Genre: Science Fiction
Setting New York, 2060 AD
First Sentence: Sweat is pouring down his face and pricking his eyes, as he rounds the corner at 7th Avenue and immediately collides with a middle-aged woman's shoulder.
I downloaded this book for free on my Kindle. I was intrigued by the concept of a science fiction - noir mix. What I read was the first 6 chapters of an unfinished novel.
Interestingly, the story is written in third person present point of view. This makes for some oddly worded sentences.
Because this story is so short, there is little character development. I did not understand the main characters' motivations.
For me, this book turned into a little sci-fi spacer between historical fiction novels.
2060: On the Run
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Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Dreamland by Kevin Baker
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: New York, 1910
First Sentence: I know a story.
In this novel, Kevin Baker transports the reader to the New York of 1910. Baker weaves several plot lines together to create a complex tapestry depicting life in that era.
Tammany Hall controls the city. Even the mayor is a puppet for corrupt politicians. Factory workers put in long hours in squalid sweatshops for low pay. Gangsters and criminals roam the city looking for easy prey. Homeless children sleep in alleyways. Prostitutes, con men and corrupt policemen are everywhere. As one character in the novel says, "Everyone has a racket in this town."
Baker contrasts the struggle of life in the city with the fantasy world of the Coney Island amusement parks. He describes how each summer the people of the city come to shrug off their cares and embrace the hedonistic pleasures of the parks.
To tell his story, Baker uses a large cast of interesting characters. Each character has a unique point of view.
Some of Bakers memorable characters are:
Essie who escapes the drudgery of work in a sweat shop by having an affair with a gangster hiding out in Dreamland.
Kid Twist who came to America by walking across Europe and stowing away in ship bound for New York.
Big Tim Sullivan who is a corrupt Tammany politician. He controls saloons, gangsters, and the Mayor of New York.
The Great Head Doctors from Vienna who are Sigmund Freud and his protege Carl Jung. They give a European perspective to the chaos of New York.
Trick the Dwarf is the narrator of the story. Trick sometimes enters regular society by passing as a young boy. He experiences the best and worst times of the Dreamland amusement park.
For me, this novel was a long slow struggle to finish. I kept reading because I wanted to find out how Baker resolved the plot lines. Spoiler Alert - He doesn't. He brings the story to an end, but there is no great climax. And perhaps that is the point. In real life not all of our plot lines are resolved. We may escape reality for a while, but life goes on.
This novel is a very well written historical novel. Although it was slow reading, I enjoyed it.
Dreamland
Check out my e-book!
Setting: New York, 1910
First Sentence: I know a story.
In this novel, Kevin Baker transports the reader to the New York of 1910. Baker weaves several plot lines together to create a complex tapestry depicting life in that era.
Tammany Hall controls the city. Even the mayor is a puppet for corrupt politicians. Factory workers put in long hours in squalid sweatshops for low pay. Gangsters and criminals roam the city looking for easy prey. Homeless children sleep in alleyways. Prostitutes, con men and corrupt policemen are everywhere. As one character in the novel says, "Everyone has a racket in this town."
Baker contrasts the struggle of life in the city with the fantasy world of the Coney Island amusement parks. He describes how each summer the people of the city come to shrug off their cares and embrace the hedonistic pleasures of the parks.
To tell his story, Baker uses a large cast of interesting characters. Each character has a unique point of view.
Some of Bakers memorable characters are:
Essie who escapes the drudgery of work in a sweat shop by having an affair with a gangster hiding out in Dreamland.
Kid Twist who came to America by walking across Europe and stowing away in ship bound for New York.
Big Tim Sullivan who is a corrupt Tammany politician. He controls saloons, gangsters, and the Mayor of New York.
The Great Head Doctors from Vienna who are Sigmund Freud and his protege Carl Jung. They give a European perspective to the chaos of New York.
Trick the Dwarf is the narrator of the story. Trick sometimes enters regular society by passing as a young boy. He experiences the best and worst times of the Dreamland amusement park.
For me, this novel was a long slow struggle to finish. I kept reading because I wanted to find out how Baker resolved the plot lines. Spoiler Alert - He doesn't. He brings the story to an end, but there is no great climax. And perhaps that is the point. In real life not all of our plot lines are resolved. We may escape reality for a while, but life goes on.
This novel is a very well written historical novel. Although it was slow reading, I enjoyed it.
Dreamland
Check out my e-book!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Sharpe's Prey by Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: England and Denmark, 1807
First Sentence: Captain Henry Willsen of His Majesty's Dirty Half Hundred, more formerly the 50th Regiment of West Kent, parried his opponent's saber.
This novel is Cornwell's fifth, chronologically, in his Sharpe series.
