Survivor Competitions Update

Survivor 1 in Borneo -- Richard Hatch (No Game)
Survivor 2 in Australia -- Tina Wesson (Ashfault!)
Survivor 3 in Africa -- Ethan Zohn (Ashfault!)
Survivor 4 in Marquesas -- Vecepia Towery (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 5 in Thailand -- Brian Heidik (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 6 in Amazon -- Jenna Morasca (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 7 in Pearl Islands -- Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 8 ALL STARS -- Amber Brkich (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 9 in Vanuatu -- Chris Daugherty (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 10 in Palau -- Tom Westman (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 11 in Guatemala -- Danni Boatwright (Ashfault!)
Survivor 12 in Panama (Exile Island) -- Aras Baskauskas (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 13 in the Cook Islands -- Yul Kwon (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 14 in Fiji -- Earl Cole (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 15 in China -- Todd Herzog (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 16 in Micronesia (All Stars-ish) -- Parvati Shallow (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 17 in Gabon -- Bob Crowley (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 18 in Tocantins -- James Thomas, Jr. (Ashfault!)
Survivor 19 in Samoa -- Natalie White (Ashfault!)
Survivor 20 in Heroes vs. Villians -- Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 21 in Nicaragua -- Judson "Fabio" Birza (Pork Chop Express)

Overall Totals

Pork Chop Express -- 15
Assshfault! -- 5

Tucker's Nuts -- 2
FBT -- ZERO

Survivor -- Geezers vs Tighties... FINALE!!!!!!!!

Tucker's Nuts
Judson "Jud" Birza (17) -- WINNNNNNEEERRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
Danny Lembo (16) -- Fifth Place
Jane Bright (12) -- Booted Week Thirteen
Ben Henry (8) -- Booted Week Twelve
Brenda Lowe (5) -- Booted Week Ten
Alina Wilson (4) -- Booted Week Eight
Jill Halmi Behm (9) -- Booted Week Seven
Kelly Bruno (1) -- Booted Week Six
Jimmy Johnson (20) -- Booted Week Three
Shannon Elkins (13) -- Booted Week Two

Assshfault!
Chase Rice (6) -- SECOND
Matthew "Sash" Lenahan (3) -- THIRD
Holly Hoffman (15) -- FOURTH
Na 'Onka Mixon (10) -- QUITTER TURD WEEK ELEVEN!!!!
Kelly Shinn (14) -- QUITTER WUSS WEEK ELEVEN!!!!
Marty Piombo (11) -- WEEK NINE!!!!!!
Yve Rojas (7) -- BOOTED WEEK SIX!!!!!!!!!!
Tyrone Davis (2) -- BOOTED WEEK FIVE!!!!!!!!!
Jimmy Tarantino (18) -- BOOTED WEEK FOUR!!!!!
Wendy Jo Desmidt-Kohlhoff (19) -- BOOTED WEEK ONE!!!!!!!

Survivor Returns!

And so does the game! See below... as we picked our draft picks...

This season is old vs. young... so the challenges are not as physical, but rather... intellectualy.

Let's root on Tucker's Nuts over that stinky... stinky... stinky... Asssfault!!!!

Tucker's Nuts
1. Kelly Bruno (1)
2. Alina Wilson (4)
3. Brenda Lowe (5)
4. Ben Henry (8)
5. Jill Halmi Behm (9)
6. Jane Bright (12)
7. Shannon Elkins (13)
8. Danny Lembo (16)
9. Judson "Jud" Birza (17)
10. Jimmy Johnson (20)

Assshfault!
1. Tyrone Davis (2)
2. Matthew "Sash" Lenahan (3)
3. Chase Rice (6)
4. Yve Rojas (7)
5. Na 'Onka Mixon (10)
6. Marty Piombo (11)
7. Kelly Shinn (14)
8. Holly Hoffman (15)
9. Jimmy Tarantino (18)
10. Wendy Jo Desmidt-Kohlhoff (19)

Inception Movie Going Experience

Animal Kingdom

Stone

Tron Legacy

The Social Network

Devil

Due Date

The Town

Book 39 of 52 -- Kathryn Stockett's The Help

Kathryn Stockett hits a home run with her very first novel THE HELP. This novel is a success on so many different levels and in no way shows signs of a first novel. Ms. Stockett writes with an authoritativeness, honesty and literary ease that equals a writer of the highest caliber who has been writing for years.

Fantastic book.

