So Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter has been my third book in my series of audio books on this road trip. I picked up this book for the sheer fun and si...moreSo Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter has been my third book in my series of audio books on this road trip. I picked up this book for the sheer fun and silliness of it all. It was written by Seth Grahame-Smith who was the writer of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I loved Seth's PP&Z allot I really thought it was a great combination of classic literature and a fan crazed concept. I was very curious to see how he would do with a historical icon and another fan crazed concept, but this time instead of zombies we have vampires.
The story itself I thought was very entertaining, not as much as PPZ but still really good. I can tell that Seth spent allot of time into this story though, and he did his research. I'm no expert on Abe Lincoln but I do know a few things and the way he blended historical fact for his story purpose of vampires I thought it went really well. Sort of like Lamb though you have a small let down of because its a story of a historical character you know what the end result is going to be. The blending of the historical with Abe's Quest to fight vampires was really well done but you know what's going to go down in the end. What's interesting though is Smith does something slightly "different" with the ending, with out giving anything away. Its an interesting idea and not terrible but in some ways I think it was sort of unnecessary.
This being another audio book and it was narrated by Scott Hoist. I thought he did a great job of narration, inflections, and voices. His Abe is very distinct and you can always tell who is speaking. Considering how this takes place during the Civil War, you hear him do allot of different southern accents and all does them all very well.
All and all I think it was a decent book, not amazing but I was happy to read/listen to it. I have been noticing with these audio books is I am now breezing through them. I guess it helps that I will have 6-8 hours to kill when driving.(less)
So I picked up this book because I wanted a change of pace after devoting so many hours to a good comedy. I figured a good mystery would be a nice cha...moreSo I picked up this book because I wanted a change of pace after devoting so many hours to a good comedy. I figured a good mystery would be a nice change, and when you want a good classic mystery you always go to Raymond Chandler. Both my parents were telling me that "The Little Sister" was one of there all time favorite Chandler mysteries. And story wise they were spot on!
The biggest drawback to this though was the fact that it was an audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by the famous actor Elliot Gould, and while he is a good actor with a very distinct voice he was not that great at narration. His biggest problem was different voices. If he was doing a voice of a woman each one was distinct enough that you could tell. However when he would do multiple male voices allot of the time each voice would sound the same. His Phillip Marlowe would always be deep but whatever other male voice would sound to similar so at times it would make it difficult to follow conversations at times. That aside though the story is just great.
Chandler is a such a great classical storyteller. The brooding charismatic detective that all the dames hate/love but always walks alone except for the occasional whiskey and cigarette. Each dame weather leggy or plain always have a ridden allure and look to the. The plot was really interesting if only a little predictable in the end. Still a very good read to take your mind off things.
The the thing I realized is that maybe Chandler novels are not the best audiobooks to listen too if your driving for a long time. Chandler's book aren't the longest things out there and I started and finished the book in two hours on the same day I finished Lamb. SO I guess make sure you have two Chandler books if your going on a long drive. (less)
I have really enjoyed Christopher Moore as a writer. From Dirty Jobs to Blood Sucking Fiends, and this was a book that everyone has been telling me to...moreI have really enjoyed Christopher Moore as a writer. From Dirty Jobs to Blood Sucking Fiends, and this was a book that everyone has been telling me to read for a long time now. I finally decided to read it because I had allot of free time with the driving I had to do. The biggest difference with this book was because it was my first audio book. The audio book was narrated by Fisher Stevens. Stevens have a voice that at first listen you think "huh this does not seem like the type of person you would think would do a book" However as the book went on I started to not only get used to his voice but really enjoyed it. He was able to do different inflections and voices very well so I never really got confused on who was speaking.
The book itself was hilarious and very interesting. Growing up mostly learning about the Jewish religion, I have never really known that much about Christianity besides the big stuff. Hearing this "gospel" was very funny and even though I did not know that much I could still tell when they were making fun of different events or psalms that were spoken. I can always tell when I am really enjoying a book because I start to get upset when I realize I am towards the end of it. That was really the case with this book however, the main problem is with a book about the life of Jesus you sort of know whats going to happen in the end. I guess I gotta say my biggest complaint with the book was in fact the ending. After the whole crucifixion you get to see what happens to Biff afterwards, and honestly I gotta say it was sort of a fizzle of an ending and sort of expected. I guess I can sort of understand how that would be tough though. How do you follow up after the whole death and resurrection thing about Jesus and you can't really change the ending for what happens with Jesus. But with the setting they put Biff in you could at least have some fun with the time period he was set in.
