Book and Movie Reviews by a Drunk Blogger

Ya, okay - time for another post.

2011-06-20T16:45:00.001-10:00

I'm sure my most avid followers have been beside themselves of late, wondering when this drunk dude was going to post another review. I've returned to the land of the living - are you flattered?

I have indeed read more than one book since my last review, but they're all from the same author. I figured I would get through all (or most) of his novels so I could present to you a thorough take on this dude - John Locke.

No no - not from the hit TV series Lost, but the real John Locke. A guy that lives somewhere in the States. Doesn't matter where. What matters is this self-published dude is the top e-Book seller on Amazon. More than once. He sells an eBook novel every 7 seconds, 24/7. Yup...

You heard it right. You heard it here.

And he didn't have the decency to ask me for a review. It's OK - I'll get over it. But what frikin' matters is how a nobody beat the establishment and became a publishing phenom in mere months. (New York Times best seller for example). All thanks to technology, and a bit of talent. (Well, more than a bit). Specifically: Amazon and their eBook reader, the Kindle. And Twitter. And some other tricks. And apparently not my reviews. It's OK. I'll get over it.

He has 10 books out right now, of which I've read 5 or six. Doesn't matter which 5 - just download all he's written and you'll see why he's so popular. Most are based on his "Donovan Creed" character, an assassin / hit man whose life adventures are very entertaining. Writing in the first person, he actually takes the liberty to speak to the audience... yes, you - the reader. It's all very un-formulaic, irreverent, sometimes crass, mostly amusing, and V-E-R-Y well crafted plot lines. Twists here. Goof ups there. All very human, and hence very easy to read. Want escape lit? He's your dude. I love him to bits. Though, he's not everyone's cuppa tea, so be wary you stiff upper lip literary word-smith perfectionists... he won't float your boat, but I'll gladly canoe my way up his creek of... um... I'm loosing my grasp on some analogy that has escaped me...

Name: John Locke
Central character: Donovan Creed

Google him. Or if you have a Kindle, well - you know how it works.

5 out of 5

Oh - did I mention? He's self published! Just like me!

Wolfy

Rapture Rupture: Harold Camping & The Family Radio Doomsday Fiasco

2011-05-21T23:55:00.000-10:00

How's that for a book title? I think someone should write one - I'll gladly review it. Really.

Well, the old fart got his 15 minutes of fame. Just like the dude threatening to burn the Koran, these evangelical whack jobs willingly become the fodder of trash journalism, and the spectacle of a society so wanting to gaze at these train-wreck religious zealots who are a dime a dozen.

A shameful day for any christian; the athiests and agnostics shake their heads, smirking.

Me, well, I believe... I believe I'll have another Martini.

Book Review: American Bastards by Trevor Richardson

2011-05-03T17:48:00.000-10:00

OK, back to the grind... after this book, I'll return to reading for pleasure as opposed to reviewing requests from POD authors and big press, which this last one was. What a weird book.

Firstly, it took me a couple chapters to get into the mindset of the author's writing style. Then I thought to myself: "Self, give this guy a chance." Which I did until half way through, where I skimmed to the end and concluded it was the work of a strange dude jacked up on some psychotropic medication. I kid you not.

It's the work of a fellow who has huge disdain for American pop culture (...who doesn't?), and expresses it indirectly in this bizarre tale of a young man who travels between reality, and an alternate reality where there's every strange character you can imagine, mostly made up of dead rock stars. There's other plot elements that defy description as well... Let me quote a paragraph (this content is restricted to 18+):

I can see a popped collar on the Metrorail and a greased-shellacked hair-do in Grand Central. I can smoke myself a reality and trip myself a poison-pill tongue tip tranquility. And that's the new Hookah Lounge of the Headless Horseman. Now there's Uncle Sam sitting across from me in my dark room. He's wearing a seven foot scale model of the Washington Monument like a lesbian hayride strap-on around his lap.

It's the last half of the novel that turns more and more strange which begs the question: did his meds wear off, or did he start taking them again? It's a thinly-veiled diatribe that "rages against the machine" of mechanized idols, contrived music, and loss of originality in the arts. Fine, I get it, but wow - what a way to *not* get attention to your cause!

It was entertaining in spots, but not enough to exalt him as a genius writer. Unless of course, I had smoked a couple of big fat ones... In case you didn't know, I prefer Gin.

As creative as Trev was, I give him 2 outa 5. That's the rub and the tug! Later folks.

Two Novels by John Locke: Saving Rachel and Wish List

2011-04-18T08:06:00.000-10:00

As with my last review, I've been reading lately for my own pleasure instead of review requests, and what a treat it's been. I very much enjoy good writing that keeps me on the edge of my seat, and both these novels were no exception. Mr. Locke is enjoying some popularity right now on Amazon, selling an eBook every 7 minutes. For some reason, I rip through a book lots faster on my Kindle, so after reading "Saving Rachel", I bought all six of his novels... for 99 cents each!

His novels are written in the first person from a character named Donavon Creed. He speaks to the reader with conversational candor that is engaging, very often funny, and in an exploratory way - in that, you discover truths and plot twists along with him. It's a unique writing style, one that is very enjoyable. A strange technique he uses is to switch characters half way through the story, so someone else is speaking to you...

In Saving Rachel, the central character must choose between his wife and his mistress in a bizarre setting (I won't spoil it for you). He's told the one he doesn't choose will die... but as it turns out, nothing is really what it seems.

In Wish List, a group of men register their impossible wishes on a web site. When they start coming true, other strange things begin to happen that change their lives forever. Its quite a roller coaster ride, just like Saving Rachel.

His plot twists are ingenious, surprising, and very well thought out. The action packed story line is anything but pedestrian, so for anyone with a Kindle, I highly recommend this dude.

Both novels: 5 outa 5 stars.

Book Review: True Blue by David Baldacci

2011-04-05T11:51:00.000-10:00

For all the reviews I do (... or don't do for reasons previously explained in other posts) that come as requests from POD authors, it's nice to actually do some reading purely for my own pleasure. Having recently acquired a Kindle eBook reader, it's been tough to pull away from all the great (free!) material, and get back to pulp, but I would have read this book if it was scrawled on tree bark.

Baldacci is a multiple New York Times best selling author, and the reasons are apparent after the first few chapters. The book's plot revolves around a female ex-cop who gets out of jail for serving a crime she didn't commit, and tried her hardest to get re-instated by working - and solving - a high profile case. To make things interesting, her older sister is chief of police. How's that for creative writing!

The plot follows her life as she slowly uncovers the mysteries surrounding a murder that even has her sister stumped - you see, a high profile (low profile?) government agency takes over another homicide investigation that has "don't ask - don't tell" written all over it. The chief is ordered from on high to leave it alone. Baldacci does an artful - and I mean artful - job of weaving the two murders together, all the while tastefully sprinkling in a couple of sub plots that actually enhance the overall story.

The pacing is good, the arc and conclusion are spellbinding, and I was left wanting more. He is also good at throwing in subtle but effective humor here and there just to keep you entertained. Added to that is the meticulous research he must have done to contribute to the realistic delivery of a story that could very well be made into a movie. But not after slicing out some content - he is a somewhat verbose writer, but I never did feel bored though... remember, I have a short attention span! If I had to pick a genre to place it in, I'd say police procedural, though the main character is unconventional.

This is definitely a 9 out of 10 in my books. A pleasure to read.

Wolfy

Two Book Reviews You Won't Have To Read...

2011-03-24T08:51:00.000-10:00

I must be in a good mood. (Not what my wife says, but the cranky old girl is hard to please anyways...) With not one, but two review requests that I turned down of late, these authors in one way or another didn't fully grasp my rules of engagement. We humans often have blind spots, granted, but "the Rules" are kinda specific. So, rather than embarrass them publicly, I simple declined from writing a full-blown review.

But what I will say, is in the first case, the pace of the novel was quite slow for my taste. Not to be insulting to the wonderful person who wrote it, but it was like watching paint dry. I do mention in my "Rules" that if it doesn't grab my ADD brain, you won't be reviewed favorably - or at all.

The other novel was written by what seemed to be someone in high school, still learning to write. Written in the first person, every page had between five and ten occurrences of the word "I". Obviously not peer-reviewed. If it was, they weren't honest with the author.

Okay, so who just counted all the "I"s in this post? Don't do what I do, do what I say...

So, in a way, they do get reviewed - sorta - kinda - I figure I should write something about these requests; I just won't do public floggings like other *ahem* reviewers. Be positive I say.

That's 13 "I"s including this one. Man, you'd think I'd learn to write... (oops - does that one count?)

Cheers,

Wolfy

Book Review: Angel Brings Fire

2011-03-21T10:11:00.000-10:00

Well kiddies, here we are with another self-published author asking for a review, to which I said yes... and glad I did. His initial release is in eBook format, which suits me fine - I now prefer my Kindle over pulp. The ink doesn't run if I spill beer on it.

So, this sci-fi novel starts with astronauts landing on Mars. Apparently a second attempt: the first failed, so there's lots of drama right from the get-go. Not long into the story, they make an historical discovery: we're not alone in the universe. They find an alien in a state of suspended animation, who then slowly wakes up and eventually becomes assimilated into their team (I'm leaving out many details...). The author's creativity in setting all this up, and the execution of the plot is very engaging, while he describes how this alien eventually learns the English language. This alien is eons old, as she recounts the many "sleeps" she's had through the ages, though her memory is scant with the details of her previous experiences.

All this would be enough for an interesting story line, but the author throws in a curve ball: there's a massive comet headed for Earth, promising an extinction event like no other. What will they do? How can this alien, with many interesting abilities, talents, and powers, help them? This is the premise of the story, and the author weaves the plot line in and around some well written character development and other elements that kept me reading!

For a self-published work, there were surprisingly few grammar, spelling, and formatting issues. Not enough to mention... I've seen more in big press books. So, for a good read in the science fiction genre, I recommend "Angel Brings Fire".