Book 38 of 52 -- Stephen King's The Colorado Kid

I was very much into the story. I feel it was well written and the characters were very well developed, as is always the case with Stephen King. I was held by the story and actually read through the book extremely quickly as I was "sucked into" the story completely. The only really problem I have is the ending. It seems Mr. King has come to the point in his life where he doesn't mind leaving things untied in his stories. He would chastise me for saying this as someone who doesn't understand or who puts too much stock in the ending instead of the journey getting there. Maybe so, but I still like to have endings a little neater than what we get from this book. I am not going to go into details and provide spoilers for it, but I was disappointed upon reaching the last page with where I was left by this ending.

Book 37 of 52 -- James Patterson's Private

Just plain boring.

I usually don't like his books with other authors and might consider that practice after this.

It is not a James Patterson book.

Book 36 of 52 -- Janet Evanovich's Sizzling Sixteen

I wouldn't go so far as I didn't like this book, but it was a let down. There seemed to be a serious disconnect between Stephanie and Morrelli. Usually there is more tension between the Morrelli and Ranger vying for Stephanie, and here we barely hear a peep out of Morrelli. Lulu was also figured very promiently, maybe too much so. I would've also like to have seen more interaction between Grandma Mazur and Stephanie's long suffering parents---that's always entertaining. Maybe I expected too much---I'm always thrilled when I hear of a new Plum book coming out---but this one didn't quench my thrist.

I'm also wondering if I missed something. The jacket said something about Vinny running up porn charges from Rangers apartment. I didn't see any mention of that. Was it ommitted or did I skip some pages???

Book 35 of 52 -- Miles Kington's How Shall I Tell the Dog?

Miles Kington writes beautifully about almost nothing, and somehow he makes you laugh out loud. When he found he was dying fast, he kept writing and this is, for me, a hilarious book about the death of my old Oxford friend. After reading it you may never be afraid of dying--though death can be a bit of a downer, for others at least.

Book 34 of 52 -- Steve Harvey's Act Like a Man

This terribly-written book has Harvey spouting humorless relational philosophy, such as "men are simple creatures." And he proves that point by writing such a simple-minded book that it's a complete waste of time to read it.

The book is sexist, stereotyping all men into knuckle-dragging, sports-loving hunters that just need a little sex to keep them happy. The book is addressed to women, telling them to dress better, accept that the guy won't talk much, and give sex more often in order to keep their guy from straying.

Most offensive is Harvey's constant references to "the Lord" and Jesus, leading people to believe he upholds spirituality, yet he point blank tells people to have sex after 90 days together and accepts a couple living together without being married. He often mentions going to church--didn't he learn anything there?

He also conveniently fails to mention that he has been married three times. The book would lead you to believe he was married once, to a woman he admittedly slept with and cheated on before she threatened to walk out on him. There is also no real mention of his children. A quick check of his bio online will uncover the truth. If you can't trust a guy writing a book about relationships to come clean about his own relationships, then why read the book?

There are a couple of valid points, such as the fact that men need respect and loyalty from women. But the lousy writing style and simplistic examples negate any reason to read this book.

Book 33 of 52 -- Linda Castillo's Pray For Silence

Pray for Silence is a crime thriller about the investigation of a family massacre on an Amish farm in a small Ohio town. The case is particularly difficult for Police Chief Kate Burkholder, as she grew up Amish and the current case brings up her troubled past. This is strong writing with a good pace, tight plot, well-developed characters, and an interesting setting. The setting is one of the strongest aspects of the novel, as Linda Castillo does a great job of bringing the Amish community to life.

I would strongly recommended that you read the previous book, Sworn to Silence, before reading Pray for Silence. If you enjoy the crime/thriller genre (Kathy Reichs, Tess Gerritsen, Harlan Coben, et al), you're going to want to read them both anyway, and they will be much better in proper sequence. The first book, Sworn to Silence, is even better than Pray for Silence as it delves much deeper into Kate Burkholder's past. This background is alluded to in Pray for Silence, but you wont' get the full effect without having read the first book.

The Kids Are All Right Movie Going Experience

Great movie, but we really need an intervention for Julianne Moore who just seems to want to be naked all the time.

Previews!!!

Nowhere Boy

Never Let Me Go

Jack Goes Boating

The Social Network

Catfish

The American

It's Kind of a Funny Story

Predators Movie Going Experience

Previews... on a Monday Night....

