Recent Reads: Heist Bandidos Takedown

This was off to a rip-roaring start.  I loved the first half of the book!  But then... meh...  The second half felt unrelated to the first half, and I found it rather predictable at times, and a little bit forced (plot-wise) at other times.  I generally enjoy Da Silva's books, so my lukewarm feeling about this one won't deter me from reading more by him.

WOW!!!  This was terrific!  A weirdly, wildly wonderful tale of some of the most inept would-be tough guys ever!  Edwards has a terrific voice, and he gives enough detail to make you see and feel the places and people, but not so much that it feels bogged down.  A thoroughly enjoyable book - highly recommended!!

Totally MEH.  I was a die-hard fan of Evanovich/Plum from day one, but now... The books just feel forced and silly now.  Once upon a time, Stephanie's shenanigans were a delightful romp, but the magic is gone.  I'll probably read the next installment - because, hey, there's still Morelli and Ranger - and I hope the next one harkens back to earlier books.  

Recent Reads: Great Angel Jury

It was okay, I guess.  Ferguson made some great points and I agreed with some of what he had to say.  I particularly liked his discussion of community involvement.  But... there were a number of points I disagreed with.  Overall, I guess it made me think, so that's good, but overall, I was a bit disappointed.

Hmmm... now, let's see... I read this in 2015 - about six decades after it was first published.  Had I read it way back when, I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it more.  The depictions of women, the interactions between Hammer and women, the dialogue, etc. all really grated on me.  I liked the plot and the pace, and Hammer is the ultimate Hard-boiled PI, but still, it was hard to take at times... And I figured out whodunit before I got to the end.  

This was a good read - and different from my usual tastes in crime/mystery fiction.  The plot was terrific, with lots of twists and turns.  The settings and description - the research that must have gone into this!!! - were great, very detailed.  I could see the places, and I could feel the tensions the characters experienced.    Recommended.  

Recent Reads: Stinking Woman Collapse

A terrific debut novel!  A collection of lovable - and not so lovable - losers, an angry dog, a whack of pot and a stash of cash combine to make this a hilarious backwoods joyride.  The dialogue is spot on, and the characters remind me of the guys my Dad forbid me to date.  I look forward to Brunet's next book.  

Without a doubt, one of the most beautifully written, most evocative books I have ever read (despite the horrific subject matter).  The author's voice is just incredible!

Hmmm... How to make a topic like this sexy?  Answer is that you can't, really.  Reading it felt like I was sitting in a 3rd year economics lecture - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  It's dry, yes, but still worth reading. Very informative, very detailed, very thorough, and I like books that make me think, that teach me something.  

Recent Reads: Magical Clear Ranch

Meh.  I liked the voice, I just didn't find the content/topics consistently interesting.  

WOW!!!  This was terrific!  Stellar research, well documented.
An in-depth look - worth reading! 

I like Dorsey's writing & characters, but with this book as with others by him, I find it drags on a wee bit too long.  If this had been about 20% shorter, I would have loved it.  I laughed my head off for the first 50 pages, but as I went along, I just wanted him to wrap it all up.

Recent Reads: Stalking Checklist Crafty Naked

MEH... See "Crafty" below.  I read this AFTER reading Crafty and didn't find it very helpful.  I gave up on page 80.  The voice in which it was written was just a little too cute and too folksy for me.

Usually books of this ilk are right up my alley (not because I'm a brainiac, but because I can learn from "bathroom books" like this - and they make me a good trivia player).  This one was MEH... I gave up on page 83.

EXCELLENT!  Very thorough, great examples, a wide-ranging look at all aspects of TV writing.  Lots of references, lots of samples.  The way in which it was written was fluid, efficient.  I zipped through it.

Wow! Bizarre and really cool; totally grabbed my attention.   I read this in a day.   Terrific explanations of the science behind the cases (and the science is just as likely to be chemistry and it is to be psychiatry).  Highly recommended.

