Review: Sharp Teeth

Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There are an awful lot of awful and irritating supernatural books out now so you may be leery about this one, as it’s ostensibly about werewolves. But you should read this anyway.

If you had to make your way through The Odyssey and Beowulf in high school (I enjoyed the former then and did not appreciate the latter until much later), you are of course familiar with the writing of stories in verse, which more or less made its way out of the oral tradition of telling stories, I guess. This story is told in verse, but it doesn’t feel like someone looking for a hook for an MFA project to appear all high-minded. Rather, this is what would come out if Homer read Dashiell Hammett and pitched a new epic poem to Steven Spielberg. “Sharp Teeth” would be darn good story that comes out of it.

The story is basically a noir LA gang story, and the gang members all happen to be werewolves. And that trait is presented as straightforwardly as any other quality, like height or hair color. Other, non-were, characters include a dogcatcher (lots of dark little humor in this, as well as bigger laughs) who wonders about some dogs acting strangely, and a cop who’s tracking a series of strange, savage murders of dogcatchers.

And thanks to the cleanness and spareness of the verse, this story moves along quickly so you want to keep turning pages, long after your eyes begin to droop, as you can almost hear the author muttering the tale out of the side of his mouth in a fluorescent-lit, whiskey-soaked, smoky agora.

If you like noir, read this book. If you like some supernatural fiction, read this book. If you’re Team Jacob, or wish you were one of the meth-crazed hillbilly wolves in ‘True Blood,’ it may not be wolfie enough for you, but read it anyway to broaden your horizons.

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Review: The Brothers of Baker Street

The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The second in a series of books about two lawyer brothers who have offices at 221 B Baker Street in London, famed address of Sherlock Holmes. As I mentioned in the review of the first book, the author is a Boilermaker, so I am “reading local” or whatever you want to call it.

I enjoyed this one more than the first. Like the first, I don’t think the chain of events would stand up to the way the law really works, but still, reading these is like watching a fun detective show on television. They are quick reads and I heartily recommend them as good books-to-read-when-you’re-in-between-books reads.

This installment finds the Heath brothers back in London, with Reggie going back into criminal law to defend a cab driver accused of murder. All the while, he is still getting letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes (because he’s at the address), with one coming from a vengeful “descendent” of Professor Moriarty.

One note, I was hoping to find that the name of a character would be an anagram of a famous Holmes character, and it comes so close, but not quite. It would have been a nice touch.

The narration is by the terrific Simon Vance, which I credit a good portion of my enjoyment of this book to. You really can’t go wrong with an audio book narrated by Vance.

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Review: The Baker Street Letters

The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not bad for a mystery. I ran across the audio version of the second book in this series and grabbed this one to catch up. I’ll be honest, I only read it because the author is a Boilermaker, like me. But, whatever gets somebody to read, right?

That said, I normally steer clear of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. What a pleasant surprise to discover this is not a Holmes pastiche. The premise is that this barrister moves his office into 221B Baker Street and as a result, people write letters to Sherlock Holmes asking him to solve cases, among other things. And then the rest is more or less straightforward mystery.

I’m not a huge mystery fan, but I like the occasional one, and this one was an entertaining and fun, light read. A found a few situations a little unrealistic, I just didn’t see some of the characters, or any person of the intelligence of the people in this book, actually making some of the decisions they end up making. But it’s a minor complaint.

This is a fun, quick, book-to-read-between-books read. And it was engaging enough to continue with the second book, “The Brothers of Baker Street,” which I am so far enjoying even more.

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Review: Echo

Echo by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The newest Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath novel. Really, how much does McDevitt really have left in this series, considering the previous accomplishments of these two? It’s getting kind of hard to top.

So what McDevitt does here is try to shift the accomplishment from being a notable one to the Earthbound 21st century reader to a notable one for the readers in this future civilization (which is who the narrator is writing for anyway) and make the 21st century reader care just as much.

