Past Crimes by Glen Erik Hamilton

Meh... C.  

Annihilation (Southern Reach #1) by Jeff VanderMeer

Well now I'll have to read the entire series... I enjoyed Annihilation but by the end there aren't really any answers to the tons of questions presented. So I'm giving the book an A- but almost want to give it an "incomplete". Hopefully the next book will shed some light on what's really going on in Area X.

Horror Book # 42 - The Bachman Books by Stephen King - Book 2: The Long Walk by Richard Bachman

To my great surprise, The Long Walk is one of the better Stephen King books I've read...  It is a bit hard to believe that he wrote most of it while in college. How has this book not been made into a movie yet? The premise is simple... sometime in the near future there is a competition where 100 teenage boys see who can walk the furthest. The catch... the competition is to the death. So that motivates them to walk pretty far. Maybe there aren't any specifically scary scenes but there is a growing sense of dread as the walkers all realize they've made a huge mistake. I'll give it an A. Also it mentions Alice in Wonderland.

Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier by Mark Frost

Well Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier is quite the turnaround from The Secret History of Twin Peaks. Whereas that first book was kind of a slog and provided almost no concrete answers to pretty much anything, The Final Dossier is a fast read that fills in some the narrative gaps from the television show (both the original and The Return). It is presented as a final report compiled by Agent Preston about Twin Peaks in the wake of the series finale. Some of the questions we gets answers to... How's Annie? Who was the young girl from New Mexico? Who was funding the glass box experiment? Whatever happened to Donna? To Audrey? The book also provides a convincing reason for the inconsistencies in the previous book concerning Norma's family. So it was fun to get these answers but in a sense part of the fun of Twin Peaks is not about getting answers but over-examining small details in a fruitless attempt at making sense of the mysterious and unanswerable. B+

Also it mentions One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Horror Book # 34 - The Fog by James Herbert

Yeah I'm not sure if The Fog really belongs in this top 50 list... It wasn't bad but besides for a handful of scenes it wasn't very memorable. And the main character isn't that well drawn out. Basically the story is that a mysterious fog gets unleashed on London that causes people to go crazy. The more I think about it the less I can recommend it when there's so much better stuff out there. One positive note - I got the electronic version through the LAPL after I did the whole "suggest this book to your library" thing. So they actually do look at user suggestions... good for them. B-

Book # 25 - Beloved by Toni Morrison

I'm always a bit excited to read a book that I know absolutely nothing about, and that was the case with Beloved by Toni Morrison. It turns out that it is actually a bit of a ghost story... The story is about Sethe, a former runaway slave, and her daughter Denver. One day a young woman shows up on their doorstep and all evidence makes it seem as if this woman is actually Sethe's other daughter that she killed as a young child. The whole story is tragic and has multiple layers... so I can see why it gets assigned in English Literature classes. Overall I enjoyed it, A-. 

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King

Well to get through The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla I had to check it out FIVE times! I'm not sure why it took me so long. I mean I think I finished Infinite Jest in less time. Probably a combination of a bunch of factors... needing to take a break from reading, being burnt out on Dark Tower books, moving, etc. Also it doesn't help that it is a really long book in which not much happens.

So in this volume Roland and his ka-tet get sidetracked on their quest into a Seven Samurai type situation. Now this takes up most of the space in the book and is incredibly boring... mostly because the people they're trying to protect aren't that interesting and most of the time is spent just waiting until the end for the bad guys show up. And once they do show up Roland and company have no problem dispatching them. There's no suspense here. There are a couple of subplots that advance the story but they're left unresolved for the next book.

Also, check out this cover... the bad guys look like Doctor Doom with a lightsaber... and that's exactly how a character describes them. Which in theory should be cool but here it really isn't. They end up being so lame.

