Book 38: Bell Hollow Ghost Hunters Files

Well I've done it...something I said I would never do....I bought an e-reader. I don't know if I should feel happy or ashamed. :) As a book FANATIC it took me quite a while to actually decide if I wanted one...the push to get one was that one of my favorite authors (J.A Konrath/Jack Kilborn) has decided he is going to be publishing most of his new books on ebook. Thus the decision was made.

So here I am trying to decide which one to get, Kindle, Kobo, or a Sony eReader. After checking all the specs and what they offer, I decided on the Kobo. Comparing all the ereaders wasn't all that hard, each one has it's benefits and it's drawbacks. For instance, the Kindle has 2 gigs of memory where you can store approximately 1500 books. On the other hand the Kobo has only 1 gig of memory which stores approximately 1000 books (the math doesn't quite add up there huh??) , but they do allow you to insert an SD card where you can increase the memory up to five gigs. The Sony E-reader comes with 1 gig, and is not expandable.

The Kobo does not have Wi-Fi capabilities, where the Kindle does. Now, I could understand the concern if I wanted to surf the net or send messages with my e-reader...but I only want to read a book...so that wasn't a huge deal for me.

Included books??? Kindle-no, Sony e-reader-no, Kobo-yes. The Kobo comes with 100 classic novels already installed on it. Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Canterbury Tales etc. etc. This was a nice bonus as I have been wanting to read these books for quite some time, but never got around to it. The screen on the Kobo is 6" diagonally, and is not back lit. The Kindle is the same size, while the Sony is like 5" and you can't change the size of the display.

Functionality of the Kobo is a bit clunky, no bells and whistles on it. You open the book and push a button to turn the page...taadaa the end. I can't tell you about the Kindle or Sony E-reader as I couldn't get my hands on one to check it out. The Kobo is a bit slow loading and changing pages but hey...I'm not running a race, I'm reading a book.

Ok the first book I read on the Kobo was Bell Hollow: Ghost Hunter Files. This is the story of the haunting of a home in the Bell Hollow district of Nashville. When I first started reading the story I felt totally strange, holding this light little slab, and not worrying about breaking the books spine, or ripping the cover. Definitely a change for me.

The book is touted as a "true story" but I think 75% of it is total BS. Half of the "information" given in the book I believe is fictional, and honestly there is really no way to determine what happened to a single man living in a lean-too in the middle of the woods in 1750! I mean really...Anyway... look past all the stuff you think is crap and it is a decent book.

Oh! I have discovered that a lot of the ebooks don't have a spell checker looking them over. One line in this book stated "Jared poured creamed in his coffee" now I must confess grammatical/spelling errors in books DRIVES ME NUTS!!! Seriously spend some money and have someone read the book over for these things! Hell, I'll do it for FREE! UGH.

Anyway...all in all I love the Kobo, it does what I want it to, and the book selection isn't half bad.
Now I'm just rooting for Mr. Kilborn to hustle and get his books on Kobo!

Book 37 The Rising by Brian Keene

Just to give you all a head warning...this blog entry is going to turn into a bit of a rant.

Brain Keene's book The Rising was a great story of another zombie apocalypse. With lots of blood, innards, and just all out violence...along with the living struggling to survive, and the zombies driving cars, firing guns and launching coordinated efforts to wipe out the living. Wait?!?! WTF?? Intelligent zombies?? Yes...they are in this book..

The Rising starts with Jim who is stranded in an underground bunker (constructed by himself for Y2K) he is deciding what he should do....should he shoot himself or should he come out of the bunker and join the zombie denizens. Which one of them, is his pregnant second wife. Suddenly Jim's cell phone goes off, he picks it up and hears his son (from his first marriage) asking him to come and save him. " I love you to infinity Daddy" Danny says and then the phone goes dead.