4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Science and the Akashic Field

2011-03-17T16:29:00.001-10:00

I'm going to deviate from the usual books I review, and offer my observations on a seminal work by a world-prominent philosopher of science. This dude, named Ervin Laszo, is a prolific writer of deeply insightful and detailed scientific/spiritual perspectives of human consciousness, evolution, and, well - everything.

As someone with a more than passing interest in spiritual things, personality theory, and other things that eventually help us understand who we are in this huge universe, AND... a science nerd, I found that the marriage of science and spiritualism has found a home in the writings, research, insights, and encompassing theories of Ervin Laszo's book "Science and the Akashic Field".

In case you haven't been keeping up, Newtonian physics (the stuff you learned in high school) has given way to a new way of understanding the world as we know it. Introduce quantum physics. Without boring you with detailed explanations of how the world-as-we-know-it was turned upside down, suffice to say that many unexplained - yet VERY well documented - metaphysical and spiritual phenomena now have logical and understandable explanations. No, there's no God. But guess what: there's now an explanation for DNA, memory, reincarnation, near-death experience, spontaneous healing - the list goes on.

For instance, something called "non-local coherence", a well understood principle in quantum physics, turns out to be the explanation behind things like distance healing, thought transference, and various other "unexplainable" coincidences that traverse vast distances... we've all heard of them, and some of us have experienced them first hand.

So, for you science nerds who have a spiritual bent, and you spiritual people with a science bent, I strongly suggest you look into the writings of this gentleman.

Ooh my head hurts... I believe that... hm... I believe I'll have a Martini now.

No book review. No movie review. Allow me a "Chuck Lorre" moment:

2011-03-14T16:33:00.002-10:00

Here's my "Chuck Lorre" vanity card:

As it turns out, life is a hustler's game. The winners are the best salesman, those who can best promote themselves. It comes down to survival: "How can I live to a ripe old age in a comfortable home?"

Some people find their niche, and do well. Some don't make it. Most live a meager life. Finding our place, as it turns out, is our real life purpose. It's nothing more than a re-written survivalist's dictum: fake it till you make it, then contribute to our own success till we've amassed as many "points" as we can to look - and be - successful.

