Dean Koontz - Dead and Alive

Finally after three years of waiting I have wrapped up the Dean Koontz Frankenstein trilogy!

For those who don't know the third book was due to be released a couple of years back but Koontz' writing about the world coming to an end in New Orleans co-incided with Hurricane Katrina. He decided that it would be a little tastelesss to release the conclusive book so it was held back.

For those who don't know the background to the series, Koontz provides his own take on the Frankenstein tale. Victor Helios - aka Frankenstein - is alive and well and busy building a super "New" Race to replace humanity. However his plans go awry as his creations begin to suffer a series of "malfunctions" and he rapidly begins to lose control.

New Orleans is on the brink of collapse and the only thing standing between the pending havoc are two police detectives and Helios' first creation who has come back to extract revenge.

The book itself was very readable and I got through it quite quickly but I felt it lacked some of the intrigue and punch of the first two books. The conclusion wasn't bad but felt a bit disjointed in getting there. I almost got the sense that Koontz had put in too many characters (presumably to emphasise the havoc) and it all fell apart a bit.

I was almost expecting a tale of running gun battles in the street as the Old Race defended themselves against the New Race but it didn't quite build up enough urgency to get to that point.

Title: Dead or Alive - Book 3
Author: Dean Koontz
ISBN: 978-0-00-720311-6

Rated the book a 3 out of 5 but the first two books are essential reading.

You can buy the book online for R95 or follow the Loot banners on the right hand side of the blog.

Kathy Reichs - 206 Bones

Admittedly I was a little distracted when I read 206 Bones by Kathy Reichs, but truth be told I didn't have a cooking clue what was happening throughout the book.

I won't say that I am a Reichs fan but at least the books are normally tolerable and allow for some brain-dead entertainment - unfortunately not in this case. I am a simple guy and when there are too many characters it all goes pear-shaped for me and in this case there were FAR too many characters... maybe just because there were bloody French names and guys whose aliases were based on beer brand-names?

I dunno - I just didn't get into it at all. Having said that my wife said she got a kick out of the whole medical side of the story so uh don't be shy to get a second opinion.

Below is the synopsis for the book from one of the online retailers. It makes it sound a little more exciting than it really was, but I guess to each their own:

Tempe regains consciousness and discovers that she is in a very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

She and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy -- and the case. Someone made an incriminating phone call. Within hours, the one man with information about the call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third.

Seamlessly weaving between Tempe's present-tense terror as she's held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs conveys the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab.

Title: 206 Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
ISBN: 978-0-434-01469-9

If you would like to waste your money you can buy this book online from online retailer Loot for R177 but I rated it a 1 out of 5

Devils Peak - Deon Meyer

Devil's Peak is the second Deon Meyer title that I have read in the last couple of months and my opinions of the first title have been reinforced.

The book opens with Thobela Mpayipheli watching his son killed in a armed robbery. After learning the killers have slipped through the legal system, he decides to take action and armed with an assegai he begins seeking out those who have harmed children.

Dubbed "Artemis" by the media he evokes strong support from the community who finally identify a vigilante who is bringing the criminals to book.

But this doesn't sit well with inspector Benny Griessel, a drunk but brilliant South African detective who is looking to bring Artemis down.

The reader is taken on a thrilling chase as Griessel pursues Artemis hoping to catch him before he kills somebody else.

Devil's Peak is an entertaining crime thriller that brings a very South African flavour to readers. The story itself is tightly wound together and the word "compact" seems to be the best way to describe the book. There are no wasted characters and those characters which do feature in the story are developed fluently and with ease.

There is also a more than handy twist or two at the end of the story which will keep the readers enthralled to the end.

Title: Devils Peak

Author: Deon Meyer

ISBN: 978-0-340-82266-1

A nice compact and easy to read story with some twists in the tail. Rated the book a three out of five.

You can buy this title online from retailer Loot for R91. Follow hyperlink or banner right.

The International Rugby Encyclopedia

With the Currie Cup coming down to "the business end" I thought this book would be quite a nice one to highlight courtesy of Fanatics:

The International Rugby Encyclopedia is meticulously compiled and has been 18 years in the making. This book is the complete international rugby encyclopedia that presents every single recognized international rugby game ever played since 1871 when Scotland took on England. It is well illustrated and structured, featuring stories on the great players to have graced the game, the great matches to have captivated the crowds and the great stadiums to have hosted these internationals, as well as a plethora of rugby trivia.

