Recently Read - 25th February 2008

Here's a list of the books I've recently read, with an Amazon-style star rating and a few comments.

• The Moccasin Telegraph - W. P. Kinsella
  
• The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight in Heaven - Sherman Alexie
  Two books containing Indian Native American stories written by Indians Native Americans. The first is very funny in parts, but overall, they are just variations on a theme and I found them more depressing than enjoyable. The (fairly) high star ratings are because they are well written. They are just not what I really want to read more of.

• Jeeves in the Offing - P. G. Wodehouse

• Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich
  If my library didn't have them, there is no way I'd buy these thin expensive hardcover books. But it does, and they are mindless candy, so I read them quickly, grumble I'll never read another one because it's the same story over and over again. And around we go again.

• The Best of Morecambe & Wise - Eddie Braben
  Morecambe and Wise were two of my favorite comedians when I was growing up. (Although rather dated now, there are numerous sketchs of them on YouTube if you are interested). This was a 25c purchase at a recent library book sale. It contains several of their best scripts written by Eddie Braben.

• A Man Called Spade - Dashiell Hammett
  Book of short mystery and detective stories by Hammett (containing three featuring Sam Spade).

• The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams
  My on-going effort to educate myself by reading some of the all-time classic plays.

• The Crack In Space - Philip K. Dick
  One of the lesser known works by Dick.

• It Was a Dark And Stormy Night - Ed. Scott Rice
  Many of the selections from the first Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Some very funny entries, mixed with a lot that weren't.

• Walking Across Egypt - Clyde Edgerton
  Absolutely hated the ending.

Two more from the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century list.

• Aunt Dimity's Death - Nancy Atherton
  See a previous post for my thoughts on this one.

• Devil In A Blue Dress - Walter Mosley
  I wish I'd read this before seeing the movie about 12 years ago. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have understood it better. Great book!

Then there were a load of graphic novels. See here for my thoughts on most of the ones I read. Plus four more:

• Top 10 Book 2 - Alan Moore
  
• Top 10 Forty Niners - Alan Moore
  Two more from one of my favorite series. The art work on Forty-Niners is exceptional.

• Tom Strong Book 1 - Alan Moore
  

• The Borden Tragedy - Rick Geary
  This to me is a poster child for graphic novels. Beautiful black-and-white line artwork. The writing is precise and complete. Great story-telling. If I'd bought this (as opposed to borrowing it from my local library), the back cover -- where Geary spells out the reasons why O. J. Simpson is the Lizzie Borden of the twentieth century -- would be worth the price alone. I will definitely be reading more books in this series.

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( Feb 25 2008, 10:42:20 AM PST ) [Listen] Permalink