Resurrection Day - March 2011

19. Resurrection Day - Brendan DuBois

378 Pages, Borrowed from Local Library

What if Kennedy had started World War 3? In this book Russia and America are crippled after the Cuban Missile Crisis goes nuclear and the U.K. is a super power.

Cleverly the book is set in an alternative 1972 where a journalist ( and former soldier) is trying to find out if Kennedy, the man who was responsible for the deaths of millions, is actually still alive.

This reminded me of another very enjoyable alternative history book, "Fatherland" by Robert Harris.

Really makes you think of what could have so easily happened back then and how the world would look as a result.

Great characters, enjoyable plot and satisfying ending. What more could you want!

I give this 5 "London Times Journalists" out of 5

The Martian Chronicles - March 2011

18. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

242 Pages, Borrowed from Library ( No more Mobile Library, the local one has reopened after being refurbished...it looks great!)

Back to classic Sci Fi Books! Another top 10 regular on the Top Sci Fi Novels lists.

Sci Fi has a long tradition of holding up a mirror to humanity and society while under the guise of talking about aliens. The Martian Chronicles is the leader of the pack in this regard.

Rather than one long novel, it's a compilation of short stories covering different aspects and different times on Mars, spanning from humans first steps on Mars to their final ones.

I remember seeing the BBC series based on this book when I was a kid. The only thing I can remember (apart from being bored out of my mind by it) was that the Martians had guns that looked like umbrellas.

The book is far superior to the series and well worth reading.

I give this 4.5 "Umbrella Guns" out of 5

Blockade Billy - March 2011

17. Blockade Billy - Stephen King

132 pages, Borrowed from Mobile Library (I'm sorry I didn't take a picture while I was there, having used it I have decided I'd like to live in a Mobile Library!)

I borrowed 2 Stephen King books at the same time, "Full Dark, No Stars" and "Blockade Billy".

I have previously shared my thoughts on the first book (Great) and now I move onto the second (Not so good)

Maybe it was the baseball theme (Baseball is not big in Ireland, the closest thing we have is Rounders but that's not really popular as a national sport either) or maybe it was just the story but either way I thought it was a below par effort.

It isn't a large book and there's two stories; "Blockade Billy" and "Morality" so I guess it's worth the short time it takes to read.

"Morality" was better than "Blockade Billy" and had a real Twilight Zone feel about it too which was enjoyable.

All in all, it's worth a read if you're a fan of Kings but only if you're a fast reader!

I give this 3 "Spring-loaded Razor Blades" out of 5...2 for Morality, 1 for Blockade Billy.

Full Dark, No Stars - March 2011

16. Full Dark, No Stars - Stephen King

352 pages, Borrowed from Mobile Library, A small bus packed all around with books on wooden shelves, with a really strong smell of books too...heaven!

I'm a big Stephen King fan, or as the man himself likes to say a "Constant Reader". I started with "The Eyes of the Dragon" when I was 12 and followed that with "IT" the summer I turned 13.

I've been through the highs (The Stand, Misery, the Talisman etc.) and the lows (Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, Gerald's Game) but still remained faithful.

He's had an upsurge in quality again since "From a Buick 8" and Full Dark, No Stars is another example of that upswing.

The book consists of 4 novellas, all very dark stories, all with a touch of Edgar Allen Poe about them. Light on laughs but heavy on atmosphere and a sense of danger for the characters in each story.

King is great at the long novel and the short story and here that expertise shines through. Each story is long enough to satisfy yet short enough to keep you interested.

All in all if you're a fan of King or just like tales with a dark side then Full Dark, No Stars will be right up your alley.

I give this 5 "Good Marriages" out of 5

My S*it Life So Far - March 2011

15. My Shit Life So Far - Frankie Boyle

304 Pages, Borrowed from Mobile Library (as our Local Library was undergoing renovations. I wish we could always have a mobile library, I loved using it!)

