Origin By: J.A Konrath

Once I decided to seriously pursue my writing aspirations, I purchased several books on writing by various writers. One book contained an anecdote as told by J.A(Joe) Konrath, an author known for his Lt. Jacqueline (Jack) Daniels mystery thrillers. In his short piece Joe writes about his first novel. He gives details of how he worked on his creation, got an agent who shopped around his novel, and never got a sale.

I did not know how others looked at the piece, but I personally thought the synopsis of the book sounded very interesting. So much so that I thought "surely this novel must be published by now."

However, I was wrong.

Various google searches brought me to the author's very own website (http://www.jakonrath.com/ebooks.html). There he gave away a pdf version of this novel (along with a couple of other freebies!) So after printing the pdf I began reading the novel that I had in mind for the last several months.

The story opens with President Roosevelt visiting a site near the Panama Canal. A discovery had been made that warranted his immediate attention. Upon viewing the find, President Roosevelt makes the decision to bring the comatose creature to the States so that it can be further studied.

Fast forward to modern time, when a linguist is recruited to study the afore mentioned life form. One glance at the creature draws to mind the immediate response of several others who viewed the creature before him:

......the government has the devil

......and he's now awake!

Point of View

In several English composition classes across the country, teachers are referring to point of view (pov) as a story telling tool. If that is the case then Konrath wields that took like John Henry's mighty hammer. He switches pov on a regular basis going from President Roosevelt to Andy the linguist and even venturing to show the reader the story through the eyes of the unknown creature. Each glimpse a revelation of motivations, it is through the characters' pov that the reader is able the understand the characters and the impact the proceeding events have on each one of their psyches.

Characters, Characters, Characters

In every story there are characters one loves, characters one understands, and characters that one hates. While reading Origin I may not have loved every character, but I understood them. Well, most of them. Although, each one comes from a different background, there is a commonality that keeps them in the subterranean facility. It is through these characters that an other wise science-fiction-like tale weaves in a theme of penance and second chances.

Trailing Me

It has been quite some time since I have read a book that I literally did not want to put down. As this was a printout of the pdf, every moment that I had found me pouring through the 200+ pages. A trail of pages showed my every resting place all day.

All in all I LOVED this book. It's actually a little daunting to find something so engaging, still not have the support of a publishing house. Almost makes me want to destroy my net book and burn my legal pads (almost.)

In any case, pick up this novel for free at J.A Konrath's website here. Maybe if word gets around of how much readers enjoy this novel, Mr. Konrath can finally get this thing sold.

I am pleased to post that this book gets 5 out of 5 Coca Cola Bottles. The very first book to do so on this blog!!!!

Happy Reading!!

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Morality By: Stephen King

If contemporary writers were rock stars then there would be no King like Stephen King. Having read several of his novels I have found that what he does best are short stories. As I perused Target a magazine caught my eye. The July edition of Esquire featured a new short story by the rock star writer. Excited at the prospect of reading new fiction by Mr. King I purchased the magazine and at first chance dove right into the story.

The story follows a married couple, Chad & Nora Callahan. Struggling financially like most Americans at this time, the couple must consider whether or not they are willing to take on a most unusual request. By agreeing to comply with the wish of an elderly man they would receive $200,000. However, they must weigh the consequences of this transaction and decide ultimately if the money is truly worth the price they will have to pay.

Once again Stephen King has proven himself to be a master story teller. Limited by the typical short story restraints there are no pages of unnecessary details as found in the monstrosity that was Dreamcatcher. Instead we have a story that causes the reader to venture through the paragraphs to discover the details of the odd request. One is also left to wonder what decision he/she would have made under similar circumstances. Mr. King has raised some very interesting questions in morality at a time when most people are trying to make money in any possible way by any means.


All in all I would recommend this story to a friend. Sadly, I have discovered that the story could be read without purchasing the magazine from the Esquire.com website here

I would rate this story 3.5 our of 5 Coca Cola bottles.

Happy Reading!

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The Society of S By: Susan Hubbard

I love book stores!

One of the greatest things about going to a book store is when one just happens upon a book that becomes an incredible find. The Society of S was that book that I happened across while trying to decide between Aldous Huxley's The Island or The Doors of Perception.

Upon first glance I was put off by the book's lack of synopsis. The book was a paperback with the back featuring only reviews from various sources and the front, a black background with smoke. There was nothing to give the potential reader an idea of what they may be getting into with this book.In any case, I started reading and before I knew it, I forgot all about Huxley and his acid induced revelations on the true nature of society.

The Society of S follows Ariella Montero as she lives her strange but sheltered life in Saratoga Springs. Home schooled by her scientist father, Ari is exposed to an array of subject from Plato to Poe, Biology to Botany and everything in between. However, there are certain subjects that are kept away from Ari. Secrecy shrouds her father's pressing experiments and mystery abounds in all matters relating to her missing mother.

