Fiction
Devil's Dust by J.D. Rhoades. When Rhoades isn't posting on Facebook he is lawyering. When he's not lawyering he's writing novels. When he's writing novels he's writing this from page 215, "If I go in there,' Keller said, 'What Are you going to do?"
Easy Death by Daniel Boyd. I read this book and enjoyed it. Bill Crider read it too. Armed robbers in 1951 Ohio battle a blizzard.
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King. Dreaming of spies, or spies who are dreaming? Let's see what page 57 has to say about it, His search left Holmes, as one might expect, unconvinced. Well, that clears up nothing.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. A popular book group book. So, I bought a copy.
The Walking Dead, Volume 22: a new beginning by Robert Kirkman. I have not watched the show past the first few episodes of season two.
You Could Be Home By Now by Tracy Manaster. I think this is about a miscarriage. The dustcover is unclear. Page 191 says, It should have been.
NonFiction
What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. and John Holdren. Replacing an older edition. This yellow cover will not age well.
The Homeschooling Handbook by Lorilee Lippincott. Another replacement of an old edition.
No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. I think I ordered this off an online recommendation. Or not.
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. An older book but Ramsey's advice is popular.
Body Sculpting Bible for Women: workout journal by James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera. This series has been going for over a decade and is still popular. The women's versions check out more than the men's so I bought this one.I should have skipped buying this since it is designed as a journal for a single user to record their progress. Over half the pages are blank forms.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
Oops, Missed One
Fiction
If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie. I feel bad about missing this book in my last post. I go on record with my deepest apologies to Mr. Christie. It is well know that he is not only a great author but a great man.
The Sixteenth of June by Maya Lang. Well. I guess Ms. Lang is a nice lady.
If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie. I feel bad about missing this book in my last post. I go on record with my deepest apologies to Mr. Christie. It is well know that he is not only a great author but a great man.
- It's no surprise that Mr. Christie is often referred to as "the greatest living writer in that house over there."
- Mr. Christie's touch has been documented as a possible cure for Poison Oak.
- A casual glance by Mr. Christie can turn a sad dog happy.
- Mr. Christie climbed Mount Everest without oxygen and while wearing shorts.
- The first time Mr Christie took a airplane ride the pilot was incapacitated by illness and Mr. Christie was asked to land the plane. Mr. Christie did so using only his left hand.
- When the local tow truck was unavailable Mr. Christie's neighbor called on Mr. Christie for help. Mr. Christie arrived riding an incumbent bicycle, hooked the bike to his neighbor's broken down F450, and towed the truck 5.5 miles into town.
The Sixteenth of June by Maya Lang. Well. I guess Ms. Lang is a nice lady.
More Marine Music
A Laser Can Decode The Digital Information On These Thin Discs
Be Glad Then, America by The President's Own U.S. Marine Band. Marines play music and sing songs. The Band sends out free CDs. The CD performances are neat but does not include these dudes in a parking lot.
The Joshua Tree by U2. Donated disc definitely due to circ'. Irishman sings songs of rock'n'roll.
John Prine by John Prine. Singers sings songs of country. The Library Page wrote the title of this 1971 album as Atlantic. Is Atlantic Records still around? Let me check...yep, they publish that Ed Sheeran guy.
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson by Blind Willie Johnson. Bluesman sings songs of sorrow. Two CDs and the booklet has a neat essay.
Noble Beast by Andrew Bird. Multi-instrumentalist plays music and sings songs. Another older album but it'll get used.
Be Glad Then, America by The President's Own U.S. Marine Band. Marines play music and sing songs. The Band sends out free CDs. The CD performances are neat but does not include these dudes in a parking lot.
The Joshua Tree by U2. Donated disc definitely due to circ'. Irishman sings songs of rock'n'roll.
John Prine by John Prine. Singers sings songs of country. The Library Page wrote the title of this 1971 album as Atlantic. Is Atlantic Records still around? Let me check...yep, they publish that Ed Sheeran guy.
The Complete Blind Willie Johnson by Blind Willie Johnson. Bluesman sings songs of sorrow. Two CDs and the booklet has a neat essay.
Noble Beast by Andrew Bird. Multi-instrumentalist plays music and sings songs. Another older album but it'll get used.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Tall English Guy and Lemony Snicket's Assistant/Spokesman
Fiction
Run by Andrew Grant. Thriller with computer expert fired and harassed and figuring out why. I spoke on camera with Grant's wife Tasha Alexander (we have her books, too) at Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. That interview was part of the Great Video Debacle of 2011 where both of my cameras either screwed up or I was unable to transfer the data to my computer. Stupid computers.
Sweetland by Michael Crummey. I like the cover. Crummey is a Newfie. (I'll hold the jokes.) The book sounds good. A rural holdout on a island off Newfoundland is being pressured to leave so everyone on the island can get a government payment to vacate the island.
We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler. Lemony Snicket's spokesman writes another novel. Something about pirates in modern San Francisco bay. Maybe they'll attack that Google barge. Unknown status of orphans in the plot.
Uncle Janice by Matt Burgess. This one sounds good. Whoever wrote the copy on the dustcover sold me on the book. 24-year-old NYPD Officer is one month from finishing an 18-month narcotics undercover assignment that would earn her an automatic promotion.
Twelve Days by Alex Berenson. This guy's books do well. Wait a minute. Maybe Alex is a woman's name. Let me check...nope, it's a dude.
A Pleasure and A Calling by Phil Hogan. I'm not sure about the cover. I kinda like the photo but kinda don't like it.
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby. 1964 English beauty contest winner wants to be a commedianne, not a model. I think commedianne should be spelled with two M's so I'm keeping it that way. Plus an extra D, commeddianne. And four E's commeediannee.
The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst. Ernst writes American Girl novels and spoke here in 2013. The room was packed!
Run by Andrew Grant. Thriller with computer expert fired and harassed and figuring out why. I spoke on camera with Grant's wife Tasha Alexander (we have her books, too) at Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. That interview was part of the Great Video Debacle of 2011 where both of my cameras either screwed up or I was unable to transfer the data to my computer. Stupid computers.
Sweetland by Michael Crummey. I like the cover. Crummey is a Newfie. (I'll hold the jokes.) The book sounds good. A rural holdout on a island off Newfoundland is being pressured to leave so everyone on the island can get a government payment to vacate the island.
We Are Pirates by Daniel Handler. Lemony Snicket's spokesman writes another novel. Something about pirates in modern San Francisco bay. Maybe they'll attack that Google barge. Unknown status of orphans in the plot.
Uncle Janice by Matt Burgess. This one sounds good. Whoever wrote the copy on the dustcover sold me on the book. 24-year-old NYPD Officer is one month from finishing an 18-month narcotics undercover assignment that would earn her an automatic promotion.
Twelve Days by Alex Berenson. This guy's books do well. Wait a minute. Maybe Alex is a woman's name. Let me check...nope, it's a dude.
A Pleasure and A Calling by Phil Hogan. I'm not sure about the cover. I kinda like the photo but kinda don't like it.
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby. 1964 English beauty contest winner wants to be a commedianne, not a model. I think commedianne should be spelled with two M's so I'm keeping it that way. Plus an extra D, commeddianne. And four E's commeediannee.
The Light Keeper's Legacy by Kathleen Ernst. Ernst writes American Girl novels and spoke here in 2013. The room was packed!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
I'm Kinda Busy, Just A List
Musical Data on Digital Disc
Black Messiah by D'Angelo and the Vanguard. Famed soul singer sings soulfully.
Crosby, Stills and Nash by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Singers sing songs on their first album.
Legend: the best of Bob Marley and the Wailers by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Jamaican singers sing with Jamaican accents.
Foreign Affairs by Tom Waites. Old album by singer gargling gravel.
The Ultimate Collection by Freddie King. Guitarist plucks guitar strings. Dig the 1970s hair.
Rarities: 1971-2003 by The Rolling Stones. English guys sing under distributed songs.
DVD
Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Bill Paxton. Creepy guy films crime scenes to sell to TV stations and Bill Paxton makes the movie interesting.
Black Messiah by D'Angelo and the Vanguard. Famed soul singer sings soulfully.
Crosby, Stills and Nash by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Singers sing songs on their first album.
Legend: the best of Bob Marley and the Wailers by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Jamaican singers sing with Jamaican accents.
Foreign Affairs by Tom Waites. Old album by singer gargling gravel.
The Ultimate Collection by Freddie King. Guitarist plucks guitar strings. Dig the 1970s hair.
Rarities: 1971-2003 by The Rolling Stones. English guys sing under distributed songs.
DVD
Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Bill Paxton. Creepy guy films crime scenes to sell to TV stations and Bill Paxton makes the movie interesting.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Large Print. With Commentary!
Large Print
Life is Sweet by Elizabeth Bass. "Three years ago, Becca Hudson threw a dart at a map, hit Leesburg, Virginia and deiced it was the perfect place to start over." So, if her dart hit five inches to the right she would have bought a boat and anchored in the Atlantic?
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag. My cold cold heart pumps the black blood of evil.
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley. Easy Rawlins has to rescue a Patty Hearst-like kidnap victim. I believe the Patty Hearst brainwashing theory.
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb. Obsessing what? Decay? Putrifaction?
Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. I've been watching the U.S. TV version of The Killing. There is a scene where the dead girl's family is casket shopping and the funeral director mentions a burial vault. What's the point of a vault anyway? Groundwater worries? Grave robbing?
As Close as Sisters by Colleen Faulkner. I have it on good authority* that Colleen Faulkner is sometimes called "Coll". (* my imagination.)
The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron. I'll skip that tour.
The Betrayed by Heather Graham. Something my dog thinks every day she does not get a walk.
Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Like when you ask a horse how old it is and it stomps it's foot.
A Map of Betrayal by Ha Jin. Otherwise known as "A Map of Political Actions"
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio. Something my dog gives when she does go on a walk.
Rizzoli & Isles Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. Because when the television show is doing well you have to tie-in the two titles.
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins. That could mean anything. I've had really boring and tedious dreams.
NonFiction
Artisan Bread: 100 years of techniques and tips by Keith Cohen. I like bread.
Life is Sweet by Elizabeth Bass. "Three years ago, Becca Hudson threw a dart at a map, hit Leesburg, Virginia and deiced it was the perfect place to start over." So, if her dart hit five inches to the right she would have bought a boat and anchored in the Atlantic?
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag. My cold cold heart pumps the black blood of evil.
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley. Easy Rawlins has to rescue a Patty Hearst-like kidnap victim. I believe the Patty Hearst brainwashing theory.
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb. Obsessing what? Decay? Putrifaction?
Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. I've been watching the U.S. TV version of The Killing. There is a scene where the dead girl's family is casket shopping and the funeral director mentions a burial vault. What's the point of a vault anyway? Groundwater worries? Grave robbing?
As Close as Sisters by Colleen Faulkner. I have it on good authority* that Colleen Faulkner is sometimes called "Coll". (* my imagination.)
The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron. I'll skip that tour.
The Betrayed by Heather Graham. Something my dog thinks every day she does not get a walk.
Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Like when you ask a horse how old it is and it stomps it's foot.
A Map of Betrayal by Ha Jin. Otherwise known as "A Map of Political Actions"
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio. Something my dog gives when she does go on a walk.
Rizzoli & Isles Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. Because when the television show is doing well you have to tie-in the two titles.
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins. That could mean anything. I've had really boring and tedious dreams.
NonFiction
Artisan Bread: 100 years of techniques and tips by Keith Cohen. I like bread.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Big Fiction Pile,One Paperback, Musical Interlude
Paperback
By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates. Woman visits the Outer Banks, lands a librarian job, solves a theft and murder.
Fiction
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh. M.O.? Moe?
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. "Short fictions and disturbances" says the cover.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Hannah has written 22 novels. That is a lot of books. Do you think she has boxes of leftovers stashed in her basement. Some writers get extra copies for free, some have to buy their own.
Motive by Jonathan Kellerman. Big, bright colors on this cover. I think this guy did the cover.
Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. Gardner does two books a year and her author photo has some back lighting making it look kinda dramatic. Philbrick Photography did the author photo. A photo of Gardner is included in the photographer's sample work on his webpage.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. The cover has a picture of a spool of blue thread.
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb. Page 268 says Center mass...removed...hair...cap...watched murder.
Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger. Unger writes a lot of books. I have not yet read one. Unger lives in Florida.
Death of a Liar by M.C. Beaton. Page 30 says, "At police headquarters in Strathbane, Jimmy ordered all the material from Liz's cottage to be brought to them in an interview room, because, as he said, if they had it all out in the detectives' room, Blair would shove his face in."
Musical Interlude
This Finn Brothers song came up on shuffle. I had not heard it in a while.
By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates. Woman visits the Outer Banks, lands a librarian job, solves a theft and murder.
Fiction
My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh. M.O.? Moe?
Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. "Short fictions and disturbances" says the cover.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Hannah has written 22 novels. That is a lot of books. Do you think she has boxes of leftovers stashed in her basement. Some writers get extra copies for free, some have to buy their own.
Motive by Jonathan Kellerman. Big, bright colors on this cover. I think this guy did the cover.
Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner. Gardner does two books a year and her author photo has some back lighting making it look kinda dramatic. Philbrick Photography did the author photo. A photo of Gardner is included in the photographer's sample work on his webpage.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. The cover has a picture of a spool of blue thread.
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb. Page 268 says Center mass...removed...hair...cap...watched murder.
Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger. Unger writes a lot of books. I have not yet read one. Unger lives in Florida.
