A Book Hunter's Journal

A Monster Calls a Novel by Patrick Ness From an Original Idea by Siobhan Dowd

2012-02-12T00:10:00.000-06:00

When a boy refuses to grow up, he visits the monsters. When a boy needs to grow up, the monster comes to him.

The clock hits 12:07AM and Conor O'Malley is visited by a Monster, but it's not the one he was expecting. This isn't the monster from his nightmare. It's not the monster that's slowly taking his mother's life. This monster is here because Conor unwittingly called upon him.

Taking a story idea from the late Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness has created a most memorable monster. A Monster Calls is horrific, harrowing tale of a thirteen-year-old boy being forced to grow up as he watches his mother slowly succumb cancer. When the monster awakens him at 12:07AM, Conor doesn't get what he expects. Instead of the punishment he longs for, the monster comes bearing three tales and expecting the fourth tale to come form Conor's lips. The monster wants the truth, Conor's truth. But is Conor ready to accept his fears and admit what his nightmare really holds?

I know it's stereotype to think that a juvenile book contains no merit - even though I dislike J.K. Rowling, I will admit that Harry Potter holds some weight in the world of literature - A Monster Calls is the most powerful novel I've read this year thus far. It outmatches anything I read last year, as well. It's a curiosity on how Siobhan Dowd would have written it had she not passed on, but Patrick Ness doesn't fail in giving us this masterpiece. The illustrations within the book are beautiful in that haunting sort of way.

A Monster Calls is available at Amazon and B&N, as well as for your Kindle and Nook.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Social Media Marketing

2012-02-07T17:18:00.000-06:00

Via: Wpromote

When television first came around, advertisers were given a bigger playing field with a wider audience so it's no surprise how social media predominate in the marketing world. Marketers have turned to Facebook advertising and tweeting to get their products know. They've also turned to bloggers to comment on their company and review their products. In order to secure a place in the marketing world, advertisers should keep track of technology.

Enter the Void

2012-02-05T15:50:00.000-06:00

via Incontention

Remember that really detailed rape scene in Gaspar Noé's Irreversible? You know the one, you couldn't look away at the same time that you did. And it just seemed to go on for hours rather than the few minutes? That came to mind while watching his 2009 film, Enter the Void. Not that the film is graphically violent like that rape scene, but that it's a train wreck. Hell, I don't think it's going overboard to say that Gaspar Noé just spent the last two hours of my life raping my mind, insulting my intelligence, and spitting on my love for movies (did I mention that he basically ejaculates on your face, as well? Those of you who've seen it, know which part I'm talking about). Unlike Irreversible, Enter the Void isn't worth the time, or the money - lucky for me, Netflix has it on Instant Stream.

The film, set in Japan, features a brother and sister relationship - should I have said bond? - that doesn't border on incestuous because they survive a traumatic event that took both their parents' lives. I say bond because every brother/sister film has some sort of sibling relationship that we see as common. The one featured in this film is a little more affectionate, obsessive, compassionate, clingy(?) because all they have is each other. Noé attempts to mix in the Tibetan Book of the Dead into his storytelling, but fails to keep the story from getting lost. The idea of seeing the life of someone who has just died, the before, the after, the during, etc. is something that would normally pique my attention and leave me in awe. Noé, however, fails. He fails miserably.

It's an extended film school movie. It's the sort of film that people watch in college in order to pass off as deep, but it's really just a piece of shit. My advice is not to watch it. Pretend it doesn't exist and do something more meaningful with your two hours.

However, if you want to see for yourself, Enter the Void is on Amazon on DVD and BluRay.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Caligula

2012-02-05T00:46:00.003-06:00

via Wikipedia

A few years ago, a friend loaned me her copy of Caligula. I started watching it, but noticed the high quantity of nudity and graphic sex presented in the film. Normally, this doesn't bother me, but this film was jam packed with it. And it didn't move the story along - sure, I get that they were attempting to show how depraved Caligula was and the horrors that went on during his reign - probably exaggerated for the film - but there was nothing actually behind the sex other than shock and awe.

Still, I was told the film was something I should watch. At least give another chance because Malcolm McDowell starred in it. Because Netflix offered it in their instant stream, I decided to give it another go. Fortunately for me, the film they offer is the R-rated version with the graphic sex scenes either removed, cut short, or zoomed in on just the faces. And my only thought is that perhaps the parts that made it unwatchable were the only reason people watched it.

The story is a bit drab, the acting over the top. I think some creative liberties were given, but there was nothing worthwhile. It was all I can do to keep myself awake. It leaves me with the impression that the sole reason behind the film was to shock and awe people by sneaking in some pornography into the mainstream.

Caligula is available DVD and BluRay on Amazon. The R-rated version is currently offered on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

clone it

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

2012-02-02T22:35:00.002-06:00

via Media Bistro

Let's be honest: If not for the fact that I work in the Children's Department of the local library, I would have never picked up a copy of Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck. I would have not paid $16 dollars - that's $14 off cover price - for this insanely thick children's book. I may not have even beaten myself over the fact that it took me four days to read rather than the one night/one morning time span it should've taken me (my eyes do get tired). However, I can't say I didn't enjoy the book. Hell, it might be a brick but it's still a damn good book.

The novel follows to characters. Ben, a partially deaf boy who becomes fully deaf after an accident during an electrical storm and recently suffered the loss of his mother after a car accident; and, Rose, a young deaf girl who dreams of escaping her father's house in order to find a place in the world. The two stories are set fifty years apart - Ben's taking place in the 70's while Rose lives in the 20's.

Having never read anything by Selznick before - and if the price of this book is any reflection, it'll take another mandatory reading to get me to pick up anything by him - I don't know much about his style. Whether or not The Invention of the Hugo Cabret follows the similar structure is beyond me. See Ben's story is told through conventional storytelling - you know, with words - while Rose's story takes a more primal spin - with pictures. It's a lot of guess work to be made with the latter story, but it's still just as powerful. It's the allure of the book. And probably why it was chosen for that International Book Discussion we're doing at the library late next month or early April. The story is about language barrier - not entirely, obviously. And when you have a school of predominately English speaking kids discussing with those of a predominately Spanish speaking school, well, you see my point. Clearly not at all like the characters lost in New York in the book, but you know, what are you going to do?

It's a sweet story of two kids looking for their place in the world with a mixture of pop culture, Deaf culture, arts, history, and nature. The art work is beautiful and its detail is breath taking. Selznick has a way to keep his readers captivated and wanting more, while dropping subtle clues as it leads you down the path.

This 600+ goliath is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

One more thing before I go. As I mentioned, Wonderstruck is part of the International Book Discussion we host at the library. It brings two schools together - a local school and one from Mexico - to discuss the chosen book. The responsibility of the children's library is to creative activities that will get the children discussing the novel. There are a few that I've encountered via Google searches - such as the ones offered in TeachMentorTexts - but nothing that really grabs the attention. A part of me thinks that having the children create their own cabinet of wonders would be a great way to get the ball rolling, but the required materials they'd need to provide might be a little too much.

Anyway, if there is anyone out there currently or recently teaching this book in your class, please do send suggestions. It would be greatly appreciated.

Binky Under Pressure by Ashley Spires

2012-02-01T18:42:00.001-06:00

via Waking Braincells

If you haven't been keeping up, I work at the children's department of the local library. One of the perks that's stapled to the job is getting to see the new book arrivals. Some of these are reminiscent of my childhood - I recently green dotted a copy of Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion, which is actually packed somewhere in this house - and others just bring the child out of me. Enter Binky, space cat.

Binky and I only became acquainted recently. And if what Ashley Spires presents in Binky Under Pressure reflects anything in the other books, then I hope the department has the other books (I found out today that we have Binky the Space Cat, but not Binky to the Rescue - though that latter just might not be on the shelves as I didn't browse the card catalog).

Binky is a great space cat. He remembers his exploration into outer space fondly. And while space was fun, he couldn't imagine leaving his humans. Still, he protects his space station from the alien invaders that attempt break in.

Enter a new invader: Gracie. Another cat moving into Binky's territory, eating his food, stealing HIS best friend! Binky. Must. Bring. It. But Gracie isn't all that she appears - is she a friend or foe?

It's a fun read. I'm even sure your kids will love it.

Binky Under Pressure is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

It Came from My Mailbox

2012-01-30T19:58:00.002-06:00

If you haven't kept up, I started working at the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library late last year. Earlier this month, I was told that we're partaking in an international book discussion and the novel selected is Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck. Not to judge a book by it's weight, but was this supposed to be a brick? It almost makes me wonder why Selznick is anti e-book (Google Brian Selznick and e-book and read whatever results come up). You know, besides the fact that a 600+ hard copy novel might make more money than a 600+ e-book. (I vaguely remember reading how books are priced by paper, but I'm sure this was indie publishing, not publishing house.)

And the price of this book? One cent off the $30 mark. Pretty expensive for a person working a part-time job who's also expecting his first born in a matter months, saving every bit of his money for a car, a place to live, a diamond engagement ring, an iPhone, a camcorder, college, the GRE test, etc., etc., etc. I'm glad that I found a copy on eBay for only $16 - a $14 dollar discount! - thank goodness for free shipping.

Still, this book is quite heavy - I'm a 28-year-old man and this book will probably snap my back in half (but I do carry a considerable amount of weight in my pack), so I can only imagine how a fifth grader feels lugging this around. Seriously, Selznick! E-book this sucker!

Of course, the book is beautifully illustrated and an e-book would take away from it (as the illustrations are two page in length). Still, Selznick, a guy can't always afford a beautifully illustrated copy of your novels.

Purchase Wonderstruck on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or pick up the Caldecott Medal winning, The Invention of Hugo Cabret at Amazon for only $14.99.

Return to Horror High

2012-01-30T19:12:00.000-06:00

via Amazon

So let's get this straight, shall we? Return to Horror High tells the tale of a movie company who is slaughtered one by one while they attempt to reenact a murder spree that happened years prior. To clarify, it's a story of a movie within a movie about a story. Oh wait, was that George Clooney? Yeah, that is George Clooney. And like most of George Clooney's early films, this movie is terrible. But in that way that it's good. You know what I mean?

The film opens at the moment the police arrive at a grisly murder scene. The only survivor is a distraught writer. It's a who-done it type of movie with a twist that is so pathetic, it's almost good.

Once again, it's a terrible movie. Bad. Godawful. It's sinful to even think this movie should be taken seriously. Still, it's filled with that campy, over-the-top B-movie horror stuff that makes things memorable - a cult following.

Return to Horror High is available on DVD at Amazon and B&N. However, I advise streaming it on Netflix or watching it on Amazon Instant Video.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Skins Returns

2012-01-29T18:41:00.000-06:00

via E4

I should say, Skins returned. As in last week. As in, I don't know why I waited a week to write this post. Maybe I'm still digesting the series opener. We're used to this sort of thing from Skins. When Chris died, I was a little disappointed, but I accepted it. The first generation needed a segue into adulthood and what better way to give them that push than the death of a friend? When the psychopathic therapist bludgeoned Freddie, I was pissed. Was this going to be the Skins thing? Was every generation doomed from the get at the beginning of their second year?

As we saw with episode one, Gracie's departure - though not dead - didn't wait for the second to the last episode. But it does create the much needed rift for all the characters to face in their last year.

We are let down, however. Franky is much more feminine this time around. Her relationship with Matty is on the rocks after a road trip. She's hungry for attention from someone else. Mini's girl crush on Franky may or may not have evaporated, but her boinking Alo makes the group a bit incestuous.

If the first episode is any indication for the rest of the series, the fatal blow may not come to us as a shock. If anything, the greatest twist the writers can deliver is sending off the entire cast happily into the future.

P.S.

2012-01-29T18:21:00.001-06:00

via Movie Poster

"They did it backwards," I commented the moment Laura Linney and Topher Grace started having sex on the couch. "He's supposed to be accepted then they have sex." Jyg picked the film - we narrowed our choices down to Babel, Kissing Jessica Stein, and P.S. "What's P.S. about?" Jyg asked. "Something about a college professor or something who starts a relationship with her student." Only that was an over simplification of the film. In fact, it landed to the left of the nail.

Laura Linney plays divorcee Louise. She's an admission's officer for the Columbia University School of Arts. Her only friend is Peter, her ex-husband, who, later, admits he's a recovery sex addict. Her life is routine, nearly. She's dangerous close to becoming the epitome of old maid. After sending off several letters to potential applicants, she finds one - perhaps overlooked earlier - and the name sends a wave through her. F. Scott Feinstadt, who may or may not be the reincarnation of her teenager lover, but is still a dead ringer for him.

Jyg was left unimpressed by the film. My take was a little better. It's more than I expected - I was expecting a film about a woman suffering through a mid life crisis who attempts to regain her youth by seducing a younger lover. Instead, I received a depressing tale of a woman attempting to garner a second chance with a dead lover - without it getting gross or awkward, anyway. A story of addiction and inability to let go of the past.

While I still hold my skepticism about taking Topher Grace seriously - let's face it, he'll always be Eric Foreman - the film was decent and worth the watch.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

P.S. is available on DVD at Amazon and for streaming on Netflix.

Zap: A Play by Paul Fleischman

2012-01-28T00:34:00.001-06:00

via GoodReads

A murder mystery unfolds in the turn of the century England as a party awaits a war hero...ZAP! A disgruntled writer plots revenge on a fellow word craftsman steals and publishes his life story...ZAP! The classic Shakespearean play, Richard III begins...ZAP! A Russian woman is dragged to live in her...ZAP! A one woman show, performance art...ZAP! A couple sees it as no big deal when they find a corpse...ZAP! An artist plots to run away from his Southern home while his grandmother...ZAP!

So is the play by Paul Fleischman, which seems to stem from a conversation I had with my co-worker one afternoon about how short my attention span has become when watching movies on television. And that's just the idea of the play, isn't it not? How we continually flip channels during commercial breaks or during the most important parts of a movie or TV series just to see what's on the other channel? Theatre is dying and television is the box they'll bury it in.

It's a different high school play and quite the humorous read - reminiscent of Noises Off at some scenes. It starts off with something experimental, a play controlled by the audience. The idea is to give the audience remote controls to "change the channel" at any given time. A computer in the back will tally up the number of times a change is requested and when a sufficient number is hit - ZAP! - the play changes. Cramming seven plays into one single piece, Paul Fleischman not only keeps us entertain but holds a mirror to ourselves, examining how disenchanted and jaded we've become with the arts.

Zap is a must for every high school aged student and drama teacher.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Zap is available at Amazon and B&N.