This book kept me on my toes. Unlike some novels with a tendency to drag a reader through the motions of a plot, this one pulled me into the story. Hubbard's descriptions were on point as I sat in a room during one of Ari's lessons with her father. No filler or unnecessary details could be found. Although, I did become suspicious, I would have originally never suspected the ailment Ari's father suffers to which she is genetically pre-disposed. Character development in the protagonist was in keeping with that of a young woman wiser than her years in all matters found in text books but naive in the ways of the world. As such, by using Ari's point of view what may appear as mundane to the reader is seen as different and the simply bad, sinister.

It has been difficult to review this book while keeping all the plot's secrets and surprises in tact. Just goes to show some people knew what they were doing by keeping the book's cover very simple and keeping the story line underwraps.

So much for not judging a book by it's cover.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 Coca Cola bottles.

Happy Reading!

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The Surrogtates By: Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele

Continuing in the vein of "the year of summer movies," I was searching for new trailers online one night. A movie that came across was for The Surrogates This film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, did not compel me to want to see the movie. However, the the plot seemed interesting, and as such I decided to give the graphic novel a try.

The year is 2054 and life in the United States is "lived" much differently these days. Individuals that you work with, friends that you hang out with, even the person that you date may not be as they appear. Thanks to VSL, people can "live" their lives through the use of human-looking androids (surrogates) from the safety of their home.

Usage of such technology results in many staggering benefits. Law enforcement officials no longer die in the line of duty. Job offers are based more on merit as individuals can change their outward appearance to match employer expectations. Crime is down and the economy is up. Life is good.

Then a series of crimes are committed and the murder's m.o appears to be targeting surrogates. Someone has a vendetta against the very technology that makes life livable. It could very well be the Dreds, a group of humans led by The Prophet, who live on the brink of society due to their beliefs that shun the surrogate way of life. It's up to police lieutenant Harvey Greer to sift through the clues and find the culprit before life as it is known is destroyed.

This novel grabs the reader from the beginning and does not let go until the very last page. Robert Vendetti does wonders with this storyline. The characters are fully developed as needed considering the use of robotic substitutes, and the dialogue is very believable and not the hyperbolic syntax that usually riddle the speech bubbles of graphic novels. In addition to the motif of man and machine, there is a touching story of humanity. A perfect example of such humanity is Greer's struggles to reconnect with his distant, constantly "linked-in" wife.

A graphic novel cannot be reviewed with out mention of the artwork (or graphics). Illustrator Brett Weldele paints images of a world ensconced in anonymity due to the usage of surrogates. His details are best observed in the depictions of The Prophet and his hierarchy of henchmen.

All in all this graphic novel speaks volumes to the subject of ethics in the usage of technology, it's ability to improve one's quality of life, and the price that must be paid to maintain this type of life. However, the reader is not banged over the head with this or any other message. Instead, one is pulled into this futuristic world, taken through a thrill of a ride and left begging for more.

I give this piece a 4.5 out of 5 Coca Cola bottles.

Happy Reading!

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Angels & Demons by: Dan Brown

Day 9 - January 9, 2009
Originally uploaded by mkvanderlofske

This has been the year of the summer movie for me. My desire to see one movie results in me seeing various trailers for another movie that causes me to want to see that movie and so on until my entire summer calendar is filled with movies that I plan on watching. One trailer that constantly bombarded me was the film adaptation of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons. After the 5th viewing of the trailer, and upon the insistence of my friends (the avid Dan Brown followers) I decided to give the novel a try.


Angels & Demons is the prequel to Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code It introduces Dr. Robert Langdon, a Harvard University professor and an renowned expert in the field of religious symbiology. Awaken at the crack of dawn but a mysterious phone call, followed by a grotesque fax featuring the amibgram logo of an ancient satanic cult, Langdon is soon on the chase of a killer working to revive a forgotten grudge. The enmity resulting in century long feuds amongst the intellectuals and the spiritualists all boils down to science versus religion and this feud has turned deadly.

Brown should be given credit where credit is due. His storyline is incredible and his ability to develop codes in symbols through European art adds to his engaging plot. However, very little can be said for his style of writing. There were moments when I was swept away by the tale, unable to do more than devour each page as I sat spellbound. Then at times I felt like it was a chore just to try to make it to the end of the line. It was almost as if, the author realized that most of the plots was revealed in the earlier chapters and yet he needed time to fill before bringing the reader to the dénouement.

One of my favorite moments in this book was the monologue given by the Carmelengo. The rhetoric used was so stirring that even I (a non-Catholic) was deeply moved.

All in all I would say this book was not bad. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 Coca Cola Bottles.

Happy Reading!

Because Everything Goes Well with A Coke

Coca-Color
Originally uploaded by Vicr of Flickr

I am instituting a new rating system when writing my book reviews. Every book will be rated on a scale of 1-5 Coke bottles. Here is the breakdown:

1 Coke Bottle: Waste of paper
2 Coke Bottles: Decent door stopper
3 Coke Bottles: Not bad. Recommended for killing time on long car trips and the like.
4 Coke Bottles: Really good. Might result in one going without sleep for a few nights.
5 Coke Bottles: Incredible.

I hope this system is easy to follow. Bear in mind, my reviews are subjective. For those wondering why I used Coke bottles as a measure of greatness, it's because everything goes well with a Coke.

Happy Reading!

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