Death of a Liar by M.C. Beaton. Page 30 says, "At police headquarters in Strathbane, Jimmy ordered all the material from Liz's cottage to be brought to them in an interview room, because, as he said, if they had it all out in the detectives' room, Blair would shove his face in."
Musical Interlude
This Finn Brothers song came up on shuffle. I had not heard it in a while.
Monday, February 09, 2015
Knickerbocker Secrets
Fiction
The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn. Sir Richard has a month to find a wife.
Knickerbocker
The Knickerbocker is in it's fifth year, or so. There is a trivia contest, snow golf, ice skating, ice cream eating and snowman making contests, candlelight snowshoeing, and more. Here is a portion of Saturday's events.
The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn. Sir Richard has a month to find a wife.
Knickerbocker
The Knickerbocker is in it's fifth year, or so. There is a trivia contest, snow golf, ice skating, ice cream eating and snowman making contests, candlelight snowshoeing, and more. Here is a portion of Saturday's events.
Starred Up Driver is a Coffee Slave
DVD
The Retrieval starring [actors I never heard of]. A 13-year-old slave boy works for bounty hunters who look for fugitive slaves in 1864. The boy is told to gain the fugitives' trust and lead them to the bounty hunters.
Big Driver starring Maria Bello and Joan Jett. Joan Jett?! Cool.
Starred Up starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn. Violent teen convict ends up in same prison as his father.
Coffee Town starring Glen Howerton, Josh Broban. Dead beat who hangs out at coffee shop all day tries to stop the store from being sold.
The Retrieval starring [actors I never heard of]. A 13-year-old slave boy works for bounty hunters who look for fugitive slaves in 1864. The boy is told to gain the fugitives' trust and lead them to the bounty hunters.
Big Driver starring Maria Bello and Joan Jett. Joan Jett?! Cool.
Starred Up starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn. Violent teen convict ends up in same prison as his father.
Coffee Town starring Glen Howerton, Josh Broban. Dead beat who hangs out at coffee shop all day tries to stop the store from being sold.
Thursday, February 05, 2015
Whata to Read 53: "Comeback" by Richard Stark.
What to Read
Comeback by Richard Stark. Donald Westlake wrote several
novels using the pseudonym Richard Stark. Almost all of those novels featured
Parker, an expert thief and robber. But, even all of Parker's skill and planning
cannot prevent the incompetence of others and random chance.
Comeback is Westlake's 1997 return to his Stark work after a
23 year break. Here is an excerpt from the first four pages.
JOhn Wick and Cracker Want to Dance
Artists Play Instruments in Front of Microphones and the Recorded Songs are Translated Into Digital Signals.
Berkeley to Bakersfield by Cracker. Double album of singers singing songs of punk and country western. Guess who missed Cracker's free, outdoor concert in Madison over the summer? That's right, me.
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian. Scottish singers sing songs of pop and harmony.
Grammy 2015 Nominees by [many and varied but mostly the same as other years]. Taylor Swift sings songs of shaking.
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists. Singers sing indecisive songs.
God Help the Girl by [original soundtrack]. Singers sing songs and musicians play background music.
Fantastique by U-Mass Wind Ensmeble. People blow into weirdly shaped devices that make pretty sounds.
Requiem by John Rutter, performed by Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. Singers sing songs of death.
DVD
John Wick starring John Leguizamo, Keanu Reeves, Adrienne Palicki and Willem Dafoe. Former hired killer is upset someone killed his dog.
Berkeley to Bakersfield by Cracker. Double album of singers singing songs of punk and country western. Guess who missed Cracker's free, outdoor concert in Madison over the summer? That's right, me.
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian. Scottish singers sing songs of pop and harmony.
Grammy 2015 Nominees by [many and varied but mostly the same as other years]. Taylor Swift sings songs of shaking.
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists. Singers sing indecisive songs.
God Help the Girl by [original soundtrack]. Singers sing songs and musicians play background music.
Fantastique by U-Mass Wind Ensmeble. People blow into weirdly shaped devices that make pretty sounds.
Requiem by John Rutter, performed by Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. Singers sing songs of death.
DVD
John Wick starring John Leguizamo, Keanu Reeves, Adrienne Palicki and Willem Dafoe. Former hired killer is upset someone killed his dog.
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015
I Am Very Busy.
Fiction
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock. A book.
The Big Seven by Jim Harrison. Another book.
Cataract City by Craig Davidson. Another book. Oh, dig it, this is Craig Davidson. I really enjoy his novels.
Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm. Another book.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Another train.
Fear of the Darkness by Becky Masterman. Aaah!
Private Vegas by James Patterson and Maxime Paetro. Hobbits have hairy feet.
Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock. A book.
The Big Seven by Jim Harrison. Another book.
Cataract City by Craig Davidson. Another book. Oh, dig it, this is Craig Davidson. I really enjoy his novels.
Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm. Another book.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Another train.
Fear of the Darkness by Becky Masterman. Aaah!
Private Vegas by James Patterson and Maxime Paetro. Hobbits have hairy feet.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Brad Pitt in a Tank
DVD
Banshee: the complete first season. Ben Cross in a suit.
The Judge. Robert Downey, Jr. in a suit. Pick a trailer.
Fury. Brad Pitt in a tank.
Banshee: the complete first season. Ben Cross in a suit.
The Judge. Robert Downey, Jr. in a suit. Pick a trailer.
Fury. Brad Pitt in a tank.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Outrage at Crider's Manuscripts
Fiction
Outrage at Blanco by Bill Crider. Revenge in a western? Unthinkable! Ellie is after the men who murdered her husband and raped her in 1887 Blanco, TX. Blanco? Is that a real place? I will check...yep, it's 50 miles North of San Antonio.
But, does the Blanco, TX public library have a copy? Let me see...Yep, they do. But they have the 1998 paperback from Dell. We have the brand new trade paperback with a fancy cover.
DVD
Manuscripts Don't Burn by [Iranians}. The Iranian tries to solve their problems by murdering journalists. "Great idea," says the most sarcastic voice ever.
Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson. Shoot-em up SciFi. I think. Let's look at the trailer.
From Time to Time starring Maggie Smith and a bunch of Harry Potter actors.
Outrage at Blanco by Bill Crider. Revenge in a western? Unthinkable! Ellie is after the men who murdered her husband and raped her in 1887 Blanco, TX. Blanco? Is that a real place? I will check...yep, it's 50 miles North of San Antonio.
But, does the Blanco, TX public library have a copy? Let me see...Yep, they do. But they have the 1998 paperback from Dell. We have the brand new trade paperback with a fancy cover.
DVD
Manuscripts Don't Burn by [Iranians}. The Iranian tries to solve their problems by murdering journalists. "Great idea," says the most sarcastic voice ever.
Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson. Shoot-em up SciFi. I think. Let's look at the trailer.
From Time to Time starring Maggie Smith and a bunch of Harry Potter actors.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Three Albums
Singers and Musicians Before Inside a Studio That electronically Records Their Performances, Which Are Then Sent To A Factory to be Pressed Into a Plastic Disc
Master Works for Strings by Douglas Lilburn. Orchestral musicians play orchestral tunes. In 2006 I ordered a CD of Orchestral Works on a whim. That CD has barely checked out, but since I liked it I'm giving this one a chance.
Title by Meghan Trainor. Singer sings about her bottom.
In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith. Englishman sings songs of pop.
Master Works for Strings by Douglas Lilburn. Orchestral musicians play orchestral tunes. In 2006 I ordered a CD of Orchestral Works on a whim. That CD has barely checked out, but since I liked it I'm giving this one a chance.
Title by Meghan Trainor. Singer sings about her bottom.
In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith. Englishman sings songs of pop.
King Crider's Cowboys Are Cold In July
DVD
Cold In July starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. Man kills burglar and the dead man's scary dad wants revenge. Adaptation of a Joe R. Lansdale story and Lansdale says the movie is good.
Equalizer starring Denzel Washington. Let's see what Max Allan Collins says: [A] terrific Spillane-style THE EQUALIZER...The film even begins with a scene that re-works the opening of MY GUN IS QUICK. Washington is terrific as the self-contained, haunted hero, and a final action sequence in a Menard’s-type big-box store is blackly funny and satisfying as hell.
The Drop starring Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini. Crime flick in Boston. What's Patti Abbot think: It’s hard to think how this film could be any better although it moves slowly. But that’s Bob. And Bob is the heart of the film. Highly recommended.
Archer: the complete season three and the complete season four starring Duchess and a cast of crazies. You know the drill. Archer is a jerk and causes trouble. You watch the whole thing and laugh a lot.
Fiction
Texas Vigilante by Bill Crider. Sequel to Outrage at Blanco which is still in processing. Ellie revenged her murdered husband in 1880s Texas and now runs a ranch. Escaped convicts descend on her ranch to go after one of Ellie's ranch hands. [I was going to write "one of Ellie's hands". That could be neat, maybe they just want revenge on a couple fingers. They have nothing against Ellie as a whole, but those fingers have it coming!]
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen. Book with an apple on the cover.
Cane and Abe by James Grippando. This cover is similar to another novel.
Cold In July starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. Man kills burglar and the dead man's scary dad wants revenge. Adaptation of a Joe R. Lansdale story and Lansdale says the movie is good.
Equalizer starring Denzel Washington. Let's see what Max Allan Collins says: [A] terrific Spillane-style THE EQUALIZER...The film even begins with a scene that re-works the opening of MY GUN IS QUICK. Washington is terrific as the self-contained, haunted hero, and a final action sequence in a Menard’s-type big-box store is blackly funny and satisfying as hell.
The Drop starring Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini. Crime flick in Boston. What's Patti Abbot think: It’s hard to think how this film could be any better although it moves slowly. But that’s Bob. And Bob is the heart of the film. Highly recommended.
Archer: the complete season three and the complete season four starring Duchess and a cast of crazies. You know the drill. Archer is a jerk and causes trouble. You watch the whole thing and laugh a lot.
Fiction
Texas Vigilante by Bill Crider. Sequel to Outrage at Blanco which is still in processing. Ellie revenged her murdered husband in 1880s Texas and now runs a ranch. Escaped convicts descend on her ranch to go after one of Ellie's ranch hands. [I was going to write "one of Ellie's hands". That could be neat, maybe they just want revenge on a couple fingers. They have nothing against Ellie as a whole, but those fingers have it coming!]
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen. Book with an apple on the cover.
Cane and Abe by James Grippando. This cover is similar to another novel.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
DVD: Python Archer Among the Tombstones
DVD
Pride starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine. Gay protestors in 1984 London lend support to a Welsh village with striking miners.
Skeleton Twins starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. fraternal twins suicidal. A comedy.
If I Stay starring Chloe Grace Moretz. Girl in a coma has to decide whether to live or not when the rest of her family has been killed.One of those teen girl movies about "the love of her life."
Prime Cut starring Gene Hackman and Lee Marvin. '70s spectacular with mob enforcer traveling to Kansas City to collect a debt from a local mobster.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes starring Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman. I cannot keep all these Apes and Spiderman movies straight. Post viral apocalypse U.S. in 2026 and survivors find a community of intelligent apes.
A Walk Among the Tombstones starring Liam Neeson. Movie version of the dark, but great, Lawrence Block novel.Recovering alcoholic PI helps find who murdered a drug dealer's wife.
Guardians of the Galaxy starring Vin Diesel. Aliens fight.
Ragnarok starring Archeologist "along with his kids and a colleague, begin an expedition to uncover the secret of the day of doom."
Monty Python Live (Mostly) : One Down Five to Go starring Monty Python. Live stage production from 2014.
Banshee: the complete second season starring Frankie Faison. Season 1 is coming. Ex-con fakes an identity and becomes Sheriff in small Amish community.
Justified: the complete fifth season starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Coggins, others. More Kentucky crooks and gunfights. A fun show and I never finished watching this season.
Boyhood starring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette. Twelve year production following a boy's growing up.
Archer: the complete season five starring [many voice actors]. Super secret agent drinks too much, is a jerk, spends time in South America.
Boardwalk Empire: the complete fourth season starring Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Wright. Wright has played Felix Leiter in the past few Bond flicks. New Jersey crime and punishment.
Pride starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine. Gay protestors in 1984 London lend support to a Welsh village with striking miners.
Skeleton Twins starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. fraternal twins suicidal. A comedy.
If I Stay starring Chloe Grace Moretz. Girl in a coma has to decide whether to live or not when the rest of her family has been killed.One of those teen girl movies about "the love of her life."
Prime Cut starring Gene Hackman and Lee Marvin. '70s spectacular with mob enforcer traveling to Kansas City to collect a debt from a local mobster.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes starring Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman. I cannot keep all these Apes and Spiderman movies straight. Post viral apocalypse U.S. in 2026 and survivors find a community of intelligent apes.
A Walk Among the Tombstones starring Liam Neeson. Movie version of the dark, but great, Lawrence Block novel.Recovering alcoholic PI helps find who murdered a drug dealer's wife.
Guardians of the Galaxy starring Vin Diesel. Aliens fight.
Ragnarok starring Archeologist "along with his kids and a colleague, begin an expedition to uncover the secret of the day of doom."
Monty Python Live (Mostly) : One Down Five to Go starring Monty Python. Live stage production from 2014.
Banshee: the complete second season starring Frankie Faison. Season 1 is coming. Ex-con fakes an identity and becomes Sheriff in small Amish community.
Justified: the complete fifth season starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Coggins, others. More Kentucky crooks and gunfights. A fun show and I never finished watching this season.
Boyhood starring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette. Twelve year production following a boy's growing up.