However that all aside I really enjoyed the book and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christopher Moore, or who just wants a good laugh. (less)
I picked up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because a number of my friends were going on about how good it was. I also heard that it was a mystery. Myself ...moreI picked up The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because a number of my friends were going on about how good it was. I also heard that it was a mystery. Myself being a mystery fan I figured I would pick it up. After reading it I can say it was not what I expected at all but still enjoyed it.
There was a whole lot I didn't understand but the bits I did understand I understood really well. One of my friends who read it said that she understood it emotionally then mentally I like that analogy.
What is it about? Well its about a guy searching for something but its really confusing and there are odd characters, and points in time jump back and forth and things happen with no explanation on how or why, and there is no real conclusion just odd strings of occurrences.
The strongest thing for me really was the characters, It may not have mattered where they came from or who they even were but there role in the book and how they reflected to the main character was really interesting and honestly what kept drawing me back.
I would recommend this book to people who can just disband reality and accept that not all things are going to be explained, and with in that its a really intriguing story. (less)
I heard one of the short stories from this book on a episode of This American Life. It was the story revolving around Adam and Eve and I thought it wa...moreI heard one of the short stories from this book on a episode of This American Life. It was the story revolving around Adam and Eve and I thought it was pretty funny. So I put it on my list and got it for Christmas. The book is a pretty funny light and easy read. It takes some of the most famously known bible stories and just retells them in a funny context. There was nothing amazing that made me burst out with laughter but at the same time I did find it very enjoyable. Its also a very quick quick read I burned through it in less then 3 days. I would recommend it to anyone who likes good old blasphemous stories.(less)
So this is the second book in Stieg Larssons mystery Trilogy.
I can't even really say why I liked this book so much. It did not have as mu...moreSo this is the second book in Stieg Larssons mystery Trilogy.
I can't even really say why I liked this book so much. It did not have as much of a mystery element as the first one did. It was much more of a thriller type book. I think I just really enjoyed Larsson's ability to write multiple perspectives that are clear and not confusing and it just added allot to the sense of suspense that was accumulating. I guess the best way I could say is I know I enjoyed this book because I read it in about over a week which isn't anything that impressive and it was only 500 pages. But I read it as quickly as I would read a George R. R. Martin book so that's how I know I enjoyed it. Also I just ordered the final book off Amazon UK because it won't be released here in the states until May.
So I can't recommended the book enough but its one of those things where you have to read the first one first to really get whats going on. (less)
This book was recommended to me by Adam and normally we do not have the same taste in most things but because he thought I would like it I decided to ...moreThis book was recommended to me by Adam and normally we do not have the same taste in most things but because he thought I would like it I decided to take a look at it.
The book itself is very interesting, It has very little to no plot at all and its basically all about character development. At first I thought a book with no plot would really bore me but soon I could not stop reading it because I wanted to see how certain characters and their relationships would pan out.
Sadly for me towards the end of the book it takes a turn that I did not like and while it does not take the main stage of the book its still a big enough presence in it that just makes me not agree with it. It had spent over 100 pages flirting with a concept but it was vague enough where it was up to the reader to decided weather or not it is true, but then it just smacks you in the face and takes away that choice. I just didn't like how it did that.
Also I thought the ending was interesting not great but not bad. All and all not my top choice but I was still glad to have read it. (less)
I will be honest the only reason I picked up this book was because I heard my ancestor Fredrick Law Olmsted was a big character in this book. I didn't...moreI will be honest the only reason I picked up this book was because I heard my ancestor Fredrick Law Olmsted was a big character in this book. I didn't expect that I was going to enjoy the two different stories of the Worlds Fair or how horrible of a Monster H.H Holmes could be.
Erick Larson has done an amazing job of making real history seem like fiction. I was very interested in hearing of all the progress and challenges with putting together the expo. One of the touches I esspecially enjoyed was the different celebrities and contributors of History.
Reading the details of H.H Holmes and what he was able to get away with was really unnerving. His personality and the extent of what he was able to do was so crazy and scary it was really hard to believe that this was an actual person.
