This is a coffee table sized book, jam packed with wizbang reproductions of zillions, well maybe just hundreds, of covers from the pulp era. If it isThis is a coffee table sized book, jam packed with wizbang reproductions of zillions, well maybe just hundreds, of covers from the pulp era. If it is possible to bring back memories of an era most of us never knew; then this book succeeds brilliantly. The vibrantly alive, dazzlingly colored, action covers bring these pulps to life much as they did for our parents and grandparents of the 20's and 30's. Highly recommended for the young in spirit and the gray of hair alike, for who knows what evil lurks in these pages....more
Of course we will always have Ray Bradbury! As long as children run to the sound of the carousel, and the circus parade; as long as dandelions still gOf course we will always have Ray Bradbury! As long as children run to the sound of the carousel, and the circus parade; as long as dandelions still grow in our front lawns; as long as the call of the train or bright trails of rockets reach out to us across the miles, Ray will be with us. Whether, as in this collection of never before published stories, we walk the streets of Venice, Ca., or the rues de Paris, or discover the true nature of man's best friend or the truth in young love, we we can be sure that Ray's view of the ordinary will be just a bit extraordinary....more
From little known historical facts, the author creates a character to whom we are drawn with the allure of exotic locations, cultures, sex and internaFrom little known historical facts, the author creates a character to whom we are drawn with the allure of exotic locations, cultures, sex and international intrigue. A young Chinese princess, in the early twentieth century turmoil between China and Japan, is thrust from her home to the not so welcoming arms of a well to do family in Japan. Here she is educated in Japanese tradition and culture. Feeling abandoned by her Chinese family; sexually used by the men of her Japanese family; she finds solace in using her newly learned skills to try to advance herself in Japanese society. Eventually, she trades her services to the Japanese government to act as a spy against her native Chinese. The book's intrigue draws us as easily into the book, as lovers are drawn into her bed. The author's style is very captivating. We are lead smoothly from one richly detailed scene to another. The author paints a portrait of young woman, who is both smart and ruthless in her struggle for acceptance and her need to succeed....more
"Century, The Ring of Fire," is an excellent book for young adults. The author, Pierdomenico Baccalario, a native of Italy, sets this treasure hunt in"Century, The Ring of Fire," is an excellent book for young adults. The author, Pierdomenico Baccalario, a native of Italy, sets this treasure hunt in Rome. His searchers are an international quartet of preteens, all born on February 29. They are drawn together by unknown forces to find the mysterious Ring of Fire. The book blends the right amount of fantasy and reality to keep the reader enthralled. It is impossible to read slowly through the book, as the action and mystery draw you enticingly from page to page. I found the photographs and illustrations, which were exquisitely done, to be very helpful in following the trail of the kids around Rome. The only regret is that we will have to wait for the following books, as this is the first of four parts....more
In this second book of a series, we meet Englishman, Paul West, moderately successful advertising executive, who went to France for a job as the liaisIn this second book of a series, we meet Englishman, Paul West, moderately successful advertising executive, who went to France for a job as the liaison for a Paris based, French company trying to break into the English market. He spends a year dodging French office politics, trying to improve English-French relationships with the Parisian femmes, incurring the wrath and hostility of haughty french waiters, and slip, sliding his way through the local dog merde, which is freely deposited on the Paris sidewalks. At the start of this book, Paul is bringing to fruition, his dream of the first English Tea Room Cafe in Paris. This, of course, is interrupted with the nightmare of dealing with pompous French officials, the reality of trying to hire help who will not be inattentive, inept or outright rude, and all this while trying to wend his way through the arms of various mademoiselle's, looking for his one true love. This is a lighthearted romp through France, with a quick jump across the Channel to London, which will leave you laughing at a transplanted Englishman's travels in La Belle France....more
This is a very enjoyable story of a group of ornaments, the tree dwellers, who secretly come to life each Christmas when removed from the Christmas BoThis is a very enjoyable story of a group of ornaments, the tree dwellers, who secretly come to life each Christmas when removed from the Christmas Box and placed on the tree. The main characters are Larry, a lovable snowman, Debbie, his beautiful reindeer girlfriend, and Splint, the new ornament, who is a wooden toy soldier. The characters are quite charming and the reader is quickly drawn into the search for Larry's brother who is missing from the tree. The search leads the main characters away from the safety of the Christmas tree, through the unfamiliar house, and ultimately back to the Christmas Box looking for answers. This is a very engaging story and will no doubt be a Christmas staple for years to come....more