At the beginning of this novel, Lt. Richard Sharpe is in a deep depression. He has lost the love of his life. He has lost most of his possessions. And, he has abandoned his duties as quartermaster of the 95th Rifles.
Although he is a good soldier, Sharpe still seeks the respect due to him as an Army officer.
As luck would have it, he encounters Sir David Baird. Sir David is in need of a man like Sharpe. In Sir David's words Sharpe is a thug - a hard bitten ruthless soldier who knows how to kill.
So Sharpe is off to Denmark. His duty is to protect Captain John Lavisser and 43 thousand guineas of British gold. Captain Lavisser is on a secret mission to try to bribe the Prince of Denmark to hand over the Danish fleet to prevent the French from obtaining it.
What the British government officials do not know is that Captain Lavisser is a traitor. When he gets to Denmark, he intends to kill Sharpe and keep the gold for himself. What Lavisser doesn't know is that Sharpe is not an easy man to kill.
The plot follows Sharpe as he escapes death, rejoins the British forces, and seeks revenge against Lavisser. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with the daughter of a Danish secret agent.
The British attack of Copenhagen provides the backdrop to the exciting climax.
Will the British succeed in taking the Danish fleet?
And will Sharpe once again prove that he is the ultimate English soldier?
In my opinion, this novel is a satisfactory episode in the life of Richard Sharpe. Sharpe is a complicated hero. At times, he is a hard bitten, lethal soldier. At other times he can be a tender lover. For me, this makes him a believable character.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next novel in the series.
Sharpe's Prey
Check out my e-book!
Setting: England and Denmark, 1807
First Sentence: Captain Henry Willsen of His Majesty's Dirty Half Hundred, more formerly the 50th Regiment of West Kent, parried his opponent's saber.
This novel is Cornwell's fifth, chronologically, in his Sharpe series.
At the beginning of this novel, Lt. Richard Sharpe is in a deep depression. He has lost the love of his life. He has lost most of his possessions. And, he has abandoned his duties as quartermaster of the 95th Rifles.
Although he is a good soldier, Sharpe still seeks the respect due to him as an Army officer.
As luck would have it, he encounters Sir David Baird. Sir David is in need of a man like Sharpe. In Sir David's words Sharpe is a thug - a hard bitten ruthless soldier who knows how to kill.
So Sharpe is off to Denmark. His duty is to protect Captain John Lavisser and 43 thousand guineas of British gold. Captain Lavisser is on a secret mission to try to bribe the Prince of Denmark to hand over the Danish fleet to prevent the French from obtaining it.
What the British government officials do not know is that Captain Lavisser is a traitor. When he gets to Denmark, he intends to kill Sharpe and keep the gold for himself. What Lavisser doesn't know is that Sharpe is not an easy man to kill.
The plot follows Sharpe as he escapes death, rejoins the British forces, and seeks revenge against Lavisser. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with the daughter of a Danish secret agent.
The British attack of Copenhagen provides the backdrop to the exciting climax.
Will the British succeed in taking the Danish fleet?
And will Sharpe once again prove that he is the ultimate English soldier?
In my opinion, this novel is a satisfactory episode in the life of Richard Sharpe. Sharpe is a complicated hero. At times, he is a hard bitten, lethal soldier. At other times he can be a tender lover. For me, this makes him a believable character.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next novel in the series.
Sharpe's Prey
Check out my e-book!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tin Swift by Devon Monk
Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Setting: The American Western Frontier after the Civil War
First Sentence: Cedar Hunt stared down at his blood covered hands.
This novel is the second in Monk's The Age of Steam series. In this series Monk transports the Steampunk genre to the Old West. There are incredible machines. There are people with mystical abilities. A mysterious substance called Glim floats high above the Earth.
An evil power called the Strange in infiltrating the world. The Strange can turn the dead into unstoppable zombie-like killers. A device called the Holder can focus and control the Strange. The Holder is divided into seven parts. If all of the Holder's parts are assembled it would bestow upon its possessor terrible evil power.
Fortunately, there are those who are working to prevent the Holder from falling into the wrong hands. Cedar Hunt has been cursed with the power to sense the Holder. He strives to control a wolf-like power which threatens to control him. His brother Wil has been transformed into a wolf. When the moon is full, he returns to his human form. Captain Hink is a federal marshal who has been sent by the president to discover the whereabouts of the Holder. The Madder brothers, who can devise unique machines and weapons, search for the Holder, but they need Cedar Hunt's senses to find it.
Unfortunately, there are those who wish to control the Strange with the Holder. Mr. Shunt is one of these. Mr. Shunt is part human and part machine. Almost impossible to kill, he craves the Holder to maintain his evil existence.
Will Cedar Hunt, and his companions, find the Holder and prevent Mr. Shunt from controlling its power?
