Review: The Last American Vampire

The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good way to end 2019 and start 2020. I had very little in terms of expectations for this book. My only requirement was for it to be a fun twisted view of American History. It is. I admit I either did not read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, or it wasn't memorable enough to remember I read it. I did see the movie in theatres, which I remember as a fun and entertaining night at the movies.

This book definitely takes some of its inspiration from Anne Rice. It is an old vampire telling his story. A vampire who was present in the first book, and more intriguing in some ways than the main character of the first novel. Henry is a great leading man who has depth and humor as well as a gravitas that draws the reader in.

I have quoted this book for many friends already. My favorite quote (as well as I remember it) 'a human life is like an ant farting into a hurricane.' I am butchering that, but I remember laughing out loud and loving that dialogue.

The time frame is long and touches Roanoke to 1970s ish, and hits some of the major events across eras. The take on Jack the Ripper, Mark Twain, Tesla, and Stoker were genuinely some of my favorite representations of this historical figures I have ever read.

With Rice influence, a great leading vampire, great dialogue, and historical figures come to life, I am surprised I landed on a 3 Star rating. I liked the book. I did. I really liked aspects, but the over all is just a like.

My two major issues were the gore and the pacing. I should have known going in the gore would be intense, but I felt it stepped a little beyond just gratuitous at certain points. It was visceral enough that there were chunks of fight scene descriptions that I did skip over. I would glance at a page and see a word or two get the gist of who had the upper hand, and then move on. If you like gore, and violence maybe this amount would be grate for you. And yet, I loved when Grahame-Smith is a little more slowed down.

For me the best parts of the book were the character moments. The interaction, the dialogue, the relationships were well written, fascinating and what I wanted the heart of the book to be about.

So I guess the issue at the crux is pacing. The beginning of the book felt like a decent balance of character and violence. Just the right amount for me, but as the book continued character development, interactions other than fighting were replaced with more gore or REALLY quick character moments. Howard Hughes is introduced, has a quick scene, but really isn't interacted to explored to my satisfaction. There is a relationship between Henry and a women from his past that is the impetus for the whole adventure, and yet when they do come to a meeting point nothing is explored. It seems like a missed opportunity that still elicits visible frustration on my face while typing about it.

We here her back story, then hundreds of years pass, and boom VILLIAN. Which is a great motivation and story line, but i wanted to know it if I was supposed to be so invested. I lost my interest in there battle before by about 3/4 through the book and the end climax thus became dull.

To me this was just SOOO much potential, I am glad a read it even though it was frustrating. I would give this author another chance.

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Review: Alice 19th, Vol. 1

Alice 19th, Vol. 1 by Yuu Watase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a manga I have had sitting in my room. I had read volumes 1-7 while I was in high school in the early 2000s.

I kept it because it felt powerful to me, impact-full I recommended it to anyone I knew who read Manga. The central idea of the Power of Words resonated with my teenage self. In high school I remember seeing aspects of myself in both the main character and her sister.

Yesterday, I sat on the floor of my room and stared at my book shelves until I could no longer feel my legs. I had already put a decent pile of books aside to give to the Used Book Store. This series gave me pause. It has been sitting on my shelf for over 10 years. Was it worthwhile to sit there for another 10? Was it as good as I remembered? Does it warrant a second read, or many more reads?

I decided to reread it and evaluate if it is worth keeping. Is it still as funny, moving, and poignant?

Yes.

I read this volume in a half hour, and I will go through all of them again soon I am sure. It has been like returning to old friends. The lessons and impact have not lessened either. The Power of Words, the courage to speak truth, and bravery to be yourself are all things will be a timeless lessons.

The author in her opening blurb talks about the power of talking to one another in a post 9/11 world, and that power has not diminished. It is still important, and this fun manga has some very hidden powerful words through out it.

As much as I want others to read this, I don't think it will be going to the Used Book Store anytime soon. It deserves a place on my shelf and it shall stay there for many more rereads.



