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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
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date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0805094717
| 9780805094718
| 4.71
| 7
| Apr 30, 2013
| May 07, 2013
|
When I first requested this book from LibraryThing I thought it sounded interesting, and once I picked it up, I didn't realize just how blah a word "i...more
When I first requested this book from LibraryThing I thought it sounded interesting, and once I picked it up, I didn't realize just how blah a word "interesting" would come to be in this case. That cliché about not being able to put the book down was absolutely true for me. I'll get right to the point and say that this is one of the most outstanding books I've read this year. It reads much like a legal thriller, but this story of corporate greed, judicial and political corruption, and sheer, unmitigated disregard for human life in return for one man's drive for greater profit in the coal industry is all too real. While there are several issues covered in this work of investigative journalism, at the heart of this story is the question of whether or not corporations should be allowed to fund the very court justices who are involved in rulings involving the corporation, followed by the correctness in allowing the justice in question to remain as a judge. In this instance, it all started with a verdict handed down by a West Virginia court in the case of Caperton v. Massey Coal Company. Mr. Caperton had sued Massey because it had canceled its contract with Harman Mining to supply Harman with needed coal. Caperton, the owner of Harman, was severely affected by Massey's fraudulent cancellation, and his company went out of business. He found himself in huge trouble and a mounting pile of debts including miners' pension funds. His attorneys, Bruce Stanley and Dave Fawcett, worked hard to get Caperton an award for damages; Massey, headed by Don Blankenship, appealed the decision and the case was set to be ruled on by the West Virginia Supreme Court. However, before the judgment could be appealed, an election of a new WV Supreme Court Justice was underway, and Blankenship set up a nonprofit through which he was able to contribute millions to eliminate the incumbent (Warren McGraw) and bring in someone he knew would take his side in the case. Although legally not allowed to directly support his candidate of choice (Brent Benjamin), Blankenship used the money to pay for a slur campaign against McGraw. Even though Blankenship's participation in the campaign against McGraw came to light, the appeals trial continued with Benjamin as a justice, and ended up in Massey's favor. Later developments would take the case right up to the US Supreme Court, but as Leamer notes, the battle was far from over. In the meantime, Massey (and Blankenship) was allowed to continued its fraudulent practices while the utter disdain for following mandated safety and environmental measures led to tragedy among many mine workers and their families. For several reasons the topics involved in this book struck a personal chord. I wish I could say that I was surprised at some of the blatant misdeeds going on in the courts and among politicians as outlined by Mr. Leamer in this most excellent book, but frankly, I'm not. Aside from those issues, I was also deeply disturbed by the blatant disregard that this one man in the coal industry showed for his workers and other human beings whose lives were turned upside down, ruined or extinguished by his unscrupulous business & political practices. His absolute control was backed up by threats, intimidation, money and protection from court officials and politicians who looked out for their own financial and political interests, rather than for the interests of the victims. Had the above-mentioned subjects been all there was to this book, it still would have been good, but Mr. Leamer also examines the price paid in personal terms by everyone involved on the side of obtaining justice, including the dedicated attorneys fighting this man for over 14 years. Other reviewers of The Price of Justice have correctly noted that this book reads like a legal thriller, and while I'm not a huge fan of that genre, the book kept me turning pages until the very end. Definitely and highly recommended -- absolutely one of the best books I've read this year. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| May 15, 2013
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May 15, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 9780857521408
| 3.41
| 281
| 2011
| Mar 14, 2013
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None
| Notes are private!
| none
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1
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| not set
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Apr 29, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0399158650
| 9780399158650
| 4.14
| 29
| Feb 01, 2013
| May 16, 2013
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(my copy from the publisher -- thank you!) Last November when I read David Mark's crime fiction book called The Dark Winter , I was surprised at how ve...more (my copy from the publisher -- thank you!) Last November when I read David Mark's crime fiction book called The Dark Winter , I was surprised at how very good it was for a first novel. Now, with Original Skin, Mark has kicked things up a few notches to create an even better second series installment, set in the Hull, West Yorkshire area of England. His protagonist, DS Aector McAvoy, is a member of the specialized squad known as the Serious and Organized Crime Unit under the direction of McAvoy's boss Trish Pharaoh. The unit is currently under fire from the Humberside Police Authority because of the rise of violent crime statistics, not helped much by the crimes of a gang viciously attacking and torturing smaller growers as a means of taking over their farms and intimidating them. After doing his best to convince the Police Authority committee members that the unit is working hard to solve the case, McAvoy decompresses by taking a walk along the towpath by the Humber, where a) he sees two people talking that may be committee members, and b) in the water among the litter of supermarket carts, bottles, mattress springs etc., he finds a cell phone and picks it up. Curious, he picks it up, thinking he might be able to fix it. What he finds on the phone starts another investigation rolling, one that leads to a very clever and rather nasty killer whose first crime, as it turns out, was written off as a suicide. If what I've written so far doesn't spark your interest (although for serious crime readers it should whet some measure of curiosity), and you're more of a Fifty Shades of Gray type person, you can add into the mix a young woman with a unique tattoo who belongs to the world of swinging sex parties, sexual submission and sex for thrills with people she's only met online. Keeping the action up over 427 pages in any novel of crime fiction is a tough job, but the author does not disappoint. With his excellent characterizations, a well-plotted and rather twisty core murder mystery and his look at how the local area is primed for "high crime" -- for example, the decline of local industry, lack of investment, lack of "impetus on education," and the geographical "sense of isolation," -- all working together harmoniously, the 400+ pages fly by in no time. My own small niggle here is the amount of time spent with Aector's home life, but that's a personal issue, because I'm more about the crime, less about crying babies keeping both parents awake over several nights. It's all about character development, but I'm an impatient reader. While McAvoy is a gentle giant of a policeman and a family man, the author takes him down some very dark paths in this book, so I'd recommend it to fans of more darkly-oriented police procedurals. While cozy readers may find this book a bit overwhelming, readers who enjoy more serious crime will definitely be glued. Do not, however, start the series with this novel, but instead with Dark Winter, as things in Original Skin build from the first book. Overall -- much better than the first book and an intriguing read any serious crime reader will want to read. (less) | Notes are private!
| Blue
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1
| Apr 26, 2013
| May 15, 2013
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Apr 26, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0765318857
| 9780765318855
| 3.69
| 1,692
| 1966
| Apr 01, 2008
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Considering that this classic novel of sci-fi was written in the 1960s, it's still quite a grabber and definitely worth reading. You're welcome to sta...more
Considering that this classic novel of sci-fi was written in the 1960s, it's still quite a grabber and definitely worth reading. You're welcome to stay here for the short version or click here for the longer one. The setting for Make Room! Make Room! is New York City, 1999, well beyond teeming with a population of 35 million people. Food is a precious commodity and water is rationed,except for the rich who have speakeasy-like secret meat markets for their shopping pleasures and can enjoy long showers in their guarded apartments. One of the defenders of the people in this overpopulated New York City filled with desperate people is Andy Rusch who lives in a room next to Sol, an elderly man who fills Andy's head with his old stories & opinions. Andy is currently tasked with finding Billy Chung, the murderer of a wealthy criminal named Michael O'Brien, who most of the policemen are glad to see gone. Andy wonders why this guy's death is such a big deal. All he knows is that the word has come down from the politicians that he's to give the case top priority. Overworked, tired, with a little extra food ration for being a cop, he starts his investigation and meets Shirl Greene, girlfriend/mistress to the dead guy, who is about to be tossed out into the streets; Billy Chung manages to find a way to disappear, holing up with a former priest who is waiting for the turn of the millennium, for the new heaven and new earth. Each character represents a different segment of the population; the murder plot is the frame for the real point of this book, which examines the hell of "an overpopulated future," as well as how things got to this state. While some reviewers say that the themes in this novel aren't relevant in today's world, I say a) read it again...you'll find plenty of issues that resonate today, and b) that it is an intriguing look at the looming issues of its time: overpopulation and the failure of the earth to sustain an out-of-control population was a real concern back then. Another prevalent criticism of this book was that it was nothing like the movie Soylent Green -- and failed to mention the secret behind the food. Really? Seriously? This book didn't even go down that path, so why on earth criticize it for something that Hollywood made up after the fact? Even Harrison, as his LA Times obituary notes, thought the film only occasionally "bore a faint resemblance to the book." While Harrison's doom-and-gloom scenario of 35 million people in New York City never came to pass, the book shouldn't just be one you turn your nose up at. According to the author's obituary, Tom Doherty, founder of Tor Books, noted that Harrison saw science fiction as a medium that "caused people to think about our world and what it could become.” That's one major reason I read sci-fi, although I have to admit I'm partial to older novels like this one. I liked it, and while maybe it's not the best sf novel I've ever read, it's definitely one I won't forget. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Apr 22, 2013
