Showtime has to humanize him in order to make him relatable to the audience, which they underestimate. The result is an inconsistent sociopath.

With Dex in the Dark, the whole thing suddenly goes from reality to fantasy. The thrill of reading about serial killers is that they could actually be doing this. As soon as the mysterious supernatural force is introduced, the entire story changes. While I appreciate that Lindsay was taking chances, it wasn't in a direction I was comfortable with.

"A Very English Hangman: the life and times of Albert Pierrepoint" - Leonora Klein

Kind of felt a mixture of revulsion and respect. He was by no means a good man, but he did a job that most people were not man enough to do: he wore the blood that was on his hands because the majority of people who supported the death penalty could not bare it to be on their hands.

Underboss

Sammy Gravano's story of life in the mob. Decent book, read it years ago when it first came out then found it again recently. He tells his story as he sees it I suppose. He was a true gangster who got caught up with possibly the worst Cosa Nostra leader of all time John Gotti. If Gotti hadn't have been so in the public eye and constantly talking Sammy would have never turned IMO, but he did what he had to do to survive.

The ecstasy ring is a whole other story on it's own the silly fucker.

Ive read that same book

Sammy the Bull.. or Sammy the Rat!

A little bit of both I think, I reckon he killed more than the 19 people he admitted to, and the 5 years was light for that, but the Feds made the deal to get the Underboss of the Gambinos to flip, he kind of had them over a barrel.

Then he goes and starts the whole ecstasy ring and gets his entire family involved, wife, son, daughter, even after saying Gotti was an idiot for having Jr. Gotti made in the Gambino family.

Guess it's hard for a gangster to leave the life totally. What impresses me most about Sammy though is that he's still alive, although gangsters in this day and age just don't seem to be the same as they used to. It all went downhill when Jr. Gotti was de facto boss when his old man was in jail.

On a side note Jr. apparently 'retired' from the mafia, we'll have to wait and see how long that lasts.

Taking a brief Bond break.
Now reading: Hey Rube by Hunter S. Thompson

Just finished the Foundation series a few days ago and Ender's Game by Orsen Scott Card yesterday. Yes, again. Awesome book. We all have a little Ender in us, don't we?

Well, the "true" mafia are the ones you never heard of, the first generation Sicilians who come over and disappear... Gotti was as much of a clown as Sam Giancana.

Men like Anthony J Accardo, Carlo Gambino, Bernardo Provenzano... they are real gangsters!

Just stop reading at Enders game.

It goes down hill VERY VERY quickly from there.

I've read the whole series. I was just rereading Ender's Game for the millionth time. You really didn't like Ender's Shadow? It was a great change of perspective on the original story. Bean's Game!

Exactly, I've always been a fan of Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante, Aniello Dellacroce, Carlo Gambino built such an empire yet kept such a low profile like true mafia were supposed to.

The Gum Thief By Douglas Coupland

Awesome book! written in a way that I could read it forever and not stop. after reading the 1/5 of the book, the rest was just non stop really. I don't know what to say about the last chapter though. it really killed the mood of the book. for me it stops just before that chapter.

anyways, it's about 2 Staples employee writting letters to each others about work and life. very well made.

I rate this my favorite book (fiction): 9.5/10

The Rule of Two - Drew Karpyshyn

From Hell - Alan Moore

I read that a couple of months ago. I didn't like it as much as some of his other work.

There, finished Terry Goodkind's Phantom a couple of days ago and Confessor about 5 min ago. I thought the series managed to wrap itself up okay, if a little conveniently. Overall it was an enjoyable series.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S Thompson

Lisey's Story - Stephen King
Brother Odd - Dean Koontz
Enjoyed both of these.

(if you like your horror with a bit of wry wit thrown in, Koontz' three books featuring the character 'Odd Thomas' are worth a look.)


Listened on CD to The Innocent Man (non-fiction) - John Grisham

Currently reading some pulp by James Patterson and Andrew Gross called The Lifeguard

King: 'Salem's Lot (Less the last 6 pages which my dog destroyed in his puppyhood. Grr.) Finished this morning.

Pratchett: Eric (Second time through) Finished an hour ago

Breathed: Tales too Ticklish to Tell (Bathroom reading) Will be finished in the next half hour.

