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Keep on Reading........
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10-01-2018 3:39am#1
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!!0 -
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!0 -
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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.0 -
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 dead0 -
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.0 -
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!!0 -
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!!0 -
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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.0 -
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!!0 -
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 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!!0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!!0 -
Thin Air by Richard Morgan
This is by the same author of Altered Carbon which I loved but he also did Market Forces and I hated that! This s a Sci-Fi tale set on Mars, and our hero is an ex-enforcer who is equipped with military technology that is now basically built into him. He wants to return to earth so he accepts a job as a bodyguard for an Earth Oversight investigator who is visiting Mars.Of course things don't work out that easily as there is a conspiracy and other people with different agendas.
This was a very hard book to get into as Morgan throws a load of stuff at you about all the technology and doesn't explain anything. I was a bit floundering at the start as I kept thinking "what is that?" and what is that reference. This and the fact that nothing about life on Mars is explained. It could just as easily be on Earth and the only reference to Mars made is that the air is thin hence the title of the book.
Once I accepted that not everything will be explained and the world building is non existent then everything else was great. The weapons and tech the hero has is really cool and the story is very exciting.If you liked Altered Carbon then you will like this too. The action is very good and the story kept me gripped throughout.
If you like good Sci-Fi then check this out.0 -
Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton
This is a book that Crichton was supposed to have written back in 1974 and is like a precursor to Jurassic Park. He called it his other dinosaur story. This is based on actual real life exploits of 2 fossil hunters in the days of the wild west in America. They were friends but fell out and then became enemies and were trying to collect more fossils for museums than the other guy.
This era was called the Bone Wars and you can read all about it on its wiki page here Crichton blends fact with fiction by imagining a student who is out there with them and meets both of them.
This story flies along and is a real adventure story. Its a fun, easy read. Certainly not his best book but is still a good read if you like thrillers. I liked finding out about an era that actually happened in history!0 -
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The Outsider by Stephen King
I was looking forward to reading this one from King as I liked the premise. Its about a young 11 year old that has been found murdered brutally. There were witnesses in the area and they are all adamant that it is the local little league baseball coach.DNA confirms it as well as fingerprints. Seems like an open and shut case doesn't it?
The local cops arrest him publicly as they believe him definitely guilty but then he has an alibi that he was seen somewhere else at the time of the crime. To top things off, video seems to confirm it. So how could a person be in two places at once?
From what I understand, this book is related to the Mr Mercedes trilogy. I have not read them yet but it didn't matter as its basically a stand alone. There are references to them but it didn't matter.
This was a fun read that just about held my attention throughout. There were a few bits that were a tad boring and it does suffer from being padded a bit. Its almost 500 pages and he could have cut a bit out. The ending is a bit anti climatic too so they are all the bad points. I still liked this book though all in all. If you like King then you will like this book too.
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Never grow up by Jackie Chan
I am a big fan of Jackie Chan movies so I was very excited to read his autobiography. I was expecting a light read but he is very honest about his life including all his mistakes. He talks about his upbringing and how hard it was and then moves into the films he made. As he is older and wiser, he looks back on some of the things he did with regret such as when he first got money, he was out gambling all night wasting it. Its interesting to hear him look back on things now that he is older as he can see times where he wasn't a nice person.He sees that he was engrossed in doing the movies and doing crazy stunts and he tended to forget about everything else.
Now that he has come out the other side, he can give back by doing charitable things and helping his fans. Its the stories from the various movies though that are very good especially if you have seen them!
If you like autobiographies then this is a good one and if you are a fan of his then you will love this book.
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Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk
This is by the author of the famous book "Fight Club" and this book is somewhat related. You would not have to have read "Fight Club" to read this but it is in the same vein as it. It's a satirical take on America and politics as the politicians plan to have a war to keep everyone busy and to kill off the overpopulating young male demographic.What the politicians don't realise is that everyone has been reading an underground book and memorising what it says to do.
That book is about the Adjustment Day that is coming. Most people are killed off to create a new society.The normal society disappears to be replaced with the disunited states of America. There are places for Gays , whites and blacks. No one can go into the other area.
