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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 10 June 2014 at 7:10pm | IP Logged | 1
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Working two books simultaneously (or trying to), the just released volume 2 of William Patterson's Robert Heinlein biography, and Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on Teddy Roosevelt & Taft.
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 10 June 2014 at 7:15pm | IP Logged | 2
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James Best, I've read a lot of Block's various series, including the Burglar books, though I don't remember if I've read that particular volume--they all sort of run together. Btw, ever see the film version of the Burglar, with Whoopie Goldberg as a female "Bernie"? An adaptation so awful as to render your least favorite superhero movie faithful by comparison . . . I think there was a Six Million Ways to Die movie almost as bad.
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Mike Purdy
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1448
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| Posted: 11 June 2014 at 8:41am | IP Logged | 3
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Joe Hill's "Heart-Shaped Box"
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Michael Arndt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 April 2004
Posts: 8556
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| Posted: 11 June 2014 at 6:23pm | IP Logged | 4
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SAN FRANCISCO IS BURNING: THE STORY OF THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE AND FIRES by Dennis Smith
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 11 June 2014 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | 5
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TEAM OF RIVALS, by Doris Kearns GoodwinFor the fourth time, if we count once listening to the audiobook.
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James Best
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 878
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| Posted: 11 June 2014 at 7:57pm | IP Logged | 6
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James Best, I've read a lot of Block's various series, including the Burglar books, though I don't remember if I've read that particular volume--they all sort of run together. Btw, ever see the film version of the Burglar, with Whoopie Goldberg as a female "Bernie"? An adaptation so awful as to render your least favorite superhero movie faithful by comparison . . . I think there was a Six Million Ways to Die movie almost as bad.
**********
Robert:
The SPOONS book is the latest one in the Burglar series. I think it came out late in 2013 but didn't get a lot of fanfare. I had to search for it online and special order it because my local retail book stores didn't have it on the shelves. Still, it was a fun read and very much in the spirit of Block's earlier Bernie Rhodenbarr novels. Definitely worth picking up if you can find a copy.
I remember seeing the TV promo for the film version of the first Burglar movie with Whoopi Goldberg but I skipped it at the theaters (apparently a lot of other people did too). I hadn't started reading Block's novels at that time so I didn't recognize the source material. And Whoopi didn't have enough box office appeal for me to spend my hard earned money on the price of a ticket and some popcorn. Even Block (on his website) didn't have anything good to say about that movie.
As for EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE, I read on Block's website some years ago that the studios shifted the setting from NYC to LA when they brought it to the screen. Again, I had not gotten that far into reading Block's Scudder novels at the time to want to go and search for this film on VHS, but the fact that I have never seen it on the shelves at any new or used video stores tells me all I need to know about how poorly the studios treated the source material. Which is a crying shame since the novel is terrific.
The only good news on the horizon is that Block is reporting on his website that Liam Neeson has signed on to play Matt Scudder in the movie version of A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES. So maybe there is hope that they can (finally) get it right.
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James Best
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 878
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| Posted: 11 June 2014 at 8:30pm | IP Logged | 7
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Finished IRON LAKE by William Kent Krueger last week and just wrapped up DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY by Craig Johnson earlier today.
Next up is DEADSTICK by Terence Faherty, the first in his Owen Keane mystery series.
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 12 June 2014 at 3:34pm | IP Logged | 8
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James, I think Miami Vice was big when they adapted 8 Million Ways, and the producers were trying to impose a kind of R-rate Miami Vice feel, and failing miserably. It seemed like most of the movie consisted of different gang members yelling "F You!" at each other. Not quite the wit and flair of Block's writing/dialog. Don't view it unless you're in a very masochistic mood.
Good news on A Walk Among the Tombstones, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed and look for the movie. If Spoons is that recent, I definitely haven't read it, so it's another one to add to my list. The Matthew Scudder series is my favorite, but all the other Block series have something to recommend them as well.
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Mark Tillson
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Joined: 17 February 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 332
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| Posted: 12 June 2014 at 5:00pm | IP Logged | 9
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Finishing: The Dresden Files: Cold Days and trying to think of what to move onto next.
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Andrew Hess
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 9842
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| Posted: 12 June 2014 at 10:27pm | IP Logged | 10
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Just finished reading "After I'm Gone" by Laura Lippman, and listening "Fer-de-Lance" (the first Nero Wolf) by Rex Stout.
Ugh. Just could not get in to either one of them; could not wait for them to end, and could hardly get the motivation to continue. Bad signs.
Both of them were just fine for what they were, both mysteries and whodunits, but nothing compelling. Found the Lippman book interesting because of the casual Judaism in the book (does everyone know what a "get" is?), often not explained and not obvious from context.
Maybe I've been in a bad mood.
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Michael Arndt
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 April 2004
Posts: 8556
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| Posted: 13 June 2014 at 2:44pm | IP Logged | 11
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Also, have THE SIMON & KIRBY LIBRARY: HORROR to start reading this weekend. It looks wonderful and have never read any of the stories within.
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Robert Cosgrove
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 1710
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| Posted: 13 June 2014 at 3:56pm | IP Logged | 12
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Andrew, I'm not Jewish, but I believe a "get" is a rabbinical divorce decree. Does that make sense in context?
Michael, you're in for a real treat.
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