The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
This is a gentle non-challenging romantic story that is sweet but not overly exciting either.
‘When he was a boy, Charlie St. Cloud almost perished in a car crash that killed his little brother, Sam. Years later, Charlie is still trying to atone for his loss. It is only when he meets Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventurous yachtswoman, that he is faced with a choice – between death and life, the past and the present, holding on and letting go. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic and exhilarating novel about second chances and the liberating power of love.’
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
More of wot I have heard…
The Family Mahone - Mahone Brew
BBC Radio DJ Mark Radcliffe (DJ Mahone) was a founder member of this folk ensemble and writes much of the band’s songs. The latest album has a distinct beer drinking theme right down to the name and the label on the cover which features specially commissioned ale from Mr. W and Mr. C at the interesting boutique WC Brewery.
It is a very rousing and humorous collection of tunes played with real enthusiasm and skill, a nice contemporary twist on a traditional folk sound.
The name of the band hints to their punk approach to the music and the original Celtic punk band, the Pogues. Originally known as the Pogue Mahone the Pogues took their name from the anglicized of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, or ‘kiss my arse’.
BBC Radio DJ Mark Radcliffe (DJ Mahone) was a founder member of this folk ensemble and writes much of the band’s songs. The latest album has a distinct beer drinking theme right down to the name and the label on the cover which features specially commissioned ale from Mr. W and Mr. C at the interesting boutique WC Brewery.
It is a very rousing and humorous collection of tunes played with real enthusiasm and skill, a nice contemporary twist on a traditional folk sound.
The name of the band hints to their punk approach to the music and the original Celtic punk band, the Pogues. Originally known as the Pogue Mahone the Pogues took their name from the anglicized of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, or ‘kiss my arse’.
Monday, April 16, 2007
More weird weather…
Not long ago we had snow on the ground, this weekend it was up to 25 degrees, and later on we might still have frosts. We took advantage of the lovely weather and traded indoor chores for outdoor ones working in the garden and at the allotment. We painted most of the fences and planted out a border in the rear garden and cleared out the shed so that we can start planting seeds. We had a difficult time planting the potatoes at the allotment as the ground was rock hard and the sun blazing hot. On Sunday morning we went for a walk in the woods with a neighbour who showed us where the bluebells were starting to bloom carpeting the ground in a purple haze. In the afternoon out side there was the distinct smell of accelerant and burnt sausages wafted across the back gardens as people took the opportunity to spend the whole day outside.
Working away again…
I have just returned from a week in The Netherlands at one of our offices there learning more about the product range of the company I work for. The course was with several colleagues from throughout the world and it was interesting talking with them and discovering what we had in common and what we didn’t. We stayed in 's-Hertogenbosch, a town also known colloquially as Den Bosch.
Once the one time home of Hieronymus Bosch (the Bosch part of his name taken from the name of the town) the 16C painter of weird and scary paintings on a religious themes, such as The Temptation of St. Anthony (I found a shop selling models of some of the images in his paintings and bought the least freaky one, which was the fish-boat in the foreground of the main panel.)
A quaint old town, Den Bosch retains much of its old-world character with pedestrian cobbled streets, Dutch gable end buildings, canals throughout and under the town, and wonderful masonry signs on buildings showing the occupation of the original occupiers (a relief of a brewer for an Amstel shop, another of a baker elsewhere). The statue/relief tradition has been maintained with modern equivalents on the side of buildings between the original and the religious statuary.
There was a real feeling of prosperity in the town with fancy designer clothes boutiques, interior design shops, and streets of cafés, restaurants and drinking establishments, the patrons of which filled the narrow streets with a joyful noise.
There were the typically Dutch establishments dotted around such as the bicycle shop (with every variety of bike and accessory available), the ‘koffee’ shop (the distinct sweet smell signalling its presence), and the comic shop (the Dutch and the Belgium seem to share the obsession with weird and wonderful comics for young and old alike). I found a lovely old fashioned sweet shop down one of the quieter side streets, where there were shelves upon shelves of jars containing their multicoloured goodies. Here I bought a pick-and-mix bag of liquorice for Sue who loves them (although even she has difficult with the extra salty Dutch ones).
The weather was unseasonable warm as it has been in the UK too, and this brought out the café culture and the excess of bare skin. The skies remained clear throughout the week and on after I returned home.
Once the one time home of Hieronymus Bosch (the Bosch part of his name taken from the name of the town) the 16C painter of weird and scary paintings on a religious themes, such as The Temptation of St. Anthony (I found a shop selling models of some of the images in his paintings and bought the least freaky one, which was the fish-boat in the foreground of the main panel.)
A quaint old town, Den Bosch retains much of its old-world character with pedestrian cobbled streets, Dutch gable end buildings, canals throughout and under the town, and wonderful masonry signs on buildings showing the occupation of the original occupiers (a relief of a brewer for an Amstel shop, another of a baker elsewhere). The statue/relief tradition has been maintained with modern equivalents on the side of buildings between the original and the religious statuary.
There was a real feeling of prosperity in the town with fancy designer clothes boutiques, interior design shops, and streets of cafés, restaurants and drinking establishments, the patrons of which filled the narrow streets with a joyful noise.
