Theodore Boone - April 2011

26. Theodore Boone - John Grisham

272 Pages, Bought from Charity Shop

I'll be honest about it up front and admit that while I was reading this book I wasn't aware that it had been written for a younger market.

It was only after I'd finished and went online to see if anyone else agreed with my thoughts that the standard of Grisham's writing had seriously declined that this important fact came to light!

When I did find out it was a relief because I though either:

a.) John Grisham had been taking the piss with the half-assed attempt at a book

or

b.) he'd suffered some kind of brain injury and no one wanted to tell him so they let him publish anyway!

Having found out it was neither, I realised the book was much better than the crime ones I read when I was younger (and yes, I'm talking about you Frank and Joe Hardy! I didn't bother with Nancy Drew; and the Famous Five were just annoying!)

So all in all, it WAS a good book, just read in the wrong frame of mind ;)

I give Theodore Boone 3.5 "Kid Lawyer" out of 5

On The Edge - April 2011

25. On The Edge: My Story - Richard Hammond

320 Pages, Bought in Charity Shop

Richard Hammond is a TV presenter and famous for being a host on Top Gear, BBC TV's very popular and funny car programme.

In Sept 2006 while recording a piece for the programme the high-speed dragster he was driving suffered a burst tyre while traveling at speed and he suffered life-threatening head injuries in the crash.

The book follows his life up to the accident, then switches to his wife's story as she dealt with the crash and the aftermath, and then returns to Richard as he explains how life is like after the accident.

This book was more interesting than I thought it would be, to be honest. I also learned a lot about head injuries and what it's like to be a survivor as well as a family member going through it.

I give this book 4 "Hamsters" out of 5

The Stars My Destination - April 2011

24. The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester

256 Pages, Borrowed from Local Library

Also released under the name "Tyger, Tyger"

A Sci-Fi classic that follows the story of an anti-hero called Gully Foyle.

Gully is the lone survivor on a space ship (NOMAD) that had been attacked. He survives alone for 6 months but when a ship comes past, it ignores his distress signal and leaves him behind.

The anger he feels transforms him into a man consumed with rage and that's when he decides to live, just so he can get his revenge on the ship that left him to die.

Early on, his face is covered by a tiger tattoo. It's an interesting plot device that isn't helped by the illustration on the cover of the book I got...which clearly shows a tattoo that looks nothing like a tiger and has the name NOMAD spelled backwards! I'll add in a large shot of the cover just so you can see :)

It didn't ruin the book for me at all but it's little things like that that sometimes stick in my brain more than plot or characters!

Foyle is definitely an antihero so you find yourself rooting for him and then read about him doing terrible things just because he's angry.

I enjoyed this book especially as it predicted Cyberpunk.

I give this book 4 "Space Jaunts" out of 5

Overheard in Dublin Rides Again - April 2011

23. Overheard in Dublin Rides Again - Gerard Kelly & Sinead Kelly

160 Pages, Bought from Charity Shop

This is the second compilation of hilarious anecdotes posted on the website www.overheardindublin.com

Full of examples like...

"I was on the Luas last August, and was standing next to these two Cork guys.

Guy #1: 'Did you hear that some celebrity was stabbed yesterday?'

Guy #2: 'What? Who? What happened?'

Guy #1: 'Well, they were out with your woman Reese ...Reese ...Reese ...Whatsername?'

Guy #2: 'Witherspoon?'

Guy #1: 'With a spoon? No, with a knife! You can't stab someone with a spoon!'

What can I say...I got a few chuckles out of it and when I was finished I donated it to the charity shop I bought it from. If you're not from Dublin (or Ireland for that matter) some of the posts will make no sense at all.

Rather than read the book just go online and read them off the website.

I give this 3.5 "Legally Blonds" out of 5.

When the Tripods Came - April 2011

22. When The Tripods Came - John Christopher

160 Pages, Borrowed from Local Library

Written by the same guy who wrote "The Death of Grass" this is a prequel, aimed at the Young Adult market, that was written 20 years after the original Tripods trilogy (The White Mountains, The City of Gold & Lead, The Pool of Fire).

I haven't read the original trilogy but I did watch the two series of the BBC TV version in the 1980's.  I was hooked from it's crazy beginning, set in a future where everyone looks like they're living in a pre-industrial past and then getting sucked up into huge three-legged machines to get a metal grill stuck on their heads! The ending of the second series was miserable and depressing too. You can watch the whole two series on Youtube but be warned, it's only available in small chunks :(

This book is different. I figure it's set around the late 1980's - early 1990's and explains how the tripods quickly gained control of the majority of humanity. The story races along and there are a couple of images that really stuck with me after I'd finished it.

A great introduction to the Tripods and has left me eager to read the Trilogy.

I give this 5 "Trippy Shows" out of 5

I Am Legend - April 2011

21. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

160 Pages, Bought from Charity Shop

How is it that I've seen the Charlton Heston ( The Omega Man) and Will Smith ( I Am Legend) film versions of this book and it's only now that I've actually read the book that the title "I Am Legend" makes any sense!?! [shakes fist at Hollywood sign]

A great book, well plotted, pacy and hard to believe it was written in 1954...that's nearly 60 years ago!

A great Sci-Fi/Horror crossover and well worth the praise that is heaped upon it, and a clever twist on the whole vampire mythology...there's no sign of Dracula in this book!

If none of this praise for the book is reason enough for you, then read it just for the gut-punch ending that Hollywood seems to hate so much.

I award this book 5 "Cloves of Garlic" out of 5.

Teacher Man - April 2011

20. Teacher Man - Frank McCourt

288 Pages, Borrowed from Local Library

This is the final book in the "Angela's Ashes" Trilogy. (I think I said this before, but don't read Angela's Ashes while on holiday, especially not on a romantic holiday to Paris. I made that mistake and now have the unshakeable belief that Paris is a miserable, god-forsaken hellhole...some people may agree with that :) but really, I blame this book for distorting my experience!)

In this book, Frank has moved to New York to become a High School teacher. It's more full of humour and teaching anecdotes that the previous books, maybe as he has become happier himself.

It's obviously a tough enough life being a teacher, especially when faced with students that aren't too interested in anything other than hearing their teacher share his childhood reminiscences.

I found this book a really fitting end to the trilogy and feel that having read all three books I now know more about Frank McCourt than I do about myself :)

I give this book 5 "Teachers' Pets" out of 5

March 2011 Round Up

Stephen King

Books Read in March: 8

Total Pages: 2356
Average Pages Read per day: 76

Sources of Books:
Charity Shop: 2
Library: 6

Genres:
Fantasy: 2
Sci Fi: 2
Non-Fiction: 3
Thriller: 1

Find out more about Stephen King at his site: http://stephenking.com/



2011 so far:

Books Read: 19

Total Pages: 6011

Average Pages Read per day: 66.8

Sources of Books:
Charity Shop: 5
Library: 13
Amazon: 1

Genres:
Fantasy: 5
Sci Fi: 7
Non-Fiction: 5
Crime: 1
Thriller: 1