Terrible Neighbors

2012-01-27T16:14:00.002-06:00

Contribution by Kennith Griffin

I decided to move out of my apartment a few months ago because I have the worst neighbors upstairs. They have these crazy parties during the week, and have no regard for the rest of the tenants. I tired complaining to management, but they never did anything to get it to stop. After a year of sleepless nights, it was time for me to go. There is so much to do when you have to move. Between looking for good movers and clear internet providers in my new area, I felt like my head was spinning. The month before the move I was excited and ready to get out of my apartment. Then, when the amount of work I had to do to pull of the move started to hit me, I almost regretted my decision to move. I started thinking that maybe my neighbors weren’t all that bad, until that Wednesday night when they decided to throw one of their infamous parties. Now I just can’t wait to get all this work over with and be settled in my new place. It’s so exciting that in just a few days I’m going to be able to get a good night’s sleep!

Sneakpeeq

2012-01-25T10:03:00.003-06:00

I did some cleaning up the other day on the side bars - there's only one now and it holds less ads. Today, I added a new banner ad for sneakpeeq, an online store that does things a bit differently. While they do carry items you are familiar with, they also act as a platform for the as-yet-to-be discovered things missing from you life. Everything from chocolate to upcoming fashion, sneakpeeq has what you're seeking at low prices, finding discounts as high as 70% off.

Still not convinced? Well, sneakpeeq has also hidden several badges and price reducing rewards throughout their website. The more you buy, the more incentives you earn in the end. Which can make online shopping a little more of a game, something real-world shopping doesn't do (unless you're a shopaholic). Head over to sneekpeeq now and start saving.

As an added bonus, you don't have to create a new account because the site allows you to use Facebook to log in. Sign up today and start buying and earning.

X-Men: Magneto Testament by Greg Pak & Carmine Di Giandomenico

2012-01-22T22:57:00.001-06:00

via Comic Vine

"Sometimes in this life, you get a moment, a time when everything lines up. When anything is possible. When suddenly you can make things happen. God help us if we take that moment. And God forgive us if we don't."

Those are the words we deserved to hear on the big screen, instead we got X-Men: First Class. Not that I'm comparing standing up against the S.S. men during the holocaust to a mediocre movie. It's nothing like that. As a fan of the X-Men franchise, I feel we deserved something better. Something that helped us understand Magneto's anger. After reading Greg Pak's story in X-Men: Magneto Testament, I say that we finally have it. However, the miniseries was overlooked. It still deserves a adaptation of its own. Maybe not for the big screen, but for the small screen. A direct-to-DVD animated film. Something to think about.

The five-part miniseries that chronicles Max Esienhardt's life during the most horrific time in human history. From being mistreated because he was a Jew in an all Aryan school to witnessing the murder of his family to finally taking a stand against the monsters who stole his childhood away from him. Di Giandomenico's art work captures emotions - though, at some points, it's hard to decipher one character from the next, even Max's love interest, Magda, looks similar to Max.

That aside, the story and art play off each other when it comes to the emotions. Even in the happier panels in the first chapter are dreary and dark. There is little room for happiness in this story. And the grains that we received are treasured.

The graphic novel also includes historical notes and pointers, even adding a section to use the story as a text book. It's more than just a comic book, I should say. It allows us to see the monstrous side of humanity by using something familiar to us.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

You can purchase X-Men: Magneto Testament at [[Amazon]] or [[B&N]]

The Hole

2012-01-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

via IMDB

Teen screams are something of the past, am I right? That's why Scream 4 didn't keep me on edge like Scream did. Teenagers killing teenagers just feels too, well, real.

The psychological thriller, The Hole, starring Thora Birch and Dexter's Desmond Harrington, is a two way street. Do we believe main character Liz's story, or semi-geeky Martin's tale. You don't have to wait long to figure out the truth. And that's where it kills the story. psychological thrillers are supposed to mess with your head, finally giving you the answers at the end of the tale. Imagine if the writers of Saw gave you the twist ending by telling you Jigsaw was there the whole time. You the movie have lasted so long? Would you have even cared to finish it.

No, the writers of The Hole gave us something that was well worth the watch, but damned us by killing it early on. There was no twist ending because it was given to us in the middle. We weren't left in awe, slapping hands to our heads by not seeing all the pieces, because they were given to us directly.

No. Instead, we're gypped into accepting the ending. An ending, by the way, that would not hold up in court.

The film, which also stars a young Keira Knightley, is available on Amazon and Netflix Instant Steam (which I recommend).

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Erotic Romance for Couples

2012-01-22T14:23:00.001-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I started following writer/editor/cupcake blogger Rachel Kramer Bussel on Twitter and Tumblr. Friday, I received my third book from her. Oh happy day!

A little about the book:

Irresistible features loving couples who turn their deepest fantasies into reality - resulting in uninhibited, imaginative sex they can only enjoy together. Engage in a little sexting in A.M. Hartnett's sizzling "Safe for Work" office tryst, and follow kinky candidate for public office - and his lusty wife - in Alyssa Turner's intriguing "Hypocrites." Cole Riley's moving "Save As It Ever Was" shows that make up sex can be worth fighting for. As editor Rachel Kramer Bussel notes, the lovers in this daringly romantic anthology are "able to open up in the way they do precisely because they have another person to rely on i...We get to see how the layers of trust that have been built up get used to stoke the fire that burns between them."

Bussel states that with this anthology she "wanted to explore what happens after" "two people discover there's intense chemistry between them."

I'm cracking open this baby the moment I hit publish. Which is now. So yeah. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Irresistible is available for pre-order on Amazon. It hits shelves on Valentine's Day.

Double Feature

2012-01-22T01:53:00.000-06:00

via Wikipedia

There's one thing I left out earlier when I went post crazy. Not only have I acquired a new television to replace the one I owned for the last 20 years of my life and purchased a Blu Ray player, I've also opened a Netflix account which I access from said Blu Ray player - goody!

I Love Your Phillip Morris

Jyg and I cozied up to watch the romantic comedy starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, each known for their brilliant performances in the past - save the Star Wars prequels, of course. It's a different sort of take on the romantic comedy, by the way. In fact, it's refreshing to see something different in the genre that stars mainstream actors and doesn't have an underlining theme of prejudice.

The film is based on the book and real life account of con man, Steven Jay Russell. The story follows the many faces of Russell - from learning that he was adopted as a child to marrying a religious woman and working as a police officer to learning of the identity of his real mother to deciding to living his life as a openly gay man to starting his con business to finally meeting the love of his life, Phillip Morris.

I Love You Phillip Morris is filled with humor, love, and the right amount of drama. At times, it seems a little over the top, but it's to be expected from a Jim Carrey flick, right? While Jyg felt it was a bit odd too see Jim Carrey playing a homosexual, I found it fitting in his more serious comedic roles of late. His acting was superb, as was costar Ewan McGregor's.

You can purchase the film on Blu Ray or DVD on Amazon, or view it now on Netflix or Amazon Instant Video.

WaxWork

via Wikipedia

Every now and then, you discover a horror film so terrible, it's good. Sometimes the film intends to be terrible, other times it takes itself too seriously. I'm hoping the forces behind the film Waxwork falls into the latter.

Four college - or possibly high school, or maybe it wasn't planned out very well - students take a tour of a waxwork that appears seemingly over night. While touring the museum of waxed horror films, two of them walk into different displays only to become apart of them. Our hero, Mark is determined to prove that the owner of the waxwork is responsible for the disappearance of his friends and several other people in the city. His suspicions become real when he learns that the owner has made a deal with the devil and is using his wax museum to release hell on earth...or something like that.

The acting is as terrible as the plot. However, it is still a fun film to watch, especially when you're looking for something a little goofy. Jyg fell asleep during this one. What a critic!

Waxwork is available in a in a combo set with its sequel which is available on Amazon. It is also available on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Baby's Room

2012-01-21T17:48:00.000-06:00

via Benevolent Street

Ghost stories rarely give me the creeps anymore. With all the hype of the Paranormal Activity franchise - which I still believe that no self-respecting horror movie buff would defend and call it good - it's no surprise that Alex de la Iglesia's 2006 film, La Habitación del Niño - better known to us by the Films to Keep You Awake title, The Baby's Room - came across my Nexflix suggestions.

Despite coming out a year before the whole Paranormal Activity franchise was introduce, people will probably mesh this film and those together, rather than noticing the actual difference. Where those behind the horrible films were just adding to the useless amount of movies that are categorized as "found tapes," de la Igelsia gives us a film with actual substance, and something new. Before you question my judgement, I will state the film was dull for the most part, obvious in others and the "twist" ending was seen from miles away. However, the film does get bonus points for attempting to use Quantum Physics in its plot and the fresh new spin on the haunting genre is well received.

A new family moves into a house with a sordid past, and on the first night begins to hear something over the baby monitor. Writing it off as static, the husband purchases a new, state-of-the-art baby monitor which uses video rather than just sound. What he sees disturbs him. Attempting to put the whole haunting into a rational sense, fails him. When it seems that the obsession is making him harmful to his family, he is left alone in the house to investigate the truth behind the hauntings. However, he learns that some hauntings aren't ghost related. In fact, the murder he witnesses on video may not have even happened yet.

The short film - which, if I understood correctly, is actually an episode for the Spanish series Películas para no dormir - seemed to drag at times. The beginning serves little to the story's purpose, except explaining the origin of the elderly lady later seen in the film, and even she serves no real purpose to the plot. Leonor Watling graces viewers with her beauty and acting ability, while Javier Guiterrez kept reminding me of the Spanish version of Dave Matthews. All in all, if you're a looking for a new kind of haunting tale, then give the film a chance. Otherwise, please move on.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Purchase the 6 Films to Keep You Awake set on Amazon, or watch The Baby's Room on Amazon Instant Video.

American Vampire Vol. 1 by Scott Synder, Stephen King & Rafael Albuquerque

2012-01-21T14:40:00.000-06:00

via Wikipedia

Very few people are original these days when it comes to old mythos. Rarely do I see any evolution of fantastical creatures of old lore, so it's always refreshing to see a new take on something familiar. We're in the age of the undead - be it zombies returning to pay homage to our society, or vampires representing civil movements. However, if all you're adding to a mythos is talking zombies or vampires who sparkle in the sun, then you're clearly missing the point of evolution. Rather than evolving the creatures, you're simply dumbing them down to fit your homage to nothing. You should've written fanfiction instead. Though, even fanfiction adds to the mythos rather than raping it - yes, even the homoeroticism of every fanfiction adds more to the mythology than Mormon-esque philosophy and horny teenagers.

For most of their existence, vampires have been shrouded in darkness. Very few people have attempted to change that - day-walkers weren't scary enough, or thrilling enough (or sparkly enough, apparently). They are always placed in dank, dark locations because that's how it's always been. With the obvious exception of Anne Rice's existential vampires, who seem to find sunny areas like California and Miami quite alluring, even though they still only come out at night.

In American Vampire, writers Scott Synder and Stephen King offer us something new for us to sink our fangs in. Blending the old Euro Vampires - you know, the fancy dressed ones who hate the sun - with a "new vampire for a new century."

Blending the last years of the Wild West with 1920s America, the story follows the origin of the American Vampire and the war brewing between the old and the new. Stephen King focuses on the origin story, following outlaw Skinner Sweet as he descends into the well-lit realms of the American vampire as the Euro Vampires stand in shock of the abomination that is their bloodline. As Skinner Sweet tears through the new the century seeking revenge, he realizes the old west he once knew is coming to an end; meanwhile, lawman James Book is hot on his trail, seeking retribution of his own and hoping to put Sweet in his grave for good. Meanwhile, Scott Synder focuses on the twentieth century vampire and Skinner Sweet creation, Pearl Jones. The ambitious young actress is lured into her grave by her fading hopes of becoming a well-known actress. It's Skinner Sweet who brings her back from the dead in hopes that she will aid him in the destruction of those who made him what he is. Pearl seeks vengeance of her own on the Euro Vampires, killing them one at a time. The war is far from over in the conclusion of the first volume, as figures from Sweet's past return to finish what Book couldn't do.

The first volume is well thought out, and the characters are amazing. The fact that it blends two of my favorite time-periods is just the added bonus. The fact that something so well crafted by Stephen King has actually reached my eyes - let's remember my love/hate relationship with the writer - gives me goosebumps and keeps me wanting more.

Oh well. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Purchase American Vampire at [[Amazon/Paperback]] [[Kindle]] [[B&N/Hardcover]] [[Nook]]

No Country for Old Men

2012-01-21T01:56:00.000-06:00

I've made two mistakes when it comes to the 2007 Academy Awards winner film, No Country for Old Men. The first was reading the book shortly after falling in love with the film. The novel, written by Cormac McCarthy, is just as great as the movie. The only probably is, the film is a true adaptation so while reading the novel, scenes from the film kept playing in my head. Let's face it, even though both were equally great, it pulled me out of the story of the later. I also can't imagine watching the film shortly after reading McCarthy's work.

The second mistake was watching the film in DVD format. I'm not much of a movie goer, despite my love for films. Theaters only call to me when it involves Batman or something that must be watched. At the time, I didn't think that No Country for Old Men was worth my time.

After twenty - yes, twenty! - long wonderful years with my television set, I departed with the old clunker when it died. And by died, I mean the channel kept playing even after I shut it off. Makes no sense, right? Anyway, I received a more modern TV for X-mas. Of course, with a modern TV comes HDMI connections with makes a great excuse to purchase a Blu Ray player. Thanks to the glorious sale at Best Buy, I purchased a Blu Ray copy of No Country for Old Men. And I must say, I was missing a whole lot.

The crisp picture adds to the aesthetic quality of film. It really does bring out the psychotic qualities of Javier Bardem's performance, the age of Tommy Lee Jones's character, and the nature of each setting.

The film was well received by Jyg, I may add. When I first rented the film a few years back, she turned it down. I'm not going to give all the credit to the Blu Ray format, but, hey, I think it helped.

Best Sex Writing 2012 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

2012-01-16T21:59:00.000-06:00

It's simple math, isn't it? Start off with Rachel Kramer Bussel, add in Susie Bright, mix in the sex and you have yourself Best Sex Writing 2012.

Susie Bright selected the best of the best of the year passed, and her ability to read and choose has not waned since her departure from - and the untimely death of - The Best American Erotica. And Rachel Kramer Bussel is equally awesome.

The collection contains articles, essays, and pieces by Thomas Roche, Amber Dawn, Joan Price, Marty Klein, Susie Bright, and Rachel Kramer Bussel. The wind range of topics extends (no pun intended) the idiocy behind banning circumcision to rape culture to growing up queer in the Meatpacking District.

