Killing Floor

I read Killing Floor by Lee Child at the suggestion of a friend and colleague, Mrs. Tricia Smith. We were chatting about books we were reading and she mentioned that she was currently deep into the Jack Reacher series. I had never heard of the series, but I knew there was a new movie coming out soon called Jack Reacher. So, I figured I'd pick up a copy of Killing Floor and read it, as it was the first of the series. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a copy of that book. It appears that it was going to be re-released sometime in the near future and the only other addition I could find was as an e-book. Fortunately, however, I found a lot of 5 Jack Reacher novels for $12 on ebay.

I really enjoyed the novel. It was a fun read. It wasn't anything too deep, but was full of action. Reacher is an ex-military policeman who stumbles into strange situation in a small town in Georgia. He's a bit of a drifter who just happened to visit the town to find the fate of a bluesman whose music he enjoyed. What follows is an action-packed mystery.

The story seemed to be a bit better thought out than some James Patterson novels I had read, although I could find some comparisons between the two authors' writing styles. Overall, it was good and I look forward to reading more of the Jack Reacher series.

Killing Floor

South of Broad

I received South of Broad by Pat Conroy as a gift from Dr. Terry Papillon, Virginia Tech's director of University Honors. He has a yearly tradition of giving the Honors staff a book at the holiday party each year. Apparently, Conroy is one of Terry's favorite authors and this is one of his favorite books. Somehow, it took me nearly a year to read. I kept buying other books and putting it lower on the queue.

However, I am really glad I finally read the book. It is a great piece of Southern literature. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, the book is set over the course of two decades. The story follow protagonist Leo King, his slightly dysfunctional family, and his very close friends. It follows the group through many trials and tribulations. It is simultaneously funny and achingly sad. The lives of these individuals are hauntingly broken, and consequently there is something very authentic about the novel. I rather enjoyed it. One of the quotes from the book that I found to be rather poignant is, "Growing up is odd, no matter where you do it

For anyone interested in a story that will make you laugh, cry, and consider the human condition, this is a novel for you. It also captures the spirit of living in the South.

South of Broad

Favorite Father Brown Stories

I picked up a copy of Favorite Father Brown Stories by G. K. Chesterton from a discount bin at Barnes & Noble. The back of the book indicated that Chesterton liked to probe topics of Christian theology through his writing, especially through the stories involving his priest/detective, Father Brown. It seemed like an intriguing combination and worth the cost of two dollars.

The stories proved to be fairly entertaining. I enjoyed the twist of having a Catholic priest solving mysteries in early 19th century England. As a fan of Victorian era crime fiction, I thought this would be intriguing. The stories were fairly interesting. The mystery did not always present themselves early in the story and Brown's methods were not always the most clear, but that added to the fun. The resolution often occurred in the concluding paragraph of the story. I can't say I favored these stories as much as I do the Sherlock Holmes canon, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Favorite Father Brown Stories

Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown

I was excited when I saw that there was going to be a new book about Ryan Adams. I have been a fan of Adams' music for about a decade. So, I immediately ordered David Menconi's Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown. I was excited to read a book about one of my favorite artists during a period of his life when he was playing with one of my favorite bands.

The book proved to be interesting, but not great. Menconi, a music critic for the Raleigh News and Observer, has been witness to Ryan and his music since the early 90's when Ryan first started playing in the area. However, Menconi never quite manages to remove himself from the narrative of the book. Obviously, since this is an unauthorized "biography," the author needed to rely on second-hand sources and  his interviews with Ryan during the time period of Whiskeytown. That is understandable. However, Menconi continues to find ways to insert himself into the story, as though he was an important part of Whiskeytown or Ryan's story. The downside is that his narrative doesn't truly provide deep insight into Ryan, the band, or the music. Instead, the book feels like an attempt for Menconi to make money off his limited interaction with Adams and Whiskeytown. He gets some facts wrong, crediting Ryan with songs he either co-wrote or didn't write at all. At times, the writing/research seems sloppy. He even goes so far as to provide critiques of albums and an example of his iTunes playlist. It's as though the book is unable to have a consistent voice throughout the narrative.

While not the strongest narrative, or most well-researched book, it will nonetheless be interesting for any fan of Ryan Adams or Whiskeytown.

Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown

The Poe Shadow

I picked up The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl in a discount bin sometime over the past year. It had an interesting looking cover and appeared to be a mystery, so I thought I'd grab it. It seemed like a decent investment for $3. I didn't realize that it was written by the same author as The Dante Club, another novel that I enjoyed quite a bit. That novel used historical figures to solve a fictional mystery, while this novel uses fictional characters to solve a historical mystery - the death of Edgar Allan Poe.

The protagonist of the novel is Quentin Clark and the novel is written in first person. It chronicles Clark as he tries to discover the truth of the mysterious death of author Edgar Allan Poe. They were only loose acquaintances, but Clark was a fan of Poe's work, so he feels compelled to look into what others fail to deem important. The pursuit of the truth leads to Clark's downfall as an attorney in Baltimore and he also loses his fiance in the process. To gain assistance, Clark travels to Paris to enlist the help of Duponte, the alleged inspiration for Poe's detective, Dupin.

The novel was a bit slow at times, but was ultimately a fun read. Pearl seemed to capture the speech of Poe's era. I enjoyed the overall plot and ultimately found myself disappointed when the novel ended. It's worth a read for anyone who is a fan of mysteries, Poe, or a combination of the two.

The Poe Shadow

I decided to read  The Covert Conspiracy by Adam Joslin simply because I know the author. Seriously. Adam is one of my RAs here at Virginia Tech. Now, I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. He's an RA at Virginia Tech. That means he's an undergraduate. A sophomore. Adam is a published author as a sophomore. Impressive.

This is not Adam's first published work. He has a book of poems that he self published a few years ago. But, this is his first novel and the first to be published by an outside company.

The novel is about a teen, Nick Tavers, who witnesses his neighbor's murder and ends up in the witness protection program. The Tavers family, along with their US Marshall escort, Hal, end up the wrong plane and land on a little-known island called Iosuni. While on the island, Nick makes new friends and uncovers a sinister plot. With help from his new friends, he attempts to stop this plot.

The book is definitely teen fiction, but the story was fun. There is a bit of drama, action, mystery, and romance in this story. It is the first of what will hopefully be a series of books, which will further explore some of the subplots in the novel.

Check it out!

The Covert Conspiracy

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

I started off the month of October with the goal of reading nothing but Halloween related books and stories. As Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, it seemed fitting. I intended to read works by Stoker, Irving, Shelley, and Poe.

I was having a Poe-themed Halloween party this year, so it seemed only natural to read the Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. I gave it a valiant effort. I have long known some of Poe's works, as my dad used to tell them to me when I was younger. So, I would say I am a fan. The complete works, however, is a daunting collection of works. Poe is known for his macabre stories, and this collection contains those, but there are also some that a just downright weird. I read 50% of the works (according to my Kindle) and decided to give it a break. I was just finding myself bored.

I enjoyed "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Gold Bug," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "Hop Frog," as well as a few others. Some of them I was familiar with and some I was not. I do still intend to read these works at some point. I just seemed to have last my stamina for this collection at this point in time.

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe