Geeked For Books

Why I can't stop writing.

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:17:00 +0000

I've been trying to quit like writing was a carcinogen. I feel writing takes the majority of my priority list and squeezes the life from it. There's Family, then everything else, and on the else is where my writing worm seems to dine.

This would all be forgivable and even humorous if I knew I had some type of future, but I don't--along with millions of other writers out here; we've got no promise to believe this will lead to monetary compensation. And that's where things get hazy for me.

I'm overweight, career-stunted, and own an older home with more work than Elephant's Man's plastic surgeon could stack up. I got a two year old, a hot wife, and a family we're in contact with whom I'd actually like to spend time with, a desire to play pick-up basketball, and to play a few PS3 games as well as catch up on some Turner classic movies. All of these things, besides the family, get blasted out of proportion when I get the worm really digging in my brain.

When I'm focused on a story or character, my brain transforms into this elated state and I eat. Man, I eat. I'm an emotional eater, so when I got a story to tell I just wolf down, playing the scenes out in my mind mid-chew. This has led to some problems, to say the least.

So, I've quit writing several times over the last five years. And after a brief period of not writing, I begin to get what the kids would call: "jacked up in the head." My house seems smaller when I don't write--my job seems like a solitary torture cell. I can't think straight unless I'm creating something on page. And that's why I write. You can keep your fame and your million dollar advances; I'm just trying to keep my brain inside my head.

Why do you write?

A Study in Scarlet

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:13:00 +0000

This is the beginning, the Genesis of the Sherlock Holmes mythology: A Study in Scarlet.

There's a part of this novel, novella really (this clocks in at just over 40,000 words), where the story shifts continents to present a tale of survival in a desert. This is really when the story begins to pick up steam, when the back story come to life--which is just as interesting, and even more suspenseful than the main thread.

A Study in Scarlett starts with the two famous characters meeting--something I had never read before and the genesis of both characters is fulfilling and moves the mythology and story along.

Spoiler/Warning: There is a section in this book which is tough on particular practices of the Mormon faith in the early history of that religion, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle goes to task against the group for sanctioning it and perpetuating polygamy. This may be hard to swallow for most Mormons, not that polygamy is wrong but the light that Brigham Young is painted in by the author.

A great start to the mythology, and well worth a read for anyone interested in crime/mystery and the singular genius of the Sherlock Holmes.

This short novel can be found in a lot of the compilations of Sherlock Holmes stories. If you have no experience reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books--this is the one to start with.

A Farewell to an Ending

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:39:00 +0000

I get Hemingway, I really do. Sometimes, as a reader, you want to leave behind all that is not essential. You want to drop-kick the semi-colons, paragraph-long sentences, and overly descriptive lists right in the neck meat and get to the story.

So my problem, unlike others, is not with the style of A Farewell to Arms, but more the plot. Climax is important--I don't care what anyone says. If you don't think a book should be leading up to something greater than anything seen previously in that same book, then you need to be reading the obit page in your local paper.

I'm not going to add anything to the canon of criticism of A Farewell to Arms, but I will say this: if you're interested in digesting some Hemingway, go for The Old Man and the Sea, a novella that packs some punch and takes you somewhere.

The death of joy does not end a book well, in my warped opinion.

Odd Dean Koontz and Odd Hours

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:24:00 +0000

Cover of Odd Hours

Odd Hours is now out on paperback and was released last year. It's the story of a hero who can see dead people. The hero, Odd, has an instinctual sense that leads him towards plots of great doom. There he attempts to thwart said plots while speaking to dead celebrities.

I need to take a moment and discuss my relationship with Dean Koontz and his beloved character Odd before I get into the review.

After college I jumped into a heavily emotional disturbing career--I'm still there actually. I was recently married and with some financial struggles I was truly stressed. I picked up Odd Thomas from a drugstore and read it at home after my wife would crash nightly. I loved this book.

I didn't see it for anything more than what it was--a great character in a heavy, swift moving plot. The humor was there, the execution, the evil of the antagonists seemed ever-present.

Simply put: Odd Thomas made me read fiction again. Weird huh? It had been years since I had traveled out of my main love, history, but Odd Thomas did it. I them jumped to other Koontz, earlier Koontz, King, and then on to some classics. I started writing again. Odd Thomas was a catalyst for the 23 year old me and fiction. And for that I look on Koontz fondly.

But for what he's done since I wish I could throw a handful of poop at him. It's hard to put into words what's changed, but it's not. Over the last three installments, especially the second and fourth, Koontz has taken a large story and turned it into micro-installments of the hero--Odd Hours only chronicling several hours of Odd's day. In a way, I understand the sentiment, or maybe a desire for a ratcheted suspense level, but on the other side of that, Koontz once gave us a buffet of awesomeness, and now he's happy to throw us a gnawed on biscuit.

