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The White Feather
I had reading logs here before so here I go again.I have a load of books to read in my house and I'd say i could literally open up a book shop!!
Last year I only read 32 books which is poor in my view. The years before that I had read 56 and 69.
I want to read at least 50 and the good news is that I am off and reading already! It's just keeping it going is the thing!
I would tend to read thrillers mostly but also read classics, sci-fi and some non fiction too.Hopefully you might have read the same stuff as me or want to.
I will always say what I thought of it and feel free to give your views as well.
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The White Feather
Chicago: A Novel
I am a big fan of some of David Mamet's movies especially Glengarry Glen Ross so as this book has just come out recently I decided to try it. When you see the blurb you can see why I was excited to read this one.
"A big-shouldered, big-trouble thriller set in mobbed-up 1920s Chicago—a city where some people knew too much, and where everyone should have known better—by the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of
The Untouchables
and Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright of
Glengarry Glen Ross."
I was expecting to read about the Chicago Mob and that it was really fast paced. What I got was a story about a journalist who falls in love with a florist but she gets killed. To say this book was slow moving is an understatement. It was snail pace and really really boring. Don't waste your money on this book and avoid it. I barely got to the end!!
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Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
Another great read from the queen of mystery Agatha Christie. This one had me hooked from the start as it has a simple premise. A halloween party goes on for kids and while it is on, one girl says she once witnessed a murder. Everyone laughs and no one believes her as she is known to make things up.But then later she is drowned while bobbing for apples in a bucket!! No one saw who did it but was it due to her letting that secret out? Did someone get to her before she spilled the beans??!! Then off we go on a great read as usual where Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate.
From reading this I could tell it was written later in Christies career (1969) as there were references to kids being more modern by.......shock........horror..........Kissing with no adults around!! :eek:
If you have read her books then you will know that's unusual!!
Annoyingly, I didn't work this one out. I worked out one part of the mystery but not the other. There are clear clues in the book and I was going mad that I missed them! Sometimes her books tend to produce evidence at the last second so they are nearly impossible to work out who did it but not this one.
I would recommend this book if you are a fan of Agatha Christie like me or if you like mysteries.
The White Feather
Clockers by Richard Price
I really loved the TV show The Wire and the writer of that (David Simon) has said without Clockers there would be no Wire. Price has also wrote for The Wire too. So if you are a fan of that show too then you will like this book and know what its about.If you have no idea what I am talking about then this book is about the drug trade and the cops investigating it.
It deals with a small time drug dealer called Strike. Strike is the guy on the corner in charge of a few low lifes who sell the drugs. They are the lowest on the totem pole of a bigger criminal organisation headed by a guy called Champ. Under Champ in the pecking order and Strikes boss is Rodney Little.Rodney asks Strike to kill his second in command so Strike can take his position, Strike is a bit hesitant to do it but goes to where that guy deals his drugs to check him out.
He goes to a pub across the street for a drink to have a think about it but Strike meets his brother Victor in there. Victor is a regular working man who is not involved in the drug trade. He works hard and is there after work. Then Strike goes home and learns the next day that his target has been killed and the police are saying that his normally honest brother has confessed to killing him.Rocco Klein is the homicide detective assigned to the case but he thinks Victor is covering for his lowlife brother. The narrative switches from then on from the investigation to the drug dealing in the community.
I loved this book as it is very gritty and realistic just like the TV show The Wire. It is a slow burner and is around 600 pages. It isn't a type of book that you can pick up and read for a few minutes as it is very dense if you understand me. I found myself having to read a good few pages in each session as there was a lot packed into each page. This type of book won't be for everyone as its not full of car chases or action in every page yet its very realistic. I think you will know by now if you will like this book.
I certainly did and recommend this for fans of The Wire and anyone who likes realism about life on the street and the drug trade.
The White Feather
Win or Learn: MMA, Conor McGregor and Me: A Trainer's Journey by John Kavanagh
This is a book by the trainer of Conor McGregor so if you like MMA or are interested in sport then this book will interest you. I had avoided reading this for ages as I thought there wouldn't be much in it but after reading it, I should have read it sooner. There is more to it than just "I coach the most famous fighter" It goes into detail about how and why he got started coaching.
