Mission to Paris (Night Soldiers, #12)

I hesitate to call 'Mission to Paris' a spy thriller. It's more like a spy drama with some thriller tendencies. That's not to say I didn't like it, and it may even be a bit more realistic because of it.

Frederic Stahl is an American movie actor heading to Paris to make a movie for Paramount France. The problem is that it's the Summer of 1938 and there is a strong Nazi presence in the city. Adding to that is the fact that Frederic is originally from Vienna, but he wants nothing to do with the Nazis or anything they want. When he is invited to host a film festival in Berlin, he hesitates until the American embassy entices him to perform a small errand for them in Berlin with a Russian spy. One thing leads to another and suddenly the Germans are even more interested in this American actor.

I liked it because of the movie making stuff. Stahl comes across as a real Hollywood star of the era. His womanizing perhaps got tedious, but I suppose that's par for the course. I'm new to Furst and I liked the writing style, but it seems like earlier novels might be where to start at even though the novels aren't linked. It was enjoyable enough but perhaps not as suspenseful as you might think.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

The Asylum for Fairy Tale Creatures

'The Asylum for Fairy Tale Creatures' is a creepy asylum in the woods for woe-begotten folks and creatures that are the products of fairy tales. Taking the darkness of the Brothers Grimm and taking it even darker, this was an interesting look at known fairy tales.

Blood Red Riding Hood sees a wolf where her grandmother should be. Thumbeana is a doll and it's not her fault, but she should still be locked away because of the way she was made. Thread Bear is a stuffed toy that has seen sadness. There are others. All locked away so their madness can't infect the world. There are snapshot looks at Rapunzel, Beauty and Cinderella.

I wasn't sure what I was going to be reading when I requested this, but I hoped for something creepy and gothic. Sebastian Gregory's style in writing this is spot on. It's horrific, but still has the feel of classic fairy tales. I really enjoyed it.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Carina UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this delightfully creepy ebook.

Sick

'Sick' has a tagline of "Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead" and it's not too far off the mark, but that might be an exaggeration. It's a pretty decent YA zombie book, but it has a pretty abrupt ending.

Brian, Chad and friends are good at ditching school and getting over the high fence. Brian's ex has gotten up the courage to go to the school assembly (she freaks out in crowds), but Brian is ditching her too. Outside of school, they see their friend Hollis who has gotten sick. Something is not right. They head back to school and their drama class when all hell breaks loose. It's gory and tempers are short. Racist comments find their way out, unfortunately. Brian's mom works for a hospital and that's how we get our news about how widespread this seems to be and what it might be. Brian wants to rescue his kid sister and his ex-girlfriend and get out. He's stuck with a cheerleader, a drama student, his gung-ho friend Chad, who is joining the military, and other kids who just don't normally get along. Will they survive without killing each other first?

I liked it, but I didn't love it. The zombie bits were good, but the standing around in a hallway and figuring things out parts got tedious. Maybe that was the point. The final scene happens, then it just suddenly ends. There is at least one plot point left wide open. Perhaps for a sequel?

I was given a review copy of this ebook by ABRAMS, Amulet Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Evil Dark (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation, #2)

'Evil Dark' works as a good cross between police procedural and urban fantasy. I found it to be a good story and I liked the characters I ran across while reading it.

Stan Markowski is a cop assigned to the supernatural unit in Scranton, Pennsylvania. When a series of corpses show up bearing strange symbols and they all turn out to be vampires. This is a problem because Stan's daughter might be next. Another problem is that one of Stan's consultant's is being hunted by witch hunters who want to burn her, and he's got a strange helper on the case who shows up at odd times and Stan really doesn't like.

I liked the setting and the way the world works. There was some decent humor and references to other horror films and novels. I'll definitely read more in the series.

Sous Chef

'Sous Chef' is written in the second person and puts you in the heat of the kitchen for 24 hours. I found it hard to put down and I thought it was good insight into a stressful career.

The book starts with the sous chef arriving for shift on a Friday morning. The job at this point involves making sure things are put away, food is not spoiling, people are doing the prep work, and this is the quiet part of the day. When chef arrives, it begins and only builds into the evening service. Along the way, the various personalities of kitchen staff are brought into play. Explanations of the kitchen and hierarchy is explained as well as the depth of knowledge needed to perform the job. When a necessary cook isn't performing and you need to fill in their station, can you?