Wall Street: Money Never Dies

Step Up 3D

Lottery Ticket

Machete

Books 31 and 32 of 52 -- Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas

I was lent these two books after watching the HBO show based on this series. I enjoyed this book from the first chapter. Each book is one series in the tv show but there are enough differences that if you have seen "True Blood" you will get more of the background and in depth story telling that makes this series so enticing.

I can honestly say each book gets better and better. There is a whirlwind of mystery, suspicious characters and humor to keep you hooked. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to escape with the help of a great book.

Book 30 of 52 -- Jon Katz' Soul of a Dog

Soul of a Dog was a delightful look into the relationship of the author with his farm animals. Although not scientific in the least, he highlights those traits in our relationship with domestic animals that make our friendship so strong. However, he naively believes that the beef he eats at a restaurant in town is somehow different than the sweet bull that he feeds Snicker Bars to. The book was too long for the subject and while fun to read failed to improve the discussion of animal intelligence a single dot or tittle.

Book 29 of 52 -- Andre Agassi's Open

For me, Andre Agassi's book is most memorable because we learn that the "real" Agassi is not the Agassi we thought we knew. The disjunction between public image and private reality is rarely explored in an autobiography, and Agassi (and his ghost-writer) have gone into areas usually untouched by people on the public stage. Agassi was, in many ways, an abused and neglected child. He did not know who he was; he was hardly the "rebel" or "enfant terrible" that the press made him out to be. His wrenching struggles and his personal growth took place despite the efforts of the media to tell a pat story about him, and they occurred away from the tennis court.

Agassi's frankness about himself separates this book from most autobiographies. It's not really a book about tennis but a book about how to become a human being. In fact, with a few exceptions, the accounts of Grand Slam matches are not very enlightening to the amateur tennis player on the technical level. But the accounts of Agassi's depression, his self-doubt, and his hatred for tennis are unforgettable.

This book could, however, have been 50 to 100 pages shorter without losing its impact.

Book 28 of 52 -- Stephen King's Billy Blockade

Though I consider this "book" to be a minor addition to Stephen King's vast literary canon, I found myself enjoying it. Some of King's books could be a bit of a slog trying to get through. This novella is definitely not one of those. I enjoyed the descriptions of the old time baseball scenarios. The story centered on the super-talented catcher "Blockade" Billy Blakely, whose name was inexplicably removed from the records book (the constant reader does not learn why until near the end of the story). It is a fairly straightforward baseball fantasy up to the time it arrived to its Stephen King trademark twist ending. I really enjoyed it for the fast reading and the thrills. I also read this story from the standpoint of being a potential movie script. I was able to see this story fitting nicely as a cinematic offering. If handled correctly by the right director and actors, it will be a viewing experience that few will forget.

Book 27 of 52 -- Richard Roeper's Bet the House

Fun and light read, but the whole book was pointless.

I like to gamble too and even I was like... uhhh... what?

Despicable Me Moviegoing Experience

Previews

Nanny McPhee Returns

Smurf'd

Ramona and Beezus

Alpha and Omega

Megamind

Cats and Dogs - The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Good movie that started a bit slow and then kicked into gear with the introduction of the kids.

Book 26 of 52 -- Phillip Margolin's Supreme Justice

In order to enjoy this book you really do have to suspend belief a bit, because the US Supreme Court is hopefully, no where near as lively and dangerous a place as Margolin portrays it. However, the book is well crafted in the usual Margolin style and weaves several plot lines neatly together to produce a very good summer read, if not the five star effort we have come to expect from this author.

This book follows on from Executive Privilege with many of the same characters from that book getting up to their elbows and eyeballs in a piece of intrigue that is very,very dangerous.

The connector for the storylines is a petition for a writ of certiorari from a convicted murderer in Oregon to the Supreme Court, the granting of which will unravel some very large misdeeds done by some very important and powerful people who are willing to kill to prevent their misdeeds from being discovered.

Telling you more about the plot would do the book a disservice because the story has many unexpected and unforseen twists and turns which are the hallmark of this author. The court is in session....

Book 25 of 52 -- John Heilemann & Mark Halperin's Game Change

This is an entertaining look at the 2008 Presidential election from a couple of Washington insiders who viewed some of it up close and personal, and had a lot of connections and sources to fill in the blanks. Since the campaign itself immersed a lot more of the population in process, this is a good look back for a lot of readers. There is a slight Obama slant, but the public gets to see far more of the "warts" of politics at this level, and really, has to wonder why anyone would choose to insert themselves into this crazy process.

I tried to ignore the early gossip about the book and the "reveals" and just evaluate it on the face of my own reading experience.

