Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe

Title: Burn Me Deadly
Author: Alex Bledsoe
Illustrator: N/A
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Dewey Decimal: F Ble
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2221-0
Cost: $24.99

Burn Me Deadly, due out in early November, is another hot read by Alex Bledsoe. We meet with Eddie LaCrosse again as he's thrust unwillingly into another mystery. But don't call Scooby Doo just yet, because these are some mean characters.

We have the dragon worshipers looking for prrof of their god. We have a local bad guy making some money off them while they search. We have the royalty doing their best to screw things up. And we have our hero Eddie doing his best to see justice done.

And the whole thing is in the Black River Hills, which made me think of the television show Deadwood which is set in the Black Hills of South Dakota. And if you've never seen the show, the next paragraph will be lost on you.

Which had prospectors searching for their gold. A local bad guy, Al Swearengen, making money off everyone. The US government trying to screw things up. And the hero Seth Bullock trying to see justice done.

Aside from my Deadwood thoughts, I think Bledsoe did a good job of pushing Eddie into a stronger character (and a more believeable one) with his relationship with Liz. There were some scenes that didn't quite feel right and a few were predictable, but it was all smoothed over by the fast pace and the action (although I would have enjoyed more swordplay by Eddie).

In the end, Burn Me Deadly was a fast, light, and easy read. You don't need to know about Eddie or read The Sword-Edged Blonde (review here) to "get" this story, but it will help give you some background on Eddie. And you don't need to worry about plots so thick that you have to read three books just to get to the bottom of them. Just sit back and get ready for a wild ride as Eddie LaCrosse, sword-jockey, has another exciting adventure.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Title: The Lost City of Z
Author: David Grann
Illustrator: David Cain
Pages: 277
Genre: Non-Fiction
Dewey Decimal:
ISBN: 978-0-385-51353-1
Cost: $27.50

The Lost City of Z is not just the tragic story of a man obsessed with finding a lost civilization in the jungles of the Amazon. It is also the story of an author determined to find out what happened to him and what he learns along the way.

When I first glanced at the cover of the book and skimmed the blurb, I was expecting it to be a Dan Brown-esqe style of story about a man who searches for a great mystery and finds it before dying, only to have another man come along later to rediscover the mystery. A few weeks later, I heard more about the book and found out it was a true story. And after reading it, I was pretty close with my first impression.

While the plot moves slowly at times, especially early on, there is a great mystery and there is a great reveal. To set the playing field, Grann begins by giving the reader an idea of what the Amazonian explorer Percy "Colonel" Fawcett accomplished early in his career. For nearly ten years, Fawcett explored much of the Amazon and was well-known for his discoveries. World War I interrupted his career, but when it ended, he promptly went back to the Amazon for more exploring.

All of this leads up to his quest for the city of "Z" (his code-name for the ancient city) that he had become obsessed with over time. Many other explorers believed in an ancient civilization and some sort of Atlantis or Eden-like city. So in 1925, Fawcett, his son, and his son's friend go back to the Amazon in search of the city. They never returned.

Since then, many other explorers, rescuers, and researchers went to the jungles of the Amazon to search for Fawcett, his lost city, or both. Many never survived. Even as recently as 1996 explorers were kidnapped and ransomed.

Enter the author, David Grann. During his research he became obsessed with Fawcett (but not so much in the lost city). He tracked down descendants of Fawcett and reviewed private letters, journals, and other papers that have never been released. He made some discoveries (such as the likely route Fawcett took) but the journey he made was the most interesting.

In the end, where the book gets better, Grann travels to the Amazon and is shocked to see no jungle. Years of logging have reduced it to flat plains for grazing cattle and growing crops. I never expected it to be compared to the plains of Nebraska. He also discovers what was most likely the last sighting of Fawcett as well as the ancient city he was searching for. That's right, an ancient city in the Amazon.

Don't believe me? Then read the book. It'll be worth your time. It's a great story about obsession, the death of cultures, and even makes a great companion novel for LOST fans.

