My daughter found one of my favorite out-of-print books on Ebay. I've always loved Ruth Doan MacDougall and I read her "Wife and Mother" back in college. I've been on the look for it for years, but copies on Amazon were quite expensive. She found me a hard cover on Ebay for about $18 and I was thrilled.

The books is about a college girl who goes out with a guy a few times, gets drunk on one of their dates, and ends up pregnant. In the years before women had any choices, she is devastated. However, the boy is honorable and wants to marry her.

The book is about how their life together evolves, two people that start out as strangers, spending their lives together raising their son.

Hard as Nails is the third Joe Kurtz novel by the eclectic author Dan Simmons. The previous two were Hard Freeze and Hard Case but this one stands alone.

The protagonist, Joe Kurtz, is a Buffalo area former PI who has more than a little in common with such fictional heroes as Marlowe, Marv (from Sin City), Mike Hammer, or Burke. He is a former PI because as an ex-con he can't have a PI license. He is an ex-con because he did 11 years in Attica for killing a Mafia ranking member who murdered his partner. Once in prison he managed to make enemies of Black Muslims, white power types and of course organized crime adherents. But Kurtz is not so easy to kill.

As the book opens Kurtz is walking his parole officer to her car when both of them are shot. As Kurtz and his parole officer have any number of enemies with long memories the list of suspects is pretty large.

This list includes the feuding heads of two upstate NY mafia families, each of whom assure Kurtz that if they wanted him dead he would have been.

Like any good noir hero Kurtz has his share of femme fatales, including a former girlfriend /police detective who wants to either arrest him or marry him and the aforementioned head of one of the Mafia groups (think Lucrezia Borgia as a young woman).

Silly but fun, this book wasn't quite as good as the first two.

I thought that The sea was wet as wet could be was a pretty good horror story based on of all things , the Walrus and The Carpenter. It's a short story. I was surprised to discover it was written way back in the sixties. It's aged pretty well. If interested, read it here

I have just blasted through a book i found in the library.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF BUSH:THE DELUSIONS OF THE NEOCONSERVATIVES AND AMERICAN ARMAGEDDON by a chap called Craig Unger.

Now my grasp of US politics is only general of course but this fella doesn't pull any punches. I presume he is a Democrat but if what he claims is true it is scary stuff. Not so much Mr. Bush who he portrays as a genial if ultimately gormless buffoon, but more the cronies who he pulled into power alongside him. Just reading about some of these guys made the skin crawl on my neck.

Of course i understand this may just be a biased view from the author but it was a damn good read!

PERFECT SOLDIERS: THE 9/11 HIJACKERS: WHO THEY WERE, WHY THEY DID IT.

This has been my first and only 9/11 book that I've read and purchased. The reason I was interested in this one the most was because I wanted to know more about the hijackers. What could possibly drive these people to commit such a heinous act? The writer Terry McDermott does an EXCELLENT job with his research and presentation of information. If you ever wanted to know more about the hijackers and what drove them to the acts committed on 9/11, I would recommend this book.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.

The Old Man's still got it. Just released in hardcover this is a collection of four short stories, really novellas, that all center around secrets and revenge. It is very grim so be forewarned.

The first story, 1922 concerns a dispute between a Nebraska farmer and his wife over what to do with some inherited land. The next, Big Driver details the risks to writers who take last minute speaking engagements. The third, Fair Extension updates the Needful Things motif, and the last one, A Good marriage will likely be especially enjoyed (perhaps "understood" is a better word) by those people who have been married for decades and are still alternately happy and disturbed that there are things about their spouse that they don't know.

As an aside 1922 has a HUGE helping of regret, so much so that I could not help but be reminded of what I think of as King's greatest short story, The Last Rung on the Ladder. How appropriate then (and I didn't pickup on this until it was pointed out to me ) that 1922 is set in the same town as The Last Rung on the Ladder.

In the afterword King takes a few shots at unnamed writers who write for money as well as literary snobs. A bit off putting perhaps but he deserves his indulgences I guess. As he writes he takes what he does very seriously indeed and has no patience with those who don't.

All of these stories are worthwhile. Get the book.

"1922" is also set in the same town occupied by Mother Abigail from "The Stand". I love when King goes back to revisit locations.

I think that "A Good Marriage" was my favorite. It was very well done, wonderfully written, couldn't put that one down.

ZODIAC

One of the best books I've ever read. Period. I'd seen the movie a few times and wanted to read the book to see how faithful they were to it; and Fincher does a great job at staying true to the book. This is incredibly well researched and presented to the reader. You actually feel like you're there while it is all happening. So much information is tangled into which victims actually belonged to the Zodiac, which ones were copycats, which ones had zero connections at all. Robert Graysmith does a fantastic job shifting through the piles of information and presents a "Zodiac journal" if you will. If you're a fan of the movie or are just interested more in this subject matter, I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. It's an interesting take on families in England, the US, Russia, Wales, and Germany in the time prior to WW1 and goes through the war and the Russian revolution. He is planning on writing more - this is called the first in the "Century" trilogy.

