"Haunted America" - Armchair Reader

"Haunted America" - Armchair Reader

My new read is an easy, short stories read. After tackling a history-bound book, my brain needs a little break. What better way to do that then to read some "true" ghost stories from our homeland? Ok, so maybe I'm alone in the fact that ghost and murder stories give me a relaxing break, but it's all good. :)

"Haunted America" is composed of numerous short stories collected around America involving ghosts, haunted locations, and paranormal sightings. I'm not very far into the book yet, but so far I've read some interesting things. There is an introduction by paranormal experts explaining what ghosts really are. I've also read about angry spirits residing in an old slave house in Illinois. I've taken a short trip on a boat by reading about the spirits seen on the "Queen Mary" (which I didn't realize that it was once used as a war vessel, not always an ocean liner. The short story I read last night was about the bar "Bobby Mackey's", located in Kentucky. 

I find this book a good night-time read. The stories are approximately five pages long, give or take a few pages. The short stories are written in a more fact-based manner, but throw in little sentences of humor to keep the story going. They are not out to scare you, but to make you interested and think, kind of like Ripley's Believe It or Not episodes. So, if you're looking for an entertaining ghost story without the "scare me silly" feeling, then this would be a great book for you. For a second recommendation, if you cannot stay awake for more than five pages after your head hits the pillow, this is an especially good read. :) 

"Flapper" - Joshua Zeitz

"Flapper" - Joshua Zeitz

This book was a bit of a random card in my selection of books. I was wondering around the lousacc library with my four year old son, looking for a book to read on my plane ride to Juneau. In order to get him to behave I told him he could help me choose a book. At first he was steering me towards the romance novels... thankfully I diverted him to another section. I figured I'd pick out two books and let him choose which one he likes better. Yeah.. that worked like a brick floating. Instead, he walked up to a shelf, pulled out a novel, and said "HERE MOMMY! I FOUND ONE!" My first reaction was to put it back, but then I realized something. If I want to write a book blog about "random" books I read, then what better way to be random than to let my four year old loose in the library to choose what book I read. So, I read it, am almost done with it, and it was actually a great read. Go Atticus!

"Flapper" is all about the Jazz Age. It displays what the "modern woman" was back then. The scandalous dresses that showed women's knees, the drinking, the smoking, and the "necking" that went on. (Yes, this book actually uses the term "necking" quite often. I got a kick out of that!) At first I thought it was going to be a dull documentary book, but I actually found it quite interesting. I must say I did learn a lot about the Jazz Age that I didn't previously know.

In the book there are some prominent women of the Jazz Age discussed. There was Zelda Sayre, whom became F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife and that his characters in his book were based upon. In the book it says that this couple was said to "be" the Jazz Age. There was also CoCo Chanel. I never realized that the brand "Chanel" dated this far back, but it was interesting to read about it's beginnings and how much of a hard-ass boss she could be. There is also Louis Long, who wrote in the New Yorker under a different name about the life of a "modern woman", or a flapper, was like in New York. As part of her job, she went to clubs/bars and drank with the finest. She smoked when the men smoked. She partied all night with every type of person. She would even come to work smashed at 3 in the morning and sleep in her knickers until someone discovered her!

There are many different women and figures in this book that I can't even begin to touch on all of them. I had fun getting lost these different women's lives. It was interesting trying to image what it'd be like to live in the Jazz Age compared to what life is like now. For my recommendation, if you are interested in history, spunky women, and amusing drinking stories then this is a pretty good book to get a bit of it all. I'd say go to your local library and pick it up!

"Red Rain" - R.L. Stine

I'm still working my way through "Red Rain" but thoroughly enjoying it. The plot line is predictable, but there are little confusing parts thrown in there to keep you on your feet. It was awkward at first to hear R.L. Stine use cuss words. It reminded me of a preteen using cuss words. You understand what the word means, but it sounds misplaced coming from their mouth, and like less of an impact that it typically would be. I got used to it after awhile though.

"Red Rain" - R.L. Stine

"Red Rain" - R.L. Stine

If anyone knew me as a child, they would know how much of an R.L. Stine fan I was. It would be a rare sight not to see my nose stuck into one of his books. He was basically my hero. I swear that I must have had near 400 of his books. (Ok, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but as a military child packing up my R.L. Stine books to move took almost two hours by themselves!) My Mom would take me to garage sales to find the missing books in my Goosebumps collection. I had everything by him: Goosebumps, Fear Street, "Choose Your Own Adventure", etc. I was enamored by R.L. Stine until he wrote his first "young adult" book, "The Sitter". "The Sitter" was such a jump from what I was used to R.L. Stine writing that it put me in shock and stopped my fascination with his books. (That and I was in high school and had already read all the "teen" books he wrote.) With that introduction, once I saw he produced an adult book, I put my issues with "The Sitter" aside and had to read this book to give R.L. Stine a second chance in my life. 