That is what stood out most to me. The reasons behind everything. John Kavanagh got bullied when he was younger so he turned to martial arts. This is exactly what happened to me so I can definitely relate to it although I am not a coach now!!
It is a tale of perseverance too as he wasn't making money at all when he started so everyone was telling him to stop. Good message in it about how to keep going if you really feel passionately about something and it tracks all the way along until recently. If you follow MMA like I do then you will hear all the inside story on the events that happened.
The only negatives are there wasn't any information about the reasons when his fighters lost. It was just they came up short but will learn from it. I would have liked more about what went wrong. Was it the wrong game plan, inexperience in some area or just being unlucky? I am not saying to slate fighters but just even a look on why they lost would have been good. Maybe he didn't want to give information away but there was plenty about other stuff so it felt missing to me.
I really thought this was going to be a book that wouldn't have so much in it so I was very pleased that I was wrong. If you like Irish sport then I would recommend this as it shows that we can compete with the best in the world and actually be the best ourselves.
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The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
This is the final book in the trilogy and thankfully it doesn't disappoint. It picks up from where The Twelve finished and goes straight on. This book is 800 pages so all these books have a fair bit in them.
I would definitely recommend this trilogy as it kind of reminded me of The Lord of the Rings in that its really an epic tale. Well worth it especially if you like post apocalypse type fiction.
However in all 3 books, there was a recurring problem. Only a small one but it seemed all 3 books had it. They would start off great then dip and then crank up again for a great finish. The dip would last about 200 pages in each book where it felt like filler and tedious. Not tedious as in "I am going to give this book up" but just a bit dull. Then things would start moving again.
The good thing is that this trilogy was taking up a lot of space on my shelf and now I am finished them! I would be interested in reading more of Justin Cronin and it will be interesting what type of books he will write next. Just hopefully they are edited down a bit more!!
The White Feather
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
This is the second book in a trilogy and it doesn't disappoint. If you like apocalyptic type stuff then this trilogy is definitely for you!
It is around 730 pages so its a hefty read.It starts off well but then kinda dipped a little about a 100 pages in. I found myself a bit bored waiting for things to happen. Then at about 300 pages things really get going again and then the pace quickens until the very end where there is a great climax.I finished this book off in bed this morning. Nothing better than a lie in and reading a good book!
After the first book where it was kind of like the walking dead about survivors where society has crumbled, I was wondering where this trilogy was going to go. Thankfully I was surprised and happy in the direction it went and now I will go straight on to the last book.
Around 200 pages could have been cut out though as it felt like filler but this is still a fantastic read.
The next book is 800 pages so I had better get started!!
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The Passage by Justin Cronin
Obviously my reading died a death this year due to various factors but I am back again.
I have the same copy of the book shown above and it interested me because of all the glowing reviews. Stephen Kings one in particular!
It is about a girl called Amy who is abandoned by her mother when she is 6 years old but then gets mixed up in a government experiment. The story progresses into a post apocalyptic world spanning a good deal of years as the world is overtaken by a virus that causes people to turn into "virals" that are like vampires.
From that premise, I'd say you will know if you like this kind of book or not. I loved it but beware that it is a long book to read also.This is the first in a trilogy that I am reading. It really has everything that I like. An epic story that is very hard to stop reading. Definitely recommended!!
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The Vengeance Trail of Josey Wales by Forrest Carter
This is obviously the sequel to the one above that I just read.Josey Wales is back and when old friends are attacked with one raped and killed and another kidnapped, he sets out for vengeance.
If anything, this may be even better than the first which I loved reading.This has a load of good action, chases, shootouts,knife fights and humour.There is a lot of sadness too with the rapes being very graphic so be warned if you don't want to read anything like that.It did fit the story to show how sadistic and cruel the evil Mexican General was but it makes you really root for Josey as he goes on the vengeance trail.
