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I love reading!

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Sidewalks of New York

Manhattan Nocturne by Colin Harrison

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Note: This book has been re-published under the title “Manhattan Night”. It was renamed because a movie by that name based on the book came out, so the publisher re-issued it with the movie title. Since I hate when publishers do this, I’ve chosen to review it under the original name. The Amazon link directs to the page with the updated name and appropriate info.  Colin Harrison is a writer I’ve been meaning to try for awhile. I started The Havana Room and was enjoying it but stopped for […]

Two Duds

The Wounded and the Slain by David Goodis

Doctor Lovebeads by Gary Reilly

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How much does it suck when you read two books concurrent with one another by authors you normally like…and they turn out to be complete duds? I took time to write this review after finishing both books to wonder if it was just me. Nope. Both were not good and very close to bad. The Wounded and the Slain There are good ideas in this David Goodis noir tale: ideas about marriage, accountability, colonialism, loss, sense of place and justice. But they’re buried underneath Goodis’ […]

The Force Needs Five More Minutes

Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn

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After the crushing disappointment that is the experience of Rise of Skywalker*, I knew I needed to connect with some sort of Star Wars project that would hit my nostalgia spot. And it had to be something besides the series, which I’ve seen hundreds of times. A few years ago, after seeing (and loving) The Force Awakens, I decided to dip into the expanded universe with the OG of the franchise: the Thrawn trilogy. I had read some of the books years ago but didn’t remember much. I liked Heir […]

Eastern Promises

The Blood-Red Dream by Michael Collins (Dennis Lynds)

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A reminder that lost classics are usually “lost” for a reason. When I read Act of Fear a few months ago, I was so excited to discover a new series. A character heavily inspired by Ross Macdonald’s Lew Archer but set in New York City. I never expected these books to rise to the level of Macdonald’s work but I thought they would scratch the itch. They do not. Instead, I’m reminded of why I don’t often read a full series of books, especially mysteries. While Macdonald […]

Sis Boom Bah

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

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I wanted to read this one in advance of watching the new show, which I’ll now make every available effort to do because the book itself would make for a good translation to visual media. And it helped me understand why I like Megan Abbott so much. I’ve been going through Abbott’s catalogue for most of the last few years but it wasn’t until I read Dare Me that I realized why I like her so much. Abbott is a very sensual writer. She’s good at filling […]



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