The Quantum Ten: A Story of Passion, Tragedy, Ambition and Science

The Quantum Ten: A Story Of Passion, Tragedy, Ambition And Science by Sheilla Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone is familiar with the Einstein poster they saw hanging in their science class room. Lots of people have heard of such famous names as Bohr, Schroedinger, Madame Curie... but few have actually taken the time to get to know these pioneers of science as actual people. To discover the ups and downs of their personal lives and travel with them throughout their prestigious careers. This book bridges that gap and takes the reader on a truly impressive journey.

The most amazing thing about this book is the extensive number of lives it follows throughout it's many decades. The reader finds oneself constantly immersed in a whirlwind of academic failures and accomplishments, personal successes and embarrassments, professional highs and lows - every prominent name you might be familiar with from a science text book is scrutinized under this book's microscopic eye. All these life stories are intricately woven together into a delicately balanced tale that reveals to the reader how we have come to the scientific understanding we have today. It provides an inside look into what fueled these great minds and what encouraged them to continue to question our understanding of the world around us.

If you've ever wished to steal a peek behind that rigid curtain of science that insists all scientists be boring and stuffy, then you are in for a real show. The book does not "dumb down" it's topics. It appeals to the nerd and layman alike. I feel that this book could truly be used as a tool to show the average person a side of science they could relate to, while also enlightening the scientific audience to a side of their scholars they might not be familiar with.

A great read for all!!!




View all my reviews

Vermin

Vermin by Allison M. Dickson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After reading Dust, I was super excited to read some more stories by Allison M. Dickson. And so I dove into this story with high expectations. The first page was filled with excellent descriptions that painted a vivid mental image. You can tell the author loves using metaphors and is very skillful at putting them to use in her stories. But by the end, unfortunately I just didn't enjoy this one as much as I had hoped.

Basically we have the local "haunted house". This house was the scene of a horrible massacre, where a senator killed his own family. It has sat empty for quite some time and as expected, has been overtaken by vermin. Someone has decided to purchase the house and clean it up, so the local exterminators have arrived on the scene to clear out the infestation. There is Wes, an inspector who rarely works in the field anymore but wants to personally oversee this job, and there is Oscar. Oh Oscar.

I think he is one of the main reasons I couldn't enjoy the story. He seems to be so painfully inept at his job that it was hard for the story to maintain one iota of believeability. Sure, he's cleaning out a house that was the scene of gruesome murders. I'll give him that. I would be jumpy too. But he freaks out a little too easily. Not only does he panic, attempt to run away and has his foot go through the moldy floor, he then kicks a hole in the wall in the process of freeing his foot. As the new homeowner, I'd be pretty ticked off.

Things go downhill from here for our unfortunate exterminators. Turns out this house is infested beyond their wildest imaginations. Since it is a rather short story, I'm going to use spoiler tags for a moment:

So after Oscar's freak-out, he regroups outside the house and then decides to find his partner. Wes should've been in the backyard securing the windows, but Oscar only finds his tool kit and an open window. Upon further inspection, he hears wheezing noises coming from the basement - which he believes to be his partner, possibly wounded. He hurries to the basement, BUT OH NO!!! The battery in his flashlight AND cell phone are almost dead! See what I mean about Oscar? Obviously long abandoned houses aren't going to have a lot of lighting, yet he is utterly unprepared. Before his lights go out, he does see that the basement is filled with human bodies in various levels of decay, including the body of his partner. I would run at this point. Run very fast and very far and never look back. But I'll let you read the book to see what Oscar does.

I have to say, the ending almost makes up for the rest of the story's shortcomings. It makes your skin crawl. It makes you want to stock up on Raid. But overall, I feel that the story relies too much on your fear of bugs instead of being a truly good read. I am still looking forward to reading more stories by this author though!

View all my reviews

Dust

Dust by Allison M. Dickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm such a sucker for "end of the world" stories. Especially ones involving alien intervention. So naturally, I didn't even need to finish reading the description to know I wanted to read this. I got as far as "A hungry alien substance has traveled to Earth following a doomed Lunar mission", and hit the download button.