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Apr 21, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0141002050
| 9780141002057
| 3.62
| 1,595
| 1990
| Sep 01, 2001
|
I really, really enjoyed this novel and can easily recommend it. You can check out the long version or stay here for a shorter one. A Friend of the Ea...more I really, really enjoyed this novel and can easily recommend it. You can check out the long version or stay here for a shorter one. A Friend of the Earth is quite different from many environmentally- or eco-based novels I've read. While some of the normal dystopian scenarios are in place, and the author in his own way lets his readers know that there is little to no hope for the future, it also makes you laugh as Mr. Boyle puts irony ahead of heavy-handedness or preaching -- since, as the main character notes, it's much too late for that. It's 2025, and Tyrone (Ty) Tierwater works as the caretaker of a private collection of animals. Ty, in his 70s, has a good gig working for a millionaire pop star who's been trying to save some of the last critically-endangered animals before they're gone for good. As a result of global warming and the collapse of the biosphere, these days, floods, rain, heat and nightmarish winds are the norm. Ty lives a simple life, taking care of the animals and then going out for the occasional drink of sake, but that all changes when one day, without warning, his ex-wife Andrea shows up with news that a writer is interested in penning the story of their daughter Sierra. But it's not the only reason she's there -- she has plans to restart Earth Forever!, the environmental-activism group they were part of in the past, "for the survivors." Andrea's return is what prompts the story of Ty's former days as a monkeywrenching member of the group, complete with berets, raised fists and acts of ecotage, at a time when "to be a friend of the earth, you have to be an enemy of the people." As the narrative goes back in time, it reveals not only the motivations behind Ty's actions (which may not be quite what you'd expect), but also how eventually he came to sacrifice much more than he bargained for in the process of doing his part in saving the planet. It's a wonderful book, much less heavy-handed than I expected from its beginning. One of the messages to be found here is that we're all involved in a paradoxical relationship with our planet's future: progress gives us the little gadgets and gizmoes we love and demand, but at the same time our consumer habits are partially to blame for the planet's woes; we also care about what happens to the environment, but at the same time few people these days are going to go live completely off the grid in total tune with nature. It's all about compromise. These points are illustrated amply and ironically throughout this novel, which I only put down reluctantly when forced by outside circumstances to do so. It's pleasantly way better than what I first expected after reading the cover blurb, and while it tended to receive lower star ratings from most reviewers, I recommend it highly. I think it hit me long after I'd put down the book just how cool it really is. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Apr 22, 2013
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Apr 21, 2013
| Paperback
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| 1932100016
| 9781932100013
| 4.03
| 1,608
| 1972
| May 11, 2003
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"We're divorced from reality, in the same way as the Romans went on thinking of themselves as invulnerable and unchallengeable long after it ceased to...more
"We're divorced from reality, in the same way as the Romans went on thinking of themselves as invulnerable and unchallengeable long after it ceased to be true. The most awful warnings are staring us in the face..." (207) As usual, you can stick with the condensed version or click here for the longer one. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with a work of didactic fiction if it's done well and has other things going for it. In that sense, The Sheep Look Up is one of the best works of environmentally-based fiction I've ever read. With only a few pockets of exception, the United States is a veritable cesspool. The seas are polluted beyond repair, acid rain in New York eats holes in people's clothing, the air is so bad that filtermasks (sold in vending machines) are required just to be outside, and "Don't Drink" the water alerts are common. Trash lays out, uncollected, spawning rats and other pests; exterminators are way too busy to come to one's home at short notice. Health problems are widespread, stds and other diseases normally treated by drugs have developed antibiotic-resistant strains, and parents whose children are born with only minor ailments or physical problems are considered extremely fortunate. The American government is run by a leader known as "Prexy," whose policy is one of blatant denial and blaming all of America's ills on terrorists. One man, Austin Train, knows the truth -- and he is public enemy number one where the government is concerned so is forced to go underground. Train is a committed environmentalist whose works have been studied and followed by others who have settled in commune-like places called wats where they put into practice what we'd call today "going green." Train is a peaceful person but many who have taken up his cause for a cleaner America are not. The "Trainites," as they call themselves, believe in more violent means of trying to "fix" things, something Austin Train would never condone. The story in this novel is related via a number of varying plotlines and narratives that seem choppy at first but actually have a rhythm and a purpose, all melding together beautifully as the novel progresses. It begins with the bizarre death of Decimus Jones, a friend of Austin Train, on an LA freeway. His strange death becomes an event that will eventually draw together the stories of every character in this novel in a roundabout way, all of whom are caught up in the country's growing state of emergency in their own fashion. Punctuating their ongoing stories are bits of speeches, news reports, poems, songs, television-show transcripts and scenes from outside the country, where the army is at war with its current enemy in Latin America. While this strange format may seem a bit disconcerting and jarring, once into the story, you are stuck as you eagerly flip pages to see how things are going to end. Old this book may be, published some 40+ years ago, but it is still very much worth the read. The author has this way of thoroughly unsettling and disorienting his readers while keeping things moving at a fast pace, all the while making his point about what our future might look like in the not too-distant future. Pooh-pooh the didacticism if you so choose, which many people do, but imho, this is a novel that everyone who cares about and doesn't just give lip service to a better future might want to read. Don't forget the afterword -- the nonfiction, which should scare you even more than the novel did. Highly recommended. (less) | Notes are private!
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| not set
| Apr 11, 2013
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Apr 13, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0307700666
| 9780307700667
| 4.00
| 4,211
| Jan 01, 2013
| Jan 17, 2013
|
Once in a while you pick up a book that just literally blows you away, and for me, Going Clear is one of these. From the first words through the last,...more
Once in a while you pick up a book that just literally blows you away, and for me, Going Clear is one of these. From the first words through the last, I have to say I was completely mesmerized and well entrenched in this page turner of a book -- even missing a day on a Maui beach to finish it -- some of the stuff in here is so unbelievable that you just know it has to be real. If you're an ardent Scientologist, you probably won't want to read this book, but for anyone who's interested in looking at this group's origins, the life of its founder, its beliefs and the goings on within, it's a definite must read. Now added to my favorites list for 2013, Going Clear is an outstanding work of investigative journalism, made even more believable by the author's focus on maintaining a balanced presentation, including comments from the Church of Scientology's leaders, attorneys, and meticulous fact finding and fact checking. I'll skip to my usual ending and recommend it highly right up front. The author was, in his own words, "drawn to write this book" based on a number of questions many people have regarding Scientology: what makes it so "alluring;" what its adherents gain from it; how "seemingly rational people" can subscribe to beliefs that most people would see as "incomprehensible;" why celebrities and other "popular personalities" get themselves involved when the end result is a "public relations martyrdom;" etc. The book starts out with a look at the life of L.Ron Hubbard, a science-fiction writer who ultimately became the founder of this religion/cult/organization whatever you want to call it, the beliefs it is founded on and espouses, and its growing popularity. Then Wright spends some time on just how Scientology came to acquire religion status with the IRS -- an ugly story that will cause you to shake your head in total disbelief, -- and how even the FBI couldn't shake down this organization despite its illegal maneuverings and activities because no one would speak up. He also examines the Hollywood celebrities and other well-known people who embraced Scientology and how the head of the organization came to woo them for monetary gain and as a lure for new members, and finally, he examines why people are reluctant to leave the organization and the experiences of those who managed to "blow." Throughout the book he also examines "the process of belief," not just in terms of Scientology, but in other religions as well. He's done an amazing amount of meticulous research, and his narrative is based partially on people who got out of Scientology and had plenty to tell, although as I noted above, he gives equal time to Scientology's array of attorneys, some of the organization's own documentation, and to the people high up in the movement. There is no adequate way to summarize what's in this book ...it's definitely one you must read for yourself. All I can say is that you will likely be blown away by its contents and by Wright's magnificent reportage. Granted there are a few tedious spots centering around Tom Cruise which probably could have been left out because frankly, he's just not that interesting of a person, but overall, it's one that should not be missed whatsoever. Definitely prizeworthy, it will keep you absolutely astounded throughout the entire book. I'm still shaking my head when I think about it! (less) | Notes are private!
