The Hungry Detective

I haven't mentioned purchases since... well it has been awhile. Acquisitions have been made, but they have been few and far between. Indeed Friday evening's purchases were the first of the year. I had anticipating buying a few books from my Winter Preview list, but when the moment presented itself I left the store empty handed. Drood - Dan Simmons This is a massive book, and it is a bit daunting. 775 pages is a formidable reading task for this reader. However, I am a sucker for the historical mystery. Plus, the cast of characters is too good. Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens. Com'on.... The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson Meant to pick this up upon initial release, but things got in the way. Tons of critical accolades. One day I walked into the bookstore to buy it and exactly zero copies were for sale. I repeated that experience on a number of occasions until Friday. The Watchman - Robert Crais The Joe Pike book. I thought the first 20-30 pages of this book...

Knee deep into Oscar preparations. The Hungry Detective's better half is cleaning the house, and in a bit we will head to the grocery store. Trying to keep it healthy this year. Last year we had Chicken Wings. Oof! Anyway here are my picks. Take these to the bank! Best Picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog Millionaire I think this is a mortal lock at this point. Lots of buzz about The Reader lately but this award was decided long ago. Actor Richard Jenkins, The Visitor Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon Sean Penn, Milk Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler Not as big a lock for Mickey Rourke that everyone is thinking. Penn could nab this because Hollywood loves the bio-pic performance. Actress Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married Angelina Jolie, Changeling Melissa Leo, Frozen River Meryl Streep, Doubt Kate Winslet, The Reader This could go three ways. Anne, Meryl, and Kate. Probably Kate because Hollywood wan...

Hey, Hey! Oscar Awards are this week. I pretty much love the whole ridiculous process. I know there are many people who cast a tsk,tsk glance at the Academy Awards. They turn up their noses at them because the routinely recognize what is only mediocre about American Cinema. I don't care about any of that. Some complain that the show is boring and/or a gross spectacle. Then don't take up space on my couch complaining about it all night. I generally don't make my Oscar picks until the day of the show. Maybe if I can get my act together I'll post my picks then. As for today's post I have listed my compendium of 2008 films below. The Top 10 1. My Winnipeg Flat-out the funniest/craziest movie going experience I had this year. 2. Vicky Christina Barcelona This movie caught me in the right mood. I found this to be hilarious. 3. Man on Wire A great adventure movie. The home movie footage in the film is amazing 4. Redbelt Another great, great performance by ...

The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz I read so few books with a female perspective that I have been looking forward to reading Lisa Lutz's first book for a good long while. I had initially stayed away from the book because my feeling was THE SPELLMAN FILES was 'Chick-Lit' dressed as a crime novel. I don't want to negatively label any book, but the fact is I am guy, so 'Chick-Lit' holds little interest for me. The other attraction for me was the implication that THE SPELLMAN FILES was going to be funny. And the book is funny, full of snarky asides that pleased this reader's occasionally juvenile sense of humor. As for my original concern that the female perspective was going to be.... a little too female, I can write that I am giving the book a pass. Probably a bit too much emphasis on male-female relationship issues. Boyfriends are referred to as Ex-Boyfriend #1, #6, etc., never by their real name. This falls a little to flat for me. It is neither funny or rev...

Another week, another list of nominees. Although I'm guessing most readers got the same email I did. Awards will be presented at the Awards Brunch on March 11th. This year's Left Coast is in Hawaii . The Hungry Detective has looked at the budget line for travel, and wonders if it is possible to embezzle money from yourself? Congratulations to all the nominees. Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award Nox Dormienda, A Long Night Sleeping - Kelli Stanley (Five Star) Touchstone - Laurie King (Bantam) Tell Me Pretty Maiden - Rhys Bowen (St. Martin Press) A Royal Pain - Rhys Bowen (Berkeley Prime Crime) A Fatal Waltz - Tasha Alexander (Harper Collins) Hawaii Five-O Angel Falls - Baron Birtcher (Iota) Fractured - Karin Slaughter (Delacorte Press) The Black Path - Asa Larsson (Delta) The Angel of Knowlton Place - Kate Floral (Five Star) Mahu Fire...

Published widely elsewhere, The Hungry Detective is posting the list of 2009 Edgar Nominees for our own personal edification. You might be asking yourself what religious knowledge are we getting out of this. I ask you does it really matter when THD has not posted in over two weeks? Ya, that's what I thought you said. The Hungry Detective extends our congratulations to all the nominees. Best Nove l Missing - Karin Alvtegen Blue Heaven - C.J. Box Sins of the Assassin - Robert Ferrigno The Price of Blood - Declan Hughes The Night Following - Morag Joss Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz Best First Novel by an American Author The Kind One - Tom Epperson Sweetsmoke - David Fuller The Foreigner - Francie Lin Calumet City - Charlie Newton A Cure for Night - Justin Peacock Best Paperback Original The Prince of Bagram Prison - Alex Carr Money Shot - Christa Faust Enemy Combatant - Ed Gaffney China Lake - Meg Gardiner The Cold Spot - Tom Piccirilli Best Fact Crime For the Thrill of It: ...

(Cover via Fantastic Fiction )