Those Left Unfinished - 2008

As the year comes to a close, I have discovered a few books lying around my apartment that have, for one reason or another, been left unfinished. Some of these I recognize why I never read the entire book, while others I am surprised at the lack of completion. I have a terrible habit of reading several books at once, and oftentimes not completing the first book I started for several months. As the "to read" pile grows larger, taking one of the top of the stack is sometimes easier (or more convenient) than finding a book that is half read and possibly forgotten. Here are a few that I know I have not finished this year:

• A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin;
• Gardens of the Moon by Stephen Erikson;
• Armor by John Steakley;
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (short stories section left unread); and,
• Other books I cannot recall or have yet to "refind."

I have picked up Armor again, and will probably finish it before the end of the year, depending on the arrival of some new Amazon Vine books currently being shipped. I have tried reading Gardens of the Moon two times now, and am ultimately (and unfortunately) easily distracted from completing this book. This is one of those cases that I am confident that I will enjoy this book (and ultimately the entire series) once I have finished it since I am a huge fan of epic fantasy series.

Will these books be finished this year or next? Only time will tell. Until then,

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Replay by Ken Grimwood (5 stars)

The Finest Speculation. REPLAY Has it All

REPLAY, by Ken Grimwood, is a miraculous journey through time and the human spirit. Grimwood wonderfully exposes the possible outcomes of having advanced knowledge while leading life. What happens when you live the same thirty years over, and over, and over? What makes a life worthwhile? Is it a lifetime of money, fame, or positive interactions with others? What does anything matter if at the end of the "replay" everything just gets erased, except in your memory?

REPLAY is at times an emotional ride of personal reflection while still maintaining a level of intrigue and curiosity that awaits the protagonist. While only science fiction on a basic level (time traveling), there is a incredible amount of speculation about human motivations, given the frame of reference for the characters. This speculation is what truly makes REPLAY a gem.

There is something for everyone in this book. REPLAY is one of those rare books that captures the imagination, the mind, and the spirit of humanity.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: A Dangerous Man by Charlie Huston (5 stars)

A Worthy Conclusion to a Worthy Trilogy

For those of you that have read CAUGHT STEALING and SIX BAD THINGS, it should be a no brainer to pick up this concluding volume. For those of you who have not read any of this series, I highly suggest you read the previously mentioned books immediately. This trilogy is one of the freshest and most well written set of books I have read in a significant amount of time. I keep kicking myself that I have just now discovered Charlie Huston. Anyways, I digress.

In A DANGEROUS MAN, our antihero has hit rock bottom. The resulting book comes from the depressed outlook and drug induced reference of keeping his parents alive by living a "dangerous lifestyle," doing the dirty work of a Russian mobster. Ultimately, the frame of reference of this book is much darker than its predecessors, but it does an exceptional job of portraying accurate and believable feelings and emotions.

As always, Huston introduces a barrage of new characters, some of which are beyond likable, including the young hot shot baseball player, Miguel, which Henry has been given the charge of "taking care of" in his old stomping grounds of New York City. Obviously chaos ensues, and it is enjoyable every step of the way.

I have not read a book recently with such penetrating and believable characters. The characters (and the situations they are put in) are above and beyond the driving force of these books. A DANGEROUS MAN is an exceptional conclusion to the series, and should be considered a "must read" book.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston (4 stars)

If It Wasn't For Bad Luck, I'd Have No Luck At All

SIX BAD THINGS is a worthy sequel to the phenomenal. It was another hard core ride into non stop running, hiding, terror, and the worst of luck.

The antihero, Henry Thompson, has been living safely in Mexico for several years when he is discovered by the nephew of the Russian mob. What happens next? More of the same as happens in CAUGHT STEALING, only with a whole new cast of characters.

Charlie Huston has continued his wonderful trademark noir, cast with grit, dirt, swearing, and non-stop, grip you by the throat action. While not as good as CAUGHT STEALING, it is certainly a worthy followup and a great transition into the final volume of this trilogy, A DANGEROUS MAN.

This book is a must read for Noir fans and Charlie Huston readers. While the first book could be a stand alone book, this one catapults it into a must read set of three books. You should not miss this one, if you have already.

Good Reading,

Plants and Books

Review: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max (2 stars)

You Had to be There

Tucker Max's account of his life reads more like all those jokes and stories you hear that are shortly followed by "you had to be there" or "it would be funnier if you had been there." The various stories seem more like well described inside jokes.

I thought I would really enjoy this book, but unfortunately I was ultimately disappointed. While outrageous, his stories were really not that engaging or interesting. The first half of the book was truly juvenile with not a lot of substance or worthwhile stories. I love stories about jerks and unworldly encounters, but Max's presentation or lack of organization in his delivery is unsettling.

The stories improve in the last half of the book. However, there is only so many stories about how drunk someone got, how many women someone slept with, etc. I can stand in 300 pages. This book seems like it could be written by someone in high school who likes talking about how wasted he got over the weekend (which I suppose is ultimately the point).

Do not get me wrong, there are some great moments of recollected dialogue and verbal exchanges; but, ultimately, they are too few and far between to enjoy this book. If you like reading outrageous stories about booze and women, I recommend this book to you. Otherwise, it is not worth it.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Books I've Read: 2005

This list was started in the summer of 2005 and therefore does not contain every book I read that year. You can definitely track the types of books or authors I was reading during each of these yearly updates. I am going to link to my Amazon reviews for each book until I post those reviews here.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (4/5 stars)
Pacific Vortex! by Clive Cussler (4/5 stars)
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum (4/5 stars)
On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt (5/5 stars)
Shadow Prey by John Sandford (4/5 stars)
Eyes of Prey by John Sandford (5/5 stars)
Silent Prey by John Sandford (3/5 stars)
Winter Prey by John Sandford (4/5 stars)
Night Prey by John Sandford (4/5 stars)
Mind Prey by John Sandford (3/5 stars)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (5/5 stars)
Master of Chains by Jess Lebow (4/5 stars)
Evaluation in Organizations by Darlene Russ-Eft and Hallie Preskill (5/5 stars)
The Man Who Grew Young by Daniel Quinn (5/5 stars)
Sudden Prey by John Sandford (5/5 stars)
Secret Prey by John Sandford (5/5 stars)
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan (4/5 stars)
Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich (4/5 stars)
Whisper of Waves by Philip Athans (4/5 stars)
Farthest Reach by Richard Baker (5/5 stars)
The Baseball Fan's Companion by Nick Bakalar (5/5 stars)
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (3/5 stars)

Total Read: 7196 pages
Total Reviewed: 22 (100%)

5 Stars: 9 books
4 Stars: 10 books
3 Stars: 3 books
2 Stars: 0 books
1 Stars: 0 books

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Yearly Update Coming Soon

I have been keeping track of every book (almost) that I have read since the summer of 2005. I started doing this as a way to keep track of what I had read throughout the year, total the number of pages I read in a particular year, and track my book reviews on my Amazon profile. Several years ago I made a goal to read 50,000 pages in a year. To achieve this goal I would have to read approximately 140 pages a day. Each year since I have fallen staggeringly short.

I was surprised to learn that despite moving a couple times and using different computers I still had my records since 2005. Come January, I will make a post listing every book I read this year. I am also going to post all the books I've read since summer of 2005. Obviously, these list may not be comprehensive and I may have missed a book or two. Nobody is perfect, right? Additionally, I sometimes include books that some may not consider literature or real books, like Graphic Novels and Comic Book collections. However, I consider these to be important literary mediums and convey just as much (if not more sometimes) of a story as traditional books.

Good reading,

Plants and Books