Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439023491

Notes: Second book in The Hunger Games Series

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Everyday is a Revolution - 4 stars - a book review

Catching Fire continues right where The Hunger Games ends, with the victory of Katniss and Peeta in the defiance of the powerful Capital. It seems their win has started some of the Districts to think that there may be a better way to live other than the complete control that The Capital has for them. Without giving away too much, there is plenty of the good stuff that readers enjoyed from The Hunger Games and more character development of the characters that made The Hunger Games so memorable.

Returning home from The Hunger Games is only the beginning, and as victors, Katniss and Peeta travel to all twelve districts and get a feeling that there is the beginning of a revolution. However, their lives will never be the same as The Capital pulls another fast one, putting them in another situation that they just may not be ready to deal with yet.

As mentioned, everything that was enjoyable about the first volume is back: compelling characters, sticky situations, a vicious enemy, and of course, blood thirsty killing. The beginning of the book starts a little slow, but ramps up in the intensity at about the halfway point and I wish there would have been more detail in the final setting. Although Catching Fire is not near as good as The Hunger Games, it is a worthy sequel and should be read by fans of the first book.

Good reading,

Plants and Books.

Review: Top Producer by Norb Vonnegut

Title: Top Producer
Author: Norb Vonnegut
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 0312384610



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Good Financial Mystery - 4 stars - a book review

Although I do not consider it a thriller, Top Producer was an enjoyable experience. The opening chapters set the stage as Grove O'Rourke and 500 other people watch as Charlie Keleman is gruesomely killed by sharks in an aquarium. Obviously Charlie was not as well loved as everyone seemed to believe.

Vonnegut displays his knowledge of Wall Street with skill, and against all odds, paints an exciting and interesting picture of high finance and a world where money is king. Traversing Charlie's accounts becomes a tiresome and mind boggling task for O'Rourke as he helps Charlie's wife reclaim the money that has been invested. Along the way, O'Rourke has to deal with the police and friends/associates whose business it is to not share secrets. However, the secrets do come out, and the mystery of Charlie's death becomes as tangled as a politicians income tax returns.

The characters in Top Producer are top notch. They are completely believable and well depicted as everyone has an agenda and keeping their jobs and making money is the might be more important than solving the mystery of who killed Charlie Keleman. Although Top Producer is filled with financial jargon and countless explanations of the business, Vonnegut writes it in such a way that it flows nicely with the story and provides the reader with exactly what is needed to know without going over the top. Not only is Top Producer a good mystery; but also a nice education lesson in accounting, investment, and Ponzi schemes.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan

Title: Bad Things Happen
Author: Harry Dolan
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 9780399155635

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Elegant Writing With Exceptional Characters - 4 stars - a book review

Every once in a while there is a story that is written in such a unique manner it is hard to explain and impossible to deny. BAD THINGS HAPPEN is such a story. The writing style is not unusual, but has an aura of "classical-ness" to it that makes the story an almost instant classic. Whatever it is that I am trying to describe reminds me of the writing style of JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL. That being said, BAD THINGS HAPPEN is not without faults.

BAD THINGS HAPPEN is unique in the sense that the plot revolves around a group of writers and editors. This premise sets up some great dialogue and postulations by the characters as they scramble to figure out who killed the founder of the murder mystery magazine, Gray Streets. Every single time the phrase, "if this was a story in Gray Streets, such and such would happen" followed by, "But this isn't a story in Gray Streets..." The dialogue is almost unreal in this sense, and nearly makes it impossible to believe, but with each unbelievable moment the story becomes that much more unforgettable.

The problems with BAD THINGS HAPPENS is that as more is uncovered about the murders, the less interested I became in who the actual killer (or killers) was. The story became extremely convoluted with the motives of characters that were insignificant previously and they had motives that were not that interesting to me. Of course, me not being a writer might have something to do with the inability to relate.

Overall, BAD THINGS HAPPENS was a worthwhile read. While not without faults, the dialogue and characters are what drive this story. If you like Charlie Huston's writing, then you will enjoy this book and vice versa.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

Title: The Doomsday Key
Author: James Rollins
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 0061231401

Notes: A Novel of the Sigma Force

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A Good Summer Read - 4 stars - a book review

I've only read a small number of James Rollins' books; but, from my understanding, THE DOOMSDAY KEY is exactly what fans of his will expect and love. It has an easy to read and enjoyable plot involving multiple murders, biotechnology, chemical agents, history, and lore. THE DOOMSDAY KEY is truly an adventure, taking readers from Africa to locations all over Europe, to the Arctic.

