Story Time!!

God Save the Fan by Will Leitch

2008-02-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

I broke my pattern of alternating one fiction then one nonfiction to read this book. I was really looking forward to reading it for some reason. I read deadspin regularly but that wasn't the only reason. I had been hearing about it seems like for 2 months and it looked really enjoyable. I have to say I did not expect it to be so well written and funny. Yeah I read deadspin like I said but I don't get as invested in a blog like I do with a book. Maybe I'm old fashioned but a book is a physical thing I hold and take with me everywhere every book I read it feels like it is the author talking to me. You don't get that in a blog. You are constantly aware of the collective audience in a blog. I thought this collections of essays was very smart and really makes you look at sports differently. the best bits are when Will takes an issue you think he will have a certain viewpoint on, such as steroids then turns it on its ear. He also says out loud what I've been secretly thinking once a sports issue is on Nacy Grace or Fox news it becomes less interesting to real sports fans.

Manhunt by James Swanson

2008-02-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is a story we all think we know but don't. the story of Linciln's assasination and the hunt for his killer is fascinating it really comes alive. there were so many aspects I didn't realize such as the fact John Booth was a famous actor who could have made an apointment with Lincoln. i didn't realize there really was a conspiracy among five people and they attacked the Secretary of State also. Real history has never come alive like this for me it did take a while to read but it was worth it .

The Road By Cormac McCarthy

2008-01-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

i tried to start this earlier last year but I don't know why i didn't get into it. that sounds real superficial and ridicoulous considering the book but hey I can read what I want. Saw No Country For old Men and I loved it so i went back to this book and i could not put it down. It is not Mad Max even though it is post apocolyptic. It is not a thriller. Reading this book I suddenly was moved emotionally. I fell into the rhythm and poetry of this story. I really empathised with the father and pondered my own relationship with my son. how does he see me? Does he look up to me? would he literally follow me to the end of the earth? The prose is simple but beautiful simple phrases paint whole pictures in my head I loved this book and can't wait to read it again.

Positively Fifth Street By James McManus

2008-01-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

I alternate my reading fiction first then non fiction and vow to read a lot more in '08. I definitely need to record what I read more. Fifth Street refers to the fifth community card laid down in Texas Hold em poker otherwise known as the "river". McManus was sent to report on the World Series Of Poker and a scandelous murder trial happening at the same time. the book starts out like gangbusters it has a crazy murder scene that is insane and rockin. but i didn't realize what the book was exactly it alternates between James entering of the tournement and how far he gets with this murder story. I was thrown off at first the tone changes wildly paragraph to paragraph its memoir, no its a history of poker no its a how to book. It never lost me. The poker sequences were my favorite and i wish it stayed with that but that was not what this book is. I did really enjoy the shout outs to other books in this vein ( Into thin Air, Among The Thugs, and of course Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas) Hunter Thompson's ghost is all over this book try as it might though it never reaches that book.

The Abstimence Teacher By Tom Perrotta

2007-12-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

The latest from the author of Little Children and Election. I enjoyed the characterizations and shifting points of view. I wasn't thrilled with the parts of the book at the end that reduced it to just a debate about religion. Perrotta does an excellent job of subverting your ideas and reversing the typical roles you would expect

Perfect From Now On By John Sellers

2007-03-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for books like this . Perfect From Now On reminds me of Chuck Klosterman's work. Meaning a lot of popculture references and an obsessed fan. that shouldn't be a surprise seeing as how Klosterman blurbed this book. My last nonfiction book was was the Rob Sheffield book which this book really reminds me of. The book is really the transformation of an awkward teenage boy with an unhealthy Duran Duran fixation into a hipster with musical taste better than yours or mine. If that sounds bitter I don't mean it to Sellers has a real talent for making me angry with his cooler than you musical tstes yet somehow he really makes me or anyone my age see ourself. I would love to hang out with him and have beers if only to explain why he is wrong in some cases. I just have to say he really does put himself out there and he know what kind of criticism he is going to take. One last thing, there is a little gimmick of making the book HEAVILY footnoted and while it could be annoying I didn't mind it one bit.