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| May 13, 2013
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Apr 09, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 9781848631199
| 4.25
| 8
| Jun 01, 2012
| Jun 2012
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| Apr 21, 2013
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Apr 02, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 1782670297
| 9781782670292
| 4.33
| 3
| Jan 31, 2013
| Mar 2013
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3.75 rounded up to 4. Harlequin's Costume is a blend of two of my favorite genres, crime fiction and historical fiction. The time is 1871, the place S...more 3.75 rounded up to 4. Harlequin's Costume is a blend of two of my favorite genres, crime fiction and historical fiction. The time is 1871, the place St. Petersburg, Russia; Czar Alexander II is sitting on the imperial throne. It is a politically-charged time, and after the death of Austrian military attaché Prince von Ahrensburg, Chief Inspector Ivan Dmitrievich Putilin has a tough job trying to a) determine whether or not his murder is the work of some political faction and b) keep his head above water since the Czar's own secret police are also involved with their own agenda and c) maneuver around circles during a delicate time. The story is told looking back, as Putilin is working on his memoirs, "the most interesting material...accumulated over the course of my career,... something like a chronicle of crime in our Northern capital over the last thirty years." Harlequin's Costume is the first of a three-volume trilogy based on the real Ivan Putilin who served as St. Petersburg's chief of police from 1866 to 1892; in Russia his exploits are the subject of a television mini-series. The novel is rich in period detail, and there is a definite sense of time and place that runs throughout. Considering that Yuzefovich is an historian who taught his beloved subject for some 29 years, this is not surprising. It's easy to envision not only St. Petersburg at this time, but also the multi-faceted political and diplomatic intrigue going on all around poor Putilin as he tries to suss out the truth behind the death of von Ahrensburg. The story is filled with potential suspects who have more than a few motives to want the attaché dead. As it turns out, sometimes even the slightest detail becomes important to the crime's solution. As you navigate through the streets of St. Petersburg, there are also some funny moments that lighten the intensity of Putilin's investigation. As far as the writing, at one point Putilin's editor notes: "Ivan Dmietrievich worked like an artist who scatters smears, blots, spots and lines on the canvas before a bewildered audience, in apparently random fashion, and then, with a flick of the wrist, suddenly pulls them together into a single whole and blinds his viewers with the instantaneous revelation of his intent, concealed hitherto in chaos." and that is precisely the way Yuzefovich tells his story as well. Ivan Dmietrievich bides his time until he finds that "imperceptible thread" to unravel the investigation; Yuzefovich also waits for the perfect moment to reveal all. My only issue with this novel is that a number of times, with the switch from 1871 to later when Ivan Dmietrievich is discussing his stories with his editor, I did a quick "huh?" at the sudden changes. One moment you're reading about a shipment from Genoa with its cargo of oranges and lemons, and the next the editor is saying "somehow the freight seems out of season." These little sections would be fine (imho) in little chapters by themselves, but within the narrative it was a bit jarring to switch from one time to another so quickly. This is definitely not a book for crime readers who want a quick solution. The story moves a bit slowly, taking you through multiple suspects and their motives, and the author takes his time to set up the political and diplomatic scene while carefully sketching out his characters. This book would probably be suited more for readers of good historical fiction (not the soap-operaish sort) or historical crime readers who want to immerse themselves in a specific time and place while their armchair detective selves try to figure out the whodunit along with the detective. I defy you to figure this one out - I certainly didn't. I hope the publishers don't wait too long before publishing the next installment -- this one was definitely right up my alley.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 26, 2013
| May 13, 2013
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Apr 01, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0393339645
| 9780393339642
| 3.62
| 194
| Aug 01, 2010
| May 16, 2011
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a stunning novel, one I highly recommend it to people who want to be enlightened about human and environmental conditions in other nations. Maybe some...more
a stunning novel, one I highly recommend it to people who want to be enlightened about human and environmental conditions in other nations. Maybe some people think it's not cool to be reading fiction about the damage caused by "big, bad corporations" but really, I don't care about opinions -- I want to know what's happening in the world. Oil on Water highlights only a small portion of what's going on and what's been going on for some time, but what is happening now and what's been happening in the Delta area of Nigeria for nearly 50 years is just shameful. You can click here for a full-on discussion, or just continue reading for the abridged version. Set in the Niger Delta, Oil on Water examines the changes brought about by the oil industry, which drilled its first well in 1956 and has remained a permanent fixture ever since. This very short but powerful novel, the story seen through the eyes of a journalist named Rufus, briefly brings together the stories of five different groups in the area: 1) the people who live in the Delta whose traditional lands, waterways and ways of life have been changed, exploited and in many cases, damaged beyond repair; 2) the numerous groups of freedom fighters/militants whose operations pit them against 3) the oil companies and 4) the government soldiers who routinely patrol the area; and 5) the journalists, who are invited to come and witness, record and relay the truth of what's really going on in the Delta. While the subject matter is disturbing on many levels, Habila's writing is stunning, conveying a very real sense of the human effects of the changes wrought by the oil industry there. The frame for this novel is that the wife of an oil-company executive has been kidnapped and a group of journalists have been invited to make the journey up the river for an interview with her and her captors. Rufus is a new reporter at the 3rd largest paper in Port Harcourt, and when the request to get the story comes in, he volunteers for a job that all of the journalists know is potentially fatal after the earlier killings of two reporters on a similar mission. Along with him is his idol Zaq, a "once-great reporter" now past his glory days, once famous for his stories that emphasized the humanity beneath events. As they make their journey upriver for the story, they become part of it -- they are held as prisoners and encounter others who have also been taken captive; they are firsthand witnesses to murder and other violent acts, and throughout their trek they experience the horrific devastation of waterways and land that used to sustain entire populations. The story goes back and forth through time as Rufus relates both his past and Zaq's; Rufus also talks to various people they encounter along the way and hears their respective stories of how they came to be where they are at present. The author spares no detail in describing the environmental devastation, including the "foul and sulphurous" river with its floating dead and dying wildlife, the fish that have disappeared, the perpetually-burning flares of gas that burn throughout the night and produce toxic fumes, and land that is so oil soaked that nothing can grow. But he also focuses heavily on the human side of things. Government corruption is a reality that sustains poverty, and poverty engenders groups like the militants/freedom fighters, who disrupt oil production until they're paid off, kidnap for huge ransoms and are in a state of perpetual warfare with government soldiers that involves the lives of otherwise innocent people. Tapping oil lines just to survive, sometimes with disastrous results, according to the author, is another human consequence, as is the move to bigger cities where work is hard or nearly impossible to come by. Oil and Water is a depressing novel, but at the same time, the story is very well written, giving the reader pause to think. If you're saying in your head "oh crap, not another story about the evil oil corporations," well, yes, there is definitely a LOT of that here. At its core, however, this is an all-too-human story, based on realities that most people reading this book, including myself, can't even begin to fathom. It brings to light an ongoing state of environmental devastation and human rights issues that most people either aren't aware of and well, frankly, probably don't care about because it's somewhere over in Africa and isn't relevant to daily living. And that's really a shame. I loved this novel and all I can say by way of recommendation is READ THIS BOOK!! (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 02, 2013
| Apr 08, 2013
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Mar 26, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0805096175
| 9780805096170
| 3.32
| 116
| Apr 02, 2013
| Apr 02, 2013
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An intriguing premise, a mystery to be solved and an alternative world are the highpoints of this new science fiction novel; if you're really into ge...more
An intriguing premise, a mystery to be solved and an alternative world are the highpoints of this new science fiction novel; if you're really into genetics and hard science in your fiction, this book may be just up your alley. The book is a mix of alternative history, science fiction, man-on-the-run and mad-scientist stories, all with a little romance thrown in to the mix. It is set in a world like ours except that evolutionists and their theories have been totally shot down & debunked, and the earth has been scientifically proven to be 5800 years old. In this world lives Paul Carlsson, who has been fascinated with the study of genetics from boyhood on. As an adult, he's taken on by Westing, a research firm that combines two of Paul's passions under the banner of "paleometagenomics," the "intersection" of genetics and anthropology. He is assigned to work on a dig in Indonesia, but the work is shut down after an attack. Paul and two others flee while being shot at. It isn't long until the pursuers catch up to Paul & his friends, killing one, injuring Paul causing him to lose an eye. When Paul finally returns to Westing, he can't help but wonder what was so important about what he'd found at the site; most of the rest of the story concerns his efforts to find out. Trouble is, he can't do it alone, but the people who come to his aid seem to be dying off. The story is told in brief chapters from both Paul's side and from the side of the bad guys so that the reader is not totally in the dark about what's going on. There are some good things about this novel, but there are also things to watch out for. The premise and setting are appealing, and Paul's attempt to get past all of the roadblocks trying to solve the mystery of what's behind the attack at the dig were attractive to my crime-fiction reader self. However, if you are looking for a big payoff after all of the action, you might be a bit dissatisfied. There are definitely clues throughout the book that point to the big reveal, but overall, it just didn't materialize in the "eye-opening and page-turning read" way Clive Cussler writes about on the cover blurb.The big "climactic" scenes were kind of flat and really failed to grab me. However, multiple 4- and 5-star ratings have been awarded to this book, so it's obvious that a great many readers have really liked it. I was intrigued right up until the end so I can recommend it, with the caveats noted above. by the way, if you'd like my advanced readers' copy, and you live in the USA, just be the first to leave a comment saying you'd like it and it's yours. I'd love to give it a good home! (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Mar 21, 2013