There were the typically Dutch establishments dotted around such as the bicycle shop (with every variety of bike and accessory available), the ‘koffee’ shop (the distinct sweet smell signalling its presence), and the comic shop (the Dutch and the Belgium seem to share the obsession with weird and wonderful comics for young and old alike). I found a lovely old fashioned sweet shop down one of the quieter side streets, where there were shelves upon shelves of jars containing their multicoloured goodies. Here I bought a pick-and-mix bag of liquorice for Sue who loves them (although even she has difficult with the extra salty Dutch ones).
The weather was unseasonable warm as it has been in the UK too, and this brought out the café culture and the excess of bare skin. The skies remained clear throughout the week and on after I returned home.
More of wot I have read…
Never have your dog stuffed by Alan Alda
Like most people I guess I only really know Alan Alda from the MASH TV series and I was interested to find out more about the man. The opening line is an immediate hook and it becomes apparent that it is from a defining moment in his life. It is a sweet and gentle read that comes from the heart without being over sentimental and which avoids the overt name dropping that some so called celebrities seem to resort to these days.
‘He's one of America's most recognizable and acclaimed actors -- a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and, for eleven years, the inimitable Hawkeye Pierce on the M*A*S*H TV series -- during which time he became the only person ever to win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances.
"My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six," begins Alda's irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but schizophrenic mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.
Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show-business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow. It is the story of turning points in Alda's life, events that would make him what he is -- if only he could survive them.
From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist's shop with a hideous expression on its face, and Alda learns that death can't be undone, to his decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and that true happiness is found in embracing them.
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with wonder, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director. But surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.’
The Last Juror by John Grisham
The former lawyer turned author writes about what he knows; law and crime, and I know him best from the Pelican Brief. This novel also explores the nature of small towns in the deep south of America during the 1970’s with a detail of someone who was there. It is a wonderful and gentle read that revels in the atmosphere of a place and time that not everybody will be familiar with. I enjoyed the book and found the pace and feel of it a pleasant alternative to some of the more action packed novels out there at the moment.
‘In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.’
The Raw Shark Text by Steven Hall
…also see the ‘annotated raw shark texts’ for in-depth analysis…
Wow, this is a very special book, a conceptual-psychological-literary thriller that plays with words and ideas in a wonderfully visual and at times even graphic-novel kind of way. Elements of the book jar and prod at the mind in a deliberately uncomfortable manner (is Mycroft Ward = Microsoft Word, is Dr Trey Fidorous = Richard Dreyfuss?). It is a nicely written and captivating read that, if rumours are true, will be appearing on celluloid before too long. Pretty good for a first novel.
The bastard love-child of The Matrix, Jaws and The Da Vinci Code – Mark Haddon
‘FIRST THINGS FIRST, STAY CALM.
If you are reading this, I’m not around anymore. Take the phone and speed dial 1. Tell the woman who answers that you are Eric Sanderson. The woman is Dr Randle. She’ll understand what has happened and you will be able to see her straight away. Take the car keys and drive the yellow Jeep to Dr Randle’s house. If you haven’t found it yet, there’s a map in the envelope – it isn’t too far and it’s not hard to find.
Dr Randle will be able to answer all your questions. It’s very important that you go straight away. Do not pass go. Do not explore. Do not collect two hundred pounds.
The house keys are hanging from a nail on the banister at the bottom of the stairs, don’t forget them.
With regret and also hope,
The first Eric Sanderson.’
Like most people I guess I only really know Alan Alda from the MASH TV series and I was interested to find out more about the man. The opening line is an immediate hook and it becomes apparent that it is from a defining moment in his life. It is a sweet and gentle read that comes from the heart without being over sentimental and which avoids the overt name dropping that some so called celebrities seem to resort to these days.
‘He's one of America's most recognizable and acclaimed actors -- a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and, for eleven years, the inimitable Hawkeye Pierce on the M*A*S*H TV series -- during which time he became the only person ever to win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances.
"My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six," begins Alda's irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but schizophrenic mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.
Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show-business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow. It is the story of turning points in Alda's life, events that would make him what he is -- if only he could survive them.
From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist's shop with a hideous expression on its face, and Alda learns that death can't be undone, to his decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and that true happiness is found in embracing them.
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with wonder, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director. But surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.’
The Last Juror by John Grisham
The former lawyer turned author writes about what he knows; law and crime, and I know him best from the Pelican Brief. This novel also explores the nature of small towns in the deep south of America during the 1970’s with a detail of someone who was there. It is a wonderful and gentle read that revels in the atmosphere of a place and time that not everybody will be familiar with. I enjoyed the book and found the pace and feel of it a pleasant alternative to some of the more action packed novels out there at the moment.
‘In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.
The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.’
The Raw Shark Text by Steven Hall
…also see the ‘annotated raw shark texts’ for in-depth analysis…
Wow, this is a very special book, a conceptual-psychological-literary thriller that plays with words and ideas in a wonderfully visual and at times even graphic-novel kind of way. Elements of the book jar and prod at the mind in a deliberately uncomfortable manner (is Mycroft Ward = Microsoft Word, is Dr Trey Fidorous = Richard Dreyfuss?). It is a nicely written and captivating read that, if rumours are true, will be appearing on celluloid before too long. Pretty good for a first novel.
The bastard love-child of The Matrix, Jaws and The Da Vinci Code – Mark Haddon
‘FIRST THINGS FIRST, STAY CALM.
