As any cop will tell you, the full moon brings out the crazies. And if you are working the streets of Hollywood, California – well, the moon makes them even crazier.

Joesph Wambaugh, a former LAPD detective sergeant, is the grand master of tales about cops, crooks and crime. He once again offers us a novel with stark realism, blunt language and abundant humor. Hollywood Moon is the last in a trilogy of novels that began with Hollywood Station and continued with Hollywood Crows.

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Tags: books & writing, on thrillers and crime by Paul Davis
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Michael Crichton told the kind of stories that grabbed us as readers and that drew us to the big screen.  Pirate Latitudes, unpublished at the time of his death in 2008, is just that sort of story — a big, exciting tale of a handsome pirate, a woman scorned, impossible odds and a fortune in gold.  You can almost imagine it unfolding on the big screen as you read it; at the same time, there is a wealth of detail you’ll only get from the book.  It is meticulously researched, full of detail about the ships, the men who sailed them, and the intricacies of pirate society. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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The London Evening Standard reports that the Oxford University Press plans to republish all of Evelyn Waugh’s works, including his great novels, travel books, diary, biographies and his letters.

I discovered Waugh when I was in the Navy in my early 20’s and stationed in Scotland in the mid-1970s. As I planned to major in journalism when I left the Navy, I purchased a Penguin paperback of his satire of journalism, Scoop. I thought it was a great satirical novel, and I’ve reread it again and again over the years.

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Tags: books & writing by Paul Davis
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I think this is the first time I’ve reviewed a cookbook here, but Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen is kind of special.  I grew up in Ohio and I was a frequent guest at Lola long before I ever saw its owner on TV Food Network.  That face, that laugh…and that food! As often as we could afford it, we had a table or a seat at the bar and some of the very best food in town.

Lola Bistro is now Lolita and there’s a new Lola downtown.  We don’t hear that laugh as often anymore when we come by for dinner, but we do hear it on Iron Chef America.  And it’s still the best food in town.  Even better, I’ve now got the recipes for some of my favorite dishes and Symon’s advice on how to be a better cook. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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Today is Mark Twain’s birthday. He was born on November 30, 1835.

I just read an interesting piece on Mark Twain by Harold Witkov at the American Thinker.

Harold Witkov speculates on what Twain would be like if he were alive today. Since the American Congress is determined to shove socialized health care down our throats (and every other orifice), I offer what Twain wrote about the Congress:

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

He also wrote the following:

There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.

Happy birthday to one of America’s greatest writers.

Tags: books & writing, politics & government by Paul Davis
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The memoir craze has been going on as long as I can remember, which is about 10 years. Anyone who wants to criticize my knowledge of the publishing world should remember that 10 years ago I was in high school and spent most of my time trying to discreetly look down girls’ shirts. I wasn’t that discreet. But, let the record show I was never perverted enough to look up anything, nor was I scholarly enough to look up anything. To be honest autobiographies aren’t my cup of tea. Sure, I got curious, especially in college, and I’ve read a few, but generally the genre falls flat unless the person is famous or serious addictions are revealed. Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer’s Life by Michael Greenburg is an exception. This memoir is a solid and engaging read as you see Greenburg’s life through New York City snapshots.

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Tags: books & writing, fan boy says by Steve Mazzeo
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I have a couple of unread books on my nightstand next to my bed and about a dozen more on a table in my basement office.

Instead of reading these new novels and nonfiction books, I’m rereading Raymond Chandler’s classic crime thrillers. As I recently read a newspaper piece about Robert Altman’s somewhat loose film adaptation of Chandler’s The Long Goodbye, I had the urge to read the novel again for what is perhaps the 12th time since I first read all of his novels as a teenager so long ago. Chandler is that good, in my view.

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Tags: books & writing, on thrillers and crime by Paul Davis
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Into every series a little rain must fall. And this one is a Tsunami of shit that splatters itself all over the awesome Preacher series. Now the good news is that you don’t need to read it. The volume addresses various back stories, which intrigued my curiosity until it made me want to tear the copy in half and flush it down the toilet one sheet at a time. Honestly, skip this volume.

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Tags: books & writing, just fantastic by Steve Mazzeo
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Paul Rudnick is one of those names that I was complete unfamiliar with, until I read his book.  As he told his stories, I kept thinking “oh!  I remember Sister Act!”  “I’ve heard of Allan Carr!”  “He wrote The Addams Family?  I never knew that!”  It was part discovery, part reunion, full of funny bits, a little gossip, and some entirely fictional chapters that were, perhaps, my favorite parts.  It is wickedly funny, even — maybe especially — when recounting the worst stories.  All in all, it was a pleasure to read.

I Shudder isn’t exactly a memoir, although it’s full of funny stories about his family, his Hollywood contacts, the plays he’s written and the people he’s met.  Between these stories, there is also a (hopefully) fictional memoir, “An Excerpt from the Most Deeply Intimate and Personal Diary of One Elyot Vionnet.”  Elyot is a bizarre character, a semi-retired substitute teacher living in a perfect studio apartment that almost overlooks Gramercy Park.  One worries about what he might be teaching those impressionable young minds:

As this is my most deeply intimate and personal diary, I am assuming that it will one day be introduced into evidence at my trial.

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Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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10. “This turkey tastes a little off. What breed did you say it was, ‘tofu’?”

9. “What time do the Indians arrive?”

8. “Well, I think thine clothes look equally as ridiculous!”

7. “And you can get advice on cooking your bird from that handheld talking machine?!”

6. “Big deal! So your ancestors came over on the Mayflower!”

5. “When we knew John McCain, of course, we called him ‘Little Johnny’.”

