I can't believe time has gone so quickly. I have been playing Everquest II for some time and learning ASP.NET 2.0 to upgrade my websites. Where To Start Today http://www.wheretostarttoday.com is getting a mjaor overhaul (and may not survive its taking so long!!) but it is coming together slowly. I have been developing active content from a database so no more passive pages. Not sure things will work out right but try try again!
Anyhow must get back to it! More soon once I have move all the content over to the data base.
Keep reading everyone - we need books to survive!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Crime Fiction
Thrillers
Spy Stories
Crime
Criminals
Detective stories - identity is in doubt till end.
Detective Stories - reader knows identity but not detective
Police Work
Murder
Psychological Thrillers
Suspense stories
POlitical Thrillers
Private Eye stories in first person by the investigator
Adventure stories
Mystery stories
Financial Thriller
Topics
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Accidents Aircraft
Accidents Automobiles
Accidents, Industrial
Accidents, Road
Spy Stories
Crime
Criminals
Detective stories - identity is in doubt till end.
Detective Stories - reader knows identity but not detective
Police Work
Murder
Psychological Thrillers
Suspense stories
POlitical Thrillers
Private Eye stories in first person by the investigator
Adventure stories
Mystery stories
Financial Thriller
Topics
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Accidents Aircraft
Accidents Automobiles
Accidents, Industrial
Accidents, Road
Friday, October 15, 2004
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Review of 'Their Wildest Dreams' by Peter Abrahams
Their Wildest Dreams
by
Peter Abrahams
Rating 8 out of 10
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Abrahams has got something - talent for invention and plotting!
This was a really enjoyable one day read. A novel with some of the twists of an Alistair MacLean and then some. This is a saga of larceny, marital chaos, adolescent lust and misguided passion, helplessly lost characters in the morass of the USA - Mexican border culture, black humor, the 'Old West' and of course good old sex and money.
It is a tale of 6 characters whose lives come together in a disjointed blend of violence and intrigue around the traditional 'easy' bank caper. Oh yes, and just as traditionally things do not quite go as planned - but just how is where the enjoyment lies. That said though, this is not a predictable book and the author deserves praise and recognition for that. Just as you think you know exactly what will happen it doesn't. There are lots of twists and turns that sting just when you relax.
This is not great prose though I did love the characterizations and yes it is the worst of American culture on display but it demonstrates a thoughtful author working to entertain his readers. It is entertainment - pure and unadulterated. My mind pictured another big bloody Technicolor Tarantino movie as 'Kill Bill' flashed past my eyes.
I laughed at what I thought were colorful, enjoyable images:
"He took the bottles, opened them with his teeth, both at once, handed one to Loeb. Loeb suspected they'd reached the high-water mark of their friendship, might never again be this close." (p206, ISBN 0141011300)
Abrahams runs an interesting subplot (or maybe it is the real plot) of an author struggling to get back into his creative realm and real enjoyment comes along as this budding sleuth accompanies the reader bumping his way through the plot. Along the way some well placed reflections of the state of publishers and literature find voice. Initially, I found this additional character annoying; but everything comes together and harmony ensues.
A tale that satisfies and will lead you to read more. A good airport and wet day yarn.
© David K. Evans (2004)
 |  |
by
Peter Abrahams
Rating 8 out of 10
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Abrahams has got something - talent for invention and plotting!
This was a really enjoyable one day read. A novel with some of the twists of an Alistair MacLean and then some. This is a saga of larceny, marital chaos, adolescent lust and misguided passion, helplessly lost characters in the morass of the USA - Mexican border culture, black humor, the 'Old West' and of course good old sex and money.
It is a tale of 6 characters whose lives come together in a disjointed blend of violence and intrigue around the traditional 'easy' bank caper. Oh yes, and just as traditionally things do not quite go as planned - but just how is where the enjoyment lies. That said though, this is not a predictable book and the author deserves praise and recognition for that. Just as you think you know exactly what will happen it doesn't. There are lots of twists and turns that sting just when you relax.
This is not great prose though I did love the characterizations and yes it is the worst of American culture on display but it demonstrates a thoughtful author working to entertain his readers. It is entertainment - pure and unadulterated. My mind pictured another big bloody Technicolor Tarantino movie as 'Kill Bill' flashed past my eyes.
I laughed at what I thought were colorful, enjoyable images:
"He took the bottles, opened them with his teeth, both at once, handed one to Loeb. Loeb suspected they'd reached the high-water mark of their friendship, might never again be this close." (p206, ISBN 0141011300)
Abrahams runs an interesting subplot (or maybe it is the real plot) of an author struggling to get back into his creative realm and real enjoyment comes along as this budding sleuth accompanies the reader bumping his way through the plot. Along the way some well placed reflections of the state of publishers and literature find voice. Initially, I found this additional character annoying; but everything comes together and harmony ensues.
