Showing posts with label Paul Tremblay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Tremblay. Show all posts

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Saturday Book Blog


This week I finished the second Paul Tremblay book featuring the narcoleptic PI, Mark Genevich, called No Sleep Till Wonderland. Just as good as the first book, it may actually be better in some aspects. Now I’m reading the second Charles Finch book, The September Society, whose lead character is the Sherlock Holmesesque Charles Lenox.

So, today I offer another readers’ source, Shelfari. Maybe you’ve noticed my widget that shows what book I’m reading, over to the left of the blog posts. I saw that widget on another blog and thought it would be so cool to have one on mine. I’m always interested in what people are reading. If there’s a photograph in a magazine with books on shelves or coffee tables, I always try to see what the titles are. I figure if I’m nosey, I mean curious, about what other people read, maybe they’ll be interested in what I’m reading, too.

Shelfari is a website for readers with several features. Mostly, I enter what I’m reading, review the book once I’ve finished it and start the next book. But they also have groups you can join, you can make friends to chat about all things books and there’s a blog. It also posts how many books you’ve read this year and last year at the top of your homepage, which I find kinda cool--it’s almost like I’m in competition with my last year’s self.

I love going to yard sales because I get to see a part of town I might not have discovered otherwise. The same is sometimes true for blog posts~to write this post, I’ve delved into Shelfari more than I have in the last year and a half I’ve been on it. I found that if you call up a book, you can get scads of information on it, including the first line, the locations, cast of characters and table of contents. On another tab of the books info page, you’ll find reviews from other readers, as well as discussions and all of the editions of a book that have been issued. So much book info, so little time!


So, if you’re a bookwork like me, take a look at Shelfari. If nothing else, you can use it to track what you’re reading, like I do. And you may find some new books to brighten your day!


Do What You Love!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Saturday Book Review


The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay

A narcoleptic PI from the mean streets of South Boston, written in the noir style of Chandler and Hammett. Intrigued?




Mark Genevich used to be a regular guy, running a small business with occasional trips to Foxwoods casino, until a serious accident left him scarred and narcoleptic. And not just run of the mill narcolepsy. He also has bouts of cataplexy, that leave him awake but unable to move or talk, and hallucinations.

He’s not sure who hired him, what they hired him to do and what photo’s of a current contestant on American Star (think Idol), who’s the daughter of the local DA, have to do with the case. Ellen, his ever patient mother and landlord, does what she can to help him but he’s out to prove that he can actually tackle this puzzle himself. When he realizes that the root of the problem is much closer to home than he could have imagined, he presents himself with challenges he would never have attempted before his mysterious client dropped this ugly dilemma into his lap.

Mark is dark and funny, using references to current events and pop culture to describe his world and attitude. That he continues to want to depend on his own limited abilities to make his way through life is admirable. Ellen makes herself available but doesn’t push and never makes too fine a point about his condition. After 8 years, she takes his sleeping spells and more serious cataplexy attacks in stride, never embarrassing him or assisting too openly. But the mom in her does complain about the cigarette burns on her couch and worries about the way he eats.

I was happy to find out that Paul Tremblay’s publisher’s coaxed him to write another novel about Mark that I immediately put on hold at the library, called No Sleep Till Wonderland. I can’t wait to go on another dark, sarcastic, whiskey-soaked adventure with Mark Genevich.




Places to find Paul Tremblay:


Do What You Love!