Reading anything?

[Doggett]

Lots of Horus Heresy stuff. I'm on Flight of the Eisenstien.
I'm also reading House of Leaves, Abarat and The Stand (which I started when I joined this forum. So really taking my time with that one...)

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

2 by 2 by 2


2 mysteries

Alex Grecian's
The Devil's Workshop
3rd in the Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series

When a train is deliberately crashed into a prison, several murderous inmates escape. It is now up to our heroes to track them all down and recapture them, before they kill again.

Actually, this is one of my favorite mystery series, and the writer has made a lot of progress in writing . . .
dialogue
characters on and off the page, but . . .?!

It is so trite to include Jack the Ripper, as one of the characters. Hopefully, next time, something not so trite.

Nevada Barr's
Destroyer Angel
19th in the Anna Pigeon series
1 more non-fiction by the writer

When our heroine and her 2 BFFs, one of whom is physically challenged,  and the 2 daughters of the BFFs are kidnapped by 4 men, it is up to our heroine, who is the only one to evade the kidnappers to save the other 4 females.

As always, I am late in coming to this series. And while this one was readable, the previous 2 being too introspective for my taste, and while the ending did make sense, the whole plot leading up to the ending not much. For if the kidnappers had been a little more competent, and the females been a little less competent. We would not have the plot that we have.


2 non-fiction

Tougias and Campbell's
Rescue of the Bounty :
Disaster and Survival in Super Storm Sandy
a dozen more non-fiction books by the writers

The subtitle says it all.

Actually, Tougias has another of his books being made into a film by the Walt Disney Company and Whitaker Entertainment. Not this one, but "The Finest Hours." When 2 oil tankers run aground off the coast of Cape Cod during a storm in 1952, it is up to the Coast Guard to put to sea in their boats and rescue both crews. While scheduled for release next year. This is trading places with "The Jungle Book," whose release is now 2016, and this being release in October of this year.

John Feinstein's
Where Nobody Knows Your Name :
Life in the Minor Leagues of Baseball
23 more non-fiction books by the writer

Again, the subtitle says it all.


2 graphic novels

Jack London's
The Sea Wolf
Riff Reb, adapter
11th in the Classic Illustrated Deluxe series

The only way that I ever found London's classic novel to be readable. Though, the film version with Edward G. Robinson as the title character is well worth seeing. A great adaptation of the book, if not a true adaptation.

And that's all for now, as I am running out of time. We'll take up the other graphic novel next time.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Okay! He's back, and here's the review of the 2nd graphic novel, which he promised before.

Avengers vs. X-Men
in 3 parts

Parte Uno
38 Avengers + 47 X-Men + 4 or 5 who can't make up their mind to which they belong + 1 Nova in 12 rounds of rock 'em, sock 'em melee action.

Parte Dos
19 X-Men and 19 Avengers in individual combat. With the winners and losers declared for each combat.

Parte Tres
Marvel's app

=Part heart + part tears + part brain + part laughs + all courage, and it was all good while it lasted.

And the answers to a couple of questions I never thought to ask myself before.

Q: Why follow the wrong leader, even if you know he or she is wrong?
A: It is better to follow and thought to be wrong than it is not to follow and be thought a traitor.

Q: What is the hardest punch?
A: The 1st punch thrown is the hardest. After that they become easy.

Next time: 2 x 4 or 2 graphic novels x 4 mysteries

[Rev. Powell]

[FatFreddysCat]

Almost done with:

How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present and Future by Chris Taylor

On deck:
Cinema Wars: Hollywood Film and Politics in the Bush-Cheney Era by Douglas Kellner

[sprite75]

I've been working on this one lately;



I've also been working on these two as well;





(No I'm not currently planning on making Sprite wine or beer.  My brother makes beer and I just got curious as to what it would take to make a small amount of wine). 

[Rev. Powell]

Going to read the novel before watching the movie again.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!
2 by 4

And don't think those Canadians to the north of us aren't tough s.o.b.s. My uncle, by marriage, who is actually the reason for my existence, as he introduced my father, who he was building railroad bridges with, across the Pacific Northwest, to my mother, who was the younger sister of the woman, who he was dating--and later married--at the time. Sometime in his life, he got into a brawl with another Canadian, who laid him out with a 2 by 4. He survived, but to the day he died, or, at least, as long as I knew him, you could see the dent in his head made by that 2 x 4.

4 fiction

Charles Todd's
(mother and son writing duo)
Hunting Shadows
11th in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series

What is the connection between an army officer shot and killed at a wedding by a sniper and a politician killed at a political rally by the same sniper. It is up to our hero to find the connection to find the motivation and the murderer.


Donna Leon's
By Its Cover
26th in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series
4 more non-fiction books by the writer


Harry Dolan's
The Last Dead Girl
a prequel to the 2 previous fiction books by the writer


Karin Salvalaggio's
Bone Dust White
1st novel


2 graphic works


Rick Geary's
A Treasury of Victorian Murder Compendium
in 2 vols.

vol. 1, which I have read

The assassination of Garfield--The 1st serial killer H.H. Holmes--Jack the Ripper--Dr. E. W. Pritchard--Mrs. Pearcey--and the mystery of the Ryans.

and vol.2, which I have not read

Lizzie Borden--The Mary Rogers murder--The assassination of Lincoln--Murderess Madeleine Smith--and the Benders


Next time: more 2 by 4

[indianasmith]

I just finished a book called RETRIBUTION by Max Hastings.  It was a history of the last two years of World War 2 in the Pacific.
It covered everything from the costly island campaigns to the little remembered fighting in the China-Burma-India theater.
This book really just brings home how incredibly brutal the war against Japan was, and how abominably cruel the Japanese were
to the peoples they conquered.  HIGHLY recommended for all WW2 buffs.