Those who know me, know that I hugely prefer print books to digital books. It's not even a competition. But I have to admit that I have stumbled across some pretty neat books that I never would have read if not for the digital version. This is one of those.

The story is told from Clyde Jackson's point of view. A lucky survivor of the mass destruction caused by some sort of alien space dust, he is cooped up in his panic room. Although he has plenty of food, water, and booze, his main concern is keeping the room free of the invasive killer dust. We never really find out what it is, although it's hinted that it could be the result of an alien contaminated Kuiper Belt object colliding with the moon ten years previously. This is one theory circulating the internet while the failed Lunar mission is on it's return flight back to Earth, shown to Clyde by a wound-up young man in a diner.

I very much enjoyed that the author shared with the readers where she got the idea for the story. She says learning of the possibility of human material remaining on the moon, combined with the movie Apollo 18, was the reason for writing this story. It really focuses on a part of space exploration that certainly deserves some thought.

I would've loved for this book to be longer. It's a great story idea that could easily be inflated into a full novel - which I would read in a heartbeat!

View all my reviews

Dutch Schultz: the brazen beer baron of New York

Dutch Schultz: The Brazen Beer Baron of New York by Nate Hendley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in a giveaway.

This isn't really a book I would normally go for, but the description piqued my curiosity. I went into this book with very limited knowledge about Prohibition, but walked away with a huge appreciation for how it affected the lives of so many - the public, the mobsters, the cops. But this is certainly not just a history lesson. It is also the personal adventures of Dutch Schultz, and his rise to be one of the top mobsters of the Prohibition era.

"January 17, 1920: Prohibition, the government's greatest gift to the criminal world"

Boy, is this ever true!! I had no idea that it enabled so much crime and corruption! And this book tosses you right into the middle of it all. You learn the operations and workings of various well-known mobsters and get to see exactly how they amassed their fame and fortunes. The power and money behind these crime lords is poignantly shown when describing the funeral of one mobster - a 100+ car funeral procession (35 cars just containing flowers!), thousands of attendants, mob bosses clamoring to send the best flower arrangement. At one point, Dutch is pulling in $35,000 A DAY. I'll let that soak in for a minute. $35,000 A DAY. There are tons of people out there right now that make that much money ANNUALLY! He employed a math whiz who enjoyed a cushy paycheck of $10,000 a week. I'd love that sort of employment opportunity.

I also learned that tax evasion is apparently the Achilles heel of mobsters. Who knew? The government may not be able to convict you of any other crimes you've committed in your crime career (due to "disappearing" witnesses or tight-lipped detainees, etc), but if you don't perform your civic duty and pay taxes - they'll GETCHA! Unless of course, you are Dutch Schultz. In that case you will just breeze through the trial and come off looking like a hero. Twice.

This was an enjoyable read. It is one of those rare books that I honestly think would hold any reader's interest, regardless of their usual choice of genre. The story is interesting and gripping. The "poor kid rises above his past to make something of himself" story is told without coming off as cheesy, and despite Dutch's apparent lack of compassion for those around him, I still found myself rooting for him throughout the book.

View all my reviews

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behaviour

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior by Leonard Mlodinow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I've always had a keen interest in books involving the mind and how the brain works. There are some very thought-provoking books out there about the inner-workings of our mind, and this book is another strong contender within that topic.

As the author explains, the Latin root of the word "subliminal" translates to "below threshold" - as in below the threshold of the conscious mind. This book focuses on how our subliminal minds is constantly having an effect on our daily actions.

The best thing about the book is how the author can take a scientific concept, with examples of studies conducted, and translate it into something the reader can relate to. Such as when he explains anthropomorphizing in regards to pets. How our mind "tricks" us into seeing human thought patterns in Fido or Mittens. I know I'm guilty of this, to the extent where there are times I marvel at my cat's apparently human response to my words or actions.