Fave Books of the Year: 2013

I've read quite a number of books over the last year, many of them were terrific reads, but then just about any book I actually read through to the end is a good one, since I will cast a book aside if it hasn't grabbed me by page one hundred.  With that in mind, here are some titles that stood out for me - listed in NO particular order.  You'll note that only two of the books (Trigger and Chicago) are Fiction.  (Note: I read these in 2013, but they weren't necessarily released in 2013).

• Chris Hedges - Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt  
• Chris Hedges - American  Fascists
• Sean Chercover - Trigger City
• Howard Shrier - High Chicago
• Thomas Frank - Pity the Billionaire
• Patti Smith - Just Kids
• Robert B. Reich - Beyond Outrage  

If I had to say which of the above was my favouirte, I'd have to pick Just Kids.  I sobbed like a two year old when I finished it.  Big fat tears rolled down my face... Yes, really.  It was that good, that poignant.  

Recent Reads: Shot I.Q Payback

An amusing bathroom book.

Another amusing bathroom book.

WOW!   Detailed, filled with interesting backstories and histories.  A thorough look at the birth and growth of the Rap music world.  An interesting read for anyone interested in music/contemporary history/popular culture... even if you're not a Hip Hop fan (and I'm not!).  Heavy lifting but worth the effort.   Reads like a novel.  Really, a terrific, engrossing book - very hard to put down!!!

Recent Reads: Damned Sin Contagious

Very funny at times, especially when Madison talks about her life among
the living and her parents.  Descriptions of setting (Hell) are terrific - very evocative, and  much of the inner dialog will make you chuckle.  Plot dragged on a bit though.

An interesting slice of Chicago at the turn of the century.
A nonfiction book (history) that reads like a novel, peopled with a range
of interesting characters.  Worth reading.

Hmmm... Basically pretty good, but too much filler and much of the content is either common sense or obvious.  Still, if you're only going to read one book on marketing/branding, this is a good one to check out.  

Recent Reads: Pity Pineapple Pilot

This is the 2nd book of Frank's that I've read and I enjoyed Billionaire as much as I enjoyed Wrecking Crew.  Thomas Frank is a provocative writer and his research is thorough.  Read this.  It will piss you right off, but read it anyway.  

Ooooh Oooh oooh!  This was my first Dorsey book and I will be back for more!!!  How had I never heard of him and the Serge Storms/Coleman series???  The plot here wasn't the strength - the characters were.  Hilarious at times.  Recommended for fans of Carl Hiaasen.  I'm eager to read more of these.

A quick, concise "How To" for aspiring TV writers.  Worth reading if you want
to learn a bit about script writing and creating a TV series.  

Recent Reads: Brethren Screen Judge Out

Not up to snuff (and I'm usually a loyal Grisham fan).  I gave up on page 108.  I found that I just didn't care about any of the characters.  Sorry!

WOW!  No wonder  this book is thought of as "The Bible"!  A tad repetitive, but crystal clear,  with an easygoing tone.  Definitely worth a read for ANY writer (or aspiring writer), not just those who are interested in screenplays.

I really liked the writing tone and style.  The voice is good, smooth and engaging.  But but but (I should point out here this book is NON-FICTION!) the real life Mr. Parker does one or two dingbat-ish things that make you want to smack him!  Still, it's an interesting tale, and it's well told.

Interesting premise, interesting thesis (though he wanders from it at times).  Many interesting case studies and/or anecdotes.  Notice that I said "interesting" three times here.  It's not compelling, it's not funny, it's not engaging... merely interesting... Hmmm...

Recent Reads: Born Cola Days

What a neat book!  Learned all kinds of interesting things from it!

I truly wanted to like this... Really... But it just didn't work for me.  The style and dialogue are good - funny as Hell at times - but the plot was weak.

Holy smokes!!!!  What a fantastic book!  Read it!  Run right out and grab a copy right this minute & when you're done, pass it on to everyone you know!  Terrific!!!!

