Currently reading "Hollywood Godfather, My Life In The Movies And The Mob" by Gianni Russo. Russo is probably best known for playing Carlo in "The Godfather" movie, but has also been in more than 40 other films. He was also an associate of mob boss Frank Costello when he was young. He shot and killed a member of Pablo Escobar's cartel in the restaurant Russo owned, and had an affair with Marilyn Monroe. He has certainly led an interesting life.
That's on my list after I finish a couple others.Originally Posted by SteveSly
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
If everything is true in this book, this guy has led one hell of a life.
Monastery Nightmare by Ross H. Spencer (1921-1998)
Published 1986
Mickey Spillane/Raymond Chandler style private detective novel. Extremely funny descriptions.
Just started Cherie Priest's The Agony House, about a teenager whose family moved out of Norleans to Houston after the flood. Now they (minus dad, who died in the flood; plus a newish stepdad) move back to the Easy to start a B&B in a house that has ... history. And a lot of rot and mould.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
I stole that and The Boys From Brazil from Mom a while back. Haven't read Stepford but it should be a good read. Just finished Good Omens as I can't watch the series and on deck is We Need to Talk About Kevin. Started a while back and never finished it. It's rather depressing.
Carry On My Blood-Ejaculating Son - JKL2000
I'm rereading "The Catcher In The Rye" for the first time since I was probably about Caulfield's age. It's a completely different experience, but then I guess everything experienced at 16 and then again at 62 probably would be. Still a great, great book.
Have not read "We Need to Talk About Kevin". Although the novel appears on a bunch of lists. I'm not so sure it's my kind of horror. I'm not into depressing. I considered Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" depressing horror. Super-human writing but it made me feel awful.
Going Postal by Terry Prachett
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Great book, and not a bad show on Amazon Prime
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
End of Watch by Stephen King. Finally getting to the last of the Bill Hodges trilogy. Halfway in and not disappointed.
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
The first one is on my to-read pile. The question is, do I want to buy the other two and have them on deck, or can I comfortably pause between them?
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
I had at least a year between each one. Even with a long time in between, it wasn't hard to pick it back up. King does a good job reminding you of the previous plots.
A Comfort Zone is not a Life Sentence
The Djinn by Graham Masterton (1946- )
Published 1977
Masterton's was the editor of Penthouse Magazine. His first novel (The Manitou) was made into a movie in 1978, staring Tony Curtis and Susan Strasberg.
Lou said- End of Watch by Stephen King. Finally getting to the last of the Bill Hodges trilogy. Halfway in and not disappointed.
I've only read the first Bill Hodges book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and need to purchase the remaining two.
Of interest: King talks about writing Mr. Mercedes a fair amount in this (long) speech/Q&A session:
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Oh, yeah. Now reading: A Night in the Lonesome October, by Roger Zelazny, illustrated by Gahan Wilson. I'm rereading this for the first time since it came out; it may be Zelazny's last masterpiece, and his writing matches Wilson's illustrations beautifully.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Someone posted a while back about the book "Blitzed Drugs In Nazi Germany". I just started reading it and am finding it very interesting so far. I have worked in the Pharma industry for 30 years and enjoyed reading about the origins and background of some of these drugs that have been around for years and were mostly developed by well known Pharma companies like Merck. I am only about a 3rd of the way into the book so far, but thanks for the recommendation.
I picked this book up, after reading this note. I'm a big fan of the Hard Case imprint, & this sounded like an intriguing book. Sadly, I think the writing is poor. It's neither "pulp"y enough to fit with the "house style" of Hard Case, nor "experimental" enough to go the full Ellroy mile - so it's sort of fragmentary, & flat.
I put it down after 100 or so pages, & am reading The Rift, Nina Allan's second novel - which has hooked me right from the off.
At about 100 pages is where I tossed in the towel, too. You are correct that the writing is not that good, especially for a book that the writer supposedly worked on for 20 years. You'd think she or a good copyeditor would have sharpened it up. As for books about Lucky, Bugsy, and Meyer, there are plenty of non-fiction, true-life ones out there with more action and certainly better written.
I've since moved on to Taking Woodstock by Elliot Tiber while my wife reads Hollywood Godfather by Gianni Russo, which Steve Sly recommended. She-who-must-be-obeyed is enjoying it, and she's hard to please. Even Joe Lansdale doesn't do much for her. The horror!
Last edited by Lopez; 10-12-2019 at 07:46 AM.
Lou
Looking forward to my day in court.
Paul Ferris - The Boy On The Shed, autobiography from an Irish football player who lived through "the troubles", was the youngest player to start for Newcastle United, had a career cut short by injury and became a physio. Very well written, interesting and entertaining.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
I finished "Hollywood Godfather". I am still not sure that I believe everything Russo says happened in the book. If everything is true, the guy lived one of the most interesting lives ever. I have seen critics of the book cite that almost everyone Russo claims to have had interactions with in the book are dead, so it is almost impossible to verify many of his claims. Some people call him a "wannabe" gangster, but who knows I guess. The book was certainly entertaining.
Rick Wilson -Everything Trump Touches Dies, Updated.
Larry Niven and David Gerrold, The Flying Sorcerers, a book I found hilarious in high school. We'll see what I think 40+ years later.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Quick update - Nina Allan's The Rift is really outstanding. It works as SF, it works as a serious reflection on survivor guilt, on trauma, on personal identity, on how we relate to one another... & it does so through a variety of styles & texts, all of which are brilliantly rendered.
Yesterday I started reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. It's more or less a sequel to The Handmaids Tale, although written from other perspectives. Just noticed she won the Booker Prize 2019 for this novel.
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