And that's not to say that the presence of evil hasn't grown in the subsequent stories. The first book was about stopping a mall shooting and the latest is about stopping (spoiler) a ship with a nuclear warhead.

But given a limited story line, a limited setting in the book, the character Odd Thomas simply ceases to work. Odd's humor becomes campy and the interactions with new characters seem forced. When a scene, such as the one where Odd is hiding underneath a pier, takes as long as it does in Odd Hours--the whole story becomes daunting. But that's what a writer has to do when he focuses on a plot that is supposed to be a day long. It doesn't work with this world, this mythology.

Odd Hours is left with an open ending, a promise of a new trek, and for the readers' sake, I hope Dean takes his time with this one and shells out a large chunk of life story centering on Odd's powers, bodarks, anything substantive and long lasting.

1984--Geek Conspirators Unite.

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:17:00 +0000

This is another classic that I'm way too late on. And for that, I apologize. But I'll not apologize for reviewing it here. I listened to the audio version recently and was hooked into the story--it was gravitational.

You often hear 1984's lasting terms in today's society, as it will always be so. Big Brother, a television show I've never watched but an idea hatched from this book is a good example. Then there is The Satellite of Love, off of MST3K, a Satellite that has nothing to do with love but with scientific torture--a direct nod to the book's fictitious government buildings.

There are countless others, but to focus on the terms used in today's buzz worthy society would be exhausting. Not only does this book create an appropriate paranoid view of those in power, it's simply good. This book is a literary masterpiece, no matter the message. The sentence structure of Orwell and his ability to use transparent, fluid language is astounding. For a writer, it's almost distressing to read such work. How can one ever attain this magnitude of a story?

Conspirators use this book often as a curb to excess government involvement in the public's life. It would be hard to say what Orwell thought about each group groping for quotes for their own advancement, but I think he said it best in the book, when he coupled socialism with its ugly cousin, fascism. I don't think Orwell was denouncing all socialism, but simply stating that it was a vehicle in which many could be abused.

Minor spoiler ahead--one paragraph long:

In reading 1984, I hoped that the story of Winston Smith would end well. I really did. But in hindsight, that would have lacerated the entire idea of the story's message, its warning. Orwell couldn't let us off with a rosy ending because he knew that this world he had created on page, Ingsoc, had no rosy ending. It's quite difficult seeing the character break down like he does, but it sheds the light on any romantic idea of resisting torture.

The abuses of power almost seem comical at times. However they never leave the realm of possibility--it's not a parody of what can come but a prophetic vision.

If you have not read it, go and get it. Learn from it. It may not be too late for us.

"The thing that is in room 101 is the worst thing in the world."

Geeked For Books on True Grit

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:38:00 +0000

"By God girl, that's a Colt Dragoon, why you're no bigger than a corn nubbin. What are you doing with all that pistol?"

I figured that after 40 years, people would be really interested in my review of this Western. Possibly not.

Although, I can't remember liking a book this much, at least in over a year.

Image via Wikipedia

And after reading the review at the end of the novel by the editor, and then reading some reviews online, I feel that this will be a different take entirely.

Many feminists uphold Matty Ross, the 14 year old narrator and main character of True Grit, as a shining example of women taking charge, and I agree with that completely. However I will not go on with their second observation of Matty Ross, that she's a dogmatic tragic person, who's restrained by her faith and judgment.

Matty Ross, or Charles Portis writing as Matty Ross, speaks with such a wit, and such a non-compromising eye, that it would be difficult to get over her observations if you did not have the same faith. The faith not only in a grace providing Savior, but a faith in the essence of good vs. evil, black and white, and that there are dues to pay for your sins.

It's Matty's fundamentalism that drives her--that makes her free to take on the world. It's quite liberating to stand for something.

In the story, Matty enlists Rooster Cogburn to track down the man who killed her father in the streets of Fort Smith. Rooster, who plays the ying to Matty's yang--a drunkard, slob, and overall cantankerous U.S. Marshall.

Without spoiling anything, if you haven't seen the film starring John Wayne, Matty, Cogburn and a Texas Ranger track a train robber giving shelter to the killer. It's a story of bravery, of an old confederate soldier without a war to fight.

The dialogue in the book is its force, straight out of the south and written with great humor. It's hard to find books that genuinely make you laugh out loud--no matter how crazy you look at Subway while eating you five dollar footlong.

There's a final battle scene that was not only well portrayed in the 1968 film, but lifted directly from the page to screen. "I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man."

The film's ending is not directly lifted, however. The movie had to go more Holly-wood. There's a hard bitter-sweet ending that's appropriate but not any easier to take. That being said, I'll be looking forward to reading this again. It's a book I feel that I can recommend to anybody, even my stylist--who's pretty picky.