Archer: the complete season five starring [many voice actors]. Super secret agent drinks too much, is a jerk, spends time in South America.
Boardwalk Empire: the complete fourth season starring Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Wright. Wright has played Felix Leiter in the past few Bond flicks. New Jersey crime and punishment.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Cold, Cold Chimney Sweeper
Fiction
Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King. Paperback mystery with lots of purple on the cover. Chelsea McGuckin did the cover, she lives in New York, give her a call, chat about graphics.
By Winter's Light by Stephanie Laurens. Romance novel. Lots of snow on the cover. Cover by Doreen Minuto. Minuto lives in the New York area as well.
The Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. A Flavia de Luce novel. Joe Montgomery did the cover design for this one. Dig it, I looked Montgomery up and discovered the Book Cover Design website.
West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan. F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood. "Designed by Spring Hoteling" I thought Spring Hoteling was a business name, but it must mean this lady. Looks like she does comics, too.
Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. Latest novel in the series. Koontz's author photo has a weird out-of-focus and light effects. Who did this cover? Why, Scott Biel, of course.
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag. You can tell Hoag is Big Time Author because she has a full author photo on the back cover. I do not know if Richard Hasselberger is a Big Time Designer, but he did the cover. I cannot find any good info on the guy, he is an Art Director at Penguin.
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simson. Man with regimented life adjusts to marriage. Evan Gaffney adjusted the cover. Hey, Gaffney did some covers for Thomas Ditsch.
Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar. Parmar "divides her time between Hawaii and London" May as well write, "Parmar divides her time between expensive real estate and super-expensive real estate."
Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill. Hill wrote The Woman in Black, I have not read the story, seen the play or watched the film. Book design is by Bathcat Ltd. which is Courtney Andujar.
Secret Wisdom of Earth by Christopher Scotton. Anne Twomey did this one. Twomey is a Director at Large for the Type Director's Club.
Large Print
Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz.
Saint Odd by Dean Koontz.
Insatiable Appetite by Stuart Woods.
Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King. Paperback mystery with lots of purple on the cover. Chelsea McGuckin did the cover, she lives in New York, give her a call, chat about graphics.
By Winter's Light by Stephanie Laurens. Romance novel. Lots of snow on the cover. Cover by Doreen Minuto. Minuto lives in the New York area as well.
The Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. A Flavia de Luce novel. Joe Montgomery did the cover design for this one. Dig it, I looked Montgomery up and discovered the Book Cover Design website.
West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan. F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood. "Designed by Spring Hoteling" I thought Spring Hoteling was a business name, but it must mean this lady. Looks like she does comics, too.
Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. Latest novel in the series. Koontz's author photo has a weird out-of-focus and light effects. Who did this cover? Why, Scott Biel, of course.
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag. You can tell Hoag is Big Time Author because she has a full author photo on the back cover. I do not know if Richard Hasselberger is a Big Time Designer, but he did the cover. I cannot find any good info on the guy, he is an Art Director at Penguin.
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simson. Man with regimented life adjusts to marriage. Evan Gaffney adjusted the cover. Hey, Gaffney did some covers for Thomas Ditsch.
Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar. Parmar "divides her time between Hawaii and London" May as well write, "Parmar divides her time between expensive real estate and super-expensive real estate."
Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill. Hill wrote The Woman in Black, I have not read the story, seen the play or watched the film. Book design is by Bathcat Ltd. which is Courtney Andujar.
Secret Wisdom of Earth by Christopher Scotton. Anne Twomey did this one. Twomey is a Director at Large for the Type Director's Club.
Large Print
Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz.
Saint Odd by Dean Koontz.
Insatiable Appetite by Stuart Woods.
Friday, January 16, 2015
16 1/4" of Audio Books
Audio Books on CD
NonFiction
1 7/8" On Combat: the psychology and physiology of deadly conflict in war and peace by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. 16 CDs at 18.5 hours. Further discussion on the physical and psychological impact of death and killing.
1" The Splendid Things We Planned by Blake Bailey. 7 CDs at 8 hours. Memoir of family and alcohol in Oklahoma.
1" Save the Date by Jen Doll. 7 CDs at 9 hours.Woman writes about attending weddings.
1" Total Recovery by Dr. Gary Kaplan, D.O. 7 CDs at 8.5 hours. Chronic pain and treating it.
1" Oh My God by Louis C.K. 1 CD at 1.15 hours. Comedy album from HBO special.
1 1/8" When Corruption Was King: how I helped the mob rule Chicago,then brought the Outfit down by Robert Cooley and Hillel Levin. 9 CDs at 11 hours. Cooley fixed court cases with bribes in the '70s and '80s.
1 1/8" War on the Waters: the Union and Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 by James M. PcPherson. Gustie grad McPherson tells you about naval operations during the war.
Fiction
1" Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones. 8 CDs at 10 hours. African-American musician recruited to lead a jazz orchestra in 1938 Shanghai. He goes from dirt poor to rich and famous.
1" Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black. 8 CDs at 9.5 hours. Pregnant Parisian P.I. pursues purloined person in Pigalle.
1 3/16" The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison. 9 CDs at 11 hours. Wife of church Bishop believes a parishioner's missing wife was killed by the parishioner.
1 3/16" The Brewer of Preston by Andrea Camilleri. 6 CDs at 6.5 hours. In 1870 the residents of Vigata, Sicily are not happy about the new national Italian government. They resist the new government prefect by sabotaging his opera production.
1 3/16" By Winter's Light by Stephanie Laurens. 7 CDs at 8 hours. Romance set in 1837.
1 3/16" Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks. 8 CDs at 9 hours. Romance with vampires.
Musical Interlude
This came up on shuffle.
NonFiction
1 7/8" On Combat: the psychology and physiology of deadly conflict in war and peace by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. 16 CDs at 18.5 hours. Further discussion on the physical and psychological impact of death and killing.
1" The Splendid Things We Planned by Blake Bailey. 7 CDs at 8 hours. Memoir of family and alcohol in Oklahoma.
1" Save the Date by Jen Doll. 7 CDs at 9 hours.Woman writes about attending weddings.
1" Total Recovery by Dr. Gary Kaplan, D.O. 7 CDs at 8.5 hours. Chronic pain and treating it.
1" Oh My God by Louis C.K. 1 CD at 1.15 hours. Comedy album from HBO special.
1 1/8" When Corruption Was King: how I helped the mob rule Chicago,then brought the Outfit down by Robert Cooley and Hillel Levin. 9 CDs at 11 hours. Cooley fixed court cases with bribes in the '70s and '80s.
1 1/8" War on the Waters: the Union and Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 by James M. PcPherson. Gustie grad McPherson tells you about naval operations during the war.
Fiction
1" Night in Shanghai by Nicole Mones. 8 CDs at 10 hours. African-American musician recruited to lead a jazz orchestra in 1938 Shanghai. He goes from dirt poor to rich and famous.
1" Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black. 8 CDs at 9.5 hours. Pregnant Parisian P.I. pursues purloined person in Pigalle.
1 3/16" The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison. 9 CDs at 11 hours. Wife of church Bishop believes a parishioner's missing wife was killed by the parishioner.
1 3/16" The Brewer of Preston by Andrea Camilleri. 6 CDs at 6.5 hours. In 1870 the residents of Vigata, Sicily are not happy about the new national Italian government. They resist the new government prefect by sabotaging his opera production.
1 3/16" By Winter's Light by Stephanie Laurens. 7 CDs at 8 hours. Romance set in 1837.
1 3/16" Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks. 8 CDs at 9 hours. Romance with vampires.
Musical Interlude
This came up on shuffle.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Insatiable Girls In Paradise
DVD
Girls: the complete third season. I have not seen this show. I spoke to someone who said that if her daughter was living like this the mom would rather not know. That made me want to see the program.
Anti-Bullying Project by Jefferson County Wisconsin Connections. It is the goal of the students that these videos will create an awareness of the serious epidemic of bullying and have an impact on their peers - both the individuals being targeted and the bully.
Fiction
Body Snatchers Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini. Another historical mystery set in San Francisco with body snatchers stealing the corpses of a Chinese gangster and society millionaire. I've read several comments Pronzini's novel The Crimes of Jordan Wise is great.
The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell. Another novel with death, destruction, intrigue, love, swords, adventure and Vikings in Britain. I enjoy Cornwell's stories but have not read one in a while.
Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves. Grieving homicide detective takes job in Maine and hopes to find her missing niece.
Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz. Okay, is Krentz her real name? I thought Amanda Quick was her real name. Oh well, this book is about something to do with something.
Insatiable Appetite by Stuart Woods. Every three months.
NonFiction
The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook by Erika Kerwien. The front cover uses three different fonts. Page 69 says, "1/4 teaspoon salt."
Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern by Jera Brandvig. Page 89 says, "Square up your blocks." This has an author photo. I cannot tell is Brandvig took the photo outside or if the photographer used a backdrop.
Large Print
Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet.
Farewell to Cedar Key by Terri Dulong.
Girls: the complete third season. I have not seen this show. I spoke to someone who said that if her daughter was living like this the mom would rather not know. That made me want to see the program.
Anti-Bullying Project by Jefferson County Wisconsin Connections. It is the goal of the students that these videos will create an awareness of the serious epidemic of bullying and have an impact on their peers - both the individuals being targeted and the bully.
Fiction
Body Snatchers Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini. Another historical mystery set in San Francisco with body snatchers stealing the corpses of a Chinese gangster and society millionaire. I've read several comments Pronzini's novel The Crimes of Jordan Wise is great.
The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell. Another novel with death, destruction, intrigue, love, swords, adventure and Vikings in Britain. I enjoy Cornwell's stories but have not read one in a while.
Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves. Grieving homicide detective takes job in Maine and hopes to find her missing niece.
Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz. Okay, is Krentz her real name? I thought Amanda Quick was her real name. Oh well, this book is about something to do with something.
Insatiable Appetite by Stuart Woods. Every three months.
NonFiction
The Healthy Coconut Flour Cookbook by Erika Kerwien. The front cover uses three different fonts. Page 69 says, "1/4 teaspoon salt."
Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern by Jera Brandvig. Page 89 says, "Square up your blocks." This has an author photo. I cannot tell is Brandvig took the photo outside or if the photographer used a backdrop.
Large Print
Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet.
Farewell to Cedar Key by Terri Dulong.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
More Music, More Music, More Music
Studio Recordings Are Transferred Into a Physical Medium
Take Me When You Go by Betty Who. Girl singer sings songs with a peppy beat.
Reclassified by Iggy Azalea. Australian sings songs on an album I should have bought a while ago.
No Fixed Address by Nickelback. Canadians sing songs that many people will then complain about.
1989 by Taylor Swift. Swift singer sings songs and gets more good press by being the anti-jerk. I was mentioning to my wife that if I were invited to a Taylor Swift Pizza Party I would attend but would be incredibly out-of-place. I wonder if she had beer. Or, would I have to bring a party gift of beer?
Mean Love by Sinkane. Young guy sings songs that NPR enjoys. I heard this tune on BBC 6 Music and like it. Did Sinkane attend Swift's pizza party? Sinkane strikes me as a pepperoni pizza person.
Live at Wembley Arena by ABBA. Swedish singers sing songs of Swedish life and love. Recommended by Bill Crider. Lutefisk pizza?
My Favourite Fantasy by Damien Rice. Irish singer sings songs that are popular in Lake Mills.
Take Me When You Go by Betty Who. Girl singer sings songs with a peppy beat.
Reclassified by Iggy Azalea. Australian sings songs on an album I should have bought a while ago.
No Fixed Address by Nickelback. Canadians sing songs that many people will then complain about.
1989 by Taylor Swift. Swift singer sings songs and gets more good press by being the anti-jerk. I was mentioning to my wife that if I were invited to a Taylor Swift Pizza Party I would attend but would be incredibly out-of-place. I wonder if she had beer. Or, would I have to bring a party gift of beer?
Mean Love by Sinkane. Young guy sings songs that NPR enjoys. I heard this tune on BBC 6 Music and like it. Did Sinkane attend Swift's pizza party? Sinkane strikes me as a pepperoni pizza person.
Live at Wembley Arena by ABBA. Swedish singers sing songs of Swedish life and love. Recommended by Bill Crider. Lutefisk pizza?
My Favourite Fantasy by Damien Rice. Irish singer sings songs that are popular in Lake Mills.
I'm Skipping the Large Print
Large Print
I looked at the shelf full of new large print and sighed. I am not dealing with that today.
Mystery
Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. Yeah, I thought Gerritsen was a doctor, and that's what the book bio says. I did not know Gerritsen has a white scarf, but that's what the author photo shows.
Fiction
Assassination Option by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV. A Clandestine Operations Novel. Spies in post-war Europe.
The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison. I like the cover. Mette Ivie? That sounds like English names, lets's check...Nope! She lives in Utah. I'll just pretend she moved here from Suffolk, or Midlands, or some other English placename. The novel is about a woman who goes against her family and church when she suspects a parishioner of murdering his missing wife. Here is the dude who did the cover, James Iacobelli.
Hush by Karen Robards. When you're Big Time Author Karen Robards you can title your novel with whatever generic word you like. Which does not explain her small author photo on the back of the book. You'd think the publisher would throw a color photo across the entire back cover.
NonFiction
How to Write A Winning Scholarship Essay by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. I'm not sure if the Tanabes are spouses, siblings, cousins, or what. The author photo is so tiny that I cannot even tell if they are close in age. Page 164 says, "You are not the center of the universe." Well, it is obvious the Tanabes never read this blog.
I looked at the shelf full of new large print and sighed. I am not dealing with that today.