If you're any way familiar with the Scots comedian Frankie Boyle you'll know he isn't known for "pulling his punches" when it comes to jokes...or politicians...or celebrities...or pretty much anything.

He has been called the "dark heart of comedy" and that's not far from the truth.

Having said that, I think Frankie Boyle is a comedy genius right up there with Lenny Bruce and Peter Cook. I found myself laughing out loud on a few occasions while reading this and that's a rare thing, especially when it comes to autobiographies.

If you like Frankie Boyle's humour, you'll love this book. If you don't like him or his comedy, maybe skip the book and go grow a sense of humour.

I award this book 5 "Family-sized Blocks of Cheese" out of 5!

Would The Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up - March 2011

14. Would The Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up - Gerry Ryan

276 Pages, Borrowed from Local Library

Did you ever read an autobiography and really regret it? With this book I certainly did. I wish he'd stayed sitting down.

I liked Gerry Ryan. He was an Irish Shock-Jock DJ who I found entertaining whenever I got the chance to listen to his show. (He did the morning show Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 12.00 noon on Ireland's radio station 2FM)

He died tragically last year from a suspected drug-induced heart attack. Like many people around Ireland I was stunned to hear of his death.

On a side note, there was also an unfortunate bit of synchronicity when Fiona Looney, Gerry's "on-air wife" joked with fellow DJs on air that Gerry Ryan was dead and that was why she was filling in for him. A few hours later, his partner found him dead in his apartment. You can hear it on Youtube

Anyway, much as I liked him, he comes across as an asshat of stupendous proportions in this book. Really, if you liked Gerry Ryan do yourself a favour: ignore this book and keep your happy memories.

I'm giving this 1 "Lambo" out of 5...and only giving that because I did like the guy's radio show.

Digital Fortress - March 2011

13. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown

384 Pages, Bought from Charity Shop

Dan Brown has written some enjoyable books. The DaVinci Code obviously being his biggest.

I enjoyed the DaVinci code, I enjoyed Angels & Demons...but I wasn't too keen on this.

It kind of plodded along. I didn't really relate to the main character and the finale was a bit rubbish.

There's really nothing more I can say about it, other than instead of reading this book, maybe just reread The DaVinci Code.

I'm sure Dan Brown will not lose any sleep over my disappointment in this book and that's OK. You can't please all of the people all of the time and I'll still pick up his other books when I see them.

I'm giving Digital Fortress 1 "Clipper Chip" out of 5.

The Mammoth Book of Useless Information - March 2011

12. The Mammoth Book of Useless Information - Noel Botham

288 Pages, Bought from Charity Shop

This is one of those books you can dip into whenever you're stuck for something to read. It's just page after page of one or two line bits of useless trivia on all different topics grouped into related chapters.

Full of stuff like "The man who invented short-hand was deaf".

It did the job but I won't be reading it again as I donated it to charity as soon as I was finished.

The main problem I find with this kind of factoid book is that as soon as I've read the fact it disappears from memory never to return. I read 288 pages of this book and can't remember any of it.

I had to look up the book on Amazon to "Look Inside" to find the example I used above :)

Good for passing the time but rubbish for learning anything of any great use...hence the title of the book I suppose!

I'm giving this 2 "Useless Facts" out of 5

February 2011 Round up

Robin Hobb

Books Read in February: 6

Total Pages: 1922

Average Pages Read per day: 68.6

Sources of Books:
Charity Shop: 1
Library: 4
Amazon: 1

Genres:
Fantasy: 1
Sci Fi: 3
Non-Fiction: 1
Crime: 1 

Find out more about Robin Hobb by visiting her website: http://www.robinhobb.com/


2011 so far:

Books Read: 11

Total Pages: 3655

Average Pages Read per day: 61.9

Sources of Books:
Charity Shop: 3
Library: 7
Amazon: 1

Genres:
Fantasy: 3
Sci Fi: 5
Non-Fiction: 2
Crime: 1