Old Man's War

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:29:00 +0000

John Scalzi took some ideas from well known sci-fi authors, threw in some tweaks, ratcheted up the action and poured it out on the pages of Old Man's War.

The premise is a great one: at age 75, you have the option of joining the military. Once there you begin a process that allows you to fight as a young man /woman again, yet with the experience and emotional intelligence of a wise AARP member.

I don't want to go too deep, for those who choose to read great books instead of letting this idiot spoil them, but know that the book deals a good deal with conscious transferring, a very interesting theoretical process.

Themes of the book get pretty adult at times, so this is not for the little ones. The action in the book is fast, and the pace of the latter half is almost dizzying. Races of alien are blasted through by human troops engineered to be fighting machines. There is a overlying love story which leads to the later book (so I'm told) and all in all: this was a promising installment in the now trilogy of Scalzi's.

I look forward to reading Ghost Brigades and The Lost Colony soon.

If you're a military sci-fi fan, then this is a must read. If you are a sci-fi lover in general, then plop down the cash--it will be well spent.

Our Ink On Deathly Hallows.

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:54:00 +0000

If you’ve gone this far with Harry Potter, then you’re so invested in the characters and the outcome that it didn’t matter if Rowling wrote down a book consisting of nothing but the grocery list of Filch, you’d still eat it up.

Fortunately, Rowling didn’t give us any fluff and delivered on a great ending to one of the greatest literary series of all time. The reviews were mixed when this book first came out, and there was some speculation that this was mainly due to the shortage of advanced copies, and the fact that people actually had to read it in a set amount of time and give their thoughts on it quickly. They had to work.

But they shouldn’t have been mixed because you couldn’t ask for anything more with this finale. There was a complex plot, with our three heroes rummaging through the scenes of the series that we all know so well. There were twists, losses, gains, and a great epilogue.

If you are mad at the ending, know this: this isn’t Cormac McCarthy. Rowling isn’t looking to beat the millions of kids who grew up reading her books over the head. She ended it the exact way it needed to be done.

My wife and I enjoyed reading the book and we felt at a loss when it was all said and done. Like old friends, the characters had become a part of our lives, and now we have no knowledge of what will beset them in the future.

If Rowling ever does get the bug to write either a prequel or the continuing history of the Hogwarts students, then no one could blame her; as we would all secretly be hoping for such unabashed gluttony as well. But she did the right thing while ending it on top. People want more, but the story is told.

The plot (spoilers):

The search for the remaining horcruxes continues, and there is some sense of being overwhelmed in this trek, as even getting towards the end of the book, it doesn’t seem like this is an attainable goal. With 1/6th of the book left, there were truly no tied up ends, and every thing was still on the platter. And in retrospect, I think this was a good thing. By dawning the final battle out over half the book, it would have been hard to keep the reader’s interest with the constant large scale action.

Dumbledore, although dead, still has his presence known in the story, and is key in the final developments between the showdown between Voldermort and Harry Potter.

And the end, reading about how everyone has grown up and now living adult lives, this leaves you with the taste for more. To know that there is still a need for aurors is enough to want more tales. But this is the way it should be. If Harry had grown up and had nothing to do but twiddle his thumbs, then he would be one depressed wizard.

One final note: There was something I picked up on while reading the book, particularly this one out of the series. We were only given the information that Harry had, throughout the book, and that was frustrating at times but in total it gave us a sense of wonderment about the things that happened. The scenes never jumped to dark side and their plans, but we had to witness what Harry witnessed to put the pictures together. It was great story telling.

Out Ink on Prisoner 24601's story

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Les Miserables, originally pulped in 1862, has inspired dozens of films, one of the most successful Broadway plays of all time, plays, radio dramas, and even video games, but can it still inspire your heart when read today?

I picked up this Barnes and Noble edition at one of their sales, never before reading this book, and wanting to get some classics into my reading queue.

Les Miserables is a blast, the characters are bigger than life, and Jean Valjean is a symbolic representation of redemption, of leading an upright life though the world drags you down at every turn.

This is an abridged version, and even so, parts of it aren’t an easy read. Hugo mixes in philosophy, religion, politics, and even life lessons into his narrative, and at times this was great and other times it was difficult for me to trudge through. However, the book has a great story at the heart of it.

My favorite line: “Love each other foolishly, for the foolishness of man is the wisdom of God.”

This book is vast in what it covers: honor, war, nobility, neglect, poverty, thievery, inter-family conflict, love, and faith.

Hugo has a wit to him. As I am trying to get through some of these well known classics, I notice that this is a common thing. Not only does the humor lighten the mood, but when the characters can show off their wit, it adds to the flavor, becoming endearing.