I am not familiar with the characters, but I believe they have made appearances in previous Rollins books. Rollins excels in painting these people in precarious situations with real responses. They are believable and their actions are reasonable (for the most part). There were a couple of moments when I was truly impressed with their thought processes, and Rollins did a nice job of showing the internal moral struggles during these moments.

What else is there? Tons and tons of action. The only times when there is no action is when the characters are learning about the history of the artifact they seek, thus having dialogues and research sessions to fill themselves (and the reader) in on what they are trying to achieve. The action is almost over the top, and at times recklessly unbelievable. Rollins has no shame in destroying national monuments and tearing down anything and everything. This caviler attitude almost turned me off because there is no follow up on events that would seem impossible to get away with, and little discussion of the ramifications of such actions. However, it is a story, and these events were fun to read and created an enjoyable experience.

The plot revolving around the Doomsday Key and the Doomsday Book was interesting and moderately well researched, providing the lore with some semblance of believability. Although these artifacts were interesting, it was not breathtaking and "grab you by the throat." For some, the story could be a little too much action and not enough substance; but like any summer action movie: sometimes that is what we prefer.

Overall, THE DOOMSDAY KEY is a good summer read. If you are looking for a book that is easy to read, fast paced, doesn't involve a lot of thinking, and filled with action, I recommend picking it up. If you are looking for something with a little more substance or something with "a little more to it," you might consider passing on THE DOOMSDAY KEY.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Miracle Ball by Brian Biegel

Title: Miracle Ball
Author: Brian Biegel
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0307452689



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CSI: MLB - 4 stars - a book review

The premise of MIRACLE BALL is irresistible: with only two grainy pictures from 1951, can a man track down the arguably most famous home run baseball of all time?

I really enjoyed Brian Biegel's account of his search for the missing Bobby Thompson home run ball from 1951. While I wouldn't call MIRACLE BALL compelling, it was certainly beyond fascinating, with numerous personal accounts of how that moment in history changed lives and how that crack of the bat was so pivotal to not only baseball, but also to the lives of so many fans.

While this book may disappoint some baseball fans for lack of hard core baseball fanaticism and statistics, it has enough emotion from people affected by "The Shot Heard 'Round The World" during the golden era of baseball to make it memorable.

Besides the evidence presented, the most compelling aspect of this book is the lore from a time when baseball truly was "America's Pastime."

Definitely a recommended read for baseball enthusiasts, New Yorkers, and anyone who might have been watching their black and white TV's on October 3, 1951.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Pain Killers by Jerry Stahl

Title: Pain Killers
Author: Jerry Stahl
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 0060506652



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Good But Disappointing - 3 stars - a book review

Brief Synopsis:
Manny Rupert is a former cop and sometimes former recovering drug addict. In the opening third of the book we see just how difficult life is for Rupert as we are introduced to his struggles with his ex-wife, drugs, money, and general poor decision making skills. He is "asked" to go undercover at San Quentin as a addiction instructor to determine if one of the inmates is a believed to be dead SS officer from the days of the Holocaust. With nothing to lose (and seemingly nothing to gain), Rupert agrees and is introduced to host of bizarre characters and situations.

General Impressions:
I love a good, dark, gritty story as much as anything. PAIN KILLERS certainly falls into that category as all the back stories are revealed of not only Rupert, but also his ex-wife, the inmates, and the correctional facility employees. Unfortunately, I just could not bring myself to love this story. Typically I tear through novels of a similar nature, but the slow pace and seemingly irrelevance of the situations was difficult for me to swallow. I had difficulty continuing to read PAINKILLERS at many times.

I think the biggest setback for PAIN KILLERS is the fact that situations arise out of nowhere, and Rupert is often presented with decisions that border on completely unbelievable (or with no relevance to the story). The plot also moves very slowly (at least in the opening half of the book). Since I have not read the first book with Manny Rupert, PLAINCLOTHES NAKED, this could be part of the problem (although PAIN KILLERS spends ample time recounting things I assume to have happened in the previous book).

PAIN KILLERS suffers from a lack of direction, and while the readers knows exactly what Rupert's mission is, it is difficult to determine where and how he he achieves this goal while reading the story. Obviously, more information comes out that is important to Rupert (and the other characters) that change the motivations and the resolve of the main characters, but the pacing is difficult to stay interested in these things.

Despite these opinions, PAIN KILLERS is most certainly a niche book. If you like dark and gritty books, this should certainly be on your "to read" pile and you might appreciate it more than I did. There are other books I would recommend first, including the Hank Thompson Trilogy by Charlie Huston:

• Caught Stealing;
• Six Bad Things; and,
• A Dangerous Man.

