Mini Review: "The Complete Compost Gardening Guide"

Designed primarily for the newcomer to composting, this 320 page book including index teaches everything a gardener needs to know to be successful with composting. From getting started and picking a location, determining what to compost and what to avoid, knowing the different types of compost and picking the plants that interact best with compost along with a host of other related topics, this book has it all. The text is simple and straight forward while being very informative and the large color pictures, numerous detailed illustrations and various lists are a helpful asset. The result is a book that serves every level of gardener and is a definite winner for your gardening reference library.

The Complete Compost Gardening Guide
Barbara Pleasant & Deborah L. Martin
Storey Publishing (Walsworth Publishing Company)
2008
ISBN 978-1-58017-702-3



Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2009

Reviewing: "New Concepts in Paper Quilling: Techniques for Cards & Gifts" by Marie Browning

Over 127 pages long this book tells readers as much as possible about the intricate art of quilling. Quilling is defined in the introduction as "…the art of rolling very thin strips of paper into scroll shapes and creating artistic designs with the various shapes, which are glued onto a base. Quilling is also known as paper filigree or paper scroll work." (Page 8) After a 2 page intro about the history of quilling, there is a seven page section on the "Basic Supplies, Tools," as well as "The Quilling Technique" and "Basic Quilled Shapes." Clearly, one needs steady hands and plenty of dexterity to purse this craft.

Page 18 begins the patterns with "Making Fringed Flowers." Along with a list of basic supplies needed and instructions are three pictures depicting three different types of flower. "Making Swirl Flowers" follows next along with "Shaping Paper" and "Husking."

Readers move on to "Card Art" which begins on page twenty eight. This is the main theme of the book and the chapter is over sixty pages long with numerous card projects for any occasion. Instructions for how to make the matching gift tags are included in many of these designs and plans. One would have to have the technique for the various elements or shapes down and be fairly confident in one's ability before pursuing any of these designs as they are complicated.

So to are the "Zinnia Containers" or "Wedding Tin" or the "Flower Place Markers" found in the next chapter titled "Home Décor & Gift Projects." Featuring nine projects over twenty six pages, the complexity and skill level remains high. The intricate designs are beautiful as depicted and the text is clear and informative. But, again, clearly one needs a lot of practice to make these fragile works of art.

An eight page final chapter covers various "Jewelry Projects" such as "The Fringed Flower Pendent" or "Heart Pendant." This is the shortest chapter with only five plans depicted. That chapter leads readers into a small metric conversion chart and index.

While colorful and a very informative book, Quilling is clearly not simple to do. This book is not, despite the introduction, designed with the novice in mind. Instead it is more for the advanced Quiller who has experience in developing the many different shapes. On that level, it is a very good book. For the novice, it won't be much help, if at all.


New Concepts in Paper Quilling: Techniques for Cards & Gifts
Marie Browning
http://www.mariebrowning.com/
Sterling Publishing CO.
http://www.sterlingpublishing.com/
2008
ISBN# 1-4027-3510-3
$24.95

This book was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Library System. According to budget projections recently reported in the local media, the library system is facing over a million dollars in cuts for the new fiscal year. These are tough times for libraries as those making the budgets often look to libraries to cut even though traffic is usually at record levels. Support your local library.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Blood On the Dining Room Floor" by Gertrude Stein (2008 DOVER Edition with John Herbert Gill)

"They said nothing happens in the country but there are more changes in a family in the country in five years than in a family in the city and this is natural. If nothing changed in the country there could not be butter and eggs. There have to be changes in the country, there had to be breaking up of families and killing of dogs and spoiling of sons and losing of daughters and killing of mothers and banishing of fathers. Of course there must in the country. And so this makes in the country everything happening in the country. Nothing happens in the city. Everything happens in the country. The city just tells what has happened in the country, it has already happened in the country.
Lizzie do you understand." (Pages 42-43)

Written in 1933 this seventy-four page tale tells of various crimes, some mischievous, some sinister that happened one fateful summer. The tale, told in a stream of consciousness fashion, relates how phone lines were cut, automobiles were sabotaged, and at least one, if not more, nearby residents died. Events as well as numerous interconnected relationships are told from an unnamed narrator that allows every thought to spill out unguided. Situations, including possible murder, are not investigated and there is little clear meaning.

Like in most of her other works, Gertrude Stein doesn't use dialogue tags or dialogue and rarely actually specifically names a character. Generic terms such as sister or gardener" or "servant" are used along with little reference to time or date. Any reference is done my trying to figure out who has left and who has arrived in the constantly shifting cast of vague characters.

Instead, any understanding of the work is to be gained by reading the accompanying work of the editor John Herbert Hill. In this 2008 Dover edition of literary criticism, he has composed a new introduction as well as published a previous afterword written for another edition and included two related short stories, "Is Dead" and "A Waterfall and A Piano."

Beyond the numerous self congratulatory references he chose to include about himself from various critics and experts on the field in the introduction, the eleven pages do provide some context to the work. Beyond explaining what the story is actually about, Mr. Hill provides context for the time period the author wrote the piece and some of the themes to look for in the work including her fascination with fratricide and her love/hate relationship with her home country. While he makes frequent mention of the obvious deaths in the work he makes no mention of the obvious death of spirit that numerous characters exhibit.

The afterword comes from the editor's 1982 edition published by Creative Arts Book Company and sheds further contextual light on the piece. Among other points, he notes stylistic choices the author made in the work such as the universal "we" by her use of "everybody," the jumbling of past and present, the lack of a detective, etc. He also, as he did in the introduction, makes references to the two short stories included in this book and argues that they were her attempts to continue to deal with these themes.

Those with a deep knowledge on the author and her work will be the readers who most appreciate this effort. Those that expect a story that is clear and coherent with an understandable time line, recognizable and identifiable characters and character relationships, or expect basic punctuation should most likely read elsewhere. While the book is well done for its target audience, is fairly incomprehensible to readers that don't have a deep background or interest in the subject matter.