Reading about Olmsted was the most interesting thing for me. I have been told ever since I was kid that he was my great great great etc uncle. How he was famous for designing Central Park, The Emerald Necklace and even the town I went to school. Reading this book though gave me a deeper look of him not only of his achievements and who he was. One quote really rang true with me. "Olmsted had a reputation brilliance and tireless devotion to his work". I'm not trying to say that we Olmsteads are brilliant. But if there is one thing I have seen over and over again in my Father, Brother, and practically everyone on that side is devotion and dedication to what they strive to do. My dad is a retired public defender yet he still goes to court for people who can't do it. I my self have never let something stop me when its something I have wanted to do. From trying to get into Emerson to me working my way to getting the career I want. It was just very comforting to see a quote regarding one of my Ancestors that seems to ring true today with my family. It also makes me want to read more about him.
So in the end I wholeheartedly recommended this book to anyone who loves history. You won't be disappointed. (less)
So I picked up this book on a whim. I needed a second book for my 50% off to work at Borders and well I like Carrie Fisher and it seemed like it would...moreSo I picked up this book on a whim. I needed a second book for my 50% off to work at Borders and well I like Carrie Fisher and it seemed like it would be a fun read.
Two days later and I'm already done with it. Ok not the longest book out there but it was just so funny I plowed through it. I never realized that Carrie Fisher had such a good writing style the things she wrote had me laughing out loud on the T more then once. Not only the things she talks about that has happened in her life absolutely hilarious but also just ridiculous. The number of messed up things that has happened to this woman is just amazing but the fact that she can poke fun at her setbacks and problems in such a lighthearted way is even more amazing.
Thats really what I like about this it reads as if your almost having a conversation with her its just so relaxed and its really great that she can make her tragedies seem so light hearted makes it a just a great read.
If your a fan either; Carrie Fisher, Funny Stories, Star Wars, or a combination of all 3 I highly recommend it its a quick read and its hilarious, you can also learn why George Lucas Insisted that she not wear underwear on the set of Star Wars. (less)
This is the second book produced by Quirk Publishing. Unlike Pride and Prejudice where I had known a little bit about the story I had no idea what the...moreThis is the second book produced by Quirk Publishing. Unlike Pride and Prejudice where I had known a little bit about the story I had no idea what the original story of Sense and Sensibility was like. I felt that this author took more liberties with the characters and the settings then the guy who did P&P&Z. I still highly enjoyed the book, and thought it was a really great read and just down right silly.
I am very intrigued to see what the next one is going to be when it comes out. (less)
When I was in London I saw this books sequel advertised everywhere. It was in every underground stop and me being a mystery fan I figured it would be ...moreWhen I was in London I saw this books sequel advertised everywhere. It was in every underground stop and me being a mystery fan I figured it would be cool to take a look at, however I never picked it up when I was in London. When I got back thought thats when I found out that the first one just came out in paperback and I took it as a sign to read it.
The first 70 pages of this story is rough like real rough to get through. All the backstory for the primary character is so boring that I was almost ready to give it up entirely. However once the actual mystery of book starts getting into motion thats when it really starts to get good. The two main characters are very interesting dynamics and I liked how it switched from there perspectives every chapter. It had a good pace and I was genuinely interested in seeing how everything was going to pan out.
The only downside I think I have for this book was it could have ended 100 pages earlier then it did. I was reading at the climax of the mystery which was making me think oh man the mystery is solved but I still have 100 pages left whats going to happen? I feel like they could have just finished it there but then they spent 100 pages on what was essentially a really long epilogue where they tied in the first sub plot that was established at the start of the book (the part that was so boring and hard to get through). All and all a really good Mystery I have to take a break from mysteries for a bit but I am sure I will pick up the sequel soon enough. (less)
Ok so I picked up this book on a whim. I found this for 4 bucks and the premise seemed light and almost like a joke. And honestly that is what it was....moreOk so I picked up this book on a whim. I found this for 4 bucks and the premise seemed light and almost like a joke. And honestly that is what it was. A very light story a predictable plot and an easy easy read. However as light as it was I really enjoyed it for what it was. The characters were interesting and at least Ms Siegal was able to visually tell the surroundings and places. I really did enjoy this a nice light break.
Sadly this book saw a tragic demise. One lunch break, one clumsy waitress, and one bowl of soup later
This was my second Chandler novel and it was just as enjoyable as The Big Sleep.
I love following a character like Philip Marlowe. Reading ...moreThis was my second Chandler novel and it was just as enjoyable as The Big Sleep.
I love following a character like Philip Marlowe. Reading one these books is just like watching a classic movie to me. Its an original, it was stories like this that was the template for future books.
The story itself was great, various different dames, high price investors, crooked cops it has it all. Chandler's writing style is very iconic and never gets tired.