Just finished "Room." Brilliant.

Don Marco, I bought it, but haven't tackled it yet. I was saving it for a vacation. My brother is reading it and loved it.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

I watched the movie and wanted to compare it with the book. The movie was pretty dead on with the book. They left out a few things here and there (nothing of great substance). It read as easily as the movie flowed. A good read, but you could save yourself the time and just watch the film.

found a book at work which i didn't think i would like but gave it a whirl anyways cos i pride myself on my willingness to try any tome.

THE HISTORY OF LOVE by Nicole Krauss. Like it i did, very much. A quirky,funny,sad tale of love,loss and lonlieness all mixed up with Jewish culture. Very very good!

NEW YORK: THE NOVEL, by EDWARD RUTHERFURD

One of the most amazing books I have ever read. Sometimes, historical fiction can be dull and boring, but this book's 860 pages flew by like no book I have read before.

The story follows the lives of the descendants of the (fictional) van Dyck and Master families over three centuries of New York history. The story covers the days of New Amsterdam, when New York was a small, Native American fishing village, to when the British took over, through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the Draft Riots, the explosion of immigration in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the great Depression, all the way up to the tragedy of September 11 (plus an epilogue in 2009). The novel is incredibly well researched, the characters are well-developed and interesting, and unlike some of the other historical novels I have read, utterly fascinating. Informative, funny, and at times, heart wrenching, I cannot recommend this book enough. Definitely one of the best books I have ever read.

Wow, that's quite a recommendation. I'll have to check it out.

Thanks, X.

I finished it literally five minutes before I posted the recommendation. The book is full of the spirit that makes NYC such an amazing place. It felt like a crime not to recommend it.

Well, I love historical novels and I love books that take place in New York. It's a double natural for me.

You won't be disappointed. It has my personal Seal of Approval. Seriously, how could you argue with someone who's screen name is phonetically identical to "ecstasy"?

Speaking of historical novels, another one I read recently that I quite enjoyed was Dan Simmons' DROOD. For those who haven't read or heard of it, it is a fictional account of Charles Dickens' final years after the Staplehurst rail crash in 1865, as told by his close friend (and secret rival) Wilkie Collins. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Another Dan Simmons book I highly recommend is CARRION COMFORT, which is quite possibly the scariest book I have ever read, and for my money, certainly one of the best horror novels of the twentieth century. At it's core, it is a vampire novel, but not in the conventional sense. It deals with what the author classifies as "mind vampires", who have the ability to enter the minds of other people and force them to do their bidding. It doesn't sound terribly original today, but the author makes it work, and it is definitely worth reading for anyone looking for a good fright.

CHILD 44 - By TOM ROB SMITH

Description from the inner flap:

"There is no crime"

Stalin's Soviet Union strives to be a paradise for its workers, providing for all of their needs. One of its fundamental pillars is that its citizens live free from the fear of ordinary crime and criminals.

But in this society, millions do live in fear...of the State. Death is a whisper away. The mere suspicion of ideological disloyalty--owning a book from the decadent West, the wrong word at the wrong time--sends millions of innocents into the Gulags or to their executions. Defending the system from its citizens is the MGB, the State Security Force. And no MGB officer is more courageous, conscientious, or idealistic than Leo Demidov.

A war hero with a beautiful wife, Leo lives in relative luxury in Moscow, even providing a decent apartment for his parents. His only ambition has been to serve his country. For this greater good, he has arrested and interrogated.

Then the impossible happens. A different kind of criminal--a murderer--is on the loose, killing at will. At the same time, Leo finds himself denounced by his enemies, his world turned upside down, and every belief he's ever held shattered. The only way to save his life and the lives of his family is to uncover this criminal. But in a society that is officially paradise, it's a crime against the State to suggest that a murderer--much less a serial killer--is in their midst. Exiled from his home, with only his wife remaining at his side, Leo must find and stop a criminal that the State won't admit even exists.

This is a book that I happened to pick up by chance while glancing around the bargain section at my local Barnes & Noble. Based very loosely around the crimes of real life Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, the aspect of the book that hooked me the most was Stalin's view on crime in the USSR. "There is no crime." I've done my fair share of research on this era of Soviet history, and this book accurately portrays the brutality and paranoia of that era. People being arrested, interrogated, and subsequently executed or sent to the Gulag for something as simple as speaking against the State, or owning a book or publication from the West. If dissidence was suspected, no proof was needed. This theme is prevalent throughout the novel, and makes for seriously compelling reading. Part cautionary tale, part love story, part political intrigue, this is a thriller unlike any I have ever read. If you have even a passing interest in the Stalin-era USSR, or crime thrillers in general, check it out.

OIL

I read this because I loved THERE WILL BE BLOOD so much. However, if that's your intention for reading it, let me just stop you now. The movie is barely a reflection of the book. The first 2 chapters were similar and that's about it. The movie is about Daniel Planview, however the novel is more about his son and becoming a Communist. It's deals with oil and workers rights (more towards the later). Not a bad read but just not what I was expecting. Would not recommend if you were solely reading it to compare to THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

Savages by Don Winslow. He is also the author of "The Death and Life of Frankie Z" and "The Winter of Frankie Machine".