The book follows the lives of three women in the months immediately preceding the United States involvement in World War II. Iris the new postmaster oThe book follows the lives of three women in the months immediately preceding the United States involvement in World War II. Iris the new postmaster of Franklin, Mass., is very businesslike, proper, without being prim, and interested in doing the best job she can for the people of her town. Emma, is the fragile looking, out-of-town, newly married wife of the local doctor. Frankie, on the other hand, is a war correspondent in London, broadcasting her impressions of the war back to the people safely at home in the U.S. The paths of these three woman will come to a focal point as the U.S. is drawn to the brink of war. We are reminded in these pages of the endless cruelty of war, the power of love and of loss, the reasons why we have to carry on after senseless tragedy, and the wonderful gift a simple act of kindness can be. Very well written, the book quickly envelopes you in the lives of the characters, with enough twists and surprises to keep you eagerly turning the pages....more
This is a very entertaining book filled with delightful characters engrossed in unstoppable action. Belladonna Johnson sits down to breakfast everydayThis is a very entertaining book filled with delightful characters engrossed in unstoppable action. Belladonna Johnson sits down to breakfast everyday with the spirits of her dead parents. Unlike her friends, she can see all the dead spirits in her town. That is until they start to disappear before her eyes. She will need all the help she can get from her classmate, Steve, who's major accomplishment so far is his penchant for getting in trouble. They follow the lost souls to the Land of the Dead, where Belladonna and Steve must master new found skills in magic and find new depths of courage to free the imprisoned spirits. The book is very well written. The action scenes and the dialogue flow smoothly and naturally, being well suited to hold the interest of older children and young adults. A great ghost tale for Halloween....more
This slim book, a mere two hundred pages, is filled with tasty slice of life vignettes, interspersed with delectable recipes. The story recounts snippThis slim book, a mere two hundred pages, is filled with tasty slice of life vignettes, interspersed with delectable recipes. The story recounts snippets of the history of five generations of the writer's family. Recipes for life are found while recalling the lessons learned through cooking and sharing love through the generations. Good times and some very lean times are measured by the recipes, from the Great Depression to the current economic recession. This would make a great holiday gift for any member of the family....more
Billy Blessing, the celebrated, restaurant owning, chef on the Morning Show, finds himself in trouble. One of his coworkers from the show has been murBilly Blessing, the celebrated, restaurant owning, chef on the Morning Show, finds himself in trouble. One of his coworkers from the show has been murdered. Chef Blessing is immediately tagged for suspicion by the police. Thus we have the beginnings of an all too familiar plot set in the environs of a television Morning Show. Writers are often advised to write what they know about, but Al Roker's story, with the help of mystery author, Dick Lochte, has stayed to close to home. There are even cute references to that weather guy from the Today Show. Most of the story is average detective, mystery book fare. The action is rather slow paced until the last third of the book, when the search for the unknown killer, starts to get interesting. Nothing out of the ordinary here....more
Bon Dieu! How is it that I have not found this author before? "The Brutal Telling", by Louise Penny, is more than just a detective story. It is a liteBon Dieu! How is it that I have not found this author before? "The Brutal Telling", by Louise Penny, is more than just a detective story. It is a literary novel. This work blends the lives of the characters and the reader by speaking to the souls of both. As in all great literature, the characters come to life through the words of the author, quickly becoming more than just the written word. The characters, such as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, are completely developed people, full of life. Each acting and reacting to the other characters in the novel. Have no doubt, this mystery novel leads us through a perplexing mystery surrounding the violent death of stranger in the small Canadian town of Three Pines. This is not the first time the Inspector and his team of Seretes investigators have been called to this out of the way place. Emotions run high as both long time friends and newcomers are brought under suspicion. If the earlier novels of this series are anything like this, I'll be hot on their trail. ...more