I won’t say this is the best or my favorite of the Benedict/Kolpath novels (that honor is reserved for ‘Polaris’), but it certainly is, as usual, enjoyable and a page-turner and second or third-best in the series (a series that you can, more or less, read in order or out of order if you want). I blasted through it on spring break. And while the previous novel in the series bogged a little down with some politics that seemed to go on a little too long, this one manages to move along well. I thought the appearances of the mysterious assassin mentioned in the plot summary were either too few in number or mentioned too far apart, but overall, another fine entry in the series.

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Review: Seeker

Seeker by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not really sure why I bother recommending individual Jack McDevitt books. You should simply read all the Jack McDevitt books you can find. This third book in his Alex Benedict series is no exception.

‘Seeker’ won the Nebula Award for 2006 and it was well-deserved. The beauty of McDevitt’s books is that the story takes its time to build (without being slow, at least at this point in McDevitt’s writing) and then sudden;y kicks into a page-turning high gear.

Like the previous novel in this series, ‘Polaris,’ this one starts out as a lost/ghost ship plot and then switches to a ‘lost colony’ plot. Alex Benedict and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, once again try to unravel a long-abandoned mystery of the galaxy.

I liked ‘Polaris’ a little bit better than this one, but that by no means this one is a bad book. Like the blurbs on the book say, you really should be reading Jack McDevitt.

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Review: The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Percy Jackson books were OK for me (my son and daughter both really like those) and this was described to me as “Percy Jackson but with Egyptian myth.” And it kind of is, but I liked this one a little better.

I did not care so much for the device of alternating chapters between the Kane siblings, Carter and Sadie, recording the events of the story for you to “listen” too, as the narrative unfolds in such a way that you wouldn’t tell it that way if you were recording it, but I don’t think a kid’s really going to notice or care. That said, that did allow Riordan to develop two main characters really well. Carter and Sadie are both quite distinctive, with both having important roles in the story and not being in the shadow of the other (eg, neither cliche of Sadie being overshadowed by her big brother or Carter is outdone by Girl Power of little sis is present here). Each needs the other’s special skills and abilities.

Overall, this will be a great read for kids and a nice “in between books” read for adults (actually, it’s much better than a lot of adult level books you could read). And while it may look thick, the chapters move quickly and the final battle (there’s always a final battle) will keep you turning pages.

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Review: Towers of Midnight

Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wheel of Time series is back and has shaken off the sloggy funk it was in from Winter’s Heart clear through to Knife of Dreams. Gone are many of the entire physical descriptions (hips and bosoms for women, mustachios for men) and life histories of characters whose only role was to utter one line and then exit the story. Now there are battles and skirmishes and political machinations and plots that actually seem to advance the story. And the Last Battle is no longer the talked-about thing it’s been for the past 13 books, it is here.

Some people I know liked The Gathering Storm, the last book, more than this one, but, while I enjoyed Gathering Storm, I enjoyed this one much better. I found myself anxiously waiting to either go to work or leave for home at the end of the day so I could hear what happened next (obviously, I had the audio version).

As promised by the supernatural effect of ta’veren Rand,, Mat and Perrin, all the storylines and characters are coming together, so this penultimate book in the epic series is a satisfying setup to the finale, A Memory of Light, which, I have read, is due out next year.

Michael Kramer and Kate Reading once again read the audio version, switching off based on the character being followed by the narrative. Each gives an excellent, un-self-conscious performance (and let’s be honest, nerds, reading fantasy out loud can easily make you feel self-conscious) and I marvel at how they have managed to, over 13 books, keep true to the accents of the different nationalities, races and creatures they introduced in the first book.

If you dropped the series for the same reasons I was thinking of dropping it, force yourself through the sloggy bits so you can get to the end. You’ll be glad you did.