In Marty Klein's piece, "Criminalizing Circumcision: Self-Hatred as Public Policy," follows San Francisco's insane idea to outlaw circumcision in infants. It's the first - can I call it pro-circumcision? - positive circumcision piece I've read. It addresses the myths that anti-circumcision "activists" tout, and explains that any "physical" lacking a circumcised man feels is strictly psychological.

In "Losing the Meatpacking District: A Queer History of Leather Culture," Abby Tallmer reminiscences about growing up in the Meatpacking District in the midst of the queer and leather nightclubs, reminding us to never take our presents for granted because they can simply be erased.

Both Susie Bright and Thomas Roche pieces attack the laughable "news reporting" of major newspapers that fail at fact checking and op-eds how the media fails our sexual society by filling people's minds with the Christian Right-wing agenda.

Greta Christiana, on the other hand, reports how a secular lifestyle might improve your sex life over a religious one. In "Atheists Do It Better: Why Leaving Religion Leads to Better Sex," we learn that secular households tend to do it, well, better. Not only in the bedroom, but with raising children, as well. (You'll have to read the piece.)

"Grief, Resilience, and My 66th Birthday Gift" teaches us the sex life of an older woman and author, Joan Price. From finding someone to spend her life with, to the dynamic of her sex life to the grief she felt when he passed to regaining her sexual self afterward. The piece is possibly the best in the collection - in my humble opinion, anyway.

All in all, Best Sex Writing 2012 is worth the read and a place on your shelf or e-reader.

Purchase at [[Amazon]] [[Kindle]] [[B&N]] [[Nook]] [[Kobo]]

Breathers: A Zombie Lament by S. G. Browne

2012-01-06T17:04:00.001-06:00

Andy has several problems. Months after a fatal car accident that stole his wife from him, he's attempting to put his life back together. His in-laws are refusing him the right to see his own daughter. His father is vocal about the resentment he holds for him. His mother makes a failed attempt to accept him as she once did. Due to his inability to speak, he can't even verbalize how he feels about the whole ordeal. Not that it matters, his overpriced therapist could care less about Andy's troubles. Hell, he can't even take a walk to clear his thoughts without someone threatening his existence or hurling food and drinks at him. See, Andy problems stems from the fact that his life was also taken in that fatal car accident. However, unlike his wife, Andy didn't stay dead. He walks among the living as one of the undead that has plagued humanity for centuries. That is, Andy is a zombie. Decomposing slowly with the help of consuming shampoo among other every day products that contain formaldehyde.

Living in his parents basement/wine cellar, he passes the time watching cable TV and feeling resentment. The accident not only left him crippled, it also stole his voice. His only form of communication is the dry erase board that he wears around his neck. The only thing going for Andy are the Undead Anonymous meetings he attends. This is where he met Rita, a suicide who just happened to wake up in the morgue. A budding romance leaves Andy wondering what lies in store. Then there's Jerry, who happens to be the closest thing to a best friend in Andy's post-life. When the trio meet Ray and his Resplendent Rapture - jarred venison - things in their zombie life turn for the better. Andy's speech is returning. His left leg is magically healing. Same with Rita's scars and Jerry's skull. It slowly becomes apparent that venison might not be magical in of itself. Because what they're eating is far from it.

Breathers is possibly the funniest book I've read to date. The way S. G. Browne times his jokes make the read marvelous. It leaves me wondering why I put it off for so long. It's not difficult to see the comparison to any civil rights movement - the narrator even brings it up himself. What makes this book great is that it's not your typical zombie book. The world isn't at the brink of apocalypse or even the dawn of the post-apocalyptic era. Zombies haven't overpowered humans. In fact, they've been around for centuries and kept in the shadows. Not until recent decades has their presence been acknowledged. And they're even treated the way people treated African-Americans and homosexuals - with fear and ignorance.

The whole zombie civil rights idea aside, the book also judges the humanity of, well, humanity. By shining the light on innocence of children - "Is that true? Are zombies really human?" - to the shear hate of adulthood - "Go back to the grave!" - we're given insight on how outside forces mold our views on what is right and wrong, acceptable and what should be abhorred. It stay true with the Romero-philosophy, the sense that zombies should only bring to realization the way we handle social issues - war, racism, materialism, xenophobia, civil rights, etc.

But Breathers also brings another aspect of the zombie evolution. The creatures aren't mindless. They are exact reflections of the people they once were. And the vampiric rejuvenation is a nice edition to the zombie mythos.

It's the zombie book that will become canon, if not already.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Purchase Breathers: A Zombie Lament by S. G. Browne @ [[Amazon]] [[Kindle]] [[B&N]] [[Nook]] [[Kobo]]

Obligatory First Post of 2012

2012-01-04T22:38:00.000-06:00

I have been slacking off, I apologize. Work has me, well, working. And working has made me grow tired. And growing tired fills me with ennui. Filled with ennui, I have dropped all my writing/blogging projects - including my personal blog and my Letters to Shaun blog. However, working at the library hasn't hindered my book hunting habits. If anything, working there is exacerbating it. Worse, because now I'm on a budget - a tighter budget than I was before I became a book hunter, I should add. Jyg and me and baby makes three. Babies, I am told, are expensive and writing "ad" blogs and working part time isn't going to cut it unless I execute Project: No Spend.

Lucky for me, I started to follow Rachel Kramer Bussel whose book, Best Sex Writing 2012, is currently being read for review. If you'd also note, I reviewed Bussel's Best Bondage Erotica 2012 last month. I love sex, what can I say? It's an interesting topic. Best part of it all, these books were free of charge. All I have to do is write an Amazon review. Presto. Life is still grand.

However, you'll also note that the picture above features a copy of The Living Shakespeare. I bought that lovely piece of work for only $2. Even sweeter. Still, I have to tie up my wallet.

Along side Best Sex Writing 2012, I'm still working through Breathers by S. G. Browne. It's not a tough read, it's the aforementioned ennui that has me dragging. The only reason I muster up the energy to read Bussel's book is the review (well, the fact that it deals with sex doesn't hurt it, either).

This year, however, I do plan to read my 50 books as per the GoodReads Challenge. Because I started working at the children's department at the local library, I've opted to make this the year of the YA book. Not that I'm going to solely read YA novels, but there will be a stress on them. Hopefully, however, this won't turn out like last year's "year of the religion" theme. Heh. Am I right?

Oh well, until next time, keep on huntin'.

Now that X-mas has come and gone, it's time to look forward to Valentine's Day.

Books of 2011

2012-01-01T01:59:00.014-06:00

The Queen of the Damned - Anne Rice
"What is an Agnostic" (essay) - Bertrand Russell (read my thoughts here & here)
God is Not One - Stephen Prothero (read my thoughts here)
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
The Original of Laura - Vladimir Nabokov
Gospel of Judas - Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst (editors)
Vixen - Jillian Larkin
Twin Forks (short story) - Daniel Woodrell
Like a Girl (short story) - Alison Tyler
Doc - Mary Doria Russell
On Finding Jon's Porn (short story) - Alison Tyler
Good Doggy (short story) - Gemma Parkes
Home Visits (short story) - Gemma Parkes
Hungry for Your Love - Lori Perkins (editor)
Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay
Dexter by Design - Jeff Lindsay
The Crow - J. O'Barr
Wanted - Mark Millar (writer), J.G. Jones (pencils & inks), and Paul Mounts (colors)
Son of M - David Hine (writer) and Roy Allan Martinez (artist)
Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage - Tom DeFalco, J.M. DeMatteis, Terry Kavanagh, David Michelinie (writers)
Marvel Zombies - Robert Kirkman (writer) and Sean Phillips (artist)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse the Complete Epic Book 1 - Howard Mackie, John Francis Moore, et al (writers), Terry Dodson, Steve Epting, et al (artists)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse the Complete Epic Book 2 - Fiabian Nicieza, Scott Lobdell, et al (writers), Tony Daniel, Salvador Larroca, et al (artists)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse the Complete Epic Book 3 - Larry Hama, Terry Kavanagh, et al (writers), Adam Kubert, Chris Bachalo, et al (artists)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse the Complete Epic Book 4 - Judd Winick, Jeph Loeb, et al (writers), Ben Herrera, Roger Cruz, et al (artists)
DC Versus Marvel Comics - Ron Marz & Peter David (writers), Dan Jurgens, Josef Rubinstein, et al (artists)
The Silent Girl - Tess Gerritsen
Spider-Man: Reign - Kaare Andrews (writer & artist) with Jose Villarrubia (artist)
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
Dexter is Delicious - Jeff Lindsay
HitRECord: RECollections Vol. 1 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (editor)
Smart Ass - Alison Tyler, Kristina Lloyd, Sommer Marsden, Sophia Valenti & Thomas S. Roche
Darkness Falling - Peter Crowther
Daddy's Lil Devil - Rachel Boleyn
The Death Clock - J. Rock
UR - Stephen King
Crazy Emma - Brandie Buckwine
Mile 81 - Stephen King
Cthulhurotica - Carrie Cuinn (editor)
Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter - Michael J. White
Marvel Zombies 2 - Robert Kirkman (writer) & Sean Phillips (artist)
Less Than Zero - Bret Easton Ellis
Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis
Double Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
The Deportees and Other Stories - Roddy Doyle
The Pillowman - Martin McDonagh
The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye - Robert Kirkman (writer) & Tony Moore (artist)
The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us - Robert Kirkman (writer) & Charlie Adlard (artist)
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? - Neil Gaiman (writer) & Andy Kubert (artist)
The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars - Robert Kirkman (writer) & Charlie Adlard (artist)
The Martian Child - David Gerrold
The Walking Dead Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire - Robert Kirkman (writer) & Charlie Adlard (artist)
Go the F**k to Sleep - Adam Mansback (writer) Ricardo Cortes (illustrator)
Best Bondage Erotica 2012 - Rachel Kramer Bussel (editor)

Dancing with the Stars

2011-12-28T22:11:00.001-06:00

Guest post from: Bruno Smith

My husband is obsessed with Dancing with the Stars that he started watching after we signed up for expertsatellite. He even records it in case he misses it. I mean this guy is a former football player who has never danced a step in his whole life. If it had been my idea to start watching that show, I am sure he would have dismissed the idea right off the bat. But no, he found that little show himself and will not miss an episode if he can help it. This has all been a mystery to me how that show has sucked him in. When my son is home, he still turns it on. Then my son will look at me like “Is he alright?” I just roll my eyes and sit down and watch it with him. If he happens to not be home when it comes on, he just watches the recording the next morning while he is eating his breakfast. I mean seriously while he is eating breakfast. I am pretty sure I do not want to watch that before I go to work. But somehow that just works for him.

Books & Fine Wine

2011-12-27T20:40:00.000-06:00

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

There are few things in this world that make excellent partners - coffee and books and writing and wine. Now that X-mas has come and passed, it's time to reflect on the year. All the accomplishments and all the mishaps. All the good things and the bad. All the welcomed surprises and new experiences. Here at the Book Hunter's Journal, I hope you all the best and wish you the best for the new year. I thank you for following me, the few that do (two, actually). Thank you for your input and your company. I couldn't ask for a better audience (that includes the few stragglers that happen upon my page looking for something interesting. Sorry). So I raise my glass of the most expensive e-wine the internet offers and hope that you stick around for another year.

Until then, keep on huntin'.

Dexter Caught

2011-12-21T15:54:00.000-06:00

Surely, I could not have been the only one who shouted, "Well, it's about time!" the last few seconds of Sunday's season finale of Dexter. After six seasons, Debora finally learns Dexter's dark secret. Just as he ended Travis Marshall reign, his sister walks in to witness everything. Hopefully, that puts a stop to the semi-incestuous feeling that was bloomed late in the season. Still, I also hope to learn the secrets behind our newest buddy, the intern named Louis. What's his obsession with Dexter Morgan? Does he know our avenging angel's secret? And does the prosthetic symbolized a connection to Brian, or was it just convenient? Most of all, will he be the last person on Dexter's table, or will our hero be his first? So many things left opened for next season, I can't wait until next year.

Of course, the season opened with a good start. The season twist, however, wasn't that much of a twist. Most of the viewers had guessed it early on. I even said it after watching the first episode. The Debora in love with Dexter subplot, I can live without. I don't know why that was even used as a tool. Perhaps her love for him as something more a brother will lead her to not turn him in? Of course, this will prove Doakes's innocence - yeah, I almost forgot he was labeled as the Bay Harbor Butcher. The introduction of Brother Sam played well to contrast with the Doomsday Killer's beliefs. Though, I think Dexter learned nothing from it. Except solidify his belief that there is no good in him. I liked Mos Def, though - he's still Mos Def to me, despite his idiotic name change - it was a little disappointing that he was killed off. Sure, he did help Dexter a tiny bit, but his role could've been stronger. Maybe as a friend who doesn't try to screw Dexter over.

All in all, the season was better than last years. Don't get me wrong, I loved Lumen and all that she did for Dexter to move on after Rita, but it pales in comparison. Hopefully next season will be the last, though. I can't see how they can drag this beast out any longer. Let's face it, nothing has really compared to season four's finale. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Get your loved ones some killer Christmas gifts:

Tunes You Should Ignore

2011-12-17T00:55:00.002-06:00

Somewhere there's a high school version of the Book Hunter cringing to the verge of tears as the present me listens to The Path of Totality, the latest from the Korn. The first sign that something was south of wrong: Skrillex is featured in three tracts.

It seems that the nu metal band has infused two music genres that were best left in the grave. Combining dubstep and bag pipes, what were you thinking Jon Davis? There something sacrilegious about the idea. Still, Korn attempts to keep their street cred by transitioning into the latest and greatest fad - didn't they start rapping when rap core was at its peak? Still, Korn has always mixed funk with their music - rapping was just the next step. What we have with this album is pure bred selling out.

They hope to pull in the current generation of disenfranchised youth with the same old boring, unimaginative lyrics and hooks - no one understands you? wow. you must be deep.

Maybe it's time to retire, boys. Or find Jesus like former band mates have.

As for listeners, it's better if you stick to their albums prior Brian "Head" Welch dropped out. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Check it out for yourself:

Update

2011-12-14T22:46:00.001-06:00

I've put of reading Tipping the Velvet until I can give it the proper attention - studying for the GRE pretty much eats up all my reading time - so I picked up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I've opted to watch the original adaptation and the US adaptation, instead. Despite all the hype that circles the novel - the series, actually - the book is unreadable. To me, anyway.

