Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz

July 1st, 2009

Many moons ago (i.e., when I was in high school), Koontz was one of my top three favorite authors. The top two spots were reserved for Stephen King and John Saul. Much like Saul (and King, to a degree), Koontz's latest novels are less horrific and more suspenseful (think thriller/mystery versus horror).

Unfortunately, I typically figure out the ending before I'm halfway through the book. That kind of sucks, but I am persistent and finish the book anyway (though by that time, the enjoyment that reading a good book brings me has completely vanished).

I'm a tad disappointed, as Koontz's earlier novels were rather amazing and his more recent Odd Thomas series is rather amazing. An okay read, but far from my favorite.

(3/6)

Book Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a riveting thriller that probes the deepest terrors of the human psyche—and the ineffable mystery of what truly makes us who we are. Here a brilliant young man finds himself fighting for his very existence in a battle that starts with the most frightening words of all… At thirty-four, Internet entrepreneur Ryan Perry seemed to have the world in his pocket—until the first troubling symptoms appeared out of nowhere. Within days, he’s diagnosed with incurable cardiomyopathy and finds himself on the waiting list for a heart transplant; it’s his only hope, and it’s dwindling fast. Ryan is about to lose it all…his health, his girlfriend Samantha, and his life.


One year later, Ryan has never felt better. Business is good and he hopes to renew his relationship with Samantha. Then the unmarked gifts begin to appear—a box of Valentine candy hearts, a heart pendant. Most disturbing of all, a graphic heart surgery video and the chilling message: Your heart belongs to me. In a heartbeat, the medical miracle that gave Ryan a second chance at life is about to become a curse worse than death. For Ryan is being stalked by a mysterious woman who feels entitled to everything he has. She’s the spitting image of the twenty-six-year-old donor of the heart beating steadily in Ryan’s own chest. And she’s come to take it back.

Matthew Bibliotheque, Literature , , , , , ,




Wildwood Road by Christopher Golden

July 1st, 2009

Yes, another Golden book. And, yes, another rather good read. While not the best of the horrific books he's written, Wildwood Road — just like his other novels — held my attention, and I read it rather quickly in two days (mind you, I do work and sleep, too).

Golden is now, perhaps, one of my favorite genre-specific authors. I'm excited I have more of his books on my "to read" shelf.

(4/6)

From Publishers Weekly
Anxieties over marriage, home and work amplify the eeriness of Golden's engrossing suburban horror novel. Michael and Jillian Dansky are heading home from a Halloween party when they give a young girl on the road a lift to a strange old mansion. She leaves them with the injunction to "come find me," and suddenly their lives are no longer the same. Michael, art director at an advertising firm, begins to incorporate the girl's features into his illustrations. When he tries to locate the house and its road, he can't. Then a coven of grotesque, wraithlike women attack him and Jillian, who's transformed into a brittle and bitchy harridan. Michael realizes his survival depends on retracing his steps on that fateful night and finding the elusive girl. Golden (The Boys Are Back in Town, etc.) knows how to craft suspense, but the bizarre incidents create expectations that the climax only partly satisfies, and the horror, once explained, has a preachy, politically correct edge. Still, this above-average stab at Stephen King–style horror draws the reader irresistibly into its mystery.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Matthew Bibliotheque, Literature , , , ,




Schedules and Routines

June 28th, 2009

Okay. I saw this "quiz" on the website of a friend. And took it. I think it's as accurate as an online test can be. Most are completely unreliable and lack validity (except face validity which means little), but they're still fun and amusing.

I've taken enough legit personality tests in my lifetime — I do have a degree in psychology and an almost-Master's-degree in counseling — to know that the results below are somewhat accurate.


My Personality

Neuroticism
71
Extraversion
13
Openness to Experience
40
Agreeableness
58
Conscientiousness
90
You often resist any cravings or urges that you have, but sometimes you give in, however you tend to lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. You are not prone to spells of energetic high spirits. You prefer familiar routines and for things to stay the same. You can tend to feel uncomfortable with change. You dislike confrontations and are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny your own needs in order to get along with others, however you are mostly a compassionate person, however you prefer to make objective judgments when possible. You are well-organized and like to live according to routines and schedules. Often you will keep lists and make plans.

Free Poll

Matthew Not so Mental , ,




My Latest New Toy and Long BMs

June 28th, 2009

I gave in and bought a Nintendo DS (not the DSi, mind you, as I refused to pay $50 more for a mere dumb-ass camera which I don't need) at Target. It was on sale. And I had the extra money. And I wanted (well, needed, as you shall find out) one. Not really into the huge gaming systems that plug into the television… portable is good.

My first game purchase? Brain Age (Volume 1) which, by the way, figured my brain age to be 50. Not at all good, my friends. I will be doing the daily brain exercises in hopes it gets to an age nearer my own (which, on occasion, feels like 50).

My nephew has a DS, as well, albeit an older model. Tonight, as I visited my parents for dinner, he loaned me two games. Super Mario Brothers -- which is kind of old school and more my speed — and Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. I'm addicted, already, to Mario Brothers, and it turned what should have been a ten minute bowel movement into a 45-minute one.