Robinson: Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

"Before the Dawn" by Nicholas Wade - all about the efforts to recover the deep history of mankind via a variety of disciplines: genetics, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, zoology, sociology, etc. Does a great job of tying a bunch of different threads together in a pretty compact little book.

If you grew up in Iowa in the 50's you'll love "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson.....a funny quick read

xoxoxoo

Spider's a great casual read. My only problem with reading his works now is Spoiler: wondering if the conclusion of each story will involve either time travel or hive-mind. Or both. It's almost never neither.

I have to agree. My son finished Ender a few days ago, and started Speaker for The Dead last night. A couple of chapters in, he came to me and said "I don't like this one nearly as much as the last one."

I don't know what it is about Card's work, but the first book (maybe the first two) in a given series is always much better than the rest. Even with the Homecoming books, which were clearly planned out fairly far in advance fell flat for me after the first one.

The Ender's Shadow series held up better than the others I've read, but still seemed a bit tired by the time I got to Shadow of the Giant.

Only one of his I've ever read. Not science fictiony enough for me in High school. Liked it well enough this time, though. Good puns.

For just the Callahan's stories, there is also:

* Time Travelers Strictly Cash (1981) (contains several non-Callahan's stories as well)
* Callahan's Secret (1986)
* Callahan's Lady (1989)
* Lady Slings the Booze (1992)
* The Callahan Touch (1993)
* Callahan's Legacy (1996)
* Callahan's Key (2000)
* Callahan's Con (2003)

Very light SF. But try Mindkiller, I found that one very well thought out.

I worry a little when a series goes that long. I've found some that work (Brust, Rice, Feist), and some that don't (Drake, Goodkind, starting to get frustrated with Martin). In any case, thanks. I'll give Mindkiller a try, and I may just have to get Lady Slings the Booze, just because it sounds right up my alley.

In any case, we've drifted far afield from SF's purpose in starting this thread, so my apologies to him. /end thread jack

God Project - John Saul

I read this when I was about 13 and I liked it at the time. I Just reread it. And it really isn't that good. Good premise, but terrible writing.

currrently reading "Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne" by David Starkey

that period of European history has always been interesting to me.

I read Life and Times ... too, Bobby. I found it to be an informative impression of America in the 50's. Being a child of the 70's, I found myself wishing I had been born 20 years earlier.

Awesome book.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ardtulaneL.jpg

I'm a sucker for a well written kids book, especially one that features a lost china bunny who learns about love.

I'm reading 'Great Expectations'. Yes, that one. I've decided I need to read more classics. So far, it is Freaky. More details to follow.

I'm towards the end of Sarah Vowell's collection of essays titled "The Partly Cloudy Patriot." It's a fascinating read. I'm truly enjoying it because Vowell's mind works similar to the way mine does.

Gaiman - American Gods

The Colorado Kid - Stephen King (A hard case novel.. kinda pulpy/noiry an ok read)

Blaze - Richard Bachman ( More Noir than than the above.. a good read)

The Road - Cormac McCarthy (Wow... read it!! I loved this book)

No Country For Old Men - McCarthy again (just started.. seems good so far)

Reading Rilke: Reflections on the Problems of Translation by William Gass.
Ends with the 10 Duino Elegies, which can hardly be beat.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Great book! it was however not as good as it should be since i saw the movie about 20 times. I knew the story before it happened which ruined a bit of it for me. But it was overall very good.
There was some parts that didn't make sense but apart from that, I recommend it to anyone wanting to read a good story. Just don't expect it to be just like the movie. There are some major differences.

My rating for this book is: 8/10

Cook - A Cruel Wind (First Dread Empire Trilogy)

Currently plowing through Evanovich - Four To Score, with High Five on deck. If I'm not done with both by Wednesday, I am suing Evelyn Wood. (I kid. I wish I could make books last longer, but I go through a mass market paperback in about a day without making any effort to read quickly.)

I have a shelf of books that I go back to when I have nothing else to read. This is on there.

If you haven't read Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, you ought to. Very good.

I've really never been a fan of Palahniuk. Fight Club was okay, but I thought Choke was kind of pointless and, frankly, stupid. Neither was what they were hyped up to be.

I'm currently staring at the copy of War and Peace that a friend gave me today. She said she thought it was something that might last me more than a week. I've never read it. I'm debating whether I want to start in on it tonight or not.