Now if I remember correctly, the following list books are mentioned: Tess of the D'Ubervilles, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Ulysses, Harry Potter and Invisible Man. C+

Book #13 - Animal Farm by George Orwell

Hmmm... not really sure what to say about Animal Farm. I did enjoy it but it is so short that I feel like I really didn't spend that much time absorbing it. Sure it is an obvious allegory to Soviet Russia but it is still relevant to today's politics. The sheep with their "four feet good, two feet bad" refrain remind me of the type of people that are always yelling "Fake News". You know, like Catch-22, maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it before a certain short fingered vulgarian was put in charge. A-

Horror Book # 9 & Mystery Book # 100 - Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

One of the oddities on the Mystery Book list is that it actually lists two books at number 100. What I think makes it even weirder is that one of those books is Rosemary's Baby which isn't what I would consider a "mystery". I had read this before and it was still enjoyable the second time. Between the film and the book I'd give the edge to the film (which is very faithful to the book). Maybe because seeing Rosemary's distress when she figures everything out is more shocking than just reading about it. Still I'd recommend the book. A-

The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book... Let me explain - The Secret History of Twin Peaks is presented as a recovered "dossier" that was compiled by a mysterious author and is then annotated by an FBI agent investigating it. And on the surface it is fairly interesting for Twin Peaks fans but hardly essential. A good portion of it is dedicated to fleshing out the back story of some of the weirdness that goes on in the woods there... such as a long chapter about Lewis and Clark first arriving there and meeting the local Native Americans and another long digression into Roswell and UFO sightings in the area. Plus a very minor character from the show is given an extensive back story and is shown to be a major player in previous events in the area. SO that's all well and good. BUT for some reason there are inconsistencies between the events as explained in the book and as shown on television. The first major one I noticed was the story of how Big Ed and Nadine ended up together. Totally different in this book versus the show. And I thought it was weird how Norma's family history seemed to totally leave out that she had a sister. SO I looked this up online and found that everyone who reads it has found different inconsistencies. Someone even compiled a spreadsheet of them all!  Like the book says Norma's mom died a few years before the events on the show... but her mom was a character on the show! And the book says Windom Earle shot Cooper when in actuality he stabbed him. The list is so long it seems like they must have been on purpose. I mean the guy who wrote the book wrote most of the tv show... so something is going on...  So I'll give it a B- for now, but if later on if this all makes sense maybe I'll raise it. Also it mentions Charlotte's Web, Catch-22, The Stand, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch

Given that The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer is a twenty five year old media tie-in novel, I've gotta say that it holds up quite well. I'll say this as a compliment... but it was kind of hard to read it for extended amounts of time because it is just so weird, sad and creepy. So if I'm keeping in mind that this was a quickly produced book to tie in with a tv show I'll have to give it an A-. Like whenever Laura would include BOB's words in her diary it was just really creepy and made it scarier than some Stephen King novels. It far exceeded my expectations.

Sci-Fi Book # 18 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Even though Flowers for Algernon ended pretty much the way I thought it would, I found the journey very enjoyable and quite moving. The story follows a mentally handicapped man named Charlie that partakes in an experimental procedure that vastly increases his IQ. I guess I should try and not give too much away but the whole story just gets sadder and sadder. The fact that he reads The Great Gatsby and An American Tragedy should count as foreshadowing. I'll give it an A.

And with that I'm now half way though the top 50 Science Fiction book list... Here are my rankings:

1. Dune
2. The War of the Worlds
3. 1984
4. The Time Machine
5. The Martian Chronicles
6. Ender's Game
7. Frankenstein
8. The Handmaid's Tale
9. The Invisible Man
10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
12. 2001
13. Flowers for Algernon
14. Brave New World
15. The Stand
16. Cat's Cradle
17. Foundation
18. Fahrenheit 451
19. The Martian
20. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
21. The Andromeda Strain
22. I, Robot
23. Jurassic Park
24. Snow Crash
25. The Mote in God's Eye

Sci-Fi Book #12 - I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Way back in 2000 or so I tried reading I, Robot and only got through the first couple of stories. After re-reading the first couple of stories I can see why I stopped reading it back then. The stories do improve as the book continues but I can't really give it a glowing recommendation. I, Robot is a collection of short stories about the gradual growth of robots in a future society... starting with robots being used to babysit and ending with machines completely running the world's economy. I guess my problem is that none of the stories are all that dramatic and end up being thought problems on why a robot acts a certain way in accordance with the laws of robotics. I enjoyed it but I guess I'm not going to be a huge Asimov fan. B