Valjean is such an admirable person—who wouldn’t want Valjean for president? You can take our common history of Washington or Lincoln and they would hold up to the character of Jean Valjean, constantly putting others first through sacrifice. Jean Valjean is the ultimate template for nobility

The policeman Javert is a capable antagonist whose sense of duty and the love for his job brings him to a life long hunt of Valjean, and eventually this conflict is resolved in an original and compelling manner. Not your typical bad guy, killed by good guy fare. And Thernadier is a scarier figure, who is first met in the novel while putting his kids out as bait to trap other children in a grand scheme of extortion.

According to Wikipedia, several other characters have carried on the prisoner number of Jean Valjean (which is believed to be Victor Hugo’s date of conception June 24th, 1801): Side Show Bob from the Simpson’s, Oscar Bluth from Arrested Development.

Here’s to you prisoner 24601, originally arrested for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family, and forever haunted by that decision but always making the best of it and helping others along the way.

Our Ink On Cities On The Plain

noreply@blogger.com (geek#1) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:32:00 +0000

It's been a long time since a post, and I apologize about that. I've read some stinkers that I really didn't want to throw up on the blog, in more ways than one.

But I went back to McCarthy and was welcomed back to his violent, Texas border town, world with open arms.

John Grady and Billy Parham were each the focus in their respective narratives about them, 'The Crossing' and 'All The Pretty Horses', and here's where they story ends, or what comes to be of these two cowboys.

They're together on a ranch, working as hands, and John Grady falls in love with a young Mexican prostitute, and this sets the back drop of what happens in the novel.

It's rare to laugh out loud at a book, but I did this several times while reading the exchanges between the two main characters and the other ranch hands. There' s a love between them, for what they do and what they are, and you can see in the wording.

As much as I laughed at the dialogue, it is never an easy pill to swallow with Cormac, as he takes you to places you don't want to go, and people die who you don't want to die. But isn't that a way to show how powerful his writing is?

In other stories, in most pop fiction, I'm not going to lose sleep over who is killed and who is let to live, but McCarthy connects you with his characters, with their flesh, weaknesses and flaws, and also with their more honorable sides. He makes you give a damn.

John Grady Cole wanted to take a girl who was in trouble, and give her a good life because he loved her, and that is such a good sentiment and a powerful gesture. Everyone was against it but her and him, and he goes for it anyway.

This wasn't my favorite out of the Border trilogy. Most would pick 'All The Pretty Horses', but my heart places 'The Crossing' above the rest.

That being said, this is a great read, and I highly recommend picking it up if you are a fan of modern day Westerns (set in the 40's or around this time), or if you are a fan of McCarthy.

Until Next Read--

J.T.

Our Ink on No Country for Old Men

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:04:00 +0000

Wow.

I think you can sum up the entire review with the word above. This book is a lean juicy steak with zero fat. That is the most important thing about this story, that there is zero fat, because if there was, it wouldn't work at all.

I love that McCarthy isn't some literary aficionado somewhere at some university but he is somewhere living in a truck out in West Texas or East New Mexico, writing and being with his family.

Seeing the movie before the book did not hamper my joy in reading this one bit. What is great about the book is that you get much more of Sheriff Tom Bell, and you get to see his view of things in panorama.

Moss's demise is explained in greater detail in the book, and although it is still not satisfactory for most, it is the way McCarthy intended the book to be, without a tidy ending and without any sense of justice.

There is quite a bit more of Anton Chigurh as well, and he gives out some of his philosophy and world views, especially right before he kills someone. I'm not sure why he is obsessed with the people knowing why he is killing them before he does it, but this is part of his M.O.--showing the victims that their life is hopeless if it led to this point.

This book is a fast read, and that is mostly because a good portion of it is dialogue. As I've said before I'm a sucker for good southern dialogue, and McCarthy's use of the language and dialect is unmatched in this generation.

This is a highly recommended read, despite if you have seen the movie or not, and go into knowing that this is more than a story, but McCarthy's view on civilization and the culture of violence. If you missed his point in the movie, the book won't leave you guessing as to what this all means. We're all in a basket, and we're all heading down south.

I'm going out of my way here to say that I can't remember enjoying a book this much, despite the depression that lingers after reading it. It has jumped up to my top five books of all time list, and may be close to the first. I know that means something to you.

Until next read, JT.

My Ink on ‘The Half Blood Prince’ (Warning: Major Spoilers)

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:59:00 +0000

I don’t feel bad about writing this piece because we are such late comers to the series, and what are total bombs for us are mere afterthoughts for the real H.P. fans. Unfortunately, before I read ‘Half Blood Prince’, I was reading an article on Rowling in the past—something to do with Dumbledore being gay, and when I read the article months ago, it politely told me that Dumbledore had died.