Edwards, Palin, McCain and Bill Clinton take the most hits of any other figures in the book. Hilary, while at a loss in the race, comes off as the most believable and heroic of all the figures (and I'm a fan!). There is good support for all the smart moves made by the Obama campaign and realistic introduction of some of the criticsm of his past connections. All in all, a fascinating account, without any particularly laudable skill in the phrasing or historical significance.

Book 24 of 52 -- David Baldacci's Deliver Us From Evil

In this sequel to The Whole Truth, Shaw accepts the job of 'extracting' Evan Waller, a millionaire whose legitimate businesses launder the profits from trafficking in sex slaves and selling weapons-grade nuclear materials to Islamic terrorists.

Unknown to Shaw, Regina Campion, an assassin from a shadowy British vigilante organisation, plans to kill Waller, who she knows to be Fedir Kuchin, a KGB officer who continued Stalin's genocide of Ukrainians until the collapse of communism. Waller/Kuchin also has the character flaws of many movie villains: bad taste in henchmen, and a weakness for overly complicated deathtraps.

Action-packed, with little else to distract.

Book 23 of 52 -- James Patterson's The 9th Judgment

Some of the old James Patterson faults are there, such as, a not very interesting sadistic serial killer who targets mothers with children. This sort of murderer appears in most Patterson books. Then there's a female cat burglar/lesbian with a cruel husband. She just happens to be romantically involved with the sadistic killer's wife. Weird. There are also obligatory heterosexual scenes that are thrown in for the fifteen-year olds who may read this book.

But there are fewer obvious errors of fact and syntax, silly errors that a good editor should have caught. And there are no insulting passages in bold lettering to tell the dimbulb reader that This Is Important. In the past these have been standard fare. However, the book runs about twenty pages longer than it should. The author had a very good final line and they kept right on going.

This is not a mystery novel. As usual Patterson lets us know from the start who the killer is. Thus, there are really no surprises. We know that the come uppance is coming up and we know who is going to get it. This would have been much better had we not known the killer's name and motive--a la Agatha Christie, for example.

Book 22 of 52 -- Stuart Woods' Lucid Intervals

First let me say that I have read all of Mr. Woods books. His books are usually amusing and light with enough action and romance to keep it interesting.

On the other hand I do get a little tired of the Airplane jargon when it does not really pertain to the story that much. Its in all his books and this leads me to believe that Mr. Woods has a healthy interest in planes and flying them. That being said I don't believe this was one of his better books. It dragged in a lot of places and did not hold my interest as his books usually do. Case in point I now know way to much about planes.

Book 21 of 52 -- Sarah Silverman's The Bedwetter

Ok, I admit to being totally smitten with Sarah Silverman. I find her smart, funny, clever, ironic, outspoken, and cute as a button.

So it's no surprise I would be receptive to her book.

Sure it's a quick read, and there are lots of photos and other nonsense, but she offers plenty of insight too, on her life growing up a Jew in very gentile New Hampshire, her problems with depression and bedwetting, and her rise through the comic ranks in New York, through SNL, Jesus is Magic, and finally her hilarious (now cancelled) Comedy Central show. She also touches on some controversies in her career and explains quite directly why she doesn't plan on making fun of Mohamed any time soon.

A fun, easy read.

Book 20 of 52 -- Robert Crais' Hostage

Rock on for a good book... and I can totally see why it was turned into a movie.

The book was better...

Book 19 of 52 -- Chris Moore's Bite Me

What can I say? I can read Christopher Moore's stuff and never get tired of it. The dude seems to have some sort of direct link to my funny-bone. Is this an author guilty of some cheese? of trying too hard? of formulaic turns of phrases? YES! But I don't care.

The plot is herky-jerky with lots of surprises. The ending wasn't what I expected. I am very pleased that he decided to return to the blood-sucking fiends world for this story.

I'm now so giddy about Christopher Moore that I believe that he'll be able to turn out, oh, 25 more books without any loss of quality.

Book 18 of 52 -- Chris Moore's Suck It

As a follow up to Bloodsucking Fiends, Chris Moore wrote You Suck! As the vampires in San Francisco continued their wacky adventures against new and old enemies, the book follows the same characters through another set of adventures.

This book is not one of Chris Moore’s best books. It is, however, an incredible follow up to the book I love – Bloodsucking Fiends. I suppose that a better way of saying it is… that it is an appropriate follow up to the original book.
Chris Moore is a funny writer.