Mystery Book #15 - The Godfather by Mario Puzo

While reading The Godfather it was impossible to not imagine the characters as the actors that portrayed them in the movie. The movie follows the novel pretty closely, the only main difference is that the book includes a bit more about Johnny Fontane's career and the life of Sonny's mistress after his death (and neither story line adds much either). I enjoyed it but I'd have to say the movie is an improvement and adds more life to the story (though the novel does include a crazy story about Luca Brasi that I don't think is in the film). A-.

Mystery Book # 21 Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

I'm pretty sure I had actually read Farewell, My Lovely twice before... but before re-reading it again I couldn't tell you anything about the plot. About half way through each major scene I'd get a general sense of recall and about two thirds of the way through I was able to remember the final plot twist. So yeah, the plot isn't the most memorable thing... but it is still a good read. I just love Chandler's style...ridiculous dialogue and random similes.  B+

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

In Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman retells a bunch of stories about Thor, Odin, Loki and a bunch of other Norse gods. For the most part I enjoyed the stories but I have a feeling that they won't stick in my memory for very long. Most of the time while reading it I was comparing these interpretations (and I'm guessing more "accurate" versions) of the Norse gods with those in the Marvel comics that I've been reading for most of my life. The one thing that I will remember is that Laufey is actually Loki's mother instead of his father (as is the case with Marvel's Loki). B

Sci-Fi Book #6 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

It is kind of interesting how the way you remember or interpret an older book can change depending on current events and the political climate. What really stuck out to me this time when I read Fahrenheit 451 is that within the story the banning of books isn't because the government is trying to force its own ideology but rather they're just trying to make people happy by getting rid of opposing opinions in general because they cause people to argue and be unhappy. So the lesson learned this time - appreciate the freedom of speech of those with different views (which I think is a lesson that needs to be taught to the younger generation).

So I enjoyed the book, but I think I'll have to give it an A-. It seemed like the third act felt a bit rushed and the ending pretty much comes out of nowhere. *SPOILERS* I'm just not seeing how the destruction of the city really fits in with the theme. It isn't like the city destroys itself, but rather some foreign enemy destroys it for reasons unknown.

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the Dark Tower series and tells us about a time when Roland and his ka-tet were traveling after the events of Wizard and Glass and they take shelter to sit out a storm. During this time Roland tells everyone a story that follows up on his super long story in Wizard and Glass. During that story young Roland needs to kill some time again and tells someone else another story that's basically a Mid-World fairy tale. And it is that story within a story within a story that actually makes up the bulk of the book. I'll say that I did like this one a lot more than the previous book. Maybe it is because the various stories move along quickly and don't drag along like the last book. Plus in true Dark Tower fashion pretty much no progress is made towards the Dark Tower. B.

Mystery Book # 37 Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

I'm finding that a number of the books on the top 100 mystery books list are quite inconsequential and follow the whole "police procedural" thing pretty closely. At least this one was short. Dance Hall of the Dead in the second in a series of books about a Navajo policeman that solves crimes on his reservation. The setting was different and I enjoyed that but the rest was pretty routine. Before the end I figured out who the killer was because in these procedurals it is never the most obvious person and always someone that was questioned early on in the process. Also, the cop doesn't succeed in his one goal of finding another character before he gets murdered... which is fine in that I don't mind a downer of an ending, but the cop just shrugs it off. Basically he accomplishes absolutely nothing by the end. Let's say this gets a C+, and that's being generous.

Book # 33 - Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Somehow I doubt I could really say anything new or unique about Moby Dick. I will say that I enjoyed it and it really holds up. And now I feel like I know a bit too much about the mid-1800's whaling industry. A.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

After reading a bunch of great reviews for Lincoln in the Bardo I was happy to discover that the hype is justified and this is a terrific book. I have a feeling that this will be a book that people will be talking about for awhile (hopefully). The writing style is a bit unusual and there's isn't a traditional plot here... but don't let that deter you. The whole thing just seems so beautifully written and emotionally moving.