If you are reading this, I’m not around anymore. Take the phone and speed dial 1. Tell the woman who answers that you are Eric Sanderson. The woman is Dr Randle. She’ll understand what has happened and you will be able to see her straight away. Take the car keys and drive the yellow Jeep to Dr Randle’s house. If you haven’t found it yet, there’s a map in the envelope – it isn’t too far and it’s not hard to find.
Dr Randle will be able to answer all your questions. It’s very important that you go straight away. Do not pass go. Do not explore. Do not collect two hundred pounds.
The house keys are hanging from a nail on the banister at the bottom of the stairs, don’t forget them.
With regret and also hope,
The first Eric Sanderson.’
Friday, March 30, 2007
More of wot I have heard…
Faithless - Forever Faithless
I found this at the checkout at a supermarket for under £5, a bargain for this collection of the band’s better known tracks. Even if you don’t know much about them you will have heard their music backing shows or adverts on the box. A great accessible dance act that is musically accomplished and lyrically inspiring. The gentle, dreamy and soulful voices reach deep inside your head where the words resonate while the incessant beat drives your feet to tapping. Love it!
I found this at the checkout at a supermarket for under £5, a bargain for this collection of the band’s better known tracks. Even if you don’t know much about them you will have heard their music backing shows or adverts on the box. A great accessible dance act that is musically accomplished and lyrically inspiring. The gentle, dreamy and soulful voices reach deep inside your head where the words resonate while the incessant beat drives your feet to tapping. Love it!
I love Dorking…
We have a new ‘tourist attraction’ in Dorking. In the middle of the roundabout on the main junction into the town is a ten foot tall metal cock. The Dorking Cock is a symbol of the town and dates back to when they used to breed these five toed chickens locally.
Naturally the new construction has caused plenty of comment and discussion and the noble beast itself has been adorned variously with streamers and daffodils in the short time it has been here (we are waiting for Easter to see what materialises then!).
I know the name of the town itself has come in for some comment from friends and family who associate dork and dorking with something else, but a T-shirt available shows that the locals don’t take themselves too seriously (I love Dorking). I’ve got to get me one of those!
Discussions about the Dorking Cock
Naturally the new construction has caused plenty of comment and discussion and the noble beast itself has been adorned variously with streamers and daffodils in the short time it has been here (we are waiting for Easter to see what materialises then!).
I know the name of the town itself has come in for some comment from friends and family who associate dork and dorking with something else, but a T-shirt available shows that the locals don’t take themselves too seriously (I love Dorking). I’ve got to get me one of those!
Discussions about the Dorking Cock
All kind of Folk…
The Chanticleer Folk Club is based out of the Friends Provident Social Club in Dorking and this provides and excellent venue with good performance space, comfortable seating area and separate (and cheap) bar. I suspect the name of the club is a reference to the Dorking cockerel. The club is run by Neil ‘the goblin’ McRitchie and his wife Martina. Neil used to work at the Hobgoblin music store and he plays the melodeon for the Rampant Rooster Morris side and the Pugwash Ceilidh Band. The club meets most Wednesdays from 8:30pm until 11:00pm and usually alternates weekly between a guest artist and a ‘singer’s night’ where club members perform.
Our last visit to the folk club was to see the Geordie fiddle player Tom McConville with Claire Mann on fiddle, flute, and whistle and vocals and Aaron Jones on bouzouki, guitar and vocals. They played traditional tunes, jigs and reels from all around the UK and gave a great performance to the small audience for a couple of hours.
Our last visit to the folk club was to see the Geordie fiddle player Tom McConville with Claire Mann on fiddle, flute, and whistle and vocals and Aaron Jones on bouzouki, guitar and vocals. They played traditional tunes, jigs and reels from all around the UK and gave a great performance to the small audience for a couple of hours.
A day in bonny Scotland…
The Monday after I returned from Brussels I was again on a plane, this time to Aberdeen where I was to meet with a couple of guys from the local office and go to visit a customer to talk about some work they want us to quote for. It takes longer to fly to the other end of the country than it does to some places in Europe and the ‘glamour’ of the ‘jet-set’ soon wares off when you have to shuffle in queues through several airports. Luckily I was able to go there and back in a (long) day and get back home by evening.
Out and about in Brussels…
I recently visited Brussels for a few days on a training course for work, learning about some of the company’s new products. There were a couple of colleagues from my office with me along with our opposite numbers from Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Bulgaria and the local office and our German boss. It is interesting to meet people from all over Europe and to find out a little about them and fortunately, for us ignorant types, the company language of English means they all speak more than one language (some embarrassingly speak many more).
More of wot I have read…
London Bridges by James Patterson
This book is trying to be an action packed thriller with a worldwide (centred on America) threat in the vein of the TV series ’24’. The main problem is the Alex Cross is no Jack Bower; in fact I became very frustrated with his lack of constructive input or drive (he seemed to spend most of his time jetting around, walking in parks brooding or asleep). The almost omnipotent, omnipresent villain with limitless funds and resources was too much too. It was a quick read, but for me, ultimately unsatisfying.
‘Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.
And so is the Wolf
Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian super criminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.
And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.
Now are you scared?
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.’
