Thursday, June 23, 2011

Swizzlestickerinski Novel, Thrillers, Romance, Western

Fiction

American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. Rich mom whisks her debutante daughter off to Europe to find a titled guy to marry where "she gradually learns that old-world aristocrats are governed by obscure codes of conduct and loyalty that can betray even the most charming, accomplished outsider, Cora must grow from a spoiled young rich girl into a woman of substance."

Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder. Nick Heller, super-dude, is out to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a billionaire.

Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer. "Unerringly perceptive, superbly written, every page packed with the warmth and compassionate wisdom that have become Nancy Thayer's trademark." Widow opens her house as a bed-and-breakfast.

The Wreckage by Michael Robotham. Journalist in Iraq tries to find what happened to a few billion missing dollars. People want to kill him. I did not know Robotham lived in Australia.

Fun & Games by Duane Swierczynski. Swizzlestickerinski's books do pretty well here.Cop in hiding "finds himself squaring off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People."

Running on Empty by Sandra Balzo. A new series by the coffee mystery author. People are dying off in a North Carolina resort town.

Konninger's Woman by Terrell L. Bowers. Mountain man Konninger rescues a woman and child from Indians. Konninger and the women are pursued. A western.

Dog Who Came In From the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith. "A Corduroy Mansions Novel" with a leaping dog on the cover.

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. Sing with me, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care.

Fallen
by Karin Slaughter. How often to people comment on the appropriateness of the name Slaughter for a crime/thriller/mystery novelist?

Audio Books on CD

In The Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson. 11 CDs at 13 hours. Life in 1933 Berlin.

If You Ask Me (and of Course You Won't) by Betty White. 2 CDs at 2.25 hours.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

ISLE OF MAN TT RACE ON DVD! FINALLY!

DVD

Isle of Man TT: 2010 starring Many Motorcycles, Brick Walls, Big Crowds, Hedges, Bumpy Pavement.






Doc Martin: series 4 starring Martin Clunes. More on the rural doctor with a blood phobia. Not set on the Isle of Man.

Weeds: Season Six starring Mary-Louise Parker Cleavage, Purple Car. No 190 mph passes past the houses of Douglas and Ramsey.

Large Print

Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook. No information on famed Irish racer Joey Dunlop.

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress. No coverage of riders killed in 2011.

NonFiction

We Don't Know, We Don't Know by Nick Lantz. Poetry absent the onomatopoeia of motorcycle sounds.

100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs published by Hal Leonard. The first song is Ace of Spades by Motorhead.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Christa Faust Resurgent, "Beat to A Pulp", Biker Gang

Fiction

Control Freak by Christa Faust. Crime writer in NYC looks into a grisly murder and searches among the sex fetish crowd, "a perverse playground for the rich and twisted where anything goes and nothing is taboo." Faust's sequel to Money Shot, entitled Choke Hold, comes out in October. I also have her tie-in to the television show Supernatural on order.
"Gerard, didn't you order this July 14th of last year?"
"Yes."
"Why did it take so long to get the book on shelf?"
[silence]
"Well? Why?"
"Don't you have work to do?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then leave me alone and we can both get back to work."
"Didn't you see Faust at Muskego and not even say hello to her?"
"Go away!"

Beat to A Pulp: volume 1 edited by David Cranmer and Elaine Ash. 27 short stories originally published in the online magazine, Beat to A Pulp. Many authors you never heard of like Jake Hinkson, Nik Morton, Andy Henion. Foreword by someone else you never heard of.
"Hey, Gerard?"
"What now?"
"Didn't you order this on October 27th of last year?"
"Do you have a point?"
"This one took a long time, too. I've been wanting to read it. There is even a James Reasoner story in it."
"Well here it is."
"But, it took eight months to get to the shelf."
"Some things take time."

The Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret. More great short stories by Keret.
"Gerard?"
"Yesssss?"
"What's with you and all these Keret books?"
[harsh look]

A Congregation of Jackals by S. Craig Zahler. "You can't outrun your past. All you can do is face it - and hope to survive."

NonFiction

Area 51: an uncensored history of America's top secret military base by Annie Jacobsen. The author was granted access to former employees and 55 people linked to the base.

Prodigal Father, Pagan Son: growing up inside the dangerous world of the Pagans Motorcycle Club by Anthony "LT" Menginie and Kerrie Droban. Raised inside the Philadelphia chapter of the Pagans after his mom ran off and his father was in prison. LT is split between his father and the club when his dad defects to the Hell's Angels. What a mess that guy had to grow up inside.

AudioBook on CD

The Reversal by Michael Connelly. 12 CDs at 11.5 hours. Attorney Mickey Haller takes on the job of special prosecutor against a child killer released from prison after being granted a new trial.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See. 13 CDs at 15.75 hours. "potent bonds of mother love, romantic love, and love of country." Continuing characters from Shanghai Girls.

Drug Dealers, Serial Killers, Spies, Vampires, Aliens

TV on DVD

Weeds: season two starring Mary-Louise Parker, ThatGuy FromSNL. We have the first season and it has kept checking out. I figured I will fill the gaps.

Weeds: season three starring [same people]. According to the back cover Matthew Modine is in this season.

Weeds: season four starring [same people]. More suburban drug deals and family issues.

Doctor Who: the complete fourth series starring TheThinDr. WithFloppyHair. Tardis, Dalek, Screwdriver, etc. This box cover has the redhead actress who recently passed away.

True Blood: the complete second season starring [heart throbs]. Vampires in Mississippi? Alabama? Some southern state.

True Blood: the complete third season [more heart throbs]. This box says the show is set in a town called Bon Temps, so maybe this is Louisiana.

Breaking Bad: the complete third season starring Bryan Cranston. Meth manufacturer makes [pick your own alliteration].

Dexter: the fourth season starring Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow, James Remar. Serial killer has a baby.

The Office: season five starring [actors]. I've never watched this show. I've never really been interested.

The Office: season six starring [actors]. More of the same.

Burn Notice: season four starring Bruce Campbell. What is Burn Notice?

Feature Films on DVD

I Am Number Four starring Timothy Olyphant, others. A popular teen movie. "Action-packed thriller...extraordinary teen...elude a deadly enemy...unexpected, life-changing events...poweful new abilities...secret connection...incredible destiny..."

True Grit starring The Dude, Jason Bourne, ThatGuyFrom NoCountryForOldMen. Young girl in Arkansas hires gunman to go after guy who murdered her father.

Battle: Los Angeles starring Aaron Eckhart, actors. Aliens attack Los Angeles and a Marine unit rides around in helicopters and shoots back.