The "plot" is a bit unusual. It takes place on the day of the funeral of Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, and is about the effect Willie's spirit has on the other spirits that live in the cemetery and have not fully moved on to the next stage of the afterlife. After the funeral Abe Lincoln returns to the cemetery and  visits Willie's body in the crypt. The other spirits realize that Willie is stuck and they try to manipulate actions so that Willie can be at peace and move on even though these other spirits are in a strong stage of denial that they themselves are also dead and stuck in a state of limbo.

So if you like weird literary books I'd highly recommend it. A

The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

Well The Dark Tower series continues to defy a reader's expectations with Wizard and Glass. After actual progress in the quest to the Dark Tower is finally made in The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass gives us a flashback that takes up about ninety percent of the book. And since the book is 1000+ pages that's a pretty long flashback. It isn't that I mind the digression... since that seems to be the theme of the series, or the length of the book either... it is just that the story presented just doesn't require this many pages. Maybe since the previous novels all featured Roland going on adventures in several different locations, having him stuck in one location for so long makes this one really drag. The first 100 pages and the last 300 pages are all full of the usual thrills... but the 600 pages in between really could have been condensed down. How many times do really need to read about Susan arguing with her aunt? Or the bad guys talking about how much they hate Roland? B

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

I will give The Summer That Melted Everything credit for one thing... always being able to find a way to top itself in having horrible things happen to its characters. The book starts off interestingly enough with the narrator telling us about how as a child he met a boy that claimed to be the devil. Bad luck seems to follow the boy around and there is some thoughtful discussion on the nature of man, God and Satan... but then the bad stuff just keeps getting piled on until the reader is beaten into submission and stops to care about what happens. So SPOILERS... this book has the following : death of a dog, miscarriage, infidelity, child abuse, sexual abuse, false imprisonment, racism, suicide, homophobia, AIDS, more suicide, dead parents, cults, and the death of more than one child. I'm probably forgetting something... oh yeah.. after the big climax when an angry mob burns a child to death when I'm thinking "well at least there wasn't any cannibalism" we find out on the second to last page that one of the characters is a serial killer that eats small children! For a relatively  short book this is maybe a few too many topics to tackle. The whole thing is so over the top it is hard to care about what happens. There are at least three major plot lines that could have served up enough plot for the entire novel. For awhile the book reminded me of kind of a dark mirror universe equivalent of A Prayer for Owen Meany... they both have the same structure of a narrator looking back and telling us about a childhood friend (that accidentally kills someone) that was weird and may or may not have a supernatural purpose... but you know Owen Meany takes its time to really build up the characters and balances the dark with some lightness and packs an emotional punch. This book, not so much.  Plus I'll also note that the characters have ridiculous names and it doesn't help. Let's say this gets a C.

List books mentioned : Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Flies, Gone with the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Book # 5- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Back in high school I had once started reading Catch-22. I got maybe a third of the way through it and really I don't remember why I stopped reading it. Maybe I was just too busy or maybe I just wasn't into it. But Catch-22 does seem like the kind of book that would be my kind of thing. Wikipedia categorized it as black humor and absurdist fiction... both the kinda books I like. So my opinion on it now...  I just couldn't get that into it. I see the good qualities about it and wouldn't argue that it is bad or anything but it just didn't click for me. Maybe the lack of a strong narrative was my problem or that basically it just seemed like the same joke repeated over and over again. If the book was shorter those might not be problems... but the book is a bit long. Maybe another reason that I wasn't into it is just I'm not in the mood right now to read a book about characters like Milo Minderbender that somehow get rewarded for continually doing the wrong and immoral thing and fooling everyone about it. And then there's this quote which is representative of the whole book and can't help but remind me of a certain someone that I have a very low opinion of - 

“It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character.” 

So let's say B+. Also the book mentions Moby Dick and Bleak House.