[ER]

Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. His third short story collection and most recent release.

[FatFreddysCat]

Currently:

Good Days and MAD: A Hysterical Tour Behind the Scenes at MAD Magazine by Dick DeBartolo

On deck:
The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer

The Comic-Book Book by Don Thompson and Dick Lupoff

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!
2 x 4


2 graphic novels

Bendis, Pichelli, Franeavilla, and Maguire
Guardians of the Galaxy
v.2. Angela


Terry Brooks
Dark Wraith of Shannara
Edwin David, illustrator
Robert P. Napton, adaptor

Part of the Shannara series.
There was some talk of doing a theatrical film based on the series. That is unlikely to happen, but it does appear that there is to be a TV series on MTV based on the series.



4 mysteries

Benjamin Black's
The Black-eyed Blonde
1st in the Philip Marlowe series

The author also has a police procedural series, which takes place in Dublin in the 1950's, but I like the start of this series better, even if many of the characters have become clichés since the days of Raymond Chandler.


Linda Rpdriguez'
Every Hidden Fear :
a Mystery
3rd in the Skeet Bannion series


Martin Cruz Smith
Tatiana
12th in the Arkady Renko series

When a translator is murdered, and his coded notes from the last job disappear, it is up to our hero to solve the case with or without the help of . . .
a female reporter, who may or may not be actually dead.
a Russian gangster, who may or not be man enough to fill his father's shoes
a female reporter, who may or may not be a love interest of our hero
a Russian poet, who may or may not be trustworthy
a teenage chess hustler, who may or may not be capable of decoding the notes, when found.
and the hustler's little girlfriend.

If one wants to watch something in the series, instead of reading it, then the 1st book in the series, "Gorky Park," was made into a theatrical film, which I have not seen, but which does star Lee Marvin, who does not play the Park or our hero.

And if you look at the 1st half of the last century, the people who really got screwed over by their government were the Germans, the Italians, the Japanese, and the Russians. While the other three have made some progress with their governments, the Russians are still being screwed over by their Government.


Sharon Bolton's
A Dark and Twisted Tide
in the Flint and Joesbury series

When the dead bodies of young women start appearing in the Thames River in London, the questions become Who are they? Where are they from? and How were they killed? And what is that that is seen swimming in the same area, where the bodies are found. It is not a whale. It is not a seal. Is it a mermaid? But mermaids do not exist, or do they?

And one of the great endings in fiction. Forget primitive. The end fight is primeval. Forget hand-to-hand combat. The ending fight is tooth and claw. "They gave their lives for tourism."

The writer is also capable enough to get the reader to change their sympathies from one character to another character and more than once.


Next time: 2 x 4

[FatFreddysCat]

Right now:
Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood and Invented Modern Horror by Jason Zinoman

On deck:
A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa by Chris Arnold

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!
2 x 4


2 graphic novels

Kieran Gillen's
Journey Into Mystery
Collective issues 622-632

Jake Parker's
Missle Mouse
v. 2. Rescue on Tankium 3


4 mysteries

Eleanor Kuhns'
Cradle to Grave
3rd in the Will Rees series

When his wife's BFF kidnaps the children of a woman, who the BFF thinks is an unfit mother, the BFF alienates the whole town, Shakers and non-Shakers alike. Thinking to be of help, our hero and his wife head to the town, where the BFF lives, only to find things have become even more complicated, as the "unfit" mother is found dead, and the last one to be seen in the area, where she was found dead, was the BFF.

Rachel Howzell Hall's
Land of Shadows
in the Detective Elouise Norton series

When a woman goes missing, then is found later, a victim of an arson fire, people remember another fire, in which the woman was involved, as her stepfather was killed in a fire that was then put down to his smoking in bed, but now, with the most recent fire and murder, that is beginning to look like arson and murder as well.

Catherine Aird's
Dead Heading
in the Sloan and Cosby series

A woman gone missing. Vandalism of a nursery greenhouse. Are the two crimes connected somehow?

Victoria Houston's
Dead Lil' Hustler
in the Loon Lake series

When an investment banker,  then a grad student are found dead, in an area that is off-limits, because of major wolf activity in the area, the question becomes what, if anything is going on in that area, are the two deaths connected somehow, and what if anything does it have to do with the wolves in that area?

Next time: 2 x 4

[indianasmith]

I finished two books this week; Ken Follett's EDGE OF ETERNITY and Alan Bullock's massive dual biography, HITLER AND STALIN: PARALLEL LIVES. 

Follett's book is the last volume of his "Century" trilogy; I enjoyed the first one but this one was so politically biased that it got in the way of the story.  Every liberal character was a hero, every conservative a villain.  Neither ideology has a monopoly on villainy, a simple lesson that you'd think an experienced writer would have learned.  But Follett, as gifted a writer as he is, can't seem to grasp that.  All that being said, it was still a well-written story with engaging characters, and I'm glad I finished it.

Bullock's work is a massive 900+ page epic, a bit dry in spots but very informative.  Took me two years to wade through it, reading it on my lunch breaks.  Might have done it sooner, but it was a re-read.