Recent Reads: Rainmaker Angels Chopin

Terrific!  A great bio, very well written.  I learned lots of history, plus much about art, music, literature. 

Meh.  I wanted to like this but it was overdone.  I didn't finish it... Far too heavy-handed.  I usually like Gopnik's writing.

What can I say?  I'm a Grisham fan.  A real page-turner.  I have no idea what the magic is, but Grisham seems to have found the secret for writing books you just can't put down.

Recent Reads: Knee Bar Us Nights

This is gut-wrenching and depressing as Hell, but it needed to be said.  People should read this.  I like books that provoke a reaction, and this one certainly did.

Lovely idea, but the author just didn't pull it off.  Too academic and too many arcane details for it to be as much fun as it should have been.

Very good, very timely, although once you've read this, you'll no longer need to read Friedman's columns in the NYT.

I wanted to like this, really... The main character just didn't work for me.  I had to force myself to finish it.  I kept hoping it would get better and that I'd grow to like the protagonist, but...

Recent Reads: Trinity Kevin World Lawyer

The Trinity Game
Loved it!!!!  Brilliant premise, speedy pace,  terrific settings, a likeable protagonist - it's all there!  A better page-turner - by far - than The Da Vinci Code.  High Five!!!!

 
We Need to Talk about Kevin
Absolutely hated it.  Indulgent.  Pretentious.  Pointless.   One of the worst books I've ever read.  Horrible. 

The World Without Us
A clever idea, looked at via several lenses.  Well written and solidly researched.  I learned a lot from this book, and highly recommend it.

The Street Lawyer
I hadn't read a Grisham novel in ages, and this was like getting together with an old friend.  You know what to expect with Grisham, and he doesn't disappoint.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time... Right Interview! David P. Perlmutter

Today, I'm happy to have a chat with author David P. Perlmutter.  David is one of the first nonfiction authors I've interviewed.  Check out what he has to say about his true crime experience...

1.      If a freaky, jaw-dropping, scary-assed series of events, such as what you describe in Wrong Place, Wrong Time had never actually happened to you, do you still think you would have written a book one day?  Why or why not? 

Great question. I enjoy reading but this is the first piece of writing I have ever done. I was pushed by my great friend and Editor Elaine Denning to write this story, and I have the bug now! A second book, which is fiction, is in progress.

2.      What is the best, or most pleasantly-surprising thing about being an author?  

I really do not consider myself an author, I just wrote what happened to me. But, now I have been told: "David you've written a book, so go along with being an author", which I like hearing!  

3.      What’s next for you as an author?  Tell me all about your work in progress. 

I have a second book in draft. The outline of the story is there, I just need to put the story together which is what I'm doing at the moment.

 

4.      Born in England... Headed off to Spain... Now living in Portugal...  Por favor, please tell me: What draws you to the Iberian Peninsula? 

I just love being by the sea, and the weather. I also like mixing with the locals, and living their way of life.

5.      What was the most difficult thing about writing Wrong Place, Wrong Time?  

Putting down the events that happened to me bought it all back. But writing the book took a huge weight of my shoulders. 

6.      We met each other over the Twittersphere.  Obviously social media is a tremendous boon to authors.  How do you reach your audience outside of Twitter?  What advice do you have for other (aspiring) authors with regards to social media?  

Well I am new to this but my work is all about marketing. I do enjoy the marketing side of the book: Twitter, Facebook, my blog etc. There are so many aspects of marketing one can follow. In fact the book has taken over my life at the moment. It has been so busy with interviews. My advice to aspiring authors is to really focus on the marketing side even before the book is published. Create a following on Twitter, set up a Facebook page and a blog/website and keep at the marketing. It is a full time job which does play havoc with my job outside the book. Hopefully one day I can just concentrate on writing and earn a living from that.

7.      Your book is available on Kindle and Amazon, and was published by CreateSpace.  Obviously, there’s worldwide reach via Amazon and Kindle, but what thoughts went through your mind when you finished your manuscript and began shopping it around?  Was CreateSpace always your intended publisher or did you investigate other options?  