Mystery
Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. Yeah, I thought Gerritsen was a doctor, and that's what the book bio says. I did not know Gerritsen has a white scarf, but that's what the author photo shows.
Fiction
Assassination Option by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV. A Clandestine Operations Novel. Spies in post-war Europe.
The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison. I like the cover. Mette Ivie? That sounds like English names, lets's check...Nope! She lives in Utah. I'll just pretend she moved here from Suffolk, or Midlands, or some other English placename. The novel is about a woman who goes against her family and church when she suspects a parishioner of murdering his missing wife. Here is the dude who did the cover, James Iacobelli.
Hush by Karen Robards. When you're Big Time Author Karen Robards you can title your novel with whatever generic word you like. Which does not explain her small author photo on the back of the book. You'd think the publisher would throw a color photo across the entire back cover.
NonFiction
How to Write A Winning Scholarship Essay by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. I'm not sure if the Tanabes are spouses, siblings, cousins, or what. The author photo is so tiny that I cannot even tell if they are close in age. Page 164 says, "You are not the center of the universe." Well, it is obvious the Tanabes never read this blog.
Monday, January 12, 2015
The Floyd Family Machine Time
Music and Singing Sounds Distributed on Plastic Wafers
The Endless River by Pink Floyd. British guys sing songs of psychedelia.
Rock and Roll Time by Jerry Lee Lewis. Pianist sings songs of rock and roll.
Family by Thompson Family. Family members get together and sing songs of folkyness.
Man Against Machine by Garth Brooks. Country singer sings songs of chin beards.
It Had to be You: the great American songbook by Rod Stewart. Rock singer's 2002 album to cash in on old tunes.
The Endless River by Pink Floyd. British guys sing songs of psychedelia.
Rock and Roll Time by Jerry Lee Lewis. Pianist sings songs of rock and roll.
Family by Thompson Family. Family members get together and sing songs of folkyness.
Man Against Machine by Garth Brooks. Country singer sings songs of chin beards.
It Had to be You: the great American songbook by Rod Stewart. Rock singer's 2002 album to cash in on old tunes.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
60 CDs, 8 Authors, 7 Books
Audiobooks on CD
One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva. 5CDs at 5.5 hours. Teen boy goes to summer camp, makes friends with other teen boy, figures out he and other dude should suck face. Teen romance.
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio. 7CD at 9 hours. Some woman can literally see true love and is told she has to identify the six types of love before the full moon following her thirtieth birthday - or face grave consequences.
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly. 8 CDs at 10 hours. This is Michael Connelly with Harry Bosch. Not John Connolly with Charlie Parker.
The Escape by David Baldacci. 13 CDs at 15 hours. Brother of a man convicted for treason is under the microscope when the convict escapes custody. Is Baldacci the guy who spoke at Fort Atkinson after his sister twisted his arm? Or, was that another guy who writes thrillers?
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand. 6 CDs at 7 hours. Delightfully dysfunctional family.
Burn by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Underground criminal world of terrifying depravity.
Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison. 14 CDs at 17.5 hours. Electrifying...action,mystery, romance...hunter...vanquishing...cunning...heart...loss...epic battle...vampires and werewolves...soul-eating demons...power...time...fanatics...risk.
One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva. 5CDs at 5.5 hours. Teen boy goes to summer camp, makes friends with other teen boy, figures out he and other dude should suck face. Teen romance.
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio. 7CD at 9 hours. Some woman can literally see true love and is told she has to identify the six types of love before the full moon following her thirtieth birthday - or face grave consequences.
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly. 8 CDs at 10 hours. This is Michael Connelly with Harry Bosch. Not John Connolly with Charlie Parker.
The Escape by David Baldacci. 13 CDs at 15 hours. Brother of a man convicted for treason is under the microscope when the convict escapes custody. Is Baldacci the guy who spoke at Fort Atkinson after his sister twisted his arm? Or, was that another guy who writes thrillers?
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand. 6 CDs at 7 hours. Delightfully dysfunctional family.
Burn by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Underground criminal world of terrifying depravity.
Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison. 14 CDs at 17.5 hours. Electrifying...action,mystery, romance...hunter...vanquishing...cunning...heart...loss...epic battle...vampires and werewolves...soul-eating demons...power...time...fanatics...risk.
Monday, January 05, 2015
November Knit Raid At The Farm
DVD
November Man starring Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko. Max Allan Collins liked it, read his comments here. I was looking at the DVD box and thought, "Hey, she's look familiar, is that that Olga woman?" I was impressed with myself for recognizing her.
Comment: Four thousand feet per second? There are very few cartridges that produce that kind of speed. But, hey, it's a movie, enjoy the show.
The Raid 2 starring [many Indonesian actors]. SWAT cop goes undercover and fights bad guys. Dang, I figured to check and, sure enough, Collins liked this one too. Though it lacks the purity of the single-setting first film, RAID 2 has more fantastic action set pieces than you can shake a baseball bat at (and there will a baseball shaken). This is the rare Asian crime film that actually beats John Woo at his own game.
Fiction
Murder Tightly Knit: an Amish village mystery by Vannetta Chapman. Coxy mystery with knitting, murder and Amish. Local woman starts sleuthing. Do you think Vannetta ever goes by "Van" because Vannetta is a long name. "Hey, Van, does the new book have knitting?" "It sure does, pal. Comes out with Zondervan on December 16!"
Tom at the Farm by Michel Marc Bouchard. Tom travels to the farm home of his recently dead boy friend and meets the family who did not know Tom existed. I was thinking this was a novel. Nope, it's the translation of the French language film script. Great cover.
November Man starring Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko. Max Allan Collins liked it, read his comments here. I was looking at the DVD box and thought, "Hey, she's look familiar, is that that Olga woman?" I was impressed with myself for recognizing her.
Comment: Four thousand feet per second? There are very few cartridges that produce that kind of speed. But, hey, it's a movie, enjoy the show.
The Raid 2 starring [many Indonesian actors]. SWAT cop goes undercover and fights bad guys. Dang, I figured to check and, sure enough, Collins liked this one too. Though it lacks the purity of the single-setting first film, RAID 2 has more fantastic action set pieces than you can shake a baseball bat at (and there will a baseball shaken). This is the rare Asian crime film that actually beats John Woo at his own game.
Fiction
Murder Tightly Knit: an Amish village mystery by Vannetta Chapman. Coxy mystery with knitting, murder and Amish. Local woman starts sleuthing. Do you think Vannetta ever goes by "Van" because Vannetta is a long name. "Hey, Van, does the new book have knitting?" "It sure does, pal. Comes out with Zondervan on December 16!"
Tom at the Farm by Michel Marc Bouchard. Tom travels to the farm home of his recently dead boy friend and meets the family who did not know Tom existed. I was thinking this was a novel. Nope, it's the translation of the French language film script. Great cover.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
What to Read 52: FATALE by Jean-Patrick Manchette
What to Read 52
Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette. Reprint of the 1977 French crime novel. I first heard about this novel through the Unshelved comic strip's regular Friday recommendation. Only 91 pages. A French woman travels from town to town finding work as an assassin.
Fatale by Jean-Patrick Manchette. Reprint of the 1977 French crime novel. I first heard about this novel through the Unshelved comic strip's regular Friday recommendation. Only 91 pages. A French woman travels from town to town finding work as an assassin.
Last Post of the Year. Maybe.
Large Print
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan. ..is filled with dog hair.
Betrayed by Lisa Scottoline. You think Scottoline ever thought about changing her name by dropping the "o"? Scottline sounds kinda exciting, doesn't it? "Looks like trouble, Bob. We better call the Scottline." or "The dam's burst! We'll all drown unless Scottline gets here in time!"
Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. You know who likes Alafair Burke's novels? J.D. Rhoades. I suppose James Lee Burke likes her books too. Except he is Alafair's father so you could presume some bias.
Christmas in Cowboy Country by Janet Dailey. Did you know James Lee Burke taught at Wichita State for a while? I once applied for a job at WSU.
The One: book three in the Selection series by Keira Cass. The WSU job was in cataloging. I dodged a bullet there, let me tell you. Being a librarian is being the a punchline to jokes about wussies, wimps and milquetoasts. Being a cataloger is the punchline to librarian jokes about weirdos.
Thomas Kinkade's Cape Light All Is Bright by Katherine Spencer. What a lame corporate title.
Commons Park Ice Skating Rink.
It is almost ready.
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan. ..is filled with dog hair.
Betrayed by Lisa Scottoline. You think Scottoline ever thought about changing her name by dropping the "o"? Scottline sounds kinda exciting, doesn't it? "Looks like trouble, Bob. We better call the Scottline." or "The dam's burst! We'll all drown unless Scottline gets here in time!"
Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. You know who likes Alafair Burke's novels? J.D. Rhoades. I suppose James Lee Burke likes her books too. Except he is Alafair's father so you could presume some bias.
Christmas in Cowboy Country by Janet Dailey. Did you know James Lee Burke taught at Wichita State for a while? I once applied for a job at WSU.
The One: book three in the Selection series by Keira Cass. The WSU job was in cataloging. I dodged a bullet there, let me tell you. Being a librarian is being the a punchline to jokes about wussies, wimps and milquetoasts. Being a cataloger is the punchline to librarian jokes about weirdos.
Thomas Kinkade's Cape Light All Is Bright by Katherine Spencer. What a lame corporate title.
Commons Park Ice Skating Rink.
It is almost ready.
Two Movies and an Attack of the Hives
DVD
The Amazing Spider-man 2 starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone. I'm a little late on ordering this one. I cannot keep all these superhero movies straight anyway. I think this one has a pig in it.
Where We Are by One Direction. Live concert from San Siro Stadium. San Siro? Where the heck is that? I'll check...oh, it's in Milan, Italy. I figured South America somewhere.
Musical Interlude
The Hives were touring in South America.
The Amazing Spider-man 2 starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone. I'm a little late on ordering this one. I cannot keep all these superhero movies straight anyway. I think this one has a pig in it.
Where We Are by One Direction. Live concert from San Siro Stadium. San Siro? Where the heck is that? I'll check...oh, it's in Milan, Italy. I figured South America somewhere.
Musical Interlude
The Hives were touring in South America.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Music, music, music. Book, book.
Music is recorded in a studio and electronically transmitted to a factory that manufactures thin plastic discs on which the digital music is physically embedded.
Four by One Direction. Five English guys sing songs so skirts swoon. (I admit that is some poor alliteration.)
Now That's What I Call Music 52! by [various and sundry]. Singers sing and rapper rap. I'll go home and take a nap.
The Big Revival by Kenny Chesney. Singer continues to pretend to sing country western music.
Fiction
The Submission by Amy Waldman. Dang this donation is from 2011. I thought it was newer.
NonFiction
Fishing for Buffalo: a guide to the pursuit and cuisine of Carp, Suckers, Eelpout, Gar, and other rough fish by Rob Buffler and Tom Dickson. Eelpout? What the heck is an eelpout?
Four by One Direction. Five English guys sing songs so skirts swoon. (I admit that is some poor alliteration.)
Now That's What I Call Music 52! by [various and sundry]. Singers sing and rapper rap. I'll go home and take a nap.
The Big Revival by Kenny Chesney. Singer continues to pretend to sing country western music.
Fiction
The Submission by Amy Waldman. Dang this donation is from 2011. I thought it was newer.
NonFiction
Fishing for Buffalo: a guide to the pursuit and cuisine of Carp, Suckers, Eelpout, Gar, and other rough fish by Rob Buffler and Tom Dickson. Eelpout? What the heck is an eelpout?
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Eight Amazing Shipwrecked Sisters Take Captive Dog
NonFiction
In Herriot's Shadow by Bill Stork, DVM. Lake Mills veterinarian writes neat stories about work.
Eight Amazing Engineering Stories: using the elements to create extraordinary technologies by Bill Hammack, et al. I ran across Hammack on YouTube and ordered the book. His videos are neat-o. But, without burrito. Or, mosquito. I like to eat Fritos. I would shoot Greedo.
Good Dog: true stories of love, loss and loyalty edited by David DiBenedetto and the editors of Garden and Gun. My dog smells but she hates bathing and it's a real hassle to wash that dog in the winter. Includes stories by C.J. Chivers and Ace Atkins, I read books by those dudes.
Fiction
Red Moon by Benjamin Percy. I read this book, too. It made the 2014 notable list from the Wisconsin Library Association.
Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane by Kelly Harms. I thought we had a copy of this. This also made the notable list. I read it.
Large Print
Nantucket Sisters by Nancy Thayer. Go swimming?
Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde. No, get your own ride.
Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins. Destiny as fate, or Destiny as a woman who is a kidnapper?
Deadline by John Sandford. Deadline like this?
Full Force and Effect by Mark Greaney. Very effy title.
The Firelight Girls by Kaya McLaren. Smell like smoke.
A Quilt Like Christmas by Sandra Dallas. Would be a bad gift for a child.
The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield. Well, where did you see it last?
In Herriot's Shadow by Bill Stork, DVM. Lake Mills veterinarian writes neat stories about work.
Eight Amazing Engineering Stories: using the elements to create extraordinary technologies by Bill Hammack, et al. I ran across Hammack on YouTube and ordered the book. His videos are neat-o. But, without burrito. Or, mosquito. I like to eat Fritos. I would shoot Greedo.
Good Dog: true stories of love, loss and loyalty edited by David DiBenedetto and the editors of Garden and Gun. My dog smells but she hates bathing and it's a real hassle to wash that dog in the winter. Includes stories by C.J. Chivers and Ace Atkins, I read books by those dudes.