Such is life as we know it. For now anyway...

~~~

Don't know who Chuck is? Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Lorre . He's an interesting dude.

Book Review: 1/1: Jihad - Britain, by Jack Everett & David Coles

2011-02-25T10:47:00.004-10:00

This Print On Demand (POD) fiction novel written by the two gentlemen noted above is about terrorism and its effects on Briton in the near future. It starts in 2006 as it lays the foundation for one of the main middle-east characters to build up resentment and anger towards Britain due to their involvement in his country's politics. He experiences personal loss of family, and swears he will wreak destruction on his enemies. His long-term planning results in a day of destruction never before seen in Britain, and sends waves of chaos and panic throughout the continent. Reactions, and subsequent plans and strategies at the upper levels of government play a major role in the novel. Actually it almost appears as though each author took turns writing about their areas of interest and expertise; one being about the terrorists and their activities, the other about the inner goings-on in the government.

That's a very brief summary and overview of the novel, which I thought required at least a full paragraph... these gents obviously put a lot of themselves into creating this story, and they should be commended for the realistic detail, dialogue, character development, and plot movement.

Now for my opinion.

When writing about the terrorist characters and that side of the story, I found the book engaging and interesting, as it seemed realistic and believable. The technologies and strategies described sounded real-world. The story line moved along at a nice pace. Then, every time the story line shifted to the political world, it bogged down for me. There was too much of a disparity between the plot movement and development with the terrorists, and the much more detailed and verbose dialogging between all the politicians, their friend, and families... the story moved along quite slowly for my liking. I found myself skimming just to get through it, which in the end didn't affect my comprehension of the plot, but it did impact my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible read for me... but it was slow in enough places that I think the plot meandered because of it. Others may enjoy it for the politics; it was obvious whoever of the two wrote those parts was well versed in the intricacies and inner workings of the British government.

On the quality front, there were a few little gotchas with mis-spellings, punctuation errors, and grammar. That, plus the formatting (typesetting) needs some polish. A glaring example: novels should be flush-right, not ragged-right. The artwork and graphic design is well done, lending a big-press feel to it, so - it wouldn't take much polish to stand head and shoulders above many other POD books I have reviewed.

I'll give it 7 out of 10.

Wolfy

Book Review: The Stoic's Burden by Vergil Den

2011-02-19T19:24:00.004-10:00

I didn't know what to make of this request for a book review... this dude who seems to be somewhat of a philosopher, an observer of people, an intellect... Put simply, he's Dilbert on steroids. If you don't know who Dilbert is, I can't help you here. Anyone occupied in the professional white collar world will get this.

So, in his words:

The story is presented in the first person present tense as a stream of consciousness – with the occasional leap out of the head. We follow a day in the life of a quietly desperate company man as he shares with us his dark and cynical, yet humorous thoughts of his absurd and unpredictable day as a consultant.

I was tantalized and entertained. The author's end-of-chapter resources are a distillation of each chapter's theme, so, for the people looking for the Cole's Notes version, there they lie. He does seem to meander just a bit, asking the reader to follow his detailed descriptions of lunch hours, cab rides, and bathroom breaks. But - all this is well-punctuated with his philosophical mind trips and observations that are truly insightful and educational.

There are many rabbit holes to disappear into while delving into the author's suggested reading material - all very mind-provoking stuff, and worthy of eventual study for any thinker. This book was more than I thought it would be. In other words, a gem in a sand pile. You'll find yourself entertained, informed, and perhaps a bit challenged... More than I can say for most other reading material I've come across of late.

Good job Vergil 4 outa 5.

Wolfy

Book Review: "The Witness Tree" by Peter Tyner

2011-02-16T12:05:00.000-10:00

As a book reviewer who agrees to accept self-published works, I never know what to expect when a request comes in. Most are very polite, a few are clueless, some think they are owed my time, and some are humble. Peter Tyner's request was the latter. This, his first novel, has been initially released in Kindle format which I prefer. I just received my new Kindle last week, so stay tuned for a technology review sometime soon.

The story takes place within a 12 hour period, where Hattie Plain, a retired janitor, reads in the local paper that the advice columnist has left, and she figures she's the perfect replacement... Armed with a collection of essays, articles, and diary excerpts (something she calls her "resume"), she heads down to their office for an unplanned interview. A feisty, well-seasoned senior, she won't leave until the paper's owner interviews her.

As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Ms. Plain played an important role in the black/white struggle in the southern states many decades ago, with some of the after-effects spilling over into the present day. I can't say much more without spoiling the plot - I strongly encourage you to find out for yourself. ;-)

What unveils in the story is intriguing, captivating, sad at times, happy in others, comedic, and thoroughly fascinating. Well-timed flashbacks punctuate the interaction and dialogue between the main character, and the people at the newspaper. And yes, she does get to meet the owner. The unforeseen connection between the two of them is uncanny...

I read it in two days... couldn't put it down. If this is the author's first novel (and it is), Mr. Tyner is well on his way. What usually keeps my attention is a fast-paced action novel, such as something from Dan Brown or John Grisham. Mr. Tyner's writing is well syncopated; it keeps a nice flow and rhythm, and the story arc is a work of genius with a dab of surprise thrown in for spice. In this genre of historical fiction, it has been proven to me that talent as an author is more important than the genre itself. Tyner is a natch. This could easily be adapted into a screen play.

Now, before his head gets all swelled up, I have some holes to poke at. Technical ones, not literary. Formating: I'm not familiar with how to lay out a Kindle book, but there were spaces between paragraphs that looked as though they were inserted for another page size, then converted to this format. This left some new chapters starting at the bottom of the page, with only 1 or 2 lines. Spaces between words: many words were crammed together likethis, another formating oversight. Some long words should have been hyphenated, but I don't know if that's a Kindle thing. Finally, there were a few spelling errors (not too many though). As a first work that grabbed me by the shirt collar, I easily let them go. Anything less interesting, and you'd be hearing another rant about the contribution to the stigma of self publishing.

There you have it - the good and the bad; Wolfy's usual treatment.

4.5 out of 5 stars. If the author re-releases a cleaned up version, he'll get a 5.

Wolfy

OK, where's my Martini?

Book Review: "Six Clicks Away" by Bonnie Rozanski

2011-02-16T06:36:00.001-10:00

The premise of this (Kindle) book is that in theory, everyone on the planet is no more than 6 connections from each other, or to put in in popular terms, "6 degrees of separation". The two main characters, a couple of school friends, set out to prove this theory in the online world of "MyFace", a fictional marriage of My Space and Facebook. Not sure why the author didn't just use "Facebook", as she named many other well-known online entities by their real name. That aside, the plot is interesting in concept, but a little loose in execution. The story line follows the linear connection of a number of people across the globe to finally land on the Dali Lama, the initial goal of the instigators' plan to prove their theory.

As in my previous review, this book also will appeal to the 20 or 30-something crowd, as there's lots of "texting" between the characters, and other very modern technological concepts... not that it's technical, but - like I said, modern. On the whole, I found the book end-to-end to be somewhat slow. There wasn't much to keep me really engaged, as the writing style simply laid out a linear storyline. Nothing too clever. No devices like flash-backs or flash-forwards, or any sub-plots for that matter; little if no character tension or use of archetypes... it didn't grab me by the shirt collar and scream "READ ME!" After reading the very last page, I kinda went "Huh - that's it?"

It was hard for me to determine at first if this was a self-published work, as they are usually full of formating issues and grammar mistakes. But this one was clean as a whistle, and the author does confirm it to be self-published.

All in all, I give it 3 out of 5.

Wolfy

Book Review: The Shifters of 2040

2011-02-11T11:55:00.000-10:00

An author by the name of Ami Blackwelder asked for a review of her novel "The Shifters of 2040", a sci-fi story set 30 or so years in the future, in which the earth has been visited by an alien race who attempt to assimilate into our society. As shapeshifters, they are able to disguise themselves as humans and animals... not an original storyline, however, the interaction between the two races is depicted in an interesting an engaging fashion.

A caveat here: I am indeed a fan of sci-fi, however not of romance and prose, which Ms. Blackwelder uses copiously throughout the novel - so, I had to skim some of the "flowery" descriptions to get to the meat of the story. The plot evolution was well thought out, as well as the character development... but I did find the pace a bit slow. But then, I'm a guy with ADD who likes Dan Brown, John Grisham, and David Baldachi, so I can't fault the author here; just to say that I do think the book would suit the under-30 female demographic more so than the over-50 crusty-old-fart segment of society. That said, the author did a knock-up job and I wish her all the best.

Something more to add: as a self-published work, I couldn't find a single thing to pick at. "What!" you may exclaim - "Wolfy isn't berating yet another POD (print on demand) effort?" Yup, you heard it here... this girl did her homework, had it edited by someone other than herself, formatted the content artistically, and has done what seems to be an admirable job at self-promotion.

Ami, I'm glad to have been introduced to you. Now please write a book for beer-swilling, Bruce Willis Die Hard fans that is the antithesis of chick-lit. Double dare ya! ;-)

4 out of 5 stars.

Wolfy

Wolfy - The Broken Record

2011-02-10T04:29:00.001-10:00

Here we are again - how often am I going to have to scold you POD (print on demand) authors for saying you've read my rules of engagement, but continue to send me books to review that are sub-standard? This last one I reviewed was yet another obvious feeble attempt at writing a novel. The plot was interesting, and the characters well thought-out, but that's as far as it went. The book has misspellings (example "sipped" instead of "slipped"), used a combination of straight and curly quotes (with some even missing), it lacked a front and back cover, copyright and ISBN page, and it was formatted ragged-right as opposed to the standard right-justified.

I begged the author to not publish it in its present form, as that would reflect not only on his poor judgment, but also add to the already tainted reputation of self-published authors.

C'mon writers, lets pull up your bootstraps and raise your quality - I'm tiring of being the bad guy here. Hire an experienced editor and typesetter, and be proud of your book.

Wolfy

Don't be discouraged... I'll review your book soon enough...

2011-01-21T20:08:00.000-10:00

Just as an FYI - I'll return to the land of the living soon enough, but please be aware that I have over 3 dozen books to get through... some POD, some from big press... I usually have 2 or 3 on the go at any one time, so thank you for your patience.

I've been recently converted to Kindle, so that's my new format preference in case you care.

Book Review: "Not Much of a Crime"

2010-12-13T10:51:00.000-10:00

Well folks, as promised, here's the latest review from my peer Mr. Jablome. The book is called "Not Much of a Crime" by Steven W Johnson

Review by H. W. Jablome

Not Much Of A Crime is, at first glance, a kind of conventional murder mystery, since its first scene involves a vehicular homicide that takes place under obviously suspicious circumstances; but in fact, the book differs from the stock and trade of the genre, in ways that both entertain and (somewhat) disappoint.

