Category: books

The Late Show by Michael Connelly

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

These days I mostly read Michael Connelly.

For his 30th book (2017) he introduced a new character:

Renée Ballard

She’s a Bosch-like intense female detective working the night shift (“late show”) in Hollywood, beginning many investigations but finishing none as each morning she turns her cases over to day shift detectives.

A once up-and-coming rookie, she’s been assigned the late shift as punishment after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor.

But one night she catches two cases she doesn’t want to part with: the brutal beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the killing of a young woman in a nightclub shooting. Ballard is determined not to give up at dawn. Against orders and her own partner’s wishes, she works both cases by day while maintaining her shift by night. As the cases entwine they pull her closer to her own demons and the reason she won’t give up her job no matter what the department throws at her.

Click PLAY or listen to an excerpt on YouTube.

Lost Light by Michael Connelly (2003)

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

One theme of this excellent book are the violent excesses of the FBI post-9/11.

Lost Light is the ninth novel in Michael Connelly‘s Harry Bosch series. …

… the first novel set after Bosch retires from the LAPD at the end of the prior story.

Bosch investigates an old case concerning the murder of a production assistant on the set of a film. The case leads him back into contact with his ex-wife Eleanor Wish, who is now a professional poker player in Las Vegas, and Bosch learns at the end that he and Eleanor have a young daughter.

Past Tense by Lee Child

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

#23 in the series was published Nov. 5, 2018. Child has sold over 100 million books. His fans (like me) are thrilled when a new one is released.

There’s no such thing as a bad Jack Reacher book. This one is already 4.28 / 5.00 on GoodReads.

Though I love the odd style of writing, I wouldn’t call this one of Lee Child’s best books.

Click PLAY or watch the author explain the plot on YouTube.

The Bird and Baby, Oxford

On By Rick McIn books, food, travelLeave a comment

The Eagle and Child, nicknamed The Bird and Baby, is a pub in St Giles’ Street, Oxford, England, owned by St. John’s College, Oxford. The pub had been part of an endowment belonging to University College since the 17th century. …

When I stopped in for lunch, neither  Tolkien nor  Lewis nor any of the Inklings were there. Too bad.

I asked the barkeep for a recommendation. He suggested bangers and mash.

While I was there a library was hosting an exhibit titled Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth.

world’s largest travel bookshop

On By Rick McIn books, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Stanfords is an iconic specialist bookshop of maps and travel books in London and was established in 1853 …

Its collection of maps, globes, and maritime charts is considered the world’s largest. …

After visiting, my thinking was to stop in London en route to my next travel adventure to pick up the books and maps I will need.

They’ve been in the same location since 1901.

 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – parts 1 & 2

On By Rick McIn books, movies, travelLeave a comment

Of dozens of possible stage plays to see in London, I chose 5+ hours of Harry Potter. I was keen to see magic stagecraft. And it was pretty cool.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part stage play written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany.

It premiered on 30 July 2016.

The story begins nineteen years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and follows Harry Potter, now a Ministry of Magic employee, and his younger son Albus Severus Potter, who is about to attend Hogwarts …

One of the hashtags is #KeepTheSecrets … so I don’t want to reveal any spoilers.

I can say that my favourite character is Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry’s former nemesis Draco Malfoy.

Ron Weasley is entertaining, too.

The Palace Theatre, London is an appropriate venue. Very evocative of the Potter look and feel. Chairs are tiny, however.

The plot is dumb. I overheard people saying the action was rushed.  Personally I was happy they kept things moving quickly. I did fall asleep at one point.

Bottom line — Harry Potter fanatics will enjoy the stage play.

Regular fans like myself will enjoy a few scenes. Be impressed by the magic. But ultimately find the story too saccharine and predictable.

related review  – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, review: A magical experience tailor made for the stage

best fireworks I’ve ever seen

On By Rick McIn books, music, travelLeave a comment

Victoria Park London.

A Guy Fawkes celebration set to music inspired by the science-fiction novel Frankenstein, which was first published two centuries ago.


I only found out about it because thousands of people were trooping past my hostel. The street was closed.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That was only one of many Bonfire Night celebrations in London.

Ben Franklin by Walter Isaacson

On By Rick McIn books, ethics, government, philosophyLeave a comment

Isaacson is a bit of a genius himself.

Recently he’s written biographies. I enjoyed his biography of Leonardo da Vinci (2017). And loved his biography of Steve Jobs (2011).

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life is good too. But not as good.

Ben’s life story was simply not as controversial as either Jobs or Leonardo da Vinci. As a result I found Isaacson repetitive regarding his few faults.

Ben Franklin regarded himself as a working class man. A printer. Yet became one of the most glamorous and famous people of his time. (1706-1790)

I admire him as an American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. 

He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia‘s first fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.

Like Gandhi, his real goal was to make life better for as many as possible.

Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism  …

He’d be horrified by the GOP and their toddler President in 2018.

The Bat by Jo Nesbø

On By Rick McIn booksLeave a comment

Nesbø is a very popular author these days. The Bat (1997) his first in the Harry Hole series.

The story revolves around the Norwegian police officer Harry Hole, who is sent to Sydney, Australia to serve as an attachéfor the Australian police’s investigation into the murder of a young female Norwegian celebrity, Inger Holter. …

Harry Hole would seem to be perfect for me. But I found both Nesbø books I’ve tried well written, but too confusing. I haven’t really been invested in the plot nor do I care about Harry Hole, a jerk who should be avoided.

The Bat was written eight years before The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. So comparisons between Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson and Norweigan Jo Nesbø have been drawn. Often erroneously.

I’ll try at least one more. Then most likely quit for good.

Hard Luck Hank – Stank Delicious

On By Rick McIn books, humourLeave a comment

I love Hank. He’s so dumb. The books so smart.

The audio book narrator Liam Owen is perfect.

Book 5 mocks professional sport. In Hank’s universe by far the most popular spectator spectacle is Super Class Glocken. The rules are hilariously bizarre. Players of different weight classes must carry or throw heavy weights across the goal line … trying not to get killed by defenders.

It’s brilliant.

Like many fans I was sad when the book ended. So read it twice!

The author, Steven Campbell, has published book 6. And is working on book 7.

Sadly being one of my favourite authors doesn’t pay enough to make a living. He’s trying to fund Hard Luck Hank via Patreon.