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Stephen King: “Under the Dome”

I have not read any new Stephen King novels for quiet some time. He sort of lost me with Tommyknockers and from then on out I just stuck with re-reading old favorites like The Stand and Eyes of the Dragon.

But Under the Dome caught my eye at the bookstore and the price was right and I vaguely remembered a positive tweet from author Neil Gaiman about Stephen King (at the time, I thought the tweet was about this book, but later learned it was for a newer one but by then, I was sucked into The Dome. So thanks Neil, for inadvertently getting me to read Stephen King again.) so I bought the monster-sized book and settled down to read.

Under the Dome is the King I love. The one who takes his time developing characters and adding layer upon layer into a story until you are so completely absorbed that you find yourself thinking about the characters when you’re not reading. You worry about some and hope others get their come-uppance in the end. Most of all, you want to find out what the hell is up with the Dome? He keeps you guessing on it for over a thousand pages but it’s okay, because there’s an entire town full of people who will keep you turning those pages.

The premise is really quite simple: What happens to a small New England town when an invisible-ish barrier is dropped onto it?

What I loved most about this book is it is not a full-on horror story like It or Pet Semetary. I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it when Stephen King gets freaky with the things that can scare you like clowns and zombified relatives. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered what King is really – I mean really – good at is the character study. Stories like Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are where he really shines. Even The Stand, which is my all-time favorite King story is more about the characters than the God/Devil thing.

Under the Dome delivers on just about everything I used to love about King’s writing and I’m so happy I found him again.*

So from me, this book gets five out of five stars. Go find it if you haven’t already read it (it came out in 2009, so it’s not new or anything) and settle in for a good, long stay inside the Dome.

It also looks like the book may be getting the miniseries treatment which could be a good thing or a bad thing. King’s track record for his stuff translating well to the small of big screen is spotty. But for every Dreamcatcher, there is The Shining. For every Langoliers,  there is a Misery. So there is hope – especially since Spielberg may be attached to the project…

*Yes, I know he’s written much since Tommyknockers, including the Dark Tower series and other books I would probably enjoy if I gave them a shot. I was just so put off by by Tommyknockers that it took me a while to get over it.

Review: The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier’s Account of the War in Iraq

The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier’s Account of the War in Iraq by John Crawford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quick recommendation: I read somewhere, I can’t remember where, that the current armed forces are the most literate soldiery in world history and the volume of war memoirs in the past few years are proof of this.

I heard this author interviewed on NPR and he was very funny, which made me read the book.

The book, of course, wasn’t always funny because it is about war after all. It is funny, sad, heartbreaking, and sometimes inspiring. There are a number of excellent war memoirs, so many you certainly can’t read them all. Be sure to make time for this one.

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Review: Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food

Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paul Greenberg does a terrific job of summing up a complicated subject in this book. With farmed animals, genetically modified animals, environmental and habitat destruction for animals much on everyone’s mind, this book offers a balanced and well-reasoned look at the four main fish mankind has fished for food (although Greenberg does sneak a few more in here and there).

That it’s written in such an easily engaging manner without dumbing the subject matter down is a plus. And he does not really beat the drum for any one cause (nor does he get preachy). Of course the book offers no quick and easy solutions, but one book can’t really do that, I am afraid.

Some may find the state of the wild fish stocks detailed in this book depressing. And it is. But don’t let that stop you from reading the whole book. The epilogue/lament at the end sums up his point of view (hint, the section is labeled “Conclusion”) and, while the depressing aspects of the book are revisited (Greenberg is a fisherman himself, and he can only be saddened by the decline of wild fish stocks), he still holds out hope that man can fix things, and not just through technology.

You will like this book: If you liked “Cod” by Mark Kurlansky (which is referenced in this book), you will enjoy and be interested in this one. As a side note, I am going to read “Trying Leviathan” now as a result of its inclusion in this book. Apparently, a whale was considered a fish for a lot longer than necessary because a reactionary response by a jury in New York in an oil labeling dispute.

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