This review previously appeared online last fall at the book review site, Afterthoughts, owned and operated by Jade Walker who provided this book for my objective review. With the closing of the site last month by Jade Walker, all rights to the review returned to me.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "The Final Sacrifice" by Patricia Bray

As the third book in the series opens an uneasy truce exists between Ikaria and the Seddon Federation. Uneasy rests the crown upon Emperor Lucius of Ikaria who has much to deal with inside and outside the empire. Things are also uneasy for Lady Ysobel of the Seddon Federation because none of her plans have worked as intended making things increasingly difficult. Sure, she was able to negotiate a fragile truce between the warring countries. But, her network of spies and informers were mostly killed thanks to the recently quashed rebellion so she barely survives by listening to gossip and paying attention to everything.

This includes the behavior of Emperor Lucius who seems to be increasingly unstable both in mind and body. While part of the old blood by birthright, he has followed the policies of more recent rulers which has caused some consternation among the old blood nobility. That has been made worse by his recent behavior in public and his disappearances from time to time.

Emperor Lucius works very hard to hide a dark secret that is slowly killing him. He is inhabited by two souls, who are also currently in an uneasy truce brought about by the need to survive in a body that is dying around them. It never should have happened, but it did and it was either treachery or a sincere desire to help that caused this problem. A problem growing worse by the hour and a final desperate attempt at a cure will have to be sought far away in Xandropol. Even if the cure is found, the empire may be stolen by another because plots and treasonous acts are occurring inside and outside the Ikarian court.

Told primarily through Lucius and Lady Yosbel, this 357 page fantasy novel is full of numerous rich characters and plenty of intrigue. What could have easily been boring or stale, instead quickly comes alive as author Patricia Bray creates a world where duplicity is a way of life and honesty a rare prized commodity.

Particularly effective are the scenes with Lucius and his attempts to deal with the two souls within him. One soul is his own with limited skills and certain expectations because of his noble birthright. The other trapped soul is of a monk named Josan, who was once a member of the Learned Brethren. A soul fluent in many languages and the only real hope Lucius has for survival because Josan is the only one who can research the cure.

Full of treachery, duplicity, and place intrigue this novel fitting ends the series and ties up many loose ends. Not only does it in entertain readers long familiar with the series, through skilled back story, the book embraces new readers by telling them what they need to know for this book. The result is a strong fantasy novel and a very good read.



This review previously appeared online at the book review site, Afterthoughts, owned and operated by Jade Walker who provided this book for my objective review. With the closing of the site last month by Jade Walker, all rights to the review returned to me.



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Red, White & Blue Murder: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery" by Bill Crider

Drought is gripping Blacklin County, Texas right along with the usual brutal summer heat. It hasn't rained in the last couple of months in this part of East Texas and not much more than nothing the last several years. Stock tanks are drying up, the lake waters are receding exposing more and more of the shoreline, and the grass and trees are shriveling up and dying in a landscape coated with dust and grit. The result is a seared dry landscape that will turn into an inferno with a spark. In a wise move, the annual fireworks celebration for the fourth of July has been canceled though the stands selling fireworks can't be closed. Even if they should be.

If the summer heat wasn't enough the prisoners in the jail are complaining and threatening to sue. Then there is Jennifer Loam, the newest reporter at the town newspaper, the Clearview Herald. Fresh out of college, she is looking to make a name for herself and intends to use Sheriff Rhodes as part of a major story. Seems she has been told the good sheriff is corrupt and has bought what she has been told hook, line, and sinker.

She's wrong and Rhodes tries to set her straight.

Something he will be doing again and again over the next several days as he investigates a string of murders. A building will burn, people will die, and Rhodes will take a beating more then once as he tries again to stop the latest crime wave in Clearview and the surrounding area.

Once again, there are virtually zero character developments as the players, major and minor, have been pretty much fleshed out earlier in the series. This novel makes frequent references to earlier books and events in the series so, as in nearly any series, it is best to read them in order.

And while number twelve in the series in another good one; it is unfortunate that the good sheriff doesn't sometimes take proper precautions. While these are not police procedure novels and instead, nestle firmly in the cozy classification embrace, one does expect by this point some evolution in character sensibility. One doesn't turn away from a suspect when there is no backup anywhere around, for one example. Calling for back up is a good thing whether in a car or on foot and something Sheriff Rhodes fails to do on a routine basis. The good news is that once again Rhodes can be knocked unconscious, suffer blurry vision on gaining consciousness, and never have to be treated for a concussion or skull fracture and doesn't have to ever be seen by a doctor.

Despite those criticisins, one doesn't read this series for blow by blow procedural descriptions or incredible realism. It is cozy style fiction, after all, and an enjoyable read as they all are. One reads this series because the characters have become friends and one wants to know what has been going on lately.

That and where one can get Dr. Pepper in honest to god glass bottles.


Red, White & Blue Murder: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com/
Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Minotaur)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
2003
ISBN# 0-312-27185-9
Hardback
215 Pages


This material was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "The Catch: A Joe Gunther Novel" by Archer Mayor

Recently Archer Mayor was a very informative guest on a Sunday night chat hosted at The Writer's Chatroom http://www.writerschatroom.com/ Along with learning that his previous publisher had put the first twelve Joe Gunther series books out of print so Mr. Mayor had to form his own publishing company to get them back out on the market, I learned that that I hadn't read this one when it came out last year. A number of other readers were on hold for it at the local library, so it took awhile before finally arriving. As always, it was worth wait.

Deputy Sheriff Brian Sleuter pulls over a speeding car on an isolated stretch of Vermont road cognizant of the always present danger from such a stop. Despite taking the usual precautions and following procedure, within minutes, he is gunned down while sitting inside his patrol car. Called into investigate the murder and apprehend the person or persons responsible, Joe Gunther and the fellow members of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation have a solid lead. Thanks to the dash camera footage, they can see the moments prior to the officer's shocking death.