You can buy the book online or at your nearest Exclusive Books store for R399.

About the Author
Andrew de Klerk, with his almost pathological passion for rugby, was born in 1979, and grew up in Grahamstown where Saturday-morning rugby matches were strongly attended and vociferously supported by the locals. He was educated at St Andrew’s, Graeme College and Rhodes University in Grahamstown. He has a BSc (Hons) in Geology. Andrew is an avid bird-watcher and loves the bush (he once spent a year as a game ranger at Mala Mala near the Kruger National Park). He is a member of the Geological Society of South Africa, is married and now lives in Johannesburg.

Books for girls!

As a father to two young daughters, one of the trickiest things is trying to find girls books that they will like.

Part of the problem is not knowing much about what authors would appeal to them and I think the folks over at Fanatics may have solved a part of this dilemma with their latest mailer.

The Little Princess
The Little Princess is an enduring classic and must-read for all young girls. Hilary McKay brings this much-loved story back to life in her own classic and inimitable style. Wishing for Tomorrow, told in Hilary Mackay’s unique light and witty style is a warm and touching as well as hilarious.

Wishing for Tomorrow
In Wishing for Tomorrow Hilary McKay revisits Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies after the events of A Little Princess and Sara Crewe’s happily ever after. But Sara is much missed - and most acutely by best friend Ermengarde, who laments that ‘nothing is the same as it was before’.

But life must go on at Miss Minchin’s as new friendships are made, rivalries continued, lessons learned and, most importantly, fairytale endings are had.

Fifa 10

For anyone who has been following our bestseller list you will see that Fifa 10 has proven to be a popular choice with gamers over the last week.

As we normally we do we stick up the game and invite readers of the blog to post their views on the game as a guideline to other readers and gamers out there.

Below is the write-up for the game from the retailers:

Last year's game topped the league and now the all-new FIFA 10 is looking to defend its title as the number one football action game.

Brand new this year is the 360 degree dribbling system, giving you the most precise control ever. There are also changes to how the defensive line is formed, as well as improvements to crosses, freekicks and goalkeepers (who can now receive red cards).

Naturally the game retains its hugely successful on and offline multiplayer modes, with new options and better stability for online play. The manager mode has also seen a massive update to make it just as deep and complex as the main game. With all these new features and more EA Sports are betting on FIFA remaining the champions for a long time to come.

You can buy the game online from retailer Loot or follow the banners on the right hand side of the blog.

Hot games - 2009/10/11

Another Sunday is here and as our regular readers know, we like to provide an update on what the bestselling games are on the various online retail platforms.

Fifa 10 appears to be a popular choice with gamers this weekend!

CNA
1. The Fast & The Furious - Tokyo Drift (PS2)
2. Madden NFL 2010 - (Xbox)
3. Fifa 10 (PSP)
4. Fifa 10 (Xbox)
5. Need for Speed: Shift (Xbox)
6. Grand Theft Auto - Vice City Platinum (PSP)
7. Ben 10 Protector of the Earth (PS2)
8. God of War - Chains of Olympus (PSP)
9. Need for Speed - Undercover (PS2)
10. Need for Speed - Pro Street (PSP)

Take2:
1. Guitar Hero 3 Stand Alone Guitar (Xbox 360)
2. Need For Speed: Shift (PC DVD-ROM)
3. Guitar Hero 3 Stand Alone Guitar (PS3)
4. Fallout 3: Game Add-On Pack 2: Broken Steel and Point Lookout (PC DVD-ROM) - *Original Fallout 3 game required to use expansion packs
5. Need For Speed: Shift (PS3)
6. FIFA 2010 (Xbox 360)
7. EA SPORTS Active Accessory Pack (Wii)
8. Two Worlds - Game Of The Year Edition (PC DVD-ROM) - Includes Two Worlds plus Tainted Blood Add-On (plus 1.5 Gig Patch)
9. FIFA 10 Limited Edition Adidas Soccer Ball Pack (PS3)
10. FIFA 2010 (PS2)

Kalahari.Net
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - PS3
2. Wii Sports Resort and Motion Plus - Nintendo Wii
3. Fifa 10 - Xbox 360
4. Need For Speed: Shift - PS3
5. Fifa 10 - PS2
6. Fifa 10 with Adidas Kopanya Soccer Ball - PS3
7. Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - PC
8. The Sims 3 - PC
9. Need For Speed: Shift - PC
10. Fifa 10 - PC