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

2007-01-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

I'm embarresed to say I've never read this classic from 1969. I have to say I was a little lost at first. This is a difficult book to get through I really enjoyed the style and phrasings but the plot and metaphors were a little hard for me. Then I slowed down and realized that plot is not the be all end all of some great books and sometimes a book has a reason for being so stylistic. The bombing of Dresden in which over 20,000 people died is unerplayed these days. It certainly was not something I knew about. Vonnegut was a witness as soldier to it and remebering that is ultimately what the book is about. He is a character in the book adnstarts the first chapter talking about his attempts to write about the bombings he tells you how the story will start and what the last line of the book will be. Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time and starts going backwards and forwards in his life after he is kidnapped by aliens. It's a ridiculous story and I thought that was the story but then I began to realize that the real story is twofold the aliens and time travel are figments of Pilgrim's imagination they are his ways of coping with what happened during the war. whats more since you never forget that the real Kurt is a character in the story and really witnessed the bombing the structure and quck scenes nature of this book is the author's way of trying to comunicate the horror of this but finds you cannot truly do that. this was the first book in a long time that I can't wait to read again I loved this book and feel it will reveal more and more each time I revisit it.

Love Is A Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

2007-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

This book is one of the reasons I started my Blog. I would most likely forget it within a couple of weeks. I would try to remember what was that book I read and really dug. This book's concept is very simple but not gimmicky every chapter is a mix tape from Sheffield's life and in the meantime tells you the story of his marriage and wife's death at an early age. I saw this book and chose it because I like Sheffield's writing in Rolling Stone. it reminds me of Chuck Klosterman and Nick hornby in a way because of the pop culture references and musical touchstones. This book while slim definitely stands on its own. The love story at the center of it is extremely moving because of its personal nature. I was reminded of Didion's book My Year of Maggical Thinking only because of the theme. The difference between the two books is Didion's book was more imediate and cathartic it really felt like it was therapy and something she had to write. I don't know Sheffield but after reading this book I kind of felt like I did. I don't know if Rob was in any kind of place emotionally to write about his wife's death right afterwards. I know I wouldn't be if my wife passed. She is my best friend and knows me better than anyone else this book more than any others really helped me rember and apreciate that. That is why I rite this blog to remind myself of that relationship a book and I have even if it is for such a short time.

What is The what By Dave Eggers

2006-12-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

According to a Dinka folk tale God gave man the cattle and everything it can be used for. The cattle is a perfect thing it is food, milk and comfort. god said I give you this or you can have the what. Man chose wisely and chose the cattle and God was pleased because he was testing man and man passed. the question becomes: What is the what? Valentino is a Sudanese refugee who tells us his story from his seperation from his parents to his arrival in America I hurried up to finish the book by this date so I could claim it is truly the best book of 2006. Dave Eggers met the real Valentino and told his story. the book is true yet it is subtitled a novel this takes away any sting in case some of the exact facts don't exactly pan out. Because honestly the story is emtionally honest. The matter of fact way our narrator speaks proves that. He is not trying to make himself look betteer or cool he loves us and just wants the world to hear about his story. I was truly moved and it is not just sentimental with easy good guys and bad guys two of the most unexpectedly tragic parts you never see coming. The book's structure is brilliant right off the bat you know Valentino comes to America and does not find it to be the paradise he expects it when he is robbed. He proceeds to tell his story to everybody he comes in contact with but not in a Forrest gump manner no he says it his head. He will be telling you this narrative and then say the person's name like Mr. Bradley just when you forgot that this is not just a "flashback". He tells this to everyone because he needs to. i really took Eggers talents for granted i know he is really famous and adored by everyone but Godamn this man can write htis book blew me away i think everyone needs to read it. i know the cover threw me off. if you hven't seen it thereis no dust jacket for it it looks like an old social studies book i thought it was Eggers being just clever and it is lets be honest but don't let that deter you this book will bring you to tears and make you look at the world n a different way