4. “Jebediah, look! Their leader appears to be a Native American!”

3. “There is no need to struggle! Why do you not just share the wishbone?!”

2. “Celebrating with giant balloons of cartoon animals! Why didn’t we think of that?!

1. “Hey! Let us out of this box! It’s dark in here!”
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

Tags: Bob Sullivan's top ten everything, ends & odd, romancing history by Bob Sullivan
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Virtual book tours are the new “done thing” when it comes to publicizing novels; so both Rob Kroese, who has just published his first (absurd and entertaining) novel, Mercury Falls, and I thought we’d share our conversation here on WFTC. My second book, Marvellous Hairy, has just been released by Crossing Chaos Enigmatic Ink; the publisher has described my book as fabulist satire, and I think you could safely apply that label to Rob’s book as well. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing by Mark A. Rayner
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10. How John McCain Ruined My Chances to Become VP

9. Stalin, Hitler, Levi Johnston, & Tina Fey

8. Why We Should Rename It the Exxon National Wildlife Refuge

7. How to Look Sharp for Only $150,000

6. If I Put On My Extra-Strong Glasses, I Can See Parts of Europe, Too!

5. Sniping Baby Seals from a Chopper

4. Me?! A Female Pit Bull?! You Betcha!

3. Winners Never Quit, and Qui…Oh, Never Mind

2. The Importance of “Abstinence Only” for Nonrelatives

1. If Ya Think I Speak Good, Wait’ll Ya Read This Friggin’ Book!
 

Bob Sullivan’s Top Ten Everything appears every Monday.

Tags: Bob Sullivan's top ten everything, books & writing, politics & government by Bob Sullivan
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Although TV has had a long standing love affair with science fiction, it has generally avoided basing its SF shows on the works of bonafide science fiction writers as it has in the case of “FlashForward,” originally a book by award-winning SF novelist, Robert Sawyer. Rather than let the book stand on it own merits, the producers have warped it to make it to fit the Network TV mold, adding cops and bad guys, dumbing down the ideas, and perpetuating the TV stereotype that if a scientist ain’t a cop (e.g., “Numbers,” “11th Hour,” “CSIs,” “Fringe,” etc.), then he must be mad and bad.

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Tags: books & writing, television by Mark Guerin
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I’ve been watching the very interesting Mob Scene videos on Philly.com that feature George Anastasia, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s ace organized crime reporter. 

Anastasia has been covering organized crime in Philadelphia and South Jersey for more than 25 years. He has also written several books on organized crime, such as Blood and Honor , The Last Gangster and his latest, Mobfiles: Mobsters, Molls and Murder.

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Tags: books & writing, on thrillers and crime by Paul Davis
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Summary: We learn about Cassidy’s back story, which revolves around an Irish-English conflict. We see John Custer’s (Jesse’s father) Vietnam experiences. Jesse meets Genesis’ father, an angel, which was being held by The Grail. We meet the AllFather (head of The Grail) and the current descended of Jesus. Jesse rescues Cassidy. God shows up again. The Saint of Killers shows up again. There is a huge blood bath. Starr is coping with his new desires, which is freakin’ hilarious.

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Tags: books & writing, just fantastic by Steve Mazzeo
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The Book of Lies is a tough review to write.  There is so much going on, so many interesting side stories that I want to tell you about, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises you have in store.  There’s Cain and Abel, a kid named Jerry Siegel, a dog named Benoni, a tractor-trailer full of melting shrimp, and the difficult relationships between fathers and sons.  Add a healthy dose of mystery, ties to several real-life stories, and you’ve got The Book of Lies, a great mystery from a great mystery writer.

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Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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I swear, this is the last Jane Austen mash-up I’m going to read.

I also swear that I will not break out into Dear Jane letters, as Elizabeth is inclined to do at critical junctures of the book.  The Postal Service could not be terribly reliable in Europe in her day, but the letters provide an easy way for Elizabeth to share her deepest secrets with us, as well as with Jane, and so she keeps writing.

I found Mr. Darcy, Vampyre to be a breezier read than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  It’s not written to be funny, although it is occasionally ridiculous; it seems a more serious attempt to extend the romance of Elizabeth Bennett and her beloved Mr Darcy.  From the glorious morning of their wedding day to the novel’s final sunrise, they stay true to the world Austen created. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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Last year was the centenary of Ian Fleming (1908-1964). It was a very good year for the creator of Bond, James Bond.

To celebrate his life and work, a good number of events took place in the United Kingdom, the U.S. and around the world.

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Tags: books & writing, on thrillers and crime by Paul Davis
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Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness is one of the great features of the comic book world: zany crossovers with no repercussions. The closest film has ever gotten is most likely Freddie vs. Jason, where two unrelated characters faced off just for shits and giggles. In all cases crossovers tend to foster an air of stupid but fun as explanations are rarely given and fan demand plots or actions generally occur.

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Tags: books & writing, just fantastic by Steve Mazzeo
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On any given Sunday, have you ever wished that you knew a little more about football?  You’re watching with friends, everyone is yelling about the lousy blocking or the zone defense and you wish you knew what they were talking about?  Or maybe you wish your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse could get as excited about the pass coverage as you are?  This may be just the book you need.  A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football will teach new fans and old a little more about the game so many of us love.  The author, Mark Oristano, spent thirty years working for/with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers.  Along the way, he picked up a lot of helpful information:

When you’ve finished, you won’t be able to immediately spot “Cover Two” or know which receiver broke his route off too soon or whether the ref made the right call when he signalled intentional grounding.  But you will understand, for example, why first-down plays are the most important play of any offensive drive. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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