Good Reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Deadlock by Iris Johansen

Title: Deadlock
Author: Iris Johansen
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312368119



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Meh... Where Are We Going and When Will We Get There? - 2 stars - a book review

Brief Synopsis:
When Emily Hudson, an expert in artifacts for the United Nations, gets abducted it sets off a around the world chase fueled by revenge and greed. Introduced throughout the escapades are a host of characters with unique skill sets that all are focused on determining the significance of an artifact called Zelov's Hammer.

Overall Impressions:
DEADLOCK was not a terrible book; but it missed the mark in a lot of areas. The entire time I was reading it I had no direction to where the author, Johansen, was taking me. There is no reference to the significance of the artifact and the motivations of the characters. Ergo, the reader is taken on a 'round the world balloon trip with no real destination in mind. It may be like receiving a treasure map with no "X" on it and not knowing what the treasure might actually be. The only motivation is to hopefully get to the end, which is ultimately unsatisfying.

On the other hand, sometimes books can be a solid read based on the characters and their development alone. I had an extremely difficult time relating to any of the characters. The "romance" in the book is so bizarre and difficult to comprehend, and whatever gains might be expected from a romantic involvement is negated by the sheer implausibility of the entire situation.

Overall, this book goes back and forth, jet setting from one country to another without any significant details that one might wonder about when considering bypassing airport security other than the typical explanation in DEADLOCK: "So and so character is very good at what he does." There are a handful of conversations that are retold over and over, and over again.

DEADLOCK just does not deliver. This is my first Iris Johansen book, so I cannot comment regarding the comparison of her previous books; but, I can imagine that fans of hers may enjoy this book since there is a certain writing style that others may appreciate.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Inventions by Glenn Murphy

Title: Inventions
Author: Glenn Murphy
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 1416938656

Notes:
An Insiders book

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Reinventing the Way We Learn and the Way We Teach - 5 stars - a book review

INVENTIONS was the complete package. It is a beautifully illustrated book with just enough information about various life changing inventions to let the reader understand the basic principles and how the inventions are utilized by humanity. Each invention featured was not overly discussed and analyzed with minutia that could have lost some readers (especially younger readers) but therein lay the true beauty of this book: it inspired me to want to learn more about each invention.

This is the perfect book for anyone of any age with an interest in science or a curiosity of how things work. It is the perfect gift for young children because it speaks on a level of which anyone can relate.

Reading this book reminded me of one of my favorite books in grade school: THE WAY THINGS WORK simply because of the graphical concept, ease of reading, the feeling of empowerment to know something special, and the desire to learn more. Is that not something that should be on every child's bookshelf? If you are looking to stimulate the mind of your child or are looking for a way to spend quality time in an educational setting with your child, this is a perfect tool for initiating those moments and those conversations.

My only reservation about this book is that I felt adding to the introduction a brief overview of simple machines (i.e. lever, pulley, wheel, etc.) was necessary and would have been a great way to explain how machinery works on the fundamental level. Throughout INVENTIONS the author makes note of simple machines, but not in a way that transpires the individual invention on that page.

Inventions covered in this book include: the wheel, sail, clock, windmill, printing press, telescope, engine, camera, train, music player, power station, telephone, submarine, automobile, airship, airplane, radio and TV, computer, rockets, surgery, locks and keys, bionics, and the internet.

This book should be on every child's bookshelf for the pure educational and entertainment functions it serves. The only book I have read that is better in these areas is THE WAY THINGS WORK, by David Macaulay.

Good reading and learning,

Plants and Books

Review: Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross

Title: Don't Look Twice
Author: Andrew Gross
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 0061143448

Notes:
Second Book with the character Ty Hauck

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Good Story; but Nothing Groundbreaking - 3 stars - a book review

Brief Synopsis:
Lieutenant Ty Hauck was with his daughter at a gas station when a drive by shooting occurred. What first appears to be revenge by a local gang is slowly uncovered as a deeper conspiracy. Lt. Hauck is told to back off and let it be; but Lt. Hauck cannot accept that and digs deeper and deeper as the book unfolds.

Overall Impressions:
DON'T LOOK TWICE is a fairly standard murder mystery thriller. At times, the plot is all over the place, with details coming out that further implicate others. The characters are somewhat memorable and interesting, but their interactions are somewhat forced and unnatural at times. The plot is convoluted in a mess of a conspiracy that unfolds back and forth; however, it makes for an interesting story and is enjoyable to read. I was disappointed at the ending as it was somewhat anti-climatic.