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I have written about Dean Koontz before and his skill in descriptive writing and characterisation and in this book he doesn’t disappoint. He manages to drag you into a nightmare scenario while delicately describing the environment and revealing the hidden depths and of his characters exposing them to evermore extreme conditions in a tantalising and believable manner. I found this book riveting.
‘With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the pulse rate—higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… ...Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it.
He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
From its tense opening to its shattering climax, THE HUSBAND is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation...until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.’
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Where I like many of the subjects Dan Brown explores in his books and enjoy a certain amount of conspiracy and intrigue too, I find his execution sometimes jars and throws me off when I am reading. His annoying trait of telegraphing important messages as if the reader is a simpleton is condescending and disruptive to the narrative flow. Also Robert Langdon often appears ignorant of some things whilst making implausible leaps of deduction at other times. Important clues that have been hidden for centuries are solved in mere moments. If you get over these little frustrations the far-fetched story is quite entertaining.
‘When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati... the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy... the Catholic Church.
Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair... a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.
An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war...’
This book is trying to be an action packed thriller with a worldwide (centred on America) threat in the vein of the TV series ’24’. The main problem is the Alex Cross is no Jack Bower; in fact I became very frustrated with his lack of constructive input or drive (he seemed to spend most of his time jetting around, walking in parks brooding or asleep). The almost omnipotent, omnipresent villain with limitless funds and resources was too much too. It was a quick read, but for me, ultimately unsatisfying.
‘Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.
And so is the Wolf
Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian super criminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.
And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.
Now are you scared?
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.’
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I have written about Dean Koontz before and his skill in descriptive writing and characterisation and in this book he doesn’t disappoint. He manages to drag you into a nightmare scenario while delicately describing the environment and revealing the hidden depths and of his characters exposing them to evermore extreme conditions in a tantalising and believable manner. I found this book riveting.
‘With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the pulse rate—higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… ...Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it.
He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
From its tense opening to its shattering climax, THE HUSBAND is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation...until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.’
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Where I like many of the subjects Dan Brown explores in his books and enjoy a certain amount of conspiracy and intrigue too, I find his execution sometimes jars and throws me off when I am reading. His annoying trait of telegraphing important messages as if the reader is a simpleton is condescending and disruptive to the narrative flow. Also Robert Langdon often appears ignorant of some things whilst making implausible leaps of deduction at other times. Important clues that have been hidden for centuries are solved in mere moments. If you get over these little frustrations the far-fetched story is quite entertaining.
‘When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati... the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy... the Catholic Church.
Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair... a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.
An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war...’
Thursday, March 15, 2007
More of wot I have read…
Fallen Angels by Bernard Cornwell and Susannah Kells (his wife Judy Cornwell)
This book has characters connected with A Crowning Mercy and along with that and his Gallows Thief book they are the only ones I have read. All are similar and display the author’s passion for the detail of the period that has made him so well know especially for his Sharpe series. His characters tend to be quite romantically drawn in a somewhat stylised way, but they are fun and fit in well with the adventurous nature of the story. His books are an easy and enjoyable read.
‘The Lazenders, a gilded family, have been the envy and pride of Britain for centuries. But Toby Lazender, the heir, is now mysteriously absent. His sister, Campion, is running the family estates in his absence.
But Lazen Castle is, unknowingly, a house under siege. The Fallen Angels – among the most powerful and dangerous men in Europe – are plotting to bring revolution to England. To succeed, they need money, and the Lazender fortune can provide it. A web of deceit closes around Lazen, drawing Campion ever closer to a subtle trap that has been laid for her. Her only hope for survival lies with the Gypsy – her brother’s aloof horse-master – a man whose loyalties have always been uncertain.’
This book has characters connected with A Crowning Mercy and along with that and his Gallows Thief book they are the only ones I have read. All are similar and display the author’s passion for the detail of the period that has made him so well know especially for his Sharpe series. His characters tend to be quite romantically drawn in a somewhat stylised way, but they are fun and fit in well with the adventurous nature of the story. His books are an easy and enjoyable read.
‘The Lazenders, a gilded family, have been the envy and pride of Britain for centuries. But Toby Lazender, the heir, is now mysteriously absent. His sister, Campion, is running the family estates in his absence.
But Lazen Castle is, unknowingly, a house under siege. The Fallen Angels – among the most powerful and dangerous men in Europe – are plotting to bring revolution to England. To succeed, they need money, and the Lazender fortune can provide it. A web of deceit closes around Lazen, drawing Campion ever closer to a subtle trap that has been laid for her. Her only hope for survival lies with the Gypsy – her brother’s aloof horse-master – a man whose loyalties have always been uncertain.’
More DIY…
We have been spending more time and money on decorating the house and it is getting close to how we want it. We have had more help from others too, Sue’s mum has made us some curtains and one of Sue’s aunts has done some wall papering while Sue’s sister jet-washed the deck, I put up some shelves and fixed the squeaking wardrobe doors, and Sue cooked an amazing roast dinner. Now that the weather has started to warm up we have also been down at the new allotment digging and planning while the back garden is also getting some attention with spade and saw.