GIVEAWAY - FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer

I have a copy of FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer ---AND--- a copy of River of Ruin by Jack DuBrul to giveaway. FlashFoward is new from the store while River of Ruin is a slightly used (meaning I read it) copy. Both are mass market paperback versions.



How do you enter to win both books?

Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at tk42one (at thingy) gmail (dot) com with FLASHFORWARD in the Subject.

-OR-

Send me a DM or @ reply on Twitter (http://twitter.com/librarydad).

What are the rules?

- You must live on the planet Earth (sorry, no intergalactic entries).
- You can only enter once (duplicate attempts will be disqualified).
- Deadline to enter is midnight October 5, 2009.

Note: While there are two copies of FlashForward showing above, you only get one copy. The other is mine.

Reading Update

I'm in the middle of so many books I must be crazy. Here's the list (as best as I can remember):

Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe - Finished. Review forthcoming.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann - Finished. Review forthcoming.

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - Just started it.

The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan - Just started it.

Flash Forward by Robert J. Sawyer - Just started it.

Acacia by David Anthony Durham - Next in line.

So there you have it. Let's hope I can keep the reading schedule steady. Fall prime time starts this week and we have football to worry about too.

Medusa Stone Giveaway WINNER

And the winner of Medusa Stone by Jack Du Brul is...

hopefulauthor

Yes, she won! She had the only entry, so make sure you tell your friends and stay tuned for more. There are plenty more giveaways out there this month, so check them out!

Blood Groove by Alex Bledsoe (review)

Title: Blood Groove
Author: Alex Bledsoe
Illustrator: N/A
Length: 8 and 1/2 hours
Genre: Fiction
Dewey Decimal: F Ble
ISBN: 978-0765321961
Cost: $14.95

Groovy man, it's bloody and groovy.

I've read Bledsoe's The Sword-Edged Blonde (review here) and was very impressed. In listening to Blood Groove and reading his next Eddie LaCrosse novel, Burn Me Deadly, at the same time, I've taken my level of appreciation for Alex to a new level. In the world of Eddie LaCrosse, there's a hint of magic here and there while Eddie solves crimes in a fantasy-style world. Think of a sword-wielding private detective and that's Eddie.

But when you read Blood Groove, be prepared to through all of your preconceived ideas of Eddie's world, Alex's writing style, and vampires out the window.

We start with Baron Rudolfo Zginski, the evil vampire stuck in quasi-stasis until he arises from the dead in 1975 in Memphis. Zginski and the 70s are characters in and of themselves. Sometimes fighting each other, sometimes working in concert. Zginski is an old-school vampire that knows his stuff, but is out of his element as he's been "dead" for sixty years.

Enter the mid-70s. Racial tensions, drugs, and free love are all running rampant in the southern town of Memphis and Zginski struggles to adapt. Fortunately his vampire powers help him out of a few tight spots until he can find others of his kind.

Along the way people die, people become vampires, and vampires die. And that's just the start. Zginski's vampire crew is nothing like you've seen before, nor is Zginski. They can do some of the "usual" stuff we've heard of before like mess with people's minds and turn into a wolf, but they can also walk in the daylight and can be killed by a secret white powder.

While bodies are piling up, Zginski is fortunate to have landed in a time when DNA evidence was ten years away and crime scene investigation was still stuck in the old world of photographs and sketches.

There's a lot to talk about with this book, but I don't want to give too much away. So instead, I'll leave you with a warning. And a stern one at that. This is NOT a book for children. In fact, if this were a movie, I'd say it would fall into the NC-17 classification easily. There are sex scenes that are very detailed. And while the violence is also graphic, it didn't compare to the sex scenes. But don't worry, they don't take away from the story. If anything they add to it.

In the end, Alex's Blood Groove is hugely different from The Sword-Edged Blonde and Burn Me Deadly. He has proven he can easily write in a different genre without sacrificing the quality of his work. And while many call his Eddie LaCrosse novels a cross between a mystery and a fantasy, I would call Blood Groove a cross between real vampires and erotica.