This novel was a slow read for me. The first half of the plot had many episodes which added characters but did not seem to advance the plot. When the crucial battles finally arrive, the pace picks up and the plot resolves in an entertaining manner.
It was an OK second book of a series, but not as good as the first. Hopefully, the next book will be better.
Tin Swift
Check out my new e-book!
Setting: The American Western Frontier after the Civil War
First Sentence: Cedar Hunt stared down at his blood covered hands.
This novel is the second in Monk's The Age of Steam series. In this series Monk transports the Steampunk genre to the Old West. There are incredible machines. There are people with mystical abilities. A mysterious substance called Glim floats high above the Earth.
An evil power called the Strange in infiltrating the world. The Strange can turn the dead into unstoppable zombie-like killers. A device called the Holder can focus and control the Strange. The Holder is divided into seven parts. If all of the Holder's parts are assembled it would bestow upon its possessor terrible evil power.
Fortunately, there are those who are working to prevent the Holder from falling into the wrong hands. Cedar Hunt has been cursed with the power to sense the Holder. He strives to control a wolf-like power which threatens to control him. His brother Wil has been transformed into a wolf. When the moon is full, he returns to his human form. Captain Hink is a federal marshal who has been sent by the president to discover the whereabouts of the Holder. The Madder brothers, who can devise unique machines and weapons, search for the Holder, but they need Cedar Hunt's senses to find it.
Unfortunately, there are those who wish to control the Strange with the Holder. Mr. Shunt is one of these. Mr. Shunt is part human and part machine. Almost impossible to kill, he craves the Holder to maintain his evil existence.
Will Cedar Hunt, and his companions, find the Holder and prevent Mr. Shunt from controlling its power?
This novel was a slow read for me. The first half of the plot had many episodes which added characters but did not seem to advance the plot. When the crucial battles finally arrive, the pace picks up and the plot resolves in an entertaining manner.
It was an OK second book of a series, but not as good as the first. Hopefully, the next book will be better.
Tin Swift
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Monday, January 14, 2013
Alexandria by Lindsey Davis
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Egypt, 77 AD
First Sentence: They say that you can see the lighthouse from thirty miles away.
This novel is the nineteenth in Davis's Marcus Didius Falco mystery series.
Alexandria, Egypt was a popular tourist destination in 77AD. It was famous for its lighthouse, and for its Great Library. Nearby, were the pyramids. The library was part of a great center for learning. Students and teachers came from all parts of the Roman Empire to learn and teach in Alexandria.
Marcus Didius Falco and his family are in Alexandria on a sightseeing trip. His pregnant wife, Helena, wants to see the pyramids while she still can travel. They will be staying at the home of Falco's uncle. On their arrival, Falco's uncle throws a great banquet. The guest of honor is the Chief Librarian of the Great Library.
The very next day the Librarian is found dead in his office. Falco feels that he should investigate because the Librarian has died ingesting toxic oleander leaves. And the night before, Falco's family had given him a garland made of oleander blossoms.
During his investigation, Falco discovers that everyone seems to think that he is working for the Emperor. To be sure, Falco has worked for the Emperor in the past. And he is not above letting people believe that he is working for the Emperor now - even if it's not true.
Falco soon finds out the the library is a morass of double-dealing, back-stabbing, murder, and theft. No one will give him a straight answer. But Falco knows that something illegal is going on. To make matters worse, Falco's father shows up. Soon he and Falco's uncle become entangled in the dirty dealings.
Some of the clues that Falco uncovers could point back to Falco's father, uncle, or Falco himself.
Will Falco be able to unravel the complex knot of clues and find out what is really going on in the library?
The ancient city of Alexandria serves as an exotic background for this mystery novel. As Falco works gathering clues, we get a tour of the city and its grand edifices. Davis describes the beauty of the library, the temples, and the city itself.
The plot of the mystery is somewhat confusing with a long list of characters with exotic Roman, Greek, and Egyptian names.
Never the less, I always enjoy a visit with Falco and his unique family. And, Falco's wife Helena gets my vote for the most trusting, understanding, and supportive wife ever!
Alexandria
Check out my e-book!
Setting: Egypt, 77 AD
First Sentence: They say that you can see the lighthouse from thirty miles away.
This novel is the nineteenth in Davis's Marcus Didius Falco mystery series.
Alexandria, Egypt was a popular tourist destination in 77AD. It was famous for its lighthouse, and for its Great Library. Nearby, were the pyramids. The library was part of a great center for learning. Students and teachers came from all parts of the Roman Empire to learn and teach in Alexandria.