Infestations…
Our new house has evidence of previous woodworm in some of the floorboards in our bedroom. Recently on a couple of nights we heard a random ticking sound that we couldn’t place, we didn’t have any clocks and the heating had been off for several hours so of course I thought ‘death-watch beetle!’ We weren’t one-hundred percent sure and I suspected a few other things, but we thought it was better to be safe than sorry, and so we arranged for a ‘Timber Pathologist’ to come around a do a survey. When he came over we lifted a few floor boards and he drilled a hole in another to inspect with a probe and in the end he was happy that we didn’t have a problem. I moved the two wicker baskets that sat on the bookcase behind our bed (they were pushed right up against the wall) and we haven’t heard the noise since.
But now we seem to have an infestation of cats! Our cat flap in the back door is either open or shut and normally we leave it open so our cat Sooty can come and go as he pleases. We also usually keep all the internal doors open to let the air circulate. The cat’s food is kept on the kitchen floor by the back door, and although he is a fussy eater, the bowls are always empty. On a couple of occasions we have come home from work and he has greeted us as usual while another black cat has come downstairs and run out through the cat flap. Also on a couple of nights ginger cat has come in and Sooty has started hissing at him so that I have had to get up and shoo it off. Now we have to close doors and the cat flap for some peace and quiet. It must be noted that Sooty is not averse to entering other neighbouring houses for food and a sleep either.
But now we seem to have an infestation of cats! Our cat flap in the back door is either open or shut and normally we leave it open so our cat Sooty can come and go as he pleases. We also usually keep all the internal doors open to let the air circulate. The cat’s food is kept on the kitchen floor by the back door, and although he is a fussy eater, the bowls are always empty. On a couple of occasions we have come home from work and he has greeted us as usual while another black cat has come downstairs and run out through the cat flap. Also on a couple of nights ginger cat has come in and Sooty has started hissing at him so that I have had to get up and shoo it off. Now we have to close doors and the cat flap for some peace and quiet. It must be noted that Sooty is not averse to entering other neighbouring houses for food and a sleep either.
Monday, February 19, 2007
More of wot I have heard...
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
The second album I have of this band and it is similar in style to the first. It has strong storytelling elements that seem to be based in (American) folk traditions, though every so often they seem to enjoy throwing in a curve ball. It is an album to sit and listen to more than to play in the background. It demands a certain level of attention from the listener for which it rewards with little gems of audio delights.
Brooke Fraser – What to do with daylight
This artist was new to me and I didn’t know what to expect when I played her album. Sent as a present by my brother and his wife from NZ I have since found out that this young Kiwi girl is very popular there and in Australia. She has a pleasant voice and the songs are nicely written. We have played it a couple of times now and it will probably be on high rotation for a while to come.
The second album I have of this band and it is similar in style to the first. It has strong storytelling elements that seem to be based in (American) folk traditions, though every so often they seem to enjoy throwing in a curve ball. It is an album to sit and listen to more than to play in the background. It demands a certain level of attention from the listener for which it rewards with little gems of audio delights.
Brooke Fraser – What to do with daylight
This artist was new to me and I didn’t know what to expect when I played her album. Sent as a present by my brother and his wife from NZ I have since found out that this young Kiwi girl is very popular there and in Australia. She has a pleasant voice and the songs are nicely written. We have played it a couple of times now and it will probably be on high rotation for a while to come.
Another year older...
Amongst the many cards and gifts I received for my birthday were books on foraging ‘food for free’, picking wild fungi safely, and spotting birds found in the British garden (along with a pair of binoculars), the latest novel by Dean Koontz, various T-shirts, a pair of jeans, a wallet, a box of wine, a nice whiskey, some chocolates, and a couple of CDs. Since we have only recently moved into our new home we decided not to go away, as we often do for my birthday, instead family and friends came over the weekend before and we entertained at home.
Virtually working...
Trip to Barcelona
I recently went to Barcelona with work on an annual sales conference. Somewhere in the region of 500 people from offices throughout our EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region came and joined in. Some of the extra curricular activities included a trip to the Barcelona football club home ground where we had a reception, tour and presentations with Eidur Gudjohnsen giving a brief talk. Not being that interested in sport or in football (soccer) in particular it all left me somewhat cold. One of the hotels we were in was near to the ground and during the few days we also saw Ronaldinho in the bar. Some of the attendees at the conference went to one of the matches on the Sunday evening. We also went on a short bus tour of the sights of the town (I had seen much of it when Sue and I visited a few years before) and we ended up having dinner at the Casa Batllo , one of the architect Antoni Gaudi’s best designed houses.
Trip to Manchester
I had another trip away this year, though this was only a flying visit to our training school in Manchester where I was learning about one of our products. The visit coincided with expected ‘blizzard’ weather conditions that were to sweep the west, south and midlands. On my journey back I prepared myself for the possibility that I would have to stop and book in at a hotel for the night, but the horrors predicted by all of the news networks and travel services didn’t affect my route at all, in fact I got home in record time as hardly anybody was on the roads. The public utilities in the UK can’t seem to cope with any minor variation in the weather (leaves on the line, the wrong type of snow etc.). A few centimeters of snow and everybody is all doom and gloom, yet colleagues of mine battled through several feet of snow in Germany and there the trains were running and the taxis still ran at 140kph down the autobahn!