Overall, I enjoyed reading DON'T LOOK TWICE; but, it was pretty standard murder thriller material these days and offered nothing groundbreaking. There are certainly better stories out there and there are certainly worse stories, too.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley

Title: Starvation Lake
Author: Bryan Gruley
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Touchstone
ISBN: 1416563628

Notes: Debut Novel

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Exceptional Debut. One of the "Must Reads" of 2009.

Brief Synopsis:
The small town of Starvation Lake has had better days. Due to Coach Blackburn raising up a bunch of kids from the town into a competitor for the state hockey title, Starvation Lake become a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the team lost their one chance at the title and Coach Blackburn died in a snowmobile accident several years later.

Enter the main character, Gus Carpenter, in which the story is told in his first person narrative. Carpenter was the player who is blamed for losing the State title since he was the goalie for the team that year. He is fleeing from Detroit under mysterious circumstances at the Detroit Times and is now works at the local newspaper, The Pilot. What happens next baffles the town, as Coach Blackburn's snowmobile resurfaces in the wrong lake.

Carpenter quickly picks up some of the loose ends and starts to uncover the dark past of Starvation Lake and some of her residents.

Overall Impressions:
STARVATION LAKE is a phenomenal tour-de-force. It is a compelling story with several interesting characters, each with fundamental flaws. As Carpenter starts to unravel the mysteries of Coach Blackburn and his associates/friends things start to become more and more clear. The character development is crafted to perfection, as each character becomes more and more human and as the story progresses.

Interwoven between the clues and plot lines are some wonderful recollections of hockey games and memories of the glorious past of Starvation Lake. These memories add to the realism of the town and the overall story and the accountability of the characters involved. Finding the truth surrounding Coach Blackburn's death is only the tip of the iceberg, and the reader is taken hold of and not let go until the concluding chapters.

I would not miss this book when it is released. It is probably the best book I have read so far this year. Definitely a "must read."

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Army of the Republic by Stuart Archer Cohen (5 stars)

Note: Review originally posted at Amazon on November 24, 2008.

Project Mayhem on Steroids

I don't know where to start. I was completely blown away by this book. ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC is similar to FIGHT CLUB, only bigger, grander, and more organized. Everything in FIGHT CLUB is in this book, with the biggest difference being the other viewpoints in a revolution.

While reading, we follow along from the first person viewpoints of a militant, a civil protest organizer, and a CEO. I am normally not a big fan of first person, but Cohen does it with such style and appreciation for the characters and their interwoven lives that I had to be impressed. Every viewpoint and every chapter was engaging. Once I hit the halfway mark through this book I could not put it down.

The beginning of ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC starts off with a masterful tone that sets the stage for the rest of the book. This book does seem to model what I would expect of a revolution in the pacing. There are times that are so high octane while others are more subtle, but still loaded with undeniable scenes that only promote the entire world and the civil unrest in that world. Furthermore, like a revolution, the books ramps up the intensity and doesn't let go. It truly is explosive.

I was engaged for every minute that I had this book in my hands. So you want a revolution? The rest is up to you.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Bottom of the Ninth by Michael Shapiro (4 stars)

Historic Baseball Moments

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH is a baseball fan's dream. The book is filled to the top with historical moments, lore, and characters that shaped America's national pastime. The books spans several years in one of baseball's defining moments in history.

This book is not for everyone, as it is loaded with players, managers, political figures, prominent city people, cities, states, and their little (or big) stories and motivations. With the sheer volume of stuff going on in this book it is hard to keep track, but the mastery of the writing is almost magical. The author, Michael Shapiro keeps dumping data, quotes, stories, and reports, and accounts but it never gets lost or overpowering because the way it is all integrated into the story and the chapters. Reading this book is truly like reminiscing about the good old days of baseball, which is further supported because most of the people involved in the main two story arcs aren't even big name baseball players! It's like sitting around a bar listening to people talk about the phenomenal game of baseball in the Micky Mantle era.

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH is a tale of a sport (and the men and women associated with it) defining themselves for the next several decades. I learned so much from this book that I am amazed. I never knew that there was serious consideration for the development of a third baseball league, the Continental League. There is so much history about politics and baseball cities. The stories of Casey Stengel are classic. His personality and the way the players and public viewed him is captured perfectly. Reading the pages you can feel the disgust, contempt, and appreciation that various people felt at any given moment.