Nick Quinn is in a holding cell, accused, by two hard nosed detectives, of killing his wife. Left alone for a few minutes, he can only focus on the guNick Quinn is in a holding cell, accused, by two hard nosed detectives, of killing his wife. Left alone for a few minutes, he can only focus on the gut twisting sight of his wife shot through the head, lying on his garage floor where he found her just hours before. Suddenly, a well dressed stranger intrudes on his thoughts, offering Nick a seemingly impossible chance to go back, one hour at a time and save his wife. Thus begins the strange 13 hour journey which turns time on it's head. What if you could go back in time and try to change the future? What repercussions would result from each new twist you placed in the past? How many people would be effected by a single act? While the premise is exciting , the execution is a bit weak. Having 13 hours to relive, one hour at a time, means a lot of repetition. By the time you have relived parts of the story, 9 or 10 times, it becomes somewhat tedious. Although, the author keeps interspersing some new twists along the way. The character development is about what you would expect in the average thriller. They aren't going to make any lasting impression. The saving grace is trying to figure out what each of the consequences might be from the heroes' attempts to change the past....more
This book relates the story of a number of brave, outstanding, and visionary Americans who supported and in fact championed London and all of Britain,This book relates the story of a number of brave, outstanding, and visionary Americans who supported and in fact championed London and all of Britain, as it's life light was threatening to be extinguished in the early years of World War II. In this day and age, it is often hard to realize the vast differences which existed between the United States, which was largely isolationist, and the British colonial power. The extent of efforts needed to be made by these Americans to bring together Britain, which they had come to see as their home away from home, and the U.S. proved staggering. Men such as Edward R. Murrow, CBS Radio correspondent, Averell Harriman, wealthy industrialist, John Gilbert Winant, governor from New Hampshire, Tommy Hitchcock, noted athlete and World War I pilot along with many others won the undying love of the Londoners, for sharing their suffering and constantly striving to bring the power of the United States into the conflict, to aid Britain. Through intimate glimpses of many the world's leaders, this book reminds us of the fallibility of even the highest of officials. We are given insights into what a totally different world might have emerged if some leaders had not been properly advised and even reigned in by their contemporaries. The book reveals the tremendous pressure world leaders were under from not only their enemies, foreign and domestic, but also their allies at home and abroad. The book clearly shows how the hearts of the British people, especially the Londoners who had suffered through the Blitz went out to these Americans who took the fight as their own long before the U.S. as a whole came into the war. This is an extremely well researched book bringing newly opened sources to light. It is very well written with a style that is easy to read, yet very detailed....more
This is a tale of life in the Ukrainian-Belorussian borderland of 1939, under the new, but already festering regime of Joseph Stalin. Ivan Kulik has bThis is a tale of life in the Ukrainian-Belorussian borderland of 1939, under the new, but already festering regime of Joseph Stalin. Ivan Kulik has been recently appointed the headmaster of a school in a small provincial village, seemingly far from the reach of the new government. The author loses no time in bringing his characters to life. In deceptively simple prose, we are introduced to the villagers and gently drawn into their lives, only to find the darkness within. We are rewarded with deep insights into the minds of the characters, as the Stalinist regime, backed by the terror of the NKVD, the secret police, invades every aspect of the villagers lives. We are shown deep insights into a mind which, when always under oppression, may leap through all sorts of negative scenarios. Oppression and repression feed on fear, strengthening and enabling them. Mr Odrach, having lived through much of what he writes, shows us the mind can be a dark and dangerous place. In his writing, the fear of a violent, sudden death is a constant companion. The NKVD dealt out death sentences or torture, not only for overt acts of rebellion, but for merely wrong thoughts or words or the whispered rumors of these by one's neighbors. The mere thought that no one can be trusted to be a true friend and not an informer, can have a devastating effect on one's piece of mind. The book shows us that fear can make self preservation kick in, making us give up everything and everyone. Hope, friendship, love, all can be lost in the effort to save ourselves. Can we truly be free when we know that those left behind are still enslaved? This is a very enlightening and at the same time entertaining book written by an author who lived much of what he writes about....more
A rousing and fresh tale of the Arthurian legend, told with compelling characters. There are interesting plot twists which give new life to the old leA rousing and fresh tale of the Arthurian legend, told with compelling characters. There are interesting plot twists which give new life to the old legends. Told from the view point of master spy, Marcus ap Iorwerth and his seer wife, Claerwen, who together fight for the future rise of Arthur to the throne. This is the fourth book in the Macsen's Treasure series. Well worth the read....more
