The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Series: Hannibal Lecter #2
My rating: Back IT UP


A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname-Buffalo Bill-is stalking women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the FBI Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, chief of the Bureau's Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter-Hannibal the Cannibal-who is kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of The Silence of the Lambs-and ingenious, masterfully written book and an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.

My Thoughts:
As it goes the book is still better than the movie. In this one it was a CLOSE call. It was the first one that could go either way. I loved this book I was hooked on this read.

Harris is such a Master with the way that he can make you skin crawl at times in this book. It is not to say that I liked this masterpiece very much.

I find it kind of funny that the FBI as so desperate to catch a serial killer that is skinner women that they need the help from Hannibal Lecter.He is evil, obviously, Prince-of-Darkness level evil, and he is as good at being evil as Starling is at being good. As they seduce each other, each in their own way, we see each taking what they need from the other and each giving something of themselves in the process.

They send in FBI trainee, Clarice Starling to "interview" Lecter about his thoughts of the case throughout the book. Lecter just says enough to keep the audience on the edge of your seat.   

The book does go into so much more detail about Buffalo Bill compared to the movie. You really find out why he is the way he is in the end.

King of the Nerds

So have you been watching King of the Nerds? I have not missed an episode. I have been enjoying the show here is the jist of it:

Hosted by Robert Carradine(Louis) and Curtis Armstrong(Booger), King of the Nerds is the ultimate nerd-off. The series will follow eleven fierce competitors from across the nerd spectrum as they set out to win $100,000.

Each week, they must face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop culture prowess. In each episode, the nerds will first compete as teams and then as individuals, facing challenges that range from live gaming to a dance-off to life-sized chess. One competitor will be eliminated each week until one nerd stands alone as the ultimate champion off all things nerdy.

How can you not like this show like this.I know you were one of those people that picked on me in high school that is how. I have never been one that was into the whole reality television scene.Like every reality show there has to be drama with all the competitors in the same house.  I do look forward to this show every Thursday.  

Do any of you watch the show, if so what do you think?

The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein

The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein
Series: None
Genre: Light Sci-Fi
Published: 1951
My rating: Save It



I read this book for the 2nd annual Vintage SciFi Month. This event Andrea has been hosting since 2012. I sure do enjoy reading some good old fashion SciFi. It is also nice to see what the author(s) think what the future to them would be like and how off or right on their thoughts were as well.

This is the second Heinlein book that I have read now. My first was The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, I liked that one. I thought that this one was a little better in my opinion. Getting this out of the way I thought that this book was quite a bit like Wells' War of the Worlds. I just cannot believe that this book was wrote 50 years ago. Heinlein was able to dream up cellphones,satellite relay, and other types of technology. I would like one of the cars though. Where can I buy one :)

This book starts off in 2007, and a flying saucer landed in Iowa...yes Iowa of all places.A Hoax. Two agents(Sam and Mary), however, of the U.S. Intellegence agency disappeared while on the scene. Four more agents are sent in, and they disappear. The head of the agency and two of his top agents are sent in and escape with their discovery. The earth is under attack and is being invaded by slug-like aliens who can latch on to a human and totally control his/her mind.

It is interesting to see how the government tries to institutes different "Acts" so the Agency can see whom is affected easier. I cannot imagine going around in the buff for LONG periods of time in public.

What I Liked:  This book was nonstop action and you were not sure what was going to happen on the next page. I was not sure if the solution that Sam's theory was going to work in the end. I thought that it was funny that the marriage license you could choose different durations for it.

What I Disliked:  The thing I did not like about the book was the RH portrays women, but that is where it shows its age.

I will be reading more of RH in the future.

AudioFiles: The Camel Club by David Baldacci

The Camel Club by David Baldacci
My rating: Back It Up


Summary:
Existing at the fringes of Washington, D.C., the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man known as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the 'truth' behind the country's actions. Their efforts bear little fruit--until the group witnesses a shocking murder...and become embroiled in an astounding, far-reaching conspiracy. Not the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacles ever to take place on American soil--and event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes.
 
