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Book Reviews

TV's Frink

You Catch On Pretty Quick
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I'm pretty sure that's a typo. It should be "Knight Boat."
 

ssj

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FALSE RANSOM
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hard-boiled crime novel set in 1930s los angeles.
mob boss's daughter goes missing, and thugs meet thugs, with thuggish outcomes.
engrossing stuff, tighter than a dashiell hammett novel.
percentage of soft-boiled moments: zero.

the kindle version (there's no other kind) is available for free for the time being.
http://www.amazon.com/False-Ransom-first-Chance-novel-ebook/dp/B00I9K2QL4
 

Vultural

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Bait Money by Max Collins

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First appearance of Collins' "Nolan" character, criminal loner patterned after Westlake's "Parker" and Willie's "Sand."
After surviving a botched hit, Nolan brokers a truce with Family members who hold a grudge.
He must pay $100K to brother of underboss he whacked years earlier.
Because of a Family contract, no pros will work with him, so he is forced to enlist amateurs.
Plot follows the last heist theme, with a lot of time devoted to establishing the caper.
Good read by a young Collins (age 20) before he placed Allan in his signature.
Followed soon thereafter by a sequel, Blood Money.
 

Neglify

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Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar

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The last of the "regular" Wayside books. More fun wacky stories about kids and teachers. An excellent Part 3!

I've never read the "Arithmetic" books, I guess I'll have to pick those up.
 

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The Fatboy Murders by David A. Kaufelt

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In the sleepy town of SleepyTown, a couple of murders have occurred, rich bastards who were part of the "Fatboys Club". Local real estate attorny Wyn Lewis solves the case, but not before about 200 pages of backstories and soap opera I didn't care about. Snoozefest.
 

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If Chins Could Kill - Confessions of a B-Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell

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I love Bruce. Bruce write book. Book is good. Not all Bruce movies good, but book good.
 

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Congo by Michael Crichton

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An expedition for rare diamonds goes wrong. Scientist/company-woman recruits Scientist/gorilla-whisperer to go deep into jungle, along with a signing gorilla and a "great-white-hunter" and his gang. Obstacles are overcome. Adventures are had. Engaged throughout I was. Shitty movie adaptation (with Bruce Campbell in a small role!) was shitty.
 

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Indiana Jones and the Lost Treasure of Sheba by Rose Estes

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An old-school "choose your own adventure" book. Definitely for young readers. I finished all threadlines in one bus trip. Was funny to remember how some of these ended. "Oops, we chose poorly. We're in jail forever now. The End."
 

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The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings by Jan Harold Brunvand

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I didn't know what I was expecting. I love urban legend/campfire stories and this had plenty of 'em. But the problem was that it got so repetitive to hear so many variations of the same story and why people like to make up shit to scare themselves/others. Reads more like a history book than a collection of tales.
 

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Scorsese by Ebert

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Roger Ebert loved the shit out of Scorsese films. Have you ever had an itch to read every Ebert review of a Scorsese film? Well here's your chance. Added bonus: Repeat reviews, years later, like "Second Thoughts". Downside: Since this is a collection of reviews, there's a lot of repetition of information that we already know.
 

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There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar

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This is probably my favorite book of all-time. I first read it when I was 10 and I immediately started drafting the screenplay for it. As the years have gone by and I've gotten older, I still go back to this book. And as usual, I cried around page 171.

Neg: *Bawls like a baby*
Stranger on the bus: Um... are you okay?
Neg: Yeah *sniff* it's just this book is so fucking good. *Continues reading*
 

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Sean's Book by Sean Hughes

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I saw this at a second-hand store and had to pick it up. It's my book. Oh, who's Sean Hughes? Hmm... browse... intro chapter "How To Steal This Book"... purchased.

An excellent collection of poems, prose and essays by British comedian Sean Hughes.


"The truth"

We lie to each other on a daily basis
little white lies to stop emarrassment
big black ones to save face
Multi-colored ones for the variety
We constantly can't face up to the
reality of ourselves
We escape through drugs, TV and religion
The truth seems shallow
we are shallow
we are empty
we are human
This is a foundation
knock it down
start again...
Then you can believe in you
and remember if you're looking for
something that big
it must be staring you in the face.
 

Frantic Canadian

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Neglify said:
If Chins Could Kill - Confessions of a B-Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell

I love Bruce. Bruce write book. Book is good. Not all Bruce movies good, but book good.

Loved this book. If you haven't read it already I recommend his next book "Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way".

Neglify said:
Scorsese by Ebert

Roger Ebert loved the shit out of Scorsese films. Have you ever had an itch to read every Ebert review of a Scorsese film? Well here's your chance. Added bonus: Repeat reviews, years later, like "Second Thoughts". Downside: Since this is a collection of reviews, there's a lot of repetition of information that we already know.

I feel like you're offering me another challenge. :lol: But I don't do thinks half-assed. If I were to do this, I'd do it right. And by that I mean read every review Ebert has ever written. Now that's a real man's challenge.* :lol:

*
A real crazy man's challenge that is. :lol:

And no, I am not about to read every single review he's ever written. Although it would probably take a hell of a lot less time than watching every single movie ever approved by the MPAA.
 

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Frantic Canadian said:
If you haven't read it already I recommend his next book "Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way".

That's definitely on my list, maybe in the next batch. I went to a book-signing for that one. I gave the signed book to a co-worker as a "I'm-trying-to-bang-you" gift.
 

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Neglify said:
That's definitely on my list, maybe in the next batch. I went to a book-signing for that one. I gave the signed book to a co-worker as a "I'm-trying-to-bang-you" gift.

:lol: Did it work?
 

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No, but that Rohypnol did the trick.
 

Vultural

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Down Here In The Dark by Lee Thompson

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Naval gazing horror.
Main character ex-cop is either institutionalized, or trapped a compartment of Hell, or just tweaked up.
He and two companions (keepers - fellow druggies - aspects of his own personality?)
engage in the good fight and follow him battling demons, musicians, zombies, nurses.
Trying to find their way out - if there is such a thing as out.
Subplot about guilt for wrongful death hinted at repeatedly by lethal villains.
Author Thompson creates needlessly obscure narrative, featuring characters unlikeable and, I suppose, perhaps not real.
Dark Fuse has an ambitious publishing schedule of 3-4 books per month, which often means they churn out the clunker now and then.
Horror buffs, be you cozy or gore, seek elsewhere.
 

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Blood Money by Max Collins

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Immediate sequel to Bait Money finds Nolan returning to the Family,
managing a small motel with lounge and pool.
An offer if extended for full reinstatement, a larger establishment to manage,
if he pays a hefty "consideration."
All too soon, he learns someone found his stash and fled with it.
Guns are oiled, and the hunt begins.
Another fast moving, hard boiled yarn by a very young Max Allan Collins.
 
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