Hannibal Rising By Thomas Harris

2006-12-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Certain characters and stories you want to hear more from regardless of how the quality is diminishing the number of times the main creative force behind the story keeps drawing from the well. I'm thinking of Star Wars The Matrix world. I LOVE those stories I'm sorry kind of geeky i know but they are fun and blew me away I know the sequels/prequels are inferior on a gut level I know this and accept it yet it is fun to go back to those worlds and kind of play. Hannibal Lectar is a great character and yes some of the greatness of Hannibal is the mystery and his ability to be really a minor character yet really make you think of him while he is not the center of attraction. Hannibal was not as effective for me because he was the main attraction it dilute his power. That being said i know this yet if Harris wants to keep using him I will not complain these books are fun and for me that is what matters. The concept of this is flawed in my opinion you are not supposed to know Hannibal's secrets and reason for being he just is like a force of nature and really the one thing that did not work for me was the explanation for eating human flesh. I just wanted assumed Hannibal had a more advanced taste palette than we did humans taste good and we just can't get past the whole cannibal aspect like Hannibal can. I know I am not talking about the plot or anything here so what everyone knows Hannibal Rising traces the story of a young killer getting to know his way in the world. The actual plot doesn't matter it is just another way like I said to go to that world and I'm sorry I dig that world

Lisey's Story

2006-12-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

I did read another book called The Perfect Thing about the creation of and the impact of iPods I really dug it and realized I LOVE my iPod it kind of is my favorite thing but it was hard to really muster up all the enthusiasm for basically what is a love note. So the next book was Lisey's Story the thing about reading is that it is its own weird thing for some reason I could not get into this book and it took me a while to really read it at first. Then when I realized my reading muscle was getting flabby I made a vow to read one hour a day no TV just me and the author.I finished the book about 4 days later. Now enough background King is one of my favorite authors he is great at putting ordinary people into extraordinary situations and because he gets the details right you can empathisize with them. He also has a character that has his voice and dpeaks his secret language. I like that about him unfortunately I could not get past the babytalk this character he has constantly use it really distracted me. Also maybe it is me but I don't like when his metaphors become a real thing I justust did not like it I do reccomend you read this because the ending is beyond moving it will make you weep and it is earned

Chuck Klosterman IV by Chuck Klosterman(of Course)

2006-09-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to read this as my next book. i dig Klosterman and have read most of what he has wriiten whether it was in Spin or Esquire and thought that this was just a collection of those pieces. it is but its more every piece has an introduction letting you know where Chuck's head was that when he wrote it behind the scenes stuff and updates. Kind of the DVD version of the interviews plus I loved the format of the book. it was cool and really fun. Now about Klostermani really feel like i discovered him I found Fargo rock City while i was setting up a borders in Minnesota and there was a dude ther that really LOVED GNR so i showed him the book thinking he should read it. Chuck's next book Sex, drugs and Cocopuffs got more publicity it was the Jodhua Tree for chuck his breakthrough he was getting name checked on the OcC and Entertainment weekly but i couldn't feel like he "sold out " i loved his voice so here is his boxed Set so to speak and yeah i like it like i like A greates Hits by my favorite band with some B sides I haven't heard.

Red Weather By Pauls Toutonghi

2006-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Another coming of age story this time it is more about a secod generation American with Parents from Latvia. Yuri is a freshman in millwaukee who really has no apreciation for what his parents went through to give him a piece of the american dream. this guy really bugged me and frustrated at times ut in the way a guy you like screws up and won't stop no matter what you tell him. the message of the story is simple but it had a kind of charm. i dug the fact that it had a real sense of time and place.lets face it Milwaukee in the late 80's is not the most glamorous setting. i could feel the cold reading this book. The book's strength's are definitely in the characters the writing style reminded me of Augustun Burroughes and Jonathen Letham. there was one weird thing there is a kind of love triangle that a lot is made of and kind of came out of nowhere and never really went anywhere if you read this book and know what I am talking about please tell me what is the point of that? I do reccomend this It is the kind of book that this blog is about a little book that needs all the love and attention we can give.