In some respects this picks up where his book "Power of the Dog" left off. He makes oblique references to a few of the events that took place in that book. However this book takes a different focus. It takes place in California. The protagonists are two twenty something former high school buddies, Ben and Chon and the girlfriend that they both share, Ophelia (better known as O). And yes she did earn that nickname.

Now the passive, liberal and guilt laden Ben and the right-wing, wired and cold Chon (he's an Iraq and Afghanistan SEAL veteran) have become Southern California's largest and most successful marijuana dealers. They have (at Ben's insistence) done this mostly non-violently, though there are times when Ben looks the other way while Chon does what needs to be done.

Now the Baja Cartel has decided that it needs to expand into retail marijuana sales. To this end it sends the two men a video showing the severed heads of men who DIDN'T listen to wise and generous merger offers.

When this fails to achieve the desired effect the Cartel kidnaps Ophelia to convice the duo to submit to a hostile takeover.

But Chon doesn't take kindly to threats and even non-violent Ben has some buttons you don't want to push. But how can two Americans outfight the Cartel?

Although this book got very good reviews in the NYT and from fellow writers Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, James Ellroy and Christopher Reich it sort of left me cold.

It wasn't BAD writing but in this book Winslow uses Ellroy's short direct punchy prose. There are lots of deliberate fragments, single verb sentences and so on.

If you like this cool. If not then it may give you a headache.

Also although Winslow teases with a Al Neri-like Cartel enforcer as an antagonist for the heroes, ultimately a lot of the story relies on the Cartel leaders and members being slightly less vicious and certainly much dumber than they are in real life. IRL organized crime cartel thugs kill people they think MIGHT be threats. They certainly don't wait around to find proof-especially if they don't even like the person under suspicion.

That or the triad relationship among O, Ben and Chon aside this was an okay book. I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as "The Winter of Frankie Machine" or "The Power of The Dog".

The new Dennis Lehane book MOONLIGHT MILE which is both a return to the Kenzie/Gennaro team and a sequel to the mighty GONE BABY GONE. Excellent read!

By the way guys, have read this and it is a top read!

Great book, Yogi. It had been 11 years since the last Kenzie-Gennaro novel, Lehane being so busy becoming a millionaire with the stand alone novels and film adaptations of "Mystic River" and "Shutter Island."

SPOILER ALERT:

"Moonlight Mile" was an excellent coda to the series. By the conclusion, it's clear that Patrick's days as a private investigator are over. But in a good way. Although, I did find the premise of the teenage girl being such a genius at identity theft a little far fetched. But hey, it's fiction, and very enetertaining at that!

Ground Zero by F. Paul Wilson.

This is another Repairman Jack book in the Adversary Series. The author is wrapping things up and as expected more supernatural elements start to intrude on Jack's life. Jack is an urban vigilante and possible chosen one to fight against the absorption of Earth into a multidimensional cosmic evil.

In this tale Wilson posits the idea that the 9-11 crime wasn't just done for the reasons given but that Al-Quaeda and its henchmen were manipulated into doing so by even more dangerous forces-forces that aren't of this world.

When one of Jack's old childhood friends starts to poke around the edges of this her life and more is put into danger. But Jack is not the sort of man to turn a back on a friend.

I wouldn't quite say the book is formulaic because Wilson is too skilled a writer for that. It was a fun read but it is indeed about time to bring the story to a close. This has a very heavy Lovecraft influence for those who enjoy such things. It can be read on its own without missing too much from the dozen or so books that came before it.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Sometimes a book's title and/or cover tells you exactly what the story is all about. This would be one of those times. Occasionally tongue-in-cheek and sometimes quite gory this book also owes a LOT to George RR Martin's Fevre Dream, written back in the 80's. Anyway it's fun and quite skillfully mixes historical fact with tremendous flights of fancy. Ultimately it's lightweight and a bit too satisfied with itself but it did deliver what it promised.

My girlfriend bought me a Barnes & Noble NOOK eReader as a belated birthday present yesterday. I've been hesitant to jump on the eReader bandwagon, but I gotta say, it's a pretty nifty little gadget. It's pretty cool having literally tens of thousands of books to browse through right in the palm of my hand. I like that I can download free samples of pretty much every book on there to get a small taste of what I'm getting into before I purchase. I also like the little touch screen strip at the bottom that allows me to view the book covers and scroll through the pages. Plus, up to 10 days of battery life is pretty incredible, too. I love it!

I got one a few months ago and I love it. I recently added (but haven't started yet) "New York" by Edward Rutherfurd, based on your recommendation.

What's the difference between an E-reader and a Kendle (sp)? Or are they the same.? When I was at jury duty several months ago, a lady next to me had a kendle and explained it to me. Sounds pretty nice.




TIS

An eReader is any device from which you can read a book. A Kindle is one type of eReader.