I've begun An Absolute Gentleman an ARC that I received a while back. Chilling! A tale told by a serial killer that makes you a part of his thought processes. Not gory at all so far, but engrossing as you follow Arthur Bloom in his explanation of his life. The fact that you can identify with some of the ordinary, everyman aspects of Bloom's life just makes the tale more eerie and uncomfortable. Especially sense Arthur Bloom is an English professor at a small college in Missouri...
Where Does the Money Go! Another ARC, this one examines the federal budget (mostly in layman's terms) and is particularly relevant right now.
A little sample:
"There are basically three categories of government money gone wrong.
*Fraud and abuse, which pretty much means stealing.
*Waste, which can best be summed up as bungling.
*Pork, which is politically motivated spending designed to keep an office holder's supporters and constituents happy."
Some examples of pork that I've heard on the news recently: The Bridge to Nowhere and - on the positive side - a possible return of pork funds. I couldn't find the one I heard about on last night's news because I couldn't remember the state (it was a Southern state) but they, too, decided to return the federal money received for a pork project.
My personal opinion is that pork is a form of stealing and elected officials who engage in some of these ridiculous projects should be prosecuted. Rant over.
The last ARC just arrived. Four Wives by Wendy Walker. I'm not sure this one is up my alley at all, but I'll put it in the TBR stack for now.
Well, An Absolute Gentleman really piques my interest - but I can't find it anywhere. ILL doesn't have it either. What's an ARC - sorry for my ignorance! I love your reviews. I just finished a great book by Tess Gerritsen (a favorite) called "The Bone Garden". Could not put it down.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it!
ReplyDeleteI know about The Bridge to Nowhere without clicking on the link, as we read about it while vacationing in Alaska. Pretty wild, but the last I heard they'd finally ditched the plan to build and that was a bit of a relief to hear.
ReplyDeleteOutlander is quite a wild ride, isn't it? I hated the ending so much that I never read further, but the history was pretty amazing. And, I found it so gripping, I remember locking myself in the bedroom to finish.
I don't typically go for books with killers as the main character, particularly serial killers, but you've got me intrigued by this one. Onto the wishlist it goes!
ReplyDeleteAn Absolute Gentleman sounds absolutely terrifying. Chilling, is a good word - I've got goosebumps just thinking about reading it. (That's not to say I won't read it)
ReplyDeleteI've got several ARCs piled up and some more on the way. I may have to quit joining challenges. Maybe I should learn to read faster!
Well, now that I know the guy's from Missouri (like me!) I must read this book!
ReplyDeleteMarie -- An ARC is an advanced reader's copy. I just read the review for The Bone Garden by Gerritsen and have added it to my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteLadytink -- Oh, yes. Gabaldon really brought the characters to life.
Bookfool -- I'm thinkin' they should offer rewards to readers who locate the pork attached to congressional bills!
I'm guessing that you're referring to the brutality of the prison scene and subsequent recovery (which I hated and thought if it had to be included, should have been cut to a paragraph rather than page after page. Actually, that long dwelling on the prison was a most distasteful episode that really did give me pause and damaged my overall pleasure in the book.
Bybee -- :) He was actually from GA, but ended up at a small college in Missouri.
Leslie -- The novel goes back and forth from his childhood to the present and is very suspenseful. I'll let you know the final verdict when I finish.
ReplyDeleteBooklogged -- It is not terrifying yet, but definitely chilling!