book review time

hello there

well, a bit of a cheat this, really. usually i would only do a book review thing when i had read three on the bus. this one comes to you after reading only two. however, three books shall feature at least. bear with me, look you see, please don't stop bearing with me.

a look at what i have read, then? sure, why not. although one is just the cover of my ebook thingie, as that's where the third book was read.

as usual, there is most likely one or two spoilers ahead, so you have been warned. also, links are not endorsed by me as such, just making it easier for you to order if for some reason you are inspired to do so.

that said, i would be pretty interested to learn of someone being inspired to read the first one.

ahem. i would be pretty sure that you, the discerning reader, could work out all you need to know of this book from the title. The Loch Ness Legacy is exactly what you think it might be about.

this is that Tyler Locke (sp) fellow again. he featured in one really bad book that i read, Noah's Ark Quest, and one that was surprisingly good in the form of Roswell Conspiracy or something like that. this one is far closer to Noah than it is to aliens.

plot? really? OK. some sort of white supremacists have discovered an old Nazi chemical weapon. the only antidote for it is made from.....tissue or cells off of the Loch Ness Monster. as the weapon has been released, Tyler Locke and his gang have about a week to find the Loch Ness Monster, obtain a tissue sample and refine it into some sort of medicine. does that sound at all ridiculous? well, it is, really. and that's without me even mentioning the presence of Charles Darwin in the plot. Charles Darwin or his chum, an emancipated slave that took to life in 19th Century Scotland with some enthusiasm, becoming a taxidermist or something.

it was reasonably interesting and enjoyable enough reading. i think, however, i have just read far, far too many of these "if you liked Da Vinci Code" type of books, in truth. if you cannot get enough of these thrillers, ones in which a centuries old mystery has to be, and invariably is, solved in a handful of days, then this is average in that regard, at the least.

a somewhat different style of novel for me to read was Don't Tell, it being the first novel by Karen Rose.  for those of you who don't know, i decided to have a go at reading one of her books after her appearance at the celebrated Old Grumpy's Gallery in New Zealand.

plot? a woman escapes with her young son from a highly abusive husband. she is presumed kidnapped or dead. events happen, however, that lead the husband to believe that the two are still alive, and off he goes to pursue them. violently. this is all as the woman in question is falling in love for, arguably, the first time.

this would not be the sort of thing i would normally read. however, i felt obliged to read it all. i do not regret reading it, but also i am not going to pretend that this was, like, you know, the greatest book what i have ever read. i found the mix of passages that would not look out of place in a Mills & Boon book with ones that would certainly fit very well into American Psycho somewhat disturbing. i found myself wanting the bad person dead and the good people to be happy, so yeah, i suppose i did get somewhat involved with the characters, then.

would i read another Karen Rose book? most certainly. i have a mountain of novels to get through first before i obtain any more, however, but i will get one or two at some stage. actually, might get them, give them to Aunty Susan to read and then get her comments on which ones i should have a go at.

on to the e-reader, then, and on to I Am Pilgrim. this is, in short, quite frankly one of the best books that i have ever read, and you should really stop reading this and go and buy it if you have not done so already.

when i started reading it, i am ashamed to say, i had no idea at all that the author was the dude who helped write and create Mad Max 2 many years ago. makes sense that i liked it, then. loved it, actually.

plot? the history and story of one of them "deep under cover" agent, CIA type dudes. that's all i am prepared to say. there is a substantial amount more it it, as you would expect with a novel that clocks in somewhere north of 700 pages.

this novel is sheer genius. it's engaging, gripping, involving and just about everything positive in the world that you can think of. and this is this dude's first novel? wow, it's like Tom Wolfe with Bonfire Of The Vanities, then - writing in other forms for years / decades has somehow taught him how to craft and create the perfect novel.

if you haven't read I Am Pilgrim and you are still reading this, look, basically, stop and go and get it, look you see. it's an amazing novel.

the backs of the novels i read on the bus? sure, if you insist.

tradition would dictate that i give you a sneak preview of what i am reading next. however, i cannot do that at this stage as i have not picked out the next one to read.

here's a look at the ones i have to choose from.

which one do i fancy? i have no idea at all i am afraid. if anyone wants to comment on something i should give a try, feel free. otherwise, well, you and i will find out as and when i have read enough books to warrant some more reviews!

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!