Ugh, I don’t think I’m going to hit 2 1/2 Cannonballs this year, and it will be Mark Leyner and his Sugar Frosted Nutsack that I will curse if I don’t (still slogging through that one). The delightful little Out Stealing Horses, however, is utterly blameless. It took me an evening to read, with its terse narration and quick plot. A nice way to spend an evening. I picked up Out Stealing Horses at Half Price Books because 1) it was $1 and 2) I like horses. It turns out […]
Time for some swashbuckling fantasy!
Forty-first book reviewed as part of the 130 Challenge. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read fantasy and it was nice to go back to it. Nine Princes in Amber is more of a hack and slash style of Fantasy, but it was an interesting read nonetheless. The first half builds the story in terms of shrewd discoveries made by the protagonist Corwin, himself one of the nine living princes of Amber, a fantastical city which is supposed to be on the ‘real’ earth […]
Poirot doesn’t impress in his first story
Fortieth book reviewed as part of the 130 Challenge. I like mysteries and thrillers, but this one didn’t impress me much. It might be because Agatha was such a pioneer in this genre that a lot of other writers must have borrowed from her and so, this particular story (the first perhaps, in her famous Hercule Poirot series) appears to be far too familiar.The plot was quite simple. I was even able to guess the most likely culprits. However, as soon as Hercule starts to […]
It’s hard to find a cute clutch to carry your pistol
Miss Melville is a rich, respected, established artist in New York City, from a long line of wealthy Melvilles. She is also a hitwoman, semi-retired. She still kills the odd drug-dealer or pimp when she believes it’s necessary, but doesn’t take on too many big assignments anymore. She changes her mind when a government agency asks her to kill a member of the royal family of Gandistan who is visiting New York. Miss Melville accepts the assignment when she finds out that the target is […]
A vampire and a werewolf walk into a diner…
This one is fun, quick, and fits easily in a purse so you can carry it on a plane. I finished three books on my recent flight from east to Midwest, and I am terribly behind on reviewing them. Earl and Duke are a vampire and a werewolf, respectively. They’re traveling along, broke and bored, when they decide to stop at a diner. The owner and sole waitress seems completely unfazed when a bunch of zombies break her front windows and shuffle in to attack […]
Bringing Out the Dead by Joe Connelly
Joe Connelly, ex-medic, wrote Bringing Out the Dead based on his own experiences. And I’ll tell you, it’s a wild ride. Not really enjoyable, but a good read nonetheless. This book covers two nights, but it feels like weeks. The whole book has that effect, like you’re thrown for real into this insane ambulance ride, and you come out the other side confused, exhausted, and understanding Frank’s rapid decline. Frank Pierce has been an EMS medic for (I think) 5 years. Over the past 12 or 13 months, […]