Audiobook Review: Low Town by Polansky (4 Stars)

Low Town by Daniel Polansky

3.5-4 out of 5 stars

Read in December 2013

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops . . . and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town.

In the forgotten back alleys and flophouses that lie in the shadows of Rigus, the finest city of the Thirteen Lands, you will find Low Town. It is an ugly place, and its cham­pion is an ugly man. Disgraced intelligence agent. Forgotten war hero. Independent drug dealer. After a fall from grace five years ago, a man known as the Warden leads a life of crime, addicted to cheap violence and expensive drugs. Every day is a constant hustle to find new customers and protect his turf from low-life competition like Tancred the Harelip and Ling Chi, the enigmatic crime lord of the heathens.

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Book Review: Bible Stories for Adults by Morrow (3.3 Stars)

Bible Stories for Adults by James K. Morrow

3.3 out of 5 stars

Read in January 2014

Anthology Synopsis:

Morrow unabashedly delves into matters both sacred and secular in this collection of short stories buoyed by his deliciously irreverent wit. Among the dozen selections is the Nebula Award-winning “Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge.”

Contents:

Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge (1988)

Daughter Earth (1991)

Known but to God and Wilbur Hines (1991)

Bible Stories for Adults, No. 20: The Tower (1994)

Spelling God with the Wrong Blocks (1987)

The Assemblage of Kristin (1984)

Bible Stories for Adults, No. 31: The Covenant (1989)

Abe Lincoln in McDonald’s (1989)

The Confessions of Ebenezer Scrooge (1989)

Bible Stories for Adults No. 46: The Soap Opera (1994)

Diary of a Mad Deity (1988)

Arms and the Woman (1991)

My Thoughts:

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Book Review: A Highly Unlikely Scenario by Cantor (3 Stars)

A Highly Unlikely Scenario or, a Neetsa Pizza Employee’s Guide to Saving the World by Rachel Cantor

3 out of 5 stars

Read in February 2014

Suggested reading for the Kansas City Public Library Adult Winter Reading Program “Stop Me If You’ve Read This One”

Publisher’s Synopsis:

In the not-too-distant future, competing giant fast food factions rule the world. Leonard works for Neetsa Pizza, the Pythagorean pizza chain, in a lonely but highly surveilled home office, answering calls on his complaints hotline. It’s a boring job, but he likes it—there’s a set answer for every scenario, and he never has to leave the house. Except then he starts getting calls from Marco, who claims to be a thirteenth-century explorer just returned from Cathay. And what do you say to a caller like that? Plus, Neetsa Pizza doesn’t like it when you go off script.

Meanwhile, Leonard’s sister keeps disappearing on secret missions with her “book club,” leaving him to take care of his nephew, which means Leonard has to go outside. And outside is where the trouble starts.

My Thoughts:

I read this new novel with every intention of joining the local real-life book discussion group.  I try to participate in at least one or two book discussion groups during the annual adult winter reading program at the Kansas City Public Library.  Continue reading “Book Review: A Highly Unlikely Scenario by Cantor (3 Stars)”

Book Review: The Smith of Wootton Major by Tolkien (4.5 Stars)

The Smith of Wootton Major
by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read in September 2009

Synopsis:

Every twenty-four years in the village of Wootton Major a special edition of the The Feast of Good Children was held. This was a very special occasion and to celebrate it a Great Cake was prepared, to feed the twenty-four children who were invited. The cake was very sweet and rich and entirely covered in sugar icing. But inside there were some very strange ingredients and whoever swallowed one of them would gain the gift of entry into the Land of Faery…

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Book Review: Lifeblood by Lind (5 Stars)

Lifeblood by Werner Lind

5 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2008

Warning: Spoilers

What a wonderful book to wrap up the Halloween season!

Ana is a 17th century vampire from Transylvania, transplanted to eastern Iowa by the strangest and saddest of circumstances. She is hunted by a zealous priest who paralyzes her with his crucifix and drives a wooden stake through her heart. Fast forward 300+ years to an automobile accident involving an armored car that was transporting her remains to a museum exhibit. The accident dislodges the stake and Ana find herself restored to a fiery confusion, which she escapes in her bat form.

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Book Review: Frankenstein by Shelley (3.5 Stars)

Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in November 2008

I don’t know what I was expecting to find but it definitely was different than all my preconceptions. I had some trouble, at times, staying tuned into the story. Mary Shelley’s prose was first person, but often second or third hand (one person telling another person’s story who was then telling yet another story). At times, I had to stop and remember what “I” was actually telling the story at that particular time. Nevertheless, it did make for compelling reading at times.

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Book Review: The Anubis Gates by Powers (3 Stars)

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

3 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2008

Warning: Spoilers

Brendan Doyle is a biographer and researcher specializing in poetry and prose of the early 19th century. In fact, it’s his knowledge of Coleridge and the obscure contemporary William Ashbless that leads Doyle into his time traveling adventure. An eccentric named Darrow has discovered a method of time travel. To secure venture capital for his personal scheme, he sells tickets to a Coleridge lecture in 1810. Doyle is hired as the Coleridge expert brought along to prep the audience.

The party arrives successfully in London in 1810 and convinces Coleridge to give an impromptu lecture. Darrow had misinformation about the date of the “real” lecture. At the conclusion of the lecture, Doyle is sent to fetch the carriages and is kidnapped.

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Book Review: The Age of Innocence by Wharton (3 Stars)

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

3 out of 5 stars

Read in October 2008

At times, I wanted to strangle Newland Archer for being so naive, so blind to what was happening around him. Especially from his sweet subservient fiancé. I really connected with Ellen and longed for her to have more scenes, rather than just hearing the rumors about her from various members of the families involved.

I admire all the characters stoic resolve to play the cards dealt them and make the best of their lives. In today’s society with disposal marriages and relationships, it was refreshing.

Downloaded the free ebook from Project Gutenberg – http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/541

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Book Review: The Andromeda Strain by Crichton (4 Stars)

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

4 out of 5 stars

Read multiple times, but most recently in June 2008

I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this classic science fiction novel by Michael Crichton. And it was something I could knock out in a couple of hours, even with lots of scientific jargon to slog through. Stretching vocabulary is always a good thing!

I decided to re-read The Andromeda Strain because of the A&E mini-series aired a couple of weeks ago. I think the screenwriters did an excellent job of being faithful to the book but also updating the science and technology forty plus years. The elements of drama and crisis were maintained and made more believable; yet the human element of fear, mistakes and intuition were preserved.