It's an interesting look at a life that is probably for a young person with a peculiar sort of dedication to the craft. It's a job filled with adrenaline, and I found it interesting.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Zeroville

Vikar arrives in Hollywood in the late 1960s and is a devoted film buff. He is such a fan that he has tattooed his bald head with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. It's a strange sight and most people, even those working in film, mistake it for something else. Before long, Vikar, a strange childlike savant, finds himself working as a film editor. His odd approach to editing fits into the world of 1970s cinema, but people don't know if they love it or hate it. Through the course of the book he finds himself captured by Spanish rebels, living in a beachhouse in California, attending the Cannes film festival and being mistaken for one of the Manson family. It's an odd book, and the main character is even odder. There is punk rock and a missing movie that is hidden frame by frame in other films. There are the people who work in film, but don't know classic film. There is the transience of life and stardom.

Real and imaginary characters populate the book. The real films and characters are often not named, but hinted at. A hilarious early scene takes place during the filming of 'Love Story.' In a later scene, Vikar wins an award but is furious that they want to use his real name instead of the one he goes by. It's a pretty interesting sendup, but the ending is a bit strange and abrupt. I liked where it was going, but it felt a bit rushed. It was still very entertaining.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Grand Cru Heist

'Grand Cru Heist'is the second in the Winemaker Detective series and the first book I've read in the series. Originally written and published in France, it has been translated so that an English reading audience can enjoy it, and it's a pretty good book.

When wine critic Benjamin Cooker is carjacked and assaulted. He's lost his car, but more importantly his wine notebook has also been taken. He leaves Paris for Tours for a rest and to recover. While there he meets an interesting British man travelling with a striking Eastern European woman. When she ends up dead, he tries to help out, but the local police would rather not have his assistance. Who is the mysterious man he left and can he be responsible for this murder? Can it be linked to the mysterious theft of Angelus wine?

At first, I found Cooker to be fussy and a little annoying, but he grew on me. When he got back to Paris and had his assistant Virgile along with him, it got better. The mystery was interesting, but the wine culture is what made this book. It definitely falls into the "cozy" mystery genre, but it's a good addition. I'll be looking forward to reading more in this series.

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Le French Book and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

Italian Tattoo Flash: The Best of Times Collection

author: Max Brain

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/26

date added: 2014/06/26

shelves: non-fiction

review:

I don't have any tattoos, but I appreciate good tattoo art. The problem is so much of the stuff I see lacks the kind of serious art to make it interesting. 'Italian Tattoo Flash: The Best of Times Collection' shows the artsier side of tattoo design.



Flash are the designs that tattoo artists draw on paper. The three artists here all work at Best of Times Tattoo in Milan, Italy. The artists are Max Brain, Stizzo (the owner of the parlor) and Silvio Pellico. The art is grouped by artist and also features pictures of the artists at work.



The designs are stunning. With minimal colors there are animals, women, religious objects and historical objects. The art all has a retro sort of style to it and is very detailed. My favorite artist of the three is Pellico, but all the artists feature designs that I really liked. Maybe not enough for me to get a tattoo, but definitely artistic choices.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this interesting, artistic book.





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The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

If you love reading books about books or people who love books, stop reading right now and go get a copy of 'The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.' I haven't fallen this hard for a book in a few years and it definitely makes my favorites of all time list. Still reading this and not looking for a copy of the book?

A.J. Fikry is the irascible owner of Island Books, a store which does better business in the summer during tourist season. He is a recently widowed man, and his life is being spent more with alcohol and being prickly to everyone around him. When something priceless he owns goes missing, he is undone. When something even more priceless shows up, it threatens to overturn his ordered life. He soon finds himself having a life he probably didn't imagine and learning that no man is an island.

Every chapter is named after a book or short story and includes A.J.'s review of it. There are book references throughout the book as well as the value that a good bookstore brings to the people in a community. Even better are the characters in this book. They are perfectly imperfect, just like real people.

There are so many great quotes in this book, but I'll just leave you with my favorite: "We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone."