Brave New World By Adlous Huxley

2006-08-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

Let me start off by saying I read this about a week ago I held off on writing this post because I wanted to do more research on the time of Huxley in order to fully get an apreciation of the book. Huxley actually taught Orwell at Eaton and every essay I've read about Brave New World feels the need to compare the two works. I read 1984 a long time ago I was much younger than and I really was taken aback by it I read the whole book in one sitting. As a story it flows and is easier to relate to than Huxley's book. Huxley's book is ultimately more true in so foar as what has come to pass. Brave New World describes a society being lulled by its government with pleasure, drugs and sex. that is kind of what really surprised me the most this book was writen in 1931 yet there are very distinct sexual references and yet a prudish atitude. The more challenging and rewarding thinking that came for me out of Brave New World was the way Governments take over not with a show of force (although curiously there are secret police at the very end) not at all they take over by distracting you and feeding every indulgance until you are almost a child and do not even know you are being oppressed and this is done in the name of your safety. Sound familiar not to get on a soapbox but we are in a bad of a situation in America as we have ever been in my lifetime where are the protests against an extremely unpopular war and our freedoms being coopted on a daily basis by Coraparate America . ill tell you where watching American Idol or reading In Style. 1984 is a fun read and an easy story with real bad guys and good guys but Brave New World is ultimately more rewarding desptite some of the silly propaganda ("Our Ford") that has not aged as well.

Brave New World By Adlous Huxley

2006-08-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Ruins By Scott Smith

2006-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

The screaming filled Eric with a sense of panic. Pablo was down in the hole, in the darkness , in terrible pain , and Eric couldn't think what to do ,where to turn , how to make it better. Stephen King has called The Ruins the book of the summer. this is exactly the perfect example of what kind of book this blog is al about. Pure Plot and forward motion.Even when trying to explain the plot withput it sounding silly.Basically the story is four young Americans,one Greek, and one German while on vacation in Cancun take a daytrip to some Mayan ruins to retrieve the German's younger brother. When they arrive they are forced to stay on top of some ruins at gunpoint by the natives where dehydration, hunger, and a killer vine yes killer vine takes its toll on this small group. Scott Smith previously wrote "A Simple Plan" and his name suits him simple and to the point. The fact that Smith wrote his first book in 1993 the screen adaptation in 1998 and now in 2006 comes out with his second novel is as fascinating. He truly has great talent for telling a story about people who continue to make one mistake after another see this perfect storm of misteps building and cannot stop themselves still . One of the interesting facets of this book is point of view continues to alternate between the four Americans. I think this a great book to read in the middle of the summer at the beach smart story telling that doesn't make your head hurt.

King Dork By Frank Portman

2006-07-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

High School and growing up is painful yada yada yada. That is a theme going back as far as i know and has not been articulated better some may say then by JD Salinger in Catcher in the Rye. So how does one tell you this and still manage to be fresh. Portman's ingenious idea was to confront the Catcher problem head on and make you examine the books, songs and other things we are told are great but not why they are. The hero Thomas Henderson AKA Chi Mo is obviously a Holden Caufield type and has such disregard for the Catcher culties he says outright the book sucks. This is a young adult book by the way. Remeber the Portman Catcher sucks just blind allegiance sucks. I guess I should tell you the plot. Chi Mo is low low man on hillmount social pecking order he is just one step above a boy who needs a helmet for when he bumps into things. One day he discovers his dead faher's books and reads them in order to get to know him better he discovers his father may have been murdered and wants tofind out the truth. in the mean time he starts about 15 bands meets a girl or two and never loses that great inner voice of his. i loved how in this book i really got the idea that he was mumbles boy on the outside yet he had these great witticisms he could only articulate as an inner monologue. I know the genre of book may put some off don't be misled this is a fun book.