I know that if I ever need a good mystery of any kind I can always go back to Mr. Chandler.(less)
I have only read Mystic River, by Lehane and while I thought it was ok I never really understood the hype around it.
Shutter Island I love...moreI have only read Mystic River, by Lehane and while I thought it was ok I never really understood the hype around it.
Shutter Island I loved. Yes I started reading it because I know it will be a movie soon but I didn't realize what the story was about until I saw a trailer for the movie so thats what made me pick it up. I love mysteries and this book is great with it. Reading what happens to Teddy Daniels as he explores Shutter island with his partner and all the insane inmates, it kept me guessing and it made me really curious to see how the book was going to pan out.
The thing I really liked the best was the dialogue between Teddy and his partner. Everything they said just reminded me of lines from a 1940/1950's old movie. They just worked off of each other and it really added to the time period but brief moments of comedy.
I really did enjoy the ending with how it turned out, the explanations were believable.
This was a type of book that I just breezed through, which I haven't been able to do for a while.
So if anyone likes books that are either Mysteries, Psychological, or by Dennis Lehane I would say pick it up you wont regret it. (less)
This is now the fourth David Sedaris book I have read, and his writing has been just as enjoyable as the previous four.
I know I liked thi...moreThis is now the fourth David Sedaris book I have read, and his writing has been just as enjoyable as the previous four.
I know I liked this one allot more then his most recent one, because it seemed just more light hearted to me. I realized he likes this formula where he will write stories from his childhood and with each story he gets a bit older, I never realized that before.
There was one story that talks about his mom that was really profound and a little bit sad but still very enjoyable.
Highly recommend to anyone who wants a quick but really enjoyable read. (less)
**spoiler alert**
To me whenever I need a change of pace from the current trends of books I am reading, or I just want a quick thing that I know...more**spoiler alert**
To me whenever I need a change of pace from the current trends of books I am reading, or I just want a quick thing that I know I will enjoy I always go for something by Terry Pratchett. When you can buy a diskworld series book for 8 bucks in any order and read it like water its always lighthearted and enjoyable.
I particularly liked this one because it revolves around my favorite characters, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. I thought the story was very interesting I was always curious how Elves fit into the Discworld and I liked how it was explained and it was a new twist that I really enjoyed. I also liked how even though I read the previous Granny book months and months ago it was able to backtrack fairly so I was not confused. Of course Pratchetts brand of humor can make even the gravest of situations feel light and not too heavy.
So all and all really no complaints a disk world book always puts a smile on my face and I"m glad there are still tons of them I have yet to read. (less)
My roomate gave me this book after I watched the movie, which I know most people might consider a reverse order, but I disagree.
I feel pe...moreMy roomate gave me this book after I watched the movie, which I know most people might consider a reverse order, but I disagree.
I feel people should watch the movie first and then read the book. The movie itself is great and you should see it now before some bastardaized american version comes out. The movie is wonderfully done and and provides not only a great story but nice realistic viewpoint of vampires. The book does that but it is so much more darker. Characters and sections were left out and now after reading it I understand why it was.
A great example is the character of Hakan who is so horribly tragic. In the book you learn so much more about him and while very disturbing you still feel for him as a tragic character.
I have never read Jane Austin or Pride and Prejudice and I'm really glad this book came out. Seth Grahame-Smith did a great job of combining the love ...moreI have never read Jane Austin or Pride and Prejudice and I'm really glad this book came out. Seth Grahame-Smith did a great job of combining the love of zombies with a classic book. He did it in a way where it didn't seem odd it actually seemed like the norm. It had very funny moments however the actual "zombie" portions were spaced out in a way where the reader could actually read the story of Elizabeth, and Mr Darcy, and Jane. The author did a nice job of only changing little original plot or characters to make it more zombie related. I have no idea if any hardcore Jane Austin fans will love or hate this book, but personally I thought it was a great read and just loved it.(less)
Once again Sergei Lukyanenko did a great job with his Night Watch Series. I haven't touched his series since back in September, because I knew I would...moreOnce again Sergei Lukyanenko did a great job with his Night Watch Series. I haven't touched his series since back in September, because I knew I would blow through this book and sure enough I did. I wanted to hold off till I knew his final book would be released soon so I could read it and then go right to the last one.
I don't why I like his writing style so much but I really do. He does a great job of painting good visuals so I can easily see whats happening.
Storywise I liked it. The direction he took one character was really interesting and while I was bummed with the way it went I did like how he took what was a minor character and transform it into something more.
Overall a great book in a great series. I'm exited/sad with how Final Watch will go.(less)
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