I was given a review copy of this ebook by Algonquin Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this great book.

The Backwash of War: Inspired the BBC Drama The Crimson Field. The Classic Account of a First World War Field-Hospital

author: Ellen N. La Motte

name: Wayne

average rating: 5.00

book published: 2014

rating: 5

read at: 2014/06/23

date added: 2014/06/23

shelves: non-fiction

review:

War is hell, and certainly nobody knows this more than the doctors and nurses serving in the field hospitals near the battlefields. Especially those serving the wounded during World War I in Belgium and France. 'The Backwash of War' is a firsthand series of vignettes by Ellen N. La Motte who was an American nurse serving as an army nurse in Europe during the Great War. The release of this version of the book coincides with the 100th anniversary of World War I.



The first thing that struck me was how cynical the book is. I'm more familiar with that tone in books from later wars. Certainly the futility must have been felt, but it comes through clearly here. From a patient with a botched suicide that must be tended to just so he can die to the little Belgian boy who is wounded and his mother is too busy to come visit him because of her business making money off of soldiers. A patient getting a medal means a pension, but also means the patient will die. Patching and healing and returning soldiers to the front only to have them come back to repeat the cycle. Also, the soldiers got older as the war went on as the younger soldiers were all used up.



It's a quick, brutal read and I found it completely engaging. The title is completely perfect. There is apparently a BBC drama called the Crimson Field that is based on this book and I'll have to go looking for that next. If this sounds at all appealing, I can't recommend it enough.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Pavilion Books, Conway and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this great book.





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An Etiquette Guide to the End Times

author: Maia Sepp

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.40

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/19

date added: 2014/06/19

shelves:

review:

In 'An Etiquette Guide to the End Times' we learn that just because the world is slowly unwinding and there is disruption and chaos, this is no time to lose our civility and manners.



It's 2028 and global warming has made Toronto a very warm place. There are food and water shortages and surviving is kind of a full time gig. Olive has an etiquette blog on the internet, except now there is not internet. On top of that, "friendly" government officials come knocking and bribing her with pastries. They want her to work for them and help spread the word that everything is great, when the evidence seems to be otherwise. If that's not enough, Olive's grandfather Fred has gone missing and she's going to have to go through some food bribery of her own to get him back.



I really loved this book. This is an apocalypse with no zombies, but lots of character. Olive's dilemmas and adventures are wry and intelligent. The clever title alone got me to read this and I'm so very glad I did.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Maia Sepp and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me the chance to review such a delightful book.





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Hobbit Lessons: A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys

author: Devin Brown

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.67

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/06/12

date added: 2014/06/12

shelves: non-fiction

review:

'Hobbit Lessons: A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys' takes a look at the lessons we can all find in the works fo J.R.R. Tolkien. There is a lot of crossover to the Lord Of The Rings series, so the title is a little misleading, and probably titled to take advantage of the newer movies, but it does use Bilbo's journey as the basis.



The lessons include being open to new adventures, watching out for your friends, not holding too tightly to what we think is valuable, realizing that all that glitters is not gold, and finally that we are just a small part of a larger whole. The book is supposedly a Christian book, and there are some feints in that direction, but it doesn't seem overly religious, so it shouldn't offend anyone.



There are some drawings in the book, and each chapter has questions for reflection. I've read The Hobbit many times, and if you asked me what the lessons were, I might come up with the same exact list. Whether you need a third party to make that clear to you is something you will have to decide. It's a quick enough read, and does expand nicely on the topics. I enjoyed reading it.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Abingdon Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.





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Jack Strong

author: Walter Mosley

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.20

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/12

date added: 2014/06/12

shelves:

review:

'Jack Strong' is a new shorter sf work from Walter Mosley and it's a good one. I'd love to read more stories about this character, because there were a lot of things left unexplained by the end. That's not a bad thing. That's an enticement to want to learn more.



Jack Strong wakes up in a fancy Las Vegas hotel room from a dream with lots of voices in it. He still hears them when he wakes up, and his body is scarred and patchworked. His hand has a ladies finger on it among others. To top it all of, there are folks in a black van that keep following him around.