Fiction
Red Moon by Benjamin Percy. I read this book, too. It made the 2014 notable list from the Wisconsin Library Association.
Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane by Kelly Harms. I thought we had a copy of this. This also made the notable list. I read it.
Large Print
Nantucket Sisters by Nancy Thayer. Go swimming?
Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde. No, get your own ride.
Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins. Destiny as fate, or Destiny as a woman who is a kidnapper?
Deadline by John Sandford. Deadline like this?
Full Force and Effect by Mark Greaney. Very effy title.
The Firelight Girls by Kaya McLaren. Smell like smoke.
A Quilt Like Christmas by Sandra Dallas. Would be a bad gift for a child.
The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield. Well, where did you see it last?
Tyrants: an intimate history
DVD
The Maze Runner starring [teenagers]. Something about being lost in a killer maze.
The Roosevelts: an intimate history by Ken Burns. 14 hours of Roosevelts. Roosevelts, Roosevelts, Roosevelts. This is full of Roosevelts.
Poetry
My Favorite Tyrants by Joanne Diaz. Won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry. I don't know what the Brittingham is and I will research the prize. Back of the book says, "Diaz tries to understand what makes tyranny so compelling, even seductive. These dynamic, funny, often poignant poems investigate the nature of tyranny in all of its forms - political, cultural, familial, and erotic." I tried touch typing that last section and had to back up and make multiple corrections.
Diaz works at Illinois Wesleyan. I remember visiting there as a high school Junior. The admissions counselor mentioned how they have an early admission program and I thought, "Hey, cool." So I brought the application home, put it in the typewriter, got halfway through, got bored, and quit. Remind me later and I'll tell the story about Wartburg College. People always look at me weird when I tell that one.
The Maze Runner starring [teenagers]. Something about being lost in a killer maze.
The Roosevelts: an intimate history by Ken Burns. 14 hours of Roosevelts. Roosevelts, Roosevelts, Roosevelts. This is full of Roosevelts.
Poetry
My Favorite Tyrants by Joanne Diaz. Won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry. I don't know what the Brittingham is and I will research the prize. Back of the book says, "Diaz tries to understand what makes tyranny so compelling, even seductive. These dynamic, funny, often poignant poems investigate the nature of tyranny in all of its forms - political, cultural, familial, and erotic." I tried touch typing that last section and had to back up and make multiple corrections.
Diaz works at Illinois Wesleyan. I remember visiting there as a high school Junior. The admissions counselor mentioned how they have an early admission program and I thought, "Hey, cool." So I brought the application home, put it in the typewriter, got halfway through, got bored, and quit. Remind me later and I'll tell the story about Wartburg College. People always look at me weird when I tell that one.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Stack of DVDs
DVD
Railway Man starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. Former British soldier was a POW under the Japanese. Englishman plans to murder the Japanese man responsible for the Englishman's treatment.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 7 starring [actors]. Awful people doing awful things.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 8 starring [actors]. Seriously, these people can be despicable and horribly selfish.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 9 starring [actors]. Try it out, it's a funny program.
Raise Some Bell: the ultimate kettlebell workout by Amy Dixon. It seems like kettlebells are supposed to be the next big thing for exercise. But, the exercise regime's popularity never quite took off like yoga did.
Blended by Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. These flicks make money, I guess that's why they keep making them.
House of Cards: second season starring Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright. Political intrigue.
Rover starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. Post-apocalyptic Australia without the Lord Humungus.
True Blood: the complete sixth season starring [hunky actors]. I have not watched this show. There are a bunch of shows I have not watched.
Railway Man starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. Former British soldier was a POW under the Japanese. Englishman plans to murder the Japanese man responsible for the Englishman's treatment.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 7 starring [actors]. Awful people doing awful things.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 8 starring [actors]. Seriously, these people can be despicable and horribly selfish.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: the complete season 9 starring [actors]. Try it out, it's a funny program.
Raise Some Bell: the ultimate kettlebell workout by Amy Dixon. It seems like kettlebells are supposed to be the next big thing for exercise. But, the exercise regime's popularity never quite took off like yoga did.
Blended by Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. These flicks make money, I guess that's why they keep making them.
House of Cards: second season starring Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright. Political intrigue.
Rover starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. Post-apocalyptic Australia without the Lord Humungus.
True Blood: the complete sixth season starring [hunky actors]. I have not watched this show. There are a bunch of shows I have not watched.
Bunch Of Novels By A Bunch of People
Fiction
Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz. Moriarty and Holmes are dead on Reichenbach Falls and the London underworld has a job vacancy. Two men try to catch the leading candidate for Moriarty's job. I think one of my kids read some of Horowitz's Alex Rider books.
Tagged For Death by Sherry Harris. This is a paperback, has a cat on the cover, and is a Garage Sale Mystery so you can safely bet this is a cozy mystery.
Hope to Die by James Patterson. Huh, no co-author. That is unusual.
Citizens Creek by Lalita Tademy. Tademy? What is the etymology of that name, the only time I've seen it is on Tademy's novels. Speaking of which, the audiobook of Red River checks out a lot. Tademy's author photo is too small.
Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney. McInernery also has a small photo and since this is a paperback the photo is black-and-white. McInerney lives in Ireland.
For the Dead by Timothy Hallinan. Travel writer living in Bangkok has more dangerous adventures. I recall listening to Hallinan's first Junior Bender novel while rowboating across the lake to where the Boy Scouts were building rafts. Going there wasn't so bad but the return trip was kinda miserable after being in the sun all afternoon and rowing back against the wind.
Hallinan's Afterword mentions his 2011 trip to Bouchercon in St. Louis. I went to that conference. I've written about it before but let me give a recap: I went to a party on Friday and that resulted in a complete wash-out on Saturday.
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. "When a man slaps another couple's child at a neighborhood barbecue, the event sends unforeseeable shock waves through the lives of all who are witness to it."
The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood. Marwood won an Edgar Award. That's a big deal.
Betrayed by Lisa Scottoline. I'm not sure how you pronounce her name. Is the second part line or lean-ee?
The Day of Atonement by David Liss. Man returns to Portugal to avenge his parents punishment by an Inquisitor.
Mr. Penumbr'as 24-houor Bookstore by Robin Sloan. "Rendered with irresistible brio" Brio? I had to look that one up: vigor and vivacity.
First Impressions by Charlie Lovett. Mystery of something about a modern bookshop employee who discovers Jane Austen may have stolen the story for Pride and Prejudice.
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. Girl grows up in 1915 Boston to immigrant parents. Dang, Diamant has a small author photo, too. She's only written four other novels. I say only because Red Tent is always going out, I see Diamant's name so often I figured she has more published novels.
Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz. Moriarty and Holmes are dead on Reichenbach Falls and the London underworld has a job vacancy. Two men try to catch the leading candidate for Moriarty's job. I think one of my kids read some of Horowitz's Alex Rider books.
Tagged For Death by Sherry Harris. This is a paperback, has a cat on the cover, and is a Garage Sale Mystery so you can safely bet this is a cozy mystery.
Hope to Die by James Patterson. Huh, no co-author. That is unusual.
Citizens Creek by Lalita Tademy. Tademy? What is the etymology of that name, the only time I've seen it is on Tademy's novels. Speaking of which, the audiobook of Red River checks out a lot. Tademy's author photo is too small.
Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney. McInernery also has a small photo and since this is a paperback the photo is black-and-white. McInerney lives in Ireland.
For the Dead by Timothy Hallinan. Travel writer living in Bangkok has more dangerous adventures. I recall listening to Hallinan's first Junior Bender novel while rowboating across the lake to where the Boy Scouts were building rafts. Going there wasn't so bad but the return trip was kinda miserable after being in the sun all afternoon and rowing back against the wind.
Hallinan's Afterword mentions his 2011 trip to Bouchercon in St. Louis. I went to that conference. I've written about it before but let me give a recap: I went to a party on Friday and that resulted in a complete wash-out on Saturday.
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. "When a man slaps another couple's child at a neighborhood barbecue, the event sends unforeseeable shock waves through the lives of all who are witness to it."
The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood. Marwood won an Edgar Award. That's a big deal.
Betrayed by Lisa Scottoline. I'm not sure how you pronounce her name. Is the second part line or lean-ee?
The Day of Atonement by David Liss. Man returns to Portugal to avenge his parents punishment by an Inquisitor.
Mr. Penumbr'as 24-houor Bookstore by Robin Sloan. "Rendered with irresistible brio" Brio? I had to look that one up: vigor and vivacity.
First Impressions by Charlie Lovett. Mystery of something about a modern bookshop employee who discovers Jane Austen may have stolen the story for Pride and Prejudice.
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant. Girl grows up in 1915 Boston to immigrant parents. Dang, Diamant has a small author photo, too. She's only written four other novels. I say only because Red Tent is always going out, I see Diamant's name so often I figured she has more published novels.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Poetry, Pines, Plate Spoon
DVD
The Fall: series 1 starring Gillian Anderson. Police detective looks for serial killer in Belfast.
Still Life: a Three Pines mystery starring [Canadians]. Based off one of Louise Penny's novels. Those books do well here.
Justified: complete fifth season starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins. Good, I did not get to see the last few episodes on TV. Goggins was in the latest Machete movie.
Guardians of the Museum starring [English]. Some BBC production, not one of those Ben Stiller movies.
Captain America: Winter Soldier starring [a bunch of people]. Another super hero movie off a comic book.
NonFiction
The Plated Spoon and Other Tales of Sherlock Holmes edited by Loren D. Estleman. Estleman takes a break from westerns and edits a book. Estleman wrote 1978's Sherlock Holmes v. Dracula. I should hunt that one down, Fort Atkinson, Hartford and Mayville have copies.
Being Mortal: medicine and what matters in the end by Atul Gawande. Gawande writes some excellent books.
Snowboarding: skills, training, techniques by Dan Wakeham and Sophie Everard. Would I have to wear those horribly ugly clothes?
Poetry
The Dead Eat Everything by Michael Mlekoday. How do you pronounce that name? This won a poetry prize. Mlekoday went to K-State. I used to go down to Manhattan and eat at the Rock-A-Belly Deli. I don't recall if the food was good but it was a nice place and I'd order a big beer.
The Fall: series 1 starring Gillian Anderson. Police detective looks for serial killer in Belfast.
Still Life: a Three Pines mystery starring [Canadians]. Based off one of Louise Penny's novels. Those books do well here.
Justified: complete fifth season starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins. Good, I did not get to see the last few episodes on TV. Goggins was in the latest Machete movie.
Guardians of the Museum starring [English]. Some BBC production, not one of those Ben Stiller movies.
Captain America: Winter Soldier starring [a bunch of people]. Another super hero movie off a comic book.
NonFiction
The Plated Spoon and Other Tales of Sherlock Holmes edited by Loren D. Estleman. Estleman takes a break from westerns and edits a book. Estleman wrote 1978's Sherlock Holmes v. Dracula. I should hunt that one down, Fort Atkinson, Hartford and Mayville have copies.
Being Mortal: medicine and what matters in the end by Atul Gawande. Gawande writes some excellent books.
Snowboarding: skills, training, techniques by Dan Wakeham and Sophie Everard. Would I have to wear those horribly ugly clothes?
Poetry
The Dead Eat Everything by Michael Mlekoday. How do you pronounce that name? This won a poetry prize. Mlekoday went to K-State. I used to go down to Manhattan and eat at the Rock-A-Belly Deli. I don't recall if the food was good but it was a nice place and I'd order a big beer.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Throat Hair with Snotflower Erotica
Fiction
The Sexy Librarian's Big Book of Erotica edited by Rose Caraway. How can I not order something with a title like that?
Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk. I've never read one of his books. This has young female lawyer trying to stop a megabillionaire from starting a sex toy empire with devices that drive women to lock themselves away for hours.
Map of Betrayal by Ha Jin. Isn't Ha Jin is big deal in the book world? Kinda like Bill Crider, but with stories about China instead of Texas? China is 3,332,347 square miles larger than Texas.
Broadchurch by Erin Kelly. I know a woman named Erin. She knows another woman named Erin and the first Erin says she and the second Erin are very much alike. I don't know anything about this third Erin, the author. The book is based off a TV character.
Reborn: a Dead Man adventure by Kate Danley, Lisa Klink, and Phoef Sutton. If you're reading this one hoping to go on your blog and write "Klink goes klunk" prepare yourself for disappointment. Klink does some fine writing work. I don't know about the other two. Sutton sounds familiar...oh, he did another Dead Man entry. I like this series.
Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet. Some sort of novel about something to do with mermaid sightings in the Caribbean.
Love Song by Elizabeth Lowell. Re-pub of a paperback that was called Love Song For A Raven. Ravens are big birds, their wingspans can go as far as 46.4 inches.
Sometimes the Wolf by Urban Waite. Urban Waite? That sounds like an English name. Well, this dude lives in Seattle. But, Waite's acknowledgments list a fella named Nat Sobel who was also thanked by author Neville Stuart in a book I just read. Stuart is Irish, so I'm gonna say "close enough" and that Waite is Scottish.
Poetry
Debt to the Bone-Eating Snotflower by Sarah Lindsay. What a title! I think Lindsay won some award for this one. Oops. I was just trying to find out what award this won and found out Lindsay went to St. Olaf. That may be a deal breaker. Go Gusties!
NonFiction
Big Book of Hair Metal: the illustrated oral history of heavy metal's debauched decade by Martin Popoff. Page 126 says, "I was more into the Stones, actually."
TABE Power Practice by Learning Express. Test prep for whatever the TABE is.
