Mark Martinez

Yippee ki-yay, m**f**r! Die Hard is another movie I've seen over and over again without reading the book it was based on. Well, the book is as hard charging as the movie. Former detective Joe Leland has more baggage than John McClane and things don't go as well for everyone in the prose version, but it's definitely a good read.

I saw the movie based on this book at the local drive-in theater when it first came out in 1973. Many viewings later I realized there was a book and it only took me 44 years to find a copy. My reaction? Wow, some seriously racist characters who would be right at home in Trump's brave new ‘Merica of 2017! The screenplay took liberties with the original story to make Charley Varrick a much more appealing protagonist. I won't spoil what happens to him in the book, but I will say that there is a bowling ball involved.

Detective Senior Inspector O'Yee does the Government Bug Man a solid! Definitely one of the good guys.

Will Trump eclipse Kim Jong-un in the cult of personality department?

A fun read, but I couldn't keep up with all the geek references.

Terrific story.

This was a tough but fascinating mecha ride into an alternate history hell. Could this happen in our timeline?

I got a kick out of this book. It wasn't quite what I expected. Color me surprised and entertained.

A fast-thinking, capable woman, Jackie Nolan is a hijacker with a conscience. Caught between several homicidal parties interested in a semi-trailer full of stolen guns, she has to keep the guns from falling into the wrong hands, stay alive, and most importantly, keep her Mom safe. Author Steve Brewer, an expert in fast-paced, breezy crime thrillers, delivers again, and throws in an interesting tour of Albuquerque's main drags, with a few side streets to sweeten the pot. Nice job!

Nice blend of Sherlockian and Lovecraftian mythos.

What a fascinating set of characters! The book was difficult to put down.

Geralt of Rivia is an intriguing character. I liked this collection of short stories with a framing thread. I guess this means I have to buy more books!

Harry Holy, as the Aussies call him, is an interesting character. The story moves along at a fast pace, broken up by Harry's introspective examination of past events in his life. I'm not certain I like this fellow, but I don't know enough about him yet, so I'll move on to the next book in the series and learn more.

A fast-paced slingshot ride with all the right grace notes.

A clever short tale written for the 2012 Olympics, but the 2016 Olympics are about to start, so it's a good time to get caught up.

Astonishing dinosaur battles, characters to cheer on, characters that need a severe beatdown, and Shiraa searching for her mommy! An exciting read that isn't over yet.

With each new Laundry novel, Stross blends eldritch and modern day horrors in amusing and alarming ways. He also manages to weave present day politics and paranoia into his stories. I think that's what makes them so entertaining. A terrific read!

An entertaining opening for a series. I can see time travel and alien space ships all rolled into one story arc, appealing to young readers. The edition I read was revised by the author, updating the story with real world events like the US landing on the moon.

This novel was first published over 30 years ago, but still has an impact today with its discussion of artificial intelligence, corporate culture and nationalism. Milán also does a deep dive into bushido. This aspect of the book drives the story, but could easily be brought into the present, with some of the new and very different influences in today's global economy. Interesting book.

Thrilling military fantasy! The series is done, but Temeraire still has work to do. Maybe we'll get a political thriller someday.

A powerful examination of geek culture today and how all of us can do better. Read it!

Xenomorphs gone wild! This one is slick with acid blood, oily white blood, flourescent green blood, and red blood. One more book in the trilogy.

Appealing characters; the narrative always moving forward; I'll be back for more.

Cornell manages to blend pop culture, the torments of Hell, and procedural policing in a very entertaining tale. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

What an odd book! Part travelogue, part spy manual, part political debate about Democracy vs Communism, and all speculation about Khrushchev's failed plans to rule world. Mair wrote a series of spy novels after this book was published, but could any part of this tale be true? Will we ever know?