Marcus Didius Falco and his family are in Alexandria on a sightseeing trip. His pregnant wife, Helena, wants to see the pyramids while she still can travel. They will be staying at the home of Falco's uncle. On their arrival, Falco's uncle throws a great banquet. The guest of honor is the Chief Librarian of the Great Library.
The very next day the Librarian is found dead in his office. Falco feels that he should investigate because the Librarian has died ingesting toxic oleander leaves. And the night before, Falco's family had given him a garland made of oleander blossoms.
During his investigation, Falco discovers that everyone seems to think that he is working for the Emperor. To be sure, Falco has worked for the Emperor in the past. And he is not above letting people believe that he is working for the Emperor now - even if it's not true.
Falco soon finds out the the library is a morass of double-dealing, back-stabbing, murder, and theft. No one will give him a straight answer. But Falco knows that something illegal is going on. To make matters worse, Falco's father shows up. Soon he and Falco's uncle become entangled in the dirty dealings.
Some of the clues that Falco uncovers could point back to Falco's father, uncle, or Falco himself.
Will Falco be able to unravel the complex knot of clues and find out what is really going on in the library?
The ancient city of Alexandria serves as an exotic background for this mystery novel. As Falco works gathering clues, we get a tour of the city and its grand edifices. Davis describes the beauty of the library, the temples, and the city itself.
The plot of the mystery is somewhat confusing with a long list of characters with exotic Roman, Greek, and Egyptian names.
Never the less, I always enjoy a visit with Falco and his unique family. And, Falco's wife Helena gets my vote for the most trusting, understanding, and supportive wife ever!
Alexandria
Check out my e-book!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Mike Reads The 2012 Reviews by Me!
I just published a collection of my book reviews from last year on Kindle.
You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/a86hyer
Check it out! Only $ 0.99. Cheap!
You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/a86hyer
Check it out! Only $ 0.99. Cheap!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Sometimes You See It Coming by Kevin Baker
Genre: Sports Fiction
Setting: 20th century America
First Sentence: The only one who was there at the beginning, the only one who is always there in the middle of everything, was the Old Swizzlehead, aka Rapid Ricky Falls, who was the closest thing John Barr ever had to a friend.
A few weeks ago, I was prowling through my local used book store when I spotted Kevin Baker's books. All of them intrigued me, so I picked Sometimes You See It Coming because it is his first novel. And boy, was that a great choice. Normally, I don't read sports stories, but this novel was a page turner from the get go.
John Barr is one of the best players to ever play the game. He can hit for power and average. He is a gold glove in the field. He can throw runners out at home plate from the outfield.
Off the field, he is an enigma. He came out of nowhere. He has no friends. He doesn't drink. He doesn't date. and he lives alone. But no one cares, because with him on the team, they are pennant contenders every year.
Then came the horrible year. A new manager has messed up everyone on the team. Except John Barr. With his steady play, the team has fought its way back to the series.
Then a note found in John's deceased mother's papers throws John into a horrible slump.
It's up to a teammate and a reporter to find a way to get John out of his slump, and rescue the series.
I enjoyed how Baker organized this novel like a sports memoir. He skips from person to person as they relate stories from John Barr's life and career. The mystery of Barr's life is slowly revealed. For me, the last few chapters flew by as I read to discover the solution to the mystery, and the results of the the series.
This novel would make a great movie, and it was an entertaining read.
Sometimes You See It Coming
Setting: 20th century America
First Sentence: The only one who was there at the beginning, the only one who is always there in the middle of everything, was the Old Swizzlehead, aka Rapid Ricky Falls, who was the closest thing John Barr ever had to a friend.
A few weeks ago, I was prowling through my local used book store when I spotted Kevin Baker's books. All of them intrigued me, so I picked Sometimes You See It Coming because it is his first novel. And boy, was that a great choice. Normally, I don't read sports stories, but this novel was a page turner from the get go.
John Barr is one of the best players to ever play the game. He can hit for power and average. He is a gold glove in the field. He can throw runners out at home plate from the outfield.
Off the field, he is an enigma. He came out of nowhere. He has no friends. He doesn't drink. He doesn't date. and he lives alone. But no one cares, because with him on the team, they are pennant contenders every year.
Then came the horrible year. A new manager has messed up everyone on the team. Except John Barr. With his steady play, the team has fought its way back to the series.
Then a note found in John's deceased mother's papers throws John into a horrible slump.
It's up to a teammate and a reporter to find a way to get John out of his slump, and rescue the series.
I enjoyed how Baker organized this novel like a sports memoir. He skips from person to person as they relate stories from John Barr's life and career. The mystery of Barr's life is slowly revealed. For me, the last few chapters flew by as I read to discover the solution to the mystery, and the results of the the series.
This novel would make a great movie, and it was an entertaining read.
Sometimes You See It Coming
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