So, in some way I was expecting it, but I didn’t think it would go down like this.

In this book, the game has completely changed, the lines have been drawn in the sand, good people die, and it sets us up for the final installment which my wife and I will begin reading soon.

The overall tone of the book seemed subdued to me, and perhaps that’s because we had just finished Order of the Phoenix, and that book is so action oriented, with the hiding, the order, the preparation for battle, and it made Half Blood Prince seem somewhat slower. But I mark that up to Rowling realizing that she needed to establish the relationship between Potter and Dumbledore more, as most of this book is dedicated to that--what happens between them during the last year of Dumbledore’s life.

This book also delves into the hilarity of teen-age love, loss, and jealousy, and does it in a way only Rowling can do with the characters we have grown to love.

Now about the death of Dumbledore--it wasn’t an honorable death, in the physical sense, but the scene was set up to show the substance, the goodness of Dumbledore. One can’t help but see the religious overtones when Snape pulls his wand, and Dumbledore, who has always protected Snape and never let anyone talk poorly about him, is killed by being violently tossed into the air. Dumbledore was already weak and dying, and Snape attacks him unarmed.

I asked my wife if she thought that somehow this was planned out by Dumbledore and Snape; if Dumbledore’s mercy will later come to fruition when Snape turns on Voldemort at the last second, and she had the same thoughts on it as I did. The only reason I don’t think this happens, is the way Dumbledore begged Snape not to kill him, not because Dumbledore was afraid to die, but because he was afraid of Snape turning to the dark side.

It was great stuff.

Even this morning, my wife was getting dressed and she stopped and looked at me, saying, “Dumbledore is dead.” Yes he is, I told her, and I can’t wait to see how his death is avenged.

As I’ve said before in previous Harry Potter posts, I realize how lucky we are to be reading these after each book has already been pulped. I couldn’t imagine having to wait the year plus between each installment.

Till next read—

JT.

My ink on the classic: All The King's Men

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Accidentally picking this up at the library in their audio book section, I gave the first CD a listen and was hooked throughout all 18 CD's in this large, vast and powerful read.

All The King's Men was originally pulped in 1946 by Robert Penn Warren, and it is a tale about the corruption of a powerful man. I have to get really geeky here and talk about some pop TV for a second. The character Benjamin Linus on ABC's Lost is played by Michael Emerson is one of my favorite TV characters of all time.

I was pleased to find out that All The King's Men, the audio book version is read by none other than the Michael Emerson. And since the story is told in first person, Emerson becomes the central charaacter of the story, Jack Burden. There was a movie made recently based on this book, and Burden was played by Jude Law, I believe, and the movie tanked.

I'll tell you why it tanked, because Emerson didn't play Jack Burden. His voice and inflection are perfect and it would be hard to imagine no other as the character because Emerson embodies Burden so well, simply by audio. Imagine what he could do on the big screen.

That being said, let me tell you how awesome this book was. Coming at it from a point where I knew nothing of the story, it was a great trip into mind of Burden. Burden is a news reporter who, as a young man, gets hooked up with Willie Stark, a politician on the rise who begins his career as a straight shooter, someone even Lincoln would be proud of. But as the story goes on, flashing back and forth from the past to the present, making the book feel timeless and move quickly despite its length, we find Stark turning into the thing we feared he would become most, a politician. Stark's rise and downfall is chronicled by Burden, who tells how his past and present life mix in and blend together with Starks, touching at all points.

Burden's thoughts and comments about life and the goings on in the story of often pessimistic and hopeless, and that's perhaps what this book does so well, in that eventually it saves Jack Burden, and not a page too late.

Warren can write southern dialect with the best of them: McCarthy, Faulkner, and the conversations in the book feel real and genuine. Nothing reads so good as some southern fried dialog.

This book is deep and touches on many aspects of life: parenthood, death, pride, love, loss of love, philosophy, history, and politics. The characters are singular, and I don't think we'll see another Jack Burden in literature for a long time--someone so callused on the outside but vulnerable as well, with quick wit, a lack of regard for any authority, and one who eventually admits he was wrong about everything.

I loved this book, and will read it again in the future. If you are a fan of audio books, you must hear this one in your ears. I never experienced a better experience with a narrator than I did with Emerson's Burden. Pick it up, and enjoy.

Until next read--

JT.

Geeked About Tale of Two Cities

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:27:00 +0000

Before I get too deep on this classic novel, I wanted to say that it is obvious I have no education in Literature, no experience in the field and no qualifiers to allow me to talk about this on any professional level. I write about these books because I love a good story.

A Tale of Two Cities is exactly that, a dang good story. Like I mentioned before, I am not going to add anything to the critical canon about this book, but I can add my flavor to it, and what it meant to me.