GIVEAWAY - Pandora's Curse by Jack DuBrul

I have a copy of Pandora's Curse by Jack DuBrul to giveaway. This is a slightly used (meaning I read it) mass market paperback version. This is also an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC or galley) version.

How do you enter to win a copy?

Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at tk42one (at thingy) gmail (dot) com with PANDORA'S CURSE in the Subject.

-OR-

Send me a DM or @ reply on Twitter (http://twitter.com/librarydad).

What are the rules?

- You must live in the United States.
- You can only enter once (duplicate attempts will be disqualified).
- Deadline to enter is midnight September 28, 2009.

Charon's Landing Giveaway WINNER

And the winner of Charon's Landing by Jack Du Brul is...

SarahStelmok

Yes, she won the last giveaway too, but that's because she was the only one to enter! So enter now for a good chance to win!

There are plenty more giveaways out there this month, so check them out!

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Linda Brent (review)

Title: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Author: Linda Brent
Illustrator: N/A
Pages: 306
Genre: Non-Fiction
Dewey Decimal: B Bre
ISBN: N/A
Cost: $0

While this particular book is available for free reading via Google or other sources, I picked up the LibriVox recording so I could listen to it during my drive time.

As to the basic plot of the novel, it follows Linda Brent through her life as a slave. Except her name really isn't Linda Brent, it's Harriet Ann Jacobs. Born into slavery in North Carolina, she suffered years of abuse from her master and years of love from a few members of her master's family. She was able to learn how to read and write but was abused at the same time. Talk about a love-hate relationship.

Harriet's journey through life clearly has hardships, as anyone would expect from the life of a slave. And while I'm sure some slaves had it easier than others and some had it worse, Harriet's life appeared to have a fair balance. Not that it made it any easier for her. Imagine spending seven years of your life in an attic just to hide from the person that claims to own you. I shudder at the thought.

But Harriet's tale does have a positive ending. Unlike some slaves, she was able to find freedom after years of being on the run and even managed to free her children. She died after living through the Civil War and living a life as a Christian and abolitionist.

In the end, this was a mixed tale, one of hope and sorrow, one of grief and happiness. While not as depressing as other auto-biographies could be, it certainly wasn't as happy and comedic as some. It was a great account of slave life and of the hardships they endured in slavery. Even more educational was learning how many hardships they'd endure to gain their freedom.

GIVEAWAY - The Medusa Stone by Jack DuBrul

I have a copy of The Medusa Stone by Jack DuBrul to giveaway. This is a slightly used (meaning I read it) mass market paperback version.

How do you enter to win a copy?

Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at tk42one (at thingy) gmail (dot) com with MEDUSA STONE in the Subject.

-OR-

Send me a DM or @ reply on Twitter (http://twitter.com/librarydad).

What are the rules?

- You must live anywhere outside of the United States (foreign entries only!)
- You can only enter once (duplicate attempts will be disqualified).
- Deadline to enter is midnight September 21, 2009.

Declaration of Independence by John Hancock et al. (review)

Title: Declaration of Independence
Author: John Hancock et al.
Illustrator: N/A
Pages: 1
Genre: Non-Fiction
Dewey Decimal: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Cost: $0

John Hancock and fifty five other members of the Continental Congress authored and signed the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. To some degree we're all familiar with at least part of the history leading up to the the creation of the document and the ramifications it brought about when it was ratified.

And I know some of my readers will wonder why I'm even reviewing this particularly short piece of reading. Mostly because I love history, but also because I have never read it before in it's entirety. I know bits and pieces, but I decided it was finally time to read it from start to finish.

Most enjoyable about this work was the language. It was full of great words like "multitude" and "abdicated" and "barbarous." There are even wonderful phrases like "When in the course of human events..." and "He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt out Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People."

But the most enjoyable part of reading this, the best part of all, was reading it out loud and with a slightly Southern accent (like I was from Mississippi or South Carolina). I could almost envision myself standing in Philadelphia with the Founding Fathers surrounding me cheering me on while I read.

My bottom line is that everyone should read this. Even if you hate history, even if you have no appreciation of the roots of our country. The language and rhythm of the document are great. And when you factor into it the weight of the words, the reason behind the document, it takes the story to a new level.

