"Hidden Alcatraz: the fortress revealed" by Steve Fritz and Deborah Roundtree

Back in the late 80s, I was lucky enough to visit Alcatraz with my dad. I thought it would be a cool place to see, one with such a dark history. I was right - and I was wrong. It was interesting, but the whole time we were on "the Rock", I felt uncomfortable, almost edgy. I wanted to leave almost as soon as we arrived; something just felt off to me. I couldn't put a finger on what was causing my uneasiness; I just felt very, very creeped out.

Flash forward to this year and this book. It's a wonderful pictorial look at the facility today, which has decayed even further. Photographers were granted unprecedented overnight access, which means there are several photos taken after dark, giving the place an even more eerie appearance. The work is extraordinary, including color and black and white, and really does give the reader a feel for this most infamous of prisons.

Be sure to read the foreword by actor Peter Coyote; it gives an additional history lesson regarding Alcatraz that I was unaware of, namely that Native Americans claimed it for themselves for a good while back in the late 60s. Oddly enough, I also learned that most prisoners never felt threatened while doing their time; they felt "safe" in Alcatraz because their usual enemies couldn't reach them. That doesn't mean there wasn't blood shed, though, and perhaps that contributed to the "bad vibe" I felt so very long ago. In any case, it's a fascinating place with a rich history, one we certainly shouldn't forget.

"The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

Since I was going to have a long weekend to relax and read, I decided I should tackle a few more of the "classics" on an old list I saved from a previous patron. This book was next in line and I ordered it from work, even though it really didn't look like anything I was interested in. As they say, don't judge a book by its cover - or its storyline.

Alfred Brooks is a 17-year-old high school drop out in late 1960s Harlem. He's black, but he's not proud. He has managed to find himself a small job at a local grocery owned by a Jewish couple; there's not much chance of bettering his position (or so he thinks) and he misses hanging out with his best friend, James.

One Friday night he goes out to locate James; he finds him at the local "club" hanging out with his thuggish friends, Major, Hollis, and some others. While talking about his job, Alfred lets slip that due to their religion, his employers leave money in the safe every Friday night; of course, the "bad" boys decide to rob the store. Unfortunately, they are in such a hurry that Alfred doesn't have a chance to tell them about the brand new alarm system that was just installed (he claims he "forgot" to tell them; maybe he did, and maybe he didn't). James is arrested while the other boys manage to escape, and of course, they come looking for revenge.

Alfred is tired of his life, and tired of being pushed around by the gang. One night he wanders into Donatelli's Gym, and he meets the owner himself. They talk, and Alfred states he wants to be a fighter. Donatelli attempts to talk him out of it, explaining that the hours of training will be grueling and that Alfred will probably quit within a few weeks, but the young man is determined. The book then follows Alfred on his quest to become a professional boxer, showing him doing a lot of repetitive training and becoming frustrated that he's not put into matches right away. Donatelli explains that it takes a lot to be a fighter, not just good moves; there must be an inner fire, too. Eventually Alfred does fight, and he discovers that while he's not too bad a boxer, he has an inner strength to fight much bigger battles in his life, including rescuing his friend James from the stranglehold of drugs.

This was a very well-written, and still timely, novel about a young black man. I had to flip to the copyright page to remind myself that it was written back in the day and not just last year; the issues are still very relevant (think of all the gang trouble we have in inner cities, especially those that deal/use drugs). There are some things that date the book a bit; there's a group of activists that try to enlist Alfred in their cause, claiming that "whitey" is holding back Alfred and that joining them is his only way of advancing his life. There are many who would argue that race relations are still strained, and probably many who would claim that "whitey" is still holding down the man, be he African-American, Hispanic, or any other ethnicity.

Alfred's transformation is believable and a wonderful thing to watch. He struggles to follow Donatelli's authority/advice, and at one point, pretty much decides that he knows what's best for himself, skipping his workouts and hanging out with the gang. Of course he sees the error of his ways, and when he slinks back into the gym, Donatelli has a talk with him - but doesn't turn him away. It was a very good read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good coming-of-age story.

Not doing too well, am I?