Jim sets out to save his son. Along the way he befriends, Martin a preacher, Frankie a former heroin addict, and Baker a scientist that worked for the company that they figure created the zombies. Which would make sense in a "The Stand" kind of flashback, but alas...it is not to be.

Instead, the zombies are created by an "unseen force" that takes over the dead body. These zombies are intelligent, calculating, and crack one liners. To me that is not a zombie. Zombies are brainless eating machines with nothing to do besides groan, walk and chew. Don't you all just start hearing the famous line "Braaaaaiiiiinnnnnnsss!" But I digress...

Anyway so my major complaint is that this book took on a science fiction type of aspect, with some "thing" taking over the dead people's bodies, (and animal bodies, did I mention that?? Lions tigers and bears plotting against us! Yup...your reading right) kind of like an alien possession?? Folks the beings from another planet aren't just abducting you...they now live in your body! Well, what's left of it...

Other than that, the book was enjoyable. I pushed through the absurdity of zombies being able to drive, fire weapons etc. and discovered I actually enjoyed the book. I may bitch about the "mensa zombie group" , but Brian weaved that aspect in quite well with the horror and made the book really entertaining. I give it two thumbs, a femur, and a decapitated head up!

Sorry...I think I've been reading to much zombie fiction. :)

Rooting around looking for my next book to read...maybe I'll go dig something up ;)

Book 36-Endurance by Jack Kilborn

Ok now I have to admit I was very upset when I found out Jack Kilborn was publishing his book "Endurance" onto ebook only...as I don't have a Kindle, or Kobo...it was quite traumatic for me. So I was figuring I wouldn't read this book which Jack has said was "very scary" for quite some time...I was crushed.

So I was browsing around on Facebook the other day and saw an add "Kindle for the PC", my eyebrows went up, and I clicked the link. I was passed to Amazon.com where I could download the Kindle application for free! The download completed and I hunted for Endurance!

Now you have to understand, I am not an ebook lover. Nothing beats the feel of a book between your fingers, the act of flipping pages, and the satisfying smell of a new book (besides what would I do with electronic books??? I wouldn't have to worry about breaking the spine?!?!?) Well all that aside I purchased Endurance, and sat in front of my computer and read it all in a few days. And Damn what a book!!

The story in Endurance centers around a few groups of people who are all-at one point or another-wanting to compete in the Iron Woman triathlon. There is Deb, an avid marathon runner who recently had both her legs amputated due to an accident, Letti, Florence and Kelly, a mother, grandmother and daughter who also want to compete in Iron Woman. Mel who is a reporter, Felix and Cam who are looking for Maria (who went missing a year before). This group of people are forced to stay at the Rushmore Inn as all the hotels in the small town are booked solid.

The Rushmore Inn is a little backwoods bed and breakfast in the middle of no where...well at least that's what it SEEMS to be. ;)

Jack Kilborn is an amazing author. He has a knack of really putting the reader into the story. I fell in love with all the characters, the good guys, the bad guys, Ronald and JD. No, I'm not going to tell you who Ronald and JD are...go get the book! It is so worth it!

Although I was under the impression this book was extremely scary, I really didn't find it that scary, it kind of reminded me of a cross between "The Hills have Eyes" and "Wrong Turn" two so-so horror movies. Then again, maybe I'm numb to the scare factor in books/movies...My BF Dawn actually asked me when I was describing the book to her-"Would "normal" people find it gorey/scary?" Ummm....thanks there BF. LOL!!

The Rushmore Inn is waiting for you all, don't get to comfortable, you won't be staying long.

Book 35-Ghoul by Brian Keene

I must say this book was good, but a bit of a disappointment from Brian's "Dead Sea". It was not zombie infested, and didn't have the gore factor. Like I said before, a bit dissapointing, but still enjoyable.

The book takes place in 1984 with Timmy, Barry and Doug as the main characters. They are 3 best friends set to enjoy their summer vacation, exploring and hanging out together in "The Dugout"-an area where the boys have dug a large cavern under the edge of the local cemetery. They spend the days hanging out, reading dirty magazines, talking about girls, and playing with BB guns.

