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