After doing my homework, Amazon was the place I wanted to self-publish my book as it reached the furthest audience. That is my personal view. 

8.      Did your experience in Spain forever ruin Paella for you?  Can you drink Sangria without having negative flashbacks?  

Funny! Yes I can drink Sangria anytime, no problem at all!!

9.      Smaller and more independent presses give the author more control over their product and over their content, but the downside of this may mean less marketing support.  What are your comments on this?   Do you think this matters as much as it might have twenty years ago?  

My view is, it’s all about the marketing and I prefer to do the marketing myself. There are a few excellent independent presses out there who have my book on their sites, which pull in a few sales and readers. With me, I like to get my book across a whole spectrum. The more the merrier, to be honest.

10.  One of the clips from a review on Amazon is: “Now just try to remember, David is a really nice guy.”   Tell me: How many little old ladies have you helped across the street?  What makes you such a nice guy?  And what’s your opinion of the old saying: “Nice guys finish last”?  

People have their own views. To some I am a nice guy and to others I am a scumbag as one reviewer said. That’s the beauty of personal views. I don’t think that I will finish last, only in the 100m sprint!

11.  If you were a travel agent, would you still recommend Spain to prospective travellers?  What attractions in Spain are not to be missed?  

Of course, if someone came into my travel agency and wanted to book a holiday to Spain, then I'd yes, you must visit it. 

However, I haven’t been back to Spain, so I'm unsure what's new there. But I am sure the beaches are still stunning!

12.  If a Hollywood hotshot showed up at your house and said he wanted to make Wrong Place, Wrong Time into a blockbuster, big-budget movie, who would you like to see cast in the starring role?  

I have been asked this questions a few times. I don’t know, maybe Robert Pattison? 

13.  Last question is a bit of a freebie: What is the one thing you wish I had asked you, but didn’t?  Now go ahead and ask and answer that question.  

What was it like in the hotel, with fire around, plus all the smoke and saving the two lives? Answer: I was only focused on saving the two people!  I felt a huge rush, and would do it again. The downside was the events that took place afterwards.

Get WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME on Amazon.   Click HERE. 

Follow Dave on Twitter @davepperlmutter

Check out Dave's blog:  http://thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.blogspot.ca/

Salsa and Terrorists and Canada Reads

The CBC hosts a book contest called Canada Reads.  In a nutshell, the contest encourages reading in general, but with a specific focus on Canadian authors.  Sounds good, right?  Promote literacy and promote domestic writers - should be a win/win.

This year, the theme for Canada Reads is on NONFICTION.

The general public nominates a bunch of books; the suggested titles are whittled down to a Top 40 list, then to a list of Ten Finalists.  Then things change a bit... when it gets down to the five books on the shortlist, five judges discuss the books on CBC radio throughout the week, and a book gets eliminated from the final five each day until there is a winner. (This is kind of like the literary equivalent of "Survivor").

For a list of the contenders, or for more info on Canada Reads, click HERE.

One of the books to make it to the shortlist of five is a memoir called Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre. 

(UPDATE: Feb. 09th -  Carmen was announced as the winner/"Something Fierce" as the winning book on Canada Reads!!!)

On Monday, one of the book judges, a miserable old cow named Anne France Goldwater, made some really volatile comments about Something Fierce, and about one of the other finalists, The Prisoner of Tehran. 

Goldwater said the Tehran book was full of lies, and that Carmen Aguirre is a "terrorist who should never have been let in to Canada."

I find this all very interesting for a number of reasons.

First of all, I think Ms. Goldwater is doing a disservice to literacy and the arts and all those nebulous concepts.  Secondly, I think Goldwater has missed the point about being a book judge - she doesn't come across as fair and unbiased to me.  Thirdly, Carmen Aguirre was the main focus of the final thesis of my MA (completed in 2009 - before Carmen's memoirs were even published), so it's kind of interesting to see her name in the news so much these last few days (albeit for the wrong reasons...)

