Book Review: God’s Middle Finger by Richard Grant
4 Stars , Latest Posts , Non-Fiction / June 28, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: God’s Middle Finger by Richard Grant on Blogcritics. About: God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant is a non-fiction book about the author’s “tour” of Mexico’s Sierra Madre region. Mr. Grant is a British journalist who came to the other side of the pond in search of strangeness and adventure – I think he found both. 288 pages Publisher: Free Press Language: English ISBN-10: 1416534407 My rat­ing for God’s Middle Finger — 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Richard Grant Thoughts: God’s Middle Finger: Into the Lawless heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant (website | Facebook) is a fast paced, sprawling adventure in a strange world which is closer then you think, and sometimes simply too close for comfort. While the book might be considered to be in the travel genre it is a glimpse into a lawless part of Mexico. The often mis-quoted line from Treasure of the Sierra Madre said by Gold Hat (played by Alfonso Bedoya) “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges” comes to mind and, of course, makes an appearance in the book. The…

Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / June 27, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett on Blogcritics. About: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is a fictional book taking place, mostly, in Brazil’s Amazonregion. I have been in that region and ever since loved reading about it, reliving my adventures and banging my head against the wall wishing to go back again and look at things with more informed eyes. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 368 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury UK Language: English ISBN-10: 1408818590 My rating for State of Wonder – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Anne Patchett Thoughts: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (website) takes its time to build up, putting ordinary people, slowly but surely, in extraordinary situations where neither them nor the reader realizes it until the setup clamps behind you with no way back. The book has several themes running through it, but the two I found most fascinating is the effects mentors have on their underlings and being able to let go of formal education, when necessary, to look differently at the world around you. I believe that…

Tightwad Tuesday — Free or Affordable eBooks — Graphic Novels
Latest Posts , Tightwad Tuesday / June 26, 2012

It’s Tuesday again. When searching for some good bargains I noticed that Amazon is starting to promoted graphic novels for the Kindle. Personally I haven’t been impressed reading comics on an eReader – what about you? Please note: The prices for the post are cur­rent at the time of the post, please pay atten­tion to make sure they haven’t changed before purchase. Authors: If you’d like your book to be fea­tured on Tight­wad Tues­days please email me. Tumor Chapter 1 by Joshua Hale Fialkov, Noel Tuazon The demon Kane plots his revenge and next attack. While two more worriers are introduced and fight under a gentleman who goes by the name Demon Hunter. Wakan Unwanted Collection (#0-5) by Seth Piper, Lars Schwed Nygård SMOKE AND STEAM AND STEEL AND THUNDER AN ADVENTURE BEGINS, AND A WORLD’S TORN ASUNDER Welcome to Pistonville, Minnesota. It’s December 1870, and the tale of the heroic last black man in America is about to begin. The original full color, 128-page comic ‘Wakan Unwanted’ is collected here including issues #0 to #5: ‘In Ashes’, ‘Pistonville Peace’, ‘A Red Bird’s Plight’, ‘His Master’s Voice’ and ‘Through This Lens (Parts 1 & 2). Soldier Evolution Revolutionary Girl by…

Novella Review: The Perfect Defective by Clark Casey
3 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / June 25, 2012

About: The Perfect Defective by Clark Casey is a short story written in pulp style with jokes thrown in almost every paragraph. While the story certainly isn’t for everybody, it might appeal to mystery fans with a thick skin and humorous aptitude. My rating for The Perfect Defective – 3 Buy this book in electronic format More Books by Clark Casey Thoughts: I don’t usually read short stories, even though I read a few this year, but figured why not read The Perfect Defective by Clark Casey , I have a fondness for pulp. I had a spare hour in between books and figured… why not? The protagonist, Jack Hannigan, is a drunkard jerk with sympathy for off colored, juvenile jokes. While the story didn’t have me roaring with laughter, I did crack a smile here and there and even a few chuckles. While I didn’t find anything in the story very offensive, I can only assume it is meant to offend, but to his credit, Jack tries to offend all. I tried to trudge through the plot, which is purposely absurd and seems to be a vehicle to carry the jokes Jack drink himself to oblivion, have sex and…

Kid’s Book Review: Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton
Kid's Reviews , Latest Posts / June 23, 2012

During the summer vacation, our daughter (7 and going into second grade) is assigned to read a book a day and write a “reading response”. I thought it would be nice to incorporate her assignment into Daddy’s hobby, record her doing so which will help her thought process reading and writing. Look for a special guest appearance by our son (5) at some point in the video. Buy this book from Amazon.com More Books by Bob Scotton Please post comments to let her know that people are looking at her efforts. Zohar – Man of la Book