First, to be fair, Not Much Of A Crime does have a number of good points. The book includes a number of idiosyncratic, vividly-described characters, foremost among whom is one “Allison King” a.k.a. “Amy Goodlove”, a seductively beautiful actress and entrepreneur in the adult film industry, who is simultaneously trying to keep her porno business afloat, run for local elective office in Charleston, develop the local economy and, most of all, stay alive... since there is a murderer in the neighborhood.

The author's prose style is excellent, with crisp, believable dialogue, commendable economy of words and an especially good, atmospheric way of describing settings and scenery. (As a side note, Mr. Johnson seems to relish describing “Allison”'s dress style, frequently going to some length to depict exactly what this character is wearing at any particular time... it worked for me, although others might find this to be a bit overboard.)

Most of the plot, which certainly holds one's interest throughout the book, revolves around the political corruption and corresponding machinations of a small Nevada town named “Charleston”. (Editorial Note : Charleston, in fact, does appear to be a real jurisdiction within the State of Nevada, but it is currently a ghost town.)

Now for the so-so factors affecting this novel.

While Allison / Amy – along with her bodyguard, “Lacy Wu”, the local sheriff, “Wayne Dogstar” and a number of others – is a genuinely interesting character, the plot revolves around her in a way that, at least for me, was unsatisfying. It is an unwritten rule of the murder mystery genre that an alert reader should – within very broad limits – be able to guess, or at least strongly suspect, “whodunit”, by paying careful attention to the goings-on in the first half of this kind of novel.

Yet, with Not Much Of A Crime, doing so would be almost impossible for anyone who didn't read far ahead, since the motive of the actual culprit is only superficially described early on in the book; indeed, when I finally got to the chapter where everything was made clear (and this comes very late in the narrative), I found myself thinking, “well, how could I possibly have guessed that it would be...”.

The apparent centrality of Allison King to the book's crime scenes even carries over to the summary its back cover... but, at least to this reviewer, it seemed that “Amy” could have been dropped from the plot altogether, and the dastardly deeds(s) still would have occurred, one way or another. This may have been intentional on the part of the author, in the sense of setting up a huge “red herring” to distract the reader from inferring what is really going on... if so, the charade certainly worked for me!

Be all this as it may, Not Much Of A Crime is still worth adding to your murder mystery collection; if you read the book without any pre-conceptions about what you're going to encounter, you'll be entertained from start to finish.

Just don't go looking for the delicious “Amy Goodlove”, once you're finished. Sadly, she exists only in fiction.

Book Review: Me and Bobby McGee (...OK, I lied)

2010-12-08T06:55:00.002-10:00

Yes, I said I was taking a break from reviews, but the very day I wrote that, another book came in the mail, and I cracked it open to give it a glance. That's all it took - I was hooked after reading the first page. I normally don't get through a book in a week, but this was an exception... written in the first person, the central character is a hard-drinking gambler looking to score in New Orleans. His descriptive writing is very addictive, as he weaves into the story his personal philosophies about many things. It seems like he wanders a bit off topic here and there, but that's the magic of this novel: the guy's a talker, and you the reader are the listener of this dude's sometimes joyful, but always perilous experiences.

He ends up owing 1.2 million dollars, so to pay the debt, he has to smuggle something across the border into Mexico. That's where the fun begins. Let me give you an example of his wit:

As I wandered through the French quarter entertaining my nose and torturing my stomach with the scent of Cajun breakfast, I tried to envision where I'd left my car. I had started this day three nights ago when I first rolled into town. It was four in the morning and the streets were filled with people as was expected. It was instantaneous madness; I had crossed the city limits, which entailed entering a social contract with some manner of spirit in between Lucifer and Dionysius. With a quart of confidence in hand, I dove into the sea of ten-dollar identities and bare-breasted beauties. Beer and bayou-brewed bourbon stole my face and some voodoo gypsy with beads around her waist stole my mind.

With the odd unexpected plot twist, an array of interesting and original characters, and an adventure that I'm sure only this author, Chad Coenson, could cook up, "Me and Bobbie McGee" is a story line that pays homage to Kris Kristofferson's song by the same name. It's not often my wife hears me guffaw and chuckle while reading a book for review, so despite it's use of some course language and a bit of violence, this is at the top of my list if you're looking for a recommendation...

5 outa 5 stars. Buy it here.

Wolfy

Time for a break

2010-12-01T15:17:00.002-10:00

I have half a dozen or more reviews yet to do, and I'm experiencing "reader's block". (Nothing to do with my hang-overs). I have enough other things going on, as well as the busy holidays coming up, to say that I won't be posting any reviews for a little bit. So to all you authors waiting for your reviews, hold tight - I'll get to your book at some point... just not real soon. My review peer (Mr. Jablome) has one he's reading as we speak, but he's real busy as well. Just so you know...

Wolfy

Should I give up?

2010-10-28T10:10:00.000-10:00

OK, I'm 40 pages into my next POD review... I had to put it down. Damn. Bad grammar. Spelling mistakes. Poor punctuation. I begged this person to not publish it until it was professionally edited - I only do that for books that I think are worth the effort. Unleashing it on the public in its current form would only perpetuate the less than perfect reputation self-published books have.

I think the POD world needs a vetting committee to give a thumbs up or down for self-published works. What say you? Those who are given a passing grade can use an official logo, or some obvious tag of some kind, that labels the book "self published - but vetted by a committee that deems it worthy of release".

Then again, an author that releases anything that doesn't look self-published usually wants to keep it that way, and not be associated with POD anyways. Where does that leave the rest of us? Interesting conversation starter.

In the mean time people, this dude will continue to do his best to raise the standard of POD products. I believe it's worth the effort, because there are many good authors who deserve to be read, but catching a publishing deal is akin to winning the lottery.

My thoughts, not yours...

Wolfy

Another POD novel that needs work...

2010-10-22T12:59:00.002-10:00

Well, apparently those who struggle with writing also struggle with reading... my Rules of Engagement that is. I picked up another POD book to review, and the author sinned against the rest of us by attempting to get away with a very sub-standard book. How so you ask?

1) Formatting. It lacked the professional-looking polish that can only come from seasoned, experienced typesetters. Only 5 chapters... huh? And there were extraneous and odd characters splashed here and there (things like ">>>" and "###").
2) Missing words, bad punctuation, pedestrian English. Example: on the back cover (yes, the Back Cover), is this sentence, verbatim: "The pure plot pitch: here's bad day: guy sets out to rob a bank but ends up pulling a carjacking."
3) A mix of 1st and 3rd person narrative. Choose one or the other.
4) Overuse of the F-Bomb. Not needed... really.
5) Spelling mistakes.

So, without divulging names and titles, another one bites the dust. All this coming from someone who has been an executive editor. I don't get it... Not a complete loss though - it's actually a diamond in the rough when considering the story line itself.

2 out of 5 stars. Sorry dude.

Wolfy

Book Review: Golf Sense

2010-10-20T13:43:00.002-10:00

Book Review: Golf Sense
Author: Roy Palmer
Illustrated by Sophie Webber
Rating: 5/5

The subtitle of this 153 page softcover book is "Practical Tips On How To Play Golf In The Zone". Not being an avid golfer, I was initially a bit reticent to review a subject I know little about. I do own a set of clubs, and my first game was a 114. (My fellow players did let me get away with a lot. Well, truth be told, the much-frequented beer cart kept us all pretty loosy-goosy.)

I digress.

Again, I know next to nothing about golf, but what I do appreciate is the author's approach to being in the "zone". His instructions on how to play the game involve both mechanical/physical awareness of your body, but more importantly, the psychological preparedness for maintaining focus so that you're "in the moment", with nothing distracting you.

The mental excercises can be applied to any sport or activity. As a matter of fact, they're a chip off the old martial arts block... I could almost hear him saying "Good swing, grasshopper. Now go chop wood." Sorry, inside joke.

Palmer's writing style is very easy going, therefore easy to read. He doesn't ramble on unnecessarily, nor does he treat anything lightly... obviously someone experienced in the sport, his "zone" approach is easily identified in the titles of his other two publications: Zone Mind, Zone Body, and The Performance Paradox. Turns out he's also a teacher of the Alexander Technique, a world-renowned movement system.

So, if you're the least bit interested in improving your game without spending gobs of money on lessons, this book should be your next destination.

5 out of 5 stars. Buy it here.

Wolfy

Movie Review: Gunless

2010-10-11T13:15:00.000-10:00

My wife and I have head colds, so for this Thanksgiving Monday afternoon, our viewing preferences were leaning more towards light hearted comedy as opposed to anything too involved or dramatic. Gunless was a perfect choice. The movie is a Canadian production written and directed by William Phillips, and stars Paul Gross as "The Montana Kid". It's a western, with a very funny take on the cultural differences between gun-happy Americans, and polite Canadians. And the laughs abound...

There's a touch of slapstick, some very well-timed chuckles, sarcastic hilarity, and it's all under a thin veil of serious drama about a gunfight Paul Gross' character keeps promising. There's a few typical western cliches - the bounty hunter, the Chinese railroad worker, the local doctor, and livery stable complete with a blacksmith, which are all brought to life by characters and scripting that kept the laughs going... most very subtle - but the comedic undercurrent never lets up.

Then the out-takes when the credits scroll at the end... I wasn't prepared to laugh as hard as I did - keep a tissue close by, but your hands over your kids ears for the few F-bombs the actors throw in.

Blazing Saddles it's not, but the writer didn't aim to compete in the genre; it's a quaint and charming story that under the surface, gives insight into the Canadian psyche, not only in reference to the American gun culture, but Canadians themselves. Yes they're polite, but they know how to dish out a good laugh.

4 out of 5.

Book Review: Fly By Wire

2010-10-08T15:22:00.003-10:00

It's been a while since my last book review, somewhat due to personal busy-ness, and a very warm summer here in Ontario that kept me outside, not reading books. Now that it's getting colder, all these review requests will be getting more of my attention.

So. Fly By Wire. This is the first hard-cover book I've reviewed in a while... I immediately take these seriously, as either 1) an author has sunk a huge amount of their own moolah into their project, or 2) they've been picked up by a publisher who knows and trusts them. Either way, you got my attention.

In one word, this is a winner. I've mentioned before that I'm a John Grisham fan... I have to say, this dude trumps him. In real life, the author is an expert in his field of plane crash forensic analysis, so the story line, character depiction, plot development, and anything else you can think of are nailed dead-on. As a reviewer, I will tend to scan over paragraphs that have a lot of redundant - and boring - dialogue or description. This dude knows how keep the reader engaged. I was ticked that his writing was SO good, that I couldn't skim.

Don't know why I haven't heard of him before.

The plot is: a high-tech cargo plane crashes in France, and the main character is shipped overseas to investigate it, despite his objections. Concurrently, a number of oil refineries are targeted by terrorist bombings, building up a tense plot that the author dishes out with precision and expertise. There's a cute subplot regarding his teenage daughter, and various other well articulated subtle elements that add character to the overall storyline. I can't say enough good about the novel... To use a metaphor, this was a delectable desert, seldom experienced.

