3-25-10 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - Fiction

5 - Nope, not a typo; I read this in one day. I absolutely love Harris' Southern Vampire books. Sookie gets a little more involved in the Were community in this one when Bill is abducted in Mississippi and Eric asks her to help find him. Sookie's relationships with Eric and with Alcide, the werewolf that is her guide through the supernatural community in Jackson, become confused and add to the stress of her search for Bill. And Bubba returns as Sookie's bodyguard. I love Bubba; he's funny. Another wild and fun read from Harris.

3-25-10 Thinner Than Thou by Kit Reed - Fiction

3 - You think negative body image is a problem now? Read this book as find out just how bad it can get. Body perfection is the religion the Thinner Than Thou creating a multi-billion dollar industry that makes today's industry look like a start up. Face lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction, and stringent dieting are practically required to survive in this world not to mention having a constant fear of being cited by the Fashion Police. Eating disorders are dealt with by a group of psuedo-nuns called the Dedicated Sisters and, ruling over the thin empire, is Reverend Earl. Porn is no longer about women and men of bodily perfection having sex, it's about obese men and women eating. I kept having awful flashbacks to the movie "Feed" which, while very good, is gag inducing in the way food and weight are viewed as erotica. This book hits quite close to home in that it doesn't take a huge stretch of the imagination to see our society heading down this road.

3-24-10 The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly - Fiction

5 - What a wonderful story about a boy's growth into manhood. The Book of Lost Things contains twisted versions of common fairy tales come to life when David travels to a hidden world after he climbs through a crack in the wall of the sunken garden at his home. Connolly writes a dark tale full of moral conflict and physical danger as well as death. David has help from a variety of people who are almost familiar characters from fairy tales and is pursued by the Crooked Man as he makes his way to see the reclusive king in hopes that he can help him get home again. A wonderful fairy tale for adults.

3-21-10 Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore - Fiction

4 - For a debut novel, this is pretty good. The first Pine Cove story, Practical Demonkeeping introduces the reader to a few of the mainstay characters that will be found in the subsequent Pine Cove books by having a demon come to town. Yeah, this town's not quite as sleepy as it appears. Full of his quirky humor, Moore's book will keep you laughing at the absurdity of the situations and the strangeness of the characters.

3-19-10 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - Fiction

5- This is the reason I love Dan Brown. Better than Angels & Demons, better than The DaVinci Code, Brown presents a great puzzler of an action novel full of facts about our country, our capital, and the sciences. The Freemasons are a vital component of the story with Brown filling the reader in on a lot of their beliefs. Robert Langdon is his clever if awkward self and has to solve the puzzle presented to save two of his friends. The entire book takes place over the course of one night so the story just picks up and moves. A wonderful addition to the Robert Langdon novels.

Unemployment sucks

Well readers, I am now unemployed. It is unfortunate and, although this does give me more free time to read, I'll probably be reading a few more educational books (languages, computers) than normal. I doubt I will wirte those up unless I find something that is really well suited for the topic. And, since I am now a little depressed, as anyone who has followed this blog for a little while knows, I will be re-reading a few of my favorite comfort reads. I'll note those, but probably won't review them again. I'll try to keep a good mix of new titles coming though so you don't get bored. I do have two more to write up now, but I haven't done my rough drafts yet. Hopefully I'll get them posted tomorrow. So if anyone knows of a job where I can read all day or that involves food or wine (not waitressing please) in the Scottsdale, AZ area, feel free to drop me a line.

3-17-10 Roasting in Hell's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsey - Non-Fiction

3 - In general, Gordon Ramsey is a pretty simple personality. Not simple as in low I.Q., but simple in that there's not much going on that you don't see out in the open. Yes, he's known as that bastard who swears at the top of his lungs at everyone, but he does seem to have a mellower and slightly more compassionate side that is occasionally seen on "Hell's Kitchen." It was interesting to discover how torn he became when he really had a chance to become a professional football player (that's soccer for us Americans) but he was already studying cooking. His relationship with his family is also interesting. Overall, he is a little full of himself but he has become very successful even outside of the TV career and has helped other chefs become successful as well. Probably a read for die hard foodies only.

3-15-10 Horns by Joe Hill - Fiction

4 - My favorite book by Joe Hill is still Heart Shaped Box but this book has cemented him as a name to know in the horror genre. What would you do if you woke up one morning with horns growing out of your head? Well that's what Ig has to decide and deal with one fateful morn. Hill gives enough of the backstory at the beginning of the book so the reader can get a feel for Ig and the other characters and then continues to feed out pieces of the backstory, giving the reader a complete picture and understanding of all the characters' motivations by the end. Hill really does spin a good tale full of human angst, supernatural temptation, and just plain old bump in the night creepiness.

3-13-10 We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch - Non-Fiction

4 - I became interested in this book after seeing the movie "Hotel Rwanda" which was my first exposure to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. I finally found a library that had the book available. "Hotel Rwanda" was just one story which, horrible as it was, couldn't make the viewer realize the scope of the atrocities. Nor could it really go into the background of the country to see what led up to those bloody months. Gourevitch tells the story of the country and people of Rwanda with history and survivors' stories. Rwanda is an incredibly complex country and the reasons behind the genocide are complex as well. If you have any interest in foreign history or in the first world nations' roles in international growth and wars read this book. It will move you.

3-8-10 The Vampire of Venice Beach by Jennifer Colt - Fiction

4 - These are just fun reads. Goofy and thoroughly entertaining. The McAfee twins are yin and yang and just pommel their way through the case. This case involves vampires. Oh yes, vampires. As the twins not repeatedly in the story, "It is LA." Ephemera, Queen of the Undead, ends up really dead at the opening of a new goth gallery and the twins are stuck right in the middle of the murder investigation. There's not much more I can say about this other than Colt writes a really fun book.

3-6-10 Mariposa by Greg Bear - Fiction

4 - A high flying action ride, Mariposa brings back the characters from Quantico. Yes, they have to save the world yet again. this time from a megalomaniacal businessman whose intention is to buy the United States. Sounds unbelievable? Well, with the current financial situation of the world and a severe extended drought it's not only possible but the gears are already turning toward the collapse of the Union. Bear uses a truckload of incredible technology making this almost, but not quite, a science fiction novel, but the basic story line is a hard hitting military, espionage, technothriller. Good fun.

3-2-10 Dear American Airlines by Johnathan Miles - Fiction

3 - Interesting. Benjamin R. Ford is on his way to his estranged daughter's wedding in California when, in typical fashion, his flight is cancelled and he ends up stranded at O'Hare airport. So he begins a very angry letter to American Airlines which turns into a cathartic review of his life. In turns funny and morose, Dear American Airlines hits all the frustrations and anger of a waylaid traveler as well as the same emotions of a man realizing how screwed up his life has truly been. A little bit of regret and self abasement is also evident as Benjamin Ford intersperses his angry tirade with stories about his parents, his daughter's mother, and his life in general. an unusual and touching novel.