This is a satirical take on America and the way people are at the moment. From college professors, students to all politicians and interest groups, everyone gets a good going over. Its kind of like the movie The Purge if you have seen that.
It had me laughing out loud at some points. Instead of Internet popularity lists such as likes or tweets on a post there is The List. This is more like an unpopular list as anyone can be nominated and if they get enough votes then they are killed off!! Throughout the book, there are quotes from the Adjustment Day book that everyone is reading within the book.
I really liked this book but it will not be for everybody. If you didn't like Fight Club then you won't like this either but if you did, then you will love it like me.
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One Way by SJ Morden
I took a chance on this book as I had a voucher and the premise seemed interesting. As you can see from the cover, there are 8 astronauts sent to Mars but there is a killer amongst them! The premise is far fetched as in they are all convicts that are sent to Mars. It is set slightly in the future as the prison service has been privatised. And what does a corrupt company do? They send convicts to Mars of course!
The only thing is that they start getting killed one by one. They are being sent there to set up a Mars base for scientists that will go there eventually.I really enjoyed this book even though the killer and ending is quite obvious. At least it was to me. The actual work of setting up a base seems very realistic and you feel like you are there too.
The story is basically "And then there were None" by Agatha Christie set on Mars. If you have read that then you will know if you will like this.I was hoping that the ending wasn't going to be as obvious but it is still a very enjoyable read. It isn't all action but there is enough in it to entertain you.0 -
Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
This is book number 5 in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. I have read the first 4 ages ago and only getting back into this series now.If you haven't read the first one then go check it out. It was also made into a movie starring the late Anton Yelchin. The good thing is that each book is almost stand alone, yet they do reference the other books so you could jump in to them if you really wanted to do it.
Odd Thomas can see dead people and fights evil in the world is the synopsis of the character! He is a cool character and the stories are a mix of thriller, kind of occult Sci Fi and humour thrown in,
In this book, Odd comes across a mansion where evil may be lurking. This is a weak entry though in the series as most of it is Odd wandering around a huge mansion. I would skip this one unless you really want to read the whole series from start to finish.
I did like some aspects of it such as the experiments that led to the mansion being there. I can't say much more without spoiling things but there just wasn't enough in this story to keep me riveted.
It's just an OK read and nothing special.0 -
Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
This is book number 6 in the Odd Thomas series so it's the second last one.This follows on from my previous log entry and sees Odd Thomas going up against a mysterious truck driver. Odd sees a vision of him torturing and killing 3 kids so he decides to track him, to save them. When he hears a story of 3 girls recently kidnapped as well as others, its a race against time.Then it appears the truck driver has a lot of help and they may be supernatural also so Odd is up against it this time!
I really enjoyed this book as its much better than the previous one. Odd is a great character and this time he gets help as he is really up against it. The story is very good and kept me interested throughout. Definitely one of the best in the series as there is a lot of action in it.This book really feels like it would be great as an action movie. It's a huge improvement on the previous installment. Very much recommended!!
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Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
This is the last book in the Odd Thomas series and sees our hero Odd Thomas finally return to his hometown where the first book was set. He is drawn there by his usual "psychic magnetism" as it means trouble is brewing. The satanic cult that he battled previously are back and they have something huge planned.Odd has to find out what it is and stop it in time while surviving their threats. They know about him too but Odd has help again so the battle lines are drawn!
Good action in this one with Odd using guns again and I liked the story.The only minor quibble is that the big event the bad guys have planned is not that big at all. Its still a very enjoyable read and I especially liked the end where we learn what happens to Odd Thomas as I loved the character.
I would recommend this series to anyone as they were all fun reads. Some were better than others but overall they were all good.0 -
Back from the Brink by Paul McGrath
I was looking forward to reading this for years and only got around to it now. Everyone in Ireland knows Paul McGrath but if you don't, he was a famous soccer player and this is his autobiography. It is both a fascinating read but also a frustrating one.
It goes through his childhood and then goes into his time playing football over in England. If you didn't know, he was a deep drinker going off on binges and even playing drunk sometimes.