| Mar 31, 2013
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Mar 21, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0062195379
| 9780062195371
| 3.60
| 50
| 2011
| Apr 16, 2013
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1
| Mar 25, 2013
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Mar 20, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0230342043
| 9780230342040
| 3.19
| 16
| Nov 22, 2011
| Feb 12, 2013
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First my thanks to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers' program and to Palgrave Macmillan for my copy. My rating on this book is a 3.5 stars. If you're thin...more First my thanks to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers' program and to Palgrave Macmillan for my copy. My rating on this book is a 3.5 stars. If you're thinking that this is an exposé that gets into Hitler's use of the occult to make decisions during the war, that's not the topic of this book. You can go here for a longer discussion; otherwise read on. The Nazi Seance explores the life of Erik Jan Hanussen, a Jewish psychic born Hermann Steinschneider in 1889. From humble beginnings as the son of poor Austrian Jewish parents, Hanussen not only remade himself into a wealthy mind reader, psychic and hypnotist under the not so modest title of "Europe's greatest oracle since Nostradamus," but also into Danish nobility. Sadly, the psychic failed to predict his own death in 1933 at the hands of the Nazis. While Hanussen takes center stage in this book, around his story the author briefly explores the cultural scene in Berlin, "primed for someone like Hanussen," as well as the economic and political climate which would allow for the rise to power of the Nazis. After a brief period away from Europe (leaving New York, for example, before he could be prosecuted) Hanussen returned to Europe, where after being found not guilty in a fraud case in Czechoslovakia in 1930, he boarded a train for Berlin where he found a ready-made audience for his "telepathic acts." Hanussen soon became a magnet -- for pretty women; for the lost and confused who paid large sums to know their future...," taking advantage of their fears and becoming very rich in the process. He began cultivating the friendship of Count Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf, who became the head of the SA in 1931, and according to Magida, "had the confidence of the highest levels of the Nazi machine," by 1933. Keeping the fact hidden from Helldorf that he was a Jew, Hanussen loaned him large sums of money in return for Helldorf's protection and clout. He also began avidly promoting Hitler and the Nazis in his newspaper, and held on to several IOUs from Nazis who borrowed money from him -- which would, along with the events of a seance the night before the Reichstag fire, lead the psychic down a path that even the great Erik Jan Hanussen could not foresee. As a Jew cozying up to Nazi acquaintances during this time, Hanussen's story is intriguing and definitely worth examining. The author's presentation is also a bit waffly. For example, it's difficult to decipher here whether or not Hanussen actually even met Hitler -- the author is less than clear on this issue. In examining different sources that put the two together or deny they ever met, the author uses phrases like "It's improbable," or "slightly more probable," or "this version has the ring of truth;" after examining one account by a "left-wing German editor who had waged a campaign against Hanussen in 1932," stating that Hitler and Hanussen never even met, the author notes "That should settle the question..." then in the next sentence, "It doesn't," summing up this entire chapter by saying "If it was true that Hanussen and Hitler met..." There is a lot of this type of meandering theorizing that goes on, even as far as whether or not Hanussen actually did or didn't have real psychic powers, and I must say it didn't inspire a lot of confidence on my end in this author. Despite my misgivings, and in and around the waffling, there's a good story here that piqued my own curiosity enough to want to learn more. If you want a straight point A to point B kind of biography, this book might be a little challenging but otherwise, the story of this "Jewish Psychic" is worth reading. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 25, 2013
| Mar 26, 2013
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Mar 20, 2013
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| B008NA5Y14
| unknown
| 3.51
| 308
| Jul 31, 2012
| Jul 31, 2012
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In the acknowledgments section of his novel, the author notes that "The discovery that her master Cornelis Brink was a brother of one of my own direct...more In the acknowledgments section of his novel, the author notes that "The discovery that her master Cornelis Brink was a brother of one of my own direct ancestors, and that he sold her at auction after his son Francois Gerhard Jacob Brink had made four children with her..." was the catalyst for his story. This re-imagined Philida is no ordinary slave; as the novel opens she's on her way to lodge a complaint against Francois who, after fathering four children with her, had promised to buy her freedom. He, of course, has no power to free her, since Philida is the property of his father. She makes the trek to see the Slave Protector to air her grievances, a journey that will ultimately have consequences not only for Philida, but for others in her life as well. You'll find a longer version of this discussion here; otherwise, read on. The book makes for compelling reading, and while the horrors of slavery are certainly included in the narrative, they are there without the sensationalism that is usually present. And while this may sound a little weird, while I had absolutely zero sympathy for the key players in the Brink family (Cornelis, Francois and especially Mrs. Brink), the use of changing points of view helps to provide perspective from their side -- not just in terms of a lack of humanity but also in the bigger economic and cultural picture of an uncertain future. The story also focuses on the power of stories, as well as connections to the land. Sometimes I'll admit that Philida's philosophizing got tiring, and I also found that in some spots the way she spoke was more eloquent and refined than it probably should have been. For me, the knitting analogy was just a wee bit overdone and a bit obvious, although I get that from Philida's point of view, it was a way for her to express herself. However, I liked this book. This is not your usual novel about slavery, by any means, and I'd definitely urge you to give it a try. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 20, 2013
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Mar 19, 2013
| Kindle Edition
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| 1597803995
| 9781597803991
| 3.80
| 91
| May 01, 2012
| May 08, 2012
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You can feel free to disagree, but while I've been kind of disappointed with this series as a whole, I did see marked improvement between Volume Three...more
You can feel free to disagree, but while I've been kind of disappointed with this series as a whole, I did see marked improvement between Volume Three and Volume Four of this series. I have a longer discussion of this book here on the horror/sci-fi/fantasy/etc page of my online reading journal; if you'd like the short form keep reading. Overall, there were a few stories in this installment that I felt were beyond good. There are 18 total; out of those I've starred five that I thought were very well done. 1. The Little Green God of Agony, by Stephen King 2. Stay, by Leah Bobet 3. *The Moraine, by Simon Bestwick 4. *Blackwood’s Baby, by Laird Barron 5. Looker, by David Nickle 6. * The Show, by Priya Sharma 7. Mulberry Boys, by Margo Lanagan 8. Roots and All, by Brian Hodge 9. Final Girl Theory, by A. C. Wise 10. Omphalos, by Livia Llewellyn 11. Dermot, by Simon Bestwick 12. Black Feathers, by Alison Littlewood 13. *Final Verse, by Chet Williamson 14. In the Absence of Murdock, by Terry Lamsley 15. You Become the Neighborhood, by Glen Hirshberg 16. In Paris, In the Mouth of Kronos, by John Langan 17. *Little Pig, by Anna Taborska 18. The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine, by Peter Straub Five stories worth recommending -- for this series of horror anthologies, that's a good number. Not in any particular order, beginning with Simon Bestwick's "The Moraine," a married couple whose relationship is well, shall we say, on the rocks takes a trip to the crags of England's Lake District. While not my favorite entry of the book, it's well written with good pacing, but my first thought after finishing it was that it reminded me in spots of Scott Smith's The Ruins. #2 is In Laird Barron's "Blackwood’s Baby", in which a hunting party is organized at the Black Ram Lodge to go after a legendary stag. The Black Ram Lodge may sound familiar to readers of the author's story "Catch Hell," which I read in Occultation. Like that story, "Blackwood's Baby" is more on the occult side than most of Barron's works, but it's still quite good. #3: A fake medium on a tv "reality" show finds out the hard way that she has a true gift when it comes to the psychic arts in "The Show," by Priya Sharma. This one isotally on the money when it comes to a good scare. "Final Verse" by Chet Williamson is #4,where a once-popular bluegrass singer whose career is fading decides to go on the hunt for the missing last verse to a traditional Appalachian folksong. A bit of detective work leads him and a friend to an old house in the woods -- where they find much more than they bargained for. The last pick in my top five is "Little Pig," by Anna Taborska -- horrifying in the truest sense of the word. I was also entranced at first with Peter Straub's "The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine", with its quirky kind of "deja vu" experiences aboard a strange yacht on the Amazon, but the story seemed to peter out and fall apart at the end. It had me going for a while, though, so I'm mentioning it here. With a few months to go before the release of Volume Five, I hope the improvement in this series continues. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 24, 2013
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Mar 16, 2013
| Paperback
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| 1595821465
| 9781595821461
| 4.15
| 950
| Oct 07, 2009
| Oct 01, 2009
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I am rating this one at 3.5, the highest rating I've given an Ellen Datlow collection so far. Having just finished four other books she's edited, I ha...more
