The Sunday Salon: Because it’s Sunday and salon-like
Currently, I’ve got my ears and nose inside a couple of books: BOOMSDAY, by Christopher Buckley, and SLIDE, by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr.
I have to admit that I’m not sold yet on BOOMSDAY. Granted, it’s the audio version so I’m not sure whether it’s the story itself or the reader, Janeane Garofalo. She’s just okay, mostly because she doesn’t do voices and parts very well. When she reads, all the characters tend to sound exactly alike… although that’s not what she’s going for.
The story itself, that of a pissed off blogger/congressional aide who tries to take back the Social Security system (and thereby triggering a class war between baby boomers and Gen X/Y/Z-ers), is laugh-out-loud funny in points. That’s a good thing, considering Buckley’s a, you know, satirist.
But I can’t help think that, if I had the print book instead, it wouldn’t pass the 100-page test.
On the other had, SLIDE is exactly what I’d hoped it’d be. It’s an excellent follow-up to Bruen’s and Starr’s fantastic first collaboration for Hard Case Crime, called BUST. If you don’t know either Bruen or Starr’s writing, they’re both masters of thinking up the most degenerate shit to put people through and then getting it on the page.
Somehow they manage to top themselves each time, whether it’s a solo book or one of these co-written novels. These guys are among the reigning kings of the darkest of dark noir. And it’s not just because they’re so twisted… they really do tell a damn fine story.
It just happens that this one’s about a computer networks salesman (turned crack dealer) from New York, a kidnapping/serial killing sociopath from Ireland, and the kink-loving, sex addicted woman they have in common.
And in other news…
I changed the theme again. I liked the one that debuted on January 2, but it required too much tweaking and customizing to get it the way I wanted it. I just didn’t have the patience.
On the other hand, the one I’m using now—The Journalist, by Lucian Marin—puts the focus on the content (like I like) while making customizations simpler to implement. Except for, that is, a small issue on the Downloads page.
There’re still a couple things left to do, but they’re mostly minor. At any rate, like I did the last time, I’d appreciate it if you could offer some feedback.
Tags: Christopher Buckley, hard-case-crime, Jason Starr, Ken-Bruen, The Sunday Salon
Sphere: Related Content
I’m afraid I’m not familiar with Ken Bruen or Jason Starr, but it sounds like I ought to be. I will have to be on the look out for both authors.
I have never listened to an audio book, but I imagine the narrator would play a big part in whether the book goes over well to the listener.
Sunday January 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Absolutely the reader plays a part in an audiobook. I haven’t heard them, but I’m told the Harry Potter audiobooks are marvelous because the reader is so good.
I recently finished Joe Hill’s HEART-SHAPED BOX on audio and I thought the reader was simply captivating. He read each character—and there were about seven—with distinct voices and inflection. You knew who was speaking at every moment.
Thanks for coming by and welcome to The Salon.
Sunday January 6th, 2008 at 5:30 pm