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| Eddie Glaude Jr. |
Anyway, on to my normal topic. Yesterday I received a few books from Russell Books in Victoria. I haven't been able to visit for almost two years and I did want to give them a bit of business. (I'll update those shortly). Ed. Note. I just took out the dogs and another book arrived from The Book Depository. I completed a book this morning, the last in my March Author Focus challenge, the author being C.S. Forester. I could read one more of his books this month but I've decided to focus on the other books I'm currently reading. Next month my focus author will be Minette Walters. I'll also continue to wind down my thread on the Sci-Fi novel. So, on that note....
New Books
"The combined magic and technology between the parallel worlds of Phaze and Proton is not enough to save the planets from a conquering invasion. Only Mach and Bane - robot and wizard, linked between worlds - have any chance of stopping this threat."
"Marlowe's about to give up on a completely routine case when he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time to get caught up in a murder that leads to a ring of jewel thieves, another murder, a fortune-teller, a couple more murders, and more corruption than your average graveyard."
"Enter Gibson's unique world - lyric and mechanical, erotic and violent, sobering and exciting - where multinational corporations and high tech outlaws vie for power, traveling into the computer-generated universe known as cyberspace. Into this world comes Mona, a young girl with a murky past and an uncertain future whose life is on a collision course with internationally famous Sense/Net star Angie Mitchell. Since childhood, Angie has been able to tap into cyberspace "without" a computer.
Now, from inside cyberspace, a kidnapping plot is masterminded by a phantom entity who has plans for Mona, Angie, and all humanity, plans that cannot be controlled... or even known. And behind the intrigue lurks the shadowy Yakuza, the powerful Japanese underworld, whose leaders ruthlessly manipulate people and events to suit their own purposes... or so they think..."
"With Madam President, current co-host of The View (Ed. Note. Not anymore, now host of Deadline White House) and former White House Communications Director Nicolle Wallace returns with an electrifying portrait of three powerful women on a day that will change the country forever.
Charlotte Kramer, the forty-fifth President of the United States, has done the unprecedented in allowing a network news team to document a day in her life—and that of her most senior staff. But while twenty news cameras are embedded with the president, the unthinkable happens: five major attacks are leveled on US soil. Her secretary of defense, Melanie, and her press secretary, Dale, must instantly jump to action in supporting the president and reassuring the country that the safety they treasure is in capable hands.
But secrets have always thrived in President Kramer’s White House. With all eyes on them and America’s stability on the line, all three women are hiding personal and professional secrets that could rock the West Wing to its very foundations…and change the lives of the people they love most.
With an insider’s sharp eye and her trademark winning prose, Nicolle Wallace delivers a timely novel of domestic and political intrigue that is impossible to put down." (Like many people, I kind of wish that Charlotte Kramer was actually the 45th Pres....)
"A mystery set in the underworld of burlesque theater, The G-String Murders was penned in 1941 by the legendary queen of the stripteasers—the witty and wisecracking Gypsy Rose Lee. Narrating a twisted tale of a backstage double murder, Lee provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of burlesque, richly populated by the likes of strippers Lolita LaVerne and Gee Gee Graham, comic Biff Brannigan and Siggy the g-string salesman. This is a world where women struggle to earn a living performing bumps and grinds, have gangster boyfriends, sip beer between acts and pay their own way at dinner."
Just Finished
"The Captain from Connecticut is an entertaining, action-filled story set during the Revolutionary War. It's quite similar to Forester's Horatio Hornblower series of books, except in this case, the ship's Captain, one Capt Peabody, is an American navy officer in charge of the Delaware. The US fleet for the most part is stuck in American harbors which are blockaded by the British fleet.
Peabody's first mission is to get his ship to open sea and he must do so during a horrendous storm to avoid the watchful eyes of the British. His aim, if he can accomplish this feat is to sail to the Caribbean and when there to disrupt the British cargo convoys and make the British pay a price for their war against America.
That is the gist of this excellent Forester story. Peabody is an excellent character, confident, competent, a skilled sailor and ship's officer. His ship is crewed by an excellent cast. Because of the blockade, he has been able to get experienced, talented officers and crew. The only hitch in this is her younger brother John, who Peabody brings on as a junior officer to get him away from his family. Unfortunately, John doesn't want to be at sea and is a regular thorn in Capt Peabody's side.