This is where the book is both fascinating and frustrating. Its about him boozing it up constantly and everyone around him helping him through things. He does say that it was his own fault and he knew it was bad but it was very annoying after so many stories that he didn't get help and go to AA. I felt he had a lot of enablers but he should have taken himself to AA. He does address this briefly but says he couldn't go as he was too well known.I think that's a bit of a cop out to be honest
Another disappointing aspect is that the Ireland games are flown through and barely get a mention. Its just he went to play and they won then lost and tournament over. It seems that quick. Actual accounts of the matches and training would have been great from someone there but there wasn't anything about it. The book is just focused on all his boozing exploits and each low he would go to.
Even though the book is frustrating, it is a great account of what an alcoholics life is like and the depths to which he fell. Just wish there was a bit more in the football aspect of the book.
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Congo by Michael Crichton
I am working my way through Michael Crichton's books so here is Congo.I had seen the movie many years ago so I had a good idea about what it was about. This is another of his thrillers that seem kind of possible.
This is set in the 70s and a team of 8 geologists are deep in the African rain forest looking for an ancient city and they stop to set up a remote camera.The resulting footage is watched back in the USA and everyone in the party are killed mysteriously. A blurred image of a face is seen before the camera is knocked over and shut down.
Another party is set up and dispatched as there are other teams all chasing this old city but this time a primate expert with his gorilla is sent with them as its thought that image may be a gorilla that killed the expedition. The expert communicates by sign language with the gorilla so she is very intelligent.
This is a great read with the only drawback being its a tad dated although this was high tech at the time it was written which was 1980. I learned a good bit about gorillas too in that they are naturally fairly docile and not aggressive.
If you like his other books then you will like this one too. Crichton always did great thrillers!0 -
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The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton
Another nice book by Crichton. This one is about a guy who has violent seizures and beats up people while having these blackouts. He is picked as an ideal candidate for an operation to plant electrodes in his brain to control the seizures.The problem becomes that he is able to give himself these seizures as when he does, he gets a shock of pleasure. Then due to a mix up he doesn't get his medication that controls him so he escapes and now he is a maniac on the loose. He has to be found before he kills a load of people.
This was written in 1972 so again the technology is a bit dated now but would have been cutting edge back then. Nowadays this kind of thing is done a lot and we know a lot more about how the brain works.That aside, this is a great thriller as the man needs to be found quickly before he kills more people.This wouldn't be one of Crichtons best but I think that's down to how time has passed and this doesn't seem as far out there as it was originally.
If you like a good thriller this would be good to read.He always did good stories that keep the reader hooked.
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Ted Bundy:America's Most Evil Serial Killer by Al Cimino
This is a biography of the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. If you have never heard of him, he was a kidnapper,raper and killer of women in the 1970s. What was interesting or made him stand out was that he broke the mold in killers. He wasn't a guy who looked evil and he was actually the opposite. He was handsome and charismatic and used his looks and manner to his advantage. He would approach women and usually have a ruse to get them comfortable such as a cast on his arm or crutches. Then when they let their guard down he would hit them over the head, get them into his car and drive off with them.
It's amazing how lucky he was but he believed that people didn't notice nice looking people and he was right. He would rape and kill them and even go back days and weeks later to the bodies to have sex with them and clean their hair and put make up on them.He even kept severed heads in his room also.
Even after he was caught, people close to him couldn't believe he was guilty as he seemed so normal. He escaped twice also! Yes thats right, twice! Then in his trial he defended himself as he had went to law school for a while.He really was a gambler as he would go back to scenes of crimes and attack people in busy areas. He once got one woman and then went back and kidnapped another. Another time he kidnapped and killed a woman when she went up to her hotel room to get something.These were huge risks but he kept getting away with it. He was even offered life in prison but didn't take it as he thought he could beat the accusations. He finally didn't as he ended up being executed.
I must see the Netflix doc and the movie with Zac Effron that came out now! This book is really good as it goes into a lot of details on his life. I have read books on him before but here it goes into a lot of things that I didn't know such as what he got up to, day to day, while on the run.It is a story that you couldn't make up as it has so much in it. Trials and escapes and all the while it seems impossible to people that he did the crimes as he seems so normal.
If you like true crime books then this should definitely be on your shelf. A fascinating read from start to finish but bear in mind the details are graphic but these books usually are like that.