After reading Louise Penny's latest novel, "The Brutal Telling", featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, I couldn't wait to return to the tiny villaAfter reading Louise Penny's latest novel, "The Brutal Telling", featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, I couldn't wait to return to the tiny village of Three Pines in the remote reaches of the province of Quebec. Still Life is the first in the Inspector Gamache series. The books can be read alone and stand up very well, but I think the full impact will best be felt if the series is read in order. The Inspector and his team are of course investigating a possible murder in this idealic spot. No one in the village, at first, seems to have any reason to kill the sweet, kind, elderly woman, who lies dead in the field with a hole through her heart. This of course means that everyone is a suspect. It is in revealing the lives and emotions hidden in this small community, that Ms Penny brings the village of Three Pines and indeed, Inspector Gamache and his team to life. Ms Penny has a gift for imbuing her characters with life, raising them from the pages and planting them forever in our minds....more
This is a knock off of the TV series, Castle. The book "Heat Wave " is the product of the research of the character, Richard Castle, a prize winning wThis is a knock off of the TV series, Castle. The book "Heat Wave " is the product of the research of the character, Richard Castle, a prize winning writer into the NYPD, mainly through his association with homicide detective, Kate Beckett. Nikki Heat, the heroine of this book, is Castle's heated up image of Kate, who is already sizzling. If you enjoy the TV series, you will certainly enjoy this fast moving novel, which follows a murder investigation and a multimillion dollar art robbery. The book answers the question of what would happen if the two characters on the show were allowed to get closer together. There would obviously be a "Heat Wave"....more
A coldblooded killer, with an unknown motive, murders all the members of a family except a young toddler. The child escapes to a nearby graveyard wherA coldblooded killer, with an unknown motive, murders all the members of a family except a young toddler. The child escapes to a nearby graveyard where he is given sanctuary by the ghostly residents. Thus begins a rather intriguing tale of young Nobody Owens. He was named by the ghosts and denizens who protect and raise him in the local graveyard. Over the years,as his family's killer narrows the search for him, he gradually learns the reasons he is warned not to leave the shelter of the burying ground. An enjoyable book about a boy coming of age in a rather unique setting. I must admit I was at first creeped out by the description of the killer purposefully pursuing the toddler with the intent of killing him....more
This is #17, and possibly the final, in the police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Jon Rebus and his partner Detective Sergeant SiobhaThis is #17, and possibly the final, in the police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Jon Rebus and his partner Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke. The crime initially involves the murder of a Russian expatriate poet, who has taken up residence in Edinburgh, Scotland. The investigation expands to include another related murder and an attack on a local crime boss, Big Ger Cafferty. Street criminals as well as high standing financial and government leaders are equal suspects in this fast moving novel. The trail winds masterfully through a wonderfully detailed cast of characters who have motive and opportunity. This is reportedly Rebus's last case before he retires and his need to clear the details not only of this case, but of some long standing cases linked to a suspect in the current murder, border on obsession. DI Rebus is certainly worth another go round....more
This is a very entertaining book filled with intriguing, unusual and sometimes delightfully silly characters. A fortuneteller with short term memory lThis is a very entertaining book filled with intriguing, unusual and sometimes delightfully silly characters. A fortuneteller with short term memory loss, a cowboy poet who rhymes too much, a tightrope walker who has vertigo, a hairless dog who can warn the family of danger approaching from miles away and a one eyed sock puppet who has a mind of his own, are just some of the characters who energize these pages. All these and more are a part of the everyday life of the Cheeseman family on the run from greedy corporate gangsters, government men in suits and an international spy with a chimpanzee for a partner. Why on the run? Well, Mr Cheeseman has or may have a time machine, if he can get it working, that is highly sought after by almost everyone. Add to this the invaluable, unsolicited advice, freely interspersed throughout the book at no extra charge by the author and you have a real winner....more