I really hope that Tehran and Something Fierce each experience a HUGE spike in sales as a result of the controversy stirred up the cranky old battleaxe Ms. Goldwater!!!

Relevant Links:

My MA thesis HERE or a shorter version of it HERE.


Feb. 06th - "Terrorist" article in the Globe and Mail HERE.
Feb. 07th - Miserable Hag defends her comments, in the Globe and Mail HERE.

One of my favourite comments in response to the Hag's defense of her stance (posted on the Globe & Mail online):

"She's a fat loud mouthed pig who is likely sexually frustrated and needs to get laid."

(Admittedly, this is an ad hominem attack, but in this case: SO WHAT?)

Another comment (online) that I really liked:

"She appears to have completely missed the point of Canada Reads - to encourage reading - not about panelists doing whatever it takes - including trashing the books and slandering their authors - to win a "debate". Is she an unmitigated narcissist or just obtuse?"

Recent Reads: Beyond Street Bach First Professional Brain Thursdays Society Name

I've had two long vacations in the last six months had a chance to do some reading, finally!  Here's a quick look at the last few books I've read:

Beyond the White House by Jimmy Carter 

Wow, he's been more effective and more productive in his post-presidency years than he was in office.  I learned a lot from this, about all sorts of things, including foreign relations and diseases.  A tad self-serving (but how could it not be?), but a thoroughly enjoyable read!  Kudos to the Carter Center.

 

Street Gang by Michael Davis    Okay, so this is a history of Sesame Street, but is is SO MUCH more than that!  It's about education and educational theory, social policy, economics, Disney, income levels and differences, inclusiveness... and Gordon was a cokehead.  Fascinating story.

Bach, Beethoven and the Boys by David W. Barber  Pretty good, I guess. I know nothing about classical music and I wanted to get a basic foundation out of this.  However, it was a bit more on the people and their (personal) lives than about the music and its impact/importance.  Having said that, I still enjoyed it because they style of writing was great: irreverent, tongue in cheek, witty, funny... 

  

The First Excellence by Donna Carrick     Despite the fact that this blog post has three fiction books on it, I rarely read fiction.  The First Excellence is the first mystery I've read in quite a while and I really enjoyed it.  The story has many layers, tied together very smoothly.  I actually wrote a review of this one on Amazon.com.  A wonderfully mysterious escape.     





The Professional by Robert B. Parker   Hmm... I guess this will be the 2nd last Spenser book :(    I wonder how complete this (and the yet to be read Painted Ladies) were at the time of Parker's death?  I love Spenser and have read every single one of them.  This wasn't one of the best, but I like getting together with old friends.     




This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitan    Interesting, clever, edifying, down to earth.  I learned a lot from this one and enjoyed the way Levitan explained things.  He gave great examples to illustrate his points and spoke in plain, simple language.  The subject matter was at times a tad out of my league, but that didn't seem to diminish the enjoyment index.    












One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde  I love Fforde and the Thursday Next series.  Love them, love them, love them!  I also love the Nursery Crimes books and am anxiously awaiting the next one.  Jasper Fforde is awesome!  He is one of a handful of fiction authors that I turn to without question, without hesitation.  Funny, clever, many oblique or inside jokes, brilliant literary references and send ups.  Keep 'em coming! 






Dead Politician Society by Robin Spano   
What can I say? I've met Robin several times and our professional lives have overlapped here and there.  I knew before reading this that I would enjoy it - and I did, very much so.  Spano's sleuth is Clare Vengel and Clare rocks, the mystery is solid, the dialogue is snappy.  I can't wait to see what she gets up to next in her coming release Death Plays Poker (Fall 2011).   






Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon    
This book will wake you up and make you angry.  Blackmon tells the story of how blacks were treated in the years (roughly four decades) after the end of the Civil War. The research and sources are solid, the personal strories are poignant.  Blackmon aims a magnifying glass at topics that make people uncomfortable but that shouldn't be ignored. Should be required reading for any course on American History.