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To Keep a bird Singing by Kevin Doyle
A book that I didn't really know anything about prior to reading it and sometimes that can be the best way to read a book. Its a debut novel from a Cork writer and the story is completely set in Cork too. Its about Noelie Sullivan who finds his old punk records that were stolen, in a Charity shop many years later. He buys them back but then finds a note inside a record sleeve saying that a man was murdered many years ago.
This seemed like a very simple start but as he tries to learn more about it, Sullivan ends up in a tale of conspiracy and corruption. It is full of twists and turns and the story was very compelling. You could definitely see this being made into a movie as it was that good.I liked the realism and it felt Raymond Chandler esque in ts style.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is the cover and the name of it. They don't really tell you what this book is about or even what genre it is.Of course, you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but it didn't draw me in. I saw this book a few times and have passed it over but just happened to pick it up one day. It's only after reading the back that I realised that this might be a good book.I thought it was some traveller and nature book originally!!
It is an impressive debut though as the story progresses very well and you really do want to see how it ends, I would definitely recommend this book and the fact that its a first time Irish writer even makes it better.
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Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
I was eager to read this as its been on my to-be-read list for ages on my shelf and it will be released as a movie in November this year. It is set in Brooklyn (funnily enough!) and is about a guy called Lionel Essrog who has Tourettes Syndrome who works for a seedy Detective agency that doubles as a limo service.When his boss is killed, he has to investigate it to figure out what happened.
I think this is meant to be a comedy type thriller but it falls into the cracks where it isn't anything. Its not funny enough to be a comedy or fast to be a thriller. It might even be an attempt at a Raymond Chandler type detective story. I don't know as I found it to be none and all of the above!!
I enjoyed the writing though and that's what kept me going until the end. The plot and "mystery" is wafer thin. It struck me as a novel that thinks it is better than it actually is and it just didn't pull me in.
At the start, I was wondering if it is meant to be set in 1920s as it felt like that but then mobile phones are mentioned so it is very recent. At the end, everything was as I expected so there wasn't anything surprising about the reveal. I have seen people online saying this was amazing but it seems way overrated to me.
So I didn't love it but also didn't hate it. I enjoyed the writing but story was poor. If it had been very long I might have given up. It will be interesting to see if the movie can improve things as it will star and be directed by Ed Niorton who I like a lot.
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Apaches by Lorenzo Carcaterra
This is by the same author of the book "Sleepers" that was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt. That was a good book so I wanted to read more of him.Apaches was written in the late 90s but is set in the early 1980s where crack cocaine is just beginning to flood America. This brings a lot of crime and leads to crimelords.One of them is Lucia Carney who has an empire of drugs and violence. She operates seemingly above justice and seems untouchable.
One by one, a backstory of a bunch of characters is told where they were in the police force and something happened to them and now they are basically retired due to injuries. They decide to team up to take down Carney and they call themselves Apaches. They are basically vigilantes. It all leads to a big showdown with the crimelord.
This book is both entertaining and silly at the same time. It read like an A-Team episode or an eighties TV show. All the Apaches were brilliant in their line of work. You have the undercover guy who goes into the bad guys den and takes everyone down, the bomb disposal guy who can disarm anything etc Then due to various mishaps they end up disabled. Of course they team up to take the bad guy down even though they can barely move. Then the bad guy is a woman also which would be rare! They all have nicknames too!
It is a fun read once you park your brain at the door but it really reads like an A Team episode where everyone goes over to the bad guys villa to take him on. This is literally what happens. It felt like it was written in the early 80s rather than the late 90s as the story is a bit silly. If you want a silly action story then you will enjoy this. I dd but some of it is unintentionally funny as it has a load of cliches.
At least it has good action and a good shoot out at the end. A short, silly but fun read!!
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The Hollow by Agatha Christie
Another of Christies "Country House" mysteries where a Lady Angkatell has invited a few people to her estate called "The Hollow" Most are members of her extended family and a Doctor and his wife. An old flame of the doctors who lives in a nearby cottage comes over one night to borrow matches(!!) Later they secretly meet where the old flame who is a famous actress, wants to get back with the doctor but he rejects her. Staying in a nearby cottage for a few days is Hercule Poirot and he has been invited for sunday lunch. Big mistake as if he is around, you know someone is going to die!!
