Table Of Contents

1. 2007
1. Already Dead by Charlie Huston
2. Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston
3. The Silence of the Rain
2. 2006
1. Stardust
2. Remains of the Day
3. To be added

2007

Already Dead by Charlie Huston

This book adds to the canon of vampire lore but is very much down-to-earth. This is the second book I've read by Charlie Huston and I've realized that he is a masochist. His protagonists live when they are in physical pain, much like his character in "Caught Stealing". I read Huston's book, "Caught Stealing" right before I read this book and I easily recognized Huston's style and settings (local bars, big cities). His main characters are often loners (or at least on the outside) and abnormally normal. This book, though, was not very entertaining and I couldn't wait to put it down but felt like I should finish it. He included too many details about vampire politics in Manhattan and I really didn't care about any of the characters. His down-to-earth writing also was a bit of a distraction. When he wrote about the "Vyrus" or other characteristics about being a vampire, I caught myself laughing at how ridiculous it was whereas I can read an Anne Rice novel and feel transported into the vampire universe. I don't expect Huston to use the purple prose Rice uses to create her gothic world, but Huston failed to deliver with this book. (Jul. 5, 07)

Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston

I thought this book was pure energy, clever, and lots of fun. You won't learn the meaning of the universe after you read this, but it should stick in your mind for a few days afterwards, at the least. (Jun. 5, 07)

The Silence of the Rain

Well, no one made any recommendations, so I picked up a random book from the shelf and read it. And I'm thoroughly impressed! The book is by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza. I usually buy books from the dollar bin at the bookstore to make random discoveries of books I wouldn't usually buy -- forces me to read new things. These are often remainder books and do not relate to the quality whatsoever as I've learned about the industry a bit so I often get very high quality authors for only $1.

The book is a Brazilian detective novel. The writing is mature and unpretentious. The story is crisp, contemporary, and the author seriously doesn't reveal anything until the very last sentence. I was surprised when I learned who the killer was. The story might not have any deep meaning, beyond entertainment. In many ways, I felt like I was watching an episode of "Hunter" although there was no Mc Call. I was engaged every night I read it (which I see now took over a month from my last post...I read so slow). These detective novels are part of a trilogy based on the same detective in Buenos Aires. The cityscape it atmospheric and the author leaves it up to your imagination about what things and people look like which I think is wise.

The story was separated into three parts. The first part was third-person omniscient, the second was first-person, and the third was third-person again. When it switched to first-person, it was very jarring. I thought it was a mistake or that the book was a review copy. But then it switched back to third-person and I realized what the author was doing. It was fascinating to see the story told while watching the detective and while being in the detective's head. (Jan. 5, 07)

2006

Stardust

I finished this book last night. It's by Neil Gaiman who writes strange fiction - fantastical but nothing with dragons or anything of the sort.

If you haven't read any of his fiction, maybe compare him with Kurt Vonnegut and moreso Tom Robbins. If you haven't read either of them, then I recommend you pick up one or the other sometime. They're imaginative.

In Stardust, Gaiman thanked C.S. Lewis for the inspiration. It was a very good story and I looked forward to reading it every evening. He has an ability to make the absurd real but isn't showy about how imaginative he is. This is one of Gaiman's lighter books and is quick read and is written in a style as if it's for children but is for adults. (Dec. 6, 06)

Remains of the Day

This book is divine. This is a keeper and one that I already want to read again. There's a movie made from this book with Hannibal Lechter (Anthony Hopkins) and Emma Thomspon which I remember liking very well but I only saw once. It's a bit different from the book in terms of content. This was so well-told and maturely written. It was minimal but held so much meaning in all the words yet was never pretentious. The author skillfully lets the reader read in between the lines of the first-person narrative and that's what made it so much fun. He is the quintessential butler.

To be added

• Skin (X-Files)
• A few Star Trek novels
• The Good German
• December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
• Software by Rudy Rucker
• One of the books in the Clique series
• The Talented Mr. Ripley
• Neverwhere
• 2001: A Space Odyssey

Astralis Lux