C.C. Thomas's Blog, page 9

Blech!: Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr.

Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby, Jr.Fiction

I can hon
estly say this is the worst book I've ever read in my life.  Since I've read thousands of books, that is quite an insult, and one that is deserved.

I cannot fathom what other people see in this book to give it a higher rating than a one star and, honestly, I feel that's a bit high.

The plot:  four people who are addicted to drugs and the ensuing chaos and horror their addiction brings.

The formatting of the book drove me insane.  There aren't paragraphs or punctuation and the slang was so heavy and overdone, it made parts of it illegible.  If this is considered an art form, then my middle school students are all hugely gifted because none of them paragraph or punctuate either. 

Blech!

I'm Addicted: Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb

In Death #5:  Ceremony in Death by JD RobbDystopian Mystery Thriller

Warning:  All book snobs need not apply. 

Recently, I was talking about this book series and a web acquaintance made a very disparaging remark about the quality of its artistic merits.  If you're one of "those people", stop reading now.  If, instead, you are a reader who loves a great read, full of action and adventure no matter the author or genre, welcome to my review.

I am a big fan of this series.  No, it may not have a lot of high-falutin' artistic merits, but it is one heck of a read.  It's imaginative and creative and the mysteries are really well done.  Since it takes place in a futuristic world, the normal realistic rules are discarded.  That makes it so much more fun!  I like the gadgets and gimmicks Robb has invented; I like this alternate world and these alternate characters; I like the space travel--I like it all.  The hot romance doesn't hurt either.

In this installment, Eve, newly married to Rourke, has been assigned to investigate a fellow cop, a veteran she knew who taught her much of what she knows.  She isn't keen on the case since it might mean implicating one of her own, but she has a duty to do.  And, Eve is nothing if not the dutiful cop.  Mix in the mystery with some witchcraft and Satanism and you get a dark, twisted read that will leave you on the edge of your seat to the last page.

Sometimes, as a reader, you don't have to live on a diet of vegetable of tofu.  This book is more like a piece of dark chocolate, unhealthy at best and sinful at worse.  I don't mind admitting I'm addicted.

Worthy of More Than 5 Stars: Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Sarah's Key by Tatiana do Rosnay Historical Fiction/Drama

This is one of those books that grabs you by the collar and adamantly insists that you shall have neither rest or slumber nor converse until you read every last tragic word.  So, unable to resist, I complied.  Happily.

This is the story of a reporter, mildly unhappy with her current life in Paris with a charming Parisian husband and precocious daughter. When she is assigned to write a story for an upcoming memorial event, though, her future unravels when she delves too deeply into the past of her husband's family.  Short summary, but I don't want to give any detail away.  It's one of those books where the plot leads you through it like the witch passing out candy bits to Hansel and Gretel in a dark forest.

There is everything to love about this book and about this story.  First, the history and historical characters brought to life.  While I like to consider myself something of an armchair historian, I had never heard of the historical event discussed in the book, the Vel d'Hiv round-up of Jewish family in France for deportation to extermination camps.  I love to read about World War II and Holocaust stories (that isn't as dismal as it sounds) and this book was unlike any I had read about this topic before.  I also loved the main characters.  Pure genius to tell one side of the story through the eyes of a child affected by the tragedy.  It made the writing so much more intense and personal.  I also really liked the other main character, the reported researching the story who goes through something of a mid-life crisis.

This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to go and see what else she has written!

The Writing Was Scary, But Not the Story: Sarcophagus by Anthony Williams

Sarcophagus by Anthony WilliamsTeen Horror

Usually, this is my favorite kind of book.  Action, adventure, a creepy monster, an enigmatic and historical artifact recently unearthed, a secret that didn't go the grave. These are my favorite kinds of books--I don't care if they're written for adults or young adults. If it's creepy with cool monsters, I'll read it.  And, this one had everything!  It had all the ingredients for success.

In the book, Jeremy has moved to a new house and new town during the summer. On his first day, he hooks up with the neighborhood weirdo and the two soon discover an unknown key in a clock and a mystery from a recently dead archeologist-type dude.  When they use the key to unlock the sarcophagus, the result is deadly and, if not stopped, capable of destroying life as we know it!

With all that set-up, what could have gone wrong? In this case, it was mediocre writing.  While the plot ideas were fantastic, the follow-up left a lot to be desired.  The characters were cardboard and barely likeable; the descriptions not nearly long enough tell me what I needed to know; the dialogue was stilted and often ridiculous.  It's in dire need of an editor...or a better editor.  With a bit more work, it could cross the line from mediocre to edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

A Reading Stalker: Jack Reacher #4 Running Blind by Lee Childs

Jack Reacher #4:  Running Blind by Lee Child Mystery/Thriller

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Hollywood filmmakers decided to start the Jack Reacher series so far in (the movie was book #9, I believe).  This installment, book #4 was the best one yet and was definitely worthy of a film make.

I love the Jack Reacher series and my love for him (I mean the book!) just grows and grows with each new book I read.  Jack is a perfect main character--enigmatic, tall, handsome, free of troublesome baggage from his past, and a genius.  Real swoon-worthy material.  (Again, I am clearly speaking of the character.  I know Jack is not a real man.  I cannot be in love with him because that would be weird.  Because he isn't real.  Right?)

In this installment, Jack has been arrested for the serial killing of several women who he had once helped as an MP.  Not far into the nightmare, he discovers the FBI has no real interest in tagging the killings on him.  Instead, they want to use him to find out who the real killer is.  This is, by far, the best Reacher yet and one of the best mysteries I've ever read.  Reacher is one step behind the killer all the way to the end of the book and almost doesn't get his man. (See, I'm not in fictional love because if I were I would wax on and on about how great he is.) I loved watching him stumble and falter; I loved that he was wrong; and, I loved following the train of his thoughts because, even though flawed, they were so much more quick and clever than mine.  This book is a roller-coaster of suspense and intrigue all the way through.

Okay, I admit it.  I'm definitely smitten with Reacher.  He is one detective I can't figure out.  I don't feel comfortable with him telling the story because he is so emotionally unattached to everything going on.  It drives me crazy!  But, the right kind of crazy because I'm definitely coming back for more.  I know I can expect Reacher to blow apart my expectations each time I pick him up.  That's the only way this guy is ever going to be predictable!

Better Than the First in the Series: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave #2:  The Infinite Sea by Rick YanceyDystopian Thriller

I was so delightfully surprised by this book!  I read the first one a while back and didn't love it.  I liked it well enough to continue reading and I am so glad I did.

This series takes place on a future earth where an alien species has targeted humans for extinction in a series of "waves" which includes disease, natural disaster, etc.  The main character, Cassie Sullivan, is a survivor and has unwittingly fallen for one of the aliens, Evan Walker who saved her life in the last book and is determined to save her life in this one.

If this were a simple love story about two different, star-crossed species, I would be hesitant to give it such a good review.  And, honestly, that's what the first book felt like.  But this one fractures into the storylines of many minor characters in the last book.  There's Ringer, Zombie, and more.  Each story is told with heartbreak and focus as if the series is about them instead of Cassie.  Maybe it is...there's one more to go, I think.

The writing is taut with tension and the story is told with a sense of tragedy and sympathy and pain.  This book really captured me in a way the first one didn't and I decided to blow off my Sunday plans in order to sit and read the whole book the whole way through.  It's a rare book that has that affect.  I'm looking forward to the next one and hope that Yancey can sustain his magic for one more ride.

Just Solidly Okay: The Woman Who Loved Jesse James by Cindi Myers

The Woman Who Loved Jesse James by Cindi Myers Historical Fiction

I originally got this book because I have always been fascinated by the story of Jesse James and that lawless time period in history.  My fascination wasn't a morbid one--I don't relish reading about the men he killed or banks he robbed.  Rather, I'm fascinated by a time period when such things were not only possible, but probable to men who perhaps saw no other way to live.

The character of Zee Mimms has always been interesting to me and I hoped to learn more about this "first family" of crime.  Unfortunately, I don't feel I have any better idea of who this woman was than before I started reading the book.  Granted, this was fiction, not a true story and little exists that might have told her motivations for waiting so long to marry Jesse and why in the world she would have chosen the life she did. Still, I felt very disconnected from the main character.  She didn't seem to understand her motivations any better than I did.  I have a problem with characters who just can't help themselves, characters who seem powerless to react in their own lives.  Since she understood herself so little, there was no way for me to understand her at all.

