Sunday, March 25, 2012

A Few Quick Reviews

     These are some short reviews of books I have read the last couple of months, but don't feel like writing a full blown reviews for. Several are worth reading, but just didn't blow me away.

1. Taken by Robert Crais (Rating 4/5). Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are partners in a private detective agency in LA. Crais has been telling their stories for years and a few years back began alternating between using one and then the other as the lead character. In this book, they are both top billed and tracking down a young couple kidnapped by smugglers of illegal aliens. This is one of Crais' best.

2. The Last Greatest Magician in the World by Jim Steinmeyer (Rating 3/5). A detailed, but sometimes slow biography of Howard Thurston, the last "Greatest Magician In the World". A contemporary of Houdini, Thurston had the biggest magic act and was considered the master magician of the time. The pressure to be the top act led to physical and financial problems for most of his life. An important book if you are interested in the history of magic.

3. Back To the Moon by Travis Taylor & Les Johnson (Rating 2/5). This science fiction novel had an interesting premise - America's return to the Moon in the 2020s. Unfortunately , the author is not much of a writer. The characters and dialogue are very dry.    

4. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (Rating 3/5). Well reviewed and best selling young adult book about two teens with cancer. The book is well written and has very good characters, but the ending was a bit weak for me.

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