Vulcan's Forge Giveaway WINNER

And the winner of Vulcan's Forge by Jack Du Brul is...

SarahStelmok

There are plenty more giveaways out there this month, so check them out!

BBAW 2009 - The Short List

No, I didn't make the short list for the Book Blogger Appreciation Week. But I do encourage all of you to go out there and vote for some very deserving blogs. Myself, I'm just honored to have been nominated.

Chronicles of the Planeswalkers Part Zero by B. T. Robertson (review)

Title: Chronicles of the Planeswalkers Part Zero
Author: B. T. Robertson
Illustrator: N/A
Pages: 216
Genre: Fiction
Dewey Decimal: F Rob
ISBN: 0-9754533-0-0
Cost: $14.95

Another depressingly sour review. Mostly because I was really hoping this would be a good read. Instead, I gave up after fifty or so pages.

Why did I give up? Mostly because the book had no hook. And while that could be a minor flaw in some novels, it proved to be the big stumbling block in this one. The story felt too much like a basic fantasy novel, which is fine, but it didn't keep my interest. I tried several times to pick it up again but it was hard.

Why did I buy it? Partly based on a positive review I saw awhile back. But mostly because of the author. A young guy about my age with a new family and from the same general area as my wife's childhood home. Close enough they may have crossed paths at some point. But all of that did little to help the story.

And I think he did his level best in writing the story, I just think another year or two on the side lines would have honed his craft enough to play with the big dogs. And that totally makes me sound like a spoiled reader, which I will totally admit to. When you read the likes of Stirling, Martin, and others, it's hard to read an author's debut novel, especially in the fantasy genre.

The bottom line for me wasn't so good. But I'm ready to admit you may enjoy it. If others did, you might too. So at least consider it. After all, he has to be a Steeler fan, right?

GIVEAWAY - Charon's Landing by Jack DuBrul

I have a copy of Charon's Landing by Jack DuBrul to giveaway. This is a slightly used (meaning I read it) mass market paperback version.

How do you enter to win a copy?

Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at tk42one (at thingy) gmail (dot) com with CHARON'S LANDING in the Subject.

-OR-

Send me a DM or @ reply on Twitter (http://twitter.com/librarydad).

What are the rules?

- You must live on the planet Earth (sorry, no intergalactic entries).
- You can only enter once (duplicate attempts will be disqualified).
- Deadline to enter is midnight September 14, 2009.

Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer (review)

Title: Bloody Jack
Author: L. A. Meyer
Illustrator: N/A
Pages: 290
Genre: Fiction
Dewey Decimal: YA F Mey
ISBN: 978-0-15-205085-6
Cost: $7.95

This book is Harry Potter meets Pirates of the Caribbean.

No, there's no magic involved, but the main character shuffles off to the new world of seamanship aboard the HMS Dolphin (circa 1790s-1810s). The main character is Mary Faber, a street urchin, that joins the crew as a ship's boy. Yes, she pretends to be a boy. And while at times the book is light-hearted like Hook, at other times it gets a bit detailed like the Slums of Beverly Hills. There are some things I just don't want to read about but Meyer does an excellent job of presenting it in a way that won't make you cringe too much.

The plot revolves around Mary, aka Jacky, aka Bloody Jack, and her hiding herself among a crew of men. A large crew of men that include some good and some evil. Best of all is the language. Mary's "voice" is very much like a London street waif when you start reading but gradually progresses to a more learned ship's boy over time. And of course her ability to disguise herself as a boy becomes harder as she reaches puberty.

This book is clearly not for younger children as it discusses puberty and has some various sexual references. But it isn't graphic enough to make it an "adult" title either. I'd put it in the hands of a middle school kid with no qualms.

There were a few points during the book that felt a bit outlandish, but again, Meyer presents them in a manner that keeps you reading and not focused on the amount of sheer luck needed to actually do what happened in the book.

A story of teenage love, pirate hunting, and sailing ships, this book is an easy read and very entertaining. I'd recommend it and will likely try to pick up the rest of the series from the library when I can.