Over in Maine, Alan Brudey is the son of a Maine Lobsterman who has no desire to follow in dear old Dad's footsteps. Having just killed Mathew Mroz in a plan to take control of the local drug flow he has no intention of working the water chasing the dwindling supply of lobsters. He plans to work the people instead who need drugs and supply them and build a business in the time honored way of all small businessmen. The product is different, but the business process is the same and he has plans for exponential growth.

Before long both storylines merge as Joe Gunther's hunt for the killer and his accomplice take the team to Maine. In a story that constantly shifts back and forth between storylines, there is little time for character development and instead is all about the chase of the suspects. This deep in the series, one doesn't expect any character development and one doesn't get any. One does expect more complexity in terms of plot and character interaction in an Archer mayor novel and unfortunately that also is not contained here.

This is a straight up fast moving mystery where you know Joe Gunther and his group will catch the bad guys. The only question is how and where. The result, while certainly not his best ever in the series, is another strong one. While it dims in comparison to many of his other novels, it certainly is much better than a lot of books out there by other authors who get much more of the media attention.

The Catch: A Joe Gunther Novel
Archer Mayor
http://www.archermayor.com/
St. Martin's Minotaur
http://minotaurbooks.com/
October 2008
ISBN# 0-312-38191-3
Hardback
275 Pages


This material was provided to me by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Leather Maiden" by Joe R. Lansdale

Cason Statler has returned home to find home, at least on the surface, is pretty much the same while he is not. The East Texas town of Camp Rapture is his last stop on what has been a downward spiral lately. Cynical, trying desperately not to drink himself to oblivion, the former Iraq veteran and Pulitzer nominee has come home in an attempt to get his life back together. Step one is to get hired at the local newspaper called the Camp Rapture Report.

Step two is to deliver the column several times a week, stay sober (or as close to sober as possible) and maybe win the former girlfriend, Gabby, back once and for all. Step two has a lot riding on it on many levels and is much harder to accomplish.

The plan gets off to a rocky start. He does get the job despite the rocky interview with the crusty editor, Mrs. Timpson. Of course, it didn't help that he had really tied one on the night before. Though with his personality and a penchant for pointing out flaws in others directly to them, the fact that he was massively hung over might have helped the interview a little.

What is clear is that Gabby isn't remotely interested in getting back together. She wants absolutely no part of him. While Cason is convinced that he can ultimately get her back, his very successful brother Jimmy insists that she is done with him. Jimmy, the all so perfect brother, has always been a bit of soul crushing envy for Cason. These days, Jimmy is a successful professor at the local college, married with kids, and still thinks he is better than everyone else. That sibling rivalry takes a bizarre turn when Cason realizes his older brother was involved with the beautiful women that went missing months earlier. ..

Beneath the tranquilly of East Texas, award winning author and Texan Joe R. Lansdale crafts a darkly disturbing tale of pure evil and racism. Racism is not an uncommon theme in Texas as recent news stories have illuminated for the rest of the nation. And while the racism depicted in this book has little originality from those news stories, the evil depicted here is abhorrently new. Evil that was grown, nurtured and flourished in beautiful and not so beautiful ways. And while Cason Statler does fit a stereotype initially, before long he and all the other players in this noir style novel become very real to the reader and easily slip the bounds of stereotypes. Nothing is as it seems for anyone in this book whether it be Cason, Jimmy (the perfect brother), Booger (the deranged veteran and Cason's friend), Gabby (the former love interest) or Caroline (the missing woman).

It should be noted that the novel is frequently graphic in terms of language and descriptions of violence and the state of various bodies. Joe R. Lansdale is well known for using all types of language as well as populating his works with dark images and plenty of black humor. That certainly is in the case here in a powerful read that isn't over until the last word has been read.


Leather Maiden: A Novel
Joe R. Lansdale
http://www.joerlansdale.com/
Alfred A. Knopf (Random House)
http://www.aaknopf.com/
2008
ISBN# 978-0-375-414527
Hardback
287 Pages


This material was received from the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Born To Run" by James Grippando

"Born to Run" marks the return of Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck in a case as crooked as they come and one that means he never steps foot into a courtroom for the entire novel. Jack is still dating FBI agent Andie Henning who just might be the best thing that ever happened to him. It would be a close tie between her and winning the case for Theo Knight that saved his life and made a name for Jack Swyteck. Finally he is going to have a new car after his last Mustang was destroyed by angry Colombians. The purchase of a fully restored 1968 Mustang GT-390 Fastback is going to be expensive but one celebrates turning forty the best they can.

Even things with his father, Harry Swyteck, are looking up. The former governor of Florida is now retired and the political differences that often found them at odds in private and in public, have cooled considerably. That was until the sitting Vice President died in the Florida swamps and the president wanted Harry to be the next V. P.

Harry wants Jack to be his lawyer for the confirmation hearings. That is until Jack starts finding out that something sinister is going on and that his own father just might have had a role in recent events. Cover ups are always messy, complicated and can get people killed. They can also cause innocent bystanders to be pulled into messes that stretch to the White House and around the world.

As they always do in any thriller. That certainly happens here as character development, deep plot development, etc are shoved to the side in a breakneck pace to reach the end of the book in the most violent clichéd way possible using a cast of stereotypes liberally throughout the work. That is done here with gusto as author James Grippando drops the idea of subtly and nuance and apparently hasn't read other authors to realize that the core idea, despite his subtle variation to reflect recent events, has been done to death. One expects it to be noted somewhere on the cover "inspired by true events" or "ripped from the headlines" as well as "soon to be a major motion picture."