Among the Thugs by Bill Buford

2006-07-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

This bored, empty, decadent generation consists of nothing more than what it appears to be. It is a lad culture without mystery , so deadened that it uses violence to wake itself up . It pricks itself so that it has feeling, burns its flesh so that it has smell. These words were published in 1990 and are more true than ever now. Woodstock 1999 comes to mind. Among the Thugs is an extraordinary book about soccer hooliganism in England. I haven't had an experience reading a book like this in a long while. It honestly should be one of those books young men carry around like On the Road, Fear and Loathing , and of course Fight Club. I picked up this book because the cover picture of this dead eyed punk skinhead smoking intrigued me. Plus the world cup was going on so i had Soccer on my mind. I know the old joke is that soccer fans riot because the game is so boring that is not the case as the passage above illustrates soccer hooliganism is symptomatic of a greater problem in turning our boys into men. Unlike Fight Club this book does not glorify violence in any manner it understands its allure but and is almost caught up in it. We are human after all but the genuius of the book is in stepping back from the crowd it looks at the punks individually and realizes they are just a bunch of "little shits". Coincidentally I happened to watch Green Street Hooligans while reading this book. Now you might notknow this movie but it came out last year starring Elijah wood as an American getting caught up with a group of boys involved in this. If I hadn't read this book i would have liked this movie but knowing the real story the movie offended me.it made you think these are just abunch of misunderstood boys who fihgt fans of other soccer clubs. It neglects to tell you about the rapes and unbelivable acts of racism committed on an almost daily basis. Every time a black player touches the ball you will hear grunts imitating a gorrilla welling up through the stands. So read this book really.

The Big Happy by Scott Mebus

2006-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

I know I said Brave New world was going to be my next book but I went on vacation and wanted to read something real light that I could finish while i was there. this is that kind of book it really is the guy version of chick lit or how its known "dick lit". the story is real simple David was a sucessful emmy award wininng producer who after getting his heart broken decides to chuck it all become a writer and find the"big Happy" . as you might have guessed this is impossible to find because really life obviously is not all ups there is also some downs. I did enjoy this book but i had a lot of trouble loving it. You see I really like Nick Hornby he is probably my favorite author for me his books are copmfort food in a way.He does not write "great literature" but he can tell a story and really get you into his character's heads. the one thing he really does better than Mebus does here is make pop references. That may be partly because Hornby is English and there is that slightly exotic almost more cosmopolitin references to things like afternoon quiz shows. Mebus's attempts really came off clumsy and awkward at times I really wish he spent more time with the relationship portions and conversations then what song he was playing as a wedding DJ. I hate sounding like i didn't enjoy the experience of reading this because i did I wouldn't have finished this book if I didn't like reading it it is just that it could hvae been so much better. On a side note I just found out that this book is a sequel in a way to another book called Booty Nomad so i guess I have to read that at some point.

Everyman By Phillip Roth

2006-06-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Everyman has been critisized for purporting to be an everyman story yet the details are so intimate that it can not be an everyman story. I don't agree I think having it be so specific makes it universal otherwise it would ring false. Everyman is a straight basic story of a man's life as seen from the moment he is buried. We never learn his name yet we learn his brother's, wive's, parents and children's names. One of the most enjoyable parts was actually trying to figure out things like how old he is. Like my Yeaar of Magical Thinking this was my introduction to a great writer through their later works. It would almost be like the latest rolling Stones album being your first time you heard them. I breezed throuhg this book and enjoyed it but really wish I read Roth in his prime. So to rectify that i think the next book I read will be Brave New World .

Possible Side effects By Auguten Burroughs

2006-06-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

I like everyone else loved Running With Scisors and after the epic thaat was Guests of the Ayatollah I needed something light and that I could read real fast. Possible Side Effects fit that bill perfectly. I liked this book because it reminds me why books are sometimes better than any other art form its imediacy. This book is kind of a big book among people I know yet its not like seeing the season finale of Lost or going to see th Da Vinci Code. Everybody has an intimite relationship with this book good or bad. there is nothing better than to really feel like you are getting to know the author in a way no one else will. I don't know how one could really apreciate this book without having read either Running with Scissors or Dry. if you have and like them then you have to read this book. I was laughing at the prospect of some of these stories like Augusten and his boyfriend going to a bed and breakfast run by a doll collector that freaks him out. Or buying first editions of john Updike books because " He is going to die tonight and they will be worth a lot". The most striking thing about these stories are the tone. Burroughs is a very funny man yet he loves humanity. I truly felt like i got to know the gist of him and relly liked my time with him. i can't wait to read what he has to say next.

