A Month of Doomsdays by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The third entry in the Brannigan series has me believing this is the weakest series currently being written out of the Johnstone Clan. This one does have a good plot of standard western characters. It comes across more as one where a family is shoved into it and unbalanced to whole. Much as the last two books did.

The characters are all bumbling about and no one seems to have a keen view of what they are doing. Having a 15 year old as the focus helps a bit, as 15 year olds tend to bumble about anyway.

The writing devise of having no one listening to the kid is too obvious. All to, seemingly, prolong, or pad, the story. Thing is, when realization dawns to characters it is too quickly embraced, resolved and done. Furthering me to believe this was needless padding of the book.

There are also far two many melodramatic, emotional elements dropped in that are out of place and don’t fit the rhythm of the tale. As with the last entry, was there more than one writer assembling this? Is the end the result of editor meddling.

As with the other two….

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

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Knock, Knock: In Pursuit of a Grand Unified Theory of Humour by William Hartston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This volume begins very well with a loose overview of those who have included humor in whatever they did creatively.
The book starts out very well as humor history is chronicled from the start of man through the Greeks and through the 1800s. Unbelievably, that is a smaller part of the book. The rest is the author’s view of humor, where a lot is left out, considering all we know.

The advent of technology involving books, newspapers, radio, tv and film are acknowledged. However, what all produced involving humor is barely written of. It’s as if the writer was running out of time and rushed writing to the end.

Delving into Twain, Mencken, George Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, etc. are hard to imagine not putting spotlights on involving humor. Steve Allen, who wrote volumes on humor, gets a mere mention.

I was really surprised at how cartooning is missing. Cartooning is entirely based in humor. From gag cartoons to comic strips to comic books, humor was the fire that started the various forms of communications.

Frankly, I think the author should have ended this book and worked to create a second and/or third volume.

This writer does have his feet in the U.K., so missing American hunor creators can be somewhat set aside. Though that raises questions of focus on folks like Arthur Askey, George Formby, Ken Dodd, etc. Moreover, tehre are so many internationally that are never mentioned.

Something only touched on, as the writer turns a bit political, is the advent of “Political Correctness” and the death of humor. That deserved a chapter in itself.

As with most writers today, this one also litters the book with ‘evolution’. This author includes the word dozens of times incorrectly. Again, I wish these writers would learn even the simplest theories involving evolutionary theory. All the writer, who misuse the word, do is red flag their ignorance of evolution and that questions whatever else is written.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
I need to note that access to this book came via NetGalley.

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Bad Hombres by William W. Johnstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book launched with top notch writing and intriguing scenes. The two main characters are pure-Johnstone brand. Well rounded and strong enough to have readers follow them in their treks.

This time the evil they are sent so solve builds up to a near-save-the-world level. It gets ridiculous, but fun. The duo interaction really adds to this series.

One line that really caught me and defined the bad guy, “…then placed it carefully on the table with a move so precise there wasn’t even a tiny click of glass toughing wood.” Outstanding line.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.
Access to review this book was made via NetGalley.com

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Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fantastic! The history is well written, researched, explained with gold nuggets spread throughout inserted brilliantly.

First, if you’ll note my reviews, I do not get a NetGalley offer and praise it up and down hoping for print recognition. I’ve skewed most because most newly written books have proven to me to be demonstrably worthless.

I find the usual issue are political views being lodged into the narrative and then flogging the reader with the views over and over again. I get it if the book is prefaced upon political ideas. Even found one writer expounding political gunk throughout a horrid history of Looney Tunes cartoons!

Writer Thomson writes history as history should be written, as it happened with supporting documentation. Thomson also does what is rare to find in most histories ever written, dates and years of happenings. This so much aids the reader as to context and connecting ongoing events. This last is the spine that all else emanates as the narrative pours out extensive details and stories of the travels of the pirating privateers and those they encounter. Additional background is sprinkled that adds to the shine of the history with, no doubt, exclamations of, “Oh! I didn’t know that!” I love the way he connects various everyday items of today to the goings-on in the late 1600s.

The writing is also crisp and vibrant. There’s more than the occasional writer who makes history as a fictional novel. This is far better than that. The writing excels between what could be dry history and fictional dialogue to support the narrative. Thomson skillfully maneuvers the documented historical perspectives into a solid presentation that compels reading more and more. In this case it’s the wonder of who survives and how.

Well worth reading and likely to lead in those that don’t even like history or pirates. For those of us who has history as part of our profession, this is a must-read.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. Ten out of ten points.

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The Case of the Reluctant Model by Erle Stanley Gardner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Klunky plot with a far to mechanical approach. At this point, later in the series, Gardner was pumping out 1 or 2 Mason books nearly every year for 30 years, not including his other A.A. Fair books. This is another where, it appears, the book writing started with the ending and worked back to the beginning. Sadly, this chalks another convoluted plot that needed better structure at the the start to have the great twists and turns end with a great novel.

