valites.net

Last night I completed Again to Carthage, the sequel to the legendary novel Once a Runner, both by John L. Parker, Jr. I’d seen Once a Runner mentioned in quite a few places, but have yet to read it since it’s currently not in print. Used copies are highly sought after and can currently be found used on Amazon starting at $244! I purchased Again to Carthage from the Buffalo Fleet Feet several days after reading a good review on it in the November issue of Runners World. At the time I asked one of the owners if he had a copy of Once a Runner & was informed he did, but that it was currently lent to a friend. After finishing Again to Carthage, I might have to head back and see if I can get in line to borrow it.

(more…)

Yesterday I finished another Palahniuk book - Invisible Monsters. This was my fifth Palahniuk book, and I found it to be by far his most twisted and wild one. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like to be inside his head. The story started a little slow, but the last two thirds was full of great surprises that were both unanticipated, yet that made perfect sense - not unlike the surprise in The Sixth Sense.

(more…)

Most of the reading I do tends to be exclusivley fiction, technical and outdoors related. This past Christmas my mother gave me a book titled Joseph Bennet and the Growing of New York’s Niagara Frontier. It was written by Kevin Siepel, whose family my family has known since we were children. The first page of the book is even signed with best wishes to me!

(more…)

I just finished up Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. He’s best known for authoring Fight Club, but I’ve also read Choke and Lullaby. His Invisible Monsters is next on the list after I finish the book I’m currently on.

If you haven’t read Palahniuk before, be warned - he’s different. His characters and style remind me of what I saw in Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, with the minor exception that I don’t put down a Palahniuk book after a couple dozen pages…

(more…)