6 out 5 stars. (No, I'm not drunk - but I do have a buzz going.)

Buy it here.

Wolfy

PS: Ward Larson - you owe me bottle of gin.

New TV Series Review: "Outlaw"

2010-09-14T17:21:00.003-10:00

After Law and Order was given their pink slip, I wondered where I'd get my fix of good courtroom drama. Oh...let me take a few steps back. Great courtroom drama lost its way a few years ago, when procedural-based plots became the norm about 8 or so years ago. Seems the viewing public weren't so interested in intellectually stimulating plot lines.

Enter "Outlaw", a new TV show starring Jimmy Smits (from Law and Order ironically) and a number of new-comers, who act really well BTW.

As a John Grisham fan, I'm partial to vigilante lawyers (or judges) opening up a can of whoop-ass on a justice system with thinly veiled political agendas.

OK, a bit of a rant, BUT - good intellectually stimulating television is quite hard to come by these days. Let's hope it continues. By normal standards, it'll be nuked by week 4. Hmph.

'scuze me, waitress, can I have another Gin Martini?

Sent from a brain-dead laptop in my living room.

Book Review: The Purples

2010-08-25T16:50:00.006-10:00

A finely crafted novel, this effort by W. K. Berger is worthy of every - and and any - superlative in the English vocabulary. Not to gush, but his use of first-person narrative, factual story telling, and film-noir 1920's style of narration took me back to my young days when I'd listen to radio shows such as ... "Only the Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men" - or something like that, but not so much "film noir" as much as the acting you'd see in an old 1950s black and white film. Then add in a hint of tongue-in-cheek humor, and there you have the character and essence of this novel. Very entertaining. The central character guides the reader through an extremely interesting expose of the gangs of Detroit way back in the 1920s, which for me, makes what I think should be required reading for any high-school English lit class.

This author - an award winning writer - took 10 years to complete the novel, and you can really tell. Like a piece of artwork finely sculpted, the end result is something that should be on anyone's bookshelf who enjoys fact-based historical fiction. Pull yourself away from the TV and delve into this magnificent novel. You'll be glad you did. I couldn't put it down once I started. 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy the book here.
Visit the author's website here: www.thepurplesbook.com

Wolfy

p.s. I should mention again that the book's plot centers around the prohibition era of the 1920's. Made me shiver.When you read the book, keep a bottle of gin close by for comfort.

Movie Review: Legion (2010)

2010-08-16T08:04:00.004-10:00

Ever since Terminator 2 blew my mind 20 years ago, I've been hooked on good CGI. And yes, I've been a sucker for movies with so-so plot lines and so-so acting - if the CGI is good. I'll at least watch it till the end. Such is the case with this latest version of Legion. I use the word "version" wrongly, because it's not a remake, but other movies by the same name do exist. That aside, this thriller/monster movie deserves at least a nod for the acting, with a cast of mostly unknowns, even if the plot was a bit thin and slightly predictable.

A half dozen or so people are holed up in a diner way out in the boonies, when they're visited by an old grandmother who tells a pregnant waitress her baby is going to burn in hell. She then turns into a ceiling-climbing, throat-eating wild demon that finally takes three to the back before keeling over. Seems she was possessed by - get this - an angel! But I get ahead of myself...

Overall, there is a fair bit of dialogue, which is needed if you want to know the plot... seems that Michael, God's arch angel, rebels against his orders to turn mankind on itself, because as Michael puts it, "He may have lost faith in man, but I haven't". An interesting idea for a plot, if you don't mind the bible as the backdrop for interesting plots. This bad-ass angel has tattoos, black wings, and carries around a machine gun, so the director has (ahem) chosen a rather loose interpretation of the traditional whiter-than-white cliche. That's OK, the director is actually more of a visual effects guy than a producer. Scott Charles Stewart wrote the script as well, so he's pretty well a permanent fixture in Hollywood. Some of his visual effects work can be seen in Pirates of the Caribbean, Blade Runner, Live Free or Die Hard, Harry Potter... the list is endless.

So, Michael the arch angel pulls up to the diner with a trunk-load of automatic weapons, and there's a stand-off between them, and hoards of possessed people. Why here? There's that expectant waitress, whose baby has a role to play in mankind's future. I say no more... I'd hate to spoil the story for you. ;-)

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Wolfy

p.s. - Get it here on Amazon.com

Book Review: 21 Games for the Mind That Won't Shut the @#&* Up

2010-08-12T08:40:00.001-10:00

This interesting little book came across my desk as a review request only a couple weeks ago, but I've been able to get through the bulk of it while reading other novels and writing reviews... It's been a breath of fresh air, in that it didn't require long periods of attention as does a novel with a story arc, characters to get to know, and a plot to understand. The point of this book is to take each "game", and incorporate it into your life for the purpose of, well... telling your mind to shut the @#&* up. It's not a book to read from cover to cover with no breaks; think of it as a user's manual that you will pick up and read after successfully getting through each "game". Ingenious actually. At about 114 pages, it's no big challenge to get through.

So, how will these games help you? In essence, they are exercises that incorporate self-hypnosis, meditation, setting intentions, and other techniques that help the reader have more focus and purpose. How and why do they succeed in getting your mind to shut the @#&* up? Well, our brains are conditioned to be fearful of the past and the future. Our heads are full of what Tibetan monks call "chattering monkeys". These games pull our attention back to the now, where being in the present and having a quieted mind means really, truly peacing out. There's more to it than just quieting our minds, but that'll give some insight into the nature of this collection of exercises. In the past, I've participated in some of the principles and practices of the book, and have benefitted from them immensely... I call this kind of stuff "transformational wisdom". Just a fancy way of saying "this sh%t can really help you". ;-)

I give A.T. Lynne 5 out of 5 stars for her contribution to helping the average joe change and grow into something better. Goodness knows, the world needs it.

Check it out here on Amazon.

Wolfy

Extreme Makeover - Blog Edition

2010-08-11T05:58:00.004-10:00

OK, so maybe it's not that extreme, but I thought it was time to spiff up this blog. Besides a new template and a befitting background, there's a couple new features, such as "Like" and "Don't Like" buttons at the bottom of each post so you can share your one-click opinion. Please use them with joyous abandon! Then there's the buy-it-from-amazon pop-up when your mouse pointer hovers over a link to the book or movie I'm reviewing. Kinda cool I think. Hover here for an example.

Also, you can email a post to anyone, as well as share them via a number of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, etc. These are all blog options that anyone can put into their Blogger site. And as always, there's the option to leave a comment, which anyone (with a Google ID) is welcome to do.

One last thing I wish was available from the software developers: a clickable button for immediate to-my-door delivery of beer and gin. Now THAT would be the cat's ass.

Enjoy...

Wolfy.

Book Review: Randolf's One Bedroom by Andrew Oberg

2010-08-10T03:46:00.004-10:00

I don't remember when I was asked to review this print-on-demand (self published) title, as my laptop crashed a couple months ago, and subsequently lost the email... I learned my lesson and stopped using an email client to fetch my messages; Gmail's web interface is the way to go now! Luckily (or maybe not luckily) the author had his contact info in the front of the book.

Randolf's One Bedroom is described as a collection of "twenty serial shorts", with Randolf as the central character. He describes and talks about his job at a coffee shop, and brings the reader through a number of conversations and situations that characterize a rather normal, boring life. That's it. No plot, no character development, no start, no end. Flat as a pancake, not unlike someone's diary. After a few chapters I asked myself "Where is this going?", so I scanned ahead, read the end, the middle, and other samplings from here and there. I just didn't get it. The author obviously worked in a coffee shop himself, as there were endless, lo-o-o-ng, meandering descriptions of his job duties. On top of that, there was too much senseless, gratuitous swearing for my taste, and believe me, I can rip a few good ones. But it was a real turn-off, especially in such a lackluster piece of fiction. I'm really quite surprised the author thought anyone would find it an engaging read; whatever reason he had for publishing this book truly escapes me...

I seriously had to mix another Martini to help recover from the self-slaughter of reading this dude's "writing"...

One positive: I couldn't find one typo or grammar error. Which goes to show though, a successful and interesting book must have ALL its ducks in a row, not just one or two. I'll put up with, and even help someone who has a real flair for writing (see "Frightened Boy" below), but this book has no life whatsoever. This is an example of why POD authors should have their books vetted by a panel of industry pros. Hm. That gives me an idea...

One star out of five.

Wolfy

Book Review: The Bloody Birthright by Ken Dalton

2010-08-09T10:29:00.005-10:00

Here's another book review, right on the heels of my last one... "How can you read so fast" you may ask. Well, I can't, so a condition of sending me your book is that I may have it reviewed by a peer of mine. More drinking time for me ;-). I've enough requests to keep two people busy, but keep'em coming!

Review by H.W. Jablome:

"The Bloody Birthright" is a very readable murder mystery with an off-beat set of characters, particularly its two main protagonists, a pompous, self-aggrandizing attorney named "J. Pincus Delmont" (a.k.a. "Pinky") and his reluctant, lumbering understudy, a small-time bartender and part-time private investigator named "Zaparate" (a.k.a. "the Bear").

The story revolves around the arrest of a young ne'er-do-well named "Richard" who is unfairly tagged with a capital murder charge. All is not as it seems with what, at first glance, appears to merely be a run-of-the-mill murder case; and the plot of "The Bloody Birthright" takes some hard-to-predict turns, as it leads the reader through "Richard's" unusual family background.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, not just for the story (which was creative, if not unique), but especially because of Ken Dalton's often extremely funny portrayal of "Pinky" Delmont, a classic sleazeball, money-grubbing lawyer in the best tradition of the genre.

Consider, for example, little gems of descriptive prose such as (paraphrase):

"The skin under my eyelids started to itch, when I realized how much money my client might now have at his disposal..."

The book is filled with many more akin to this one, which makes for highly entertaining reading, and its setting (Carson City, Nevada) is also a welcome change from the more familiar murder mystery playgrounds.

My only critique of "The Bloody Birthright" (and it's a mild one) is that the last few chapters feel slightly "rushed" - as if the author was trying to explain too many earlier plot lines in too little space.

Despite this, if you like murder mysteries, "The Bloody Birthright" definitely deserves a place in your summer beach bag or on your Christmas gift list. The characters are larger than life, the dialogue is fast and funny, and the story keeps you hooked from Page One.

I'll be waiting for Mr. Dalton's next novel; if it's as good as this one, it will be a treat. 4.5 out of 5.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: You can purchase it from Amazon by clicking here. - Wolfy.

Book Review: Frightened Boy

2010-08-09T07:02:00.002-10:00

As a reviewer who agrees to accept print-on-demand books and novels, I've taken a bit of a stand in the on-line author and reviewer community. I've drawn some flak for it, as well as praise for being as vocal as I am about the lack of quality inherent in the self-publishing world. I'm a very firm believer in the opportunities and street-level availability presented by POD technology, so I'll fight like a pit bull to keep the quality as high as possible. The fact that big-box chains like Chapters won't sell POD books is a testament to the currently held opinion that self-published works simply don't hold a candle to big press. So, with all that said, join me in celebrating an accomplishment that made me smile...