I recently went to Barcelona with work on an annual sales conference. Somewhere in the region of 500 people from offices throughout our EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region came and joined in. Some of the extra curricular activities included a trip to the Barcelona football club home ground where we had a reception, tour and presentations with Eidur Gudjohnsen giving a brief talk. Not being that interested in sport or in football (soccer) in particular it all left me somewhat cold. One of the hotels we were in was near to the ground and during the few days we also saw Ronaldinho in the bar. Some of the attendees at the conference went to one of the matches on the Sunday evening. We also went on a short bus tour of the sights of the town (I had seen much of it when Sue and I visited a few years before) and we ended up having dinner at the Casa Batllo , one of the architect Antoni Gaudi’s best designed houses.
Trip to Manchester
I had another trip away this year, though this was only a flying visit to our training school in Manchester where I was learning about one of our products. The visit coincided with expected ‘blizzard’ weather conditions that were to sweep the west, south and midlands. On my journey back I prepared myself for the possibility that I would have to stop and book in at a hotel for the night, but the horrors predicted by all of the news networks and travel services didn’t affect my route at all, in fact I got home in record time as hardly anybody was on the roads. The public utilities in the UK can’t seem to cope with any minor variation in the weather (leaves on the line, the wrong type of snow etc.). A few centimeters of snow and everybody is all doom and gloom, yet colleagues of mine battled through several feet of snow in Germany and there the trains were running and the taxis still ran at 140kph down the autobahn!
Around the home...
The House
Boiler replacement
We had always planned to one day change the boiler in the new house as we have a preference for a combi-boiler rather than having separate hot water and central heating, when the electric immersion heater failed though we were forced to act quicker than we expected. Unfortunately we couldn’t easily replace the heating element in the hot water cylinder because whoever fitted the boiler placed directly above the cylinder, preventing us from getting access to the bits inside it. This lack of planning and poor execution is a theme that seems to run throughout the house (some might call it qwerky!). For a few weeks we had to do without hot water and we were washing either at work, at Sue’s mums, or at the local swimming baths. Now it has been replaced we are pretty much back to normal.
New furniture
We sold much of our furniture to the woman who was buying our old house as we had bought it when we moved in there approximately 10 years before. We brought only the sitting room furniture (the seating we intend to change later once we have finished the redecoration), and some shelving and storage units. We had bought new beds just before the move and we had a lovely old oak dining table given to us by Joyce and Terry (the frame of which is several hundred years old). We had new dining chairs delivered in the nick of time just before Christmas ready for use by all our visitors who were coming over to dine with us during the festive break. We have bought a few pieces of furniture which are in the Indian style in dark rosewood and rustic finish and they seem to suit the style of the cottage very well.
Decorating
We had help from Sue’s brother and nephews with plastering and some painting, enabling us to repaint the lounge, dining room, front bedroom and start on the bathroom. We have now nearly finished painting, with just the woodwork in most of the rooms and the walls and woodwork in the bathroom yet to do. Sue’s aunt is coming over soon to hang some wall paper on a feature wall to complete the lounge and then it is details such as door furniture, shelves, some pictures and a curtain left to hang after that.
Fence
We had some storms earlier in the year and the only fence in gardens in our terrace of houses to come down was ours. It was completely rotten and so we again called on Sue’s brother to come over and put up a new one with strong concrete posts that should now last a while.
Allotment
We still have our old allotment which we will slowly rob of useful plants, moving them either to a new allotment or to plant out in our garden. There is a section of land behind us that is being used as a vegetable garden and we have asked the owner if he would consider letting us rent (or buy) some of it off him, but we haven’t heard back from him yet. We have bought our seed potatoes, onions and garlic and we plan on starting planting in a couple of weeks, once the ground starts to warm up.
Boiler replacement
We had always planned to one day change the boiler in the new house as we have a preference for a combi-boiler rather than having separate hot water and central heating, when the electric immersion heater failed though we were forced to act quicker than we expected. Unfortunately we couldn’t easily replace the heating element in the hot water cylinder because whoever fitted the boiler placed directly above the cylinder, preventing us from getting access to the bits inside it. This lack of planning and poor execution is a theme that seems to run throughout the house (some might call it qwerky!). For a few weeks we had to do without hot water and we were washing either at work, at Sue’s mums, or at the local swimming baths. Now it has been replaced we are pretty much back to normal.
New furniture
We sold much of our furniture to the woman who was buying our old house as we had bought it when we moved in there approximately 10 years before. We brought only the sitting room furniture (the seating we intend to change later once we have finished the redecoration), and some shelving and storage units. We had bought new beds just before the move and we had a lovely old oak dining table given to us by Joyce and Terry (the frame of which is several hundred years old). We had new dining chairs delivered in the nick of time just before Christmas ready for use by all our visitors who were coming over to dine with us during the festive break. We have bought a few pieces of furniture which are in the Indian style in dark rosewood and rustic finish and they seem to suit the style of the cottage very well.
Decorating
We had help from Sue’s brother and nephews with plastering and some painting, enabling us to repaint the lounge, dining room, front bedroom and start on the bathroom. We have now nearly finished painting, with just the woodwork in most of the rooms and the walls and woodwork in the bathroom yet to do. Sue’s aunt is coming over soon to hang some wall paper on a feature wall to complete the lounge and then it is details such as door furniture, shelves, some pictures and a curtain left to hang after that.
Fence
We had some storms earlier in the year and the only fence in gardens in our terrace of houses to come down was ours. It was completely rotten and so we again called on Sue’s brother to come over and put up a new one with strong concrete posts that should now last a while.