He is a great writer… and even his weaker books such as You Suck! are still great books.

Book 17 of 52 -- Jonathan Kellerman's Deception

I enjoyed DECEPTION more than the last few Alex Delaware novels Jonathan Kellerman has published. I may have liked this book better than the other recent books because I personally enjoyed the parts that are set at a very upscale prep school in Brentwood where all is not as perfect as the buildings and grounds lead outsiders to believe. Still, DECEPTION comes nowhere close to the quality of Kellerman's great books such as BILLY STRAIGHT (not considered a Delaware) or WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS the first of the Alex Delaware/ Milo Sturgis mysteries which with the publication of DECEPTION can now claim twenty-five volumes.

In DECEPTION Kellerman does bring back more of the authentic, well realized Southern California settings and characters that make his best books so enjoyable to read. And in this new outing Milo and Alex rely on social networking sites to do some online sleuthing keeping the detective duo who first debuted in 1985 up with the times. Alex's annoying girlfriend, Robin, is thankfully on the periphery of this outing and Milo's relationship with his long term love interest (handsome and apparently perfect emergency room physician Rick) gets a few mentions but seems as unlikely and puzzling as ever. A great deal of suspension of disbelief is also needed to believe that civilian Delaware is allowed so much access in to high profile LA crimes and Kellerman might be more believable if he just permanently put him on the LAPD's payroll. DECEPTION is another quick pageturner from Kellerman that is marginally better than his last few efforts.

Book 16 of 52 -- Chris Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends

As I have written many times before, one of my favorite writers is Chris Moore. He is hilarious and his books really need to be checked out by everyone who has a funny bone inside of their bodies.

Bloodsucking Fiends was one of the first novels that he ever wrote. It is the story of vampires in San Francisco. A million funny things happen in the novel and it is chock full of details and humorous stuff.


This is the third time that I have read this novel and I picked it up again because Chris Moore just released another one of his novels and it is the sequel of Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck.

Bloodsucking Fiends was chock full of details and plot that I completely forgot. I literally was reading and laughing out loud again and again. This is a fantastic book… it really is… and I was so happy to discover it all over again.

Survivor Competitions Update

Survivor 1 in Borneo -- Richard Hatch (No Game)
Survivor 2 in Australia -- Tina Wesson (Ashfault!)
Survivor 3 in Africa -- Ethan Zohn (Ashfault!)
Survivor 4 in Marquesas -- Vecepia Towery (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 5 in Thailand -- Brian Heidik (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 6 in Amazon -- Jenna Morasca (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 7 in Pearl Islands -- Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 8 ALL STARS -- Amber Brkich (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 9 in Vanuatu -- Chris Daugherty (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 10 in Palau -- Tom Westman (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 11 in Guatemala -- Danni Boatwright (Ashfault!)
Survivor 12 in Panama (Exile Island) -- Aras Baskauskas (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 13 in the Cook Islands -- Yul Kwon (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 14 in Fiji -- Earl Cole (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 15 in China -- Todd Herzog (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 16 in Micronesia (All Stars-ish) -- Parvati Shallow (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 17 in Gabon -- Bob Crowley (Pork Chop Express)
Survivor 18 in Tocantins -- James Thomas, Jr. (Ashfault!)
Survivor 19 in Samoa -- Natalie White (Ashfault!)
Survivor 20 in Heroes vs. Villians -- Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pork Chop Express)

Overall Totals

Pork Chop Express -- 14
Assshfault! -- 5

Tucker's Nuts -- 2
FBT -- ZERO

Survivor 20 -- Heroes vs. Villians Template

Tee Hee.... I win again.

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2) -- FIRST... WINNER!!!!!!
Parvati Shallow (3) -- SECOND
Jerri Manthey (6) -- FOURTH
Rupert Boneham (7) -- Booted Week Thirteen
Danielle DiLorenzo (10) -- Booted Week Twelve
Amanda Kimmel (11) -- Booted Week Eleven
Courtney Yates (14) -- Booted Week Nine
Coach Ben Wade (15) -- Booted Week Eight
Rob Mariano (18) -- Booted Week Seven
Tyson Apostol (19) -- Booted Week Six

Assshhfault!!!!
Russell Hartz (5) -- THIRD
Colby Donaldson (1) -- FIFTH
Candice Woodcock (8) -- Booted Week Twelve
JT Thomas (9) -- Booted Week Ten
James Clement (17) -- Booted Week Six
Tom Westman (13) -- Booted Week Five
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Happy Birthday Pops.

it's Smelmooo's dad's birthday!