I have another game on order as well as a carrying case. Did I need the DS? Initially my answer would have been no. I merely wanted one. But as my brain is fifty, I feel it a worthy purchase. Ha!

Matthew Keen Things, Technology , , , , ,




Coraline by Neil Gaiman

June 28th, 2009

Another book that's been sitting on my "to read" shelf for many moons. And another that took me only a few hours to read. Gaiman has taken to writing books for children and adolescents recently, and his attempts do not disappoint. Much like the Graveyard Book, Coraline pulls you in and is reluctant to let you go until you've finished. An excellent book with slightly disturbing pictures (thanks Dave McKean). Now I can see the movie version. (I always read the book before seeing the film adaptation).

(5.5/6)

From Publishers Weekly [edited]
British novelist Gaiman and his long-time accomplice McKean spin an electrifyingly creepy tale likely to haunt young readers for many moons. After Coraline and her parents move into an old house, Coraline asks her mother about a mysterious locked door. Her mother unlocks it to reveal that it leads nowhere: "When they turned the house into flats, they simply bricked it up," her mother explains. But something about the door attracts the girl, and when she later unlocks it herself, the bricks have disappeared. Through the door, she travels a dark corridor (which smells "like something very old and very slow") into a world that eerily mimics her own, but with sinister differences. "I'm your other mother," announces a woman who looks like Coraline's mother, except "her eyes were big black buttons." Coraline eventually makes it back to her real home only to find that her parents are missing–they're trapped in the shadowy other world, of course, and it's up to their scrappy daughter to save them. Gaiman twines his taut tale with a menacing tone and crisp prose fraught with memorable imagery ("Her other mother's hand scuttled off Coraline's shoulder like a frightened spider"), yet keeps the narrative just this side of terrifying. The imagery adds layers of psychological complexity (the button eyes of the characters in the other world vs. the heroine's increasing ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not; elements of Coraline's dreams that inform her waking decisions). McKean's scratchy, angular drawings, reminiscent of Victorian etchings, add an ominous edge that helps ensure this book will be a real bedtime-buster. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Matthew Bibliotheque, Literature , , ,




City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

June 23rd, 2009

Okay. I've combined two books into one post because, well, I read the last half of City of Ashes and the complete volume  City of Glass in one sitting. (Yes, I know that's extremely nerdy).

Both volumes are part of the Mortal Instruments trilogy started with City of Bones which I read many, many months ago (I've included all three covers with this post). The last two volumes have been sitting on my "to read" shelf for quite a while.

Yes, the series was written for young adults, but I'm a fan of that genre — mostly because I read quite a bit for that age group when I taught them years ago, but also due to the fact that many books written for that age group are simply well-written and, honestly, appropriate for adults as well. I'm glad to have discovered Clare is working on a prequel trilogy; I can only hope a "sequel" trilogy will follow.

Why did I read 1.5 books in one sitting? They were good enough that they "drew me in". To the point I ignored my phone and almost forgot to eat dinner. (And almost to the point where I wanted to drive to the nearest tattoo parlor for decorative tattoos up and down my arms — doubtful that will ever happen; that can get rather pricey!)

(5/6)

Product Description
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters — never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City — whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

Matthew Bibliotheque, Literature , , , ,




City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

June 23rd, 2009



Non Sequitur #4

June 21st, 2009

While running errands the other night, I stopped at Kum and Go (a convenience store chain) for a beverage. The odd boy person thing working behind the cash register told me: "If your car were a Transformer, it would be called Mud Flap."

Those were his exact words. Mine? "Um. Okay."

Matthew Non Sequiturs ,




20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

June 20th, 2009

An excellent collection of short stories (some horrific, some fantastical, some unexplainable) from an amazing author. My only gripe? The first USA edition is merely a basic hardcover with stickers (yes, stickers) for the front cover and back cover (the picture to the left is the recently-released mass market paperback cover). And both are peeling off. Come on… what a bunch of crap — especially from a publisher like HarperCollins. I can't even put one of my OCD plastic protective covers on this edition as it doesn't have proper dust-jacket. Kee-rist.

(And, yes, I stayed up well into the morning recently to finish this book).

As an aside, Joseph (Joe) Hill is the pen name of Jospeh King, as in Stephen King. Joe Hill is his son. He's doing an amazing (and sometimes better) job of following in his father's footsteps, especially as Stephen King has retired multiple times and, eventually, will do it for real. Heh. One generation of ME will be reading multiple generations of King.

(5/6)

Product Description

Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon one afternoon in 1945. . . .

Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town. . . .

Francis is unhappy. Francis was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot-tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . .

John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .

Matthew Bibliotheque, Literature , , , ,




Tea Party Only!

June 18th, 2009

Every time I see this commercial, I giggle uncontrollably. (I know. Not very manly. Shut up.) When the little girl turns from a dainty tea-drinking princess into an almost evil "I will kill you if you touch my popcorn!" monster and exclaims "Tea party only!", I spit up whatever beverage it is I am drinking at the time.

A classic commercial. If you haven't seen it, you may just pee yourself a little.  (You may want to make sure you have some napkins handy).

Matthew Keen Things, Movies & TV , ,