The story revolves around all these dead people suddenly sort of residing in Jack's body with him. He can cycle through them at will to find the one with the skills he needs at the time. He's figuring out that he might need to help some of them. For instance, there is this guy who died in the desert on the outskirts of Las Vegas after he was double-crossed by his girlfriend.



It's a short breathtaking page turner and while the story is complete, it definitely left me wanting to know more about Jack and some of the people living inside him. Suspenseful and imaginative.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this action packed ebook.





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Going Home (Going Home, #1)

author: A. American

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.04

book published: 2012

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/09

date added: 2014/06/09

shelves:

review:

'Going Home' gives a kind of "what if" scenario about what happens if the power grid should ever fail. It's a gripping read, and much better than some others I've read. Mainly because the main character is actually a decent human being forced to do tough things.



When Morgan's vehicle breaks down 250 miles from home, he initially finds it to be an inconvenience. When he notices that all the cars around him aren't working and neither are any of his electronics, he suspects a larger problem. Morgan is more prepared for this than most folks, so he grabs his bug out bag from the trunk and sets out for home on foot. Along the way he meets people who will help him, and people who want to harm him. As the days drag on, people get more desparate. Morgan finds a couple trustworthy travelling companions, one a trucker and one a college kid heading in his direction.



Partly it's a collection of what I like to think of as "gear porn." Lots of gear is discussed and used (cooking gear, firearms, various survival items like food and water bottles, etc.). Strategies and tactics are woven throughout. Morgan is not a crazy, gun-toting lunatic. He's a father trying to get back to his family. I liked him. The cause of the power outage might seem a bit implausible, but no more than any other thriller out there. The book is a real page turner. It bogged a bit for me about two-thirds through, but finishes strong and lays the groundwork for future volumes.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Penguin Group Plume and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this exciting ebook.





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The Gamification Revolution: How Leaders Leverage Game Mechanics to Crush the Competition

author: Gabe Zichermann

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.03

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/06/07

date added: 2014/06/07

shelves: non-fiction-business

review:

'The Gamification Revolution' is a guide for gamifying the business world. It's a kind of buzzword in modern business and this book goes about attempting fairly well how gamification is being used by businesses. To get employee engagement, this is certainly something that can be beneficial, especially among younger employees who are also gamers.



The book includes access to a webpage that attempts to gamify the reading experience. Answering questions about the chapter would unlock extra features and interviews. Unfortunately, for me, this came across as gimicky and didn't engage me after a couple chapters. The extra content was good, but having to jump through hoops to get it felt like someone was trying too hard. In later chapters, the game content had the reader do stuff like "read the next section standing on one leg." I get where they were going with this, it just seemed to take away from the subject.



On the plus side, they used plenty of real world examples of companies that are successfully using gamification to train employees, or use customers or complete strangers to get involved in a company or product. The concepts are good, but may lack step by step ways to do this. There are companies that can help your company do this, and I don't think copying a set strategy or another company is necessarily the best idea.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by McGraw-Hill Professional and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.





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Millhouse

author: Natale Ghent

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.73

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/07

date added: 2014/06/07

shelves: children-s

review:

'Millhouse' is the kind of adorable kids book I loved when I was little. It reminds me of Charlotte's Web, the books of Dick King-Smith, and any number of talking animal books I read.



Millhouse, or Milly, is a hairless guinea pig living in a pet shop, that's seen better days, along with other animals. He's a bit of a wimp, but he also loves the theater. He was once owned by an actor, and Milly spends his nights reminiscing about those days and performing bits of theater, to the jeers of his nearby cagemates. A group of mice help him get out to the theater one night on an adventure that is almost fatal. When an accident happens in the pet store, can Milly summon up the courage to save the day? And will he ever be adopted by someone who appreciate who he is?



At first I didn't like wimpy Millhouse, but he grew on me. There are some memorable characters, like the swarms of baby mice and the aging rat. By the end, Millhouse had won me over, and that's the lesson of the book. We all are different, and each of us has the capability of being a hero.



It's a cute book, and one that would be great for about age 8, or to be read aloud to younger readers. There are illustrations throughout. I found it a delightful read.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Random House of Canada Limited and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this charming book.