While they are playing around the cemetery the boys start to notice sinkholes forming around the graves, both old, and new. Their parents say it's normal for that to happen, but Timmy thinks something else is happening. And he's right.

Again, I can't get to far into explaining the book, as it is not that deep of a story. This story is a typical monster in the dark type of story, that all the adults don't believe exist when the kids bring it up to them.

The story was good, don't get me wrong, but it just didn't have the "Keene edge" I saw in "Dead Sea". There was no gratuitous gore, and no flesh eaters. Instead there was family abuse, pedophilia and depression. Kind of read like a Dr. Phil self help book.

And another thing!?! Why is it all monsters in books have HUGE penises?!?! Sorry just never understood that... :)

Book 36 will be "The Rising" by Brian Keene...yes I'm still on the Keene kick.

Book 34 Dead Sea by Brian Keene

Hello All! Please forgive me for not keeping up with my posts. I have temporarily drifted away from my goal of 100 books to read in 2010. My love of cross stitching kind of got in the way...plus the fact I couldn't actually latch onto a book that would cleanse my fiction palette. Alas, so much time was lost...BUT I have found an AMAZING author who has cleaned the slate for me, and I am hungry for more!!

Brian Keene..what can I say...but that he is an amazing author. I have seen many of his books come to my mailbox by way of the Horror Book Club I subscribe to (Thank you Dorchester!). I glanced at them and thought, I'll get to him eventually. Man am I a DOPE.

Mr. Keene, in Dead Sea pulls out all the stops in this zombie apocalypse novel. It is not your typical zombie story...he adds some scientific aspects along with the humanity and the gore...god the gore!!! Every word on the pages brought a HUGE smile to my face. I mean really who doesn't love a good zombie munching gore fest!

Dead Sea is about a young gay black man named Lamar Reed, who is struggling to survive after being laid off from his job at the Ford plant. That is, until the rats come out of the sewers and start attacking people, not just any rats...dead rats...with innards hanging out, and limbs missing. They are the undead rats, that start attacking people and transferring "Hamelin's Revenge" (so it is named in the book, after the story of the Pied Piper). A disease which kills the host and turns them into the living dead, who feed on ANYTHING living.

Now don't think this disease is transferred only to humans, it seems this zombie plague only affects some species-cows not horses, dogs but not cats, and so on and so forth. Definitely different from the zombies I'm used to...but yet totally refreshing.

Lamar struggles to survive, lurking in alleyways to avoid the afflicted, and finds two young children-Tasha and Malik-who are also struggling to survive. They work together to avoid getting munched on by the undead.

I can't tell to much more, as it will give to much away...but trust me...this book is an absolute roller coaster ride! Brian Keene has a great "literary eye" and explains the zombies and gore beautifully. I mean what a work of art...Lamar is hiding in a dark alley when he sees a human (not yet afflicted) walking by holding his stomach together with his hands. He is in a daze, blood oozing between his fingers..Lamar watches him pass and then notices a zombie child following him eating his intestine. God damn is that poetic!

Read further and you have all sorts of innards, rotting corpses, skin stripped from bones, empty eye sockets and lots, no tons...of blood. It makes this horror fanatic smile a happy smile, and sleep well at night. Kind of like my lullaby...

For those of you without a weak stomach, I would definitely say pick this one up! It is definitely a treasure! I am going now to search my bookshelves for his other books. They are now the top of my "To be read" pile.

Till next time everyone!

Book 33 Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Okay okay...now before you all start lynching me for not reading something horror, or even around horror...after all this is "my rants about the horror world I so love", let me explain.