Survivor -- Chumps vs Dopeys

I know this is the 20th season, but because of many of the people playing, it is the best one since the first season.

Good times. Good times.

I am full on rooting for Sandra now.

Go Sandra!

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7) -- Booted Week Thirteen
Danielle DiLorenzo (10) -- Booted Week Twelve
Amanda Kimmel (11) -- Booted Week Eleven
Courtney Yates (14) -- Booted Week Nine
Coach Ben Wade (15) -- Booted Week Eight
Rob Mariano (18) -- Booted Week Seven
Tyson Apostol (19) -- Booted Week Six

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8) -- Booted Week Twelve
JT Thomas (9) -- Booted Week Ten
James Clement (17) -- Booted Week Six
Tom Westman (13) -- Booted Week Five
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Book 15 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Coronado

Urgh...

Dennis Lehane is quickly becoming my one of my favorite authors, and I was very excited to see something new for him (short stories), but these just are not very good. Some stories have potential, but they just don't get developed and others are just BORING. If you've never read Lehane, I recommend him HIGHLY, just don't start with this book.

Book 14 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Prayers Before Rain

While I don't think Prayers for Rain is the best of the Kenzie/Gennaro books, I found it thoroughly satisfying.

Like its predecessors, Prayers for Rain takes us through the darker side of Boston, as viewed through the eyes of an appealing, well-drawn set of characters. In part, this book coasts on the solid characters established in its four predecessors, but it still has altogether amusing dialogue. The book is worth reading simply to find out how Patrick and Angie interact after the events of Gone Baby Gone.

The plot works reasonably well, though I think some developments are telegraphed in advance. The villain is particularly devious and despicable, and there are some solid twists thrown in. Perhaps the climax was a bit rushed, but the ride through most of the book is pretty suspenseful. While the book clearly benefits by standing on the shoulders of its predecessors, it remains a worthwhile, charming, suspenseful read. Let's hope that Lehane is not done with these characters.

Book 13 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island

If you enjoy eerie suspense then you will like this book. It feels like a modern day Alfred Hitchcock. Very heavy on the suspense with tones of creepiness and deep mystery.

I was surprised to find out the BOOK is not filled with gore and blood. There is a big difference between eerie and slasher and Shutter Island, the book, was eerie. LEhane often writes really gritty stuff...

I don't want to write much about the storyline because it is a mystery and I wouldn't want to spoil the mystery for anyone. So all I am going to say is that if you enjoy a good mystery and like books that engage you as a reader, then this is a great choice.

Book 12 of 52 -- Stephen King's Under the Dome

King has ventured into sci-fi once again. His characters suffer horribly, heroes emerge, and lots of people die.

But at the last minute, one character has a break-through, and we finally get some relief from feeling trapped with the folks under the Dome.

The insignificance of the human race as mirrored in the "bug-in-a-jar" is chilling, and reminiscent of one scene in "Men In Black", where someone opens a locker door to see all possible worlds. But the character development, the capacity of men to do evil to fellow men, and the interaction make it hard to put down.

Even though it is more than a week's read, you just have to finish it, because King's storytelling is spellbinding, regardless of the setting or subject.

You must read this, just to see what the man was thinking of "next".

Book 11 of 52 -- Stuart Woods' Kisser

As a long time Stuart Woods and Stone Barrington fan, I was very disappointed with this book. As has been stated many times by other reviewers, way too much sex, that did nothing to enhance the story line (and not much story line here either).

This is not the Stuart Woods I'm accustomed to, and certainly not the Stone Barrington I've come to know.

Stuart, your fans adore you, but you've got to do better than this one. Please!!

Survivor Heroes vs. Villians -- Week Twelve-arooni

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7)
Danielle DiLorenzo (10) -- Booted Week Twelve
Amanda Kimmel (11) -- Booted Week Eleven
Courtney Yates (14) -- Booted Week Nine
Coach Ben Wade (15) -- Booted Week Eight
Rob Mariano (18) -- Booted Week Seven
Tyson Apostol (19) -- Booted Week Six

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8) -- Booted Week Twelve
JT Thomas (9) -- Booted Week Ten
James Clement (17) -- Booted Week Six
Tom Westman (13) -- Booted Week Five
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Clash of the Titans Moviegoing Experience

Went to see the 3D showing of Clash of the Titans... it was a fun movie except for the bullshit attempt at making a movie that wasn't filmed for 3D ... 3D.