As Poirot calls around he comes across a scene by the swimming pool. The doctor has been shot with his wife standing over him with a gun in her hand. One of the other guests takes the gun from her had but fumbles it and it falls into the pool destroying any evidence. None of the other guests actually saw the wife shoot the doctor as they came along later after the gunshot. The wife claims she was blacked out and cant remember what happened. Then the gun that she had in her hand is proven to be the wrong calibre of weapon that killed the doctor. So who actually killed the doctor??
Agatha Christie said in her autobiography that she ruined this novel by introducing Poirot. Not sure why she thought that but I think she got annoyed with people asking her for more Poirot. This story was after she had a four year break from him. Straight away I was thinking of a Murder on the Orient Express type solution for this mystery. If you have read that then you will know what I mean. Its not that but it is somewhat related in its solution. That's all I will say!
I liked the unusual nature of the murder with it just happening as Poirot arrives as usually he comes along much later. This was also called Murder after Hours in the USA.I really liked the way Christie did the under current of issues that are going on behind the facades that everyone has up in the estate. It seemed a bit of a psychological tale until the murder has to be solved. So in one sense I can see why she didn't like Poirot having to solve it as the psychological side was interesting.
A really good book that isn't long but felt like a good lot packed in. The murder isn't the most ingenious but the underlying story and characters are what makes this great. Very much recommended.
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Elevation by Stephen King
The most recent of Kings novels right now and in one sense could be the worst ever. I saw this new in a shop for 22 euro but I got it second hand for 8 euro. Its only 132 pages and I read it in one siting. This feels like a child's book and there are even illustrations so the book is shorter. It feels like something written while King was waiting for a bus or on the toilet!!
It is set in Kings usual of Castle Rock and deals with Scott Carey who is losing weight and he doesn't know why. He looks the exact same but when he weighs himself he keeps getting lighter.All this is happening while he is having a mini feud with 2 lesbians over dogs going to the toilet in his lawn. They have a restaurant that no one seems to go to as they are lesbians in a small town. Meanwhile the town is preparing for is Annual Thanksgiving Fun Run.
The story is wafer thin and should be in a collection of stories and not on its own.Even if you are a huge fan of King like me, don't buy this new for a big price. It's not worth it. I felt I still paid too much!! It's a very quick read that felt like a child had wrote it.Not much happens and it just wasn't very interesting.0 -
Disclosure by Michael Crichton
I am making my way through Michael Crichtons books and Disclosure was next.This was made into a movie starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore as you can see from the above cover of the book. It concerns a Tom Sanders, an executive with an electronics company in the 1990s. A merger that would earn Tom loads of money is about to go through and he is in line for a promotion.
Instead he is stunned that the promotion has been given to an ex-girlfriend of his and she is now his boss. While meeting alone with her to discuss things, she sexually harasses him but he just leaves. Then he finds out that she has accused him of sexually harassing her and he is being transferred away. If he accepts the transferal, he would lose the money that he was about to gain in the merger and everyone would think he was the sexual abuser. So he begins court proceedings to try and prove she was the guilty one and he is innocent.
This was written in 1994 and was cutting edge at that time again as the book refers to Virtual Reality and technology where information is stored in CDs rather than huge computers. Its dated now as it is talking about CD-ROM drives and how quick they are and can be made.The sexual harassment case is switched as obviously its usually a male boss and female employee and Crichton says at the back of the book that it is based on an actual case he knew of but its still fiction.
It is really showing that these type of harassment cases are not about sex but about power and control as women tend to do it as much as men when they are the boss.The story is very good and flies along in typical Crichton style so its hard to put down. Other than things being a bit dated it is still a very good book so if you like thrillers then this will be for you.
