Sunday, May 29, 2016

The Art of the Deal, by Donald Trump

Title: The Art of the Deal
Author: Donald Trump
Borrowed from Take-One/Leave-One Library found in Northside Park, Ocean City, MD
Started: 5/15/2016
Finished: 5/28/2016

Picked this up as a joke for neighbors who hate Trump, they promptly returned it.  I figured what the hell, I'll give it a read.  A fast, breezy read, but I barely picked it up until this past weekend when I soldered through.  I enjoyed it, despite myself. I don't know what else to say.

Classic Ghost Stories, Various Authors

Title:. Classic Ghost Stories
Author:. Various
Borrowed from DC Public (Audiobook)
Started: 5/23/2016
Finished: 5/26/2026

I think this might have been released as an audiobook only.  Amazon page is here
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Ghost-Stories-Word-Recording/dp/1934997188

That link has a reviewer who listed all titles and authors, so I won't bother doing that here. 11 stories in all I think, 5 or 6 were great, the rest so-so.  I had read one or two before, but long enough ago that they were still enjoyable.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Resolution, by Robert B Parker

  • Title:  Resolution
  • Author:  Robert B Parker
  • Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  • Started: 5/20/2016
  • Finished:  5/22/2016
This is the second book in the Western trilogy that started with Appaloosa.  Appaloosa it ain't.  

One Fearful Yellow Eye, by John D MacDonald

  • Title:  One Fearful Yellow Eye
  • Author:  John D MacDonald
  • Borrowed from Take-One/Leave-One Library found in Northside Park, Ocean City, MD
  • Started:  5/14/2016
  • Finished:  5/19/2016
I can't deny that I generally like Travis McGee books (read them all years ago), but this one has always been my least favorite.  Still, I was at the beach and needed something to read, and it was available.  Just a really bad (but fast and easy) novel.

Friday, May 20, 2016

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 3, by Bert Coules

The second volume of these stories available via DC Public Library (third volume in the series).  These are very enjoyable recordings of pastiche Holmes stories.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2, by Bert Coules


BBC Radio dramas, very well made/produced.  The stories are short, but fun, and Coules does a great job capturing the feel of the original stories.

The DC Public Library only has volumes 2  & 3, so I've missed the first volume and any others there might be.  The stories are all based around cases mentioned in the original Holmes stories.  Really, very enjoyable.


Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Appaloosa, by Robert B. Parker

  • Title:  Appaloosa
  • Author:  Robert B. Parker
  • Borrowed from DC Public Library (AudioBook)
  • Started: 5/11/2016
  • Finished: 5/16/2016
Wanted a good Western.  Found one.

Didn't know it was part of a larger series.  Likely to keep going with it if I find the books available.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Welcome to Hard Times, bu E.L. Doctorow

  • Title:  Welcome to Hard Times
  • Author:  E. L. Doctorow
  • Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  • Started: 5/4/2016
  • Finished: 5/11/2016
I have never read any Doctorow, and I suspect if I had asked someone what book of his to read they would not have mentioned this one -- but they should.  This was an outstanding western, not of cowboys and shootouts, but of those trying to build something, while others try to take away what is built.  It is about stubborn people, disappointment, hope, and destruction.  I really, really enjoyed reading this one.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The Caretaker of Lorne Field, by Dave Zeltserman

Read this one from beginning to end on a lazy Monday when I had the day off.  For the first couple of pages I could not figure out why anyone had recommended this one to me, then before I knew it 5 hours had passed and I was finished with the book.  It had a very Twilight Zone feel to it, I loved this one.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Association of Small Bombs, by Karan Mahajan

This is the latest pick from the book club I belong to, I liked it but found the subject matter difficult, or maybe depressing is a better word.  I'm going to save further thoughts for the group discussion.

Mort(e) by Robert Repino

  • Title:  Mort(e)
  • Author:  Robert Repino
  • Borrowed from DC Public (AudioBook)
  • Started: 4/27/2016
  • Finished: 5/4/2016
Apocalyptic novel, talking animals, love between cat & dog, quasi-detective story.  This novel, by that description, should be the perfect novel for me.

And it started off strong.  Told mostly from the point of view of Mort(e)/Sebastian, a house cat in love with the neighbors dog Sheba (neighbor human is banging married owner of Sebastian), who through the magic of ants becomes a walking/talking/fighting machine.  

Actually all animals do, they also walk on two legs (most, anyway), as do the ants, and they've grown to human size (or greater).  This all sounds asinine, but it makes good sense in the world of the book.  And the the opening telling the story of the apocalypse and changes to animals is very well done.

But about 1/3rd of the way through the book it falls apart a bit.  Mort(e) is a killing machine (killing humans), banding together with the ants.  But things aren't as they seem to be, and the religion rears its head among the resistance, and somehow Mort(e) is believed to be the messiah.

It's just too much, but the last 1/4 of the book once again focuses on Mort(e) and his long-lost love Sheba (still a normal dog, not transformed), and for any animal lovers out there -- all is right in the world once again.

Glad I read it, would have made a better short story or even serialized work, but I can't fault a first-time author for getting this published.  

I will fault the reader of the audiobook -- he was terrible.  This could have been an amazing audiobook (essentially serializing the work), but instead the guy reading detracted from the overall enjoyment.