Previews:

Some Jim Carrey cartoon I forgot already

Piranha 3D

Tron Legacy

Step Up 3D

Hot Tub Time Machine Movie Going Experience

Previews

Death at a Funeral (Again... sigh..)

The Losers

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Huh?)

Kick Ass (When did it become alright to use Kick Ass so brazenly in open dialogue?)

Iron Man 2 (Not sure how I feel about it.)

Survivor - Heroes vs. Villians Week Six

This is ridiculously lucky.

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7)
Danielle DiLorenzo (10)
Amanda Kimmel (11)
Courtney Yates (14)
Coach Ben Wade (15)
Rob Mariano (18)
Tyson Apostol (19) -- Booted Week Six

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8)
JT Thomas (9)
James Clement (17) -- Booted Week Six
Tom Westman (13) -- Booted Week Five
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Survivor -- Heroes vs Villians Episode Five

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7)
Danielle DiLorenzo (10)
Amanda Kimmel (11)
Courtney Yates (14)
Coach Ben Wade (15)
Rob Mariano (18)
Tyson Apostol (19)

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8)
JT Thomas (9)
James Clement (17)
Tom Westman (13) -- Booted Week Five
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Survivor 20 -- Heroes Vs. Villians

Mwahhhhhh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha



Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7)
Danielle DiLorenzo (10)
Amanda Kimmel (11)
Courtney Yates (14)
Coach Ben Wade (15)
Rob Mariano (18)
Tyson Apostol (19)

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8)
JT Thomas (9)
Tom Westman (13)
James Clement (17)
Cirie Fields (4) -- Booted Week Four
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Survivor 20 - Heroes vs Villians Week Three

Tucker's Nuts
Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
Parvati Shallow (3)
Jerri Manthey (6)
Rupert Boneham (7)
Danielle DiLorenzo (10)
Amanda Kimmel (11)
Courtney Yates (14)
Coach Ben Wade (15)
Rob Mariano (18)
Tyson Apostol (19)

Assshhfault!!!!
Colby Donaldson (1)
Cirie Fields (4)
Russell Hartz (5)
Candice Woodcock (8)
JT Thomas (9)
Tom Westman (13)
James Clement (17)
Randy Bailey (20) -- Booted Week Three
Stephenie LaGrossa (12) -- Booted Week Two
Sugar Kiper (16) -- Booted Week One

Book 10 of 52 -- Chris Moore's Island of the Sequin Love Nun

This is a re-read.

Still entertains me.

He is such a magnificent writer.

Book 9 of 52 -- Bill Engvall's Just a Guy

I found this book to be like a strong sprinting horse - fast out of the gate with hilarious floor-rolling stories from his youth, only to lose my interest as he entered the college and professional years.

I laughed over the stories of the misadventures of his childhood, but found his tales of college and finding his professional way to be just like a million other 'how I found my comic career' stories.

Book 8 of 52 -- James Patterson's Worst Case

Good characters... weak villian... will keep reading this series...

Just wish he would focus more on quality instead of quantity...

Book 7 of 52 -- Howie Mandel's Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me

I love Howie Mandel and I enjoyed the book.

Not the best, but it made me laugh a lot.

Survivor Heroes vs Villians -- Week One

Tucker's Nuts
1. Sandra Diaz-Twine (2)
2. Parvati Shallow (3)
3. Jerri Manthey (6)
4. Rupert Boneham (7)
5. Danielle DiLorenzo (10)
6. Amanda Kimmel (11)
7. Courtney Yates (14)
8. Coach Ben Wade (15)
9. Rob Mariano (18)
10. Tyson Apostol (19)

Assshhfault!!!!
1. Colby Donaldson (1)
2. Cirie Fields (4)
3. Russell Hartz (5)
4. Candice Woodcock (8)
5. JT Thomas (9)
6. Stephenie LaGrossa (12)
7. Tom Westman (13)
9. James Clement (17)
10. Randy Bailey (20)

8. Sugar Kiper (16) -- BOOTED WEEK ONE!

Book 6 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Gone, Baby, Gone

Reading about the scum of humanity that Lehane's Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro come up against is like watching a David Fincher movie.

It's all grit staring you right in the face with unflinching honesty.

The fourth book in the detective series has the duo searching for a missing child.

In true Lehane fashion, there are more twists than a crazy straw, and the plot gets deeper and deeper and more horrifying as the truth comes out.

Luckily there's the character of Bubba to add some needed comic relief to the story.