100 Card Games For All the Family by Jeremy Harwood. 100 new opportunities for everyone to fight and cheat.
The Essential Guide to Life After Bereavement by Judy Carole Kauffmann and Mary Jordan.
People I Want to Punch In the Throat: competitive crafters, drop-off despots, and other suburban scourges by Jen Mann. Woman gets upset with people. Woman complains on blog. Woman gets book deal.
The Ore Knob Mine Murders by Rose M. Haynes. OUtlaw motorcycle gang moves to rural North Carolina. Outlaw motorcycle gang has business trouble. Outlaw motorcycle gang tries to solve business trouble by pushing people down a mine shaft.
Pay Any Price: greed, power, and endless war by James Risen. Investigative reporting into government excess and screw-ups by a Pulitzer Prize winner. Dang, no photos.
The Sexy Librarian's Big Book of Erotica edited by Rose Caraway. How can I not order something with a title like that?
Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk. I've never read one of his books. This has young female lawyer trying to stop a megabillionaire from starting a sex toy empire with devices that drive women to lock themselves away for hours.
Map of Betrayal by Ha Jin. Isn't Ha Jin is big deal in the book world? Kinda like Bill Crider, but with stories about China instead of Texas? China is 3,332,347 square miles larger than Texas.
Broadchurch by Erin Kelly. I know a woman named Erin. She knows another woman named Erin and the first Erin says she and the second Erin are very much alike. I don't know anything about this third Erin, the author. The book is based off a TV character.
Reborn: a Dead Man adventure by Kate Danley, Lisa Klink, and Phoef Sutton. If you're reading this one hoping to go on your blog and write "Klink goes klunk" prepare yourself for disappointment. Klink does some fine writing work. I don't know about the other two. Sutton sounds familiar...oh, he did another Dead Man entry. I like this series.
Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet. Some sort of novel about something to do with mermaid sightings in the Caribbean.
Love Song by Elizabeth Lowell. Re-pub of a paperback that was called Love Song For A Raven. Ravens are big birds, their wingspans can go as far as 46.4 inches.
Sometimes the Wolf by Urban Waite. Urban Waite? That sounds like an English name. Well, this dude lives in Seattle. But, Waite's acknowledgments list a fella named Nat Sobel who was also thanked by author Neville Stuart in a book I just read. Stuart is Irish, so I'm gonna say "close enough" and that Waite is Scottish.
Poetry
Debt to the Bone-Eating Snotflower by Sarah Lindsay. What a title! I think Lindsay won some award for this one. Oops. I was just trying to find out what award this won and found out Lindsay went to St. Olaf. That may be a deal breaker. Go Gusties!
NonFiction
Big Book of Hair Metal: the illustrated oral history of heavy metal's debauched decade by Martin Popoff. Page 126 says, "I was more into the Stones, actually."
TABE Power Practice by Learning Express. Test prep for whatever the TABE is.
100 Card Games For All the Family by Jeremy Harwood. 100 new opportunities for everyone to fight and cheat.
The Essential Guide to Life After Bereavement by Judy Carole Kauffmann and Mary Jordan.
People I Want to Punch In the Throat: competitive crafters, drop-off despots, and other suburban scourges by Jen Mann. Woman gets upset with people. Woman complains on blog. Woman gets book deal.
The Ore Knob Mine Murders by Rose M. Haynes. OUtlaw motorcycle gang moves to rural North Carolina. Outlaw motorcycle gang has business trouble. Outlaw motorcycle gang tries to solve business trouble by pushing people down a mine shaft.
Pay Any Price: greed, power, and endless war by James Risen. Investigative reporting into government excess and screw-ups by a Pulitzer Prize winner. Dang, no photos.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Another Largre Print Bonanza
Fiction
Murder in the Afternoon by Frances Brody. The cove and subtitle, A Kate Shakleton Mystery, scream "cozy mystery". Wait a minute. Does a cozy mystery ever scream out loud? Seems like it would whisper. Or gossip.
Woman With A Gun by Phillip Margolin. For the past few years book covers with a photograph of a beach and a woman model shot from behind were all the rage. But, this one is in black-and-white and the model, wearing a wedding dress, is holding a revolver behind her back. The revolver looks like a Ruger.
The Big Finish by James W. Hall.This cover has the camera positioned a few inches over a road tarmac, colored all in red, and a man's silhouette down road.
Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm not sure what you call this art style. Folk?
Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs. This cover is not my style. The book doesn't look like my style either, but I am very intrigued when the dust cover says a character is getting her hair done at "Root 66". Root 66? That's fantastic.
Large Print
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. Every time a cash register bell rings Picoult buys another yacht. Seriously though, does Picoult have a yacht. She should look into that. She lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, and Google maps says that is a two hour drive.
Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell.
Revival by Stephen King.
Change of Heart by Jude Deveraux.
Murder in the Afternoon by Frances Brody. The cove and subtitle, A Kate Shakleton Mystery, scream "cozy mystery". Wait a minute. Does a cozy mystery ever scream out loud? Seems like it would whisper. Or gossip.
Woman With A Gun by Phillip Margolin. For the past few years book covers with a photograph of a beach and a woman model shot from behind were all the rage. But, this one is in black-and-white and the model, wearing a wedding dress, is holding a revolver behind her back. The revolver looks like a Ruger.
The Big Finish by James W. Hall.This cover has the camera positioned a few inches over a road tarmac, colored all in red, and a man's silhouette down road.
Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm not sure what you call this art style. Folk?
Scorched Eggs by Laura Childs. This cover is not my style. The book doesn't look like my style either, but I am very intrigued when the dust cover says a character is getting her hair done at "Root 66". Root 66? That's fantastic.
Large Print
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. Every time a cash register bell rings Picoult buys another yacht. Seriously though, does Picoult have a yacht. She should look into that. She lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, and Google maps says that is a two hour drive.
Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell.
Revival by Stephen King.
Change of Heart by Jude Deveraux.
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Freshwater American Crafternoon
NonFiction
Quilting-On-The-Go: taking it further by Carolyn Forster. Page 49 says, "Repeat with the second piece of backing fabric."
New American Knits by Amy Christoffers. The "Nevelson Lace Pullover" uses sportweight yarn (#2 fine).
80 Ten-Minute Recipes by Jenni Fleetwood. Page 42 says, " Liver is the perfect choice for a quick meal."
The Smart Guide to Freshwater Fishing, 2nd edition by Mike Seymour. Page 40 says, "Worn lines rank among the most common causes of losing both lure and fish during the fight."
Lazing on a Sunday Crafternoon by Eliza Muldoon. Fun, little craft projects to do with children. Not to be confused with the Kinks.
The Kinks
Quilting-On-The-Go: taking it further by Carolyn Forster. Page 49 says, "Repeat with the second piece of backing fabric."
New American Knits by Amy Christoffers. The "Nevelson Lace Pullover" uses sportweight yarn (#2 fine).
80 Ten-Minute Recipes by Jenni Fleetwood. Page 42 says, " Liver is the perfect choice for a quick meal."
The Smart Guide to Freshwater Fishing, 2nd edition by Mike Seymour. Page 40 says, "Worn lines rank among the most common causes of losing both lure and fish during the fight."
Lazing on a Sunday Crafternoon by Eliza Muldoon. Fun, little craft projects to do with children. Not to be confused with the Kinks.
The Kinks
Monday, November 24, 2014
I am very busy, here is a quick list
Fiction
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand.
Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
Ruth's Journey by Donald McCaig.
Blue Labrynth by Preston and Child.
Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan.
Revival by Stephen King.
Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Bruke.
The Job by Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich.
The Escape by David Baldacci.
Final Silence by Stuart Neville.
Private India: City on Fire by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi.
Tradition of Deceit by Kathleen Ernst.
Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell.
Large Print
Blood Magick by Nora Roberts.
NonFiction
Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook by Todd Downs.
Strategic Digital Marketing by Eric Greenberg and Alexander Kates.
Standard Deviations: flawed assumptions, tortured data, and other ways to lie with statistics by Gary Smith.
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand.
Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
Ruth's Journey by Donald McCaig.
Blue Labrynth by Preston and Child.
Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan.
Revival by Stephen King.
Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Bruke.
The Job by Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich.
The Escape by David Baldacci.
Final Silence by Stuart Neville.
Private India: City on Fire by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi.
Tradition of Deceit by Kathleen Ernst.
Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell.
Large Print
Blood Magick by Nora Roberts.
NonFiction
Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook by Todd Downs.
Strategic Digital Marketing by Eric Greenberg and Alexander Kates.
Standard Deviations: flawed assumptions, tortured data, and other ways to lie with statistics by Gary Smith.
Friday, November 21, 2014
A Bill Paxton Movie Plus Some Novels
DVD
Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise, Bill Paxton, Emily Blunt. I'd like to see this flick. I've seen three or four Tom Cruise movies over the past couple weeks and that guy takes his shirt off more than Matthew McConaughy. Cruise is always running, too. I finished watched Mission Impossible: III last night (I thought it was a fun, comic book movie, nothing to take too seriously) and Cruise was sprint around a warehouse, on a bridge, to a hospital, in a parking lot, and in Shanghai.
Fiction
A New York Christmas by Anne Perry. A customer last week was telling me how she reads Christmas themed novels all year.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. My wife really likes this dude's books. I think he lives up by Eau Claire. He's doing a signing at Madison Public Library and Room of One's Own on November 29th.
The Wolf in Winter by John Connolly. This Connolly is Irish. The other Connelly is from California. This book is a thriller set in Maine.
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly. This Connelly is from California. The other Connolly is from Ireland. This book is not a thriller set in Maine.
Pegasus by Danielle Steel. Horse on the cover.
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice.Another vampire novel. I suppose vampire stories always sell. They don't don't seem to wear out their welcome like the zombie stories are. The slip cover says Rice lives in Palm Desert, CA. The temperature in Palm Desert is 57 right now. The temperature in Lake Mills is 21. Hah! I knew it was warmer out, my phone said 7 degrees just a bit ago.
The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm not going to bother looking, I'll make up a plot. Handsome man running a small town cafe also has juggle multiple romantic relationships with married and unmarried women while keeping a look out for the reporter who plans to reveal the Handsome Man's his secret life as an international assassin.
Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise, Bill Paxton, Emily Blunt. I'd like to see this flick. I've seen three or four Tom Cruise movies over the past couple weeks and that guy takes his shirt off more than Matthew McConaughy. Cruise is always running, too. I finished watched Mission Impossible: III last night (I thought it was a fun, comic book movie, nothing to take too seriously) and Cruise was sprint around a warehouse, on a bridge, to a hospital, in a parking lot, and in Shanghai.
Fiction
A New York Christmas by Anne Perry. A customer last week was telling me how she reads Christmas themed novels all year.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss. My wife really likes this dude's books. I think he lives up by Eau Claire. He's doing a signing at Madison Public Library and Room of One's Own on November 29th.
The Wolf in Winter by John Connolly. This Connolly is Irish. The other Connelly is from California. This book is a thriller set in Maine.
The Burning Room by Michael Connelly. This Connelly is from California. The other Connolly is from Ireland. This book is not a thriller set in Maine.
Pegasus by Danielle Steel. Horse on the cover.
Prince Lestat by Anne Rice.Another vampire novel. I suppose vampire stories always sell. They don't don't seem to wear out their welcome like the zombie stories are. The slip cover says Rice lives in Palm Desert, CA. The temperature in Palm Desert is 57 right now. The temperature in Lake Mills is 21. Hah! I knew it was warmer out, my phone said 7 degrees just a bit ago.
The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm not going to bother looking, I'll make up a plot. Handsome man running a small town cafe also has juggle multiple romantic relationships with married and unmarried women while keeping a look out for the reporter who plans to reveal the Handsome Man's his secret life as an international assassin.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Close Encounter Trench Warfare for Common Core Standards
NonFiction
Common Core Standards for Parents for Dummies by Jared Myracle, Ed.D. Read the book and fuel your arguments for the latest political issue.
Stitch, Craft and Create Quick Knits by [no author]. Read the book and find a Pretty Peg Bag (page 36) to argue about.
Damron Men's Travel Guide: 50th edition. 2014-15 gay men's travel guide [no author]. Read the book and argue over the ratings.
Damron Women's Travel Guide: 25th edition. 2014-15 gay women's travel guide [no author]. Read the book and argue over the exclusion of places you already visited.
Small Business Marketing in a Week by John Sealey. Read the book and sell more stuff.
Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind: suspicious deaths, mysterious murders, and bizarre disappearances in UFO history by Nick Redfern. Read the book and get paranoid.
Ultimate Beading Bible: a complete reference with step-by-step techniques edited by Marie Clayton. Read the book, make a three-strand braid with center beads (page 195) and wonder if that is the same Marie who attended your high school.
Gluten-Free Made Easy by Christi Silbaugh and Michele Vilseck. Read the book and join the latest food fad.
Help You Kids With Computer Coding: a unique step-by-step guide, from binary code to building games edited by Sam Priddy. Read the book and argue with yourself over kid screen time.
Trench: a history of trench warfare on the Western Front by Stephen Bull. Read the book, see the pictures, be glad you were not there, argue over inane topics like tunic markings.
Roll Out the Barrels by Gary J. Hess. Read the book and learn about coopering in Wisconsin.
The Mafia Files: case studies of the world's most evil mobsters by Al Cimino. Read the book and wonder what Michael Cimino is up to these days.
Google Nexus Tablet For Seniors by Studio Visual Steps. Read the book and wonder if that small Polaroid tablet on sale at ShopKo is worth buying at $100.
