Tuesday, January 15, 2008

LAST 6 BOOKS READ

1) Frights by Kirby McCauley: Collection of stories by the likes of Robert Bloch, Brian Lumley, & Gahan Wilson. The usual collection, some better than others.
2) Dark Rivers Of the Heart by Dean Koontz: Interesting combiantion of evil government (aren't they all) and serial killing. If you like Koontz, you'll like this.
3) Strange Wind by Jeffery Lamb: Interesting concoction of drag queens, drug smugglers, and a really big woman, mostly in Key West(of course). A privately published book by a local Florida author, actually bought it from him at Lake Eola Park in Orlando, autographed of course. The only problem is that the author needs a better editor/proofreader, the glaring errors in places came close to ruining the fun (and certainly the flow) of reading the book.
4) Star Trek Creator by David Alexander: Subtitled as the authorized bio of Gene Roddenberry, it's certainly a thorough bio, with lot's of interesting trivia. (TVs 'F Troop' was named after Roddenberry's grandfather's WWI Cavalry Troop.)
5) The Hawkline Monster by Richard Brautigan: It's called a Gothic Western, but it's more Gothic than Western, `tho it does take place in the 'Old West' in 1902. Written in 1974 by the author who was most famous for Trout Fishing In America (poems I believe). So the Hawkline Monster lives under the Hawkline mansion, which is always surrounded by snow, and the two sisters live in the house, but they may be the same person. Confused yet?
6) Jajouka Rolling Stone by Stephen Davis: Claims to be fiction, revolving around the famous Master Musicians of Jajouka in Northern Africa, but seems to be a perhaps fictionalized account of true events, since the names of the characters are real. An interesting read, either way, with a lot of information on the tradition & life of the Master Musicians.

So, some offbeat stuff this time, to add to the usual thrillers & mysteries; the Brautigan is recommended as something different, and definitely the Jajouka book(which surprisingly sold for $1 at the Dollar Tree stores. Perhaps labeling it as fiction was not a good choice.

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