A story that's hard to put down, and harder to shake when you finish it.

Book 5 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island

Dennis Lehane's prose is very well paced; secrets behind every corner.

Plot twists abound, but I can't say the whole book surprised me because I thought of just about every scenario Marshals Daniels and Aule could get into.

At first I thought the premise of two US Marshals looking for an insane, escaped murderess on an island during a hurricane was a little to zany to work, but man, I'll tell you, the whole book is so well done!

And I was TOTALLY satisfied with the denouement.

The dialogue really grabs you.

It's funny at times, heartbreaking at others and completely true to life.

Book 4 of 52 -- Dennis Lehane's Sacred

Sacred is another terrific mystery in the series featuring Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, the team you'd want on your side if you needed a private investigation -- if only they were real people.

Lehane describes these characters in such realistic detail and uses such crisp dialogue that you forget that they are only fictional characters.

Nonetheless, they are characters you want to get to know better, and Lehane successfully evolves the personalities of Patrick and Angie in each of the five books in the series.

Thus, it's best if you read the series in chronological order.

Sacred is very fast-paced and loaded with surprising plot twists, which forces you to read on non-stop.

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to all of Lehane's books.

The Blind Side Moviegoing Experience‏

PREVIEWS

Nine

Avatar

The Last Song

It's Complicated

Valentine's Day

Invictus

Crazy Heart Moviegoing Experience

Yay! A theater FULL of old people and the average age with us in the theater was 63.6

Only two previes.

The Last Station

Date Night

Book 3 of 52 -- Nick Hornby's Juliet, Naked

I enjoyed this book so much. My recommendation is don't bother with my review just go get the book so your reading pleasure can begin as soon as possible.

Annie, Duncan, and Tucker have reached middle-age and are stuck in lives that have not, in their own opinions, been well lived. Regrets abound and all are seeking a way out of their own misery and confusion. Unbeknownst to them their lives are all about to collide. Their regrets couldn't be more opposite. Tucker has littered his life with ex-wives and children he has not done well by while Annie and Duncan have cohabited lazily for 15 years without committing to either marriage or children. With those conflicts laid out clearly Hornby proceeds to tell their individual stories with a tenderness and poignancy that illuminates the human condition. These three people come so alive and are handled with such a masterful touch that I enjoyed every single word of dialogue, description, and detailed insecurity. This book will make you laugh, it might even make you cry a little, but it cannot help but make you think about life and relationships and how each of our actions affect those around us every day.

Well done, Sir, very well done.

The Young Victoria Moviegoing Experience

Same day as A Single Man... we ate some lunch in between.

:)

Crazy Heart

Loss of a Teardrop Diamond

A Single Man Moviegoing Experience

Two previews in a small theater in Montclair.

The White Ribbon

Youth in Revolt

Book 2 of 52 -- James Patterson's I, Alex Cross

This is a quick, undemanding, unsatisfying read.

It relies on a tired story line that goes something like this: Our hero is the only person on the planet who can go up against the dark powerful forces who are doing horrific things, and bring them to justice. Everyone else has failed. The pressure on him to give up is intense. And incredibly, everyone else who is near this case ends up either dead or dead-ended, but somehow our hero gets a free pass.

Sounds sort of silly, doesn't it? And of course, let's not forget, the dark forces go right to the top, to the top I tell you. (No spoiler here, the White House is mentioned at the start of the book)

I read this book, there was nothing to it. But unlike Chinese food I'm not hungry for more an hour later.

Book 1 of 52 -- Sue Grafton's U is For Undertow

I have been reading Grafton's alphabet series for a very long time now, and I really do enjoy Kinsey and the stuff she gets up to.

I didn't think that this book was stellar, but I thought it was still strong.

I found that there wasn't that much suspense and the plot was fairly predictable.

I like the mix of the times of 1988 and 1967 and the way Ms. Grafton goes back and forth between the two, and the characters are still very good although there isn't that much of Henry in this one.

The book is all Kinsey as she tries to find out what happened in a 20 year kidnapping case where a little girl has been missing since she was abducted.

I still love the series and I really like Kinsey and in this book we get another fascinating look at her as a young child.

Yes, I am waiting for "V".

Invictus Moviegoing Experience‏

There were only three other people in the theater for a 10:20 am showing.

MY THEATER!

MWAH HA HA HA HA HA

PREVIEWS

Crazy Heart

Death At A Funeral

Up In The Air

Green Zone

Book of Eli

Edge of Darkness