Mystery
Whack-a-Mole by Chris Grabenstein. The third John Ceepak mystery by Grabenstein. Ceepak is Mr. Straight Arrow. A policeman in the vacation town of Sea Haven, New Jersey, Ceepak's personal code is that he will not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do. Ceepak once ticketed his partner, Danny Boyle for an illegal left turn. Boyle narrates the series and all of them have good humour about the straight-laced Ceepak. Ceepak loves quoting Springsteen and is an excellent investigator.
Requiem for an Assassin by Barry Eisler. I've read about three other Eisler books featuring assassin John Rain and all were quite good. I have a copy of this at home and have enjoyed the first 60 pages or so. Rain has been an international hitman for about 25 years and his paranoia and tradecraft have kep him alive, and lonely, all that time. Rain has recently retired but an enemy has kidnapped Rain's best and only friend, Dox, to coerce Rain into taking on a job. This will get ugly.
Author Bary Eisler will be making an appearance in Milwaukee on June 12th.
Fiction
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Kholeid Hussein. Hussein's Kite Runner has been very popular. Thousand covers thirty years of recent Afghan history seen by two generations of an Afghan family. From the Soviety invasion, Afghan resistance, through the rise and fall of the Taliban.
Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver. California Burea of Investigations agent Kathryn Dance is assigned to interrogate convicted murderer Daniel Pell about a recently discovered murder. Pell is in prison for his copycat Charles Manson killings in Carmel for which he never talked about. When Pell escapes and goes on a killing spree Dance is in charge of the manhunt and pulls together Pell's former cult members and the one survivor of the Carmel murders to try and determine his purpose.
The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien. Christopher Tolkien pulled together and edited his father's writings and notes on the history of Middle Earth and presents a unified history that details Middle Earth history. Very well reviewed and well written by both Tolkiens.
Biography
I'm Chevy Chase...and You're Not by Rena Fruchter. Chase's authorized biography.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
Music by professional musicians, one rapper, and three Canadians
Rap
Hip Hop is Dead by Nas. I don't know anything about this guy but he is popular.
Folk
Celtic Woman: A New Journey by various artists. Fourteen songs by six Irish women vocalists. A couple tunes are in Gaelic. These "Celtic" discs are popular. So popular that some jerk seems to have stolen our other one. Here is the review from Allmusic.com, "Celtic Woman, a Riverdance-inspired PBS phenomena that boasts the talents of several female leads and a whole lot of orchestra and genre instruments like pipes, bodhrans, and fiddles, gives contemporary Celtic the Il Divo treatment on New Journey, a lovely and occasionally over the top collection of familiar melodies and grandiose sentiments that should please both the Celtic new age and the adult alternative crowds."
Ce by Caetano Veloso. Brazilian musician Veloso is a Big Deal. His first album came out in 1967 and "Caetano Veloso has managed to sustain a remarkable consistency, year after year composing beautiful, inventive, and very often simply ingenious music." Read the rest of the review at, of course, allmusic.com.
Rock
Snakes & Arrows by Rush. Rush's eighteenth studio album with lots of guitar and drums.
Stand Still - Look Pretty by The Wreckers. The Wreckers is a duo made by Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. This album came out a few months ago but I figured it will still go out.
West by Lucinda Williams. A roots-rock and alternative-country styled music. Williams moved to Los Angeles after living in Austin, TX for a thirty years or so and the album, according to Allmusic.com (who else?), reflects that change with Williams confessional songwriting.
Because of the Times by Kings Of Leon. Kings of Leon are huge in England. I don't know why; I really liked a previous album, Youth & Young Manhood. Kings play a kind of Southern garage rock.
Mute Math by Mute Math. Quartet from New Orleans with an experiemental, but very listenable and enjoyable, debut album. Modern rock with electronic equipment.
Country
Nashville by Solomon Burke. Famed rhythm and blues singer Burke recorded these country tunes in Nashville with several country stars and musicians. What a voice! What style! What girth!
Jazz
Not too Late by Norah Jones. Eh. People like her.
Classical
Angel Dances by The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. Instrumentals by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla and some gospel tunes sung by various guests.
Hip Hop is Dead by Nas. I don't know anything about this guy but he is popular.
Folk
Celtic Woman: A New Journey by various artists. Fourteen songs by six Irish women vocalists. A couple tunes are in Gaelic. These "Celtic" discs are popular. So popular that some jerk seems to have stolen our other one. Here is the review from Allmusic.com, "Celtic Woman, a Riverdance-inspired PBS phenomena that boasts the talents of several female leads and a whole lot of orchestra and genre instruments like pipes, bodhrans, and fiddles, gives contemporary Celtic the Il Divo treatment on New Journey, a lovely and occasionally over the top collection of familiar melodies and grandiose sentiments that should please both the Celtic new age and the adult alternative crowds."
Ce by Caetano Veloso. Brazilian musician Veloso is a Big Deal. His first album came out in 1967 and "Caetano Veloso has managed to sustain a remarkable consistency, year after year composing beautiful, inventive, and very often simply ingenious music." Read the rest of the review at, of course, allmusic.com.
Rock
Snakes & Arrows by Rush. Rush's eighteenth studio album with lots of guitar and drums.
Stand Still - Look Pretty by The Wreckers. The Wreckers is a duo made by Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. This album came out a few months ago but I figured it will still go out.
West by Lucinda Williams. A roots-rock and alternative-country styled music. Williams moved to Los Angeles after living in Austin, TX for a thirty years or so and the album, according to Allmusic.com (who else?), reflects that change with Williams confessional songwriting.
Because of the Times by Kings Of Leon. Kings of Leon are huge in England. I don't know why; I really liked a previous album, Youth & Young Manhood. Kings play a kind of Southern garage rock.
Mute Math by Mute Math. Quartet from New Orleans with an experiemental, but very listenable and enjoyable, debut album. Modern rock with electronic equipment.
Country
Nashville by Solomon Burke. Famed rhythm and blues singer Burke recorded these country tunes in Nashville with several country stars and musicians. What a voice! What style! What girth!
Jazz
Not too Late by Norah Jones. Eh. People like her.
Classical
Angel Dances by The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic. Instrumentals by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla and some gospel tunes sung by various guests.
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