New flavor Ben & Jerry's

"Yummy Chummy Rummy."

LIVE AND LET DIE

Fleming goes into more depth and detail in his second Bond book, however I've never cared for this story (movie or book). I don't find the voodooism and in this story, buried treasury, to be particularly interesting.

Listen up dames and palookas this here book is the real deal. It's got dozens of stories written by Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Harlan Ellison, Paul Cain and lesser known writers set in a bygone time when men were men, women were women and there was nothing that couldn't be settled with either hot lead or a cold drink.

So don't be hinky about what I'm telling you. Run over to your local bookseller and get your mitts on it. It's about twice the size of the telephone book so it'll take you a while to get through it. For the slow readers there's even a comic about a detective twist named "Sally the Sleuth", that seems to get herself in all kinds of trouble.

And like I said, it's often entertaining writing. I'm on the square. I'm not just stringing you along for a sucker. So don't be a weak sister on this. Wise up and make sure that if you like old school crime stories you check this out. If you don't, I'll get sore.
Savvy???

Great stuff, Lilo. Without Chandler and Hammett, there's no Elmore Leonard or George V. Higgins. Ya' dig?

Just read THE TURNAROUND by George Pelecanos. Another great piece of work by this man who can do no wrong for me. Excellent!

Told ya' .

I just finished The Strain by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro. It's a vampire novel. Del Toro is also a movie director who is probably best known for the Hellboy franchise, Pan's Labyrinth, Blade II and Mimic. Chuck Hogan wrote Prince of Thieves.

So I had high hopes for this book. It was middling. It really was like reading a very thinly hidden rewrite of Blade II, right down to the description of the vampires, the hidden vampire council, and even the embittered vampire hunter.

This is the first in a trilogy but it doesn't really need to be a trilogy. It's worthwhile as paperback, but not fullprice hardcover.

I thought THE STRAIN was pretty great, actually. It was a clever take on the mythology of vampires, and it genuinely creeped me out in parts. I can't wait for the THE FALL.

I finished reading Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL last week. An excellent, fast-paced thriller that is even better than THE DA VINCI CODE.

I'm currently reading THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE.

X!!! How's Cali?? Still loving it??

Hey SB!! It's been a while, huh?

Overall, I still love California. There are some things that bug me, like EVERY FREAKIN' DRIVER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! Statistically, California has the worst drivers in the nation (actually I don't know if that's true or not, but from my observations...) lol

In all seriousness though, life is great. Life is busy, what with work and school, and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life. But I couldn't be happier (well, maybe if I was rich...)

X,

Where in SoCal are you?

And the drivers...LMAO You are so right. A couple sprinkles and the freeway comes to a standstill. I've been here so long I hope I'm not one of the pain in the ass drivers.

Sorry for getting off topic


TIS

Hi TIS!

My girlfriend and I live in Fullerton. She is currently enrolled at CalState Fullerton, and I'm attending Fullerton College.

So glad to hear that you're doing well, XD. Please stop in and see us more often.

And to segue back to topic, my brother and I are both reading books that the other wants. I'm reading Pat Conroy's "South of Broad" and he's reading the new Brown book. After we're both done, we're going to switch. He likes it so far, so I'm glad to hear another endorsement.

The horror novel "Deeper" by James Moore is a homage to HP Lovecraft's "Shadow over Innsmouth" but it stands alone for those people that never read anything by HPL.

It's about a New England yacht owner/fisherman who agrees to take some archaeologists and paranormal experts out over a reef where some strange occurrences happened during the Revolutionary War and during the twenties. Of course they don't tell him everything and tragic supernatural things happen again.

The book was short and to the point, which is something unusual these days. Worthwhile.

I read World War Z and The Year of the Flood last week. Both apocolyptic novels that paint a very bleak future.

"The Scourge of God" by William Dietriech.
"The Pride of Carthage" by David Anthony Durham.

Both are great historical novels set during different times of the Roman Empire.

Dietrich's book happens during the time of Attila and through the eyes of Byzantine historian/soldier/intellectual tells of the intrigues and plans that lead up to the cataclysmic battle of Chalons and his reluctant involvement.

Durham's book takes place during the Second Punic War during the time of Hannibal. It's an exciting read-especially the battle of Cannae. It's mostly told in third person.

MOONRAKER

The first James Bond novel that I actually enjoyed more than the film. We FINALLY are told M's first name and I just felt the story was more interesting than the James Bond Star Wars-esque film of the 1970s. Plus the villain is a former Nazi (the novel being written only 10 years after the end of the war), which again, I found more interesting than a man who wants to start a superior race in space. Finally, the end had a nice twist to it.

I just finished Pat Conroy's "South of Broad". I love Conroy's writing. He truly is one of the great Southern writers, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this long-awaited novel. His love affair with the low country of South Carolina is apparent, and I almost immediately wanted to hop on a plane to see Charleston for myself. However, the book struck me as a pale imitation of his "Beach Music". Some of the characters just seemed carbon copies of the characters in that earlier work, and some of the dialogue was a bit stilted and unrealistic.

However, give me weak Pat Conroy over almost any other writer any day.

I also read "The Scarlet Letter" to help my daughter in English class. I try to read whatever she's required to read so that we can discuss it. Why oh why is this book still required?? I appreciate the theme of a repressive and sexist society and how wrong it is, but is there no other book that can give the kids that?? UGH!

I love this book, and relaize I'm in the minority. But if I had to make a "Mt. Rushmore" list of the four greatest American novels, I'd include it. I thought it artfully weaved multiple strong themes in a compelling manner. I actually find that most people consider it dull and drawn out. So I may be a little weird.

I think Hester is a wonderful, strong, female character, and I wish I could enjoy this book more because of that. I just can't.

Ian Rankin has written a few books I like. It took me forever to figure out what a Lorry was.

Lorry as in truck?

yeah semi truck...

Just read Hammer Glamour by Marcus Hearn. This is a coffee table photo essay book that details in bold color most of the starlets of the British horror/sci-fi studio Hammer Films. It includes previously unpublished studio/promotional photographs, interviews, lots of behind the scenes info and "where are they now" updates.

Growing up in the seventies and eighties I got to see Hammer Films replayed on local TV shows "Creature Feature", "Sir Graves Ghastly" and "Thriller".

A large part of the Hammer attraction , besides the sets, outre storylines and seemingly lavish productions was the heroines or damsels in distress. This included such women as Ingrid Pitt, Caroline Munro, Joanna Lumley, Natassia Kinski, Kate O'Mara, Ursula Andress, Madeleine Smith and Raquel Welch.
This is a great book for any fan of Hammer films or horror movies in general. They don't make horror movies like Hammer any more.

And did I mention that the book is full of beautiful women?

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

Just finished "The Lion's Game," by Nelson DeMille. Libyan terrorists, Kennedy airport, lots of Americans killed in an act of terrorism. Fast paced and serious, but comical at times, too, due to the first person narrative of the wiseass Fed telling the story. What's creepy is that this book came out a year before the 9/11 attacks. A little too long, with an unsatisfying ending, but I enjoyed it for the most part.

Already picked up "Under the Dome," by Stephen King. Probably gonna wait till after Thanksgiving because it's 1100 pages and I have people staying with me for the holiday week, so I don't want my concentration broken.

Meanwhile, I'm reading "Ford County," John Grisham's new short story collection (his first ever). Short stories are perfect for when I can't really dedicate my mind fully to a long book.

I am nearly finished with "Hit Me Fred: Recollections of a Sideman" by legendary trombonist Fred Wesley. Wesley played with such stars as Ike and Tina Turner, Hank Ballard, Count Basie, Bootsy and the Rubber Band, George Clinton &Parliament-Funkadelic, EWF, Curtis Mayfield but of course is most famous for his work with James Brown on such tunes as "Doing it to Death", "Hot Pants", "Say it Loud(I'm Black and I'm Proud)" and many many others. Wesley also was Brown's primary arranger and musical director as well as co-writer on a few songs.

Wesley states that he does not hate James Brown but didn't always like being around him. There's definitely some score settling here as Wesley pulls back the curtain and shares information of both a personal and musical nature that may make some look at Brown in a different light.

Wesley also points out that for better or worse Brown was like a musical father and made Wesley a better person, despite the fact that Wesley did not then and does not now agree with Brown's methods. Wesley also admits that whatever it had to take to be a star Brown had it while Wesley didn't- despite Wesley's musical knowledge. And Wesley is as hard on himself as he is on Brown and other people with whom he did not always get along.

This is really a fun read and gives a tour of the rock-and-roll, soul and funk scenes from the fifties thru the eighties. It was published a few years before Brown's passing.

"James Brown's organ playing was just good enough to fool the casual listener and just horrible enough to make a real musician sick"...Fred Wesley.

Just finished CALIFORNIA FIRE AND LIFE by Don Winslow. Very good book this, involving the Russian mob and crooked insurance companies and lots of arsonists!

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

The film was somewhat faithful to the novel but in some parts is WAY off. Not a bad story. I think I like the ending on the boat in the novel better as opposed to the film. The novels seem more realistic while the films somewhat glamorize things, which I believe takes away from Fleming's original intent and the Bond character himself.