I am rating this one at 3.5, the highest rating I've given an Ellen Datlow collection so far. Having just finished four other books she's edited, I have to say that this one has a wider range of good stories than the previous four volumes of The Best Horror of the Year do individually. It's still a mixed bag though, with some stories much better than the rest, some following under the category of "good and I'd probably look for more by their authors," and some that just didn't do it for me. In short, your typical anthology. If you're considering reading this one, keep in mind that the book was not intended to be a collection of Lovecraft pastiches but rather a collection of stories inspired by Lovecraft's work. Even so, it comes out a bit unevenly and while the authors each offer a brief write-up on how Lovecraft inspired their work, some of the stories seem to be a bit off. So let's get down to business: There are six I really liked and five that were good, not great, so that accounts for over half of the stories in this book. The best story in this book is without question Caitlin R. Kiernan's "Houses Under the Sea," set in beautiful Monterey. The story is seen through the eyes of a narrator who not only has no name but no gender either. He/She has been assigned to write about Jacova Angevine, his/her former lover, who once had a promising career in academia but later became the head of a cult called "The Open Door," whose members she led into the ocean one day in a mass suicide. It's one a summary doesn't do justice, but my god ... this story is absolutely chilling and probably meets best the Lovecraft-inspiration criteria. I have to give Ms. Datlow kudos for including it. "The Crevasse," set in the Antarctic is also an excellent, Lovecraft-inspired story but one I've read before; also set in the Antarctic is Holly Phillips' "Cold Water Survival," another previously-read but excellent story. Also clearly in the Lovecraftian zone is (believe it or not) Michael Chabon's "In the Black Mill," which I found to be outstanding; I did a double take when I got to this author's entry because well, he does horror & dread so nicely -- a side of Chabon I've never seen before! "Marya Nox" by Gemma Files also caught my eye -- told in more or less epistolary format, it focuses on a strange church in Macedonia that was uncovered after having been purposely buried in its entirety. "Catch Hell," by Laird Barron isn't exactly Lovecraftian so to speak, but there's definitely evil lurking in the woods around the Black Ram Lodge. This one I've read before and while I really like this story, its inclusion in this particular volume is kind of a mystery. The six that were (imho) good/not great but still deserving of a mention are "The Din of Celestial Birds," by Brian Evenson, “Come Lurk with Me and Be My Love” by William Browning Spencer, "Leng," by Marc Laidlaw -- I'm a total sucker for anything set on the Plateau of Leng, and "That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable” by Nick Mamatas. This one resonated with the idea that there's nothing one can do when confronted by cosmic forces beyond anyone's control and it appealed. And while "The Office of Doom" was kind of playful with its interlibrary loan of the Necronomicon, I'm still not quite sure about it. Ditto for "The Recruiter," which was dark enough for my weird tastes but kind of missing something there. That leaves “Sincerely, Petrified” by Anna Tambour “The Tenderness of Jackals” by Amanda Downum “Sight Unseen” by Joel Lane “Machines of Concrete Light and Dark” by Michael Cisco (whose work I normally LOVE but this one was just off) “One Day, Soon” by Lavie Tidhar “Commencement” by Joyce Carol Oates “Vernon, Driving” by Simon Kurt Unsworth “Mongoose” by Sarah Monette & Elizabeth Bear that I wasn't overly impressed by. Obviously anyone reading this collection will have their own personal favorites, since as I've noted before, horror is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I'd recommend it -- there are many fine stories here. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 28, 2013
| Mar 29, 2013
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Mar 16, 2013
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| 1597802174
| 9781597802178
| 3.70
| 93
| Jun 21, 2011
| Jun 01, 2011
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If I have to give this book a number rating, I'd probably give it 2.5 stars. I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed -- after the big improveme...more
If I have to give this book a number rating, I'd probably give it 2.5 stars. I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed -- after the big improvement from Volume One to Volume Two, I had expected that the trend would continue with Volume Three. It didn't. On the back-cover blurb it says the following: "What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the length of our spines?...Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us..." Well, the bar has not been raised, and evidently she doesn't know what scares me because once again I'm left wondering about that "delicious shiver of fear," which, with a few exceptions, just didn't materialize over the course of this book. Still, I keep hoping, meaning I've got Volume Four on my nightstand, ready to go, and I've already pre-ordered Volume Five, which according to Amazon, is expected to be out in June of this year. I think that what keeps me coming back to these collections is that when I find a story that actually sends that cold chill down my spine, I want to find more work by the author who actually managed to pleasantly provide me with a few downright creepy moments. I have a longer discussion of this book here; if you're happy with the barebones outline, continue reading. In this edition there are again only a handful of stories that I actually like. The usual inclusion of the editor's summation of books, stories, etc. from 2010 is also much appreciated, but overall I just wasn't happy with this installment of the series. Four entries grabbed me; sadly, I'd already read two of them. That leaves a total of two. Laird Barron's "--30'--" is one I've read before in his excellent collection Occultation; another reread is Norman Partridge's "Lesser Demons." Of the two stories new to me, the best read was "Black and White Sky" by Tanith Lee, one of the most bizarre tales I've read in quite a while. Quiet life in the British Isles is shaken by upward-moving magpies, a strange phenomenon that leads to a terrifying and atmospherically-creepy conclusion. I read this one twice and both times it produced that lovely spine tingle I look for. "Just Outside Our Windows, Deep Inside Our Walls," by Brian Hodge is also a winner -- a boy meets a new neighbor next door, and a friendship begins, but it may only bring trouble since the boy has been locked up for the safety of others. There's definitely a good reason behind it all, which will come as a bit of a shock. I'd also like to point out Cody Goodfellow's story "At the Riding School," a bit on the violent side for my tastes but very well written; "The Fear," by Richard Harland was another one that had me going up until the end when it frustratingly petered out. I say, is it really too much to ask for stories that send that promised "delicious shiver of fear" down my spine? So far there have only been a few meeting this description -- a definite shame. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 14, 2013
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Mar 14, 2013
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| 1597801739
| 9781597801737
| 3.64
| 81
| 2010
| Mar 01, 2010
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After the previous volume of this series turned out to be not so hot, I had a few concerns on my end about continuing to Volume 2. While I won't say t...more
After the previous volume of this series turned out to be not so hot, I had a few concerns on my end about continuing to Volume 2. While I won't say that this book inspired many terror-producing moments, it is definitely an improvement over the first collection. The book opens once more with a summation of books, stories, etc. from 2009, some of which have already gone on my wishlist. It is followed by 17 stories (* indicates the ones I really enjoyed): 1. "Lowland Sea," by Suzy McKee Charnas 2. "The End of Everything," by Steve Eller *3. "Mrs. Midnight," by Reggie Oliver *4. "each thing I show you is a piece of my death," by Gemma Files and Stephen J. Barringer 5. The Nimble Men, by Glen Hirshberg 6. What Happens When You Wake Up in the Night," by Michael Marshall Smith 7. "Wendigo", by Micaela Morrissette 8. "In the Porches of My Ears," by Norman Prentiss 9. "Lonegan's Luck," by Stephen Graham Jones *10. "The Crevasse," by Dale Bailey and Nathan Ballingrud 11. "The Lion's Den," by Steve Duffy 12. "Lotophagi," by Edward Morris 13. "The Gaze Dogs of Nine Waterfall," by Kaaron Warren 14. "Dead Loss," by Carole Johnstone *15. "Strappado," by Laird Barron 16. "The Lammas Worm," by Nina Allan *17. "Technicolor," by John Langan Note the number of asterisks -- when I read Volume 1, I noted three standouts -- now we're up to five! So, not counting "Strappado," by Laird Barron (which I've already read and which is one of my favorite stories by him), that leaves four that are new to me. Hands down, the best story of this group is "each thing I show you is a piece of my death," which is related through a mishmash of different media forms. It is built around the idea of "the background man," who begins to show up embedded within a number of television shows, movies, etc., with no explanation for his presence. "Mrs. Midnight" spans two worlds -- London of the present, and the same city during the time of Jack the Ripper, with a theater connecting the two. "The Crevasse" would have been a perfect fit for Robert M. Price's The Antarktos Cycle, with its Lovecraftian style and Antarctic exploration theme. "Technicolor" took me totally by surprise, but I've come to expect good things from John Langan. A college professor takes his students through Poe's inspiration for "Masque of the Red Death," building the suspense until the very last moment. While this anthology was not great, it's much better than the first volume of this series. Between the two, the stories that were standouts for me in this book were of much higher quality and had a better creep factor going on. Now on to Volume 3 -- hopefully the momentum of improvement will not flag. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 10, 2013
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Mar 12, 2013
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| 158979771X
| 9781589797710
| 4.00
| 17
| Dec 16, 2012
| Dec 16, 2012
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Let's get that number thing out of the way right at the start: I would rate it at about 3.75, rounded up to a 4. If you bear with me for a minute, you...more
Let's get that number thing out of the way right at the start: I would rate it at about 3.75, rounded up to a 4. If you bear with me for a minute, you'll see why. First and foremost, my thanks to the folks behind the Early Reviewers' program at LibraryThing and to the publisher for offering this book for review. I was completely wrapped up in this story of this Jewish barber who flees Albania for the USSR, hoping for "a better world." Through family connections to the government, the barber eventually gets a post as barber to Stalin, where he gains a close-up look at the inner workings of this horrific regime. Eventually, many of his family members also come to serve the Kremlin in different capacities, and through their eyes the author exposes the day-to-day terrors faced by normal people and even those who seem to be ardent supporters of the state, all due to the changing whims of the leader and the thugs supporting him. Thematically, among other things, the book focuses largely on the idea of allegiance and loyalty -- both to the state and to family, and the choice between the two that one is often forced to make. This is a novel that held my attention up to the last few chapters. It's very obvious that Mr. Levitt has done an extraordinary amount of research, and there is hardly a facet of this regime that is left untouched here. The gulag system is well covered, with terrifying descriptions of how things were in a representative prison; he covers the program to starve the Kulaks; there are great sequences where Stalin's minions could be called up at any time of day or night to serve his personal caprices; he also captures the paranoid atmosphere surrounding one's neighbors or co-workers who might turn out to be informers and how one innocent statement might mean another person's disappearance -- all of these facets of this terrible time period are very well described here. Where it gets kind of crazy for me is the way in which the author manipulates his main characters into certain situations that sometimes don't ring true, especially toward the end, which seemed to come very quickly and felt a bit hollow after such a rich buildup in historical fact made fiction. Would I recommend it? Certainly -- it's well worth putting up with the end chapters for the amazing amount of detail and claustrophobic atmosphere the author manages to impart through his writing. On the whole, I very much liked it and had the ending been a bit stronger, it would have been a most excellent novel.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 18, 2013
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Mar 08, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 1597801615
| 9781597801614
| 3.60
| 140
| 2009
| Oct 01, 2009
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To be perfectly blunt, if this was a selection of the best horror of the year 2008, either I must have missed something or horror writing was at an eb...more