Amazon.com
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - PS3
2. Wii Fit Plus - Nintendo Wii
3. Limited-Edition Wii Sports Resort Bundle with Two Wii MotionPlus - Nintendo Wii
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox360
5. Halo 3: ODST - Xbox360
6. New Super Mario Bros - Nintendo Wii
7. Demon's Souls w/ Artbook & Soundtrack CD - PS3
8. Demon's Souls Deluxe Edition w/ Artbook & Soundtrack CD - PS3
9. Fallout 3: Game of The Year Edition - Xbox360
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - PS3

Bestsellers - 2009/10/11

It's that time of the week where we check out the online retailers to find out what book titles are hot with shoppers.

Looking at the CNA list the things like the Guiness World Records and Top of Everything for 2010 could be nice Christmas presents!

CNA
1. Act like a lady, think like a man
2. Guiness World Records 2010
3. Ena Murray - Omnibus - 23
4. Top of everything - 2010
5. Matters of the heart
6. Alex Cross's trial
7. Stiletto
8. Eclipse
9. Breaking Dawn
10. The lost symbol

Exclusive Books:
1. The Lost Symbol
2. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man
3. Spud - Learning to Fly
4. New Moon
5. Architects of Poverty
6. Breaking Dawn
7. Outliers
8. Eclipse
9. Screw It, Lets Do IT
10. Twilight

Take2:
1. The Lost Symbol - Brown, Dan
2. Covet - Ward, J. R.
3. Born of the Night - Kenyon, Sherrilyn
4. Unseen Academicals - Pratchett, Terry
5. Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest - Larsson, Stieg
6. New Moon - Meyer, Stephenie
7. Breaking Dawn - Meyer, Stephenie
8. Dark Curse - Feehan, Christine
9. Vampire Diaries, V. 1, Bks. 1 & 2 - Smith, L.J.
10. Eclipse - Meyer, Stephenie

Kalahari.Net
1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest - Stieg Larsson
2. The Gabriel Method: The Revolutionary Diet-Free Way to Totally Transform Your Body - Jon Gabriel
3. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
4. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
5. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
6. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
7. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
8. Jesus Van Nasaret - Sakkie Spangenberg
9. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
10. The Unseen Academicals - Terry Pratchett

Amazon.com
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days - Jeff Kinney
2. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
3. Going Rogue: An American Life - Sarah Palin
4. Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and the government - Glenn Beck
5. Wolf Hall: A Novel - Hilary Mantel
6. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
7. Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
8. A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories - Charlaine Harris
9. The Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up: Marvel True Believers Retro Collection - Caroline Repchuk
10. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association - American Psychological Association

The Zombie Survival Guide

Every now and then a book title just jumps out and you and demands that you take a closer look. I was looking at the Loot website this morning and this one caught my eye:

The Zombie Survival Guide - Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks


Write up:
Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
From the Stone Age to the information age, the undead have threatened to engulf the human race. They're coming. They're hungry.
Don't wait for them to come to you!
This is the graphic novel the fans demanded: major zombie attacks from the dawn of humanity. On the African savannas, against the legions of ancient Rome, on the high seas with Francis Drake . . . every civilization has faced them. Here are the grisly and heroic stories-complete with eye-popping artwork that pulsates with the hideous faces of the undead.
Organize before they rise!
Scripted by the world's leading zombie authority, Max Brooks, "Recorded Attacks" reveals how other eras and cultures have dealt with-and survived-the ancient viral plague. By immersing ourselves in past horror we may yet prevail over the coming outbreak in our time.

If any one has read the book please give me some feedback but it looks like a really good, quirky book.

In Odd we Trust - Dean Koontz

Upfront I bought this book by accident.... well sort of.

I am an avid Dean Koontz fan and will buy any of his books when they hit the shelves - I just wasn't counting on a comic (or as they term it a "graphic novel") when I bought it.

The idea of reading a comic was something that I thought I was passed and it turned out I was right - the format holds no appeal for me as a title and I'll definately have to double check the next Dean Koontz I buy is not a comic.

Having said that I am sure there are probably many young teenagers who have yet to experience the brilliance of Koontz and might find this a good way to check out whether or not they like the author and the genre.