Still, the book is a bunch of fun. I do wish Gardner had been descriptive of reoccurring characters, instead of assuming the characters so established…via book or film.. to just drop in a name and continue the story. Settings, as usually, are also severely lacking.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 5 out of 10 points.

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Between Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges by James Curtis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well written book of Preston Sturges and his life and films. The balance is not only good, but excellent in view of recent efforts that I try to dip into and find politics and a sick spotlight on sexual whatever. This is realistic and keeps the home life mostly home and unravels the mess Sturges stirred while stumbling into the film world.

Truly is remarkable Sturges got anything done known today due to Sturges inability of self control. That is well documented here to the point that, as Sturges comes up with another project, I cringed to learn what was to come next. In a sense, the book is a nail biter.

I really like the layout of the book. Gold stars for noting dates throughout, something 99% of recent books can’t get right.
I would’ve liked to read more of the aftermath of Sturges after his death.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 10 out of ten points.

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The Writer’s Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five by Tom Roston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The entire packaging of this book is misleading and can be very confusing as the deeper in the book one goes, the more finds a journal of post-traumatic stress disorder, aka ‘PTSD’, and a general analysis of the theory. THAT should be a part of the cover, back cover, advertising, etc., etc.

Vonnegut’s life is examined, but nearly in the backseat as the author drones on and on and on about ‘PTSD’. That would be fine, IF that is why I was intrigued to read the book. I am familiar with the psychological theory and, though interesting, not something I wanted to read about.

I have extensively studied Vonnegut. Even had a college course all about Vonnegut. I’m pretty knowledgeable of Vonnegut and wanted to read another view. That is missing as the author desperately tries to tie Vonnegut to ‘PTSD’. Considering all I’ve studied, I disagree that ‘PTSD’ is a worthy set of letters for Vonnegut. I didn’t find the author altering my view.

The author was too hung up with the theory and works through the book to make that plug into Vonnegut and have a light come on. The energy wasn’t there, I found.

There are some worthy pieces in the first half of the book, but the rest is for those interested in the ‘PTSD’ subject.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

Note: i got to read an advanced copy via NetGalley.com.

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The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What a messy story. A slew of mysteries declared, large amount of deaths and significant destruction all while the “hero” Qwill seems lost as he meanders from one oral history interview after another. The diamond key in the story is glossed over, though in the title and pops up and ignored throughout the book until the last couple of pages. Should be obvious for those who know.

Seems Braun bit off more than she could chew and got lost along the way. I can see her base foundation of the story, after reading the book. I believe she started with that and went backward to create the story. While doing that, she dumps characters, new and old, into the plot and destroys structures only to back her base. Then doesn’t back any of that up with realistic reaction as her focus is the base, not a consistent story. Main characters has losses in this book and never seems to care.

Except he is always obsessed with the cats. I believe I’m a bit obsessive about cats, but his losses here are Huge and personal and he just doesn’t care. That’s ridiculous.

I love the intent of her base foundation of the story, but she badly botches the execution.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

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The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another of the clunky Braun tales. Drawn out prose wrapped up too quickly and too neatly and too unbelievable. Odd reading these as I run the ‘Midsomer Murder’ series that has the same formula. The HUGE plus of these books are the cats that Braun knows how to write better than any other I’ve read.

The characters are still a bit much with settings loosely written. A plot that should be tighter. The writing done very well.

Still a good story and fun little asides. Also, I’m now writing for a publication and this motivates me more to get the typing done. Something the main character has trouble doing in this volume.
I’ll continue to the next.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.

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The Case of the Perjured Parrot by Erle Stanley Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The ‘Perjured Parrot’ is a more complex Mason tale than others I’ve read. These earlier books are better written and thought out. This book has a lot going on and kept me guessing. Though, one part, left to the very end, was very obvious to me. The parrot inclusion is a ridiculous addition and the entire book would’ve been better without it.

The dialogue is worth the reading as Gardner appears to be having a lot of fun writing it. The light touch helps move the story along.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.

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Jewels of Gwahlur by Robert E. Howard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seems to me this was one of Howard’s easier books to write. He just rolled a Maguffin out towards the horizon and came up with a story of Conan chasing it. Sure starts easy involving climbing and meandering about looking for something or other. Then the girl gets dropped in and Conan is distracted from his mission. There’s a bit of folderol of Conan acting like Perry Mason and it all ends as most Conan stories do.

I’m filing through these tales and still struck by Howard’s inventiveness of another world with beings, sounding much like humans, in other-wordly structures. Would love to have seen what Howard might’ve produced if he’d lived another 30 years.

Still puzzled by the faddish mis-understanding of Howard’s work as others write of “racism” and the like. Howard writes of somewhere, some-when else. Current faddish American name-calling being bandied about can not apply. Seems folks aren’t reading Conan as Howard intended.

As usual Howard just doesn’t know how to write of structures. At one point he writes of Conan being in a “bowl-like” area, but never explains that further or have Conan involved with scaling inclines, or the reverse, involving a bowl-like shape.

I rank this of one of the lesser tales I’ve read so-far.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 5 out of 5 points.

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