A tale that satisfies and will lead you to read more. A good airport and wet day yarn.
© David K. Evans (2004)
Review of 'The World Jones Made.'
Today I wrote a brief review on the Philip K. Dick novel - The World Jones Made.
The World Jones Made
by
Philip K. Dick
7 out of 10
Writing reviews on Philip Dick's works is unsettling and leaves one open for all sorts of criticism. He was a great writer of science fiction and futuristic thought. He considered notions and concepts that most authors would kill to be able to have as original thought let alone be able to put them into the public thought pool as worthwhile and interesting fiction
'The World Jones Made' is a story based around a simple and fascinating premise. A human is born who can live a year ahead of the rest of us mere mortals. In other words, what we experience today he already knows. There is catch, of course. A year is not necessarily all that predictive of outcomes that take many years to develop. You can get it wrong though with interesting consequences, as our character discovers.
The central character is Floyd Jones. We are taken along his life's journey and the impact his future sense has on society and the future. Dick weaves this journey into a future society with notions of an Orwellian 'big brother' gone politically correct or as Dick calls it 'Relativism'.
This is not a book for space opera fans but one for the long suffering traditionalist who wants to ponder some concepts that will leave him wondering 'why didn't I think of that?'
Somehow Dick gets to include in the story - themes of space travel, alien cultures, genetic modification and a raft of other traditional sci-fi concepts. There is no doubt that Dick is a true speculative genius and many a reader will sit quietly contemplating his words and ideas long after the book is finished. Dick just does that to people!
© David K. Evans (2004)
 |  |
The World Jones Made
by
Philip K. Dick
7 out of 10
Writing reviews on Philip Dick's works is unsettling and leaves one open for all sorts of criticism. He was a great writer of science fiction and futuristic thought. He considered notions and concepts that most authors would kill to be able to have as original thought let alone be able to put them into the public thought pool as worthwhile and interesting fiction
'The World Jones Made' is a story based around a simple and fascinating premise. A human is born who can live a year ahead of the rest of us mere mortals. In other words, what we experience today he already knows. There is catch, of course. A year is not necessarily all that predictive of outcomes that take many years to develop. You can get it wrong though with interesting consequences, as our character discovers.
The central character is Floyd Jones. We are taken along his life's journey and the impact his future sense has on society and the future. Dick weaves this journey into a future society with notions of an Orwellian 'big brother' gone politically correct or as Dick calls it 'Relativism'.
This is not a book for space opera fans but one for the long suffering traditionalist who wants to ponder some concepts that will leave him wondering 'why didn't I think of that?'
Somehow Dick gets to include in the story - themes of space travel, alien cultures, genetic modification and a raft of other traditional sci-fi concepts. There is no doubt that Dick is a true speculative genius and many a reader will sit quietly contemplating his words and ideas long after the book is finished. Dick just does that to people!
© David K. Evans (2004)
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Literature - Soul Food for the Mind.
Today I am starting to write about books. This is my passion and unfortunately it has taken me 50 years to come to understand that literature is one of the most important loves of my life. There is something about a book - its cover image, its size and shape, the hidden messages inside and the years of effort by the writer to get to this point in time. A book is a representation of an individual's mental processes. The authors fantasies, how they see the world, their social history, national culture and much more are all there for the absorbing.
Once written the book then takes on a life of its own. It may be collected, exchanged, reread, passed down the generations, lost, found, broken, trashed - an infinite range of futures.
Cultures grow up around the stories or the characters. They are used as educational icons, passion and eroticism may be inspired, movies may follow, sequels, new authors may take on the characters and settings. Collections are examined in minute detail, signatures valued and fortunes lost or found.
This blog as well as my web site Where To Start Today are where we will talk about what we are reading, publishing and any aspects of the world of books that strike our fancy.
Please feel free to tell me what you think of the books you are reading or affecting you in some way. Hopefully we can have a journey that will be an enriching part of whatever future we have left on this blue planet.
Once written the book then takes on a life of its own. It may be collected, exchanged, reread, passed down the generations, lost, found, broken, trashed - an infinite range of futures.
Cultures grow up around the stories or the characters. They are used as educational icons, passion and eroticism may be inspired, movies may follow, sequels, new authors may take on the characters and settings. Collections are examined in minute detail, signatures valued and fortunes lost or found.
This blog as well as my web site Where To Start Today are where we will talk about what we are reading, publishing and any aspects of the world of books that strike our fancy.
Please feel free to tell me what you think of the books you are reading or affecting you in some way. Hopefully we can have a journey that will be an enriching part of whatever future we have left on this blue planet.
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