This novel has no subtly or nuance at any level and instead is all about violent intensity. The conflict between Harry and his utterly cool son Jack (who constantly thinks about turning 40 and what that could mean) has no depth to it. At least they respect each other in the morning at the end of this mindless and fast moving read. So too do Andie and Jack, who at first is very concerned about their future relationship if Harry is V.P and then decides twenty pages or so later that everything is fine and none of that really matters. There are other examples but to go through them would give away too much of this very shallow read that goes through the motions and hits all the targets.


Born To Run
James Grippando
http://www.jamesgrippando.com/
Harper
http://www.harpercollins.com/
2008
ISBN# 978-0-06-155611-1
Hardback
328 Pages

This book was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Somebody Owes Me Money" by Donald E. Westlake

All Chet Conway wanted was his money. Money he won through his local NYC bookie after he placed a bet on a horse. Conway drives a cab and is always getting advice from passengers. Most times he ignores what he is told and moves on to the next fare. This time his fare figured out he played the horses and gave a tip on a horse. The 20 to 1 horse ran down in Florida shortly after he placed the bet and wins. Once he collects from his bookie, Tommy McKay, he can pay off his gambling debts.

One little problem with the plan though.

Just a couple of hours after confirming that Conway won, Tommy McKay is very dead on his living room floor. Dropping by on his way home after work, Conway finds the body and is drawn into the investigation by the local police who don’t buy his story. Especially Detective Goldman who is sure Conway knows more than he is telling. He certainly does but that wouldn't help the case any. But, Goldman isn't the only one who knows Chet Conway knows more then he is telling. Two separate gangs also believe Conway knows more as does his sister, in from Vegas, who plans on dealing justice to those responsible.

Originally published in 1969, this June 2008 release from author Donald E. Westlake features a cynical every man just trying to make a buck and survive. He knows he is never going to be filthy rich but he also knows that, even if his bookie is dead, the bookie had to have a boss to pay the claims. With occasional flashes of bitter humor and plenty of cynicism he deals with thugs all around, a beautiful woman who is a shark in many ways, and a cop whose motives aren't obvious. Packed in 253 pages the read is full of character development, lots of action, and a strange mystery case involving Tommy McKay. The same Tommy McKay who "looked like he'd been shot in the chest with antiaircraft guns." (P.16)

Try getting that image out of your head.


Somebody Owes Me Money
Donald E. Westlake
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
June 2008
ISBN# 0-8439-5962-2
Paperback
253 Pages
$6.99


I am a member of the Hard Case Crime Book Club and received this material as my automatic monthly selection.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "A Romantic Way To Die" by Bill Crider

Death at a writer's conference as a theme is something that every author does at some point in a series. It also is a frequent theme for websites where entrants may even win a trip to the sponsoring writer's conference. It is so overdone it is clichéd. Yet, it is done because as a thematic plot setting, the idea does work and brings in a new cast of characters, albeit temporary, into a series.

"A Romantic Way To Die" the eleventh book in the series featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes uses such a device. Local author Vernell Lindsey whose recent published romance novel "Wild Texas Wind" has taken off much to the chagrin of several local folks. After a book signing at the local Wal-mart she soon will be hosting a writer's conference nearby in Obert at the former college campus. The buildings which have been the setting for a couple of novels earlier in the series are finally restored. They will be the site for the writer's conference featuring local as well as non-local authors, a famous local guy turned male model used on numerous romance covers, and a big time New York agent.

Sheriff Dan Rhodes doesn't much care and thinks the whole idea of a writer's conference consisting of a bunch of authors talking about writing books is pretty much silly. That is, until the deaths start happening. Then the angst driven world of writing becomes very important as he tries to stop the killing and write his own justice filled ending.

This novel in the series plows no real new ground character wise as it enjoyably works its way to a satisfying end. Rhodes still wanders around frequently without backup and at least once gets knocked silly for his efforts. He still investigates primarily by asking questions and catching folks in lies. The problem is that writers lie all the time and he has to figure out which lies lead to the truth.

Much like other characters that don't seem to learn from previous episodes (not just the well known Stephanie Plum) Rhodes still goes about thing his own way. That isn't going to change. While it may make readers cringe from time to time, it can't be denied that as a plot device it works in yet another good read in the series.


A Romantic Way To Die: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com/
Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
November 2001
ISBN# 0-312-20907-X
Hardback
231 Pages


This book came to me by way of the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Dead or ALive" by Michael McGarrity

It begins in the Bernalillo County Detention Center in New Mexico where a mistake is made and inmate Craig Larson is accidentally picked to go to a minimum security prison outside Springer, New Mexico. He's killed before and gotten away with it. He got caught because he stayed too long in one place and now faces time for his original embezzlement charge and unlawful flight. He should be sent to the super-max prison outside of Santa Fe. Instead, he is loaded into a van as the only prisoner with the lone guard who will also serve as his driver.

The second mistake is made by the driving guard who cuffs him in front for the several hour trip. He then makes another mistake, suffers the brutal consequences and Craig Larson is once again a fugitive from justice. This time, he is going to make sure he never goes back to jail. Envisioning himself as some sort of modern day western outlaw, he goes on a violent rampage across New Mexico and Western Texas with retired Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kerney and his son Lieutenant Clayton Istee in pursuit.

What could have been an interesting novel quickly turns into a simplistic action filled violent joy ride. Stereotypes abound through out a novel that has virtually zero character development. While both Kerney and Istee express repeatedly how they have bonded and have so much respect for the man each is, often from the back of a horse, neither character ever has that deep internal monologue moment that would create such an event. Istee's heritage is yet again barely given a passing nod as are Kerney and his family's experiences in London now that Sarah is stationed there on a three year stint as part of her military career.

While it isn't surprising that Craig Larson is a clichéd stereotype which we as readers have to be treated to experiencing every few pages just like any other novel, it is disappointing to see Kerney and Istee reduced to little more than cardboard cutouts. Opportunities for real dialogue between father and son are frequent, especially during the last third of the novel and are wasted on snappy throw away lines. Taken in another direction, this is a novel that could have had real depth to it.