Guests Of The Ayatollah By Mark Bowden

2006-05-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

In 1979 the US Embassy in Iran was over run by students and the americans were taken hostage. This ordeal lasted 444 days and changed the wasy America and Midlle East relationships changed forever. As a story it is facinating and tragic. in a way we did this to ourselves you see Iran had democracy before but America needed that oil s the CIA helped get the Shah installed as a puppet with policies that was to our liking. He turned out to be a dictator with death squads but the US paid no atention because we were stilll getting that oil. There waas a revolution and for a short while it could have been aprgressive nation in good standing throughout the world. The Shah was sick with cancer and admitted to the United States. This action infuriated the Iranians and the takeover of the embassy was mostly symbolic. this tale of that year and a half is full of facinating details like when the women and African Americans were released to build sympathy among "the oppressed of America". On A human level this was interesting but more importantly we are still feeling the effects of this event in ways you wouldn't expectfor instance the current President of considered to be one hostage takers. The show Nightline started just as a nightly update on the Hostage crisis.President Carter lost the electionin part beacuse of the crisis. Delta Corce was created just to rescue the hostages. i did not know much about this period in history but i really learned a lot.

What I've been reading

2006-05-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated this blog in a while but thats because my pc has been down just want to let you know what I've been reading first up was "Fiasco: A history of Hollywood's Iconic Flops" by James Robert Parish. Its an overview of different the most notorious disasters in Hollywood history we are talking Elizabeth taylor's Cleopatra, Waterworld , and of course Ishtar. The Bonfire of the Vanities is missing because its been covered in other books. The best thing about the book is that it in chronological order so Cleopatra losing $40 million is nothing compared to Town & Country's $200 million. It is also intriguing how the same elements that contribute to one movie like The Godfather could be its selling point and really help its success could be in another movie like The Cotton Club be the very thing that makes it all go up in flames. One thing I've learned is a big ego is really dangerous I mean in the Last Action Hero you have Schwarznegger's hand in everything down to the pose his character is in the poster. The coomon denominator in all these movies is the failure for the persons involved to just comunicate on a basic level. The next book I read was Staring at Sounds by Jim DeRogatis. I reaaly love the Flaming Lips right now. Their music is just the right combination of orchastral pop jazz and silliness that I like. The fact that this was a one hit wonder in 93 that managed to come back and be one of Rocks shining lights right now without many hit singles juast great albums is a great story in itself add the fact they did this for Oklahoma not New York Or LA and have had real human problems just makes you want to root for them some more. I know this book is fluff but no apologies I don't tell the reading god what book is going to take my fancy.

Downtown By Pete Hamill

2006-04-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

New York is a place filled with nostalgia. That is the conclusion I came to after reading Downtown by Pete Hamill. Of course that is a very simplistic way of putting that. The premise of the book is extremely simple a walk through downtown Manhattan with a good friend who really loves it. What makes this book so interesting is this book is there is still a story there with a definite beginning climax and end you just have to look for it. I approached this book at first for a very superficial reasons I love New York and wanted to relive some great memories. I came away from this book with so much more an apreciation for a place with real roots and heart. I weill never be a native New Yorker but i have my own "Downtown". Where we all come from has its own stories to tell maybe not as well known or as glamorous as others but no less important. that is what I came away with. The clever thing about this story is haow you go for this walk from Battery Park through Greenwich past the Lower east side up 5th Ave and Broadway ultimitely ending up in Times Square and that is how the Island kid of grew. Few places on earth are so integrate, diverse and constantly eveolving as New York. Yet New Yorkers are very proud of their past and won't forget it other wise you have no real foundation. I was fascinated by the stories of Newspapermen, Politicians, and gangsters in this book. But the genius of this book is really it really does tell a story that is very personal. Around 1990 it really did appear as if New York would in the words of Nixon "drop dead" but it turned around and became that city of Oz it is to all of us.