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The Stand by Stephen King
I have been meaning to read this for a long time and finally got around to it. I read the uncut edition. The Stand was published in 1978 and is his longest book. This was his attempt to do a Lord of The Rings type epic set in the USA.The Stand is about a flu like virus that gets out and kills 99% of the population.Society breaks down and any survivors that are left keep having recurring dreams. Some dream about a 108 year old woman who directs them to go to Boulder, Colorado.Others dream about a Dark Man who directs them to Las Vegas. So in other words the good people left are going to Boulder and the bad people to Las Vegas.
The good people set up a small society to try to get peoples lives on track but in Boulder, The Dark Man called Randall Flagg (basically the devil or his representative) becomes aware of them. So the stage is set for battle between Good and Evil.
I was really enjoying this book until the end where there isn't any big battle and it has a Deus Ex Machina ending that left me almost laughing as it was so bad and furious at what an anti climax it is. Kings book "It" and "The Outsider" (I reviewed The Outsider in Review no. 21 if you wish to know more) all had poor endings. I am beginning to think King has great ideas but cannot finish them off properly. "Cujo" has been his best book that I have read so far.
From what I understand, the uncut version adds in an epilogue and a story about a character called "The Kid" in the middle as well as a bit more backstory to characters. "The Kid" seemed like a stupid character that talked in a really silly way so he was best cut out!
So I did enjoy the book but it was just left down with a poor Deus Ex Machina ending which is a shame. In case you don't know, Deus Ex Machina is a plot device where the author just fixes his story problems by bringing in something that sorts it out easily for him or her. Like a get out clause or divine intervention.
If you really want to read a book with the same theme of humanity being wiped out by a virus and society breaking down, I much preferred The Passage Trilogy that I reviewed in reviews 12,13 and 14.
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A River of Bodies by Kevin Doyle
This is the sequel to To keep a Bird Singing that I read and reviewed in review number 32 It continues on where the previous book left off with Noelie Sullivan trying to get to the bottom of a mystery. His nephew was killed in the first book and he is trying to find out why and who did it. It's totally set in Cork and everything is linked to what happened in the first book.
Thankfully the title is much better than the first book and will help tell you what its about. It struck me as very realistic and full of twists and turns as things progress. This ends on almost a cliffhanger and this is the second book in a trilogy. I was literally reading it non stop and the end left me really wanting the third and final installment. I would highly recommend this book and the first one as both are really gripping reads.Now I must wait for the last book.......!!!
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The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
This is a short story collection featuring Hercule Poirot and has 12 stories linked together by Poirot accepting cases in the same sequence as the mythological 12 Labours of Hercules. As with all collections some stories are better than others but each one can be read in one sitting so they are perfectly long. Each story has a link to a famous labour of Hercules and some are quite tenuous but others are better. The last story in particular is highly improbable and stretches credulity but all stories are fun reads.
If you are a fan of Christies and Hercule Poirot then this collection is a must read. They aren't totally ingenious and as they are short they don't have the usual red herrings but they are all enjoyable.
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Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
Another great story from the great Agatha Christie. This features Hercule Poirot on the case of a blackmailer being found dead. A wealthy man dies abroad but he was basically bankrolling a load of members of the same family. Unfortunately a woman turns up who says she married him before he died so now all his money goes to her. Naturally the family are not happy about this. Then a mysterious man shows up in town asking to meet her and her brother. He is overheard saying he is the wealthy man but then he is found murdered. The wife is adamant the dead man was not her husband but an old army buddy says it was.Then later there are more murders.....Whats going on and why does everyone have so much to hide?
If this happened nowadays then DNA would solve it instantly!! :pac:
This is a great intricate story that had me guessing until almost the last page.A very interesting story showing how people will do anything for money when they are used to getting it.There is one really silly point in the story where someone tries to kill someone else but Hercule Poirot stops it. Then that person says they now love the person who tried to kill them as clearly they care so much not wanting to see anyone else have them!! Other than this silliness then the book is another masterpiece that is highly recommended. This is defiinitely one of Agatha's best!0 -
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The Martian by Andy Weir
This is a debut novel and is about an Astronaut in 2035 waking up on Mars alone after being assumed dead.He has to try to survive on his own and somehow get help to come back for him.This seems a wafer thin plot and it kind of is but what follows is a brilliant gripping story. Think of a MacGyver in space and you will understand what this is like.The story is told in the form of a diary that he is keeping as things go along.