Benjamin Pratt is a boy with a problem.Well actually, with a couple of problems. His parents are recently separated and he lives with either parent onBenjamin Pratt is a boy with a problem.Well actually, with a couple of problems. His parents are recently separated and he lives with either parent on alternate weeks. Also, the janitor at his school has recently turned up dead after giving Ben an ancient gold coin with an inscription and having extracted a promise from Ben that he would fight to save the school from being torn down by rich developers. This is a great beginning, but it is only a beginning and we are left wanting a lot more in this first installment of The Keepers of the School. The characters are interesting. Ben is a boy with a good sense of values and discipline, who is set in believable situations. We are left wanting more, which I suppose is the purpose of having a series of books. I can't help but think that we could have been given more in this first installment. It feels a bit thin. ...more
If you haven't read any books recently on action in World War II, this should be your next book to read. This is the story of the USS Tang, one of theIf you haven't read any books recently on action in World War II, this should be your next book to read. This is the story of the USS Tang, one of the most highly decorated submarines of the war. Near the end of her fifth patrol under command of Capt. Richard O'Kane, she was struck by an errant torpedo and sunk in the Formosa Straits. Only nine crewmen survived, including five who had to escape from the sunken sub as it rested on the bottom in 180 feet of water. Unfortunately for the survivors, this was only the beginning of their ordeal. They were to face over 10 months as prisoners in Japanese POW camps. After repeated beatings, torture and malnutrition, many returned home only to face broken homes, flashbacks of their months of torture, and recurring feelings of guilt that they had survived the cruel deaths of the rest of their crew. The book is well researched and includes much material gleaned from personal interviews with the survivors and many of the families of the crew. A fascinating true story that relates very well to all of us who owe so much to the members of our armed forces who served in the past and those who continue to protect us now....more
John Grisham's first collection of short stories is a winner. He is a master storyteller in the tradition of such writers as Mark Twain. They quicklyJohn Grisham's first collection of short stories is a winner. He is a master storyteller in the tradition of such writers as Mark Twain. They quickly paint you a picture that on the surface is relatively simple, but in reality is very complex. We are shown a wide range of emotions and characters. The humor of country boys getting caught up in the not so big city. A quiet town lawyer who just may have a chance to change his life for ever. An older man who learns to gamble it all for the woman he loves. A sympathetic hustler who with a few kind acts, shows more compassion for his marks than their families ever did. A story of prejudice, ignorance and fear that builds a bond between two unlikely people. We would be very happy to see more short stories from this magnificent storyteller....more
This reads like a New England guide on steroids. The search for a legendary first draft of the Constitution, annotated by the Founding Father's of ourThis reads like a New England guide on steroids. The search for a legendary first draft of the Constitution, annotated by the Founding Father's of our country, leads bibliophile Peter Fallon and his ex-wife/girlfriend, Evangeline, on a breakneck quest across the Northeast United States. The trail of the document is detailed in the history of the New Englanders who came in contact with it. The jumps in narrative are blended smoothly between past and present, allowing for an even flow which carries the story along to a satisfying ending at the World Series in the stands of Boston's Fenway Park....more
This is a follow up to the author's book, First Daughter, which had ATF agent Jack McClure saving the President's daughter from a homicidal kidnapper.This is a follow up to the author's book, First Daughter, which had ATF agent Jack McClure saving the President's daughter from a homicidal kidnapper. Much of the Last Snow draws from the previous book, with Jack now protecting the President and his family, especially his daughter, who has been traumatically effected from her previous abduction. The book is set in Russia, where the President is trying to push through a defense treaty. Needless to say, nothing is what it appears to be on the surface, neither the reasons on both sides for the treaty nor the numerous spies and counterspies working on their own or their government's objectives. Deceive, deny and obfuscate seems to be the rule. The author is good at twisting the reader back and forth through the convoluted plot. There seemed to be so many twisted characters that I wasn't entirely taken by any of them, including Jack. On the whole, while it has all the trappings, with the twisty plot, a large cast of characters driven by their psychological short comings and plenty of action, this seems to me an average thriller. ...more
This is the story of Piper, a girl who can fly. It is also the story of both the people who would take this gift away from her and those who struggleThis is the story of Piper, a girl who can fly. It is also the story of both the people who would take this gift away from her and those who struggle to protect and justify her uniqueness. Who among us has not dreamt at some point in our lives of being able to glide through the air like a cloud. Would we be willing to give up this gift? The book takes a while to get up to speed, but then it takes off and soars. It seems to suffer a bit from being a trifle verbose in the opening chapters. I did like the use of dialect for developing Piper's character. Younger readers may find the story slow going at first, but it pays to stay the course. They will be rewarded with the action and the lessons learned in the later chapters....more
