Vigilante by Stephen J. Cannell; 2011; $26.95; 312 pages; St Martin’s Press, New York, NY; 978-0-312-64611-0; Checked out from Multnomah County Library, Hillsdale; 1/15-1/17
Why did I pick this up? Because I have read everything that Stephen J. Cannell has written as a novelist and enjoyed them and all of his TV shows.
What is the story? Reality TV star Nix Nash and his show Vigilante TV have focused on Los Angeles and the murder of a critic of the LAPD. Scripted reality is what it turns out to be and the aim of Nash and his crew is to make fools of the department. Shane and his crew have to fight all kinds of internal politics and rich friends of the reality host. There are all kinds of red herrings and continuation of sub plots from previous Shane Scully novels.
Did I like it? Yes, Cannell can write suspense and police procedurals with the very best of them. It was a bittersweet read because Cannell died in September of 2010 and had just finished the manuscript for Vigilante.
Grade-A
What is with the title of the review? Stephen J. Cannell died in Spetember of 2010 just after he finished the manuscript for Vigilante, so I don’t think we will see anymore of Shane Scully and his supporting cast. Cooch is Shane’s son who expressed an interest in police science in this installment of the Shane Scully story. We won’t know where the story goes from here.
Unbroken, A, World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillendbrand; $27.00; 2010; 473 pages; Random House, New York, NY; 978-1-4000-6416-8; Purchased at Multnomah County Library Title Wave Used Bookstore; 1/10-1/15
Why did I pick this up? Our book group is reading this for our meeting. on January 21, 2012 and it fits one of my areas of interest, WWII biography.
What is the story? Louis Zamperini is an incorrigible youth in Torrance, California in the 1920′s. He stole and ran and hid. Running would be the first redemptive thing in his life, with the coaching and encouragement of his older brother, Pete, he became a running sensation nicknamed “The Torrance Tornado”. He qualified for the 5,000 meters in the 1936 Olympics and traveled to Berlin to compete. He drew the attention of teammate Jesse Owens and also the Fuhrer, who recalled him as “the boy with the fast finish.” After competing and getting the chance to go to the 1940 Olympics, which were canceled due to the war in Europe. He joined the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier on a B-24 flying in the Pacific. After several missions the plane he flew in was down for maintenance because of damage sustained in battle with Japanese forces. He and his crew were asked to fly a rescue mission to search for another downed crew. He and his mates were forced to ditch in the Pacific, 3 members of the crew survived and drifted for 46 days before being captured by the Japanese. The Japanese sent the 2 surviving members to several different POW camps where they were severely abused in several different ways. Louie was especially targeted by several of the guards for extra abuse who singled him out for horrific abuse. When the war was over, Louie was returned home and became the toast of the country. But because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he more or less crawled into a bottle and began to lose those around him. His wife was going to divorce him until she went to a Billy Graham crusade and had a change in her life. Louie went to three different crusade events before that change happened in his life. Since then Louie has spoken all over the world, even speaking to many of the guards who had abused him during his time in prison camp and forgiving them. Louie is still alive, as of today, 1/15/12 and still going at age 95.
Did I like it? Yes. I had read Louis Zamperini’s autobiography “Devil at My Heels” back in 1998. This fleshed that out and gave it more historical context. I think Laura Hillenbrand could make a laundry list very readable.
Grade-A
What is with the title of the review? At one point during the time the crew was drifting they bring up Eddie Rickenbacker’s time spent in a life raft and a subsequent book about the time. The book was titled “We thought we heard the Angels Sing.”
Pacific Glory by P.T. Deuterman; 2011; $25.99; 389 pages; St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY; 978-0-312-59944-7; Checked out from Multnomah County Library, Northwest; 1/8-1/10
Why did I pick this up? Because I have read other books by P.T. Deuterman and liked them and also like books about WWII in the Pacific.
What is the story? Naval Academy classmates Tommy, Beast and Beauty all loved Glory Hawthorne. Tommy managed to marry Glory and they got stationed at Pearl Harbor. Tommy is on board the Arizona on December 7, Beauty is aboard a destroyer in the Pacific and Beast is a lone wolf aviator. This a great story which spans the entire time of WWII and the almost the entire Pacific Ocean. This has all kinds of action, romance, and humor which makes all the characters fully rounded and engaging.
Did I like it? Yes, all the characters are fully rounded and very relatable. The action is well written and not too far from what actually happened. There is one scene which came very close to moving me to tears.
Grade-A
What is with the title of the review? The book begins with the line I have a story to tell my son, who is not my son. I spent most the book trying to figure out who the parents of the child were. It reminded me of the TV show “How I Met Your Mother”
The Immortalists by Kyle Mills; $14.95; 2011; 320 pages; Thomas & Mercer, Las Vegas, NV; 9781612181509; Checked out from Multnomah County Library, Fairview; 1/7-1/8
Why did I pick this up? I have read all of Kyle Mills books, so anytime a new book comes out by him I have to read it.
What is the story? Richard Draman has a daughter who suffers from progeria, a disease that causes children to age prematurely. He is doing research at the genetic level to help fight the disease, with research that could have implications for many things that go with aging. Their is someone who is determined to stop the research at any cost. Richard and his wife, daughter go on the run, hooking up with an old friend who is former special forces. There are two groups who are after the research for their own nefarious means. Richard is such a genius that he is able to say a couple of steps ahead of the those groups. It is an exciting page turner that moves around the world and pits friends against friends and makes it so that you often not sure who you should trust.
Did I like it? Yes, it was an exciting story with a new reason for the conflict.
Grade-A
What is with the title of the review? Progeria strikes 1 in 8 million children, even though it is so rare, should it get less funding than other diseases? That is one of the questions asked throughout the book.
Hell No, Your Right to Dissent in Twenty-First-Century America by Michael Ratner & Margaret Ratner Kunstler; 2011; $17.95; 164 pages; The New Press, New York, NY; 978-1-59558-540-0; Checked out from Multnomah County Library, Central; 1/6-1/6
Why did I pick this up? Because I think that things may be getting weird in the good ole USA someday soon. Too much power is getting concentrated in the police and intelligence agencies of this country.
What is the story? Under the Bush2 administration and in the wake of 9/11 liberties were taken with the constitution and liberties were weakened by Congress (who probably exempted themselves from every law). The administration has made it easier for the alphabet soup of intelligence agencies to abuse their powers and spy on anyone they think may be planning or even thinking or just talking about terrorism. I wouldn’t really be surprised if someone shows up to ask me questions after I post this. The current administration has not curtailed the activities begun during the Bush2 days and has actually expanded some things, see NDAA. It has some handy sections on what to do in certain situations, but the scariest part of the book are the actual FBI guidelines reprinted at the back of the book.
Grade-A
What is with the title of the review? In the movie Minority Report the whole idea of the police was to prevent crime before it happened. Some of the people who were arrested hadn’t even thought of it yet but the authorities thought they knew what was going to happened. Some of the powers that have been given to the intelligence agencies makes it seem like that is where our country is headed. You can be held if someone thinks you might something against “national security”.