This book is also easy to read, while making you stop to think every so often. Something as innocuously whimsical as the author pointing out how easy his name is to pronounce makes you stop and wonder if this is a subliminal cue to enjoy his book further (if so, it worked!). Or when talking of soldiers enduring trench warfare in WWI - he describes their heads as having the "topography of a doughnut", which certainly makes the topic seem less gruesome at first. Until you stop and think about it.

And I learned lots! I had no idea anything such as blindsight existed - I was blown away by this phenomenon! Did you know social pain is associated with the same brain structure as physical pain and that pain killers purportedly prevent/alleviate emotional pain? Or that 150 may be the natural group size of humans in the wild (if we didn't have demands that required the cooperation of thousands of people or many nations - such as building large cities, good importing/exporting, etc)?

I found the differences in reproductive strategy between men and women to be very striking. Although it may seem really obvious to anyone who has ever left met another human being that there are vast differences in social bonds between men vs women, the simple explanation gives one the feeling of the mental light bulb turning on. And who knew that success in office politics were so deeply ingrained into our psyche??

If you couldn't already tell (my praise has not exactly been subliminal), I really enjoyed this book. Or were subliminal factors at work to make me think I enjoyed it? Even if this were so, I am at least slightly more aware of this influence. And to quote the book, "that realization doesn't bother me; it gives me a greater appreciation of my unseen partner, my unconscious, always providing the support I need as I walk and stumble my way through life."


View all my reviews

DEAD(ish)

DEAD[ish] by Naomi Kramer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fun read! I enjoyed this so much that I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

We meet Mike. He has a problem. He murdered his girlfriend and now she's haunting the crap out of him. Not just run of the mill Caspar the Friendly Ghost pranks, but mean and nasty ones. I especially enjoyed when he woke up to discover Linda has coloured his hair blue, eyebrows green and skin orange - as Mike puts it, "I look like a smurf, a munchkin, and an oompa loompa had an orgy and I was their love child." At the brink of despair, he seeks out assistance from an "exorcist" to rid himself of his vengeful ex. Unfortunately for him, his "exorcist" is actually a private investigator hired by Linda to help her find her body.

After the cops arrive to his house due to a noise complaint (Linda blaring the stereo early the in the morning), he ends up going to jail thanks to the pot plants Linda has placed in the living room. While he is in jail, the sordid tale of Linda's demise becomes apparent through discussions with Mike's neighbours - a flamboyantly gay couple who are a lot closer to Mike and Linda then we are initially led to believe.

This story is filled to the brim with foul language and suggestive scenes. The tone is very casual and the dialogue is exactly what you would expect from the characters. It all comes together in such a skillful way that you really find yourself feeling close to the characters - which can be rare in short stories.

View all my reviews

The Massive Hole Theory

The Massive Hole Theory by Michael S. West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book truly deserves a 3.5 star rating. Not quite 4 star material, but despite the story starting off with some redundant and odd statements it really did improve as I kept reading.

We meet Ryan in the process of getting fired as a real estate lawyer at a big firm. He is obviously angry and heads to his local bar. Calls up a buddy of his who went through the same thing five years ago (but has since set up his own little grassroots criminal firm) for some drinks. His friend, Alex, arrives and tries to cheer him up by offering him a job at his firm. Considering Ryan's lamentations about his future job prospects, he is surprisingly hesitant about going to work with his friend. Personally, I would think he'd jump at the chance - at least it's work!

Now, I admit that the whole bar scenario had me a little confused as to the timeline of events. It was hard to tell how much time was passing in the story - not sure if this was the author's intentions, perhaps in an attempt to pull the reader into Ryan's confusion as he gets drunker. For example, after a quick conversation involving two shots and a Jack & Coke, Ryan is suddenly belligerently drunk. He argues with Alex about his intoxication, to the point of Alex admitting his rather stalkerish habit of secretly recording the people he's drinking with - just for the sake of playing the recording back to the people the next day because "they never believe how they sound after a few".