As an American student, I did not get more than a page on the French revolution, and seeing it in novel form, and a story that intertwines with historical events and matches the mood and culture of the characters was a blast. I enjoyed getting some perspective on one of the bloodiest times in France’s history. The guillotine becomes a living, breathing thing in this novel, and I never fully appreciated the weight of the method of execution till I read through this book.

Is this an easy read? I don’t think so. I was constantly referencing my notes in the back of my Barnes and Noble edition, trying to get some background on the historical references (which are plenty) and the sayings used back then which have zero meaning today.

Sydney Carlton is the anti-hero mold of all time. The loser who gives all to save those he loves, especially our dear heroine, Lucie.

In fact, I have heard that the character (Carlton) is loved so much, that a modern writer had put his story on page, as there is a huge chunk of book not devoted to him, however he is the central focus, the hero, the proverbial gunslinger, the knight in shining armor, although strangely enough, he does no fighting. Dickens leaves that up to one of his more humorous characters in the story, Miss Pross.

And that brings me to one of the best bad guys I have read about in a while, Madame Defarge. I don’t want to go into any further detail, but know this: you do not want her to sew anything for you.

And this story has such subtle and over the top humor that somehow this combines and works so well. I laughed out loud while reading it at times, and I came through on the other side seeing Dickens as a man who was not criticizing one historical group or the other, but trying to show the humanity on both sides, rich and poor, vengeful and hopeful, the revolutionists and the leaders of the status quo—each side is represented in a human distinction, with the victims being shown for what they were, not some type of political ploy, but humans who have suffered much.

I am looking forward to getting some more Dickens under my belt, and I recommend this read, especially if you don’t mind trudging through the older English language.

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town.

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:55:00 +0000

The Innocent Man, A Book Review (No Spoilers).

John Grisham is one of the most successful authors of all time. He is a machine, constantly grinding out new dramatic fiction pieces like clockwork, and he has established a fan base that will never leave him, no matter what he writes.

Grisham is an author you can trust, and when I say that I don’t meant that he is someone who puts out easy work, but I mean that the majority of his stories are going to be a guaranteed compelling read.

The Innocent Man is Grisham’s non-fiction work originally pulped in 2006. Grisham read a piece in the New York Times about Ronnie Williams of Oklahoma, and was intrigued by his story. So after some preliminary work, he spent the next 18 months digging through the Ron Williams history, which included interviews with family, law enforcement, and going over the case transcripts and much more work for this book. And how an author who comes out with a best seller every year has time to research this story for 18 months is beyond this blogger’s imagination. Either Grisham has a clone or he is a serious workaholic.

The book is a good read. After the first five chapters or so, you figure out who is going to take the fall for a crime that they didn’t commit (If your like me and have no knowledge of the actual story which made national news). There are some fairly gruesome details about an actual murder, but it is not any worse than anything you would see on a legal drama on broadcast TV these days.

The injustice of a small town justice system is the theme, and the victim is bounced around without being given a fair chance. This book shows how an innocent man can be set up to fall due to bad police work, a bad public defender and a home town judge who wants to get reelected. For example, the ‘Innocent Man’ is given a public defender that is blind, and can’t dispute any of the shoddy physical evidence that is brought before the trial.

Now this isn’t like the TV series, The Fugitive, where the main character is squeaky clean and easy to relate with. This Innocent Man has a shady history with some serious character flaws and mental health issues, but the fact still remains that he was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit.

This book is enjoyable if you are a true crime fan or you are a fan of the author, or if you just like a good legal drama, as this reads just as good as any legal fiction that is put out.

And a fair warning for readers of the paper back version (the hardback version may be the same, I don’t know) but the pictures inserted into the middle of the book reveal the ending of the book, so don’t look them over if you don’t want to know what happens. They’re not huge spoilers, but they are big enough.

--JT.

My ink on Blood Merdian

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:03:00 +0000

Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy, originally pulped in 85.

I read this book twice now, finishing an audio version just recently. I know I will read it again, and I know that ever after that reading, I will still wonder what all I have missed in this complex and compelling read.

A quick google search of the book will let you know what people think and feel about this book about the expanding west and a lawless time. Some will say that it is satirical and holistically symbolic of the violence regarding the western expansion of the young US. Some will say it is a detailed account of men with no inhibitions, that become collectively scarier than any monster ever created in the horror genre, or some will say that it is a deep and symbolic book with Gnostic overtones and other historical accounts on every page, dripping with violence.

But this book, quite simply, is about satan on earth. This is a book about the devil, and it is a detailed account of how he takes a group of men and ravishes the country side. This devil is not a brute or some stereotypical baddie, but personifies science, law, modern philosophy, culture and at times even civil behavior. But this is all without love, faith or god. He exhibits all qualities that society holds dear and strives for, but leaves out what makes us our best.