To be perfectly blunt, if this was a selection of the best horror of the year 2008, either I must have missed something or horror writing was at an ebb that year. Out of 21 stories, there were three that were relatively creepy, and out of those, I'd already read one. To be sure, I know that anthologies are pretty iffy, but in the world of hit or miss, this book takes the prize for most misses. I hate being so negative, but jeez -- there's just no other way to say it. The tale I liked the best was "The Lagerstätte," by Laird Barron, which I read a couple of months back in his most exquisite horror collection Occultation. Moving on to number two is "The Hodag" by Trent Hergenrader, a creepy little story set in the woods of northern Wisconsin. The third entry is "Loup-garou," by R.B. Russell, about a man whose world changes after viewing a film called Loup-garou. It's not so much a story of hair-raising terror, but it was unsettling enough at the end that I had to read it twice. I'd also like to mention "Beach Head," by Daniel Le Moal. There is a line at which horror becomes no longer fun for me -- and this story crossed it. In the strictest sense of the word, I was indeed horrified, but this one went well beyond my comfort zone and actually kept me awake all night. Three smugglers wake up one day to find themselves buried up to their heads in sand on a beach somewhere. After thinking over their situation and how they must have ended up there, things proceed to go from very bad to the worst possible scenario ever. I give much credit to the writer: the images his writing conjured were extremely vivid, but downright depressing and I hope to god I never see another story like this one again. I won't deny that the story was very well written, but there are just some things I don't want to see in my head. I've got Best Horror of the Year volumes 2 (2009) and 3 (2010) sitting here, so I hope the quality of writing picked up after 2008. There is a bonus in Volume 1 that I haven't yet mentioned: the editor has put together a 33-page "Summation" of the horror writing of the year, including "Notable Novels," "Anthologies," "Mixed-Genre Anthologies," etc., offering a wide selection of stories and books for future reading. This is probably my least favorite anthology of my horror-reading experience, but I suppose horror, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 2013
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Mar 02, 2013
| Paperback
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| 1594487294
| 9781594487293
| 3.89
| 1,154
| Jan 01, 2013
| Mar 05, 2013
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for a longer discussion, click here; otherwise, continue on with the quick version. As always, my many thanks to the publisher and to LibraryThing ea...more for a longer discussion, click here; otherwise, continue on with the quick version. As always, my many thanks to the publisher and to LibraryThing early reviewers for my copy. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is a story about growth, love and loss, although you might not guess that based on the title. Nor would you believe it when you open the first page and find yourself reading about the nature of self-help books. In fact, you might be wondering just what the author is doing as you get more into the novel, because there are no character names, there is no name for the country in which all of the action is taking place, and the main character is addressed only as "You." I first became interested in this novel last fall, when it was briefly excerpted in the New Yorker, and it whetted my appetite for more. For me, there were no disappointments -- I loved this book, and I recommend it highly. All in all, I found Mr. Hamid's book to be very clever, well-written and thought provoking. There is so much more to this novel than I can encapsulate in a few sentences here, which is okay, because the book is really best experienced via one's own imagination. I found that the use of the self-help format and the second-person narration brought more of an immediacy while reading. It separates different periods of the unnamed protagonist's (only known as "You" here) life and his material rise to entrepreneur under chapter headings that seem to be commonsensical and offer sound advice, for example, "Work for Yourself," "Befriend a Bureaucrat," or even "Be Prepared to Use Violence." It also brings to light that while riches can be achieved, and success can be realized, there's also a flip side: loss. While "You" is steadily climbing the success ladder, his losses begin to mount: his marriage and relationship with his son are slowly disintegrating, and as he gets older, health and fortune begin to wane. The format of this book also allows a more panoramic look at the frustrating realities faced by people in countries where the kind of growth pictured here is underway: concerns for health become an issue, the mass move to the cities changes traditional family structures and family dynamics, and among other things, leads to the construction of haphazard housing that as the author notes, probably wouldn't survive torrential rainstorms or earthquakes. Rapid growth and one's financial successes are caught up in webs of corruption, nepotism and graft that are inherent in every stage of the process (even "you's" elementary school teacher got his job through bribes and family connections in the bureaucracy); physical security comes from having a bodyguard prepared to shoot your rivals' hitmen or anyone else who might want you out of the way; then, of course, there are the ever-present environmental concerns that are pretty much ignored. The book as a whole also provides a framework for trying to understand a part of the world that most of us actually know very little about. As I came to the end of the novel, one of the questions I took away with me was whether or not the unnamed protagonist's successes were worth the inevitable losses -- extending that concept outward I find myself hoping that this country will survive the downsides of its rapid growth and rise. The powerful and continuing love story between the unnamed character and the pretty girl holds the key to existing with a measure of peace and stability among the chaos; that's all I'll say about this right now and leave it to you to read it for yourself. Highly recommended.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Feb 26, 2013
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Feb 28, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0143122614
| 9780143122616
| 3.88
| 405
| 2009
| Feb 26, 2013
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And we're back in Sicily again with The Dance of the Seagull, #15 in Andrea Camilleri's excellent series of novels featuring Inspector Salvo Montalban...more
And we're back in Sicily again with The Dance of the Seagull, #15 in Andrea Camilleri's excellent series of novels featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Unlike most crime fiction novels I read, in this series of books, plot has come to take a back seat to character, a big exception in my case. Now at age 57, Montalbano's self-doubt resurfaces, to be followed by a chaser of melancholy. Luckily, at least in the short run, it's nothing that can't be handled by a plate of Adelina's marvelous caponata. One of Livia's increasingly rare visits is interrupted when Montalbano is made aware that Fazio is missing, apparently going out alone on an investigation the Inspector knew nothing about. On a tip, he searches in an area filled with dry wells (where once the land was green and arable until a cancelled highway project made a desert of it once more), and while there's no sign of the missing policeman, two bodies are found. After Fazio reappears and is hospitalized, Montalbano has his hands full protecting his friend, trying to figure out the identities of the bodies, and acting on information given to him by Fazio, trying to get some answers. As always, even in the middle of serious crime solving, there are some very funny moments in this book. For example, in trying to evade having to report to the Commissioner, Montalbano comes up with a whale of an excuse (a fake procedure that made me wince while reading about it) and then has to hole up in a room at Enzo's because the Commissioner is eating in the next; Camilleri gives us a little meta moment as Montalbano tries to talk Livia into a different mini-vacation destination so as to avoid running into Luca Zingaretti who plays him on TV, and recurring scenes with a nurse whom Montalbano refers to as "the Sing-Sing prison guard." But the series has been trending lately to focus much more on the Inspector himself and his doubts about his career -- and that path continues in this novel as well, sparked by the death of a seagull and Montalbano's growing awareness that he's become tired of all of the violence. If you read these novels only for plot, you're missing out on one of the best-developed group of characters ever created by a crime-fiction novelist, and offering Montalbano an ongoing chance to voice his worries and anxieties makes him more genuine. Unlike many crime novelists, Camilleri doesn't cripple his character by having him express himself in this way, leaving plenty of room for the humor that is so prevalent in this series. And unlike a few other crime novelists, the author is also able to give his readers his opinions on ongoing problems in his country without being preachy or in your face about it. While it may not have been my favorite book of the series so far, it's still a winner. Do not let this be your first experience with Montalbano and the other members of his squad. Even if you could care less about the ongoing changes in Montalbano over the years, these are books you want to be in on at their start. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Mar 07, 2013
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Feb 27, 2013
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| 1250018188
| 9781250018182
| 3.89
| 234
| Jan 01, 2012
| Feb 26, 2013
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When I read horror, I tend to be happiest with short stories or novellas, but after reading Adam Nevill's Banquet For the Damned, I know he is a write...more
When I read horror, I tend to be happiest with short stories or novellas, but after reading Adam Nevill's Banquet For the Damned, I know he is a writer I can trust to keep that fear factor going, no matter how many pages he needs to tell his story. Here, he's integrated seriously creepy, sustained hair-raising horror with a story about a particularly bizarre apocalyptic cult, and the result is one very intense tale that kept me on the edge throughout. Kyle Freeman is an independent guerrilla film-maker (think Paranormal Activity) who has sold a few projects but still has yet to hit the big time. He's behind in his rent, owes money here and there, and as the story begins, he's been contacted by Max Solomon, CEO of Revelation Productions to film a documentary. The subject Max proposes is the strange apocalyptic cult known as The Temple of Last Days, which got its start in London but met its end in a horrific bloodbath in an abandoned copper mine in the Arizona desert. As Max explains, the cult was "A well-intentioned concept quickly usurped by a female sociopath and criminal elements. In London it was known as The Last Gathering. It became The Temple of the Last Days in France, during a schism in 1969. At a farm in Normandy where they nearly starved to death. The remnants migrated to America, under the same management. Where they self-destructed in Arizona. 1975." While the Temple of the Last Days has already been the subject of four documentaries and three feature films, Max wants something different. He wants Kyle to go beyond the work of mainstream film-makers. His interests lie in trying to discover whether Last Days' leader, Sister Katherine, was able to "achieve something extraordinary" in the group's "mystical and occult interests," and wants to explore the "paranormal aspects of the organization." Max has already made arrangements for Kyle to speak to a handful of survivors of the cult, everything is paid for, strings have been pulled, and Kyle will receive enough money to keep him afloat. He is also going to have complete creative control, a film-maker's dream. Enlisting the help of his friend Dan, the two start their project in the original cult headquarters in London and soon come to realize that they've taken on much more than they bargained for. Nevill is a master of atmosphere, edge and full-on dread in this story, leaving me with a case of the willies the entire way through. Centering his book around this disturbing cult was genius, and he paced his story perfectly. The way he depicts the inner workings of this group is grim enough to begin with, but he unleashes the terror of it all piece by piece, steadily ratcheting up the shock so that as you're reading, you start to wonder how things could get any worse -- but they do. And all along, he contemplates the question of why people would be compelled to not only join this group, but even more, why they would stay in the face of such unspeakable horrors. It's also obvious that he's put in a lot of time researching his subject -- this is no fly-by-night re-imagining. The only thing I disliked in this otherwise deliciously-eerie novel is his choice to include a gun-happy character at the end who came across as caricaturish, ruining the spell that held me throughout the novel, but thankfully his appearance is rather brief. There's much more I could say but my advice is to go get a copy, curl up under your covers and read it in the dark of night. Super book -- recommended to readers who like their horror on a more cerebral level. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Feb 27, 2013