I just finished the prologue and the first chapter. So far, so good. The style is familiar, like a long lost friend. That was very comforting to read. I missed his style of writing. The only major thing I have noticed that separates "Red Rain" from his younger targeted books is that the language and word usage is more mature. I can honestly say that I am glad to have an R.L. Stine book back in my hands and cannot wait to finish this book. :) I might have to dig out my old Goosebumps books from my parents garage and have a mini flashback fest. :) 

"Stonewall" - David Carter

"Stonewall" - David Carter

"Stonewall" is an in-depth look at the riots that triggered the gay revolution. Located in Greenwich Village, New York in 1969, these riots are the beginning of a new point of view towards gay, lesbian, and transgender people. Before these riots, people had no problem beating, publicly mocking, or even murdering people with different sexual preferences and attractions than the "normal" preferences and attractions. 

So far still in the first chapter learning the background of the gay community in Greenwich location. The book opens with an introduction about Tony Lauria, a son of the mafia community. Much to his father's dislike, he decides to open a gay bar with one of the unused properties owned by the mob his father runs. This bar, later, would be the location of the Stonewall riots. 

This book is a very informative book, not an interactive book like many of the other books I've written on this blog. I figured since we just passed Gay Pride Week in Anchorage, I would pick up a book and learn a little bit of the history of that particular way of life. Despite the first chapter being written similarly to a textbook format, I am quite drawn into the explanations of how people were treated in Greenwich Village, despite it being one of the top gay communities of it's time (and ironically enough any sort of gay or lesbian interaction was banned and punishable in Greenwich Village at that time). The way the book describes it, because the majority of the gay bars were owned by the Mob, the people who frequented those bars felt a certain sort of security and safety.. somewhat. 

"Radioactive Communist Zombies" Part 2

I've finished up "Radioactive Communist Zombies" by S. Evan Townsend and I must say it managed to change my mind. In the beginning of the book I was quite disappointed. The book seemed to bounce all over the place and couldn't decide if it was going to be a fantasy book, a war book, a romance book, or a diary-type book. It seemed to keep switching, and the transitions were not good.

About halfway through the book got much better. The author got his transitions down, and was actually throwing in catching moments to keep you hooked. It got to the point where I was reading two hours straight, and dreading to put down the book. The different types of books that were showing eventually got their act together and came to be a pretty interesting combination.

I was still confused about where the title came from. Throughout most of the book there is no reference to Radioactivity or zombies. The book does have a lot of talk about communism right off the bat though. Around 3/4th of the way through the book it finally mentions something about a radioactive bomb. Finally, on page 195 of 223 it says "radioactive communist zombies".

My overall opinion of this book is that it's a good book, but not on my favorite list. It took almost half of the book for it to come together and make sense. Similarly, it took over half the book for it to manage to capture me. Since I am doing a comparison with the same book that was tweaked and published under another name, I'll let you know how that one comes out. :)

"Radioactive Communist Zombies" - S. Evan Townsend

"Radioactive Communist Zombies" - S. Evan Townsend

I have yet another unique opportunity for this blog. My coworker, Bonnie, has loaned me another interesting book, "Radioactive Communist Zombies" written by her cousin. While we were talking at work, she mentioned that this book is one that he published by himself. She also said that it was later picked up by a publisher, altered a bit, and renamed "Agent of Artifice". This immediately interested me and I knew I had to read both and see the difference between the two, and which book I like better. I can already tell you I like the title "Radioactive Communist Zombies" better than "Agent of Artifice" because it's so random, but we'll see if the book lives up to it's title. 

I've already started to read "Radio Active Communist Zombies" and will admit that it's a tad confusing at times. The man character is Michael Vaughan. He works as a Non-Official Cover for the CIA, and is an adapt. It took me awhile to figure out what an adapt is, and to be honest I'm not entirely sure I fully understand it yet. From what I gathered, an adapt is someone with special powers. Using their powers, they can change languages, persuade people, make people afraid of things they aren't, etc. They look just like humans, and it is very difficult to figure out if a person is an adapt or not. 

Anyway, back on topic. Michael is sent to Cuba to assassinate Castro. So far during his trip in Cuba, he's met a beautiful woman, Liesl. She is also an adapt and ends up in a deadly car crash with Michael, killing two other adapts. The violence against the adapts are increasing, and Michael is well known to the men hunting adapts. 

I'm only on chapter four of thirteen, but it's interesting enough to keep my attention. There are some slow points, but right as I'm considering to put the book down for the night something interesting pops up. So far this book seems like a crime novel, mixed in with a bit of wizard/witches type magic. You're on the run with Michael, and get to see what it feels like to be hunting men and being hunted by man. 

So far I would say this is a good read. It's still early to tell what type of person I'd recommend it to, but it's still a good read. :)