I'm going to attempt to read Breathers, something I've been wanting to do for quite some time and, thanks to Amazon's holiday sale, I got it for $.99 for Kindle. Besides, my Kindle is much more work friendly than the cover for Tipping the Velvet.

And if you didn't catch the implications in that last statement, I got the job at the library! That's right, the book hunter extraordinaire snagged a job within a building that houses books, books and more books with carts of new books wheeled in every day (or at least for the first three days I've been there).

Well, now you're caught up. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Best Bondage Erotica 2012

2011-12-09T10:38:00.001-06:00

[Amazon] [Kindle] [B&N] [Nook]

Rachel Kramer Bussel - editor of books like Please, Sir and the upcoming, Best Sex Writing 2012 - returns with a collection of dark delights for those of us who take a walk on the wild side and those who want to venture there. Best Bondage Erotica 2012 is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive, but for those who want to add a little more spice into their lives. The stories presented here are easily adapted to real life scenarios, so don't just think of it as a collection of well written erotica by some of the best writers of the genre; instead, think of it as an instruction manual - Intro to Bondage.

In Teresa Noelle Roberts's "Suffer for Me," we learn that bondage isn't just rope and leather. That our restraints can be mental as well as physical. We also learn that being climatically controlled can cause the same yearning arousal that handcuffs and servitude bring. And best of all, it also teaches us to remember that tingling sensation of concentrated lust time and again.

In "Melting Ice," Shoshanna Evers informs us that a bondage fantasy doesn't have to have two people. A pair of handcuffs and an ice cube is all Amanda Scott needs to get rocks off.

Kay Jaybee pushes us further from just experimenting with the kinkier side of sex in "The Cupboard Under the Stairs," when a dominate invites someone else into their sex chamber.

And Elizabeth Silver brings in the gothier side of BDSM in "Laced," as a bartender sees a friend in a light he's never seen him before.

Each story is carefully crafted to yank on our lusts (no pun intended - or perhaps it is) and I can imagine Bussel having a hard time to select which to use. Collected here, however, are the best bondage erotica that the year has to offer. I'm on the edge to see what's in store for next year.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Call Back and a Book

2011-11-30T21:24:00.001-06:00

Norman Mailer for a dollar

Right in the midst of pondering what should go into my thank you letter - e-mail, actually, since we live in the digital age - about yesterday's interview, my phone rings. Lo and behold, it's the library with some semi good news. Joygasm, right? Yes. Sorta. I never allow myself to get overly excited until I have the job in the bag. There have been some instances with people I've known (not me, never me) who celebrated before an actual job was had. This was the usual paper work allowing the people to dig through my personal history. We're good. My life is bland to an extent - bland in the sense that it would never cost me a job.

After everything was signed and photocopied, I brisked away, stopping by the book sale table where I found a copy of Harlot's Ghost by Norman Mailer! For a dollar! What gives?! Is this a dream? First Edition, as well. Sweet. Paid my dollar and now I'm the proud owner of this not-so-little sucker. Hope it makes for a great read. Top of the list for 2012!

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

2011-11-30T00:09:00.001-06:00

Purchase [[Amazon]] [[Kindle]] [[B&N]] [[Nook]]
[[BetterWorldBooks]]

As part of their Cyber Monday sale, Amazon priced the Kindle edition of Go the F**k to Sleep around a buck or so. Of course, I bought it. And, of course, I regretted.

While the book itself is downright hilarious - no, wait. There is no real term for how funny this book really is - the Kindle version is a miss. I can only imagine that the format works better on a Kindle Fire rather than the plain ol' black and white Kindle.

It's a fun read for adults. Because I'm a soon-to-be parent, I thought it was a nice preparation for what is in store for me. However, I am not, under any circumstance, to read this book to my son - yes, it's a boy!!! - when putting him to bed.

In other news, I had my job interview at the Dustin Sekula Memorial Library. I think I did well under the circumstances - I have a head cold that decided to creep up on me. Of course, no visit to the library is ever complete without me dishing out some cash. Two book finds - total price at a dollar. A Brief History of the Paradox: Philosophy and the Labyrinths of the Mind by Roy Sorensen and Jamaica Kincaid's The Autobiography of My Mother.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Twilight Phenomenon

2011-11-28T13:28:00.001-06:00

Guest written by our friend Trent Horton

Lately I have been wondering about all the fuss behind the Twilight series. Since the new movie will be coming out soon, I have read more and more articles about the success behind both the movies and the book series. One night, I was relaxing on the couch when I stumbled across the first Twilight movie on my http://www.expertsatellite.com/direct-tv/direct-tv-peoria-arizona.html movie package. I decided to watch for a few minutes to see what the hype was all about. Even though I did not read the books, I was instantly hooked on the love story between two vampires that I do not even know. There is something so captivating about the fantasy of dating a vampire. Although the movie was not Oscar quality, I did thoroughly enjoy the storyline and was begging to know more. Before I know it, I managed to watch the remaining movies from the series and can now officially call myself a Twilight fan. I guess my next step would be to buy tickets and see the upcoming movie! And, I will probably end up reading the books as well for more information on this fascinating phenomenon.

The Walking Dead: The Heart's Desire

2011-11-28T12:30:00.001-06:00

Purchase [[Amazon]] [[B&N]] [[Alibris]]

"We become them!" exclaims a beat-up Rick Grimes. "You think we hide behind walls to protect us from the walking dead! Don't you get it? We are the walking dead!" As much as I've hated Robert Kirkman's inability to tell a great story, I have to admit it that the six issues collected in the fourth volume of The Walking Dead series is the best thus far. We're finally hitting the primal instinct, the savage within all the characters that had laid dormant until the last panels feature Rick's realization and damning all hopes out of the everyone's mind. Unlike his television alter ego - though you can see it peeking through with the mid-season finale when he guns down the child-zombie - the comic series Rick knows what lays in wait. He's accepted that the world order that we've grown accustomed to is over. There isn't much of any hope left and all that there is left to do is survive.

Any zombie enthusiast will tell you that zombies are only plays a small horror percentage in the story. Most of the horror comes not from the flesh eating creatures, but from humanity. Or the fall of it. The reason why The Walking Dead bothered me so much is that it never shone through. Sure, with Shane going mental in the first book and Hershel's damning naivete have pushed the story through, it was never enough to actually do much of anything. And like any plot device, it was quickly extinguished. Snubbed out.

With Rick's fall - or delightenment (as oppose to enlightenment) at the tail-end of issue #24, the actual horror can begin - I just hope that Kirkman can continue it with such grace.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Martian Child by David Gerrold

2011-11-26T13:16:00.001-06:00

Purchase [[Amazon]] [[Kindle]] [[Novel Kindle]]
[[B&N]] [[Kobo]] [[iBooks]] [[Google Books]]
[[BetterWorldBooks]]

"Today, I recognize that being human is the greatest adventure of all. And being a parent is the best part of that adventure," David Gerrold writes in the afterward of the Kindle edition of The Martian Child - an autobiographical piece about his adoptive son. "[A]nyone who hasn't experienced that hasn't finished the job of learning how to be human."

I caught the film adaptation Thursday morning, staying up until three to watch it - after baking pies all Wednesday night for Thanksgiving, I needed some quiet time with the TV and my eyes were too heavy for book reading. The film stars John Cusack as science fiction writer David Gordon - the straight version of David Gerrold, the author of the novelette turned novel turned film (not really sure which order that falls in, though). And like with most movies I fall in love with, I instantly wonder whether or not there was a book before hand. Even before the film was rolling its credits, I had downloaded the novelette to my Kindle - one can never be sure if you'll like the writer's style, so I opted for the novelette rather than the novel. The fact that it was under $4 also didn't hurt.

David Gerrold's writer, as I learned, is marvelous. There's a certain wit that most writers lack these days - whatever happened to them, I wonder. The story's a great, short read and I do look forward to purchasing the novel the moment I have placed this story behind me - if it's too familiar, I tend to lose interest in a story. Also, I'd want a hard copy of the book so I can lug it around to show people what I'm reading.

As a soon-to-be father, I feel that I can relate - sort of. Aren't all children aliens to new parents? And while I hope my little bundle of joy doesn't grow up to think she's a Martian, I do hope she is blessed with such a wonderful imagination, one that puts my childhood antics to shame.

It's a must read for all parents, new, old and adoptive. And I hope to learn as much from my child as David Gerrold learned from his. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Walking Dead: Safety Behind Bars

2011-11-23T12:37:00.003-06:00

Purchase [[Amazon]] [[B&N]]

So the tension finally begins to build. Still Robert Kirkman's ability to tell a story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat is nearly lacking. No big deal - as long as Charlie Adlard continues with his wonderful artwork, we can ignore Kirkman's inability.

The clan occupies a prison in this one - joining up with few survivors who were locked inside. It seems that the days of traveling across the post-apocalyptic country is behind them all. But inviting new people into your life leaves a gap in your security plan. It's a lesson Rick and the other will learn the hard way.

Blandness aside, the story gets a tad interesting when non-zombie murders begin. However, much to Kirkman's disadvantage, the fact that there are only so many people secured in the prison limits the number of victims the killer can take. The subplot is resolved within rather quickly. We're getting a peek at humanity - human nature? - during the apocalypse, which makes for better story telling. However, the writer obviously doesn't know what to do with all this psychology he's introducing. In the end, the third volume of The Walking Dead series falls short of a worthwhile read. I'm only hoping that the story deeps and the tension rises with the next set of volumes. Otherwise, how people enjoy this series so much will be forever lost on me.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Tunes You Need to Listen To

2011-11-22T09:38:00.001-06:00

Purchase at Amazon: [[CD]] [[MP3]] [[iTunes]]

Earlier this year, Skold released the first single off Anomie, his long awaited follow up to his self-titled debut album. I couldn't contain my excitement when I first listened to Suck single. And when Anomie hit, that excitement exploded ten-fold. 2011 was set to become a great year for industrial music with new releases from Oghr and KMFDM along side with many others. It was Tim Skold, however, that ushered in the new year for me.

Now the former collaborator of acts like from KMFDM to Marilyn Manson is ushering the year out by dropping the second single to Anomie, Tonight. The single features the album version of "Tonight" as well as remixes from The Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, Pull Out Kings and others. Available on both CD and MP3 format, the album is a must have for Skold fans. The CD includes two tracks not available on the digital copy- "Polka Dot Dress" and "Deserve". These two tracks were featured in the deluxe edition of Anomie's digital download and were previously unreleased on CD.

My two favorites off the single are the remix by The Birthday Massacre and the one by Aesthetic Perfection. But don't take my word for it, check them out yourself. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Sample Skold:

Just in time for the Holidays, BetterWorldBooks is having a Black Friday Sale. Received 15% any order of 3 or more books! What are you waiting for? Start shopping!!!

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman & Andy Kubert

2011-11-15T22:33:00.001-06:00

Purchase [Amazon] [B&N]

"What else am I going to do? Retire and play golf?" Batman ponders in the finite infinite moments, just before the last gasp - for most of us - shudders through the body, taking all life with it. "I doesn't work that way. It can't. I fight until I drop. And one day, I will drop." But are these flashes a mere near death experience, or is this the real thing? Has the Dark Knight succumbed to the inevitable? Because, in reality - comic book and real life - nothing lasts forever, not even the hero. Yet Batman has defined all the odds - his back has been broken. He's been shot. He's been framed. Brainwashed. Blown up. Seen his apprentice murdered only to rise again. Then again, hasn't the Dark Knight been dead before? Hasn't he risen again? And will the process not occur again and again in the infinite loop?

Neil Gaiman has given us a chilling tale of the Dark Knight's funeral and all those in his life is in attendance. From his closest friend and butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to his greatest nemesis, the Joker. The first chapter - originally published in Batman #686 - tells two stories of the his death. One at the hands of former Catwoman, Selina Kyle. And the other, tells a rather different take of the Dark Knight's legacy, having Alfred Pennyworth hiring several of his former acting buddies to masquerade as the villains we know and love - with Alfred playing the Joker. In the end, Batman dies by a gunshot wound.

The second chapter - originally published in Detective Comics #853 - clues you in the other deaths of the Dark Knight - as told by the Joker, Robin - Dick Grayson - Superman, Harvey Bullock, Clayface among others. Meanwhile, Batman is led through the abyss of memories and the in between by his mother, who - sadden - states, "No matter how many lives you save, you can't bring us back."

Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert manage to combine several versions of our hero into two issues, nodding to woks by others who have molded and rewritten the Batman canon. Not only do they give an ending to Dark Knight's mythos, but rewind it to the very beginning - "You don't get Heaven or Hell," his mother explains. "Do you know the only reward you get for being Batman? You get to be Batman."

The trade includes Andy Kubert's sketchbook, as well as, other stories written by Gaiman. "A Black and White World" has Batman and the Joker living in a comic book world - as in, actors playing roles. In "Pavane," tells the intoxicating story of Poison Ivy's beginnings and the depths of her seduction. A group of edgy journalists attempt to bring the human side of the masked villains of Gotham within the pages of "Original Sins" and "When is a Door." The team digs deep, attempting to find the madman himself, the Joker. But as the saying goes, don't go looking for the Joker because the Joke will find you.

An all around great read - Gaiman at his best, you may say. And Andy Kubert's art as a homage to those who came before him is spectacular. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us

2011-11-10T03:10:00.000-06:00

Purchase [Amazon] [B&N]

Now you might be asking yourself, if you hate Robert Kirkman's writing so much, why are you still reading it? What else am I supposed to do? I obtained copies of The Walking Dead series, am I just suppose to look at them until I have to return them? That's silly. I suppose, I could return them early and check out something else. That would also be admitting defeat and I won't let Kirkman's inability to tell a story from enjoying zombies. Nay, I say. Nay.

Of course, I'm also a literary masochist. I tend to get invested in the things I read, especially if it's a series book. Case in point: even though I find hammering pins underneath my fingernails more entertaining, I do plan to one day continue the Marvel Zombies series.

There was also the shed of hope that, as the story progressed, I'd open up to Kirkman. Or at least, he'd improved. With The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us - which collects issues #7-12 - Kirkman gets wordier. It's like during the zombie holocaust, everyone's vying to say the most. How do I put this? You know when you're in a room with someone who just like the sound of his own voice and a lot of what he says serves no true purpose or carries any depth? Or perhaps, you're in a room with someone and the silence has stretched out so long - or in order to prevent the silence from stretching - that you just have to say something - anything - just to keep the awkwardness from building up? Yeah. That's every single one of Kirkman's characters.