Instead, it is a violence filled simplistic clichéd read of an outlaw terrorizing and killing women and men and of the two valiant lawmen , modern day cowboys , who must chase this scum deep into the mountains before delivering gun barrel justice frontier style.

The movie version will no doubt be great. After all, that must be what it was written for because it wasn't written for readers.

Dead or Alive
Michael McGarrity
http://www.michaelmcgarrity.com/
Dutton (Penguin Group USA, Inc)
http://www.penguin.com/
January 2009
Hardback
287 Pages
$25.95


This material was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "Many A River" by Elmer Kelton

1855 in the area of Texas around Weatherford frequently saw Indian attacks on travelers and settlers. The Barfield family is passing through the area having left Arkansas for hopefully a better life in Texas. Mr. Alexander Barfield is driven to find a better spot than the last spot they passed even though the rest of the family thinks they have passed several very good spots. He's ready to go again just as soon eight-year-old Jeffrey brings the family dog, Brownie, back to the wagon.

The fact that the dog ran away and had to be found saved Jeffery's young life.

Jeffery hides as his mom and dad are killed and his five year old brother Todd is taken away. Unable to defend them as he is weaponless, he is left to bury the dead and mourn. Soon, a posse chasing the Indian finds him and helps him finish the task which soon includes burying his brother. Then the posse will take him and help him start a new life somewhere else as the last member of his family.

While Jeffrey believes his brother is dead it was, in fact, another captive boy that was killed and buried in Todd's place. Todd is very much alive and in the custody of an Indian raiding party. Prisoner of the Commanaches, he might be indoctrinated into the tribe or more likely he will be traded to the Mexican traders, sometime soon for whatever they can get. Whatever his fate, life as he knew it is over and he faces a struggle just to survive.

Against the backdrop of the years preceding the coming Civil War to its furious beginnings, the boys on separate life paths survive amid the harsh realities. They will be reunited again but have many dusty miles to travel and many rivers to cross with much to overcome in a land where human life has little value.

Rich in Texas culture and history, author Elmer Kelton showcases again why he has won the "Spur Award" seven times. Though the jacket copy as well as this review gives away the fact the boys will be reunited, the getting there provides a very suspenseful journey. That along with complex characters, plenty of cultural descriptions and commentary as seen through the characters, and authentic story lines make this another very enjoyable read.

As does the history the book includes. Not only does it relate some of the history of the brutality of Union Major Chivington (who was a real piece of work), it also relates the brutal battle at Glorieta Pass in 1862. In this novel, as is often the case in real life, those going into the start of an armed conflict have a much different perspective of the future then when they come out. One thing that has always struck me is how many on both sides thought the Civil War would be brief and over quickly. How wrong they were has been proven by history then and many times with other wars since then. War comes alive for the reader in this novel in a way that few books achieve. So too do the years leading up to the war which found Texas and the surrounding areas an often brutally violent place where life, regardless of gender or ancestry, was very cheap.


Many A River
Elmer Kelton
Forge/Tom Doherty Associates
http://www.tor-forge.com
June 2008
ISBN# 0-7653-2050-9
Hardback (paperback is releasing March 31, 2009)
335 Pages
$27.95


This material was provided by the good folks of the Plano Texas Public Library System. The library system is faced with a proposed budgetary cutback of over 1 million dollars according to local news reports. Support your local library system!



Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "A Ghost Of A Chance" by Bill Crider

This tenth in the series opens with concerns by some that the Blacklin County Jail is haunted. Sheriff Rhodes doesn't believe it but, as the Dispatcher Hank Jensen points out, the guys back in the cells believe "and that's all that matters." (Page 1) Rhodes doesn't believe much in computers either though he does admit that occasionally they do help a little bit.

It's only fitting on a dark and stormy day and with talk of ghosts that Sheriff Rhodes gets called out to the cemetery. Clyde Ballinger has called in to report a dead man in one of the graves at the cemetery. The grave had been opened for Travis McCoy and the burial is planned for later in the day. But, the man in the open grave is Ty Berry who had been the President of the Clearview Sons and Daughters of Texas. The group was devoted to the preservation of the history of the city of Clearview and Blacklin County and frequently found itself at odds with the local citizenry on one issue or another. Preserving the past costs money and a lot of folks simply don't care about history or the past.

Recently somebody has been looting the twelve cemeteries in the county and Ty Berry was organizing volunteer patrols, pushing commissioners for security for the cemeteries, and lots of other things that annoyed some folks. Shot dead and dumped in the open grave, his murder is going to cause political repercussions for Rhodes. He is going to have to talk to people who aren't going to want to deal with the messy issue of murder because it is so beneath their station in life while others either hated the man or just didn't care and don't have the time or patience to be bothered.

Then there is the pesky problem that the motorcycles are back. People are reporting the rumbling of tail pipes which in all likelihood means one thing – Rapper is back.


Weaving these threads and others author Bill Crider creates another solid entry in the Sheriff Rhodes series. No character development or evolution of the main or secondary characters happens in this cozy style novel. And no forensics of the style they do on television in a splashy forty-five minutes. No, this book and the series as a whole is old fashioned police work where the guilty are usually caught by way of a web of lies.

Progress may have come to the East Texas County in the form of Wal-Mart and downtown Clearview might be dying because of it, but the police work is old school investigation led by Sheriff Rhodes. Rhodes digs into the case by frequently asking questions of characters we have seen many times before in other books in the series, poking around crime scenes and elsewhere, and knowing folks. Some live, some die, and progress continues to whittle away at the Clearview of Rhodes youth and yet he continues on dealing with just the things he can control and trying not to worry about the things he can't. There is a lesson in all that along with another good story in a series that is steadily good book after book.