This is Cormac McCarthy’s way of telling us that no matter how advanced we become, no matter what new technologies we bring, and no matter how ‘just’ we make ourselves out to be, that without love, we are nothing and we are inherently evil.

The amount of violence in this book is appalling, and it is not for the squeamish. But after that qualifier, if you can get past it, this is a marvelous read that is difficult to get out of your mind once you put it down. Others have made this comparison, so this is not original here: but this book reminded me of first time that I read Moby Dick, in that the details of an expedition were given in such real and brutal words, that the violence and conflict don’t seem out of place or they don’t seem to be used simply as a plot device, but as a central and necessary part of the story. The story is violence.

Judge Holden is by far the scariest monster ever put to fictional page, and you are left with a want for justice once this book is done, but McCarthy doesn’t give it to you, like in many of his reads, he won’t let you off easily.

Justice isn’t served, and you are left with your fists clenched and your teeth grinding, but you want to read it again.

Until The Next Read--JT

Harry Potter 5

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Order of the Phoenix, originally pulped almost 5 years ago now, has just been read in our household. We are really, really late to the Harry Potter party, but isn’t that the best way to be? Considering that we would have to have waited 3 years between books four and five, and now we get to dive into the 6th book the night after finishing the latter, is a fortunate thing for us.

Order of the Phoenix is the longest of the series, and culminates in an epic battle at the end which does not let down in the action department. There are new enemies introduced in The Order: both Dark Eaters and one enemy who is an apathetic/insane bureaucrat. And whether or not we can trust Snape has still not been entirely hammered out for us. (I have a feeling we won’t know this till the end).

By the fifth book, our hero has turned from a child to a young man. He is dealing with much more complex issues than most have to deal with (predestination, seeing a friend die, issues of orphan hood) and yet when he lashes out in anger we still click out tongues at him. Rowling makes sure to show that Harry Potter is human (a magical human) and although he is destined to save us all, he still can’t understand girls, really hasn’t learned how to study for a test, and can’t keep from feeling jealous when friends do better than him.

The pattern is followed here, just as it was in the past four books. Harry deals with his hateful biological family, goes to school, danger ensues, and there is a battle at the end--Just a regular school year for the students at Hogwarts.

One thing that I think this series does best is allow us to be a kid. The books take place when a war is starting, and on to the fifth book, the war is well under way in the normal world, but the reader has to go to school and deal with everyday issues with the three heroes, despite the ever hanging anxiety that the world is falling down outside the school grounds.

The characters are funnier and truer than ever. And if we had to be honest, the brain behind this entire operation is Herminie. She is rarely wrong, and always knows what to do. Harry just has the talent to carry out the ideas and Ron cracks jokes and nearly kills himself along the way.

We are starting The Half Blood Prince, and I look forward to throwing up my thoughts on it when I get a chance.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

Duma Key, ,By Stephen King

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Two things stick out when I reflect on Stephen King’s work. The first is that he is the ultimate “destroyer of worlds”. In his stories, he creates the real world and the bizarre world, and sends them crashing together. And in the end, you can’t see the seams and you don’t want to, because you enjoyed the ride too well.

Anybody can write about monsters, but those aren’t always the stories we want to read because the first world, the real one, hasn’t been built well so it makes the bizarre world unbelievable and trite.

Stephen King’s worlds are built with care and precision, and it is fun to watch them crumble, seeing who survives the carnage.

Secondly, King is able to create monsters or evilness that isn’t always easy to define. If 'It' had been solely about a killer clown, would it have the lasting impact that still resonates in that child like part of our brain? I think not. King is able to make an evil that can take many forms, leaving for a storyline that isn’t one dimensional and for stories that are richer.

In Duma Key, the evil—again—is not something that isn’t easy to define and both the worlds, the bizarre and the real one, are sketched out and allowed to crash in the story. Duma Key is about Edgar Freemantle, who is a victim of a on the job crane accident, which leaves him an amputee. Part of this story is about Edgar learning to cope with his new life, minus a limb, and part of it is about the career change he goes through, dealing with the loss of a successful profession.

In a case where someone should be careful what they wish for, Edgar Freemantle finds himself to be suspiciously apt at his new talent, and the mystery unfolds from there, on the island of Duma Key , fictionally set in Florida .

Duma Key is not a short novel, but the pace is set just right. Is it King’s best work? That’s not for me to decide but for the people who have a degree in judging other people’s work. If I don’t like something, I won’t read it, and you won’t see it reviewed here. Besides that, it is hard for me to compare any of King’s work to the Talisman books, let alone the Dark Tower Series, but I have enjoyed the majority of his work, and I am geeked about the Ginger Bread Girl, which comes out close to 2009.