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Review: Serafina and the Twisted Staff

Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book starts off at a running pace and rarely slows down. There are a few slower moments, but it didn't feel like many. They were placed well. Every time I was about to complain about pacing to whoever was near me, there would be a nice slow moment for me to catch my breath (even if the characters didn't get a chance).

The Biltmore and the surrounding forest is such a fitting and beautiful place for a story like this. I am not sure how much of the beauty I am getting from the setting is having visited or from the authors descriptions. So I will err on the author did a fantastic job of transporting me both back to the location and to a different time. (Although you do feel like you stepped out of a time machine when you visit the property.)

The introduction of new characters were a welcome treat. I am glad for the blurb at the end of the book about the real life men & women who crafted Biltmore. The house in the book feels populated by those real folks and the fictional ones feel just as real.

I am excited for the next book. I want to know more of the people and places.

This book is an exciting and very quick paced adventure in a beautiful both very fantastical and very real location.

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Review: Lucky Man: A Memoir

Lucky Man: A Memoir by Michael J. Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so fascinating. I found this book in my attic. It had been my mom's. She doesn't normally hang out to a lot of books. I have mentioned used book stores. My love and frequent use of them come from my mom. She had held on to this one for years. It had found a place in our attic in the pile of "favorites I could read again and again," and I understand it's placement.

Fox is a fantastic storyteller, and his story is compelling, educative, and relate-able. I knew the basics of his tale. I think anyone alive during the early 2000s knows the basics. I was a young teen when I heard about his illness, and his departure from Spin City. Fox speaks a lot about the concept of celebrity, and the ideas of what is owed to "fans." His insights forced me to think about how I related to celebrity. Why did I feel so connected to his story, his announcement?

I am having a lot Of trouble writing this review. I am not even sure why. It is a great book. I recommend it. He writes with a plain candor that is easy to read and takes long to digest. It is a tale of redemption and hope in the face of a struggle that could be consuming.

It brought me hope, and I felt bolstered to fight my own battles. I don't have PD, but I do know what it is like to not have control of your body at times. Fox makes sure to notate that he is still himself first with just an addition of his diagnosis. It makes me think I will be able to define myself first again one day.

Sorry, This review is meandering. I might try to rewrite it later or just clean it up.

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Review: Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The world in which this book lives is fascinating. I think the concepts in it of the traveling cities, the rebuilding of civilization, and the opposition to it is ripe with possibility. There is a decent amount of action in this book, and I found some of it hard to follow. There was a lot of travel, action, fighting, intrigue, and world building crammed into a relatively short book. It was a quick read. I read the first 100 pages in one sitting.

And yet, I still didn't love it. I felt like everything was set up to be amazing, and I loved the concept of many of the characters. But as I spent more time with a character they seemed to fall flat. It felt like I was reading the outline of a great book, and not something fully realized. I wanted more with the characters. I could see elements of them that had potential, but I ended up reading almost all of them as similar and indistinguishable. There were a few exceptions where intention, characterization, dialogue and choice made characters breathe a little more life and individuality. The two that come to mind are Fang, and Shrike; and yet, neither make it to the end of the book.

I didn't feel connected with the two "main" characters that will continue the series, as I felt they were so bland. Which is odd because they both have great back stories and have done some incredible things. I don't think I will seek out the sequels, but if I happen upon them I might read more. I read so much potential. Seriously it is like an outline of an amazing epic tale, that never found the details to make it come alive.

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Kitchen Confidential Review

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It really is a window into the world of the Kitchen. It states it reflects only a specific period in time, but the VERY LITTLE experience I have in a kitchen seems to be pretty spot on. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. I had to read sections to those around me to explain my giggling.

After watching so many hours of Anthony Bourdain on TV I swear I could hear his voice in my head. With that in mind it is also a great look inside Anthony's inner world.

I was particularly excited by the chapter in Japan! The mentions of customs; the exploration of Tokyo; and the descriptions of the food wet my appetite for my trip!


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I picked up this book at Bookateria Two in Ocean City, NJ.  I love picking up books at a used book store, and that is the one that knows my family for years. I am sure after my mom is done reading the book, it will make its way back to the store.