A Ghost Of A Chance: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com/
Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Minotaur)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
July 2000
ISBN# 0-312-20889-8
Hardback
263 Pages


This material was obtained through the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

"By The Light Of The Moon"
The Carpathian Shadows Volume 2
Print or E-book

Reviewing: "Hawai'i: The Big Island" (Lonely Planet Travel Guide)

You may have heard that the Left Coast Crime Convention next month is in Hawaii. Going is out of the question for me, as much as I would like to do so, unless the Texas Lottery folks manage to select my numbers very soon. They have resisted all my efforts for years so I don't have much hope of that happening. In the meantime, all I can do is dream and look at the occasional travel book such as this one released by "Lonely Planet."



Like their other books, this one opens with a short chapter that is basically a "best of" whatever the location is chapter. For this book, it is the "Best Big Island Experiences." Suggestions for things such as the best scenic drive "Kohala Mountain Road" and the best multipurpose beach "Hapuna Beach" along with the best short hike "Pololu Valley" and numerous other best things and best places are listed. In each case there is a color photo, a very short description and a page number that will take readers to the longer listing and explanation found elsewhere in the book.

"Island Itineraries" begins on page eighteen with suggestions for various mileage lengths or days available for exploration of the big island. Color maps are included and there are references to the additional itineraries at the start of each regional section that are in more depth.

The third chapter is on "Outdoor Activities & Adventures." It covers where you can do what in alphabetical format. From "at sea" to "yoga" the book has got you covered with locations, types of activities, plenty of information and as always plenty of color photographs.

This leads to a ten page chapter on "Green Big Island." Environmental issues are important on the islands and this is where readers learn about steps being taken, options available, and what can be done by tourists and others to protect the fragile environment of the islands.

Beginning with page fifty-one, the book is divided into regional sections. "Kailua-Kona" begins this part of the guide book with a brief history on the culture, some maps, and suggested tours and things to do. This same format is used throughout the regional parts which are labeled as "Kona Coast" (page 79), "Kohala & Waimea" (page 103), Mauna Kea & Saddle Road" (page 137) "Hamakua Coast" (page 151) "Puna" (page 191), Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park" (page 205) and Ka'u (page 229). I am very interested in parks and the section in this book is detailed text wise but could have really used more pictures. The pictures used are often rather small and hard to see detail wise.

Short chapters on the "Big Island Myths and Legends" (which was very weak) "History & Culture" of the area, foods, "Festivals & Events" and planning your trip are near the end of the book. A directory of resources and general information along with an eight page index close out the travel guide.

Comprehensive and flashy, this book certainly creates the impression that it is outlining all the usual places and things and not covering real hidden gems that many tourists don't know about. Additionally, as in other "Lonely Planet" travel guides the type face is extremely small and as such is very hard to read. Both could be addressed simply by expanding the book somewhat. That won't solve the language issues some reviewers have with these books (a concern I don't share), but it would make them easier to read.

Despite those points, this is a good book. Written by Luci Yamamoto and Conner Gorry, this travel guide is a colorful and highly informative book sure to help you plan and enjoy your trip. It may not be the only book you want for the trip but it certainly is a strong start.

Hawai'i: The Big Island
by Luci Yamamoto and Conner Gorry
Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
September 2008
ISBN# 9781741047158
Paperback
304 Pages
$19.99


As a member of the Amazon Vine Program this material was provided to me in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Reviewing: "A Ghost Of A Chance: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery" by Bill Crider

This tenth in the series opens with concerns by some that the Blacklin County Jail is haunted. Sheriff Rhodes doesn't believe it but, as the Dispatcher Hank Jensen points out, the guys back in the cells believe "and that's all that matters." (Page 1) Rhodes doesn't believe much in computers either though he does admit that occasionally they do help a little bit.

It's only fitting on a dark and stormy day and with talk of ghosts that Sheriff Rhodes gets called out to the cemetery. Clyde Ballinger has called in to report a dead man in one of the graves at the cemetery. The grave had been opened for Travis McCoy and the burial is planned for later in the day. But, the man in the open grave is Ty Berry who had been the President of the Clearview Sons and Daughters of Texas. The group was devoted to the preservation of the history of the city of Clearview and Blacklin County and frequently found itself at odds with the local citizenry on one issue or another. Preserving the past costs money and a lot of folks simply don't care about history or the past.

Recently somebody has been looting the twelve cemeteries in the county and Ty Berry was organizing volunteer patrols, pushing commissioners for security for the cemeteries, and lots of other things that annoyed some folks. Shot dead and dumped in the open grave, his murder is going to cause political repercussions for Rhodes. He is going to have to talk to people who aren't going to want to deal with the messy issue of murder because it is so beneath their station in life while others either hated the man or just didn't care and don't have the time or patience to be bothered.

Then there is the pesky problem that the motorcycles are back. People are reporting the rumbling of tail pipes which in all likelihood means one thing – Rapper is back.


Weaving these threads and others author Bill Crider creates another solid entry in the Sheriff Rhodes series. No character development or evolution of the main or secondary characters happens in this cozy style novel. And no forensics of the style they do on television in a splashy forty-five minutes. No, this book and the series as a whole is old fashioned police work where the guilty are usually caught by way of a web of lies.

Progress may have come to the East Texas County in the form of Wal-Mart and downtown Clearview might be dying because of it, but the police work is old school investigation led by Sheriff Rhodes. Rhodes digs into the case by frequently asking questions of characters we have seen many times before in other books in the series, poking around crime scenes and elsewhere, and knowing folks. Some live, some die, and progress continues to whittle away at the Clearview of Rhodes youth and yet he continues on dealing with just the things he can control and trying not to worry about the things he can't. There is a lesson in all that along with another good story in a series that is steadily good book after book.


