The Bad Influence Speaks

BIS Review: Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter

by Josh Gates

 

“Wind is suddenly screaming into the cockpit of this aging Antonov biplane. Charts and a half-assed, handwritten flight plan whip by my face and through the cockpit door into the main cabin. In the rear of the plane our director of photography, Evan, who has been filming out the open door, is suddenly thrust forward toward the edge of open space, only to be yanked to a stop by his four-point harness. Documents eject past him into oblivion.”

Josh Gates brings his customary wry sense of humor and boyish charm to Memoirs of a Monster Hunter, which tells the story of the Syfy series Destination Truth. For those not familiar with the show, Josh and compatriots travel the world digging into stories of monsters, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night. The book takes the same tone as the series as Josh looks back over their varied misadventures. The opening paragraph above aptly demonstrates the crew’s luck with modes of transportation. It also shows you should not read this book while sitting in an airport or on board a plane especially if you are a nervous flier. (Though that boarding pass does make an appropriate bookmark.)

I forgot about that fact and read it on a flight last week. Even with their horrid travel luck, I struggled not to howl with laughter at some parts and enjoyed remembering favorite investigations. Also included are travel tips and the exhortation that Americans need to step outside their comfort zones and travel more. And he’s not talking about tours where every stop is planned out. Book a hotel, or bed and breakfast somewhere, rent a car, and stop anywhere that looks interesting.*

Even if you aren’t a fan of the show, I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys or is interested in travel adventures. Plus you really can't beat Josh's sense of humor.

You can pick up a copy from Amazon here.

 

BIS Rating: 4 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

 

New episodes of Destination Truth will air in 2012 on Syfy. You can find season one on DVD, all  seasons on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon instant video, and 4.5 on hulu.com.

*My sister and I have done this. A few years ago, we took a week long trip to Wales. We booked B&B’s in both the north and south of the country for several nights each to be used as a home base. Then we flew into London, rented a car, and saw everything that caught our interest. Yes, there were transportation hiccups along the way, but nowhere near as bad as on the show. I mean, the live fire range wasn’t active that day or anything.

BIS Book Review: Smokin' Seventeen

  by Janet Evanovich

 

Stephanie strikes again. While the bonds office is being rebuilt, the gang is working out of Mooner's RV, but the building schedule runs into a few hitches when bodies start appearing in the lot. Meanwhile, on the home front, Stephanie is being pressed to make a decision between Morelli, Ranger, and a new man her mother is trying to set her up with. If life wasn't hard enough, she's even being stalked by Morelli's Grandma Bella.

 

After 17 books, you can expect the plot to get a little formulaic. It happens. Stephanie and Lula get in over their heads, some maniac is after Steph, she rolls around some with Ranger and Morelli, and destroys a car or two. Even with that, this is still an entertaining, feel-good read. I easily finished it in one evening and laughed myself silly a few times. I did agree with Hal though; she's done better at destroying a car.

Ranger fans will like the fact that she spends more time with him in this book. I'm, admittedly, a Ranger girl myself and greatly enjoyed those scenes. I'm considering the appropriate place for the Ranger sticker that came with the book (there's a Morelli sticker as well). Of course, I also don't see why she should have to choose. Her life works for her, well, other than the constant peril.

Although the series has gotten a little routine, I'm still looking forward to 18 (which I think comes out at the end of the year).

 

BIS Rating: 4 of 5 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

 

Buy Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich at Amazon.com.

BIS Book Review: Juliet

by Anne Fortier

 

On the death of her Aunt Rose, Julie Jacobs inherits a key. It is not an ordinary key though.  It is the key Julie's mother was carrying when she was killed in a car accident when Julie and her twin, Janice, were young. Following the path of the key and the contents it is protecting takes Julie on an adventure to Siena, Italy, where she discovers her birth name is Giulietta Tolomei and that she may be related to the original Giulietta upon whom Shakespeare's story is based. Will Julie find the answers to both her and her ancestress's past or will they suffer the same fates along side their Romeos?

 

 I should start with the disclaimer that I read (and watched) Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in high school. It's never been a favorite story of mine.  The whole I must die because my lover is dead thing baffles me. I know, I'm not really a romantic.  My preferred Shakespeare is Much Ado About Nothing. All this being said though, I loved this book.  Anne Fortier married the old story (being told in 1340 Siena) with events taking place (and being influence by the old tale) in modern day Siena.

It is written in a classic gothic style where you will keep questioning which of the player is actually the bad guy. Fortier has filled the novel with twists and turns that will keep her readers on the edge of their seats.  Anyone who loves gothic style romances or good old fashioned mysteries will enjoy this book. It's a roller coaster ride that will keep you guessing until the end.  And that, fellow readers, is the hallmark of a well written book.

 

BIS Rating: 4 nightlights

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed

 

Buy Juliet by Anne Fortier on Amazon

BIS Review: Hellgate

by Linda Fairstein

Hellgate marks the 12 installment of Linda Fairstein's ADA Alex Cooper series, where Alex enters the world of human trafficking, historic homes, New York politics and sex slavery rings. In some ways, Fairstein follows a pattern. A crime occurs (rape with possibly murder added). Detectives and forensics investigates. Jeopardy questions are answered. People interfere with Alex's love life. Roadblocks are hit. Mike dazzles with historical knowledge. Alex almost dies. The guy is caught. For such a brilliant character she stumbles into potentially lethal peril on a frequent basis. While it can be a great plot device, it gets annoying when authors take intelligent female characters with non-dangerous jobs and continually put their lives at risk. At some point, shouldn't the characters learn? Not that it will stop me from reading her books. They are beautifully written and researched. The background Fairstein provides (through Mike) on historic mansions in New York is very detailed.

Concerning the tension between Alex and Mike, it came across as more annoying in this book and he was sending her mixed messages as usual. What Fairstein will be able to do with this, I don't know. It has been an underlying issue throughout the series. If they give in to it, everything will change, and generally, when that happens in a series or show, things go askew. Sometimes it is successful, but inevitably, the focus will change to looking at marriage and family, which I find annoying. Side note: It's not marriage and kids I find annoying but the way mystery novelists that do this change their strong female leads. The tension seems like it cannot go on in this same manner though. We'll see what the next installment will bring on this front.

BIS Rating: 3 nightlights

Amazon.com: Hellgate by Linda Fairstein

BIS Rating system:
1 nightlight = put it down and didn't care to pick it back up
2 nightlights = finished the book
3 nightlights = enjoyed the book but probably wouldn't re-read it
4 nightlights = had a hard time putting the book down
5 nightlights = stayed up way too late to finish instead of going to bed