My BF Dawn and I agreed to try and read 100 books in the year of 2010. Now I don't know if that will be accomplished, but damn it I'm still trying!! Anyway...the whole point of this 100 books was to branch out, and "step out of your comfort zone" when it comes to authors. So when Dawn handed me Naked in Death by J.D. Robb..I knew she is also known as Nora Roberts...I was kinda iffy. But I took to heart I enjoyed Morgans Cross immensely, so I went with it and took the book. Well lets just say I am a happy camper now!

Naked in Death is the first book of 30 or so in the Eve Dallas series. The book focuses on Eve and how she is trying to find the person who is killing "hired professionals" in other words prostitutes..but without the street corners and without pimps. Did I forget to mention this book also takes place about 50 some years in the future?? So with flying cars, autochefs and no guns anymore, here is Eve trying to discover who the killer (who by the way is killing them with an "antique handgun) of these women is, when she meets Roarke.

Roarke is immediately attracted to Eve, and Eve is completely trying to keep him away, but something about him keeps drawing her in (cough cough-c0uld it be the amazing blue eyes, the super body, Irish accent and the fact he's a multi-millionaire?!?! No...No...not at all).

The book is absolutely amazing!! It's like nothing I have ever read, it's kind of like a scifi/romance/mystery type of story...a scimancetery??? Hmm....I kinda like that... :)

J.D. Robb is wonderful with her descriptive language and really pulls the reader into the story. I love the fact that you can feel the sexual tension between Eve and Roarke seep off the pages. Eve, the hard as stone cop up against the smug, but patient and caring Roarke. They fight like cats and dogs, but also use each other to lean on in times that get rough. It's very warm and sweet. Ugh...I think I just had flecks of gag in my throat there...I think I'm getting old...

Anyway...next book is Glory in Death. Yes I know..I'm an addict! I can't help it! Maybe I need to go to JD anonymous. Don't worry fans, followers and friends! Zombiemom hasn't changed, I'm still the bloodthirsty freak you know and love...I'm just stepping out of my box for a bit...Right Dawn?!?!

Till next time!

Book 32-Bloodline by Kate Cary

The book focuses on the characters of John and Lily Shaw, siblings who have lost their parents. Mary Seward, a nurse in the sanatorium in the England town of Purfleet, and Quincey Harker, John Shaws commanding officer in the army.

John Shaw is enlisted in the army and is forced to the trenches where he works as a communications officer, under the command of Quincey Harker. There are whisperings of how Harker is strange, and often brutal with both the enemy and fellow soldiers.

John is overcome by a wound he receives, and is forced to return to Purfleet to the sanatorium where Mary works. Mary takes John under her wing helping him through his nightmares and the fever he has developed.

Lily Shaw meets Harker when he returns from the trenches, and so the story begins.

Bloodline was almost like a blast from the past. It takes place 35 years after the original Dracula and is written basically the same way. Journal entries from the major characters in the book. It was definitely different and something I'm not used to, besides when I read Dracula many many years ago. It makes things a bit hard to follow on occasion, but once you understand how the book is written your buckled in and ready for a heck of a ride.

The characters were a little bit hard to swallow, as they book is set in 1916 during the first world war. Women being concerned with being submissive to the men. Men being to much of the "I'm the hero" kind of mentality...but that was the way things were then, so I choked my distaste back and finished the book, and i was glad I did. The book brought a heck of a lot more than I thought it would.

Kate Cary has a way of describing settings, and characters with a keen "eye", she takes the time to describe things so the reader can actually envision the characters and setting cleanly. When the setting is dark, gloomy or somewhat glum she chooses her words well.

I think my biggest complain was someone was a crappy editor when one of the journal entries is listed as "John Seward". I actually had to go back and check and make sure I wasn't losing my mind, I remember asking myself "Isn't it John Shaw?" Yes it was...stupid editors. Nothing bugs me more than finding a poorly edited book.

Possibly a new career path?!?! LOL! Not likely!

Next book is Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. As recommended by my BF Dawn. She says the books will become and obsession...which worries me a little...but hey I haven't gone wrong with her recommendations before.