An author by the name of Scott Kelly contacted me last February with a request to review his novel "Frightened Boy", a story set about fifty years in the future, describing the adventures of a young man who becomes unwittingly tangled up in the lives of society's militant outcasts. His writing was superb; the story telling very engaging. BUT - it was in obvious need of a good editing job. Typos, spelling mistakes, grammar issues... after a few chapters I had to let him know that, sorry - as good as your writing is, I just can't get past all the errors. So, Mr. Kelly took my suggestion to heart and had his manuscript edited.

Wow, what a difference! Just finishing the novel last night, my head was swimming with superlatives like "incredibly astute writer", "engaging", "best thing I read in a while", "pour me another drink!!!", um... you get my drift. This dude can write. His flair for depicting the subtleties of a scene, a character, a building, transported me directly into his imagination. It was as if I was one of the characters in the book; a bystander watching the plot unfold. This isn't hard to imagine, as it is written in the first person, therefore I felt invited into every scene as he described his thoughts, his doubts, his observations, and his conversation.

The story goes that society has crashed, and only major cities across America are what remain. It has a post-apocalyptic feel to it, but society is still somewhat functional. The central character, Clark, is a security guard in downtown Banlo Bay (a re-named Houston), whose life is turned upside down when he witnesses a murder over closed circuit television, which records every move. The leader of the resistance, who name themselves the "Secret Society of Strangers", makes his way to Clark's office, demanding the recordings. But - he had previously lost the access key to the security cage that houses the drives... And so begins his entanglement with these "Strangers". The plot carries along quite nicely, with excellent twists and turns, and some great action scenes. The characters are all very well developed, if not perhaps a bit cartoonish, but it's what makes the novel so engaging. I could see this made into a movie with a sprinkling of Frank Miller's stylings (a la "Sin City"). All in all, the reader is carried along by a well-crafted story with the right balance of conversation, action, narrative, and plot development.

You can get a copy of this novel by visiting www.the-novelist.com

4.5 stars out of five. Great job Scott. You owe me a beer.

Wolfy

Movie Review: Green Zone

2010-07-27T07:25:00.000-10:00

It's no surprise movie makers use newspaper headlines for story ideas, in particular when the subject matter gives said movie maker a chance to make a statement. Or offer a slanted opinion... Such is the case with Green Zone, which stars Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear.

Directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, and the Bourne Ultimatum), the setting is Iraq, circa 2003. The story line centers around the US army's search for WMD (weapons of mass destruction), and Matt Damon plays the role of an officer who keeps hitting a brick wall when trying to find out why his intel is always faulty... his search for these weapons keeps coming up empty. So, in his search for truth, he finds out that there's actually no weapons; it's all a plot to allow the Americans to take over the country and install a puppet leader.

The plot moves along quite well, with gritty, believable acting, great photography, and even better editing. I read a movie critic's opinion that this was a shallow story, with shallow acting. Whoever that was must have missed his morning coffee (...or whisky), as it was just the opposite. Simply put, it's an intelligent movie that doesn't bow to America's double-digit-IQ-lust for blood'n guts. I quite liked Matt Damon's character, who portrays the underdog hero with gusto.

Well worth a view. I actually had to put down my Martini glass a few times so I could rewind my PVR to repeat parts of conversation. Doncha hate that? ;-)

Public Flogging #1

2010-07-20T17:11:00.002-10:00

Those who follow my reviews understand my policy of not publicly humiliating those who think they can write, but flub it up real bad. This one takes the cake.

Check it out: http://www.tnl2010.blogspot.com/

I received a review request from what has to be THE laziest author I have yet come across. No press release, no review hard-copy, or even a PDF for me to review. He wants ME to do all the work by scouring his so-called (sparsely populated) blog - it's nothing more than a thinly veiled request to review his book - if it isn't, then why in hell would I review a blog???

Wake up dude; don't expect the rest of the industry to do your work... sheesh.

My opinion, not yours.

Wolfy

Time for a few movie reviews

2010-07-15T20:31:00.000-10:00

Alice in Wonderland. Buy here... Not what I expected. And who is this guy named Johny Depp? Kidding - I honestly couldn't tell it was him, with all the CGI and makeup. I enjoyed the rather slanted - um - *slant* on this classic.

My wife forced me to watch it... REALLY!

The Taking of Pelham 123. Buy it here.. I usually can tell when a movie plot has been based on a novel, and this one is no exception. The clue lies in the character development, and how the characters' qualities are an integral part of the plot. Denzel Washington and John Travolta play off of each other quite well in this movie. Good production; good edge-of-your-seat plot line. My kinda movie. I even forgot to mix my usual Martini half way through.

The Wolfman, available here at Amazon. You know when you're getting old when you 1) purchase the movie on Pay-Per-View, THEN 2) buy the DVD in Walmart for ten bucks two weeks later, saying to yourself "...this looks vaguely familiar." Like that isn't the first time I've done that. Anyways, to the movie: Although it's not a blockbuster with its mediocre CGI effects, the story line was engaging enough to hold my attention until the end. (I did mix one Martini when the plot got a bit boring). Gin aside, I did actually like the production quality - after all, I'm a big fan of the horror movies from the 60's, with all the full moons, low camera angle shots, and gratuitous gore. Not ALWAYS my cup of tea, but I give a nod the the classic Hollywood horror genre.

Can I go to bed now?

A Kid With a New Toy... (see last post)

2010-07-14T19:55:00.000-10:00

To be fair to other authors' books I've reviewed, here's links to their Amazon pages, as well as a movie worth mentioning. (Pls note: this list is not complete, as not all books I've reviewed are sold at Amazon.com.)

2010-07-14T19:45:00.000-10:00

Testing testing - 1-2 3... Apparently Amazon and Blogspot have provided me with a way to provide links to where you (the reader) can purchase the book or movie I'm reviewing. Let's start with one of my earlier reviews:

Wow! How well does THAT work! OK, I need a drink now...

Book Review: True Confessions of Nude Photography, by A.K. Nicholas

2010-07-13T11:49:00.001-10:00

OK, so - I get this book review request, and think to myself... "Wolfy, how good is your life? Pretty good right about now!" So, with Martini in hand, and laptop on my - well, lap, I delved into this publication with joyous abandon. The subtitle says "A step-by-step guide to recruiting beautiful models, lighting, photographing nudes, post-processing images, and maybe even getting paid to do it."

Being a bit of a photo buff, I was (ahem) very interested in the actual content. And, true to its subtitle, this step-by-step guide indeed brings the reader through the ABC's and XYZ's of nude photography. I always wondered how an amature or beginner photographer would convince beautiful women to disrobe in front of a camera, and the author does a great job explaining how we went about it. His friendly, conversational style of writing is immediately engaging as he describes, from a professional's point of view, how to find and hire models.

He then covers the technical and aesthetic aspects of lighting, equipment, shooting styles, and post processing - a fancy term for spicing up your images on your computer. The guide is very thorough, with many illustrations and example poses that are tasteful, which brings me to an important point: What this guide isn't, is an exploitation of women. The author's positive and professional attitude is effectively conveyed throughout the guide.

Technically, the guide is well organized with an opening table of contents, four appendices, a sample model release, glossary of terms, and an index. There was the odd typo here and there, but not many; they'll be caught by a publishing editor.

All in all, a well executed publication. I wasn't sent the cover art, so I can't comment of it's overall polish, but as it is, I'll give this one a 4.5 out of five.

Get it here on Amazon: True Confessions of Nude Photography: A step-by-step guide to recruiting beautiful models, lighting, photographing nudes, post-processing images, and maybe even getting paid to do it.

Book Review: The Two Sisters Cafe

2010-07-12T14:37:00.000-10:00

This review request included a paperback with the words "uncorrected reader's proof" on the cover which in my mind, immediately placed it head'n shoulders above other review requests... there was a press kit, and other material that indicated to me that this was a serious book launch.

Here's a quote from the book's front cover: "The Two Sister's Cafe. An adult faerie tale of two magical godmothers, an enchanted southern cafe, and the second chance so many of us yearn for." True to this description, the book contains a number of characters that these two sisters have the chance to influence - for the good - much like Hans Christian Anderson's "A Christmas Carol". But these people's tales are a parallel story line, in which the sisters take on an 11-year old apprentice who has natural magician talents... they guide her, and assist in her initiation into fairy (faerie?) magic.

The book held me captive... not that it was a frenetic page-turner, but the story line was well paced, with very interesting characters, and a well developed plot line. There's just enough of a splash of spiritual wisdom thrown in here and there to let the reader know that the authors are no strangers the likes of Eckhart Tolle, Neal Donald Walsch, and Rhonda Byrne. An engaging read. I was swept along, right up till the last chapter.

(Ahem... the last chapter...) Hm. One would expect that a book this stellar would have a stellar ending - you know, bringing closure to the story line so well crafted from the very beginning. But no, it failed quite miserably by introducing a new character and centering all attention on her... it was as if someone forgot to include the REAL last chapter in the manuscript. *Sigh* What could have been a 5/5 rating, the flop of an ending leaves me rating it at 3 out of 5. I like closure - what can I say?

I'm off!

2010-07-03T16:01:00.000-10:00

On holidays that is. Please don't bug me for updates on my reviews... I'm taking a couple weeks of R&R to recharge and decompress - go to the cottage, do some fishing, go to some music festivals. You know, summer stuff.

And no - I don't just sit around all day reading books, so let's be done with that rumor! I'll be back in the saddle after the 18th.

Cheers everybody. Loosen up and have a Martini!

Wolfy

Book Review: Manual for Life by David Chernoff

2010-06-21T09:47:00.000-10:00

I'm now getting book review requests from medium and large press publishers, and currently have three pre-launch review copies. I have to say, I prefer reading a paper book as opposed to a PDF on my PC or laptop. This style (or standard) of launching a book with a press kit, etc. is impressive - much more than a POD author who sends me some half-baked typo-filled piece of garbage. Even if your keyboard has sticky keys from a spilled Martini (like mine does), it's no excuse. You guys know me by now - I'll rant till the cows come home about all this.

Anyways... I'm here to review another book, this one from Spirit Scope Publishing in Boulder, Colorado. Called "Manual for Life", the author touts the book as a transformative influence on anyone who reads it. The subtitle is "A User's Guide to the Meaning of Life." Sounds intriguing, right? I delved right in and carefully read the prologue and introduction as I do with any book I review... I like getting a feel for the author's personality and priorities. In "Note to the reader", you're instructed to not read it cover to cover, but rather choose the chapters based on their title and go from there. Being the obedient person I am, I decided on a random chapter and - again - carefully read every word, trying to grasp the author's intended message. After all, the hype and promises created some fairly high expectations.