Josey Wales is such a great character (as I said above already!) from his "figgerin' " on what the bad guys are going to do, to his two guns shooting people and then his chewing tobacco! He seems to be always able to spit it out on someones head or some poor lizard in the dirt! :pac:
It is a good tale of friendship as well as the heroes battle together through thick and thin and reminded me of the Fellowship of the Ring with the friends on an adventure together. I'm glad I read these books back to back and just wish there were 10 more adventures to read with Josey!
If you like action adventures then this book is a must read especially if you read the first one as this carries on from the end of that one.
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The Outlaw Josey Wales by Forrest Carter
I always prefer to read the books first rather than see the movies but in this case I had already seen the movie. I loved the movie that had Clint Eastwood in the title role so always wanted to read the novel.
This was also called The Rebel Outlaw:Josey Wales and Gone to Texas.
This is a American western novel set just after the American Civil War.Josey Wales is a Missouri farmer whose family was murdered by Union forces during the war. He became a Confederate Guerrilla and fought for the South.Now the war is over and all guerrillas have to surrender and pledge loyalty to the United States. Most do but he won't so there is now a price on his head and he is on the run with a young kid who wants to stay with Josey.
The movie followed the book a fair bit so some bits are very recognisable if you have seen the movie. Obviously the book fleshes out the character of Josey a bit more and its a great read.Lots of good action but good descriptions of the landscape and how life was at that time.
I'd say if you like watching westerns and reading like I do then you will love this book too.You can see why they made it into a movie because Josey is such a cool character. Chewing tobacco and blowing guys away with two guns!! Next up....is the sequel!!
The White Feather
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
A bit out of season for this one! This is a locked room mystery about a very rich old man who invites his family home for Christmas. He has invited all his sons and wives and a granddaughter that he has never seen before. Added to the mix unexpectedly is the son of a former business partner.
The old mans name is Simeon Lee but unfortunately he has a nasty streak and likes to play off his family against each other toying with their emotions.One son is a prodigal son who stole money and left home years ago. The others don't like him but the old man accepts him back.Then there is the butler who is very old and gets people mixed up and Simeon's valet who seems to creep about listening to conversations.
So with all these potential suspects in the house, the old man gets his throat slit in a locked room! Whodunit?!!
I worked out fairly early how the murder was done and how the murderer was not discovered but I had one pick for the murderer that I changed late on. I was definitely fooled for most of the book though!
If you like mysteries and Agatha Christie then this one is one of her best. This had me enthralled until the end! A must read for fans of her!!
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Darktown by Thomas Mullen
The premise of this book had me very interested.It is set in 1948 when the Atlanta police department hired its first black policemen. Two black cops see a black woman with a white man in his car and she is eventually found beaten up and dead.The problem is they cannot arrest white suspects,drive a squad car and cannot use police headquarters.
I was expecting a story full of twists and turns until the truth is revealed.What I got was a book where the author constantly reminds us that everyone was racist then. I'm sure a lot were but it felt like everyone was and the point kept being hammered home. Then the mystery turns out to be very basic almost like a Scooby Doo mystery that is very obvious from the start.
The worst part is that the book is just not very exciting at all. It felt like a teacher who decided to write a book and it ended up like a racism history lesson.Those parts were written well as I'm sure they were very realistic but the book needs to be entertaining. I didn't care at all about the characters and just barely got to the end.
I wouldn't advise you to read this at all. It was just too tedious and dull.
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Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Another demented tale from Chuck! I enjoyed this one a lot more than Diary (Number 4 in this log) The book begins with Tender Branson who was a member of a death cult, alone on a Boeing 747 telling his story into the cockpit voice recorder before it crashes.His story about how he survived the suicide cult and becomes a mainstream icon and sort of messiah figure!
The books pages count backwards starting with 289 until 1 which is the last page. This had me laughing out loud throughout it as its meant to be a satire. If you like Chucks style, then this one is definitely for you.
There is an important note about the ending that is on the Authors website. I have reprinted it here.
Don't read this spoiler if you have not read the book. If you have, then it sheds more light on the ending.