Only a week or so into my attempts to get this blog back on track, and it's already run off the rails. I suck! I suppose I could blame work - except I just had a lovely 4-day weekend of rest and relaxation, and yes, reading. Hmm.... well, there was an injury; I somehow took a tumble Friday evening while walking back to our apartment. I admit, I was wearing the "evil" flip-flop footwear, but honestly, I have no idea what happened. One minute I was up, the next I was sprawled on the sidewalk hoping no one had seen my latest klutz move. Nothing broken, thank goodness, but some spectacular-looking road rash on my leg and the palm of my hand where I tried to "save" myself (as if that was ever possible!).

I did finish up two books, and both were very good. Yes, I plan to review them here, and I promise I'll do it soon (like, um, this weekend?). Oh, and I was so very proud of myself; I finished up enough items to box them up and send them back to my source in Indy. Go me! However, within hours of my trip to the Post Office, I get an email from said source saying there's another box on its way to me. What????? Seems the source was worried that I might run out of things to read.

AS IF!

So I will have a lot more work to do. Good thing I have another long weekend coming up! And then there's the Labor Day holiday, and then there's a new work schedule that might allow for a little more reading time....

Unnecessary Books

Today I'm going to talk about a little category that I think of as "unnecessary books". Hmm.... you wonder what on earth can I mean by that? Am I going to pick on certain authors? Certain genres? Plot lines? What, oh what, could possibly make a book "unnecessary"?

I'll tell you. I have a very specific type of book in mind, and what got me to thinking about this a bit more was that one of them showed up with our new books in yesterday's library delivery. (I love when we get new stuff - like Christmas at work!) As I sorted through new selections for children, a non-fiction title or two, lots of new best-sellers, etc, I found one of these heinous things with the new mass market paperbacks. There it was, shiny cover mocking me, a small sticker placed on it stating "do not distribute before such-and-such date".......

The dreaded "movie novelization".

Yep, we got a copy of the "new" paperback of "Cowboys vs. Aliens". The "movie novelization", I should say, which I think it the most unnecessary category of books on the planet. After all, the movie itself is based on a graphic novel of the same name, so why not read that? Or just go see the movie? Why read a novel that is 'based on the book"? This just completely boggles my mind.

It's not as if it hasn't been done for decades, and indeed, I have always found these things irritating. I just do not understand why these things are published, nor do I understand the sort of people who read them. I know - be happy that people are reading, right? But it just seems wrong to read what is basically a more-fleshed-out screenplay. And a complete waste of money, IMHO.

So what do you think? Is there really a market for this sort of work? Or is it just a blatant grab for more merchandising dollars? Let me know your thoughts.... and take heart, I love to hear your opinions, even when they disagree with mine!

Happy Monday!

As I've tried before in the past, I'm revamping "Novel News" yet again. But hopefully, this time it will stick! Instead of just focusing on book reviews (which, I admit, I don't always keep up on in a timely manner), I aim to write here every day about books and book-related topics. Yes, there will still be book reviews - you know how much I love to share a good book! But I'm hoping by changing things up a bit that I will give you something to read and/or think about every day, which will also hopefully keep my blog on your radars! There's nothing sadder than a blog that just sort of blows away with the cyber-tumbleweeds, is there?

So what should we talk about today? Well, how about the fact that I have a 4-day weekend coming up starting this coming Friday? Yes, I am taking some much-needed time off. And yes, I definitely have plans to catch up on my reading (and my reviews!) I think any good vacation includes time to read a good book. What do you think? Do you prefer to rest and relax when you're on vacation, or are you the sort that makes plans for fun activities? Can you do both?

"Smokin' Seventeen" by Janet Evanovich

There's not much to say about this series anymore. Stephanie Plum is the worst bounty-hunter in history. Her "partner", Lula, is still a very large black woman trying to cram her voluptuous body into teeny tiny clothing. Grandma Mazur still wants to see the body when she goes to a viewing at the local funeral home, and yes, chaos ensues when the casket is closed. And, of course, Stephanie still hasn't chosen between the two men in her life, Joe Morelli and the enigmatic Ranger.