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The Long Way

author: Michael Corbin Ray

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.03

book published: 2013

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/06

date added: 2014/06/06

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Ro-Busters: The Disaster Squad of Distinction' is a collection of stories from 2000AD Magazine. These all are from the late 1970s. They are serial stories, but complete story arcs are included here. The Ro-Busters are a team of robots that help with international rescue. Their boss is the conniving mostly robot, Howard Quartz. He's also known as Ten Percent for the amount of human he has left.



The two main robots for most of these stories are Ro-Jaws, a kind of crass plumber robot, and Hammer-Stein, a soldier robot with memories of the last war. His memories make up one of the better story arcs in the collection. There is also a story with the Terra-Meks, a group of giant robots sent in to destroy a town and Big Charlie, the friendly harbor robot who stands in their way.



The art is all great, with black and white illustrations. Writing is mainly by Pat Mills, who writes an introduction. Alan Moore also has writing duties on this series. It's not a series I was familiar with, but I found it to be goofy fun.



I was given a review copy by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun graphic novel.





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Troy: Last War of the Heroic Age

author: Si Sheppard

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.11

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2014/06/03

date added: 2014/06/03

shelves: non-fiction

review:

'Troy: Last War of the Heroic Age' is one of the most concise retellings I've seen of the Trojan War. In 80 pages (inluding illustrations!) the major themes, characters and battles of the war are discussed (as well as much of the minor material as well).



It all starts with Paris running off with Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta. The city of Troy found itself besieged by the Aechaens and a huge number of forces from other states in Greece. We meet Achilles, Ajax, Hector, Odysseus, and Aeneas. Some will survive, some will be cut down. We see the capricious gods intervening to serve their own inscrutable aims. We learn the origins of the myth of Achilles heel and how it didn't become part of the myth until much later. Then there is the Trojan horse, a plan so crazy that it almost failed a couple times before succeeding.



Professor Si Sheppard has done a great job distilling this story. The illustrations are well chosen. I especially loved the bits of Greek pottery that were chosen which illustrate the heroic moments of the story. I really enjoyed this book.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Osprey Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review the fascinating ebook.





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Quite Contrary

author: Richard Roberts

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.46

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2014/06/03

date added: 2014/06/03

shelves:

review:

In 'Quite Contrary' young streetwise Mary Stuart finds herself in a familiar story, but decides not to play along. In a story that is not about the destination, but the journey, we learn that we don't have to play out the story we've been given.



Mary goes to a party that she probably shouldn't have gone too. After all, she's only 12. She gets dared to go into the scary crawlspace under the house and finds herself in the woods. With a talking rat named Rat. He wants to be Rat-in-boots, but he lacks the boots. She also finds herself wearing a red cape and realizes she's supposed to be Red Riding Hood. She's also supposed to die at the hands of a terrible wolf. She decides differently, so she runs. She finds herself in a series of stories with the wolf pursuing her. Fairies, Norse tales, a boat that is purgatory, a castle with dangerous traps and a modern day horror town are a few of the locations. She meets friends and enemies along the way.



I found Mary a little too worldwise. She's only 12, and backstory is given for her toughness, but it was easy to forget she was 12 a lot of the time. However, I did like her unwillingness to just follow along the path she was on. Her snarky attitude makes her a pretty cool character and I'd like to read more stories starring her.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Curiosity Quills Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.





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Futureland

author: Walter Mosley

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.73

book published: 2001

rating: 4

read at: 2014/05/29

date added: 2014/05/29

shelves:

review:

'Futureland' by Walter Mosley is a collection of nine Science Fiction stories he wrote a number of years ago collected into an ebook format. There is a distinct cyberpunk feel to the stories, and they intertwine some of the characters.



We are introduced to a young boy named Ptolemy Bent whose father will go to great lengths to make sure his son gets the right education. We meet Fera Jones, a heavyweight fighter and her designer drug addicted father. Folio Jones is the "last private detective in New York" and has a computer for an eye.



This is the future, but it's a future where rights and privileges are nonexistent for the common people. Rich, megomaniacal people rule the poor, run the prisons and collect the few who are smart enough to benefit them. Racism is still very much rampant, even to the extent of biowars.



It's a bleak future, but the stories are interesting, the characters are memorable, and the message is loud and clear. This is great stuff from someone who isn't known for this type of writing.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.





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