Allotment
We still have our old allotment which we will slowly rob of useful plants, moving them either to a new allotment or to plant out in our garden. There is a section of land behind us that is being used as a vegetable garden and we have asked the owner if he would consider letting us rent (or buy) some of it off him, but we haven’t heard back from him yet. We have bought our seed potatoes, onions and garlic and we plan on starting planting in a couple of weeks, once the ground starts to warm up.
Christmas and New Year...
As we had just moved into our new house we took the opportunity to have Christmas and New Year at home. Joyce and Terry and Liam the dog came down to stay with, as did Jamie back from University in Hull. We had other family and friends over during the festive season and Sue and Joyce made very good use of the double oven cooking traditional roasts for the masses. We interspersed the eating with walks in the countryside, visits to the local hostelry and naps on the sofa. After Christmas Sue and I were left to our own devices for New Years, and took it easy kicking back and enjoying Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on the TV. This meant that we were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on New Years Day and so we joined the local Westcott History Group , or a Sue calls them – the Hysterical Society, and went for a walk. The day was bright and fresh and the outing made us feel very virtuous. After our visit to see a 300 year old farm (with mulled wine and mince pies included) and the much older Saxon church we stopped at a pub to celebrate before returning home to open the champagne.
Friday, February 16, 2007
More of wot I have read...
Insomnia by Stephen King
King’s writing style tends to lean towards action and violence, often graphic and gratuitous, rather than a steady building of suspense and tension that I prefer. I thought his choice of main characters was inspired and I was looking forward to learning how they viewed the world, but they too seemed to become more inclined towards heroic activity than you would have credited them with. I was not totally convinced with the supernatural elements that King tried to convey in this book and this inevitably frustrated me. I just think I don’t get on with his writing style, but I know many others do.
'Ralph Roberts has a problem: he isn't sleeping so well these days. In fact, he's hardly sleeping at all. Each morning, the news conveyed by the bedside clock is a little worse: 3:15...3:02...2:45...2:15. The books call it "premature waking"; Ralph, who is still learning to be a widower, calls it a season in hell. He's begun to notice a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can't quite believe are hallucinations. Soon, Ralph thinks, he won't be sleeping at all, and what then? A problem, yes - though perhaps not so uncommon, you might say. But Ralph has lived his entire life in Derry, Maine, and Derry isn't like other places, as millions of Stephen King readers will gladly testify. They remember It, also set in Derry, and know there's a mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying, natural and otherwise, has been going on in Derry for a long, long time. Now Ralph is part of it. So are his friends. And so are the strangers they encounter.'
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
I found this book much more my cup of tea and I was drawn in immediately, attracted by the playful writing and the sympathetic and qwerky characters. Even though the idea is not necessarily a new one, the interpretation seemed fresh and exciting. I particularly enjoyed Koontz attention to detail and his almost poetic style of description.
"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.
Today is August 14.
In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares—and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
As a sequel this book suffers from the fact that we know many of the secrets we didn’t in the first book, and taking it on a step sometimes pushes the boundaries just a bit too far. There is not a lot extra that we find out about the characters we like and the new characters seem even more outlandish than before. It could be trying too hard.
Every so often a character so captures the hearts and imaginations of readers that he seems to take on a life of his own long after the final page is turned. For such a character, one book is not enough — readers must know what happens next. Now Dean Koontz returns with the novel his fans have been demanding. With the emotional power and sheer storytelling artistry that are his trademarks, Koontz takes up once more the story of a unique young hero and an eccentric little town in a tale that is equal parts suspense and terror, adventure and mystery — and altogether irresistibly odd.
We're all a little odd beneath the surface. He's the most unlikely hero you'll ever meet — an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there's so much more to any of us than meets the eye — and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead — it's something that just happened. But as the unofficial ambassador between our world and theirs, he's got a duty to do the right thing. That's the way Odd sees it and that's why he's won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.
A childhood friend of Odd's has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not. For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. Whether you're meeting Odd Thomas for the first time or he's already an old friend, you'll be led on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror, wonder and delight — to a revelation that can change your life. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I received this book for my birthday from my wife and it is a real page-turner. I didn’t want to put it down, drawn as I was into the horror as Mitch’s world is turned upside down and everything (well almost everything) he though was good turns bad. At the end it had my pulse beating faster as I willed him on. I have really enjoyed the few books I have read by this author and I will look out for more of them now.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighborhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it. He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
BloodBowl by Matt Forbeck
If you approach this book with the same attitude as the game of BloodBowl them you probably won’t be disappointed. It is never going to win any literary awards but then that never was its aim. It’s just a bit of fun.
He should have stuck to fighting dragons…
Dunk Hoffnung’s life is going nowhere fast and being an adventurer is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. The pay is terrible, the conditions harsh and the only people you meet are generally monsters and they’re more interested in eating your flesh than sitting down and sharing their feelings…
When sports agent Slick Fullbelly spots Dunk bringing down a Chimera with a spear from a hundred paces, he’s sure that his search is over. Slick works for the Bad Bay Hackers, and they need a new thrower. Dunk is about to be plunged headfirst into the insane world of Blood Bowl, the fastest, meanest sport in this dark and brutal fantasy world. Dunk puts down his sword and steps off the battlefield…… onto the football field.
