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(originally posted on December 19, 2005)
Let's just say this book is a class case of good, not-so-clean, definitely unwholesome fun, with plenty of droll tongue-in-cheek naughtiness abounding. And that's exactly what it's supposed to be, seeing as protagonist Lucifer Box is a very cheeky multiple agent who'll do pretty much anything in service of the crown. Anyway, I had a great time reading this and definitely look forward to Mr Box's further adventures.
(originally posted on December 19, 2005)
The title pretty much describes my take on the book, honestly -- and with relish and fervor and a healthy dose of sentimentality, Lansky (the founder of the National Yiddish Book Center) describes how a germ of an idea sprouted into a seemingly endless quest to save an entire brand of literature from oblivion. Now, if only more books can be translated into English, I'll be even happier...
(originally posted on December 19, 2005)
When I read MAD MONEY, the series debut for day trader sleuth Madeline Carter, I knew Richards had something special going, but this next book confirms this and then some. The mystery -- who's killing off all the ex-wives of noted media mogul Maxi Livingston -- has lots of punch and plenty of surprises, but the best bits are simply Madeline describing her day (and making day trading fascinating and lively) and interacting with a wealth of strong supporting characters. If there's justice, many more people will be finding out how good Richards is, and soon.
(originally posted on December 19, 2005)
I've read many unscrupulous and amoral characters in crime fiction over the years, but this particular creation of Carlotto's, Giorgio Pellegrini, might be near the top. Fresh out of a Central American prison and trying to evade further charges in his native Italy, he heads home and manages to mess up lots of people's lives so that he can further his own. All the while, Carlotto offers up a pretty damning indictment of the state of his country, a theme that pops up in his wonderful Alligator novels as well. What can I say, I love this guy's work. He's simply one of the best out there right now.
(originally posted on December 5, 2005)
The second in the series starring sex therapist Morgan Snow is a big leap forward from 2004's THE HALO EFFECT, mostly because of the social underpinnings about the psychology of female sexuality and why it's so unbelievably difficult to accept that women can desire and demand pleasure. But this is, of course, a suspense novel, and one that's awfully hard to stop reading with some unexpected twists to close things out.
(originally posted on December 5, 2005)
If there was anyone sitting near me on a city subway as I was reading this book, chances are you saw my mouth hanging open and my eyes aglitter with awe, because my goodness, is this a wonderful novel with unforgettable characters and a story that goes back and forward in time and back again. Love, history, art, failure, hopes and dreams and expectations -- it's all here, wrapped in Horn's keenly understanding voice. It falls apart just a bit till the end but no matter -- it's already one of my favorite novels of 2006.
(originally posted on December 5, 2005)
If hype comes in the form of National Book Award nominations and multiple "best of" lists, then believe it for this. There aren't too many writers who can pull off a non-linear story of dissipation, complex friendship and absolute utter pain like Gaitskill does because as always, she doesn't have to oversell anything. The writing is so good, so clipped, that you're too busy marvelling at it to realize how disturbing the content is till much later. Just tremendous, really.
(originally posted on November 20, 2005)
This is quite the stunning collection from Davidson, who has a keen eye for detail, a wonderful way with words and a tremendous sense of the macabre and disturbing without ever going over-the-top. My favorite story is "Friction" which deals with sex addiction in a darkly humorous way, but all the stories pretty much rock. if you liked the debut collections by Scott Wolven and Christopher Coake, this volume belongs alongside. (Now what I want to know is the pseudonym he uses for his horror novels!)
(originally posted on November 20, 2005)
You know a book is good when as soon as you put it down you immediately reach for the next, and only restraint and deadlines meant I couldn't continue along with the adventures of Australian insurance collector/gumshoe Jack Irish. But when the time comes, I'll probably devour 'em all -- so I hope McAdam/Cage releases them all very, very soon.
(originally posted on November 20, 2005)
I've wanted to read this book for years, but I always feel I get to a particular work at just the right moment. And this, a heartbreakingly incisive portrait of a bright and potential-laden married couple on the slow spiral to doom and despair, didn't just ring true with me, but rings true in general. Yates had such tremendous storytelling power, and knew when to be forceful and when to pull back. No wonder it's a classic.