| Feb 28, 2013
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Feb 27, 2013
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| 1908524065
| 9781908524065
| 3.50
| 2
| Apr 19, 2013
| May 07, 2013
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3.5 stars (and PLEASE someone, add in the half star action to this website!) The Sound of One Hand Killing is Teresa Solana's latest installment of her...more 3.5 stars (and PLEASE someone, add in the half star action to this website!) The Sound of One Hand Killing is Teresa Solana's latest installment of her series set in Barcelona, and I liked it -- with reservations. Read on for the condensed version -- to go into the full-on discussion click through here. A strange small statue, a dead neighbor, and a murder at an "exclusive, luxury alternative centre" where the wealthy go for Bach-flower and other homeopathic therapies are only part of the lineup in this third installment of Solana's entertaining series set in Barcelona. The brothers Borja and Eduard are back and once again find themselves in some pretty wild predicaments. Going all postmodern on her readers, Teresa Solana shows up as a character seeking the help of Borja and Eduard, and has an appointment to meet them. Not wanting to give away the show that their office is a setup, Borja remembers that his upstairs neighbor had given him a set of keys to his apartment, so they decide to meet the author there. However, the brothers stumble on to a dead body -- that of the neighbor -- who's obviously been there some time. With Solana on her way, they take a bit of their non-existent secretary's perfume and spray it in the dead neighbor's flat for her visit, hoping to disguise the smell of decomposition. The author's request is simple: she's writing a novel about "alternative therapies," and wants to set some of her chapters in a more upscale area, so she comes to the brothers to enlist their aid in gathering research for her. They are only too happy to help -- the credit crunch and economic downturn leaves Eduard's wife Montse unable to procure a loan for her business, and money is tight all over; Borja has even agreed to be a middleman and hold on to a small statue until he is called to deliver it, an easy task for a reward of several thousand Euros. After Solana's visit, they quickly clean up any traces of themselves and leave the door open for the smell to waft down and the body to be discovered. They then make their way to the Zen Moments center, where they wangle their way into a weekend stay and the brothers are on hand when the owner of the place is discovered dead. There's a lot of action in this book and as usual there are some very funny moments with the brothers. The satire is great, as always, but the murder investigation had little complexity, and offered way too easy of a solution, making the resolution to the murder somewhat unexciting, and frankly, flat. Anyway, what happens at the end of the book leaves no doubt but that the brothers will return in another installment, dogged by business left unfinished in this one. I liked this book with only a few reservations, and I recommend it for readers continuing with the series. It has some very entertaining moments and I absolutely love the brothers and can't wait to see what trouble they get into next. While I'm a little less than overwhelmed with the murder solution, the entire series is worth reading because of the main characters -- their craziness will always keep me coming back for more.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Apr 15, 2013
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Feb 20, 2013
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| 0393240169
| 9780393240160
| 3.73
| 101
| Jan 21, 2013
| Jan 28, 2013
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Having been a long-time devourer of books on polar exploration, I was more than interested when I saw that a new book on the topic had been recently p...more
Having been a long-time devourer of books on polar exploration, I was more than interested when I saw that a new book on the topic had been recently published. Alone on the Ice focuses on the story of Douglas Mawson, an Australian who led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) from December, 1911 to 1913. While Mawson's name might be recognizable from his time serving under Ernst Shackleton, his work was eclipsed largely due to the other Antarctic expeditions under way at the time, especially the race between Amundsen and Scott to be the first to the south pole during what is now referred to as the "Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration." Based on science, the expedition would prove arduous at best, but when tragedy strikes Mawson and his small sledging party of three, things go from bad to worse in a very short amount of time. Mawson's incredible feat of survival is documented here, but it is not the entire story. Author David Roberts has quite obviously put in a lot of time and energy as far as research; not only does he explore Mawson's background and what led him to the Antarctic in the first place; he also examines what it was like for the entire group of men (some of whom had never even seen snow before) living in such a forbidding environment, isolated from the rest of the world. He then provides an epilogue as well as notes and his sources. Unlike other Antarctic explorers of the time, Mawson had no interest in reaching the South Pole; the AAE was primarily a scientific expedition and one of Mawson's intentions was to fill in some of the "terra incognita," comprising a "2,000-mile-long swath of ice and land" in the part of the continent due south of Australia. The expedition members left Australia on the Aurora and first reached Macquarie Island in December, 1911, where a five-person contingent was left behind to a man a wireless relay station to be used for communication with Mawson's group. Originally Mawson had planned to split the remaining men into three groups, but time, ice and weather permitted only two. Mawson and one group were dropped at Cape Denison, while the other, under the command of Frank Wild, were brought by the Aurora further west to a point on the Shackleton Ice Shelf. Both groups had several scientific missions scheduled and split into mini-expedition parties; at Cape Denison, Mawson formed "the Far Eastern Party" sledging/exploration group to begin exploring the "terra incognita" which included himself, Swiss explorer Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Edward Sutton Ninnis, a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers. Each party not remaining back at their respective bases had a firm return date so as not to miss the Aurora and the journey back to Australia. It was during Mawson's "Far Eastern Party" enterprise that tragedy struck: first in a crevasse where much of the group's supplies (including tent) were completely lost, and second, a slow, lingering death when the expedition was already down to only two people. These catastrophic events prompted a harrowing solo 300-mile journey back to Cape Denison in beyond-adverse conditions -- but would it be completed in time to eventually make it back home? Alone on the Ice is an intriguing and compelling read that brings to life some of the hazards faced by the expedition members. Mr. Roberts details the tough conditions both on the ice and inside the huts where the men lived in probably the windiest place in all of Antarctica. While being outside had its own set of problems, sometimes the safety of the base hut was compromised as well. For example, one of the most interesting stories is that of Sidney Jeffryes, who served as the Cape Denison radio operator. Jeffryes was the only member of the crew who knew how to use the radio, but during an overwinter his mental condition started to deteriorate. While "polar madness" was a known malady at the time, Jeffryes' condition was unlike anything the rest of the crew had ever experienced -- he began to exhibit signs of paranoia, convinced that the men were talking about him or plotting to kill him, and worse. It was Sir Edmund Hillary who labeled the survival story in this book "the greatest survival story in the history of exploration." I don't know if that's exactly true, but the book makes for some great reading. It also includes some fascinating photos by expedition member and Australian photographer Frank Hurley, whose picture of Shackleton's Endurance stuck in Antarctic ice is world famous. If you are already interested in expeditions to Antarctica, especially during their heyday in the "Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration," this book is one that should not be missed. I have only two minor issues regarding Alone on the Ice: first there are two and only two maps throughout the entire volume, one of the Aurora's journeys between Australia and Antarctica, the other a very undetailed map of the Far Eastern Party's exploration trek. While reading about the various expeditions taken by the sledging parties, it would have been quite helpful to have maps of their respective forays to gain a better feel for where all of this action was taking place. When I wanted to know more about the locations mentioned by the author, I had to go online so as to get a better picture in my head mapwise and featurewise. Second, there are a few places where the author repeats himself in terms of one of his sources, a work known as Vixere Fortes, a memoir written by the son of one of the expedition members. Each memoir reference is accompanied by a statement along the lines that it was written by the son, and must be considered as unreliable. One time would have certainly sufficed; I take it as an error in editing. But heck -- these are such minor little niggles that they're almost negligible, considering how well written this book is overall. I certainly gained a lot of information that a) added to my understanding of Antarctic exploration and b) prompted me to start looking up other sources of information on Mawson and the AAE. As I've so often said, when a book can do both of those things, most especially encouraging me to dive further into a topic, then it's definitely one I can recommend. (less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 19, 2013
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| 1594205345
| 9781594205347
| 4.12
| 987
| Feb 07, 2013
| Feb 07, 2013
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Detroit: An American Autopsy is a combination of gritty reportage and personal memories punctuated with a vein of dark humor that tells the author's s...more