Does the book deliver? Hmmm. How to say this - it's not a manual actually. Is it transformative? I'm still the same guy before and after reading it. A manual should be a "how-to" book. Instead, the author makes statements about things he's learned and observed. In the chapter called "Finance" for instance, he says "Happiness, fulfillment, and connection are the true prosperity of the soul". Not too terribly profound... and the entire book is like this. All these statements about obvious things we already know... Another one: "Reality is what we perceive; truth is what we believe". Huh? And... "Our fear of loss prevents us from obtaining what we truly desire". I leaned that in high school.

What am I missing here? I'm not trying to sound negative, however there's very little flow and continuity. What the author should have done is re-format the entire work into a book of sayings, targeted at a young audience who have no experience in life. Something that calls itself a manual that supposedly reveals the meaning of life needs to dig deep, challenge the reader, and help the reader get from where he is to the next level of elevated consciousness. You know - a paradigm shift that blows your mind. Instead, this is a book of simple observations, trite sayings, and dis-jointed concepts - The few chapters I read left me feeling cold and uninterested in reading any more.

So, in the end, I give this book 2 stars out of five. Why not one star? Well, the author does have something to offer. It's just not in a form that suits the medium.

As always, that's my opinion...

Another non-review... (or, "Yet Another Typo-filled Manuscript")

2010-05-16T08:45:00.000-10:00

The subjest line sais it al. I receeved yet another manuscript four review, and just about avery paige had a typo,or mising word.

See how annoying it is to read that first sentence? It's an exaggeration of what I get sent to me, but even Microsoft Word will catch certain grammatical, typographical, and spelling errors. Yet, the author claims he didn't have full control over the release of his novel, and it's "out there" by his description. Huh?!?

Now, don't get me wrong - he's a genius writer, and the story line kept me turning the pages. So much so, I decided to keep reading despite the technical flaws. I have a rule that after 10 or 20 errors, I'll discontinue reading and not bother with a review... I dislike any reviewer who does public floggings, so I don't do them either. BUT -I will not pull punches when I send a personal email to the author. The responses to these reality-check messages range from sincere appreciation, to outright denial... one even mocked me, saying I didn't know the English language. I'm not a linguist, nor do I have a degree in English Literature, but when getting through a novel can be equated to eating sandpaper sandwiches, or having my hung-over head clamped in a vise, I'll pull the plug and write another ranting blog entry.

So folks, another one bites the dust. I hate to see it happen, but self-publishers will continue to experience the mistrust, prejudice, and bad rap as long as writers publish their unedited work. It is imperative that they hire a professional editor.

Take note people: every single non-edited self-published novel I have read contains typos, spelling mistakes, punctuation oversights, and other writing errors. Publishing such unfinished work is a sin really...

So then why do I do these reviews, you ask? Because I believe we're at the beginning of a small revolution in the publishing world. Now, more than ever, we have affordable access to the technology to go to print. A writer is only a web-site away from having his or her novel published on Amazon. It's quite similar to the computer graphics revolution. At first, all kinds of garbage was getting churned out by wanna-be graphic artists who owned a PC and a printer. That's 20 years ago, and things have changed for the better, as it will in the publishing world. Print On Demand (POD) technology is new, and writers are heading to it in droves. I enjoy playing a small part in contributing to the quality and integrity of the written word, in particular, novels and short stories.

There you have it. OK, on to my next POD book, Martini in hand... stay tuned!

Wolfy

Comic Review: The Lich of London

2010-05-12T13:18:00.000-10:00

A young gentleman by the name of Christopher Ross Batista asked me to review a comic book he wrote and illustrated as part of his studies at an art school in Florida. "Sure", I said, "a nice break from the long novels I'm trying to get through right now."

The gist of the story is that a "Lich", or "undead" exorcist is called upon to, well, exorcise someone. The comic was easy enough to get through, and it is apparent this gentleman has genuine talent. The illustrations lend themselves beautifully to the story line - he has a unique style that is going to go places, though I'm certainly not a comic officianado by any means. But the story has flow, and draws in the reader. The characters are well-defined, and the changes in scenery kept me interested in the plot.

The one (and only) fault is the need for a third part. The second part, meant to be the conclusion, left me flat... like an anti-climax. Perhaps a cliff-hanging plot line of some sort... who's to say? Maybe a collaboration with a seasoned writer would round out this otherwise well-crafted work. Unlike the majority of self-published titles, I could find no problems with his writing at all (typos, punctuation, etc.) For a first serious work, this Chris dude will obviously go places.

And I wasn't drunk when I read it. ;-)

Good work Chris.

Wolfy

Boob Quake - Huh?

2010-04-23T17:15:00.000-10:00

I was invited today to join an event page for a rather *ahem* interesting event about to take place this Monday. So, this is not a review of a book or movie per se, but rather an observation of how social media can take a seemingly mundane and silly idea, and turn it into something called - what do they say - viral.

Boobquake is the brainchild of someone who was insulted by the rantings of an Islamic cleric stating that earthquakes are caused by women not covering up. I guess the idea is that God (er, sorry - Allah) gets pissed off at slutty women by causing earthquakes.

Ya, and the next tooth I loose will result in money left under my pillow.

So, this woman named Jen is encouraging women to show their stuff this Monday... cleavage to be exact. Many folks on the Facebook event page are taking it further and claiming they'll out'n out show their sweater puppies full blown. Works for this drunk blogger. I'll set up a lawn chair in front of my house with my camcorder.

I'm waitin' girls...

Too funny.

I won't insult you with links... just google "boobquake".

Wolfy

OK - so I lied... I am indeed reading a new manuscript

2010-03-26T21:03:00.000-10:00

I've had three new requests to review POD publisher's books. One from a cute 16-year-old who wants to contribute, but as I told another tweenie - sorry babe, I'm not interested in the "insights" of yet another "let me tell you what my life is like" young'in. Find a 20-something who cares about teen angst. It's not this dude.

Now - I'm in the first 3rd of a novel written REALLY well by a POD character, so stay tuned - called "Celtic Shelf, so far, it's an intriguing story... he writes well, and keeps the reader (...me) engaged. Come for more later.

Then... I was sent a novel by an (un-named) author who has obviously spent time on the physical production of the book (editing, grammar, spelling), but has a really - um - difficult-to-follow writing style. Too many short sentences. No significant narrative to carry the reader along... quite arduous to follow. Actually, in all honesty, without sounding snobby, it's quite pedestrian. By that I mean, very simple use of the English language. It simply is NOT engaging whatsoever. It'll be another one that I won't comment on publicly.

My opinions, not yours...

Wolfie

I've been amiss...

2010-03-20T16:29:00.000-10:00

It's been a while since any reviews have been posted, but no-one has sent me any manuscripts since my last post. So, here's an abridged version of the last few movies I've seen:

Hurt Locker. Don't miss this one. Excellent character development, and a very interesting take on how some soldiers are addicted to war.

Avatar: I couldn't talk for 15 minutes after leaving the theater. See it. I order you. A reaction typical of many... no wonder it's the biggest grossing movie of all time.

Star Trek: A worthy remake of the 1960s cult classic sci-fi fantasy. A great mix of eye candy, drama, excellent acting and editing, and a good plot. Very well done.

Julie and Julia. A fun take on Julia Stile's life, told through a parallel story of a modern-day amature cook who decides to get through Julia Stile's cookbook, blogging it all the way. It goes viral... nuff said. Entertaining and funny.

More to come... stay tuned!

Review of a yet-to-be-released Sci-Fi trilogy

2010-02-18T19:04:00.000-10:00

Friends, neighbors, countrymen - lend me your ears (eyes?)... this author is superbly talented. Keep "Marcus Sheilds" in your radar if you're a sci-fi fan at all. I was put in touch with him by an author I know... I reviewed his manuscript as a favor. Those of you who know my history may be surprised at this; and - NO - he didn't bribe me with vodka. His first book isn't even published yet, and there's many reasons I read the entire thing as opposed to just the first few chapters. This was good... got through it in less than a week.

I'll be interested to see where and how this dude gets his work published. If it was up to me, he'd be on Oprah's top ten list. For beginners, the manuscript itself has few grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Maybe one every 5 pages or so, which is incredible for such a raw piece of work. The story itself is very engaging, unpredictable, and well executed.

The premise is: after a mission to Mars lands as planned, their schedule is rudely interrupted by a discovery that proves we're not the only inhabitants in this universe. The consequences of such a discovery end up altering the future - for - well, ummm - ya gotta read it. Saying anything more would spoil the story. So... perhaps I'm just blithering, but please keep an eye out for this guy. The book is called "Angel of Mailankh" (or is it "Angel Brings Fire"?) If/when I hear any rumblings about a publishing date, I'll announce it here. Stay tuned.

Wolfy

Book Review: How to Lower Your Cholesterol With French Gourmet Food

2010-02-08T14:56:00.000-10:00

Well well - another POD book I like. Here goes.

Alain Braux's work is a reference book, a meal planning resource, and a cook book - all under one roof. With a friendly and charming writing style, this experienced and trained chef delivers what North America's cooks, restaurants, and school cafeterias *should* be delivering, but don't: a completely healthy and tasty alternative for our over-weight culture.

His research is in-depth and thorough. His presentation style makes it easy to absorb, even for this dude with ADD. I enjoyed the meal suggestions, and weekly planning guide... it takes the theory to a very practical level we can all apply.

Did you know that there are now more people in the world croaking from diseases caused by obesity than by starvation? Alain is in the front lines of those doing battle for the health of the world. Charge on, mon ami!

A definite must-have for anyone who loves cooking, and needs a nudge in the right direction if their wasteline - and cholesterol numbers - are a little too high.

Five stars Alain - good job.

Wolfy

Bring it on Dan Brown

2010-02-07T19:33:00.000-10:00

Well dahlings, it seems my last post has raised some eyebrows in the POD world. As it should. Seems I'm not the only reviewer scourged with the infectious "vanity press author rejectionitis" fever. Incubation period: about a week, give or take.

Common sense is not so common, as I read just recently on someone's blog.

I don't like to give attention to negative stuff, so, to draw attention to something more positive, here's an announcement for a new competition for the world to watch:

*Ahem*...

Of the next few authors named, the first to submit a manuscript of their next novel wins an exclusive comprehensive review from yours truly, the legendary "BookReviewDude". No spoilers released; all content will be respectfully kept under wraps. Your names are: (in no particular order)

-Dan Brown
-David Baldachi
-John Grisham (...PLS no more painted house stuff...)
-James Hutchison (The only decent fiction author I've reviewed as of yet)

I wait patiently for your submissions. You have till - um, say - June of 2010. Stay tuned.

Wolfy

gawd I crack myself up...

Yet another POD disappointment

2010-02-05T20:19:00.000-10:00

YOPWPODB.

My acronym for "Yet another poorly written print-on-demand book". *Sigh* I've seen a few good ones, such as Destiny's Angel, and The Accessory, but...

When asked to review yet another first-time author's novel, I honestly could not get by the first 10 pages. This last one was characterized by missing words, many basic punctuation errors, and a very distracting over-use of the word "had". It may sound odd, but without providing a specific example (and possibly getting sued), this is the best I can describe it as.

I have to re-iterate: for POD people: get your work reviewed by a pro. Please...

For anyone offended by my "tell-it-like-it-is" stance, this is my opinion, not yours.

Wolfy

Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds

2010-02-05T19:02:00.000-10:00

The overview:
Bought it on Pay Per View. Watched the first 40 minutes, then switched to Two and a Half Men.

The details:
C'mon - why all the hype? It was slow, boringly subtitled... perhaps Mr. Q was laying groundwork, but me (and many other critics) just didn't get it.

Quentin used to be a great edgy filmmaker and story teller. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Natural Born Killers. Disturbing, yet moving. The characters were real people. Then along comes Grindhouse, and the Kill Bill bullshit. What's with the characters becoming CHARACATURES ??? Everything he does now is campy, trite, cliche, and worse than the stash of adult comics I found at my aunt's house.

Quentin my friend - you have way too many fair-weather friends telling you you're great, and WAY too much money. Put it better use. Like - I just ran outa gin, so I could use another bottle...

One star outa 5 *

That's the rub and the tug,

I'm Wolfy

Book Review: Angel's Destiny

2010-02-04T17:41:00.000-10:00

I was recently contacted by April Martin Chartrand, asking for a review of her book "Angel's Destiny", an aptly titled work of poems, prose, and illustrations. She's an author whose works have been mentioned in a number of newspapers and professional organizations, all related to surviving the ravages of abuse. It brought me on a journey that, because she is so brutally honest, carried me through an experience of relating - and understanding - the process April went through to get - triumphantly - to the other side.

It blows me away that while people like April have every reason to be hateful and bitter, she became an evolved, understanding, loving person. Now THAT people, is why you should buy her book. If not for you, then someone you know.

Geeze, is this crusty ol' dude sounding soft now? Yup. Know why? This book is the whole package. Beautiful original illustrations - April has talent. The book has the aesthetic professional polish of any big-press publisher. And the content is relevant, poignant, and speaks straight to the heart.

Snap it up here for 13 bucks: www.createspace.com/3400758

5 stars. *****

I need a beer now...

Wolfy

All About Steve

2010-02-03T08:02:00.001-10:00

Yes, you're right, I'm reviewing a chick flick. My wife puts up with my shows now and then, and I (occasionally) hand her the remote and say... "Please don't make me suffer too much." She usually responds by telling me to go make another Martini.

Though easy on the eyes, Sandra Bullock is not at her best here, that's for sure. She plays a kooky twit just a little too well. As a mal-adjusted woman still living at home (her father being Howard Hesseman - Johny Fever from WKRP days), she takes a shine to a dude named Steve, and essentially stalks him all over the country. I couldn't figure out where I remembered him from till I looked up the movie in IMDB (Internet Movie Database)... Bradley Cooper played in "Hungover". A hoot of a movie. But he also played a role in Alias, Jennifer Garner's TV series. His chops as an actor aren't anything special, but if anyone less known or less good played his role, the movie would have been a total bomb. Some reviewers say it is anyways...

The movie did make me chuckle in a few places, and the ending has some cliche charm. I'd never rent it, that's for sure. But for a light-hearted movie to share with your loved one, it's alright. I give it 5 out of 10 stars. (Sorry Sandra - you'll make it up)

Wolfy

Book Review: "The Accessory"

2010-02-01T09:42:00.000-10:00

Well, now didn't this little novel pack a punch. I was planning a road trip to my brother's, but I couldn't stop reading this thing. At 286 pages, I got through it in a weekend. And - it actually cut into my drinking time. Shame on you James.

I got contacted by the author (James G Hutchison) who wanted an honest review - so - here ya go:

The plot centers around two teens whose lives are turned upside down by some weird news they get (sorry, no spoilers here...), plus some complications from a mining company trying to get to some uranium - but the land owner won't budge. They're all inter-related in a way that eventually unfolds at about 3/4 the way into the plot. Then the proverbial sh*t hits the fan. There's some well-constructed corporate shenanigans played out throughout the novel as well.

Again, without spoiling it for anyone planning to read it, the use of the prologue is smart. Kinda grabs you by the shirt collar actually. I thought the characters were well developed - you know, people that you could actually relate to. Good ending. And judging by the epilogue, it appears Jimbo plans on writing a sequel.

If there's one negative thing to say, I was a little confused about the plot focus. Not that it wasn't understandable though - his writing is clear, without being too wordy. I'm a bit ADD, so he didn't lose my attention - I like that in a book.

Way to go James. I enjoyed every page. Here - since it's your first go at this novel writing thing, I'll do ya a favor and show the links to your book (you owe me a beer):

Create Space: www.createspace.com/3411774
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/0981234305

5 stars *****

Wolfy

This is classic.

2010-01-30T18:40:00.000-10:00

Those of you around my same age (baby boomer...) will remember the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar". I was hooked on the 2-LP box set. That's right children - two 38 RPM albums in a dark brown box set... They made a movie of it. A disaster. One movie critic summed it up:

"Read the book."

Cracked me up. Made me wanna be a movie critic. THINK - in 3 words, the dude made his weekly salary. Shit, why go to college?

My opinion, not yours.

Wolfy

Movie Review: Transformers - Revenge of the Fallen

2010-01-30T18:27:00.000-10:00

The first Transformers movie was a fun experience, though Michael Bay drew some fire from his more conservative followers. Believable CGI characters, and just the right amount of comedic writing and slapstick comedy... Kept me entertained. Though this doesn't define a movie, it made it enjoyable for all age groups. The next in the series left me kinda empty. The CGI had way too much *really* fast action and camera-shake. Too hard to follow, especially when the plot and character development was much more shallow than the first movie. I'll try'n swallow new cinematic techniques as best I can, but when eye candy is the primary draw, sorry dudes - ya lost me.

Um - no - I wasn't drunk when I watched it. Though I almost peed myself when the guy in front of me screamed like a girl at one point...

2 outa 5 (Sorry Mikey)

K - 'nuther review: Gran Torino

2010-01-30T18:13:00.000-10:00

Stars Clint Eastwood. About a WASP in a neighborhood taken over by Latino gangs. In this movie, the trailer actually comes fairly close to creating a reasonable expectation of the movie itself. From his spaghetti western days, Mr. Eastwood delivers the usually expected tough guy role, though this movie offers another glimpse into his more human side, as did his western called "Unforgiven", where his armour is developing obvious chinks. His doing of course, being producer and all.

People get soft as they age (...just feel my belly). You learn lessons. You figure out shit. I most certainly see that in Clint's directorial and acting gigs he's been doing for the last few years.

OK - nuff about *my* opinion. The movie is full of heart. Don't miss it. The dude's a legend, and this flick is no lightweight...

4 outa 5

My opinion, not yours...

Wolfy.

All righty folks, here's a few overdue movie reviews. In no particular order... 1st one is "Lost in Translation"

2010-01-30T14:07:00.000-10:00

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson star in the Sofia Coppola flick "Lost in Translation". I actually bought the DVD for all the hype... it shoulda been called "Lost on the Audience". It wasn't that bad, but the hype made it out to be way better than the actual flick itself. I keep getting sucked into the trailer makers who I'm sure get a cut of the royalties...

Murray plays a famous actor who is in a crisis, and meets up with a "cute young thing". I daydream about that all the time...

Right. That's another blog. (Ahem)

I'm puzzled at the 4-star rave reviews honestly; the character development wasn't that much to write home about; Murray is simply playing his own goofy, self-deprecating role we've all seen before. Scarlet - oh Scarlet - what can I say. Not yet a mover & shaker, but she has acting chops, no matter the movie.

It's slow. Not that ingenious. The reviewers must have had a slow year. That's my opinion, not yours.

2 outa 5

Wolfy

Reviewing PODs

2010-01-30T07:20:00.000-10:00

No, not iPods... I'm talkin' Print On Demand. Someone asked if I'd review his self-published novel. I said - um - sure, but if it's a lousy read, I'll use it to start my next campfire. So, apparently it's a big thing to this dude, as reviewers like me are hard to come by. So, send me some good stuff folks, before I regret it later...

I like suspense, mystery, stuff like that. No Christian stuff; I don't like to be preached at. Inspirational/consciousness-raising stuff is always good too. Send me an email with a synopsis and I'll let you know if I'm interested.

Wolfy

Movie review: Ten Items or Less

2010-01-29T20:34:00.000-10:00

Why review a 4 year old movie? Cause more people should hear about it, that's why. In the same genre as "The Big Lebowski" (in my opinion), it's a glimpse into the lives of some everyday people... you almost feel like part of the camera crew, randomly following these folks around while they figure out their lives. Morgan Freeman gives a stellar performance; his easy-going style would have been sorely missed if anyone else played the part... The whole movie is very tongue in cheek.

I'm sure they all had a hoot shooting this one. Another coup for these indie film dudes was to get Paz Vega to star opposite Mr. Freeman. Never heard of her? Me neither, but more than great eye candy, her acting is sincere, passionate, and lends a realistic (visceral?) element to the story line.

An amazing feat that I watched a movie based more on dialogue than cgi magic. I must have been off booze or something...

I do believe my glass is empty.. 'scuse me...

2010-01-29T20:27:00.000-10:00

My run to the liquor store today was a successful and productive journey. Plus, I got a haircut. Usually such sojourns are boring, but I heard a song on the radio that ... oh wait a minute... that's my other blog....

OK - time for a book review: Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"

2010-01-29T19:18:00.000-10:00

I like fast-paced mystery novels. I finished Dan Brown's latest (The Lost Symbol), and now I'm working on David Baldacci's "Stone Cold". I'll post a review on that one later.

Is it fair to compare them? Excuse me - I have to go mix myself another Martini...

OK. Here's my honest take on Brown's novel. The entire story takes place in one evening. I couldn't put the book down - it was quite a roller coaster ride actually, which appeals to this reviewer who thinks Brian on "Family Guy" is cool, but seriously, it is quite well crafted... mmm - until the last chapter. It didn't stand out like it should have. The anticipation built up is eventually deflated in the last chapter... I've seen this before in other novels. Like Grisham. It's as if they get burned out; some kind of writer's fatigue.

But don't get me wrong - PLEASE read it. The book scores a 9 out of 10. The last chapter? Perhaps 6 outa 10. Other than that, a very entertaining read.

Sorry Danny boy...

Why am I here blogging?!?

2010-01-29T19:09:00.000-10:00

I'm old school. I prefer email over tweets. A phone call beats FaceBook hands down... but I gotta tell you, I'm feeling old and creaky... Last time that happened was back in 1985 when my daughter came home from kindergarten and chatted about the things she did on her computer. I felt left behind! So I took out library books and learned about computers. My career path is a testament to that adaptation to all things grand and new.

So here I am - like me, hate me, ignore me - don't give a hoot. I'm gonna blog my opinions and thoughts till the battery in my pacemaker can no longer be sourced out on eBay.

OMG - who HASN'T seen Avatar?

2010-01-29T18:46:00.000-10:00

My wife and I waited in line to see the 3D version for 30 minutes, only to find out the theater was full. We redeemed out tickets for the "2D" version, and STILL had our minds blown. Three hours later (... what actually seemed like 1), we're walking back to the parking lot... I couldn't speak for 15 minutes. Never in my life (and I'm creeping up there in age) have I had my mind blown away by such an experience. I'm a crusty ol' dude with opinions and philosophies about life, I have to tell ya, this movie really blew my mind.

Anything else come close? Hmmm lemme think... oh right - ANOTHER James Cameron film, namely Terminator 2. T1 was OK, but T2 pulled out all the stops. Eye candy is one thing, but combined with believable acting, surgical-precision editing, and a not-so predictable plot, Jimbo knows how to wow his audience.

Want a more detailed plot expose? Go somewhere else. I'm not here to spoil a plot, bitch about the continuity errors, or whine about how rich Cameron is. Jealous people do that.

See ya soon...