A Ghost Of A Chance: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com/
Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Minotaur)
http://www.minotaurbooks.com/
July 2000
ISBN# 0-312-20889-8
Hardback
263 Pages


This material was obtained through the Plano, Texas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

"By The Light Of The Moon"
The Carpathian Shadows Volume 2
Print or E-book

Reviewing: "Death By Accident" by Bill Crider

Clearview and the surrounding Blacklin County, Texas have seen their share of weird events and murders over the years. Sheriff Dan Rhodes has dealt with both over the years. In every case a rational explanation has eventually surfaced.

It's November and repercussions of events in Winning Can Be Murder are still felt by many including Rhodes. So too is his age because more and more the county is changing and not for the better. Back when Rhodes was a heck of a lot younger, he swam in the swimming pools on the Old Settler's Grounds. Fed by the river the pools had been a great place to cool off. As the years past, the pools fell into disrepair and nobody is supposed to be swimming in them any more. Technically, the man floating in one of the pools isn't swimming, as he is dead.

It looks like a freak accident and nothing more thanks to the rope and the busted limb from the tree adjoining the pool. It certainly appears that the man, no doubt drunk, was swinging on the rope over the pool when the limb snapped. The limb hit the man in the head and either knocked him out so that he drowned in the water or outright killed him. The dead man, Peter Yeldell, has been in trouble of one type or another for years and alcohol was usually involved. So the whole deal makes sense in a weird way.

But, Yeldell's death would be the second freak accident in two weeks. The first was John West. He literally exploded on a country road of Clearview around 2 in the morning in a bizarre accident.

That death was bugging Rhodes and now he has this accidental death. In typical Rhodes fashion, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Rhodes starts asking questions and poking around. Before long he finds more questions than answers and manages to get himself in trouble yet again.

Ninth in the series, this novel sheds no new light on the character or those around him. His daughter Susan is still a no show character having vanished early on, Rhodes still doesn't trust computers, loves Dr. Pepper and is tolerant despite grumbling of his wife's attempts to make him eat healthier. And he still doesn't call for back up and walks into situations that clearly by now he should have learned it would be a good idea at the very least to unholster his weapon.

Despite those quirks that some readers will question, Rhodes maintains a steady hand and comfortable feeling for the reader. Bill Crider's focus is always the latest fiasco in the county as well as the latest crime/murder and spends most of his story telling energy in that direction. Therefore, readers who want to see major character development and bloodbath every few pages or novels may wish to look elsewhere. Those who must wallow in the mind of the evil serial killer every other chapter should go elsewhere as well because Crider doesn't do clichéd. What he does and does very well is create interesting characters in real life you would be happy to know and call friends while telling a tale focused on the mystery and not the forensics. This is another solid good book in the series that hasn't produced a bad one yet.

Death By Accident
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com/
Wheeler Publishing (Gale/Thorndike)
http://www.gale.cengage.com/thorndike/
1998
ISBN# 1-56895-663-0
233 Pages
Large Print Version


Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

(Reviews coming soon-- A Ghost Of A Chance by Bill Crider, Somebody Owes Me Money by Donald Westlake, and more)

"Hulk VS. Wolverine/Thor"

"HULK VS." is a 2-disc special edition featuring "Hulk vs. Wolverine" and "Hulk vs. Thor" animated movies. Released from Lionsgate there are numerous previews, various audio commentaries, and of course the actual movies.

Disc 1 contains "Hulk vs. Wolverine" (PG-13) and is 37 minutes long. Hulk is tearing up the Canadian country side and Wolverine is sent to stop him. The movie opens with Hulk and Wolverine battling. After the title and credit sequence the movie goes back to four hour earlier when Wolverine was brought in by helicopter to the small town of Elkford that was destroyed by Hulk. The Canadian military wants Wolverine to stop Hulk. If he can't be stopped then Wolverine is to kill him before he harms another town or city. The chase is on with Wolverine finding a lot more than expected including other foes in the Canadian wildness.

Disc 1 also contains audio commentaries with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Kevin Altieri and Butch Lukic. There is also a first look at "Wolverine And The X-Men" coming in April along with a making of "Hulk vs. Wolverine" feature. There is also a feature about the "Hulk vs. Wolverine" world premiere at the San Diego Comic Con last year and a question and answer deal there at the convention.

The 45 minute Disc 2 features "Hulk vs. Thor" (PG-13) and is the story of Loki trying to destroy his stepbrother, Thor. The movie opens with another colorful credit sequence before taking us to the realm of the eternal: Asgard. Long ruled and protected by Odin all is well and the cycle continues. Every winter Odin must sleep and leaves things unprotected for seven days and that is when the wicked come. Thor leads the defense against the siege of darkness. Dr. Banner is spirited in by Loki so that he can be forced to become the Hulk and used to finally destroy, Thor. But, Hulk is not a weapon that can be controlled for long and the repercussions for all will be epic.

This disc also features audio commentary with Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Frank Paur, Sam Liu and James Peters. Like the much bloodier and brutal "Hulk vs. Wolverine" disc, this disc also has a making of the feature and a first look feature at the next movie in the series. This one is on "Thor: Tales of Asgard" coming out on DVD this fall. There is also a feature on Jack Kirby and his artwork with Thor.

The result is two very different movies that continue the legendary Marvel characters while providing plenty of back story. The animation is detailed as are the complicated story lines creating a viewing experience sure to please old and young alike.

HULK VS. (Two Disc Special Edition)
DVD
Marvel and Lionsgate
January, 2009
82 minutes total (plus features)


This material was provided to me by a publicist via BNN in exchange for my objective review. While I did not review the Blu-Ray version, there is one:




Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

DVD Review: "Louis C. K. CHEWED UP"

"Louis C.K. Chewed Up" was filmed at the Berkley Performance Center in Boston, Massachusetts last March and eventually released by Image Entertainment. Instead of opening with the obligatory salute to the location and the audience, the show opens up with how he misses the word "faggot" and how he used it as a kid and later. As he sees it, it never meant "gay" but how somebody acted. This leads into his observations on how he respects so much those males who can willingly perform a certain act on a man.