Tony Moore - who was responsible for the art in the first six - dropped out of the project after issue six, continuing to create the cover art. His replacement, Charlie Adlard, is suitable, making the characters his own, rather than attempting to copy Moore's style. Sadly, not even Adlard's art could save volume 2 for me. My fear is to what depths volume 3 will take me. Oh well, until next time, keep on hunting.

Join Second Life for Free Largest User-Created 3D Virtual World Explore & Connect. Join Now!

Reviewer's Copy & Other Updates

2011-11-09T18:11:00.000-06:00

I received my "reviewers copy" of Best Bondage Erotica 2012 (edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel) in the mail today. Bussel is known for her erotica anthology such as Yes, Sir, Please, Ma'am and Women in Lust. The collection is released 13 December 2011 - pre-order yours now at Amazon or B&N.

With less than two months left in the year, I started contemplating the changes that need to be made in the blog. The most obvious change is the placement of the book covers in reviews. They switch yearly. In 2012, they will appear on the right hand side of your screen.

Then there's the idea of using one of those dynamic - is that the right term? - layouts that Blogger is now providing its users. Which means that all posts will feature banner ads at the end - something I attempt with every post, with the exception of advertisements.

I want to keep up with the giveaways, even though this first one is quite the lackluster - I might have to break my 30 note/comment rule because of this. I apologize. I've never held a giveaway before, so I don't know how to go about it. Even though I've been running this blog for nearly a handful of years, it's not "distinguished." I've only have the one follower with the various people who find me via Google searches - usually for the film Wristcutters or the short story that inspired it, "Kneller's Happy Campers." If there were only some way to giveaway new releases of either mainstream literature or indie books - any writers out there or fellow bloggers wanna clue me in how to go about that?

The most important update will happen off blog. As most of you don't know - because you probably skip around the more "personal" entries dealing with books - my first child will be born in April. I'm pretty sure fatherhood will put a damper - though not a negative one - in my reading and updating. Fatherhood also means me getting my crap together and finding a long term job rather than this freelancing one - I need stability and security - so work will also set boundaries on how often I post. There's also the matter of my returning to school - hopefully by the summer - which will strictly be online courses from either Texas Woman's University or University of North Texas, hopefully.

Oh well, here's to the future fellow book lovers. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore

2011-11-08T19:34:00.001-06:00

Purchase [Amazon] [B&N]

Now that season two is four episodes deep, I decided it was high time that I read the comic series. For those of you who don't know, the television series deviates greatly from the original graphic novel story. Spoilers aside, some characters don't ever leave the original campsite.

I stepped in this one with caution - meaning, I didn't go out and buy any of The Walking Dead books - because Robert Kirkman storytelling bores the crap out of me. Much like Marvel Zombies, Kirkman takes a brilliant idea and finds a way to dull it out, and toss in things from left field. Makes me happy that the television series gives a little more back story to our characters, making them three dimensional rather than the shells of people Kirkman created. Storytelling over boring us, people.

Tony Moore's art, on the other hand, is great. His zombies are dead on and the characters hold a wide range of emotions. If anything, buy the first book - issues #1-6 - Days Gone Bye just for Moore's art work.

Oh well, until next time - keep on huntin'.

BetterWorldBooks' National Bookstore Day Sale

2011-11-08T08:56:00.000-06:00

Today, November 8th, is National Bookstore Day, and in honor of a holiday that's (obviously) very close to our hearts, we're doing something a little different. For today only, we're upgrading the Bargain Bin to 4 used books for $10. (Offer valid on used books within the Bargain Bin category. Not valid on books from other sellers.) --BetterWorldBooks

Free Book Giveaway!!!

2011-11-08T01:44:00.000-06:00

12 hours ago, I received my final check from my summer job. This was exciting news, but how does it affect you? Well, it allows me some more swinging room with the giveaway I mentioned earlier.

The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle Giveaway:

The Rules (Blogger):

The giveaway is now open to residents of the USA, UK, Canada and Mexico.
To enter, you must comment below and tweet this post's link - be sure to mention @EnnuiPrayer.
Fifteen days after this post or the Tumblr post hits 30 comments/notes, I will draw a winner. I will announce the winner on both blogs and Twitter.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond - either through e-mail, Tumblr or Twitter - before I draw another winner.

The Tumblr account has its own set of rules for specific reasons. You may choose either giveaway to join, but I'm only giving out ONE copy of the collection.

I thank you all for reading this blog and hope that you continue to do so. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh

2011-11-08T00:18:00.000-06:00

Purchase on Amazon or B&N

"The first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story." Katurian is confused. Perhaps it's, "The only duty of a storyteller is to tell a story." Can it be both? Do stories hold more than what they offer? Ever talk to an English major? Ever ask the same question to someone in the math department? The answers will vary. Is it up to the writer to leave messages, reasons, symbols, explanations, statements, philosophies, etc. within his stories? Or is it solely the reader's duty to find the scripture?

In his play, The Pillowman, Martin McDongah leaves it up to us to decide. Or not to decide. Or rather, forces upon us to see what might lay upon the page. But his character, Katurian warns us - what we read upon the page might always be true. Nor what we see with our eyes.

The story opens with Katurian sitting in an interrogation room with hot tempered Ariel and collected Tupolski. He doesn't know why he's there in the first place - perhaps some read into his short stories, seeing political insults towards the country. He hopes he can clear up any misunderstanding. What he doesn't know is that his dark stories are linked toward the grizzly deaths of two children and one missing girl. And the police are dead certain and Katurian and his brother Michal are behind it all.

Bold, dark and hauntingly beautiful, The Pillowman will grab your attention by the short hairs and lead you down its wicked little path, never allowing you to lose focus on the purpose - what exactly makes a man a monster?

The twists and turns of the story keep you moving forward. I sorta wish I could see a live performance of the play - anyone know where I can find a recording? - especially the version in which Jeff Goldblum portrays Tupolski.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle

2011-11-07T02:41:00.001-06:00

Purchase: [Amazon] [B&N] [Kindle] [Nook]

"Ireland ~~America~~ was never Ireland ~~America~~ to me." It's Langston Hughes rewritten, but the message works an ocean away from Harlem. And that's what drew me into Roddy Doyle's stories. Racism isn't just an American issue, nor is immigration. I'm sure the world will like to think so, but Doyle has painted a clear picture that it's not. But it's those topics that hit home. That made these stories memorable.

The book collects nine stories - eight of which are set in Ireland, one in New York - and each deals with the xenophobia\racism of a nation.

The title story is a sequel of sorts to Doyle's novel, The Commitments, in which Jimmy Rabbitte decides it's high time for another band. No whites, he wants to write in the ad. In fact, that's part of the interview. Do you like the Corrs? Are you sure you're not white? With a rag tag of immigrants, Jimmy decides that the name of this new band is The Deportees and they will sing folk songs rather than soul.

"The Pram," a Polish nanny decides to seek revenge on her troublesome charges, two daughters who seemingly sabotage her romantic life, by telling them a ghastly story. Only the hauntings enter her waking life rather than their nightmares. The story echoes The Turning of the Screw with a slightly different ending.

In "Guess Who's Coming for the Dinner," a liberal-thinking father is faced with the fact that one of his daughters might be seeing a black man. How he acts surprises him and his family. Luckily, they're there to make sure he doesn't embarrass himself.

A group of teenagers shine some light on racism and stereotypes at local shops and how it hurts the stores financially in "Black Hoodie."

The Deportees and Other Stories is an eye opener at the state that we're in. Cross out Ireland and Irish and replace with America and American, and you'll see how this stories echoes across the sea. It makes the reader take a side step and evaluate how low we've come as a people by refuses others the seem benefits and dreams that we hold close to our hearts.

~~Before I close this post, I want to announce that I do have an extra copy of The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle. And because I'm such a nice guy, I've decided to give one away.~~

~~Now this giveaway will take place starting the moment the Tumblr post or this post hits 30 notes/comments. The rules are simple:~~

~~This giveaway is only open to residents of the Continental USA, sorry.~~
~~To enter, you must comment below and tweet the link, mentioning me in said tweet (@EnnuiPrayer).~~
~~Once one of the two posts hits 30, a period of fifteen days will pass before I draw a winner.~~
I will announce said winner on both pages and my twitter - hence the reason I want you to mention me. You will then have a period of 48 hours to contact me with your address. If you fail to do so, I will pick draw another winner.

~~If you have a Tumblr, there's more, but I feel no need mention those here. You can check out the page if you feel like it. Until next time, keep on huntin'.~~

Read the new rules here.

Get a free $10 Barnes & Noble e-Gift Card.

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

2011-11-04T00:53:00.000-05:00

Darkly dreaming, dashingly devious Dexter is back and finding himself in a load of trouble. Someone witnessed him at play and is now making his life hell. Much like Dexter, this Shadow has decided it his moral duty to punish the wicked, copying Dexter's trade step by step. Worse of all, he's not picking up his mess. Instead, he's leaving it in plain sight and pinning evidence of Dexter's dark delights on the scene. This is all the ammunition needed to send Doakes gunning for Dexter's head once and for all. But Dexter's not one to give up so easily. Question is, how do you defeat an enemy who's seemingly one step ahead of you?

There are several complaints with Lindsay's Dexter in every novel in the series. From the outlandish paranormal Dark Passenger to the fact that Dexter never carries out the final deed himself. That's not to say the TV series is without its flaws - why is LaGuerta still alive, for instance - but the flaws (in my eyes, anyway) of the novel series always bothers me more. Like Doakes. How is he still around after he's been de-limbed, de-tongued and pretty much a walking spud with hooks for hands? And while Astor and Cody are lovely little monsters, how is it that Astor's going through all the typical growing girl stages while Cody hasn't even aged - still with this three-word sentences? I'm not asking for Shakespeare here, but the kid's gotta come out of his shell sometime.

Without giving too many details away, there are a few things that pulled my strings of annoyance. Rita's suspicions and how quickly they are ratified. The odd coincidence of Camilla Figg's relationship to the plot. Astor's typical teenage girl act, even though she's supposedly a Dexter-in-training (a little too human, isn't it?).

A few nice touches include the fact that Dexter is not following a kindred spirit as his Shadow doesn't trigger any warnings from the Dark Passenger. The idea of someone mimicking Dexter while stalking him is also bold - Dexter's been stalked before Dexter by Design, but this is quite another level. In fact, next to Dr. Danco, Shadow is the sort of bad guy I wouldn't mind seeing adapted on the TV show. Doakes's probable departure also raises my hopes for the future, though not in the way that would've made me smile.

Double Dexter is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindle and Nook, respectively. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Skin Solution

2011-11-03T00:13:00.002-05:00

It's no big secret - taking care of your skin is hard. Perhaps harder than finding a good book to read. And sometimes the creams and cleansers that promise you better looking skin rebel, drying out your skin or causing reactions that are far worse than the acne or lines you were trying to diminish.

Step in Tanda Skincare. With their acne light treatment, zapping - almost literally - those pesky zits are a chore no more! With professional results, the acne light therapy will leave you gleaming and the center of attention - and why not? The Winter Ball is just around the corner, girls.

Acne not your problem? Perhaps the anti-aging light treatment is right up your alley. The only way to experience these new heights of revitalizing your skin is to check out the website and order yours today!

The Book Hunter Goes Hunting

2011-10-30T16:07:00.000-05:00

Please note: I'm a book hunter, not a photographer. Pardon the picture.

Sometime last year, I decided that it'd be a great idea to hold book giveaways rather than just talk about it. Last week, I purchased a copy of A Blue Hand by Deborah Baker and - Bing! - it seemed like the appropriate book for my first giveaway. Sadly, I couldn't find a second copy. However, The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle seemed like a great choice, as well. The week before last, a copy of The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates also seemed like a good book giveaway, so I bought another copy of that. Tagging along was My Revolutions by Hari Kunzru. Now I'm struggling with the idea of which book is should be the first placed up for grabs. Perhaps a toss of a three-sided coin or with the help of my three-armed friend, I will find the answer.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Book Hunter Goes Job Hunting

2011-10-28T00:45:00.000-05:00

Catch of the day

The book hunter is tired beyond belief that he is forced to speak in the third person in order to keep some balance in his train of thought. Waking up at 6:30 in the morning and heading to the public library to wait in line for a job fair, the book hunter arrives as the twenty-fourth job seeker. The enthused job seekers file in, expecting employers galore. Not so. A lot of them are either running late or no show. Because of the added weight of needing a job on his shoulders, this blow nearly enrages the book hunter. After an hour of waiting for the other employers to come in, the book hunter sneaks out and checks out what the library has on sale. That is where he finds a copy of Philip K. Dick's posthumous novel, Radio Free Albemuth. Hardbacks are usually a dollar and that is how much he spends.

On Wednesday, he ventured to Hobby Lobby, stopping off Dollar Tree before returning home. The itch - similar to what Dexter Morgan describes when he needs to play - came over him. There was a playmate so he dove into the disarray that is the book section. There he found a copy of The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle. It piqued his interest, but this isn't the playmate that was calling out to him. Just as he was getting ready to throw in the towel, he noticed a picture of Allen Ginsberg and a monkey. A Blue Hand: The Beats in India by Deborah Baker sticks out like a sore thumb. Bingo.

Now he plans to head off to another Dollar Tree hoping to find a copy of A Blue Hand as he plans to put it up as a giveaway on the Tumblr account - yes, there's a Tumblr account (tragic, I know).

Total book hunting price: $3.17.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

"The Dead Man" Series by Goldberg & Rabkin Only 99 Cents on Amazon

2011-10-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

Via

For a limited time, Amazon has made the price of Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin's The Dead Man series 99 cents per book. The series includes:

The Dead Man series is a collaborative act between Goldberg and Rabkin, a monthly horror novel series published under Amazon's 47North imprint. The limited 99-cent price only available on Amazon, and only for Kindle.

Lil Wayne

2011-10-25T13:32:00.002-05:00

There's only one Lil Wayne song I can claim to like. Even then, the hook's what drew me in, not his lyrics. Justin, my nephew, downloaded a few tracks the other night. A couple of them came from his "rock" album, described as such because - and I'm uncertain if this is fact or fiction - Lil Wayne wasn't inspired by any of the beats that he was listening to, so he just grabbed the guitar and started making his own. I'm uncertain how he even managed to win four Grammy awards, but he did. What can I say, though. It's no big surprise that I don't like his music. I'm more of a fan of industrial than rap.

Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis

2011-10-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Question the narrator of Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis's follow up to his cult novel, Less Than Zero - because we've been duped before. In Less Than Zero, we're led to believe Clay's the one at the helm. He's writing the story as it happens. Imperial Bedrooms, on the other hand, opens with Clay - once again - narrating: "They had made a movie about us. The movie was based on a book written by someone we knew." Clay describes the book and the movie and the differences between the both. "The book was blunt and had an honesty about it, whereas the movie was just a beautiful lie," he says. We share the same feelings for the novel and its cinematic counterpart, "The movie was begging for our sympathy whereas the book didn't give a shit."

And the book still doesn't give a shit. Adapt that, Hollywood!

Less Than Zero is to first year of college as Imperial Bedrooms is to mid-life crisis. Is that accurate? In Less Than Zero, we're forced to see that things change. People change. And college is the enforcer of this change for many of us. Some of us become nostalgic, others become cold and jaded. And those who become come cold and jaded grow up to be Hollywood producers, writers, directors, actors, pimps, schemers, executives, and whore mongers. They use people for their own sexual gratification, whispering - not sweet nothings - spectacular promises that one can never hold on to.

Has Clay grown up? Has he matured? No. Not in the least. Rather than evolving, he's become less than he was in Less Than Zero. Has Julian learned from his time as a hustler, working for Finn? No. Instead, he becomes the pimp. Has Blair learned not to pursue Clay? No.

And much like the film of Less Than Zero, Rip plays the villain. Julian owes him a ton of money. Julian is his little project. And Clay is forced to realize that he has been given the same opportunity that his fictional counterpart was given on the big screen. He has the power to be a friend. To bail Julian out of troubled waters.

The novel shines a light on our darker selves, examining the people we can be and the people we choose to be.

Imperial Bedrooms is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindle and Nook, respectively. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

A book's worth isn't equal to the amount spend. Buy the same books for a lesser price. Shop Alibris today.

The Book Hunter Watches A Movie

2011-10-19T01:51:00.000-05:00

Perhaps if they'd gone with adapting The Dark Knight Returns, my enthusiasm might've skyrocketed. Instead, they decided that the right card to play was to adapt Batman: Year One. Don't get me wrong, the graphic novel is a classic. You don't get anymore raw with the origins of Batman than the Frank Miller story, save the Nolan-verse origin in Batman Begins.

Then again, the story is shared between the two hopes for Gotham - the cop sworn to uphold the law and the vigilante who goes after the untouchable. Though I want to say it's Gordon's story, rather than Batman's despite the shared narration. Perhaps the Dark Knight can keep the graphic novel.

The story opens as both heroes enter Gotham. Jim Gordon, a cop who's looking for a fresh start in a new city; Bruce Wayne, a wealthy bachelor returning home from living abroad for several years. Neither of them are aware of each other. Neither of them know that soon their paths to justice will intersect. The adaptation stays true to the graphic novel. Jim finds it difficult to fit in the corrupt department. Has an affair, regrets it and breaks it off. He has his first son. He attempts to clean out the department and make right by his wife. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is growing impatient, wanting to start cleaning out the city before he is ready. He finds a symbol. He finds an ally with Harvey Dent. He finds one in Jim Gordon.

The internal monologues are present and the script is the same - for the most part, anyway; I'm working from memory here. Bryan Cranston voicing Jim Gordon was memorable. Ben McKenzie as Batman/Bruce Wayne was less than. Hopefully someone in the production makes a note of this and the mistake is never again repeated. And I hardly recognized Eliza Dushku voicing Selina Kyle/Catwoman, despite the excellent job she did with the role.

On the scale, I'd say Batman: Year One ranks at least three-out-of-five. Average. The perfect companion for the graphic novel.

Batman: Year One is out now, available at Amazon in single and two-disc editions, as well as, Blu-Ray/DVD combo + digital copy edition. You can watch it now on Amazon Instant. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Book Hunter Watches A Movie: The Kids Aren't All Right Part II

2011-10-17T01:06:00.001-05:00

Before Robert Downey, Jr. was saving the world as Iron Man and before James Spader was bending his secretary over his desk for a good spanking, there was Less Than Zero. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film deviates greatly from the original plot. It's one of those adaptations, ladies and gentlemen.

While the woe-is-me, privilege, upper class teenagers are still present, gone are their deviant behavior that made the novel repugnant. And that's not necessarily a good there. Where Ellis divorced us from any emotion or sympathy we might have for Clay and his friends, the film enforces them.

Starting off during high school graduation, the film introduces us to the three-some that is Clay, Blair and Julian. They're the epitome of BFFs that won't allow the post-high school life to diminish their love for each other. However, while Clay is away the mice will play. Feeling the betrayal of the two most important people in his life, Clay returns home for Christmas vacation to a Los Angeles that is not what he left behind. Forced to care about the people who betrayed his feelings, he finds that he's stuck hoping for the past, fearing the future and surviving the present.

The Kids Aren't All Right Part 1: Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

2011-10-16T15:47:00.001-05:00

Less Than Zero is a terribly chilling book about the woe-is-me white upper class college-aged kids, spending their time partying, snorting coke and whoring themselves out. And the way Bret Easton Ellis tells it, well, it's damn right poetic.

Clay returns home for Christmas break. After spending the last four months in New Hampshire, Los Angeles seems foreign to him. Even worse, the people he knew are less friends than they are strangers. Oblivious ex-girlfriend picks up where their relationship left off. His friends are degenerate junkies. And Clay, while no different himself, begins to see himself for the first time. And the thought depresses him.

The book holds every vice in this ugly world that is glamoured up. Clay friends find it no big deal gang raping a twelve-year-old girl. Pimp Finn finds nothing wrong with subduing Julian into prostituting himself in order to pay back a debt. In fact, Finn even uses heroin to keep him in line. In the world Ellis created, there is no right or wrong. There's just action without consequences.

The reader feels no sympathy for Clay or the people who make up his L.A. life. Even the flashbacks of Clay's childhood bring no connection to him. Bret Easton Ellis created a masterpiece of repugnant people that readers will enjoy hating for years go come. At least for me, anyway.

Less Than Zero is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindle and Nook, respectively. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Buying books at Better World Books not only ensures you low priced used books with free shipping worldwide, you're also helping fund literacy across the globe. Not only do your funds go off to help a charity, every time you buy a book, Better World Books will donate a book to needy children. So not only will you enjoy a book, some lucky kid a world away will have the luxury of the same joy.

The Book Hunter Watches A Movie

2011-10-16T02:35:00.003-05:00

Pretty sure I'm in the minority, but Thor sucked ass. How anyone thought otherwise is beyond me. It was as if the writers sat around and pondered how they could possibly screw up a Marvel hero like they have never screwed up a Marvel hero before. Slapped a lengthy, dull, cliched story line together, cast a bunch of pretty people and filmed it just hoping that no one noticed what a crapfest it was. But that's Thor. We're here to discuss Captain America.

Subtitled The First Avenger, the film opens - assumingly in the present, or at the very least, near future - as a team of government officials uncover something they've been searching for 70 years. That said, the film is told as a two hour long flashback. I'll admit when I first heard about the film I was skeptical. Captain America couldn't work in modern day, at least not his origin. Thankfully, the writers of the film saw that, setting him during War World II. Second doubt was the casting of Chris Evans. Really? The guy who played the Human Torch in those next-to-godawful Fantastic Four flicks? Let's not forget he was also in Not Another Teen Movie. Are you certain that this guy is the person who's supposed embodied the American spirit? However, his acting was phenomenal.

There isn't a single thing I could point out that annoyed me about the movie. If anything, it's given me hope - which is something I didn't have with Thor - for next summer's Avengers movie. It balances the right amount of action and tension with passion and romance, splashed with the right amount of humor - sort of like those Iron Man movies.

Captain America is out on DVD, 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy, 3-Disc Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD Combo + Digital Copy, and Amazon Instant Video October 25th. Pre-order now and until next time, keep on huntin'.

Stop fantasizing about the Vampires of Twilight and become one. It's free.

Dollar Tree Shopping Spree

2011-10-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

A book hunter never gives up a bargain. And one of the most overlooked hunting grounds are dollar stores, more notably the Dollar Tree, where literally everything is only a dollar - Family Dollar and Dollar General only use the name for show.

Quite a few books are Dollar Tree finds. Today, I found three more. Panic!: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity edited by Michael Lewis (Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, Moneyball), Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen (Stealing Buddha's Dinner), and The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates 1973-1982 by Joyce Carol Oates (I Am No One You Know: Stories, The Gravedigger's Daughter: A Novel).

I'd been wanting to read both Stealing Buddha's Dinner and Short Girls by Nguyen, mostly because I've never heard of the writer before and the titles intrigued me. The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates 1973-1982 piqued my interested because I love reading the journals of writers - I own a few already. Panic! stuck out because of Michael Lewis, who did an excellent job with Moneyball, which I'm still slowly digesting. Not only that, but since a lot of these articles were written about ten or so years ago, it might lend in some hindsight to this whole Occupy Wall Street business.

There might have been more fines, but the organization was chaotic. If I had the time and got paid for it, I would've fixed it up nice and neat because I'm on a roll with organizing. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Ethical Zombies?

2011-10-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

It's difficult to accept a zombie Wolverine. It's the healing ability. That clause always gets in the way. It doesn't allow me to fully accept a zombie Logan. That aside, there shouldn't be anything that would stop me from enjoying the Marvel Zombie series, right? If only.

The first volume didn't pan well for me, merely ranking an average review. Marvel Zombies 2, on the other hand, is merely a waste of time. It's so awful, I fear pursuing the series any further just to save me the money and agony - just a note, I purchased the two volumes together.

40 years has passed since the events of volume one and the zombie heroes have devoured the entire universe. Back on Earth, an aging T'Challa is the elected leader of New Wankanda on the verge of an Acolyte uprising. When his assassination is botched, he finds himself mortally injured. The only person with a cure is zombie Wasp, who bites the dying leader in order to save his life. As the uprising reaches its heights, it is trampled by the return of zombie heroes. The battle of the interdimensional device begins. However, zombies are shown their proverbial mirror-selves and a decision must be made.

I remember when I first heard of Marvel Zombies. I was sitting in the aisle at Hastings, scanning the graphic novels when a guy walks up to me and starts talking about it. I love zombies. I love Marvel. What's to stop me from loving this idea? Apparently the execution. The art is great. It ranges from comical to horror to the seriousness of the matter to the completely cliche - check out the ending. The writing and storyline on the other hand. Are you serious? Makes one wonder what the hell Robert Kirkman was aiming for. You know, other than a paycheck.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Social Media & Money

2011-10-10T17:19:00.001-05:00

Via: Wpromote

Marketing. It's what separates the writer from the hobbyist. The blogger from the journal keeper. One of many pieces of advice we're given is using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to market ourselves. The more info you put out there, the more people who'll eventually come across your page, read your posts, click your links, and buy stuff. I use various affiliate-related sites like LinkShare (Barnes and Noble), Commission Junction (Busted Tees), Google Affiliate Network (Second Life), and Amazon's own affiliate group, plus ad-writing sites that pay per post, or actions (note banners on the side bar). Does it work? Well, it doesn't pay the bills, but it does give me some spending money.

Social media's not the only thing that helps bring in the views, though. Knowing and using search engine optimization skills can help you find a better spot on a search engine listing.

Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter

2011-10-08T01:54:00.000-05:00

Michael J. White set off to tell us a story about love, loss, lust, love, and loss. In short, with his debut novel - Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter - he gives us a story about high school romance and infatuations. It's like no other than I have read in the past. It presses us to feel, see the through the eyes of the narrator, George Flynn, and his days with the Schell girls, Emily, his love interest, and Katie, the little sister. When tragedy strikes, George's life - social, familial, and romantic - is thrown into a tailspin. He cannot help put to grasp at the pieces, hoping that they one day fit into each other.

Somewhere between YA and adult contemporary is where you'll find Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter. George Flynn is well into adulthood as he begins his narrative. The need to do so raises when he sees former high school sweetheart, Emily Schell, on television. And while the novel is interesting and emotional, there are several times that it just drags out. George acknowledges that he doesn't feel like giving us all the details in the days when his relationship with Emily grows sour, yet feels the need the give us details that add nothing to the story. There were several times in the story that I just felt the need to put it down and read something else, returning as if nothing happened in between. Truth be told, I started the book sometime during the summer and just finished it now. And that's because I had less than a hundred pages left. I can't help but feel that if ever there were a film adaptation, I'd enjoy it more than the novel itself.

Weeping Underwater Looks a Lot Like Laughter is available on Amazon in bargain price hardback ($9.98), paperback ($11.70), and Kindle ($9.99). It's also available at Barnes & Noble in paperback and Nook edition. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Lurking Lust

2011-10-05T23:48:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking - tentacle porn. Tentacle porn that would put the manga and anime people to shame. Tentacles everywhere, filling every orifice. That's the image we come up with when someone suggests combining the world of Lovecraft and erotica. Don't be ashamed, I thoughts so as well. So much so, that I went into reading Cthulhurotica with a chuckle. Carrie Cuinn, the editor, pulled a fast one over us lovers of Lovecraft. We suckers will buy just about anything with Cthulhu plastered on it, right? Of course, we'd be wrong.

Combining the monstrous science fiction horror of Lovecraft with the literary erotic word must've been a hard task for the writers featured in the collection. The stories range from creepy to cute to downright arousing, touching on all ranges of attraction. Some writers dip into the bisexual landscape while others are a tad more conservative. In "Transfigured Night," K.V. Taylor spills out a homoerotic tale that skirts on necrophilia. Whereas, in "Le Ciél Ouvert," Kirsten Brown introduces us to a character whose sexual appetite can only be sated by something otherworldly. "The C-Word" by Don Pizarro, a May-December romance is reignited in the town of Innsmouth, showing that love has no age boundaries, as well as, cursed ones.

The collection is well worth the read for lovers of the Cthulhu Mythos, as well as, those who simply just love. The collection also includes three essays, beautifully drawn images, and a few lines of Lovecraft's poetry.

Cthulhurotica is available on Amazon in paperback ($13.99) and for Kindle ($3.99). Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Dexter Returns

2011-10-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked the premiere of the sixth season of Dexter, and the world is now a better place. After last year lackluster season - I understood what the goal was, but am still disappointed that it didn't lead down another path. Let's not fail to mention how disappointed I've been with the book series, which adds another novel - Double Dexter - later this month. Yes, I'll be suckered into reading it, as well.

I could go off to fill this whole post with spoilers and concerns, but I won't. Instead, I'll only ask one question. Is Edward James Olmos' character suppose to act as an anti-Harry Morgan character?