Let me take a moment here to talk about Alex. At this point I thought he was a complete freak. His creepy habit doesn't exactly make him out to be an overly upstanding guy. And his fixation with pointing out that he's not "taping" people because there's no "tape" on his iPhone got on my nerves, I admit it. This is also the same guy who is apparently capable of being "the most serious Ryan had ever seen" in the presence of a cop (who really tracked Ryan down fast!), yet seconds later blurts out a pretty incriminating statement. But as the story progressed I honestly began to enjoy his sense of humor and he turned out to be my favourite character of the book.

Now, back to the bar scene and the muddled time sequencing. Enough time passes that several other lawyers from his firm show up, also fired. And a higher-up lawyer shows up with a posse of gawkers, who heard about the congregation of fired folk. Ryan supposedly drinks like a fish the whole time and is fine holding a conversation, then BAM he's belligerent again.

Anyways, fast forward to the next morning when he awakens at 10:18am with a massive hangover. He is rushes to meet Alex about the job offer, even though Alex told him not to rush in "first thing in the morning". Minutes after getting to Alex's office, a detective shows up to question Ryan about the murder of Karl - the guy who fired him the day before! And Ryan's the prime suspect! Oh no!!

I won't say too much more, for the sake of not spoiling the rest of the story for anyone. But their "investigation" is pure hilarity. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "no way anyone would try this stuff. Are you freakin' kidding me??". But it was a fun read nonetheless and I found myself flipping the pages quicker and quicker as I continued to read. If you want a fluffy and quirky quick read, give it a go. If nothing else, finding out exactly what the "Massive Hole Theory" is will give you a good chuckle.

A side note: I find it extremely weird that the law firm didn't shut down at all when the body was found. I would've thought they'd shut off the whole floor, possibly the entire building. Or maybe I just watch too much CSI.



View all my reviews

A Land of Ash

A Land of Ash by David Dalglish
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

HOLY CRAP! This book had me nervously looking out my window at an incoming storm cloud. What makes it so scary is how easy it is to relate to the characters in the book. It's so easy to put yourself in their shoes, to feel their same desperation and despair in a world now destroyed by ash.

This book delivers 11 gut-wrenching short stories about different people in different areas trying to survive after an eruption in Yellowstone. As you progress through the book, you find yourself at further time points from the initial eruption. The stories are all extremely well written and they all manage to grip the reader with the amazing characters found within.

Seriously, go read this book. Don't even bother with the rest of this review, just go read it.

If you are still planning on reading the rest of the review, here's my two cents on each story:

1. One Last Dinner Party: A 65 year old couple enjoys one last dinner party with their friends before an ash cloud envelopes them. The story ends on a very sad note, but it's heart warming at the same time. I loved when the characters all got to enjoy one last moment of beauty (you'll know what I'm talking about) - it sort of lightened the mood of the whole story. When the ash begins to fall like snow, it paints quite the mental image. And sets the stage for the ash-filled stories to follow.

2. Alone on the Mountain: Interesting story about a man who has been living in a cave on a Kentucky mountain-side for the last 15 years. The story is about the three days he spends noticing the increasingly strange animal behavior precipitating bad earthquakes. My favourite element of the story was reading about how he adapted over the years to living in the wilderness. I also had to laugh when he was being chased down by wolves and thinks to himself, "so this is how it ends". Such a calm thought to have in the face of imminent death!

3. Shelter: This touching story features a man and his 6 year old daughter, holed up in his modular home sealed tight with duct tape. They are trying to weather the ash storm until it is safe enough to go out. The descriptions of how the ash coats and crushes anything was rather haunting. The mental image was burned into my brains days after I finished reading. When Jason reflects back on how he always meant to buy a generator, but it's "too late now, everything is too late now", it serves as a smack to the reader's head: get out and do those things you've been procrastinating on! The only thing I disliked a bit was that the reader is left wondering what happens to the characters. This is certainly not a fault of the author - this is simply my strange mental issue with feeling like I didn't get adequate closure from a book.