It's a fascinating story, the action is well-described. There is also a budding romance when Peabody and his ship run down a French ship. All in all, like most of Forester's sea-going adventures, well-crafted, a page turner and an all-round excellent tale. (4 stars)"
Just Starting
In April along with my normal 2020 challenges, I'll be focusing on the mysteries of one of my favorite authors, Minette Walters. The first book I'll be reading is -
"A WOMAN IMPRISONED FOR HIDEOUS SLAUGHTER. A WRITER TRAPPED IN A TRAGIC PAST. ONE HIDES THE TRUTH THE OTHER NEEDS.
In prison, they call her the Sculptress for the strange figurines she carves - symbols of the day she hacked her mother and sister to pieces and reassembled them in a blood-drenched jigsaw. Sullen, menacing, grotesquely fat, Olive Martin is burned-out journalist Rosalind Leigh's only hope of getting a new book published.
But as she interviews Olive, in her cell, Roz finds flaws in the Sculptress's confession. Is she really guilty as she insists? Drawn into Olive's world of obsessional lies and love, nothing can stop Roz's pursuit of the chilling, convoluted truth. Not the tidy suburbanites who'd rather forget the murders, not a volatile ex-policeman and her own erotic response to him, not an attack on her life.
Not even the thought of what might happen if the Sculptress went free..."
The Science Fiction Novel - Justin Cronin
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| Justin Cronin |
"The Passage by Justin Cronin is the first book in his 'Passage' fantasy / horror series. It came out in 2012 and I've had it on my bookshelf for 5+ years. I readily admit to being intimidated by its size, almost 900 pages. But I'm glad to have finally taken it off of my shelf and dusted it off. It's not a perfect story but in its scope and content, it is still an excellent story. In many ways it reminded me of Stephen King's The Stand.
So how to provide a 'brief' outline of the story, which encompasses 100 years or so... OK, here goes.
Current day - Two ex FBI agents travel to various maximum control penitentiaries throughout the US picking up prisoners on death row and having them sent to a secretive military compound in the mountains of Colorado. Some types of experiments are being conducted. There is a maximum number of these prisoners. The same to agents are also sent to a nunnery in the Eastern US to pick up a young girl, Amy (6 years old). It seems this girl has some 'powers'. A nun from Africa recognizes something in the girl but the two still catch her. One of the agents, Wolgast, comes to some sort of revelation and tries to save the girl, but she is still brought to Colorado. Something happens and the prisoners escape, a virus is let loose and America is on the road to destruction. Wolgast escapes and takes Amy to the mountains of Oregon to hide out from what is happening.
The Future (100ish years later) - The US is basically destroyed, overrun by Smokes (AKA vampires). A community survives in California, behind a walled fortress. They live under strict rules. Their power is supplied by an old power station miles away. The walls are guarded constantly, at night, powerful lights shine out keeping the Smokes away. Events begin to happen that will disrupt their lives. There is a critical evening when a young girl, a Walker (someone who hasn't succumbed to the virus) shows up at the gate to the town and at the same time it is attacked by vampires. Can you guess who this young girl might be?
These events will disrupt everything that has been built in the community, resulting in a journey by a small group of the community and the young girl, trying to get to the source of everything that has occurred. It's a journey of often terrifying events that will try all of them.
So there you go, The Passage. It's a fascinating story. It takes a long while to develop but in the long run, your efforts to work through it will be worth it. I will warn you, however, that this is the first book of a trilogy, so everything might not be resolved quite to your satisfaction. And in the same vein of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series, you might be careful about getting to invested in some characters. Because there are some really well - developed personalities in this story and because the story is so long you will get to know and like them. I 'enjoyed' The Passage very much. Now to find the next book.. Dare I? (4 stars)"
The other two books in the trilogy are -
a. The Twelve (2012)
b. The City of Mirrors (2016)
So there you go, a rather lengthy post I'm afraid. I hope you enjoy and maybe get some reading ideas. Have a great weekend and stay safe.
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