You can catch Dexter - the TV series - on Showtime. Double Dexter hits shelves, Kindles and Nooks on October 18th.

Mile 81 by Stephen King

2011-10-01T23:53:00.000-05:00

Like I said, I'm on the fence about Stephen King. While UR was a great read, Mile 81 - a Kindle Single - felt more like a chore.

Taking place in the shut down Mile 81 rest area, one would think it was about some grizzly murder that happened which still haunts the area. Instead, we get a muddied station wagon that eats people. One part Christine, one part Little Shop of Horrors. Three parts bad. Story revolves around several characters - most of which become a grizzly meal for the alien vehicle. There's next to none character growth. It lacks substance underneath the surface. It's almost as if Mile 81 was a write-for-hire piece, something King had to do because of some agreement he made with Amazon.

It's hard to say if Mile 81 is a lengthy short story or a novella, but it sure has hell felt like a longer read than UR. Oh well, until next time, keep on huntin'.

Classic Aracade

2011-09-30T18:19:00.000-05:00

Image Source

When this Book Hunter was just a kid - hard to believe, right? - my older brother, Jay, and I would head to the Gold Nugget, a small convenient store located a a block away from home. The store was known for two things: Five-cent candy and the mini-arcade at the back of the store, where we whiled away our Saturdays playing classic games like Pacman, Donkey Kong and Galaxian.

Sadly, however, the Gold Nugget went out of business, taking with it some of my most treasured memories. Enter Arcade Classics. Specializing on customizable arcade machines - more convenient than original arcade games - Arcade Classics can help build your personal arcade game room, allowing your family to relish in some good ol' fashion fun. With several classic games to choose from, you won't be disappointed. Best part is, you can design the look of your game table, even personalizing it. So while I can never go back to the Gold Nugget, this site can help me relive my the experiences I had there.

Crazy Emma by Brandie Buckwine

2011-09-30T03:23:00.000-05:00

In college, I overheard a conversation two co-eds were having about a mutual "gay" friend. I say "gay" and not gay because of his bad habit of approaching unsuspecting ladies and grabbing their - well - butts. He'd then mock surprise, "Oops. I thought you were my friend. Sorry." I imagined he'd say this in some stereotypical gay fashion.

Not sure what that anecdote has to do with Brandie Buckwine's short story, "Crazy Emma," but it did remind me of it. The "gay" never took home any of these women to make him un-gay, so you can draw the line anywhere you want.

Is it wrong to call an erotic story cute? Because that's what it is. Cute. Adorable, even. Emma - a waitress covering for a co-worker by doing the dishes - happens upon Derrick. When their eyes meet, Emma does something out of her character. She walks up to him and creates a history right on the spot. Derrick has to play catch up. Yada yada yada, she's looking for a new job.

It's probably not the best erotic fiction I've read, but it sure as hell blows the pants off the last few short stories I've read - the disappointing ones, anyway. It's available on Amazon and Smashwords for the low, low price of absolutely nothing. That's right, folks. Free. Something worth reading that's also fun, for free. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

UR by Stephen King

2011-09-29T23:43:00.003-05:00

After last night's post about the new members of the Kindle family, I figured what better way to follow up than a story that would scare the bejesus out of me? Of course Stephen King stories rarely scare me - nor do the movies, for that matter. Most times, I'm not even sure if I like his writing.

In UR, Wesley Smith decides to buy a Kindle after breaking up with his girlfriend - or rather, her walking out of his life. He purchases a couple of titles before exploring the Experimental option on the Main Menu. The usual stuff appears, but it's the UR Functions that catch his attention. Soon after, Wesley discovers several novels from writers like Hemingway that were never published and some that came to being after his death. Soon, realization sets in - this e-reader taps into alternate realities, providing its owner with archive newspapers from other URs and ultimately, future newspaper editions of the Wesley's UR.

The story's a great read, using a popular science fiction device with a hint of stories like The Queer Story of Brownlow's Newspaper and stories like it - which is the one about the reader gets future obituaries only to die of a heart attack when he receives his? It's clear, though, that Stephen King has a some beef against technology. Which is cool, considering a man who keeps writing about all the messed up ways things can kill us. For another Stephen King hates technology read, pick up Cell, which deals with cell phones turning their users into - you guess it - zombies. Cell is also available for Kindle, go figure. Or check out the Kindle Single, Mile 81. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Stephen King on Kindle

Amazon to release Kindle Fire & Kindle Touch come November

2011-09-28T20:51:00.002-05:00

Kindle Fire

"I hate technology," I muttered on summer afternoon. I was sitting in the Edinburg Roadrunners administration office, attempting to figure out what broke the front desk computer. In front of me, my netbook was open. Several tabs were open on Google Chrome, each of them with their reason. I stopped dead when I read the press release stating Amazon was releasing their own tablet.

"No, you don't," Alex said from her office.

"Well, yeah. I don't. But it does piss me off when I dish out money for something when something better is due to release."

For quite a long time, I was against the idea of owning an e-reader of any kind. Then one day, I feel in love with the Amazon Kindle. It was a gradual think, I'm sure. I didn't just wake up one morning and said, "I love you, Kindle. I must have you. Now!"

The new Amazon Kindle & the Kindle Touch

I purchased my Kindle in January and used it for most of my reading list. Now as the dawn of the Kindle Fire - the Amazon answer to the atrociously expensive iPad - my e-reader world has been turned on its side. Not only has Amazon given Apple a run for their money - or more accurately, a run for our money - but they have also have avid readers - because bibliophiles and book hunters don't much care for e-readers - anticipating the next generation of the Kindle. Barnes & Noble Nook, beware! Amazon is out to get you, as well.

The Kindle Fire features include apps, games, movies, reading, and TV shows, amongst other things, costing only $199. While the new generation of Kindle runs around $79 w/special offers and $109 w/o special offers. It's faster than the Kindle Keyboard - what we're apparently calling the last generations - it's also faster, lighter, and smaller - pocket-size! Built in WiFi for quick e-book purchasing and library borrowing - that's right! If your local libraries have e-book rentals, Amazon Kindle can now be a part of it. Meanwhile, the Kindle Touch comes in WiFi ($99 w/special offers, $139 w/o) and 3G ($149 w/special offers, $189 w/o) models. The Kindle Touch has similar features as the new Kindle, with the obvious addition of a touch screen.

I'll be lying if I said I didn't want to get my hands on a Kindle Fire. With my luck, however, Amazon will come up with something new and improve - perhaps a Kindle Fire that can also clean my house.

The new Kindle is out now, while the Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch will be released on November 15 and November 21, respectively. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Death Clock

2011-09-27T22:57:00.003-05:00

Andrea Lee Vibert has a problem. On her way to work one morning, she realizes she is now living inside a Nickelback music video. Numbers - counting down - are perched on people's heads. She notices how she doesn't have any numbers ticking backward. Of course she wouldn't - where's the fun in that?

Just how did those numbers get there you ask? Well, during the whole hubbub of her morning rituals - drinking coffee, reading her book, and riding the bus to work - she remembers that someone died saving her life the night before. Funny. If anyone else had witnessed a death - especially the death of someone who saved their lives - I doubt that normality would set in so quickly.

Of course plot devices are used to push the story. This is something we all know. But don't you think it's odd that before she gets on the bus, she doesn't notice red numbers floating over people's heads? Do you think she'll be calm enough to read on a bus after the previous night's event? And why in hell sake would you assume that the coffee is to blame for it?

The story is unimaginative - did I mention already how it was a blatant rip-off of a Nickelback music video? - and is not worth the money spent - did I already mention it was free? How it managed to rank such a high rating on Amazon and Smashwords is beyond me.

It's Erotica, but Not as We Know It

2011-09-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

Ever have a fantasy that you thought was wild and sexy? One so downright naughty that you'd blow the pants anyone you told? It's so damn juicy that you're convince that it should be published so the whole world can bath in your...okay, this is getting a tad gross even for me. Anyway, continuing on: And once you get it published - preferably though some independent press or self-publishing venue - you sit back and wait until everyone's spasming from your sexual bravado. Only, sometimes what you expect isn't what you get.

Outside her blog, I've never read anything by Rachel Boleyn, so I have nothing to compare Daddy's Lil Devil to. I feel I'm repeating myself whenever I review erotic fiction from writers I've never heard of before. Let's face it, not everyone can be Alison Tyler.

Perhaps cashing out on the moral loophole of Amazon's ban of incest erotica, writers like Boleyn tread the brim by writing about daughters lusting after their step-fathers. However, the idea is tired. In Daddy's Lil Girl, Camille masturbates to the fantasy of her step-father, Ted. She realizes that all those years of his punishment - a belting whenever she steps on his Baptist minister's wrath - are leading up to her fulfilling her deepest fantasy - having sex with the stern Baptist minister. She even toys with the idea of turning the table and belting him. Then one day, the vixen makes her move to seduce him. Once again, Ted enters her room, belt in hand - we have to remember that Camille's already 18, as per Amazon's guidelines, and have to accept that Ted is still spanking her - and starts off with his usual spanks, but succumbs to the devil's delights.

But where's the hook? Are we so desperate for new literary smut that we're willing to bastardize the erotic genre and turn into sheer pornography? "Less poetry," the collector told Anaïs Nin. "Be specific." But specifics have a downside when they're, well, too specific. Especially when it's told half passively.

"Daddy's Lil Girl" is available for Kindle and Nook. And for a limited time, it's free on Smashwords. Until next time, keep on hunting.

Planes, Brains & Flying Automobiles

2011-09-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

In a flash of light, the world changes. People are whisked away. The ones that aren't, try to pick up the pieces - attempt to make sense of the nonsense. It's something out of an science fiction show - like Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. The streets are littered with car accidents - presumably the drivers were taken with the light. Shopping centers are empty. Life has left the earth. Taken away. But to where? And why were some people left behind?

It's hard to tell whether the ones that were taken are the lucky ones in Peter Crowther's Darkness Falling - out Tuesday, September 27, 2011. It's definitely not the ones who weren't. When the light returns, bringing back some of the taken, things don't resume to normal. In fact, the people - now donning wrap-around sunglasses and thick work gloves - are alien to the world around them. Nearly zombified. It's a good concept, I tell you. However, can the storyteller keep the readers' attention?

Not sure what bothers me more. The fact that this book is riddled with punctuation mistakes - which are easily missed - c'mon, mine's not perfect. Or the fact that it's splattered with inconsistencies. The beginning of the book, the time is said to be five in the morning on the plane. Meanwhile, in later chapters, the time shift to two in the morning. When the plane makes a crash landing, they head for a Barnes and Noble that transforms into a Borders that changes back into a Barnes and Noble only to transform back into a Borders later on. On the ground, Rick, Johnny and Melanie see that the bus is being driven by Karl. Meanwhile, inside the bus, Karl is being attacked by one of the creatures and it is Ronnie who drives the bus when the three people on the street see it veering towards them. Small things like this, splattered over the pages, make me wonder how on earth the editors over at Angry Robot Books missed them. Peter Crowther states - in his acknowledgments - that the book was originally three separate volumes. This might excuse the inconsistencies if they weren't so close together. It also might excuse the repetition of earlier events; however, it would seem that Crowther simple cut & paste the passages as filler - make the book longer and the reader will think it's epic.

I'm not bashing Peter Crowther's ability to captivate the reader, however. Inconsistencies aside, the story and the characters are remarkable. Repetition aside, the story flows. Grammatical errors aside, the book is genius. Not since The Tommyknockers - the movie, as I've never read the book - have I been captivated by alien beings taking over human bodies. The novel borders on zombie domination - only these creatures are far from brain dead, even though the simplest tasks befuddle them at first. However, now that Darkness Falling marks the first book in a - what? a trilogy? a series? - I'm wondering how far I'm willing to travel this road.

I like to thank Angry Robot Books for allowing me to read this novel before it hit shelves. I also encourage the readers of sci-fi, urban fantasy and horror to join the Angry Robot Army in order to garner the same opportunities. You may even download free books for your e-readers - including this title, it would seem.

Pick up your copy of Darkness Falling, part one of the Forever Twilight series at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, on Kindle, or your Nook. And until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Book Hunter Watches a Movie

2011-09-26T13:15:00.000-05:00

I took a break from reading Darkness Falling to watch a couple of movies with Jyg and Izzy this weekend. Because Halloween is just around the corner, we decided on something a little scary.

Kevin Smith has hung up his comedic gloves - setting aside the dick and fart jokes of his View Askew films - and created something politically driven. Not quite a horror movie, but not your conventional film in any sense. He's managed to take a very real thing and shined a light upon it, highlighting the darker parts.

In Red State, Smith introduces us to the Five Points Church - perhaps an allusion to the pentagram? - a twisted version of the Westboro Baptists - if they could possibly get any more twisted, that is. Like Westboro, Five Points Church makes it a habit of protesting at the funeral of gay men. They feel they're driven by the hand of god. They preach hate and brainwash their children. Unlike the Westboro Baptists, however, the Five Points Church takes the next step. They kill in the name of god, to cull the earth of its sinfulness. When the ATF gets involved, all hell breaks loose. The only thing that can end this stand off is the hand of god itself.

There are no good guys in Red State. From the victims to the sheriff to the ATF team lead by none other than John Goodman, the line between right and wrong is blurred. And that's the point of Red State, I feel. How far do our freedoms run? How far is the government willing to go to shut down something it doesn't agree with? And how long until the hand of god reach down and the trumpets of Armageddon blare? The answers are all revealed in Red State, which you can watch now on Amazon Instant Video.

Ghost hunter shows are a dime a dozen these days. We have a romantic affair with the paranormal. And several TV producers know that we're willing to eat it up, so more and more shows are created. The whole way through, the cast, crew and network heads are laughing and counting the money. The shows are obviously fake, their crew obviously actors paid to play a role. None more notably than Ghost Adventures, which states the lead was a nonbeliever who had an encounter and - yup, that's right! - decided to cash out on it.

That's what Grave Encounters begins with. Actors putting on a show, paying "witnesses" for their testimonies about the things that paranormal occurrences that plague a mental institute. Much like their "real" counterparts of Ghost Adventures - scam artists, by the way - the ghost hunters of Grave Encounters also have a penchant of locking themselves inside. They have static cameras set up. They have a paid "psychic." They have everything a good ghost show needs. Except they never have a real ghost - look, another reference to Ghost Adventures. That is, until something strange starts happening. And things only get worse.

Now a lot of first person films get labeled scary as hell - think Blair Witch Project, think Paranormal Activity and it's lame sequel - but Grave Encounters really takes that cake in that department. Where the Paranormal Activity films lack in actual horror, Grave Encounter lacks in boring moments.