My Thoughts:
This was the first book I have read by Baldacci and I was impressed to say the least. In this book, it is about a group of misfits that have a club where they try to uncover conspiracies and force the government to acknowledge truth called the Camel Club. Hence the title. I sounds like a group that I would like to be part of :)

The group meets once a month to talk about what they think that the government is hiding from the American people. During one of these meeting, they witness an event that puts them in the middle of a situation that threatens the safety of the country and the world.

I did enjoy this book with the turns and twists that is throws at the reader. There are many different stories happening throughout the book. At times it is a challenge to keep up with the character in the book.

I like it so much that I am starting the second book in the series already.

Console Switch

My wife and I were in town last night and are considering switching game consoles. I have been a Play Station guy for YEARS. We have a Wii, but we are not able to play with it all that much. We discussed possibly buying a Xbox Kinect.

With my wife watching kids the Kinect would be great for 2 years to play and for Wii they would not get confused or frustrated at the game play. The Xbox has many of the game that I play. I do not play that many games that are platform sensitive, such as the Mario Bros series.With the Wii we sometimes have isses with the sense bar not getting our movement.

If we had some spare money I would go with the Star Wars bundle. The system is shaped like R2D2 and I guess it beeps when it is powered up. Now how sweet is that:)

So do any of you have a Kinect? What are you thoughts?

The Pelican Brief by John Grisham

Title:The Pelican Brief
 Author:John Grisham
My rating: Save It

Summary:
In suburban Georgetown a killer's Reeboks whisper on the front floor of a posh home... In a seedy D.C. porno house a patron is swiftly garroted to death... The next day America learns  that two of its Supreme Court justices have been assassinated. And in New Orleans, a young law student prepares a legal brief... To Darby Shaw it was  no more than a legal shot in the dark, a brilliant  guess. To the Washington establishment it was  political dynamite. Suddenly Darby is witness to a murder -- a murder intended for her. Going  underground, she finds there is only one person she can  trust -- an ambitious reporter after a newsbreak  hotter than Watergate -- to help her piece together the deadly puzzle. Somewhere between the bayous of  Louisiana and the White House's inner sanctums, a violent cover-up is being engineered. For somone has read Darby's brief. Someone who will stop at nothing to destroy the evidence of an unthinkable crime
I have been a fan of John Grisham for quite sometime now. It was not a BIG surprise that I liked this book. I just could not put this book down. Although, like I said, the book as a whole was really suspenseful, I thought the end was a bit anticlimatic.
 
My Thoughts:
I have been a fan of John Grisham for quite sometime now. It was not a BIG surprise that I liked this book. I just could not put this book down. I do like the way the finally tied it together.Although, like I said, the book as a whole was really suspenseful, I thought the end was a bit anticlimatic. I kind of had mixed feeling in the end.

I think that most of us would not know what to do of we had some guys out trying to kill us over a brief. Darby does have enough smarts to realize that everyone that comes into contact with the brief she wrote ends up dead.

She finds herself on the run when her brief makes it all the way to the FBI, CIA and the President. There is a lot of killing in this book and Darby realizes she is in danger. This is a real thriller because Darby doesn’t know who to trust. This is one of my top Grisham book, but not my top 5.

The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul

The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul
My rating:Back It Up

Summary: 

This Much Is True: You Have Been Lied To

· The government is expanding.
· Taxes are increasing.
· More senseless wars are being planned.
· Inflation is ballooning.
· Our basic freedoms are disappearing.

The Founding Fathers didn't want any of this. In fact, they said so quite clearly in the Constitution of the United States of America. Unfortunately, that beautiful, ingenious, and revolutionary document is being ignored more and more in Washington. If we are to enjoy peace, freedom, and prosperity once again, we absolutely must return to the principles upon which America was founded. But finally, there is hope . . .
 
My Thoughts:

This is a read that is WAYout of my comfort zone. I figured that I would pick up this book and try to become a more informed voter on the issues that are haunts America today. 

Before reading this book I heard of Ron Paul. I was not that sure who he was and what he stood for. After completing this book I am now a fan of his. In the book he does not jerk your chain and does try to take a different spin on a topic, but it heads the same results. I really enjoyed learning about the purpose of the constitution. I agree with the philosophy of smaller government and more liberty and independence for the people.

In the book he makes you think about the issues that he raises. This is good way for anyone to get into politics. This is a great read for anybody that wants to be a more informed voters in America today.