This is a wonderful tale about the people of baseball in the 50s. There are enough play-by-play of classic great games that any baseball fan, no matter how die-hard, will enjoy this book. If you get chills from hearing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" you will enjoy this book more than others. If you just like baseball, then you may be discouraged by the massive amount of information conveyed in each chapter.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: Hater by David Moody (4 stars)

Paranoia at its Finest

HATER is a great mixture of a lot of themes in recent popular culture mediums. Similarities can be drawn between widespread viruses, zombies, war, and near Armageddon scenarios. However, while this book seems similar to many movies (28 days later, I Am Legend, etc.), HATER is still a unique book with a compelling and equally unique storyline.

HATER is a narrative told from the perspective of a father and husband in a world that, day by day, becomes more chaotic and dangerous. This book has an emotional element that is superb. There are times when the author, David Moody, has created an attraction to both sides of the violence that has spread through the world. Truly, at each violent encounter, the reader is left wondering, who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Were the actions justified? Who is really a "Hater" and who is not?

This book is certainly violent, but not in such a grotesque and disgusting way. It is not often that a movie is created before the book that the movie is based on is published. While reading this book, it became obvious that this could easily be adapted into a movie, which Guillermo del Toro is doing.

HATER is a fast paced account of a world gone mad and torn against itself. The pacing is wonderful, and there is action, emotional responses, fear, and sheer paranoia throughout each chapter. HATER is a compelling story that is littered with a first person account of paranoia. As the main character, Danny, becomes closer to the violence, the reader is forced to feel the pure paranoia he feels.

Highly recommended. Look for the movie in 2010.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston (3 stars)

Good Dialogue, Poor Pacing and Plot

I can't say that I am completely disappointed in Charlie Huston's latest book, THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH, but I can't say I enjoyed it, either.

Per typical Huston books, the characters are interesting and the dialogue is witty, sharp, and gritty. However, in this book, it was almost over the top and at times I was discouraged. The premise of the book is somewhat interesting, with cleaning up deaths, and opens the door for tremendous potential knowing the other is famous for noir based stories. Disappointingly enough, the plot stops there and nothing is advanced in terms of plot for the first half of the book. The first half of the book is just back and forth banter between the angry main character and the people he encounters.

When the plot does start to advance, it is not very interesting and hardly engaging. So much potential is squandered with the premise of this book. I would typically say "pass" on this book, but the dialogue and characters, while almost annoyingly "over the top," are redeeming in their own right. Fans of Huston will probably enjoy this book.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: The Night of the Gun by David Carr (3 Stars)

Good in Theory, Poor in Practice

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoy stories and memoirs about addiction and climbing out of the deepest holes. The author, David Carr, made a journalistic memoir about his past in drugs and alcohol, which became this book. There are some interesting stories but there was little emotion in this book. I understand that this was more a unbiased look at addiction through the retelling of stories forgotten or misremembered; but, the entire time I was reading this book I never felt like anything that was happening was that big of a deal (even though it was). There was hardly any emotion in this book, which made it much more difficult to empathize with those Carr surrounded himself with and the terrible acts he engaged in.

With no perceived personal attachment to anything in the book, I found it increasingly more difficult to want to here more. There were so many missed opportunities for personal reflection I was left increasingly frustrated at the end of each chapter. I understand that that may not have been the goal of the book and that even when Carr didn't remember anything and was being told what he did in particular instances, there was no reflection (or very little) about how he felt learning about himself after the fact, looking back.

The format of the book was a good idea. It just did not follow through on engaging me in his recovery and the harrowing life he lived. It is unfortunate that the back of the book was overly sensationalized compared to the under sensationalized content. The brief synopses on the back were not accurate at all, at least in presentation.

Overall, this was a decent book, but was left so much unfulfilled potential.

Good reading,

Plants and Books

Review: When March Went Mad by Seth Davis (4 stars)

Bird and Magic... You Can't Go Wrong

It might just be impossible to have a book with two better characters: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Two of the greatest, if not the two greatest basketball players of all time. This book does a truly remarkable job of chronicling the 1979 season of the Indiana State Sycamores and the Michigan State Spartans. A lot of attention is paid to the teams, the coaches, the teammates, and the communities that were directly (and sometimes indirectly) affected by their respective teams.

There is not a lot to say about this book other than if you are a basketball junkie, a Bird or Magic fan, or someone who calls in to work to watch NCAA games, then this book is for you. It has wonderful accounts with direct quotes and accounts of fans, media personalities, coaches, and community members.

My only disappointment is that, despite the title, there is not a lot of depth regarding the rise of the NCAA and "March Madness." The author does a nice job in talking about TV ratings, contract rights, and other relevant topics; but, there just was not enough depth. I left the book realizing that the 1979 season impacted college basketball in the eyes of the nation; but, I did not realize exactly how dramatic this effect was and the details of the growth and interest.

Good reading,

Plants and Books