If there is one movie you watch this Halloween to scare the bejesus out of you and your loved ones, make it Grave Encounters. You won't be disappointed.

Until next time, keep on hunting.

Boardwalk Empire

2011-09-25T01:43:00.001-05:00

Guest post of the week by Val Flores

I logged onto Direc4U.com to upgrade our television package. I wanted to get HBO because I watched a great new show at a friend’s house. The new HBO series is called “Boardwalk Empire”. It is a period serious that is set in the 1920’s. It follows the politics, social scene, and bootleggers of Atlantic City at its prime. Immediately, I was hooked. Each episode that I have seen has a great story line and keeps you wanting more. The costuming is fabulous. I have always been a fan of the 1920’s style. The women’s dresses are great examples of era. The set is also really well done. Everything is period. The show actually takes you back in time and makes you feel like you are walking the boardwalk in Atlantic City. The show is a drama but there is also some comedic relief. Now that I have upgraded my package and have HBO, I cannot wait until the Spring when the new season comes out. I am thinking about throwing a “Boardwalk Empire” themed new year’s party. What could be more fun than dressing up like a flapper?

Some Minor Updates

2011-09-21T15:18:00.001-05:00

My News

The mail carrier waved me hello this morning as he drove passed my house after leaving some items in my box. I waved back because I'm a nice guy like that. When I opened the box, I pulled out an advert for a one-day workshop on Mistake-free Grammar & Proofreading, a letter from Hope Andrade that explains the propositions up for election this year and a large, cardboard envelope. At first, I'm puzzled. Could the Kindle cover really come in that fast? I just ordered about two days ago. When I got in and opened it, I pulled out a book. Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther. Okay, I know I didn't order this. Did I? Did I stay up all night again, surfing the online bookstores for something that would make me smile? No. Wait, there's a letter inside the book. Great scotts, man! I won a book from a GoodReads giveaway! Wait, no. That's not right. Angry Robot Books. Where do I know that from? Oh yeah, their tiny banner's only on the left side of my blog. Shit. It's that reviewer's copy I requested. Damnit, I gotta start writing these sort of things down.

The book's description suggest alien abduction. In the "file under" tag, it suggest Zombiepocalypse, Body Snatchers, Eternal Darkness, They're Back. I don't get much off that. Anyway, it should be an interesting read. I hope I can keep from distractions to get it done before the 27th - the book's release date.

Artful Covers

Over at Flavorwire, Nicole Rallis presents us with 20 Reimagined Book Covers, which stretch from lame to great, though are not place in such an order. In fact, it's up to the reader to decide which takes the cake and which artist rendering should be tossed into the fires of Mordor.

Covers range from The Hobbit to James Joyce's Dubliners (see left). Personal favorites of mine go to Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, Nabokov's Lolita and Salinger's Franny and Zooey.

Netflix for Books

I shudder to about it. Apparently, the ball is rolling. Last week, GoodReads presented a Netflix-like personalized recommendation page that allows readers to share their reading lists and thoughts on books. Which is strange, because I thought GoodReads already did that latter. Also making headway last week was news about Amazon working on a Netflix-like ebook rental program. That's disturbing. As much as I love my Kindle, I cannot help but to think the printed word is in more danger than ever. Besides, don't we have something similar with books already? And the program's free, people. It's call your local library. No? Oh well, moving on.

The Death of the Printed Word

The other day, some spaz on Tumblr decided to stand on his/her soapbox and state that s/he will never buy an e-reader. The reason? Because countless bookstores are shutting down. And I'm talking about independently owned bookstores, though Borders did close its doors - tear. The blog post is made up of pictures, photographs taken by avid book lovers saying goodbye to their favorite haunts, I'm assuming.

Now e-readers have taken a bad rap for the death of the printed word. It's not fair. A 2007 study showed that people were reading less than they used to. And I'm sure the numbers haven't changed much with the popularity of e-readers. I figure that people are more inclined on spending their money on whatever is making waves in the cinema than on a good book.

Perhaps the death of independently owned bookstores can be accredited to online shopping, rather than e-readers. I do find myself browsing Amazon, Better World Books and the like for better deals, better prices and at my convenience. I'm rarely disappointed, whereas, I run the risk of not finding what I want if I went to my local Barnes & Noble or one of the thrift shops I venture into. It's just a thought.

Oh well, until next time. Keep on huntin'.

Dirty Desires

2011-09-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

We're all filthy minded, some of us more than we'd like to admit. Given some freedom, our kinks might know no limits. I think that's what drives erotic writers - as in writers of erotica, not writers with erotic appear; although... - as they clack-clack away on their keyboards, bringing our dirty deeds and fornication fantasies to life.

In the past, I came (no pun intended) across Alison Tyler's (Alison's Wonderland, On Finding Jon's Porn) works and became an instant fan - all the while, unwittingly owning a novel she wrote. So when Smart Ass appeared across my Amazon recommendation page, there was little thought when I decided to get myself a little something.

Now I'm a little behind (again, no pun intended) with this. It appears that Smart Ass is part of an annual anal anthology - say that five times fast! - that also includes Bad Ass and Kiss My Ass. It's compiled with the help of fellow writers Kristina Lloyd (Split, Asking For Trouble), Sommer Marsden (Learning to Drown Drunk and Disorderly), Sophia Valenti (Stocking Up: an erotic collection for the fishnet fetishist, Indecent Desires), and Jax Baynard (Torn: Erotica Ripped from the Seams, Eat Me: Succulent Stories of Edible Erotica), with Thomas S. Roche (The Panama Laugh, Like A Wisp of Steam: Steampunk Erotica) stepping in for Smart Ass.

Kristina Lloyd's "My Ass is Your Ass is My Ass" starts the anthology off with its mixture of poetry and porn. It sets the stage - not to mention, the mood - with is raunchy first sentence - "So, there he is with his cock in my ass, and I'm biting the pillow, making all sorts of groans" - to narrator's poetic description of the deed - "On the inside, I'm floating in a space nebula, and star clusters of silver are pulsing bright and dark." How can someone go from describing a pornographic threesome to describing the trio post coital as "Tokyo in the rain at night [...] Tokyo mad flesh?" It's just not something you expect in erotica, especially that dealing with anal sex. Yet, it's there. And it's beautiful and naughty. Sensual and...well, it's just sensual, okay?

In "Tahoe Tease," Thomas S. Roche introduces us to a character dying to get a piece of his girlfriend's ass, which has been promised to him if he can go two months without an orgasm. But she's not going to make it easy for him. And things worth having rarely go without a little bit of sacrifice.

Where as in "Plucked," Alison Tyler changes the tables with the anal play by giving a womanizer a taste of his own medicine.

I think Alison Tyler says it best in the introduction; this anthology is "a type of nontraditional sweet porn that's kinky and filthy and leaves everyone with a smile at the end." Of course, she was talking about her story. It's a nice little collection for you Kindle or whatever. Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Money Well Spent

2011-09-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

So that kid from Angels in the Outfield actually grew up into a somebody worth watching. Who would've thought it, hu? Rather than falling into obscurity as it was for most child stars, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has gone from being an alien elder to being Cobra commander to being the guy to have his heart broken by Zooey Deschanel. So is there anything he can't do?

Than answer, it would appear, is no. Well, in the logical, believable area, anyway. Though, I'm sure he could just zip off into the air if he really wanted to.

Here's the story: Five years ago, Joseph Gordon-Levitt - a man who, apparently, I cannot go without saying/typing his entire name whenever mentioning him - started a pet project called HitRECord, which, as of last year became a production company. He goes on to say:

We create and develop art and media collaboratively here on our site. Even this introductory video is the remixed result of a great many contributions. So rather than just exhibiting and admiring each other's work as isolated individuals, we gather here to collectively work on projects together. Videos, writing, photography, music, anything -- we call them all RECords. Now and then, when I think something we've made has come out especially well, I approach the traditional entertainment industry to turn our work into money-making productions; and then we share any profits with the contributing artists.

This project later gave birth to it's first collection, RECollection Vol. 1 - on sale today! I opted to pre-order the set - which included the limited edition record you see next to the book - sometime in the summer. I all but nearly forgot about it until it arrived at my doorstep this morning - hand delivered by the wonderful postal worker himself - Note to self: Bake this man some cookies.

I couldn't wait to rip the package open and devour it entirely. Of course, I was just starting my day of jobless anticipation - I've been answering every phone call in hopes it's an opportunity, but only get bill collectors (which I have half the mind to ask if their hiring). I put it on hold. Snapped the above photo and started off with the DVD which features short films, tiny stories, music videos - my favorite was "They Can't Turn the Lights Off" - and live records. I followed this by reading the book in one sitting - it wasn't that hard, but to digest the magnificent beauty of the images presented upon the pages, mixed in with the words was an overwhelming sensation that I do not think I can fully describe. My personal favorites, oddly, are the first and last features in the book.

The book itself, actually, reminds of me the children's stories I used to read when I was a kid. The way they were written. It's as if the book is for adults who never stopped being children, as well as, those who forgot how to play. And, while the tales might be a little sketchy, I do plan on reading the first and last entries to my child when s/he is born.

Sadly, however, I cannot review - if that's what I'm doing, anyway - the CD that includes 17 original songs because I haven't gotten that far. But the book is amazing. It's more than amazing. It's probably the best collaborative work I've seen in a long time.

Morgan M. Morgansen's Date With Destiny, as featured in HitRECord: RECollection Vol. 1

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

The Book Hunter Watches Some TV

2011-09-18T16:54:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, the FX Network aired this magnificent lawyer-based drama called Damages. At first, I wasn't too interested with it. However, when the network started to re-air the first season in preparation for the second season, I was hooked immediately. However, after the third season aired, I learned that Damages would not be returning to the FX Network line up. This was a shock because the third season was filled with twists and turns, not to mention on the edge of your seat excitement. What on earth was wrong with FX? How could they allow such a killer series drop from their grasps when shows like Always Sunny are given chance after chance for renewal - okay, that's like comparing the works of William Shakespeare to that of whatever that women who brought us Twilight is named.

Thank the TV gods that DirecTV picked up the series on its Audience Network. The fourth season is by far the best, as the Audience Network allots the series a little more freedom than FX ever gave it. Freedom from the FCC, for instance - which means a little more color and nudity to the series.

The season picks up three years after the events of season three, with Ellen now seeking to take down a private military contractor played by John Goodman. Dylan Baker also appears as a CIA agent whose emotions have compromised his allegiance to the CIA, his country and its military. Chris Messina plays Ellen's old high school flame, Christopher Sanchez, who sets events in motion with information on an illegal mission carried out by High Star.

The season, told in ten hour-long episodes, delivers a range of emotions, which is expected from the series. Glenn Close and Rose Byrne returned as Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons, respectively.

I can't wait for the fifth season and hope that the Audience Network picks it up for a couple of more.

Until next time, keep on huntin'.

Random update

2011-09-15T14:25:00.000-05:00

Someone was going to tell me about this, right?

Facebook, the other day, decided to drop me an advertisement that finally piqued my attention. The ad was for Story of the Week, a project by The Library of America. Because I'm always finding myself in between books, I decided it was a good idea to subscribe to it since it was free, my favorite word.. Hopefully, I do a better job keeping up with this than I do with Narrative Magazine, also free.

I started reading The Idea Writers: Copywriting in a New Media and Marketing Era by Teressa Iezzi, which is an Advertising Age book. It's a nice read, but it's making me wonder if I'm even cut out for this sort of market. Several friends seem to think it was a good idea to look into it, but I'm beginning to have my doubts. Me, the book hunter, turned copywriter? And let's not fail to mention the way advertising works in this new era - I mean, just look at the title of the book! Still, it's a good book and worth the read, especially if you're a creative or looking to become a creative.

I figured that reading the book might help me a tad with writing those ads I do from time to time. I aimed for a different angle when I wrote an ad post for a spice rack website for my Tumblr account, incorporating a personal - not to mention, very true - story about growing up in a house with a kitchen kept in complete disarray. I'll experiment with the other two ads I have on queue, one of which is for this blog. We'll see how that turns out. I hear the client is a stickler for correct/proper grammar. Which, if you haven't been able to tell, isn't what this blog is known for.

Oh well, until next time, keep on huntin'.

Stick a fork in him, he's done

2011-09-13T23:45:00.000-05:00

There comes a point in when all readers begin to wonder if their favorite authors are just messing with them. Jeff Lindsay has never been one of my favorites, but his character Dexter Morgan hits close to home - not that I live a double life as a serial killer, or anything.

Maybe I'm still upset that the metaphorical dark passenger was ruined for me in book three, when it became something a little more sinister and occultish. I like the Showtime version of the character much better.

So why did I continue with the series? Because I like verbal abuse and when I start something, I see it through the end no matter how awful the end is. It's probably why I'm looking forward to Double Dexter, which hits shelves next month - once again, coinciding with the new season.

Perhaps, the returning of brother Brian lends a hand to the upcoming novel's plot. Who knows. I don't. Maybe Lindsay knows, but I doubt it anymore. I'm just bitter. I think. I don't know. Reviewing this shit is hard.

Anyway, on with the show, shall we? Dexter is Delicious opens the day of Lily Anne's birth - this would be little Harrison's counterpart in the literary world. Dexter begins to feel things, becoming slightly more human than he's ever been - and it's not fake. He feels eyes on him. He turns and sees someone leaving but gets there too late. Deborah calls him. Blood bath. Missing girl. Something about vampires then cannibals then a girl's wish to be eaten. Somewhere along the line, Brian returns. Becomes one of the family. Seemingly connect to the cannibal BBQs. Deborah's getting maternal. Chutsky makes a couple of appearances. Dexter is captured, more than once. For some odd reason, Doakes still stalks around - shouldn't this guy be forced into retirement by now? Bad guys think they have the upper hand. Dexter decides not to give up the dark life. The book ends.

I mean, you'd think after all the things and supernatural entities that have been bestowed upon Dexter Morgan, he's be a little more sensible and not get caught. Still, he walks into the obvious traps, his demonic buddy has temper tantrums and Jeff Lindsay's blowing our money on something other than writing lessons. Not that he needs them. I mean, he has writing skills. It's telling stories that he has problems with.

Never the less, there were some things that kept me reading. Namely, Dexter's absolute human affection for daughter Lily Anne and Brian's sudden need to be with family.

As for me, I'm gonna attempt reading Teressa Iezzi's The Idea Writers: Copywriting in an New Media and Marketing Era. Until next time, keep on huntin'.