GunDigest 2015, 69th Edition edited by Jerry Lee. Read the book and play "Which one would I take? where you turn to a page and pick a gun you could have for free. Make it fun and add qualifiers like 500 rounds come with the gun, or Not allowed to sell it and get something else.
The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2015 by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. Read the book and wonder how much debt you'll own when you graduate.
Common Core Standards for Parents for Dummies by Jared Myracle, Ed.D. Read the book and fuel your arguments for the latest political issue.
Stitch, Craft and Create Quick Knits by [no author]. Read the book and find a Pretty Peg Bag (page 36) to argue about.
Damron Men's Travel Guide: 50th edition. 2014-15 gay men's travel guide [no author]. Read the book and argue over the ratings.
Damron Women's Travel Guide: 25th edition. 2014-15 gay women's travel guide [no author]. Read the book and argue over the exclusion of places you already visited.
Small Business Marketing in a Week by John Sealey. Read the book and sell more stuff.
Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind: suspicious deaths, mysterious murders, and bizarre disappearances in UFO history by Nick Redfern. Read the book and get paranoid.
Ultimate Beading Bible: a complete reference with step-by-step techniques edited by Marie Clayton. Read the book, make a three-strand braid with center beads (page 195) and wonder if that is the same Marie who attended your high school.
Gluten-Free Made Easy by Christi Silbaugh and Michele Vilseck. Read the book and join the latest food fad.
Help You Kids With Computer Coding: a unique step-by-step guide, from binary code to building games edited by Sam Priddy. Read the book and argue with yourself over kid screen time.
Trench: a history of trench warfare on the Western Front by Stephen Bull. Read the book, see the pictures, be glad you were not there, argue over inane topics like tunic markings.
Roll Out the Barrels by Gary J. Hess. Read the book and learn about coopering in Wisconsin.
The Mafia Files: case studies of the world's most evil mobsters by Al Cimino. Read the book and wonder what Michael Cimino is up to these days.
Google Nexus Tablet For Seniors by Studio Visual Steps. Read the book and wonder if that small Polaroid tablet on sale at ShopKo is worth buying at $100.
GunDigest 2015, 69th Edition edited by Jerry Lee. Read the book and play "Which one would I take? where you turn to a page and pick a gun you could have for free. Make it fun and add qualifiers like 500 rounds come with the gun, or Not allowed to sell it and get something else.
The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2015 by Gen and Kelly Tanabe. Read the book and wonder how much debt you'll own when you graduate.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Dead Repo Man
Fiction
Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron. Repo man starts hearing a voice in his head. The voice is of a dead man asking Repo Man to find dead man's killer.
Us by David Nichols. This looks literary. According to the dust jacket his last book sold 2 million copies. That is a lot.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown. Another anthropomorphic fox on the cover.
The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory. This was printed on some really nice paper. Royal intrigue in Tudor England.
The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes. This is from 2005. Marilyn must have ordered this to fill a gap in the collection.
Havana Storm by Cussler Literary Services, Amalgamated and Dirk Cussler. Another Cussler novel, another cover illustration with an exploding ship on the water.
The Dead Man: volume 7: Crucible of Fire: Dark Need: Rising Dead by Lee GOldberg and William Rabkin. More stories about the ax carrying dude written by Mel Odom, Stant Litore and Stella Green.
Cattle Kate by Jana Bommersbach. Cattle Kate was lynched in 1889 as a cattle Wyoming cattle rustler. The truth was that she and her husband were killed for their land.
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker. Christian fiction.
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. I'm not sure what this is about. It seems to be science fiction with a married guy taking an interstellar trip.
The Murder at Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. Mystery novel.
Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron. Repo man starts hearing a voice in his head. The voice is of a dead man asking Repo Man to find dead man's killer.
Us by David Nichols. This looks literary. According to the dust jacket his last book sold 2 million copies. That is a lot.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Rita Mae Brown. Another anthropomorphic fox on the cover.
The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory. This was printed on some really nice paper. Royal intrigue in Tudor England.
The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes. This is from 2005. Marilyn must have ordered this to fill a gap in the collection.
Havana Storm by Cussler Literary Services, Amalgamated and Dirk Cussler. Another Cussler novel, another cover illustration with an exploding ship on the water.
The Dead Man: volume 7: Crucible of Fire: Dark Need: Rising Dead by Lee GOldberg and William Rabkin. More stories about the ax carrying dude written by Mel Odom, Stant Litore and Stella Green.
Cattle Kate by Jana Bommersbach. Cattle Kate was lynched in 1889 as a cattle Wyoming cattle rustler. The truth was that she and her husband were killed for their land.
A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker. Christian fiction.
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. I'm not sure what this is about. It seems to be science fiction with a married guy taking an interstellar trip.
The Murder at Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. Mystery novel.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Mustafa and Adem Return With Literary Fiction
Fiction
Once A Warrior by Anthony Neil Smith. This book was sitting so long in catalogig I forgot all about it. The first book with these characters, All the Young Warriors, was excellent. Former Minneapolis gang leaders Mustafa is asked to rescue a woman trapped in the sex slave trade. Mustafa's son, Adem, is looking to re-connect with the woman he left behind in Somalia during his pirate debacle in the first novel.
A Sudden Light by Garth Stein. Author of The Art Racing in the Rain. I never read that book.
The High Divide by Lin Enger. Frontier woman's husband runs off in 1886 Minnesota. Her sons chase him. She has to to chase after the three of them.
Doll-baby by Laura Lane McNeal. McNeal has blond hair and lives in New Orleans. The novel has a girl dropped with her crazy grandmother in 1966 New Orleans.
Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day by Ann B. Ross. Ross wore a green shirt for aher author photo. Ross has a PhD from University of North Carolina. I wonder her reaction was to the academic scandal involving the men's athletic programs where athletes were given "paper" classes and the athletes tutor's wrote their assignments.
Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled 3 edited by David Cranmer and Elise Wright. Short fiction previously published online. This one took forever to get cataloged, too.
The Big Keep by Meilssa F. Olson. This also took forever to catalog. Olson is from Madison and plugged her book on Smith's (see above) blog. Female P.I. takes case to find teen boy's father. Danger ensues.
Once A Warrior by Anthony Neil Smith. This book was sitting so long in catalogig I forgot all about it. The first book with these characters, All the Young Warriors, was excellent. Former Minneapolis gang leaders Mustafa is asked to rescue a woman trapped in the sex slave trade. Mustafa's son, Adem, is looking to re-connect with the woman he left behind in Somalia during his pirate debacle in the first novel.
A Sudden Light by Garth Stein. Author of The Art Racing in the Rain. I never read that book.
The High Divide by Lin Enger. Frontier woman's husband runs off in 1886 Minnesota. Her sons chase him. She has to to chase after the three of them.
Doll-baby by Laura Lane McNeal. McNeal has blond hair and lives in New Orleans. The novel has a girl dropped with her crazy grandmother in 1966 New Orleans.
Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day by Ann B. Ross. Ross wore a green shirt for aher author photo. Ross has a PhD from University of North Carolina. I wonder her reaction was to the academic scandal involving the men's athletic programs where athletes were given "paper" classes and the athletes tutor's wrote their assignments.
Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled 3 edited by David Cranmer and Elise Wright. Short fiction previously published online. This one took forever to get cataloged, too.
The Big Keep by Meilssa F. Olson. This also took forever to catalog. Olson is from Madison and plugged her book on Smith's (see above) blog. Female P.I. takes case to find teen boy's father. Danger ensues.
Friday, November 14, 2014
No Books, Plastic Only
Books
Our computer system is off while we transition to our new trio library catalog. The planned outage lasts from Nov 14th through the 19th. This means we can only check out materials. We cannot check in returns, place holds, search the catalog, register cards, etc.
Since we will not be able to reshelve our returns I have stockpiled a few new items to shelve during the outage. I'll post those here when I do. Not that anyone reads this except a couple local people and a Kiwi.
Plastic
I started to promote the library's new 3D printer and plenty of people have been interested. Here are some photos of different builds that worked and failed.
Our computer system is off while we transition to our new trio library catalog. The planned outage lasts from Nov 14th through the 19th. This means we can only check out materials. We cannot check in returns, place holds, search the catalog, register cards, etc.
Since we will not be able to reshelve our returns I have stockpiled a few new items to shelve during the outage. I'll post those here when I do. Not that anyone reads this except a couple local people and a Kiwi.
Plastic
I started to promote the library's new 3D printer and plenty of people have been interested. Here are some photos of different builds that worked and failed.
Monday, November 10, 2014
4,563 Pages of Large Print
Large Print
413 pages of Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney.
646 pages of Close to Home by Lisa Jackson.
363 pages of The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe.
500 pages of Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers.
418 pages of The Forgiven by Marta Perry.
397 pages of Finally Home by Lois Greiman.
655 pages of Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd.
462 pages of Queen Bee Goes Home Again by Haywood Smith.
391 pages of The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo.
318 pages of Lucky Us by Amy Bloom.
413 pages of Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney.
646 pages of Close to Home by Lisa Jackson.
363 pages of The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe.
500 pages of Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers.
418 pages of The Forgiven by Marta Perry.
397 pages of Finally Home by Lois Greiman.
655 pages of Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd.
462 pages of Queen Bee Goes Home Again by Haywood Smith.
391 pages of The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo.
318 pages of Lucky Us by Amy Bloom.
Monday, November 03, 2014
Two Audiobooks and One Short Story Collection
Audiobooks on CD
Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber. 4 CDs at 5 hours. The back cover says, "heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home."
Trick Baby by Iceberg Slim. 8 CDs at 10 hours. A crime novel classic. Young light-skinned black man in Chicago is taught pimping and confidence games by an older man.
Fiction
Fire and Forget: short stories from the Long War edited by Roy Scranton and Matt Gallagher. Stories set at home and abroad involving the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Musical Interlude
I heard this one on the radio a few months ago. By British Sea Power. That woman should be wearing a helmet.
Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber. 4 CDs at 5 hours. The back cover says, "heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home."
Trick Baby by Iceberg Slim. 8 CDs at 10 hours. A crime novel classic. Young light-skinned black man in Chicago is taught pimping and confidence games by an older man.
Fiction
Fire and Forget: short stories from the Long War edited by Roy Scranton and Matt Gallagher. Stories set at home and abroad involving the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Musical Interlude
I heard this one on the radio a few months ago. By British Sea Power. That woman should be wearing a helmet.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Elements of Lansdale to Five
Fiction
Black Hat Jack by Joe R. Lansdale. Nat Love "writes down his version of certain events" of being an Indian fighter, soldier, and cowboy. Lansdale is in Chicago on November 3rd for a showing of Christmas With the Dead. If you cannot make it down there, I cannot, you can get the DVD from the library.
NonFiction
The Elements: the new guide to building blocks of our universe by Jack Challoner. Page 41 says about Titanium, "It is as strong as steel but about half as dense."
Zero to Five: 70 essential parenting tips based on science by Tracy Cutchlow. Page 19 says, "One quick way to make sure you're left doing most of the work is to continually criticize your partner's help."
Black Hat Jack by Joe R. Lansdale. Nat Love "writes down his version of certain events" of being an Indian fighter, soldier, and cowboy. Lansdale is in Chicago on November 3rd for a showing of Christmas With the Dead. If you cannot make it down there, I cannot, you can get the DVD from the library.
NonFiction
The Elements: the new guide to building blocks of our universe by Jack Challoner. Page 41 says about Titanium, "It is as strong as steel but about half as dense."
Zero to Five: 70 essential parenting tips based on science by Tracy Cutchlow. Page 19 says, "One quick way to make sure you're left doing most of the work is to continually criticize your partner's help."
Monday, October 27, 2014
Seven Novels
Fiction
Capture by Roger Smith. Another crime novel set in Cape Town, South Africa. Smith writes some great books. His characters are rarely altruistic and always believable.
A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas. Because a quilt for July 4th would be a weird gift. Unless you're in New Zealand or Australia. Dang, I just looked up the average temps in Dunedin, NZ and the mean high is only 70 Fahrenheit. I should look closer at the latitude and compare with North America.
Leaving Time by Jodi "I Sell More Books Than the Bible" Picoult. Do you really care what the book it about? You're going to take it home no matter what. Picoult has curly hair. I wonder if the curls are natural.
Gray Mountain by John Grisham. You'll just read this one as well. Dunedin has the opposite latitude of Minneapoli at 45 degrees latitude. Lake Mills is at 43.08.
Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella. I see articles and print interviews with Kinsella but I never read those. I just read a 87th Precinct novel by Ed McBain, Eight Black Horses. That novel is from 1985 and has recurring villain the Deaf Man.
Deadline by John Sandford. This is another one that people will read no matter what. Anthony Neil Smith was grousing about how good a writer Sandford is. Plenty of writers do that, giving false complaints as a way to publicly admire and praise another person's work. There must be a psychological term for that, it's not sarcasm. I have not read a Sandford book in a few years. I used to listen to the audiobooks.
Confessions: the Paris Mysteries by James Patterson Amalgamated Author Industries and Maxine Paetro. How do you pronounce Paetro? The dustcover says Paetro "lives in New York State." That's a lot of territory, you'd think they'd narrow that down. There is a guy in town who has a summer place on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The East side of the river is NY and the West side of the river is Canada. I made a crack about cigarette smuggling. I thought the joke was pretty good, but I bet the people living there get those jokes all the time.
Capture by Roger Smith. Another crime novel set in Cape Town, South Africa. Smith writes some great books. His characters are rarely altruistic and always believable.