"In Odd We Trust" features the brilliant Odd Thomas character - a teenager who can see the dead - including the ghost of Elvis Presley. Odd Thomas is probably one of the best characters I have ever come across (in the other Koontz novels not the comic type).

Title: In Odd We Trust
Author: Dean Koontz

Synopsis
When the sad specter of a very frightened boy finds its way to him, Odd vows to root out the evil suddenly infecting the sunny streets of Pico Mundo. But even with his exceptional ability-plus the local police and his pistol-packing girlfriend, Stormy, backing him-is Odd any match for a faceless stalker who's always a step ahead . . . and determined to kill again?

You can buy this book online from retailer Loot (follow URL or banner right) for R85

Rated the book (Comic?!) a 2 out of 5

"The Help" picks up coveted Boeke Award

Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help, swept the boards at the 2009 Exclusive Books Boeke Prize Awards, held yesterday at a glamorous lunch for bibliophiles at Pomodoro in the new Morningside Shopping Centre.

The awards were the culmination of a six week competition in which top book reviewers and Exclusive Books Fanatics members were asked to read the following six shortlisted titles and to then vote for their favourite reads:

• The Help, Kathryn Stockett
• Testimony, Anita Shreve
• The Angel’s Game, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
• The Children’s Book, A.S Byatt
• The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, Reif Larsen
• The Help stole Fanatics and journalists’ hearts, scooping first place by a large margin of over 40% of the votes, followed by The Angel’s Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and The Children’s Book, by A.S Byatt in third place.

To celebrate the winner of the 2009 Boeke Award, Fanatics members will earn 350 bonus points when you purchase The Help until 18th October.

The Help is set in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi, a place where lines are clearly drawn and never crossed. A place where black women, like wise Aibileen and sassy Minny, raise white babies and cook in kitchens while white madams play bridge or belong to the Junior League where bossy bullies, like Hilly, rule the roost. It is a place where black women have no voice and where the likes of Hilly decide who is allowed into society circles and who should be snubbed. But Jackson is also a place where things are starting to change...

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women--mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends--view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the rules by which we abide, and those we don't.

“Kathryn Stockett’s ‘The Help’ has significant resonance for those brought up in SA, often spending a great deal of time being brought up by black ‘nannies’ or ‘help’. The complex and complicated relationships between these women, their employers and their charges are skilfully drawn and the many issues that emerge are dealt with courageously” - Fiona Ramsay

“The Help features a moving examination of themes most South Africans are only too familiar with.” - Bruce Dennill, The Citizen

About the Author
Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing and marketing for nine years. She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and daughter. The Help is Kathryn’s first novel and is garnering the most amazing reviews from around the world. Visit http://www.kathrynstockett.com/

www.fanatics.co.za

Championship Manager - 2010 - Game review

I finally got my hands on an updated Championship Manager on Friday when I bought the Championship Manager 2010 Special Edition for PC.

The Championship Manager I bought was the 2006 version of the game, so I wasn't totally sure what to expect with the new version.

Some of the new features include:

# 3D Match Engine
Championship Manager 2010's match engine has undergone a radical overhaul with the prize, a bespoke fully-animated match engine. Created entirely in-house at CM headquarters and designed specifically to bring the management experience to life, the manager now has the perfect viewpoint from which to observe their Matchday instructions taking place on the pitch.

# News & Media
A whole range of messaging in the game enables you to have far greater access to information and news from within the game's world of football. Broadcasting real media references, the latest CM news system delivers in a wide variety of ways. The user gets all the information and all the news that's relevant to their game.

I'll be honest that I found it a little clunky to navigate in certain places but that could possibly be that I am simply used to the old interface.

Far more detail goes into the game and the 3D match engine I found makes you spend a lot more time focus on the game itself. I know with the 2006 game I ramped it up speed wise and didn't focus on much beyond the result and a few casual substitutions.

In some days I could do a season in a day or two. The new engine makes you focus far more on match day and for instance it has taken me two days and I am only halfway through my first season.

You can buy the game online from retailer Loot for R406.00 (follow hyperlink or banner right) which is a R53 discount to the retail price at the shops.

Rated the game a four out of five but with the caveat that the game is only for the serious Championship Manager fans - definately a title to add to the collection though with Christmas around the corner!