a lot. And a good thing too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and he might never have won the Most Average Amrican essay contest."
Opinion: This was different. But yet similar to Steve Martin's style of comedy.
Finished: 6/15/09
Year: 2003
Pages: 164
Genre: Fiction
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38, or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside there are 8-inch-high curbs and there's always the horrible chance he might see a gas station attendant wearing a blue hat. So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aid to admire the California girl Zandy and to buy earplugs because they're on sale, he stays home a lot. And a good thing too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and he might never have won the Most Average Amrican essay contest."
Opinion: This was different. But yet similar to Steve Martin's style of comedy.
Catch Me If You Can by Frank W. Abagnale
Started: 6/13/09
Finished: 6/14/09
Year: 1980
Pages: 293
Genre: True Crime/Memoir
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): " Frank Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artist in history. During his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks-all before he was twenty-one. A hilarious, stranger-than-fiction account of his sumptuous life on the lam, international escapades, and ingenious escapes, Catch Me If You Can is a captivating tale of deceit.
Opinion: I had seen the movie and enjoyed it. However, as I was ready the book, I felt like all I was doing was giving money to a criminal who did not deserve the money-felt that there was no remorse for what he had done.
Finished: 6/14/09
Year: 1980
Pages: 293
Genre: True Crime/Memoir
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): " Frank Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artist in history. During his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks-all before he was twenty-one. A hilarious, stranger-than-fiction account of his sumptuous life on the lam, international escapades, and ingenious escapes, Catch Me If You Can is a captivating tale of deceit.
Opinion: I had seen the movie and enjoyed it. However, as I was ready the book, I felt like all I was doing was giving money to a criminal who did not deserve the money-felt that there was no remorse for what he had done.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Started: 6/11/09
Finished: 6/13/09
Year: 2008
Pages: 277
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.
"Dewey's story starts in the worse possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.
"As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide. Dewey became more than just a friend: he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history."
Opinion: I'm a sucker for the true animal stories. Dewey was a sweet and loved cat during his stay at the library. Very cute stories.
Finished: 6/13/09
Year: 2008
Pages: 277
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.
"Dewey's story starts in the worse possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility (for a cat), and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.
"As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide. Dewey became more than just a friend: he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history."
Opinion: I'm a sucker for the true animal stories. Dewey was a sweet and loved cat during his stay at the library. Very cute stories.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
Started: 6/7/09
Finished: 6/11/09
Year: 2002
Pages: 260
Genre: memoir/autobiography
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "In September 1998, Michael j. Fox stunned the world by announcing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease-a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for seven years. The worldwide response was staggering. Fortunately, he had accepted the diagnosis, and by the time public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. Now, with the same passion, humor, and energy that he has invested in his dozens of performances over the last eighteen years, he tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.
"Combining his trademark ironic sensibility and keen sense of the absurd, Fox recounts his life, from his childhood in western Canada to the meteoric rise in film and television that made him a worldwide celebrity. Most important, however, he writes of the last ten years, during which-with the unswerving support of his wife, family, and friends-he has dealt with his illness. He talks about what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, and the opportunity to help search for a cure and spread public awarenss of the disease. He feels as if he is a very lucky man, indeed."
Opinion: One of the better memoirs that I've read. I thank Michael J. Fox for taking the courage to write about his life and how Parkinson's has played such a role in his life.
Finished: 6/11/09
Year: 2002
Pages: 260
Genre: memoir/autobiography
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed it off the TBR pile
Blurb (from book jacket): "In September 1998, Michael j. Fox stunned the world by announcing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease-a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for seven years. The worldwide response was staggering. Fortunately, he had accepted the diagnosis, and by the time public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. Now, with the same passion, humor, and energy that he has invested in his dozens of performances over the last eighteen years, he tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.
"Combining his trademark ironic sensibility and keen sense of the absurd, Fox recounts his life, from his childhood in western Canada to the meteoric rise in film and television that made him a worldwide celebrity. Most important, however, he writes of the last ten years, during which-with the unswerving support of his wife, family, and friends-he has dealt with his illness. He talks about what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, and the opportunity to help search for a cure and spread public awarenss of the disease. He feels as if he is a very lucky man, indeed."
Opinion: One of the better memoirs that I've read. I thank Michael J. Fox for taking the courage to write about his life and how Parkinson's has played such a role in his life.
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