A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas. Because a quilt for July 4th would be a weird gift. Unless you're in New Zealand or Australia. Dang, I just looked up the average temps in Dunedin, NZ and the mean high is only 70 Fahrenheit. I should look closer at the latitude and compare with North America.
Leaving Time by Jodi "I Sell More Books Than the Bible" Picoult. Do you really care what the book it about? You're going to take it home no matter what. Picoult has curly hair. I wonder if the curls are natural.
Gray Mountain by John Grisham. You'll just read this one as well. Dunedin has the opposite latitude of Minneapoli at 45 degrees latitude. Lake Mills is at 43.08.
Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella. I see articles and print interviews with Kinsella but I never read those. I just read a 87th Precinct novel by Ed McBain, Eight Black Horses. That novel is from 1985 and has recurring villain the Deaf Man.
Deadline by John Sandford. This is another one that people will read no matter what. Anthony Neil Smith was grousing about how good a writer Sandford is. Plenty of writers do that, giving false complaints as a way to publicly admire and praise another person's work. There must be a psychological term for that, it's not sarcasm. I have not read a Sandford book in a few years. I used to listen to the audiobooks.
Confessions: the Paris Mysteries by James Patterson Amalgamated Author Industries and Maxine Paetro. How do you pronounce Paetro? The dustcover says Paetro "lives in New York State." That's a lot of territory, you'd think they'd narrow that down. There is a guy in town who has a summer place on an island in the St. Lawrence River. The East side of the river is NY and the West side of the river is Canada. I made a crack about cigarette smuggling. I thought the joke was pretty good, but I bet the people living there get those jokes all the time.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Stuart Woods Wood Pulp Processing Company
Fiction
Paris Match by Stuart Woods.
Some Luck by Jane Smiley. Iowa farm family of seven followed from 1920 to 1950.
Ghost Wanted by Carolyn Hart. The ghost in a college library is a matchmaker for students. What?
The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell. I have read some very good reviews about Rendell's work. I still have not yet read one of her novels.
NonFiction
U2: the definitive biography by John Jobling. When Bono visited Frank Sinatra's home he fell asleep and spilled his drink onto his crotch.
Paris Match by Stuart Woods.
Some Luck by Jane Smiley. Iowa farm family of seven followed from 1920 to 1950.
Ghost Wanted by Carolyn Hart. The ghost in a college library is a matchmaker for students. What?
The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell. I have read some very good reviews about Rendell's work. I still have not yet read one of her novels.
NonFiction
U2: the definitive biography by John Jobling. When Bono visited Frank Sinatra's home he fell asleep and spilled his drink onto his crotch.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Three Large Prints, Three Films
Large Print
Shots Fired by C.J. Box. Ten short stories.
Goodnight June by Sara Jio. Fictional tale of how Goodnight, Moon was written.
Sight Unseen by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. Serial killer.
DVD
Sons of Anarchy: Season 6 starring Turanga Leela, and Koulikov. Criminals argue with one another. [I've never seen the show.]
Walking Dead: the complete fourth season starring Guy With A Hat, Guy With An Eye Patch, Guy With A Crossbow. I saw the first season and part of the second season. I enjoyed the show but I got off track.
X-Men: days of future past starring [many famous people]. How many X-Men movies are there now? Must be close to ten, right? I stopped watching after the second or third. I did see the one where Wolverine goes to Japan. It was "Eh" quality.
Shots Fired by C.J. Box. Ten short stories.
Goodnight June by Sara Jio. Fictional tale of how Goodnight, Moon was written.
Sight Unseen by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. Serial killer.
DVD
Sons of Anarchy: Season 6 starring Turanga Leela, and Koulikov. Criminals argue with one another. [I've never seen the show.]
Walking Dead: the complete fourth season starring Guy With A Hat, Guy With An Eye Patch, Guy With A Crossbow. I saw the first season and part of the second season. I enjoyed the show but I got off track.
X-Men: days of future past starring [many famous people]. How many X-Men movies are there now? Must be close to ten, right? I stopped watching after the second or third. I did see the one where Wolverine goes to Japan. It was "Eh" quality.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Four Larges, Three Mediums
Large
Paris Match by Stuart Woods. Another Woods books. You will find a new one every quarter.
Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen. Nice cover.
Lost Key by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison.
Killing Patton: the strange death of Word War II's most audacious General by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
Medium
Undead and Unwary by Mary Janice Davidson. Something about a female devil having trouble with her Antichrist sister as they manage Hell.
Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber. Some guardian angel novel.
Lila by Marilynne Robinson. Robinson won a Pulitzer Prize for the novel Gilead, this has the same setting.
Musical Interlude
I was here by myself when opening the library. I grabbed library CD R-575.
Paris Match by Stuart Woods. Another Woods books. You will find a new one every quarter.
Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen. Nice cover.
Lost Key by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison.
Killing Patton: the strange death of Word War II's most audacious General by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
Medium
Undead and Unwary by Mary Janice Davidson. Something about a female devil having trouble with her Antichrist sister as they manage Hell.
Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber. Some guardian angel novel.
Lila by Marilynne Robinson. Robinson won a Pulitzer Prize for the novel Gilead, this has the same setting.
Musical Interlude
I was here by myself when opening the library. I grabbed library CD R-575.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Large Print and Another Song
Large Print
The Hexed by Heather Graham.
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino.
Mistress Memoirs by Jillian Hunter.
The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff.
Haunted by Kay Hooper.
Here and Again by Nicole R. Dickson.
Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard.
Musical Interlude
When I am the only staff member during opening I play loud music. This tune is off library CD R-735.
The Hexed by Heather Graham.
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino.
Mistress Memoirs by Jillian Hunter.
The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff.
Haunted by Kay Hooper.
Here and Again by Nicole R. Dickson.
Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard.
Musical Interlude
When I am the only staff member during opening I play loud music. This tune is off library CD R-735.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Jamaican Assassination
Fiction
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. Fictionalized version of a 1976 assassination attempt on Bob Marley. The novel "delves deep into that dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica's history and beyond."
That's It
No More. Here is a tune.
Musical Interlude
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. Fictionalized version of a 1976 assassination attempt on Bob Marley. The novel "delves deep into that dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica's history and beyond."
That's It
No More. Here is a tune.
Musical Interlude
Monday, October 06, 2014
Six Books
Book One
Rooms by Lauren Oliver. Hoarding hermit dies and family comes to his house for inheritance, the building's ghosts observe.
Book Two
The Day the Streets Stood Still by JaQuavis Coleman. I have not bought much "street lit" before because I figured "Will this book sit and gather dust in small town Wisconsin? Will local readers relate and read something about a black guy drug dealer in the city?". Yeah, because people in small town Wisconsin have so much in common with a 6'5" ex-Army officer who roams the U.S. solving mysteries and rescuing women in trouble, beats people up and kills others, and has sex with police women in every novel. If people read the Jack Reacher series why wouldn't they read this one?
Book Three
Lost Key by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison. I'm not sure if this is a new author photo for Coulter. The photo feels very familiar but I am wondering if it is a different shot from the same photography session. Coulter's photo fills the back cover, Ellison's photo is a tiny one on the inside of the dust jacket.
Book Four
Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen. People here sure do like Johansen's books. I have not read one. Right now I am skipping library books and working my way through all the books I own but have never read. I have 10-15 87th Precinct novels at home. What I should do is collect all those novels and read them in order. I won't.
Book Five
Burn by James Patterson Amalgamated Writing Industries and Michael Ledwidge. How do you pronounce Ledwidge? Patterson used to have author photos where you could see his watch and tell what time the photo was taken. This book's author photo has his arms crossed and his left wrist is covered.
Book Six
Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs. I tried the first novel and it was not for me. I think Reichs was on a BBC radio channel last week. I remember hearing a blurb about her and I think it was a BBC channel. Yep, she was on World Book Club. That's neat. Recihs author photo has her wearing a sweater. I wonder if that sweater is cotton, maybe it is silk. I suppose it could be rayon.
Rooms by Lauren Oliver. Hoarding hermit dies and family comes to his house for inheritance, the building's ghosts observe.
Book Two
The Day the Streets Stood Still by JaQuavis Coleman. I have not bought much "street lit" before because I figured "Will this book sit and gather dust in small town Wisconsin? Will local readers relate and read something about a black guy drug dealer in the city?". Yeah, because people in small town Wisconsin have so much in common with a 6'5" ex-Army officer who roams the U.S. solving mysteries and rescuing women in trouble, beats people up and kills others, and has sex with police women in every novel. If people read the Jack Reacher series why wouldn't they read this one?
Book Three
Lost Key by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison. I'm not sure if this is a new author photo for Coulter. The photo feels very familiar but I am wondering if it is a different shot from the same photography session. Coulter's photo fills the back cover, Ellison's photo is a tiny one on the inside of the dust jacket.
Book Four
Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen. People here sure do like Johansen's books. I have not read one. Right now I am skipping library books and working my way through all the books I own but have never read. I have 10-15 87th Precinct novels at home. What I should do is collect all those novels and read them in order. I won't.
Book Five
Burn by James Patterson Amalgamated Writing Industries and Michael Ledwidge. How do you pronounce Ledwidge? Patterson used to have author photos where you could see his watch and tell what time the photo was taken. This book's author photo has his arms crossed and his left wrist is covered.
Book Six
Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs. I tried the first novel and it was not for me. I think Reichs was on a BBC radio channel last week. I remember hearing a blurb about her and I think it was a BBC channel. Yep, she was on World Book Club. That's neat. Recihs author photo has her wearing a sweater. I wonder if that sweater is cotton, maybe it is silk. I suppose it could be rayon.
Friday, October 03, 2014
Pistols, Canadians, Lansdales, and Weirdness
DVD
Phantom of the Paradise starring Paul Williams, ['70s people]. Max Allan Collins likes this flick and wrote about it on his webpage. I figured, "What the heck" and ordered this new release. Directed by Brian DePalma.
Down to the Dirt starring [Canadians]. Adaptation of Joel Hynes's novel of a drunken layabout in Newfoundland who hides his poetry and finds a lady friend. (I couldn't find a decent trailer, but this came up when I searched.)
Training to Win by Ben Stoeger. USPSA winning shooter from Eua Claire makes a DVD and poses with crossed arms on the back cover. Tips and training techniques to improve your shooting and shave time off your shooting stages. There are two trailer for this one. The first is informative and second is fancy.
Christmas With the Dead starring [Texans] and Kasey Lansdale. Adaptation of a Joe R. Lansdale story by Lansdale's son, Keith. A guy is out to have Christmas in June no matter how many zombies get in the way.
Bonus Musical Interlude
Joe R. Lansdale was plugging his daughter Kasey's new music video. We have the CD here at the library.
Phantom of the Paradise starring Paul Williams, ['70s people]. Max Allan Collins likes this flick and wrote about it on his webpage. I figured, "What the heck" and ordered this new release. Directed by Brian DePalma.
Down to the Dirt starring [Canadians]. Adaptation of Joel Hynes's novel of a drunken layabout in Newfoundland who hides his poetry and finds a lady friend. (I couldn't find a decent trailer, but this came up when I searched.)
Training to Win by Ben Stoeger. USPSA winning shooter from Eua Claire makes a DVD and poses with crossed arms on the back cover. Tips and training techniques to improve your shooting and shave time off your shooting stages. There are two trailer for this one. The first is informative and second is fancy.
Christmas With the Dead starring [Texans] and Kasey Lansdale. Adaptation of a Joe R. Lansdale story by Lansdale's son, Keith. A guy is out to have Christmas in June no matter how many zombies get in the way.
Bonus Musical Interlude
Joe R. Lansdale was plugging his daughter Kasey's new music video. We have the CD here at the library.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Godzilla is my Neighbor
DVD
Godzilla starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen. Big animal destroys a city.
Neighbors starring Seth Rogen, Zach Efron, Rose Byrne. Neighbors quarrel.
Godzilla starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen. Big animal destroys a city.
Neighbors starring Seth Rogen, Zach Efron, Rose Byrne. Neighbors quarrel.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Music, Talking, and Skeleton. With Musc!
Paperback Mystery
Skeleton Takes a Box by Leigh Perry. I could not recall why I ordered this but found my notes that say, "Recommended by [Bill] Crider." Well, there you go.
Audiobook on CD
Off the Sidelines: raise your voice, change the world by Kirsten Gillibrand. 6.5 hours on 6 CDs. Lame subtitle. Is this the autobio where she mentions the nitwits in Senate who commented to her on her weight and looks? Let me check...yep, this is the book.
Music That At One Time Was More Widely Available On Magnetic Tape Enclosed Inside a Small Plastic Case But Is Now Digitally Encoded Onto a Flat Disc
Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers. Canadians play music and sing songs.
Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin. Englishmen play music and sing songs on remastered album.
Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin. Englishmen play more music and sing more songs on remastered album.
Skeleton Takes a Box by Leigh Perry. I could not recall why I ordered this but found my notes that say, "Recommended by [Bill] Crider." Well, there you go.
Audiobook on CD
Off the Sidelines: raise your voice, change the world by Kirsten Gillibrand. 6.5 hours on 6 CDs. Lame subtitle. Is this the autobio where she mentions the nitwits in Senate who commented to her on her weight and looks? Let me check...yep, this is the book.
Music That At One Time Was More Widely Available On Magnetic Tape Enclosed Inside a Small Plastic Case But Is Now Digitally Encoded Onto a Flat Disc
Brill Bruisers by The New Pornographers. Canadians play music and sing songs.
Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin. Englishmen play music and sing songs on remastered album.
Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin. Englishmen play more music and sing more songs on remastered album.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)