Fun Facts Friday: Michael Shaara
Fun Facts Friday , Latest Posts / June 22, 2012

Tomorrow will be the birthday of Pulitzer Prize winning Author Michael Shaara (23 Jun, 1928 – 5 May, 1988). Mr. Shaara’s book, The Killer Angels has been one of my favorites American Civil War novels and his son, Jeff, continues with the tradition. Books by Michael Shaara 1 ) Michael Shaara was born to Italian immigrants who spelled their name Sciarra (pronounced the same). 2 ) Mr. Shaara was born in Jersey City, NJ and graduated from Rutgers, the state university. 3 ) He served in the 82nd Airborne Division during The Korean War. 4 ) Before he started selling stories, Mr. Shaara was an amateur boxer and a police officer. 5 ) in the 1950s Mr. Shaara sold science fiction stories to magazines of the genre. 6 ) Mr. Shaara taught literature in Florida State University. 7 ) Michael Shaara wrote 5 novels (The Broken Place (1968), The Killer Angels (1974), The Noah Conspiracy, (also known as The Herald – 1981), Soldier Boy (1982) and For Love of the Game which was published posthumously in 1991. 8 ) In 1972 Mr. shaara had a horrible car accident in which he was nearly killed and never fully recovered. 9 ) After…

Thoughts on: The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / June 21, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Stonecutter: A Novel by Camilla Läckberg on Blogcritics. About: The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg is the third novel in the Fjallbacka mystery series. The series features policeman Patrik Hedstrom who works in a small town in Sweden. 480 pages Publisher: Pegasus Language: English ISBN-10: 1605983306 My rating for The Stonecutter – 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Camilla Läckberg Thoughts: I chose to read The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg (website | Twitter) because I read one of her previous books, The Ice Princess (my thoughts), and enjoyed it. There is another book in the series called The Preacher which I have not yet read. This book has a different structure than the previous one I read, the story alternates between past and present, while the time shifts (at the beginning of every chapter and are not confusing one bit) have very little to do with the actual mystery, I felt that they do come together skillfully at the end. I did find the book exciting, Ms. Läckberg’s growth as an author is evident. The author juggles many issues during the story. Some have much to do with the…

Guest Post: Five Ways of Getting Kids to Read the Classics
Guest Posts , Latest Posts / June 20, 2012

Dr. Seuss told us years ago, “The more that you read, the more you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is great advice for children of all ages. There is no better way to travel worldwide and learn about life and people and everything else than by reading! With the distractions of video gaming, TV viewing and listening to music on an IPod, a parent or caregiver needs to be a bit savvy with electronic gadgets to entice youngsters to broaden a child’s horizons into reading the classics. Picture Coutesy of http://kidsoffthecouch.com/ 1. E-readers E-readers are relatively inexpensive, ranging from less than $100 to $300, and come with an instant tap into the world of classical books from the e-book vendors and local public libraries. Kindle offers a Premium Membership for an annual fee which allows the member to borrow and return e-books for free. 2. Public Library Offers Check with your local public library for the latest form of digital books. Digital books come in various forms from recordings on compact disc to a digital player resembling an IPod. These types of digital books are often theatrical quality with voice changes and…

Thoughts on: The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson
4 Stars , Fiction , Latest Posts / June 19, 2012

Article first published as Book Review: The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson on Blogcritics. About: The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson is a fictional mystery/thriller taking place in China. The book is the first of a new series. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 432 pages Publisher: Putnam Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0399158839 My rating for The Risk Agent – 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format More Books by Ridley Pearson Thoughts: The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson (website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest) is a whirlwind of a ride through the business world of China. While I don’t know enough about the business world in that part of the world, that part of the novel certainly seemed authentic to me and made for a fascinating read. It seems that in China many companies, especially those who are not based in China, have a habit of giving incentives to government officials in order to gain the upper hand in the bidding process, or simply just flat out to get a job. Much like elections “incentives” (campaign donations), the act is frowned on officially but…

Thoughts on: The Art of War from SmarterComics: How to be Successful in Any Competition by Sun Tzu, illustrated by Shane Chester
4 Stars , Graphic Novels , Latest Posts / June 18, 2012

Article first published as Graphic Novel Review: The Art of War from SmarterComics: How to be Successful in Any Competition by Sun Tzu, Illustrated by Shane Chester on Blogcritics. About: The Art of War from SmarterComics: How to be Successful in Any Competition by Sun Tzu, illustrated by Shane Chester is a graphic novel of the famous book. Many think that this famous book is only about war, but truth be told, its lessons could be applied to management and management styles. 80 pages Publisher: Writers Of The Round Table Press; 2nd Edition edition Language: English ISBN-10: 1610660102 My rating for The Art of War from SmarterComics –4 Buy this graphic novel today Thoughts: The Art of War from SmarterComics: How to be Successful in Any Competition by Sun Tzu, illustrated by Shane Chester depicts Sun Tzu’s masterpiece by highlighting the main teachings of the classic guide. The artist portrays Sun Tzu as he guides the reader through the pages and applies the principles of the Art of War to modern life and management issues. While some folks have issues with this book (see the comments section of my post), I feel that the teachings are timeless. The situations in…

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