4. Beach Puppies: This quick tale circles around Harvey, who is sitting on the beach of "their island" with all his friends. They are living their last night, watching lottery/raffle winners escape on jet planes. We learn Harvey has a secret he's been keeping from his friends, simply because they mean so much to him.

5. Toward the Storm: A story about hope and faith. Gertrude and her cat are walking west on the highway towards the storm to "follow the food" - since everyone else headed east with only what they could carry, she knows they will soon run out of food. She, on the other hand, finds plenty of food and supplies left behind in abandoned vehicles. She awakes one night to find a stranger sitting near her - Samuel. He seems like a legit guy, but we soon learn that he has no tolerance for Gertrude's faith in Jesus/God. He tries to convince her that the eruption is proof enough God doesn't exist, but Gertrude remains faithful to the end.

6. Last Words: Here we meet Harold, who is trying to reach out to his distraught 30 year old son. Gary broke up with his girlfriend several months ago because she wanted to move to California and he did not. When they last spoke to each other, he got very angry and said something terrible to her. Now he is trying to come to terms with his guilt over the last words spoken to his ex, and Harold is hoping to alleviate some of this guilt.

7. Refugees: Carly is an aide to the president, and has arrived in Boston to prepare the mayor for the wave of refugees coming. The reader really gets a sense of how desperate things are becoming, as food and shelter become a luxury. Then we meet a man and his daughter, two of the refugees arriving in Boston. A massive riot occurs and their survival depends on their escape.

8. A Harmless American: This story takes across the border into Mexico. Javier is patrolling the Rio Grande to ensure no Americans cross into Mexico, with the order to shoot anyone who manages to swim across the now freezing, ash-laden river. However, when a little girl washes ashore on a log he cannot bring himself to shoot her. He instead takes her to his tent and manages to hide her underneath the bed when his partner, Sergio arrives. Sergio loves his "job" and has a very bold stance on why no Americans should be allowed into his country. As the two men smoke and conversate on the riverbank, the reader is constantly wondering if Sergio knows about the little girl in the tent. This is my favourite story out of the entire book.

9. Secret Mission: Okay, I'll admit it. I did not really like this story at first. It opens with a 5 year old boy, Derek, being sent on a "secret mission" by his mother. The two are in a crowded "refugee camp" in a football stadium with thousands of others. He has a "secret package" in his pants that he cannot open until he finds a private place. I was a little creeped out by the part where Derek is thinking about how beautiful his mother is and how often he tells her this. It just came off... weird for a 5 year old. Anyways, the story is about his search for a private place to enjoy his secret package. The ending is very heart warming.

10. The One That Matters: Now THIS is a tear jerker! Guido has spent 20 years builing a bomb shelter in his Conneticut home, even though everyone told him he'd never need it. But now he's looking smart and has refuge from "the Event". He also has Alyssa, a little girl that wandered into his yard as he was securing his shelter in preparation for the ash storm. Even though he turned away his own neighbours, he "adopts" this little girl and the two hide out in his bomb shelter (for 112 days). The reader begins to understand Guido a bit better when the girl asks to hear more of his stories. These "stories" are actually conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination, 9/11, and the moon landing. Then one day they hear on the radio that the French have arrived with ships to help the survivors. They set off towards the harbour, but are stopped by five teenage boys gone mad who want the girl. Guido fights with his baseball bat, but succumbs to their planks and rusty nails. Guido's only concern is the safety of his "granddaughter".

11. Let it Continue: This is the perfect story to end on. It's filled with hope for the future in this destroyed new world of ash. A married couple have traveled to Maine to meet Faye, a nurse. The reader learns that the husband has brought them here to terminate the pregnancy, whereas the wife thought they were going to have Faye assist with the deliver of the baby. The story is basically two parents-to-be struggle to decide what's best for their child - can they really bring a new life into a world filled with hunger and despair? But can they live with themselves if they choose to terminate?

Whew! Well that's that. Now go get this book, what are you waiting for?!?!