That leads into language and what words mean and how he doesn't see the negative connotations of certain words. Reminiscent of George Carlin's seven dirty words, Louis C.K. continues the theme in more graphic but unoriginal terms. This leads the 40 year old balding comic into various observations on daily life, family, and children, marriage etc.

Humor is subjective and based on the laugh track the audience thought he was absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, I don't share that opinion. The humor seemed to consist primarily of obscenities and graphic commentary on bodily functions and simply just wasn't funny. Billed as a comedic talent who will "…create an atmosphere of fearless honesty on stage…" and a say anything style, I kept thinking how so many other comics had hit the same ideas and done them so much better. His work doesn't seem original and instead comes across as derivative and that the coarser the language the funnier the joke is. From the laugh track, it seemed that a number of folks approved. If I had been there, I would have been asking for a refund soon after the show started. I kept watching hoping I would get to the funny parts but I never did.

Dedicated to George Carlin, the show runs slightly longer than an hour though it seemed considerably longer. The only other feature on the disc is an interview with the comedian himself where he self interviews and answers questions that hade been provided to him. Almost as long as the show, the interview runs approximately 37 minutes and he explains how he got his start in Boston, the creation and evolution of this show which features totally different material than his 2007 show "Shameless," the fact that his comedy is mostly autobiographical, how he develops material and other topics. During the interview, he reiterates the point that his use of coarseness in language is the only way he knows how to be true to who he is.

If you are already a fan of his, then you will love this show and interview. If he is totally new to you, as he was to me, it will be an obscenity filled and graphic experience that may or may not work depending on your own sensibilities.


Louis C. K. Chewed Up
DVD
Image Entertainment
December, 2008
60 minutes (plus interview)


This material was provided to me by a publicist via BNN in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2009

Barry's Reviews: "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner

AS I LAY DYING (1930) by William Faulkner

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

Mystery/suspense has been for most of my life the predominant ingredient in my reading diet, but recently I realized that I was—temporarily, I’m sure—satiated with that sort of tale. Thus, I took a break to read some mainstream and literary fiction.

William Faulkner has been a literary hero of mine since I first discovered his work when I was in my late teens, more years ago than I like to think about. It occurred to me that I hadn’t read a Faulkner novel in over thirty years. I’ve had a copy of As I Lay Dying languishing on my bookshelf for longer than that. It was time to read it.

Consisting of very short chapters and told in the first person by multiple narrators, it tells the story of the Bundren family, the kind of quirky brood—to put it charitably—common in Faulkner’s work. The matriarch, Addie, is dying, and has exacted a promise from her shiftless, self-seeking husband Anse to bury her at her family’s plot in Jefferson, Mississippi.


There are five Bundren children, four boys and one girl. Cash is the serene, acceptant, industrious one. Darl has the greatest clarity about the world which his siblings may never achieve, but that very clarity is what eventually drives him over the edge. Jewel is intense, angry, ready to lash out at almost anyone, but probably not certain why. Vardaman is the youngest, a child incapable of fully understanding death and unable to confront it rationally. The daughter, Dewey Dell, old enough for sexual activity but fearful of its consequences, is more concerned about finding an abortifacient than in mourning her mother.

The trip from the Bundren homestead to Jefferson is not a short one, and it’s complicated by torrential rains that cause rivers to overflow and bridges to collapse—bridges the Bundrens must cross to reach their ultimate destination.

Most of Faulkner’s work was somber and grave, but he could be very funny when he wanted to be. As I Lay Dying is tonally very dark, as befits its characters and their situations. But though related with grim seriousness, some of its incidents will strike readers as comical because they’re absurd or verge on the absurd. (In different hands they might well have been described in a slapstick manner.) Some readers may not see the humor in the events while they’re experiencing them; they’ll realize them retrospectively. Ultimately, they’ll come to understand that in this novel, Faulkner melded thematic sobriety with dark comedy.

Considered among Faulkner’s finest novels, As I Lay Dying is—typical of this author—a demanding read, most notably in the chapters narrated by Darl and Vardaman, but also in chapters related by others, who sound as if they were speaking directly and intimately to readers who’d immediately comprehend what they’re describing, whether it’s an event, a sensation, or a reaction. It is not, however, as difficult a read as The Sound and the Fury


(my personal candidate for the great American novel of the 20th Century) or Absalom, Absalom!


(which years ago I read a little more than half of before deciding it was turgid melodrama I didn’t care about and gave up on). I first discovered Faulkner in the short story “Dry September,” the style of which captivated me—blew me away, actually, and got me hooked on the author. (It’s a brilliant, classic short story I urge you to seek out and read if you haven’t done so.) Although Faulkner wrote several more straightforward novels, As I Lay Dying might very well be the most accessible of his acknowledged great but less straightforward ones. If you’re new to Faulkner, this is the novel to start with.

Barry Ergang © 2009

Formerly the Managing Editor of Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine and First Senior Editor of Mysterical-E, winner of the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s 2007 Derringer Award in the Flash Fiction category, Barry Ergang’s written work has appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. For links to material available online, see Barry’s webpages.

Anthology Winners

The contest is over and I want to thank each and every person for entering. Because we had so many entries, Rob Preece, publisher/owner of Booksforabuck.com authorized me to award two winners the e-books. The winners are:


TISA. A.

And

LYDIA O.


I was also contacted by four reviewers who entered the contest in order to win a review copy. Those four individuals, who know who they are, were removed from the contest and are being sent print copies by the publisher.

Again, thanks to everyone for entering and congrats to our winners!

Kevin


Kevin R. Tipple

"By The Light Of The Moon"
The Carpathian Shadows Volume 2
Print or E-book
http://www.booksforabuck.com/sfpages/sf_08/carpathian_shadows2.html