Just a couple things to mention. A) My computer has passed on into the great beyond to frolic with the Apple IIc of my childhood. More specifically the hard drive is longer... hard driving. Was the stupid, wasteful service plan purchased? Surprisingly yes it was. Do I want to be without my computer for the next 6-8 weeks? No.
The second thing? The Hungry Detective realizes a post is a bit overdue, so I'll take this rainy Saturday to write a few quick reviews.
The Bookman's Last Fling - John Dunning
Here is a series for which I have a great affection. The series follows Cliff Janeway, a former cop turned bookseller. Mr. Dunning filled his first couple books with book collecting minutia that made for very fun reading... even if the mystery was nothing all that special. Books three and four of the series were distinct disappointments for me as Mr. Dunning abandoned much of the book collecting charm of the previous books. The mystery was at the fore, and sadly I was bored. The Last Fling is the fifth in the Janeway series, and it is a bit of return to form. A nice bit of book collecting detail combined with some fascinating reportage about horse racing. Mr. Dunning does a really good job with these elements, but again when it comes to the mystery there is little to hang your hat on.
The Overlook - Michael Connelly
While nearly every one read this as a New York Times serialization, The Hungry Detective did not. The Hungry Detective does not read crime fiction off of a computer screen. So unless the Kindle comes with a steak of the month club attached we won't be buying that either. The Overlook is the kind of book that reminded me why Mr. Connelly is one of the best of the best. A writer so talented is really in danger of being taken for granted. The expectation of a 'great book' every time often means the merely 'very good book' is looked down upon as an inferior effort. What makes this a really great book for me is the return of Harry Bosch, Lone Wolf. Over the course of the last few books Bosch has been saddled with a partner that only serves to hinder him. The partner becomes a writer's devices to infuse tension into the story. With The Overlook, Mr. Connelly dispatches Bosch's new partner off screen almost immediately. Bosch is left virtually on his own against the FBI and Homeland Security. Former 'partner' Rachel Walling is back, but there is an antagonism there now that suits the story and Bosch so much better.
Silence of the Grave - Arnaldur Indriđason
It was great to Arnaldur Indridason in Baltimore. I was reminded of why I bought this author's, first book, Jar City. I read that book last year. I thought it was a well written, depressing masterpiece. Not the kind of book one picks up again soon. There is just an aching sadness that pervaded that book. The sadness is here again in Silence of the Grave, but it is somehow much more manageable this time around. The bleakness of domestic violence, familial discontent, and an intractable unknowable future are balanced in its character beautiful survival. I will not take so long to read this author's further work.
The second thing? The Hungry Detective realizes a post is a bit overdue, so I'll take this rainy Saturday to write a few quick reviews.
The Bookman's Last Fling - John DunningHere is a series for which I have a great affection. The series follows Cliff Janeway, a former cop turned bookseller. Mr. Dunning filled his first couple books with book collecting minutia that made for very fun reading... even if the mystery was nothing all that special. Books three and four of the series were distinct disappointments for me as Mr. Dunning abandoned much of the book collecting charm of the previous books. The mystery was at the fore, and sadly I was bored. The Last Fling is the fifth in the Janeway series, and it is a bit of return to form. A nice bit of book collecting detail combined with some fascinating reportage about horse racing. Mr. Dunning does a really good job with these elements, but again when it comes to the mystery there is little to hang your hat on.
The Overlook - Michael ConnellyWhile nearly every one read this as a New York Times serialization, The Hungry Detective did not. The Hungry Detective does not read crime fiction off of a computer screen. So unless the Kindle comes with a steak of the month club attached we won't be buying that either. The Overlook is the kind of book that reminded me why Mr. Connelly is one of the best of the best. A writer so talented is really in danger of being taken for granted. The expectation of a 'great book' every time often means the merely 'very good book' is looked down upon as an inferior effort. What makes this a really great book for me is the return of Harry Bosch, Lone Wolf. Over the course of the last few books Bosch has been saddled with a partner that only serves to hinder him. The partner becomes a writer's devices to infuse tension into the story. With The Overlook, Mr. Connelly dispatches Bosch's new partner off screen almost immediately. Bosch is left virtually on his own against the FBI and Homeland Security. Former 'partner' Rachel Walling is back, but there is an antagonism there now that suits the story and Bosch so much better.
Silence of the Grave - Arnaldur IndriđasonIt was great to Arnaldur Indridason in Baltimore. I was reminded of why I bought this author's, first book, Jar City. I read that book last year. I thought it was a well written, depressing masterpiece. Not the kind of book one picks up again soon. There is just an aching sadness that pervaded that book. The sadness is here again in Silence of the Grave, but it is somehow much more manageable this time around. The bleakness of domestic violence, familial discontent, and an intractable unknowable future are balanced in its character beautiful survival. I will not take so long to read this author's further work.
Comments
Do I use a PC? Listen, do I sound bitter and frustrated?
The fault dear Brutus isnt in the hard-drive its in ourselves.
You have exposed a flaw in this post as the computer was a PC and not a 'blessed' Mac. Indeed this was the PC that had me admitting, 'maybe PC's aren't so bad?'
Shame on me....