Things go wrong a few times but he keeps coming up with ideas to keep things running along. I like the way his thought processes are told and his explanations of why he is doing what he is doing. There are loads packed in to the story and it keeps you really wanting to read more.
The only time it slowed a bit and had filler was when it was talking about the other astronauts. When they were talking about the guy stranded then it picked up again. This is only a minor quibble though.
This is definitely recommended if you like sci-fi0 -
Artemis by Andy Weir
Artemis is the second book of Andy Weir after The Martian which I reviewed just above. This book is set on the moon where we now have a mini city called Artemis. There's only about 2000 people and they are in a few domes that are connected up. This is told in the first person like The Martian but this time its a female viewpoint in the form of Jazz who is like a courier but does smuggling on the side.
There are some nice world building in this and you feel like colonising the moon is very possible but then there are a few things which makes no sense. Its meant to be in the 2080s but everyone talks like they are in the present. They even talk about Star Trek. Even with this problem I would be willing to go with it.
The biggest problem is Jazz does not talk like a young woman at all and it completely takes from the story a few times. She talks like a guy when she likens the domes to boobs and saying that she has a hot body.Weir clearly cannot write as a woman but what he is good at is a good story if you let the above problems go.
Jazz gets mixed up in a conspiracy for control of the city and the story and action are very good.Jazz is meant to be Muslim which is further weird as she talks about sex and guys a lot.There are a few sub plots that go no where such as a new type of reusable condom.....I kid you not. I assumed she would use it at the end but she doesn't.
I liked the story but it is a bit convoluted. There's meant to be no police force on the moon except one guy and no prison. The whole book is full of odd things like that as in no children but then contradictions as Jazz has meant to have grown up on Artemis. She talks about being in high school but theres meant to be no schools there.
The whole book needed a few rewrites as Weir has a good idea but needed to think it out more. Writing as a woman was a disaster for him as he cannot do it. I was convinced she was a man for ages as it didn't sound like a woman.
Much as I was annoyed with all of the above problems, I still wanted to see what happened at the end. So it wasn't the worst book ever and was somewhat enjoyable.0 -
The Game : Undercover in the Secret Society of Pick up Artists by Neil Strauss
Back when I was younger, I was hopeless with women. I usually got no where with girls. This continued until I went to University.I remember being on a night out and failing miserably while trying to chat up some women and I was licking my wounds at a table. Then I saw a guy that I knew from my class and stopped to chat with him. He started telling me about some method to pick up women and I thought it was a load of rubbish.Then he took me under his wing and we immediately started getting girls. I was absolutely amazed. He was following this type of approach that is detailed in this book.
Now we didn't do all the stuff mentioned in this book but it was more of methods to try to get talking to girls and not just the usual "hi whats your name , where do you work or study etc" We used it to just break the ice (and seal the deal!!)
This book details everything about how the author goes from being a no hoper with women to bedding women left, right and centre! Its very americanised but the same principles do work every where. The author meets a pick up artist called Mystery and then becomes his wingman. They use things like "the neg" to try and give a slight insult jokingly to the woman to seem more attractive to them. It sounds crazy but seems to work for them. I didn't go into these types of mind games, I used it to try to get talking to them but thats just me!
Eventually he is part of the pick up community and calling himself "Style" Then they end up living in a mansion and picking up women everywhere while making money giving seminars about how to pick up women. As a story the whole thing is very entertaining as they progress from one thing to the next. So even if you have no interest in using their ideas, its a very fun read!!0 -
The Rules of the Game by Neil Strauss
This is the follow up to the previous book that I just reviewed. These are the "rules" as in a how to book, to pick up women. It gives you a challenge to do each day in order to build up your skills and most of all confidence. I didn't actually do the challenge (as I don't need to!) but I read it as a self help book. I found it still working as a book to help your confidence in general life.
Getting past the daunting feeling of going up to women is universal and this does prepare you with things to do to get over those negative feelings. Recently I had a job interview while I was reading this and I found it helped with the nerves of going up to new people and trying to impress them. Make no mistake though, the book is designed for meeting women but I found some aspects helped me anyway.
