Category: books

Foundation – Apple TV+

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

As a teen, I wasn’t a big fan of Foundation — the book series — though I loved everything else written by Asimov.

Too sprawling.

It must have been intimidating to try to produce a coherent TV show.

Foundation chronicles “…the thousand year saga of The Foundation, a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it.” …

Goyer pitched the series in one sentence: “It’s a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens.” …

Casting is excellent. Lee Pace is particularly good as Brother Day.

It’s beautiful to look at. Skillfully done. Critics love the show but it’s only 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I’ll probably continue to season 2. But it’s not must-watch for me.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings

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The excellent TV series Killing Eve was based on this book series. The TV show is better — though the book is well written. Well researched.

It would appear — at the start — to be yet another Russian female super assassin. Villanelle is not much different than the last 6 Russian sexy super killers I’ve encountered. Another La Femme Nikita.

The slightly new twist is exploring Villanelle’s weird personal connection of sex and death.

In any case, I’ll be reading the next 2 books in the series.

Daylight by David Baldacci

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Daylight is the 3rd book in the Atlee Pine series.

The writing is not great — but the plot kept me going.

I do like Pine, a badass FBI agent.

VERY motivated to find out what happened to her kidnapped twin sister.

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

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The Flight Attendant is a novel by Chris Bohjalian, published on March 13, 2018.

It was quickly adapted for TV. AND a second season has already been lit. It’s had great reviews. Especially for Kaley Cuoco playing the hot mess alcoholic party … girl?

The TV show is better than the book. Quite entertaining. Of course the plot is silly silly.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

The plot premise hooked me right away. Woman has a drunken one night stand — wakes up next morning to find the guy dead. His throat slashed.

BUT the rest of the book is average at best.

Later by Stephen King

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Jamie Conklin can see dead people.

He lives with his single mother, Tia, in New York City.

In Later, the dead must answer Jamie’s questions honestly. This leads to some surprising incidents.

For example, a criminal known as “Thumper” committed suicide after planting one final bomb somewhere in the city.  Jamie gets the dead Thumper to reveal the hidden bomb’s location.

It’s a good short novel.

Nothing Ventured by Jeffery Archer

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Jeffery Archer is a terrific story teller.

His most recent series features Detective William Warwick. In book 1 he’s a stumbling, bumbling rookie. But with potential.

I enjoyed it.

William somehow becomes intrinsically involved in two separate — simultaneous — court cases. It’s an interesting plot.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

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Published August 2021, this book is set about 6 months before the pandemic.

It got great reviews and I do recommend it for everyone.

Stephen King is one of the most popular authors all time. Net worth is $500 million plus.

Though nobody ever called his books literature, he is one of the best story tellers. And Billy Summers is a great story.

Billy Summers is a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out.

But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done.

So what could possibly go wrong?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I like King’s political activism. He hates Trump and most things GOP. Feels rich guys (like himself) should pay more tax.

Better Off Dead by Andrew Child

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This is book #26 in the Jack Reacher series. Quite good, in my opinion. Better than the previous Andrew Child book.

As always, Reacher stumbles into an incredible scenario … by accident.

He bumps into Michaela Fenton, an army veteran turned FBI agent, trying to find her twin brother, who might be mixed up with some dangerous people.

Fenton is a badass herself, a good compliment for Reacher.

This book kept me going from start to finish.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 

On By Rick McIn books, human rightsLeave a comment

Good book. I’m not sure I’d call it Young Adult, however. though it’s often listed amongst the top YA novels of all time.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza is the main protagonist.

He’s a typically angry, bored and confused teen. A loner.

Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the story starts when Ari meets another Mexican-American teen, Dante Quintana.

Dante is an admirable person in every way. It’s his influence and their friendship which finally helps Ari grow up.

A happy ending.

Several themes feature prominently. These include Mexican-American identity, gender and sexuality, particular masculine gender roles and homosexuality, intellectualism and artistic expression, as well as family relationships and friendship.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

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I was happy to get my hands on the sequel to Thursday Murder Club.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim—the Thursday Murder Club—are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper’s Chase, their posh retirement village. …

The writing is witty. The old folks endearing, especially Ibrahim.

It’s a lark. Don’t take the plot — or the murders — too seriously.

And soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg. It will be more like Best Exotic Marigold Hotel than a murder mystery.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.