Good Omens By Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

2006-03-20T22:01:00.001-08:00

Good Omens is a cult novel by two giants of the Sci Fi Fantasy genre. It came out in 1990 yet has been out of print for a long time. I don't really know why Good Omens has been reissued and promoted so much but it piqued my interest when I saw the strolling. I was originally reading another book but I got bored with it and realized hey why shelf reading be a chore. I just wasn't into it and that is the point of all this. I know there are people out there who are HUUUGE Gaiman and Pratchett fans. I read some of the Sandman and have never read any of protectors work but I will try to rectify that now. The plot of Good Omens is basically an angel and a demon realize the antichrist has been born and that means the end of times is near. The problem is they both have gotten very comfortable on Earth as Crowley(the demon)explains to Aziraphale(the angel) " you won't find one decent Sushi restaauraubt in heaven". So the two celestial beings decide to team up and stop the impending Armageddon. In the meantime you have a whole slew of rich characters, including an old witchfinder sergeant, an 11 year old antichrist who would really rather hang out with his mates, his dog a legendary hell hound that is really a little mutt good at scaring cats and the four horsemen or bikers. This is a funny book the plot is silly and moving without turning you off and taking me out the story. It really is interesting to think about who wrote what and where certain themes came through. The danger in a book like this ( for me at least ) is satire is very hard. By definitions it is not a real story so you could really get taken out of thuds story but I wasn't I had a great time and highly recommend this to fans of Douglas Adams or Monty python I know this is obvious because they are British but you can't deny it.

Stuart By Alexander Masters

2006-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

What makes a life worthy of a book? Does the subject have to accomplished great historically interesting things? Should he or she be someone that is worthy of looking up to? If this is the criteria than the life of Stuart Shorter has no reason to have a book devoted to him. Stuart Shorter was a homeless alcoholic drug addict in and out of jail since he was 11. When Alexander first met him it was when they were protesting the imprisonment in Cambridge England of two homeless advocates for trumped up drug charges. What set Stuart apart from the other chaotic bums or rough sleepers is the fact that he got off the streets and Stuart was literate and able to communicate his situation. If you notice the I refer to him as if it were in the past its because Stuart was killed and hit by a train on his way home. This is no surprise Masters lets us know right at the of this happens and in the beginning Stuart himself tells us he wants to die. The format of the book is interesting because in the begins Stuart has read a version of the book and says it should be more like a mystery "like Tom clangs writes" only what is murdered is someone's childhood. So we learn more about Stuart by going backwards bit by bit 25-33, 24-25 and so on. Its a gimmick to be sure but its effective this is a real person don't forget. I am not proud of how when I encounter a homeless person I try to avoid thinking about them as people and more about them as nuisances. I will try to be better about that. This book doesn't glamorous nor sentimentality the subject. Just when you think Stuart is about to turn the corner he frustrates you. I couldn't help thinking during my reading how Stuart was 33 I am 33 how I could see myself in him given a turn of events. I really felt like I made a friend while reading this and I regret he is nolonger here. This book will be published in America in May so I recommend you get it when you can.

Cell By Stephen King

2006-02-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

The latest book by Stephen King is cell. Now cell may refers to cell phones but it could just as well refer to terrorist sleeper cells or cells in our body. It is dedicated to Richard Matheson and George Romero. So you know off the bat where this story's head is at. This is just a fun light weight reading. That is no slight at all against this book. My blog is named Story Time for a reason this a great story. The re is not more than three pages before you are dumped into the action and the entire arc lasts only twenty one days although it seems much longer because of the epic events. The story in a nutshell is some kind of pulse goes out over all the cell phones in the world that causes its users to go crazy and violent. King is the Stephen Spielberg of the book world there is no one better at showing us ordinary Americans in extraordinary circumstances it is truly a gift because if you can not relate to these characters then the you can not enjoy the ride. I still keep looking at everyone who is on their phone with suspicion wondering alright I better stay from her or she'll bite my jugular when the pulse goes off but it is real fun. This book coming so close to War of the Worlds is weird because here comes the spoiler alert the end has been called a disappointment because there is no explanation as to why this has all happened. Once you realize that the ending is going to be left up in the air you either have to get over it or kind of finish it in your mind. I know King probably has received flak over this but what the hell he has more money than god and can do whatever he wants anyway I dug it honestly I don't' want everything spelled out for me. I only had problem with War of the worlds because the son being alive and waiting at the end seemed like such a cop out. I consider these book like All That YouLeft Behind by U2 bear with me after a couple of experimental phases and 10 years away from their signature sound u2 came back with one of their most popular albums in a long time . I predict that this will do the same with King sure the Dark Tower will always have its fans but lets face it King is is KING because he scares the shit out of us. This book does that Thanks Stephen.