DeadBall by Matt Forbeck
This is more of the same, bad jokes, terrible puns, and wild action that is absolutely nothing more than a bit of fan fun.
Would-be star quarterback Dunk Hoffnung is back and, unfortunately, he's not smelling of roses. His dreams of fame and stardom within the ridiculously violent game of Blood Bowl have all come to nothing. But a good player never says die (though they have been known to say "Ouch" or "Look, take the ball! Just don't hurt me!" or "Not in the face!") and he's determined to make his name… in the Albion leagues. All he has to do is survive the dirty tricks, the sneaky cheating and the exploding footballs. And that's just the players on his team.
King’s writing style tends to lean towards action and violence, often graphic and gratuitous, rather than a steady building of suspense and tension that I prefer. I thought his choice of main characters was inspired and I was looking forward to learning how they viewed the world, but they too seemed to become more inclined towards heroic activity than you would have credited them with. I was not totally convinced with the supernatural elements that King tried to convey in this book and this inevitably frustrated me. I just think I don’t get on with his writing style, but I know many others do.
'Ralph Roberts has a problem: he isn't sleeping so well these days. In fact, he's hardly sleeping at all. Each morning, the news conveyed by the bedside clock is a little worse: 3:15...3:02...2:45...2:15. The books call it "premature waking"; Ralph, who is still learning to be a widower, calls it a season in hell. He's begun to notice a strangeness in his familiar surroundings, to experience visual phenomena that he can't quite believe are hallucinations. Soon, Ralph thinks, he won't be sleeping at all, and what then? A problem, yes - though perhaps not so uncommon, you might say. But Ralph has lived his entire life in Derry, Maine, and Derry isn't like other places, as millions of Stephen King readers will gladly testify. They remember It, also set in Derry, and know there's a mean streak running through this small New England city; underneath its ordinary surface awesome and terrifying forces are at work. The dying, natural and otherwise, has been going on in Derry for a long, long time. Now Ralph is part of it. So are his friends. And so are the strangers they encounter.'
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
I found this book much more my cup of tea and I was drawn in immediately, attracted by the playful writing and the sympathetic and qwerky characters. Even though the idea is not necessarily a new one, the interpretation seemed fresh and exciting. I particularly enjoyed Koontz attention to detail and his almost poetic style of description.
"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.
Today is August 14.
In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares—and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
As a sequel this book suffers from the fact that we know many of the secrets we didn’t in the first book, and taking it on a step sometimes pushes the boundaries just a bit too far. There is not a lot extra that we find out about the characters we like and the new characters seem even more outlandish than before. It could be trying too hard.
Every so often a character so captures the hearts and imaginations of readers that he seems to take on a life of his own long after the final page is turned. For such a character, one book is not enough — readers must know what happens next. Now Dean Koontz returns with the novel his fans have been demanding. With the emotional power and sheer storytelling artistry that are his trademarks, Koontz takes up once more the story of a unique young hero and an eccentric little town in a tale that is equal parts suspense and terror, adventure and mystery — and altogether irresistibly odd.
We're all a little odd beneath the surface. He's the most unlikely hero you'll ever meet — an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there's so much more to any of us than meets the eye — and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead — it's something that just happened. But as the unofficial ambassador between our world and theirs, he's got a duty to do the right thing. That's the way Odd sees it and that's why he's won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.
A childhood friend of Odd's has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not. For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. Whether you're meeting Odd Thomas for the first time or he's already an old friend, you'll be led on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror, wonder and delight — to a revelation that can change your life. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I received this book for my birthday from my wife and it is a real page-turner. I didn’t want to put it down, drawn as I was into the horror as Mitch’s world is turned upside down and everything (well almost everything) he though was good turns bad. At the end it had my pulse beating faster as I willed him on. I have really enjoyed the few books I have read by this author and I will look out for more of them now.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighborhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it. He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
BloodBowl by Matt Forbeck
If you approach this book with the same attitude as the game of BloodBowl them you probably won’t be disappointed. It is never going to win any literary awards but then that never was its aim. It’s just a bit of fun.
He should have stuck to fighting dragons…
Dunk Hoffnung’s life is going nowhere fast and being an adventurer is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. The pay is terrible, the conditions harsh and the only people you meet are generally monsters and they’re more interested in eating your flesh than sitting down and sharing their feelings…
When sports agent Slick Fullbelly spots Dunk bringing down a Chimera with a spear from a hundred paces, he’s sure that his search is over. Slick works for the Bad Bay Hackers, and they need a new thrower. Dunk is about to be plunged headfirst into the insane world of Blood Bowl, the fastest, meanest sport in this dark and brutal fantasy world. Dunk puts down his sword and steps off the battlefield…… onto the football field.
DeadBall by Matt Forbeck
This is more of the same, bad jokes, terrible puns, and wild action that is absolutely nothing more than a bit of fan fun.
Would-be star quarterback Dunk Hoffnung is back and, unfortunately, he's not smelling of roses. His dreams of fame and stardom within the ridiculously violent game of Blood Bowl have all come to nothing. But a good player never says die (though they have been known to say "Ouch" or "Look, take the ball! Just don't hurt me!" or "Not in the face!") and he's determined to make his name… in the Albion leagues. All he has to do is survive the dirty tricks, the sneaky cheating and the exploding footballs. And that's just the players on his team.
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