Daddy's Library
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Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch: Volume IBig Tad Williams fan. I got into him while I was in the army, when he released the first two books of his fantasy series “Memory, Sorrow & Thorn,” which was the best thing of it’s kind I’d read since “Lord of the Rings.” Years later, I devoured his massive, four-book series “Otherworld” (amazing). So far, this one’s right up there with the rest of his work. I am awestruck by his ability to create so many simultaneous plotlines, each of which suck you in and keep things moving at a pretty good clip.
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Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles: Winning For a LifetimeI’m pretty sure everybody enters into parenthood believing that they’re going to be able to improve upon the manner in which their own parents handled the inevitable power struggles that arise between parent and child, but I’m increasingly realizing that the only tool I learned to carry around in my conflict-resolution toolbox is a hammer. This book — like a couple others by Kurcinka that I’ve read — offers some insightful approaches that require some serious self evaluation. Given the stakes, it seems worth the effort.
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Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a TimeWonder Woman read this months ago, and told me I would enjoy it, as it was largely filled with tales about Eddie Van Halen (and we all know by now about me and Van Halen, right?). I flew through it in a couple of nights a while back … but never got around to adding it here. Easy read. She’s very engaging, and the Van Halen stuff would definitely be of interest to any VH fans out there.
My only in-person encounter with Valerie was on the day I spent at the studio on her and Eddie’s estate. She walked into the room I was in and said, “Where is he?” I had a pretty good idea who she meant, but I wasn’t crazy about being talked to like the hired help, so I said, “Where’s who?” “My husband,” she answered. “I have no idea,” I told her. And that was the sum total of my Valerie Bertinelli encounter. (Of course, based on all the bullshit she put up with from him for all those years, I can’t really blame her for being a bit grumpy.)
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So I’m a Chandler/Philip Marlowe fan now.
The library copy of “The Big Sleep” turned out to be a two-fer: “The Big Sleep” and “Farewell My Lovely” housed in the same binding.
I found myself squirming a bit because of the story’s overtly racist content. Originally published in 1940, the book predates the civil-rights movement and desegregation by a long shot. The casual throwing around of the N-word and other derogatory terms is a bit disconcerting … but it does make for a fascinating study of the period during which it was written.
Chandler doesn’t write with quite the same conciseness and clarity as Parker, but the similarities are clear. Still, this one felt like a bit more of an effort to read. I’m sure I’ll read the rest of Chandler’s stuff, but I could use a break after lumbering through this one.
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One of the only books Robert B. Parker has authored that I haven’t read is “Perchance to Dream,” which is billed as a sequel to Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep.”
From the first page, it’s clear what an influence Chandler had on Parker. Chandler’s Los Angeles-based P.I. (Philip Marlowe) is the 1930s version of Parker’s Boston P.I. (Spenser). The two authors’ writing styles are almost indiscernible.
Thoroughly enjoyed the book, and that enjoyment was enhanced by the added quirk of reading something from a different era, complete with all the pop-culture references and ultra-dated expressions of the day. Reading it felt like watching a classic black-and-white film. Pretty sure I’ll be reading all of Chandler’s novels now.
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My sister gave me this book a long time ago, and several weeks thereafter, the author, Richard Marinick—an ex-state trooper/ex-bank robber/ex-convict—spoke at my local library. I attended, and he autographed the book for me. Felt kinda obligated to read it after that.
It’s another Boston-based crime drama. Good plot development; intricate stuff written by someone who lived on both sides of the law. Hampered by clunky dialogue, and particularly hamstrung by a lack of likable characters; the protagonist is a pretty evil prick. Not sure if I’m going to read Marinick’s follow-up.
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Yes, I recently went on a Robert B. Parker tear. I normally read each of his books as soon as they are released, but I fell a bit behind … which was OK with me; it was kinda nice to read three of his works back-to-back without having to wait.
This one’s the latest in Parker’s Jesse Stone series, the only series he writes in the third-person as opposed to first-person. He does both equally well. This one was particularly good.
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I love a good western, and I love anything written by Parker. This is the third in Parker’s Old West series featuring the characters Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. (The first, “Appaloosa,” was made into a well-received film starring Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, which I plan to watch oh-so soon.) Thumbs up.
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I’ve read just about everything Robert B. Parker has published, to include all of the “Spenser” books. Fast-paced, snappy, funny, and always a quick read. Generally finish his books in two sittings.
The premise of this one was more far-fetched than usual, but I wasn’t looking for realism; I was looking for escapism … and Parker delivered, as always.
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It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed MargaritaI live in Bloggerland, and in Bloggerland, this book is required reading. You know, not that I have a vested interest in learning how someone makes the leap from blogging to publishing a memoir or anything.
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A big, fat, aesthetically pleasing hardcover novel set in Boston circa World War I that revolves around cops and baseball and criminal activity and the North End. Say no more; I’m in.
Great book. The way in which Lehane braids together his fictional tale and a factual, historical account of the period in which the story is set is masterful.
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