Darkness Take My Hand, By Dennis Lehane

Austinjt34@gmail.com (JT) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:10:00 +0000

The second in the five part series featuring Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, private detectives, involves a story much darker and bloodier than the first. Where the first book took the two heroes to the streets for blood shed, and involved a heavily dark child abuse situation, book 2 is about a killer genius, and his plans to wreck the life of Patrick Kenzie.

Wow, Lehane knows how to take his characters to the bin, let them wallow around in it, and then beat them up some more. Some times it's hard to imagine how close these characters come to having a great day, love, or even a solid friendship before these things melt in their hands and leave scars.

One theme has run through both novels now, and that this the price for revenge. What is the toll in taking the own law into your hands? The protagonists deal with this, and deal with the sins of the fathers, regarding self appointed law makers.

There are some scenes in this book that work really, really well. It was another great installment in this series, and I look forward to getting to the third book as soon as I can get my hands on it. Lehane makes this whole machine work buy his wit, sarcasm and sense of pacing.

This book was originally pulped in 1997, but Geek 1 is just now getting around to reading it, cause in 97, he was trying to survive pre-calculus. I am trying to visit the new releases in my library, so I can get some more timely reviews thrown up on the sight. But you know how it is, only two eyes and all. Currently I am reading Duma Key, and Fighter. I will post them when I'm through.

The End Of The World As We Know It.

noreply@blogger.com (geek#1) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 02:00:00 +0000

In 2006, Cormac McCarthy pulped a book about the end times. However you want to label it and say how this comes to be, he leaves that to you, but what he spins on the pages is a story of suspense, survival, and of finding hope in a place void of it.

The Road's two characters are a son and a father. The father is attempting to survive any way he can, and he never lets the son lose hope.

The Road follows suit with minimal punctuation and without proper names. The characters have no names, much like the Clint Eastwood character in the 70's. But this doesn't make them any less real or tangible. At the end of the novel, you feel like you have walked through the apocalypse with them.

This is not a horror book, but it does have some horrific scenes in it. I think what works the best, with horror, is when it is a subtle thing. One scene, in The Road, the two characters come across something terrible. This terribleness is not described in graphic detail, but the reader is given just enough to realize what is happening, and to realize the peril that the two protagonists are in. This is a good lesson to many of writers: sometimes the imagination can scare a person better than any printed word.

This Road is a quick read. It's not long and it isn't supposed to be. Everything that is in it is for a purpose, and there is no filler. At no point, in reading The Road, do you think: we're just wasting time here. Ever second is stacked with story, and every page filled with what it totally and completely necessary.

There's a reason why Cormac McCarthy is considered one of the best author's of this generation. His story weaving is something to breathe in deeply. The Road is a great start if you haven't read McCarthy before.

The Road was the 2007's winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

"A Drink Before The War", by Dennis Lehane

noreply@blogger.com (geek#1) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:49:00 +0000

Recently saw Gone Baby Gone in the theaters. Me and Mrs. Geek were the only ones there. Unfortunately not many people saw this great movie. It's now out on DVD, as of this past week.

It was a difficult film to swallow, dealing with heavy issues, and some seriously disturbing images. However, the characters stood out above all the rest. These two private dicks had to face some serious questions of integrity, and in the end, didn't waver, no matter the consequences of the choice.

When I heard that Gone Baby Gone was actually adapted from a series, (out of the literary loop, I know) I bought the first of the series and digested it with vigor.

"A Drink Before The War" is the first novel by Dennis Lehane. It was originally pulped in 94, and it won the Seamus award for best first novel.

Is the book perfect? No. It is rough around particular edges, but the banter and storyline of the characters surpasses any faults that a first time author may have. In fact, to be honest, I didn't even think of the "faults" until they were brought up to me by professional critics, so take that for what its worth.

This book was difficult to stop reading. There is a certain danger that the author brought to his characters that kept you from skimping over any pages, because at any time, someone could get seriously busted up or dead. And that's how the action comes when it does, fast and nasty.

In the end, this book's central running theme has to do with abuse, and the avenues and tributaries of those avenues that can run off a life that has been abused. Good, bad and uglier. Now, Lehane doesn't glory in the abuse, and he doesn't do it in way that the reader feels like the victims are being exploited. But the abuse is there, black and white, and it can make the reader cringe when it shows up later in the book. (And I was a child abuse investigator and now work in a field that filters through child abuse cases).

This book was a great read. I am glad I "discovered" this series. I've already started "Darkness, Take My Hand", and I will be posting thoughts about that once I am through.

This is not a book that you can find easy at your Half Priced Books. It's probably at most of your brick and mortar stores, but I found it used off of Amazon.com, here.