Detroit: An American Autopsy is a combination of gritty reportage and personal memories punctuated with a vein of dark humor that tells the author's story of his attempt to understand what has happened to his city. Detroit is where Charlie LeDuff grew up and after some time away, where he lives now. The book is an uncompromising account of a city that was once the richest in America and the forces, both external and internal, which have led Detroit down a steep path of decline. At the same time, it's also the story of some very resilient people who continue to work and live there despite the challenges they come up against each and every day. LeDuff opens his prologue with the discovery of a dead man nicknamed Johnnie Dollar found in an abandoned building "encased in at least four feet of ice at the bottom of a defunct elevator shaft..." All that could be seen of him were his feet, covered in white socks and black gym shoes. LeDuff notes that anywhere else, this sight would have been tragic, "mind blowing," but not in Detroit -- and he wonders what has happened while he was gone. He sizes up the situation noting that "...you come across something like a man frozen in ice and the skeleton of the anatomy of the place reveals it to you. The neck bone is connected to the billionaire who owns the crumbling building where the man died. The rib bones are connected to the countless minions shuffling through the frostbitten streets burning fires in empty warehouses to stay warm -- and get high. The hip bone is connected to a demoralized police force who couldn't give a shit about digging a dead mope out of an elevator shaft. The thigh bone is connected to the white suburbanites who turn their heads away from the calamity of Detroit, carrying on as though the human suffering were somebody else's problem. And the foot bones -- well, they're sticking out of a block of dirty frozen water, belonging to an unknown man nobody seemed to give a rip about." And, as he notes, "we're all standing at the edge of that shaft." LeDuff is a very hands-on, no-fear, outspoken investigative reporter who cares. For example, while tackling the question of what's happened to his city, he embeds himself with a local fire squad struggling to keep up with multiple fires with bad or broken equipment (down to holes in their boots); in one case he discovered that a firefighter's death when a house collapsed was due in part to equipment failure. He also tackles the corruption of the city by following the money and paper trail of misallocated funds and discovers outright theft and an appalling lack of accountability. Worse, when he prints his findings, nobody cares -- there are no investigations, nothing. But imho, the best writing in this book comes from his accounts of the people living in the city: good people who learn to endure, as they are often stuck where they are, unable to leave; others are too poor to afford heat for their families; there are victims of violence whose families can't afford to bury them; he reveals unresponsive ambulance and police services; and his story of a one year-old baby playing in the detritus of an abandoned house just about did me in. These stories are not only sad, but alarming and downright shameful. Including his own family's experiences in the city adds a very personal feel that is also just plain gut wrenching at times. I loved this book -- I love LeDuff's crazy personality and most of all I like his dogged determination in getting to the root of the problems facing his city. A lot of people talk the talk -- this man walks the walk and reports what he sees in an unflinching manner. At the same time, parts of this very serious book made me laugh out loud. He's definitely got the knack of being serious and entertaining at the same time as he examines why people in many cases don't even have access to the basic services a city should provide. Unlike many reviewers, I don't live in Detroit, nor do I have a connection to it unless you want to count our American-made cars. I chose to read this book for the human story which LeDuff tells and tells well, becoming interested in it some time back when I had read a brief excerpt where LeDuff mentions schoolkids in the city having to supply their own toilet paper, which stuck a chord. A couple of years back I had read a local story about the items people were being asked to supply for their children's school year and I was frankly appalled. Well beyond the crayons, pencils, and the other supplies one might consider normal, also on the list were paper plates, plastic silverware,and toilet paper, and that was right here in the state where I live. I remember telling a friend about this and asking where is all the money going that is allocated for schools? Somehow, things have just gone appallingly wrong. LeDuff is right -- this kind of thing is happening all over. He is a guy worth listening to. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Feb 16, 2013
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Feb 16, 2013
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| 0399160876
| 9780399160875
| 3.57
| 344
| Feb 07, 2013
| Feb 07, 2013
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Feb 15, 2013
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| 0786709804
| 9780786709809
| 4.23
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| Nov 1992
| Dec 18, 2001
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The blurb on the back of my copy of this book states that this edition is "one book that no fan of Benson or of good storytelling can afford to miss."...more
The blurb on the back of my copy of this book states that this edition is "one book that no fan of Benson or of good storytelling can afford to miss." Since this is a book of ghost stories, I'll add that this volume is a definite no-miss if you are a fan of the well-told, classic ghostly tale. At 672 pages, this book became my leisurely go-to, late-night, under-the-covers read to be enjoyed once the house was quiet rather than a one-sitting kind of thing, and thinking back on it, I see a great deal of merit in approaching the book this way. There are 54 stories in this collection that encompass ghostly visitations, physical manifestations of evil, devil worship, revenge, vampires, spiritualism, and my perpetual favorite category in ghost stories, haunted houses. None of these tales are your garden variety ghost story -- many, as Richard Dalby states in his introduction, have an "autobiographical thread" that runs through them, an important notion to consider as you read. For example, some of his stories feature domineering women or women who, for no apparent reason, were the perpetuators of evil; Joan Aiken's foreward explains that Benson had an "underlying fear and dislike of ... "the large, bossy, dynamic, interfering, knowing kind of women." In making one woman a vampire, for example, his contempt and fear become obvious. In others the main character is a bachelor happiest in the company of a good male friend; still others feature men who limp who may also represent Benson, who later in life suffered from arthritis severe enough to require the use of "two sticks" to walk. The thing is, even if you don't really care about the sources of Benson's inspiration, the stories alone are enough to keep you interested in his work. While a few of the stories here failed to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight, and while some were just kind of silly (mostly those dealing with mediums and spiritualism), I found a number of disturbing tales that I really liked and which got a second read: "The Dust Cloud," which first appeared in 1906 and reflects anxiety about the new technology of motorcars that seem "to possess an independent life" of their own; "The Shootings of Achnaleish" (1906), where modern hunters clash with the traditional beliefs of highlanders in a remote village; "Negotium Perambulans," (1922) set in an isolated village in Cornwall; "Mrs. Amworth," a vampire story; "Reconciliation," and "Expiation," both haunted house stories; "The Face," a definite chiller, as is "The Step," probably one of the creepiest in the entire collection. I also liked "The Temple" for its menacing atmosphere and "Pirates" which really reminded me somehow of Peter Pan. The problem with putting together a volume such as this one is that Benson's stories are often formulaic, especially in the ones where a man goes to spend time with a friend at a country house that is the site of strange, ethereal events, but I found that my piecemeal approach helped to break up some of the sameness. Overall, it is an excellent collection and like most any other anthology, you have some stories that really work for you along with those that won't. With only a few exceptions, especially in those stories where evil is manifested in giant, disgusting slugs, the horror in this volume is cerebral, geared to those who prefer to experience the disturbing dread in their minds rather than see it spelled out and splashed out onto the pages. If you are an avid reader of the old, classic ghost story, you'll definitely want to add this to your reading list. Benson was a master craftsman of the genre, and deserves to be more widely read. (less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 13, 2013
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| 1616950080
| 9781616950088
| 3.56
| 103
| 2002
| Feb 05, 2013
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Well, here we are at book six in the Irene Huss series(fifth to be translated), and I have to say I'm a wee bit disappointed, most decidedly because o...more
Well, here we are at book six in the Irene Huss series(fifth to be translated), and I have to say I'm a wee bit disappointed, most decidedly because of the ending. Up to that point, the author had me hanging on to the story's every word and then out of nowhere comes this ending that did not at all fit. Together with friend and partner Tommy Persson, Detective Inspector Irene Huss is on the scene of a particularly brutal murder in a magnificent home overlooking the bay. The dead man is Kjell Bengtsson Ceder, a restauranteur who is also in the hotel business. Shot at point-blank range, he leaves behind a beautiful young wife, Sanna, and a baby. Kjell's name has come up with the police before in connection with a tragic boating accident which led to the death of his first wife. There is enough to link the killing of Ceder with a double homicide under investigation as well as to another unsolved missing persons case the police have already worked on. When the detectives put their heads together, the common denominator of all of these incidents turns out to be Sanna, via an earlier IT business that crashed when the bubble burst. The problem is that Sanna is not being exactly up front with the police, and nothing the detectives do can persuade her to tell all she knows. Hopefully, the police will be able to convince her before someone else is found dead. Aside from the already-known crew of detectives and Huss' family, Tursten has done an especially fine job in building the key player Sanna. She comes across as a spoiled, pampered, newly-rich but clueless person, and her character remains consistent throughout the book. Another quality I admired in this novel was the pacing. It was plotted carefully so as to continue to add layer upon layer of suspense, so that the reader is very much drawn into the story and can't wait to find out all of the answers and get to the big reveal. At that point is where I started having problems. Here I am, majorly invested in this story, and it all goes a bit sideways with the rather (imho) flimsy ending that I thought sort of came out of left field. The ride was both fun and kept me completely involved while it lasted, but really, I think she could have done much better in bringing the mysteries to a close. The book is being well received by many readers, with many 4 and 5 star ratings, and had the ending been stronger, I probably would have rated it up there as well. As happy as I am that Soho Crime is publishing Tursten's previously-untranslated novels, Helene Tursten's work is so much better than this book might acknowledge. I would love to see her get back to that same level of intensity that gave me so much pleasure in the first three translated novels -- Detective Inspector Huss, The Torso, and The Glass Devil.(less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 07, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0312674465
| 9780312674465
| 3.92
| 663
| 1998
| Feb 05, 2013
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Seriously I have never in my life felt so off kilter during and after reading a book as I did with this one. It is truly a masterpiece of darkness lik...more
Seriously I have never in my life felt so off kilter during and after reading a book as I did with this one. It is truly a masterpiece of darkness like I've never seen before. You can read my discussion of this book here. My advice: go get a copy now. (less) | Notes are private!
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Jan 30, 2013
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