The end of Survivor isn't nearly so complicated. It's noted on page 7(8?) that a pile of valuable offerings has been left in the front of the passenger cabin. This pile includes a cassette recorder. Even before our hero starts to dictate his story -- during the few minutes he's supposed to be taking a piss -- he's actually in the bathroom dictating the last chapter into the cassette recorder. It's just ranting, nothing important plot-wise, and it can be interrupted at any point by the destruction of the plane.
The minute the fourth engine flames out, he starts the cassette talking, then bails out, into Fertility's waiting arms (she's omniscient, you know). The rest of the book is just one machine whining and bitching to another machine. The crash will destroy the smaller recorder, but the surviving black box will make it appear that Tender is dead
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The Aspern Papers by Henry James
This is a book in my "Classics" section on my shelf by Henry James that isn't really a short story but not a novel either. It's cool to call these a novella nowadays! The story is quite simple. An unnamed narrator is looking to get the Aspern Papers off an elderly woman who lives with her daughter in Venice.These papers are letters and papers from a fictional poet who was meant to be famous called Jeffrey Aspern.The problem is she is secretive about whether she even has them and won't let anyone see them or take them.The narrator decides to go there and pretend to be just a lodger with her and wait and see can he get or see them.
I really enjoyed this book as it has a very simple story but had me hooked all the way to the end. I enjoyed his writing and want to try to read more of Henry James now.He fleshed out the characters very well when in essence there are only 3 in this.Its only around 140 pages so it is a very quick read.Definitely recommended to anyone!!
Another good thing I heard about this book is that it is being made into a movie that will be out this year. It will star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson in the Julien Landais-directed period drama The Aspern Papers
.
I want to always read the book first if they are made into movies so this one willl definitely be on my list to check out.
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State of Fear by Michael Crichton
This is another techno thriller from Crichton about Eco-Terrorists plotting mass murder to publicise Global Warming.As usual he blends real stuff with fiction to make you believe this kind of stuff is possible.He gives extra material at the end of the book on what he thinks about Global Warming. Whether you agree or not, this is a great book that flies along and had me gripped throughout.He can really tell a good story full of action. Very much recommended if you like action thrillers!
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Diary by Chuck Pahlahniuk
I am a huge fan of Chuck's work and had high hopes as usual. This is written in the form of a "Coma Diary". From the initial premise it just never really took off at all. It felt like this was a short story that he decided to broaden out to a full novel. It wasn't very exciting but as usual Chuck redeems it somewhat with a good ending! I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. It seemed like there wasn't much to it.Just for fans of Chuck only!!
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The First Rule by Robert Crais
This is a crime novel about a home invasion where a family gets killed by Robert Crais and I have read him a lot. He really writes a good book and this is no different. This focuses on the sidekick Joe Pike rather than Elvis Cole and would not be as good as the usual ones but still is fun.Pike is the guy who is the hardman and Crais tries to tell his story rather than Cole the detective.The problem is Pike is never in danger at all as he is just too good. Too good at fighting and too good at shooting. It still had me gripped until the end where it suddenly seemed to fizzle out right at the end.
The end left me a bit "is that it?" but otherwise it still is a good read if you like crime novels.
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Timeline by Michael Crichton
This is a very good Sci Fi book about time travel back to the 14th century.Going back to that time does not sound exciting at all but Crichton makes it really good with a load of twists and turns.Making everything seem very believable is his forte and this had me really interested throughout the whole book.From jousting to sword fighting and physics of time travel, there are loads of good stuff in this.If you like thrillers and history like I do, then this one is definitely for you.
The White Feather
It's time : My 360 view of the UFC by Bruce Buffer
I like watching the UFC and if you didn't know, this guy is the announcer for them.Its his autobiography and mildly interesting. He has a very high opinion of himself throughout and thinks he is very important. It's almost laughable how valuable he thinks he is to the show.He proves my point in one story where he said he made a mistake while announcing a fighter.He was all upset over it and then apologised to the fighter afterward. The fighter hadn't even notice it and said no problem.While he adds a good bit, he is not why people are watching! Only if you are interested in the UFC read this. Otherwise don't bother.
