Was flying back from NYC to Seattle yesterday. Grabbed Harlan Coben’s new book in the airport. Read on the plane and late last night. Quick read. Coben does something in this one I don’t really like though. Many thriller writers do it, but Harlan usually is more economical with this device. He starts four or five different narratives with different characters, in the beginning of book, and eventually ties them all together. Part of the fun of reading is trying to figure out how the narratives are connected before the writer tells you. Usually each narrative is individually compelling enough to stay involved in and the transitions are logical enough to not mess the flow too much.

This one had jarring transitions and seeming totally random separate narratives that had no apparent link until 3/4 of the way through the book. The problem with that is you are reading one narrative you like and are engaged in, then he throws you into another that you could care less about and all you can think about is “when am I going to get back to the story”. In the end, the final chapter of course it all ties together, but with gum and sticky tape.

I wouldn’t put this up as one of his best, but it was an enjoyable waste of 7 hours. I rate 2 of 5 stars.

I was in the airport two weeks ago (big surprise). Was looking for plane reading. Saw The Shack along side the usual mystery and thriller best sellers. Picked it up thinking it was regular old escapist fiction. It is written as such, but is actually very meaty in philosophy. Some heavy subjects are handled in a very available, accessible way. Like, “If there is a God, how can he (or she) let murder happen?” As a Catholic, much of the proposed “theology” is more “modern church” than I am used to, the basics are pretty sound. I especially like how the guy figures out the essential mystery of the Catholic church, the Trinity. How can God have three beings and all be the same and different at the same time? That is the key actually and the hardest part for most people to get. I rate 5 of 5 stars. A must read for anyone on a faith journey of any kind. I am going to send a copy to Bill Maher.

Going to the movies in central florida on a saturday night. This is middle america. Everything PG-13. Nothing independent. Didn’t really want to see Jumper, but it was the only thing starting at a reasonable time that wasn’t horror. Saw with my brother and mother. Basically hollywood escapeism for the 20 something set. Has the pudgy chick from the OC who is no longer pudgy (a HUGE improvement!). If you are bored, it is worth the entertainment value. If you want to think, don’t go see this.

I rate 3 of 5 stars.

Ok, The first one of this series was a snoozer. I don’t really like Kim Stanley Robinson’s writing style. He spends too much time having his characters doing mundane things that don’t move the story or change the plot in anyway. Too much expository. This was no different. It slogged along with little drama and ended in a whimper.

The only reason to read this is to get a very vivid picture of a scenario of what could happen if the gulf stream is stalled. How would politics change? How would the country and world react? What would be the challenges? Who would oppose it? What could be a solution to restart it? How would the weather be affected? Those parts were thrilling and engaging. Unfortunately this is only about 1/5 of the book. The rest of the characters and “plot” is a waste. The book could be way shorter!

I rate 2 of 5 stars.

Bought this at the airport. I rode Cripple Creek Road (http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7DMUS&um=1&q=road&near=Cripple+Creek,+CO&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=1&ct=more-results&cd=1) one time on my harley trying to take a short cut. The road started out paved, turned gravel then peetered out into a cow trail through the fields. When we came down the hill to Cripple Creek and stopped at the Gas Station, we said we had come down cripple creek road and the attendant’s eyes got wide and said “on those?”. He had never heard of a harley going down that road before.

So I bought the book. The road was memorable. THe book is not. It is about a month after i read it and I can’t remember anything other than I read it. Give it a pass. I rate 1 of 5 stars.

There is a small book stand by gate 21 in honolulu that sells used and second run books, cd’s and hawaii trinkets. They don’t just have the best sellers, they have what the proprietor likes. Last time I picked up a Walter Mosley novel. Given that the Alaska flight leaves from gate 21 and is a 5 1/2 hour flight, it is the perfect length for about a 300 page novel. Killer Swell is 240 pages. I started as we taxied out and finished the last page just as the wheels touched down.

Noah Braddock is a slacker surfer detective guy with a deep tie to San Diego county. His best friends are all from highschool. The plot is pretty standard stuff, and the surf part is used only as an interlude, but overall entertaining. The perfect read for a flight to or from hawaii. The twist in the end is good, but not unexpected. If you have a surf literature collection like I do, add this one.

i rate 3 of 5 stars

Again, history of oil and the politics around it drove me to pick this up at blockbuster the other day. I wanted to see it in the theaters but missed it. This is Hollywood trying to tackle the serious political issue of our times, radical islamic fundamentalism and it’s interaction with our oil addiction and our friend/enemy Saudi Arabia. I was prepared for a white washing due to the big name stars (Jennifer Garner, Will Smith) and their previous focus on action over content. Was pleasantly surprised though. While not a philosophical tome, the balance between actual dramatic hard events and action came down in favor of the actual content. There is really only one action scene near the end and it is totally in context, not gratuitous.

Not as heavy and well acted as Syriana, a stand up job for a bunch of Hollywood hacks. Worth seeing. I rate 3 of 5 stars.

I will see any movie with Keira Knightley. She is amazing in this one and for the acting not just being a tough girl. While in general I don’t like English movies that plod along in a very British proper way, this one overcame that downside with the power of the characters. I don’t want to read the book as Ian writes way too British for me and I have been bored with his prior books. This movie is also the kind of thing the Academy will love, long epic love story performances. I expect nominations and a few awards. I rate 4 of 5 stars.

So I like to understand the history of our oil addiction. I also like a good drama. And a good independent western showing the American spirit. In There Will Be Blood, I got them all. A slow brooding movie that just grinds along at it’s own slow pace, it is unusual for a Hollywood movie. No big car chases, not many guns, LOTS of character development. Worth watching. It is a dark portrait of the American west and the beginnings of oil wealth, but I think probably quite accurate. A must see. I rate 5 of 5 stars.

With the cover quote of “A ripping yarn of murder and invention” from Los Angeles Times, you would think that this one would grab you from page one. I put it down on page 88 without knowing or caring what the hell these characters were doing. All background. Nothing happened, just page after page of character and scene description. And not very good either. This is a turd.