I liked that Strauss says once the challenges are done in sequence that its okay as not many people have time to do things every day as if you are busy with the job or friends then these would be impossible.He does lead up to organising a dinner party and inviting loads of women to it. To me this seems very american and there would be no way that I would be doing it but I would use the parts for going up to women if I was single.
The book is filled out with a few more tales that I presume didn't make the cut of the first book and they are just okay. Like any self help book, I would say try to glean things from it that you can use and I would think this book is good if you are hopeless going up to women. It kind of gives you ideas to get your confidence up and practical exercises in what to do. Perfect if you have no idea where to begin and this will help with your confidence.0 -
Nemesis by Mark Millar
I haven't read a graphic novel in ages so its good to get back into them. This is Nemesis by Mark Millar and basically has the idea of what if Batman was evil? Nemesis is the name of the super-villain and he is loaded with money and uses it for bad instead of good. Its an intriguing premise and here we have Nemesis going up against the American Police Chief. Nemesis is said to have gone up against police chiefs in other places such as Japan and Korea already.
He goes into an area and pays off locals to help him and then starts blowing up the place eventually trying to kill the chief as he is the top lawman.This has got good action and I liked the story. Its funny to see Nemesis having a load of weapons and vehicles just like Batman but using them to kill cops! I liked the few twists in the story and there's a lot packed into these even though its a very short read.
This is also supposed to be made into a movie soon so that will be interesting too.0 -
Celtic Warrior: The Legend of Cú Chulainn by Will Sliney
Another Graphic Novel about the legendary Cú Chulainn that I think everyone in Ireland has learned about in school. Great to see the story in comic form and I really enjoyed seeing it retold in this medium. It's really well drawn by Will Sliney and is divided up into 6 chapters.This would be great to give to someone young in school to get them interested in Irish Mythology.
I really enjoyed this and really recommend it but there were 2 minor quibbles. Some of the font used is very difficult to read. At least I found them that way and had to reread them a few times to make them out.
The other problem is kind of a good one. Its not long enough! Loads of things are rushed through and this should really be another 20 pages at least! Trying to tell the whole story means things are a bit rushed. It felt like there were lots more that could have been shown. I mean lots of cool stuff. Everything could have been fleshed out further.
Other than wanting more, this was very entertaining. I enjoyed all the drawings and they really do being the legend to life.0 -
Hostage by Guy Delisle
Continuing on my recent Graphic Novel/Comics run we have Hostage by Guy Delisle. This is actually a true story of Christophe Andre. He is a Doctors without Borders administrator who was kidnapped and held hodtage in 1997. He was working in the Caucasus region when he was bundled into a car and ended up shackled to a radiator and a mattress in a room. Left on his own in solitary confinement except for meal times and toilet breaks.
Christophe is french so he can't really communicate with his abductors anyway and this is his story of what happened to him. Each panel is brilliantly drawn and Christophe is shown what he was thinking at the time. It sounds like this would not be entertaining at all but Hostage is riveting. You really feel his loneliness as he tries to remember the date of each day and what he thinks about to occupy the time.
I'm not spoiling it for you but you really feel the tension as things happen near the end and you really feel like he felt at the time.Being a true story and being well told and drawn, I found myself really rooting for him to get through this and not to get a bullet in the back of the head which is always the fear when held hostage.
This is definitely recommended and is a great tale of human spirit in the face of adversity.0 -
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
This was a comic that I didn't think I was going to like at all at the start. Its not about superheroes or have shootouts in it! Its about a young New York artist who is broke and his patron has left him. He has no family left but he wants to be a great sculptor. His name is David Smith and this has the added complication of people confusing him with a famous sculptor who had the same name. (There was a famous sculptor called David Smith so this is true. I know as I looked him up!!)
He is down and upset inside a diner and he meets Death who comes to him in the form of his dead uncle. Death offers him a deal. He will give him the power to sculpt anything with his hands but he will only have 200 days to live. David accepts this deal.
The story continues and is kind of a love story but held my attention throughout. I really liked the artwork in this and the story was well told. As I said, I thought I would not like this but I ended up loving it. Its nice to be pleasantly surprised when you are reading!!0 -
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