View all my reviews

Slime Night!

Slime Night! by William Pauley III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This sounded like a pretty cheesy short story, but decided to give it a shot when it was available to download for free on Kindle. And am I ever glad I did!

You know you're in for a wild ride when a story opens with the words, "Crystal Bangor is a w****". This sets the tone for the entire story. Basically, two high-school boys are both lusting over the same girl - you know the one, the girl that gets around. The girl who all the other boys have already been with, leaving these two with something to prove. You might be thinking at this point, "this doesn't sound like something a self-respecting adult would read". You'd be SO wrong! It's actually really well written and the adult language, although vulgar, is totally appropriate for the story's tone. I do question how this Crystal girl gets away with wearing what she does to school.

The only other thing I question in this book? Why the author felt the need to explain the game of pinball so thoroughly. It is told to the reader that knowing the rules is necessary to understand the pinball portion of the story - however, I found this untrue. I'm pretty sure most people out there have at least a basic understanding of pinball - enough to enjoy the story without needing a lesson on the rules.

Then you have the good ol' female best friend. I really liked her. And I also really liked the chemistry between her and Sebastian. It didn't seem forced or awkward - it was really believable as being two high-school kids just hanging out. Nick though - not so sure about that kid. He seems a little unhinged. I'm still confused as to how good of a friend he is. Don't want to spoil anything (since this is a pretty short story), so I will just say that he seems to have a very crazy side to him.

When I finished this story, my first thought was about how I wished it was longer! I'm glad to see that the author has other stories available and I look forward to reading them! Oh, almost forgot - LOVE the NES/cartridge blowing reference.

View all my reviews

OPEN: A Short Horror Tale

OPEN: A Short Horror Tale by Michael Archambault
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As soon as I started this book, I found myself overwhelmed by all the short sentences and cheesy metaphors. I mean it. There was rain. A couple driving. There is a diner. The diner is a fortress. Reader rapidly wonders what is happening. Story is a rabbit jumping around.

This effect is only amplified by the constant spelling and grammatical errors present in the book. While the premise behind this story is actually pretty good, and the ending has a surprising twist, I just couldn't help but wish the story had undergone some better editing prior to publication. The writing felt awkward. It didn't help that the main character (whose point of view the story is told from) seems completely devoid of any... well, character. I'll admit that I felt a moment of empathy for the main character near the end, but the story ended a little too abruptly for my satisfaction.




View all my reviews

The Obligatory "Intro" Post

Welcome to my book review blog!!

I know what you're thinking... not ANOTHER book review blog! There's tons of 'em out there, plus a plethora of web sites featuring book reviews.  So why should you waste your precious time here? Simple. You shouldn't!

Now before you start thinking I've lost my mind, I am not trying to send readers away. I simply hope that your time is not wasted here. I personally think my reading tastes are a little eccentric and a collection of my reviews might be of interest to someone out there in the world wide web. Although I will read pretty much anything, my tastes definitely lean towards the weird, wonderful and unexpected. And I want to share my books with you.

Books have always been a big part of my life, even as a child. I was always getting in trouble for staying up too late reading and the local library was easily my most visited location. As I entered my teen years, my reading slowed a little - but I'm back in full swing! I've amassed quite the collection of books in my time, yet can never resist the chance to get more. I love books, plain and simple. All kinds!

My main goal of this blog is to not just review books. I hope that you as a reader also take something away from this blog. Whether you are looking for a review on a book I've read or just looking for new books to read for yourself, I want this to be a blog with lots of input from you. Don't be shy - say hello!! Offer feedback!! Tell me what you think!!!

To kick things off, I'm going to post a couple review on books I've recently read. After I get the ball rolling with a few old reviews, you can expect a fresh and new review every time I finish reading a book. Curious about what I've got on the go at the moment?? Check out my handy-dandy Goodreads widget to the right. Follow my progress there - and of course feel free to add me as a friend if you are also on Goodreads.

Let's get to it, shall we?