Heresy is an historical novel telling the tale of Giordano Bruno's visitation to Oxford during the reign of Elizabeth I of England. The book smoothly Heresy is an historical novel telling the tale of Giordano Bruno's visitation to Oxford during the reign of Elizabeth I of England. The book smoothly blends facts and fiction to give us a very engaging tale of a mystery surrounding this man of many dimensions. As a young man, he was trained as a Catholic monk in Italy until his unorthodox views of the universe and Christian religion necessitated his timely departure, one step ahead of the Inquisition. He eventually gravitated to England hoping its non-Catholic religion would prove a safe haven while he wrote and continued to study and develop his theories. He finds himself in Oxford on the trail of a book banned through out Europe. He stumbles into a nest of intrigue and murder, surrounding an enclave of Catholic believers in the Protestant country. Bruno quickly finds that his Italian nationality and previous association with the Roman Church sometimes works for him and sometimes against. The book quickly draws us deeply into the factions working at cross purposes at this time in Elizabethan England. The writing flows smoothly, blending facts and fiction into a tight mystery. The characters almost beg to given another adventure as they come to life in the story....more
If you are looking for the gritty, mean streets of Boston for your detective fiction, you won't find them here. J. P. O'Donnell's cool, calm, and savvIf you are looking for the gritty, mean streets of Boston for your detective fiction, you won't find them here. J. P. O'Donnell's cool, calm, and savvy Private Investigator, Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr(just call him Gallagher, everyone does) spends most of his time and expense account rubbing shoulders with white collar clients and crimes. Since leaving the Boston Police Department, he has established a successful P.I. practice where he can pursue with dogged determination any case with a refusal to let go attitude, until the file is closed to his satisfaction. This first book involves the unexplained murders of three doctors, who were part of a partnership in an upscale medical office plaza. Gallagher is called in by one of the grieving widows to find out why her husband, an upstanding doctor, was brutally murdered. The book maintains a fast pace while flowing smoothly through the solution of the crime. Maybe a little too smoothly. I would have appreciated a few more bumps in the road. Perhaps a few more turns we didn't see coming. Well written and a good plot, but not an exceptional one. I look forward to seeing if Gallagher develops into a Private Eye to keep our eye on....more
I know you've heard it before, but this is a real page turner. It is a fictionalized account of a truly brutal murder that made headlines for more thaI know you've heard it before, but this is a real page turner. It is a fictionalized account of a truly brutal murder that made headlines for more than three months in New York during 1857. In this pre-Civil War era, there was already plenty of intrigue concerning the gross treatment of women, the working class, and free blacks and runaway slaves. All of which made up a substantial part of the population of New York. To say that corruption in the local government was running rampant would be an understatement. Drop into this simmering pot a savage murder of a seemingly respectable dentist in his locked house; swindled business partners; alienated relatives; a sexy widow, who was his housekeeper and possible lover; politicians with their own agendas; a missing black man who was the victim's coachman, and you have a great story. The author skillfully leads the reader through a did she or didn't she kill her lover scenario. The preparations for the trial of the mistress and its subsequent revelations are counter played against glimpses of the events that lead up to the murder which took place at 31 Bond Street. Although Mrs Cunningham is the prosecution's focus for the crime, there is certainly no lack of alternate suspects. A very skillfully executed historical murder mystery....more
A great first novel by a very knowledgeable writer, whose roots are deep in the New England soil. The Poachers Son hits you at once, like a nor'easterA great first novel by a very knowledgeable writer, whose roots are deep in the New England soil. The Poachers Son hits you at once, like a nor'easter, and holds you in it's grip till the last pages. Mike Bowditch has become a Maine Game Warden, in spite of, or perhaps, because of his poacher father. When his dad becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a local police officer, Mike offers to help track him down, hoping to protect him and clear his name. This exciting story unfolds across the spectacular panorama of backwoods Maine, which is richly and lovingly described by the author. The characters are full of life and the book seems to cry out for a further installment. If you are looking for a fresh, summer read full of action and mystery in the great outdoors, this is the book for you....more
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