The only thing that was added to this mix was Dave, an ex-football hero that went to Stephanie's high school. Her mother is desperate to have her little girl married and working somewhere "safe" - or better yet, at home, barefoot and pregnant. Dave is a nice guy with perhaps a bit of baggage; he was accused of some shady business dealings where he previously lived, leading to his wife to take off and the bank to foreclose on his home. So he's back in the Burg and living with his mother. Stephanie's mom is totally taken with him once she learns he can cook - and Stephanie is very taken with the food. Not so much with Dave. After all, she's already got two men in her life and can't make a decision on one - why add another one to the mix?

Yes, there are murders and bodies. Yes, there are skips that must be tracked down and brought in. Yes, Stephanie's bad car karma is back with a vengeance. There's Tasty Cakes and Cluck-in-a-Bucket and all the other sorts of things you expect in one of the Plum books. So how does this one stack up? Well, it's certainly better than "Sizzlin' Sixteen" - but that's not saying much. I was very disappointed with that installment, so anything would have been an improvement. I did laugh out loud this time, which I don't remember doing last time. The writing felt a bit better too, more "Evanovich" and less whoever-wrote-the-last-one (because I'm still thinking it wasn't JE).

But, as has become typical, there were things that could have been better. Such as the "whodunit" thread of the plot; I had the killer figured out almost as soon as that character hit the pages. Yes, I know these aren't deep reading and I'm not criticizing JE for that, but still, it shouldn't be glaringly obvious who your "bad guy" is. And can I just say how much I did not like "the Vordo" - the sexual curse that Morelli's Grandma Bella puts on Stephanie? Good lord, if you want your character to have sex, just have her have sex! The Vordo reminded me too much of another author who I no longer read, and a certain thing she gave her lead character (sort of like the Vordo but it was supposed to be a new "power) that led her to have sex with any and all male characters. Stephanie having sex with Morelli and Ranger in the same book was.... well.....not nearly as hot as it must have seemed when she was writing it. I just found it silly, and even a bit on the icky side.

The thing I noticed the most this time around is that there appears to be two Stephanie Plums. Now, I don't know if she's got a split personality or if JE is setting up who Stephanie will (finally) pick as her man, but hear me out. When our gal is bounty hunting, she's a total goofball who can't seem to get the job done. Cars blow up, people get pinkie toes shot off, etc. But when she's around Ranger, she seems calm and actually able to think - and he asks her for her opinion on work things. Ranger is supposed to be the best of the best at what he does, so why would he ask Stephanie for her opinion on security matters? And yet, she stops and looks at things critically and comes up with actual good ideas - and Ranger listens to her. Morelli just wants her to quit her job, move in with him, and live happily ever after. Ranger treats her as more of an equal and not the bubble-headed-bimbo that she's typically written as. Why, then, is it so hard for Stephanie to "make a decision" about which guy to choose? Honestly, I would have kicked Joe's butt to the curb long ago (but I would have fought to keep Bob the dog).

The 18th book of the series is due out this November, about 8 months before she normally releases a Plum title. Stephanie purportedly will choose a man in that book, but whether it's her choosing a vacation partner, or an actual life-partner remains to be seen. I'll probably read it, but only because I can get it from the library. If I were you, I'd save my money and do the same thing.

WOW! famous..... sort of..... well, not really, but still very cool

Hello all! Sorry I've been offline lately; it's Summer Reading season at the library, so yours truly has been a very busy book lady. Lots of programs, and sadly, lots of drama in my little library system - big budget cuts were made so hours will be cut back, staff shifted to different branches, etc. It's left me a sad girl, not to mention a not-very-highly-motivated-to-blog kinda Bookbabe. I promise I'll pull myself out of my funk and get the reviews rolling again!

In the meantime, I did want to share this with you, my readers. A good friend of mine who writes "clean" reads for Astraea Press asked me to contribute to her new feature, Readers' Corner, by answering a few questions. And today, there I am! I have to admit, I did a fairly decent job at explaining the "book blogging" concept, why I do it, what I enjoy reading, etc. I must admit to doing a bit of the Happy Dance at seeing it there on the screen - fame! Well, OK, not really - but still, someone else asked me to do something that is now online! How cool is that?

And yes, I am reading one of her books, and yes, I am loving it so far. Which is a fabulous thing..... I have to admit that I was worried I might not like it, and then what would I do? Check out my 15 seconds at the link!

http://kayspringsteen.wordpress.com/readers-corner/traci-pollitt/