September 2010 Blog Posts (269)

I think I got more than I bargained for here in The Clockwork Man. I usually enjoy novels that have things blow up, wise cracking detectives, international tales of intrigue, secret agents saving the world

from the next newest megalomaniac. Here I get to read about a guy made of clock

parts and he brings upon me some serious introspective questions, making me

examine things I don’t wish to think about or knew I needed to ponder. Go

figure. This is…

My introduction to Max Allan Collins was his graphic novel, Road to Perdition. I thought it was OK, but not great. This sequel, however, rocked my socks.

Let me get the blemishes out of the way, first (my nitpicking self just can't help it): Though the author obviously knows more than I about

mob/mafia history, he blundered the facts a little in the Bataan

segment...AND pushed the limits of believability maybe a wee bit…

If you are a poetry lover, you will adore this book. If you are not, I suspect you will read it with a great deal of puzzlement trying to figure out what in the world Nicholson Baker is up to. I’ve

been a fan of Baker’s writing since his early book, Vox, which I still think is one of the sexiest novels I’ve ever read. And I’ve also devoted a lot of my life to poetry—writing it,…

Title: Starry Night, Sleep Tight

Illustrator:Gail Yerrill

Hardback: 11 pages

Publisher: Tiger Tales Publishing 2008

ISBN-10: 1-58925-844-4…

“A cold-blooded, Clancy-esque political thriller; The Usurper is sure to entertain.”

As decades of meticulous scheming and planning finally come together, the KGB, an under-appreciated threat, takes the final steps towards the ultimate coup. The terrorist faction exploits idealistic volunteers to do some of the dirty work…

Being Original

By: Julian Adorney

We’ve all read them. Stories with solid characters and a fast plot and vivid descriptions, but nothing to make them unique. Stories that we finish reading with the vague

sense that we’ve read the exact same story a hundred times before.…

A Toronto, Ontario, man is recovering quietly at home, after suffering a mild heart attack. Richard Rhyno was reading a new novel called “MFN”, a comedic cultural satire written by his neighbor Jeffrey Alan Payne. Rhyno’s mood turned from hilarity to dire concern, when he experienced numbness in his face and…

I am, quite frankly, gobsmacked at the masterstroke the author has achieved with his first effort to put pen to paper. As loathe as I am to employ trite reviewer cliches like “a rollercoaster of emotion”. I can find no other words as effective at conveying the ebb and flow of this book.

I found myself, alternately, bellylaughing to the point of tears or in an almost black depression, depending on the situation of life the characters were in at the moment. MFN is an all too…

ORDER NOW!!

http://www.createspace.com/3472188

“MFN – A Cultural Satire” by Jeffrey Alan Payne.

Read a preview:…

The cover of Macleans magazine is emblazoned with the headline “Do You Trust Your Doctor?”

Sure. I’d give him a key to the house to water my plants, while…

I’m embarrassed to admit that while I was driving the other day, I actually found myself pondering whether Tony Stark gets uncomfortable in that Iron Man suit. I would become much too claustrophobic, being encased in a metal super-weapon. It sure would be a lot of fun flying around in that thing, though.…

Offensive – Yes; controversial – Definitely; could it be construed as totally misogynistic – without a doubt…

Did I laugh, did I cry, did I fall in love with the characters? I absolutely did.

What more can I say except that the author nailed it and I can’t wait for his next book!

Here in Toronto, the weather was so dismal over the weekend that I ended up watching more continuous TV than I have in months. Like me, if you’ve watched any television in the past few weeks, you have undoubtedly been bombarded with teasers promoting the new Fall shows preparing to invade our homes.…