If you've never read a book about Jesse James before, this would be a good, soft place to start.  Most of the factual accounts you could probably read online, though.  My review perhaps lead you to believe it's a bad book.  It isn't--it stay solidly mired in the "just okay" category throughout.

Not the Gripping Adventure I Wanted: The Solitude of Thomas Cave by Georgina Harding

The Solitude of Thomas Cave by Georgina Harding Historical Fiction/Realistic Fiction

I will start with what I loved about this book.  I loved the way it was written.  The words are measured and flowing and easy.  Reading it was no hardship and the prose seems to just take the reader like a stream carrying a leaf, bobbing along easily.  It felt as if this book were written decades ago and reminded me of my favorite classic authors, like Dickens. I loved the subject of whaling and the Arctic and eagerly gobble up any books on this topic.  It's such an alien, foreign adventure and I always love to see how people might have survived.

Now, for what I didn't like about this book which, unfortunately, is a longer list.  I wanted to read more about Cave's survival in the Arctic winter.  While there were a few harrowing descriptions, it wasn't enough for me to understand what he went through and what changed him so profoundly.  I also wanted more of a description of Cave's earlier tragedy, for the same reason.  I felt this area of the book existed solely in hints rather than enough detail to help me understand his motivations.  I also really, really didn't like the paranormal aspect of the book, although it was explained at the end.  I felt this cheapened the story and was an unwelcome intrusion on what should have been a quietly moving existence.

Overall, this book was never better than just okay for me.  I will say, though, that I thought the author wrote in a masterful way and I will be searching out other books by her.

The Best in the Series So Far: Voodoo River by Robert Crais

Elvis Cole #5:  Voodoo River by Robert CraisMystery

I am a huge Elvis Cole fan.  I think he is probably my favorite detective and this is my favorite series, so perhaps I am a bit biased with this review.

But, WOW!  This is, by far the best one in the series so far.  I love it when a series gets better and better rather than petering out like a limp firework.

Elvis has been hired by a superstar who wants to know the truth about her biological family.  What Elvis uncovers is a multi-generational tragedy filled with racism.  I was just expecting your typical mystery--detective does a little sleuthing, a few surprises, a life-and-death struggle or car race, a neat and happy ending.  That was not the case here.  This mystery has more layers than an onion and each one gets more stinky and eye-watering. Elvis's skills and ethics are tested in ways he never dreamed of.  A love interesting complicates his tidy life and he walks into several situations certain he's going to his death.  Even the infallible Joe Pike was pushed to his limits in this one.

I cannot say enough about this series and, most particularly, this book in the series.  This is mystery writing at its very best, its very finest.  Cannot wait to read the next one!

Dashed Expectations: The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas MullenRealistic Fiction

Dash it all!

When I first read of this book, I could not wait to get it and read it.  I imagined myself spellbound, held captive by this fascinating period in American history.  I just knew I wouldn't be able to part with it and, after reading it, I would race to the library to continue reading about this fascinating subject.

The topic of the Spanish flu has fascinated since I wrote an article about it for our local paper, following a season of particularly virulent flu in our area.  I became fascinated with the topic and was shocked to learn how close this hit to my own family when my mother-in-law told me much of her own family had been taken as victims in the strain.  It isn't a topic that most people want to talk about and it was a topic that was very hard to research.  When I found a fiction book about it, I knew I would love it!

Rather what I got with this book was a big dose of World War I history with a smidgen of the flu thrown in.  The book is not poorly written or awful; it's just okay.  What makes my review so low is my dashed expectations after reading teasing trailers.  This is not a story of the flu--the flu epidemic isn't really discussed in detail until more than halfway in.  Rather this is a story about a lot of other things--socialist created utopian towns, labor and union violence, World War I draft and conscientious objector viewpoints, loyalists and patriots, German prejudice, etc., etc., etc.  There was so much going on in the book that it just became distracting and I started to care very little about what happened to any of them.  It isn't one tragedy but rather dozens of little backstories that didn't take me very far as a reader.  Most of the book felt like a dogpaddle in a flat pond--no real excitement.  This easily could be have a better book if the author had focused on one moment in time, one character, rather than a retelling of the whole scope of the era.

Dash it all!  I am still on the look for a good book about the Spanish flu...