Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Dante Club - Matthew Pearl

The Dante Club: A Novel The Dante Club: A Novel by Matthew Pearl


My review


rating: 1 of 5 stars
I don't even know what to say. Too many words. Boring, slow, predictable. Do not bother.


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Friday, August 15, 2008

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote (Audio)

In Cold Blood In Cold Blood by Truman Capote


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. I listened to this on this audio book while driving back and forth from Portland to Seattle. I was riveted. Truman Capote does a great job of really developing all the characters and painting a picture of the town and lifestyle the of the four victims.



The murderers were incredibly cold blooded and unremorseful. It's surprising that they were caught since they left very few clues. Luckily, a former cellmate of one recognized the name of the victim as someone Dick Hickock planned to rob and provided the authorities with information.



We think of the increase in mass murder today, but according to the book, during the late 50's and early 60's there were multiple murders taking place all across the country. In fact, another family of four were murdered during the time the killers were on the loose.



If you can take the graphic description of the crime, this is a fascinating story.


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Baseball

Fun times. We went to a little league tournament for our grand nephew, Cris. He plays for a team called the Rockhounds from Washington. They were in Hillsboro so the whole gang showed up.








Golf with the brothers

A couple weeks ago, all the Browns gathered for a Little League tournament in Hillsboro. Between games we managed to sneak in a couple rounds of golf. I played with Pat's two oldest brothers and wife (Randy & Laura and Scott) at McKay Creek. What a bargain, $14 for 9 holes. We had a great time. Laura eagled the first hole, Wow! Very fun course, although the greens were a little tricky.

The next day Pat and I played with the same gang at Meriwether Golf Club. We had a great time because of the company, the course was dry (to say the least).



Coulon Park

Next door to our apartment is a wonderful park. It has a swimming beach, canoe and boat launches, and our favorite fish n' chips restaurant, Ivars. The only problem, No Dogs Allowed. That's enough to keep us out most of the time except early morning walks and lunch on the dock.




Seattle Golf

Since being in Seattle, Pat and I have managed to golf a few times. We tried out Newcastle Golf Club and Foster Golf Links.

Foster is the local municipal course. It's quite well maintained and suprisingly, they have a fantastic array of women's golf apparel. The course is short but narrow, which makes it interesting. I look forward to playing it regularly and think I could break 40 on the front 9.



Newscastle's Coal Creek Course has spectacular views of Seattle. Unfortunately, when we golfed it was a tad cool and cloudy, but Seattle was visible in the distance. The course is a bit tricky, lots of ravines and crazy terrain. We haven't tried China Creek yet, but intend to in the next week or so.



Friday, August 01, 2008

The Golden Ocean - Patrick O'Brian

The Golden Ocean The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is the June selection from the Sunriver Book Store's Carol's surprise book club. Patrick O'Brian is famous for his series that was part of the movie Master and Commander, however, this book is not part of the series and was written earlier than that.



I really enjoyed reading about life on a British warship that sailed around the world. Terrible weather, Spanish gold, sinking ships...lots of adventure. Definitely worth the time.


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True Evil - Greg Iles

True Evil True Evil by Greg Iles


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
A friend loaned me this audio book. It certainly kept my attention. An FBI agent suspects that a divorce attorney is in kahoots with a killer who murders his client's spouses to prevent them from having to pay alimony. They appear to be using some sort of biological weapon. No more said...fun, fast read.


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The Prometheus Deception - Robert Ludlum

The Prometheus Deception The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum


My review


rating: 1 of 5 stars
One word...LAME! Don't bother. I listened to this audio book and it was unbelievably uninteresting and predictable. Not sure if it was the abridgement or the book was just terrible.


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