"The Phone Company", by David Jacob Knight

This is one weird book I never was able to get into, oh yes I tried many times after putting it down telling myself that I wasn’t in the correct mood for a bizarre, kind of nightmarish read. In effect, from my perspective this turned fast into a slow and far too dragging horror to pick my interest from the start and hold it all through….I never reached the end…..

The premise is original: a cellphone service company bestows cellphones on the citizen in a small town but the phones are evil…. What follows is creepy. All through we have lunacy and strangeness happening with phones taking over the lives of the residents….

Although this book was no meant for me it may be yours. I am not saying the plot is not a well-written one and the characters not interesting. It simply this kind of story that never gelled and I simply abandoned it half through… My take on this book may not give a fair assessment but it is the way I see it……

"The Martian", by Andy Weir

This story is pure science fiction, both funny and thrilling at the same time and one of those sharp story heavily laced with geeky details. This story will probably please most fans that are into hard sci-fi genre but may leave some readers questioning themselves whether this book was worth the time spent reading it…..The story follows an American astronaut, Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars and must improvise in order to survive.

There is too much techno sci-fi, mumble-jumble for my taste and long passages where Watney calculates how far he can get, how much water and food he needs but what makes these passages digestible is how the author has lighten the mood by letting his protagonist muse about his situation as a space pirate using unconventional methods to survive (hilarious at times). Of course there is tension found, the pages are filled with catastrophic failures and risks managing decisions. The plot keeps on moving with one random disaster after another and Watney faces each problem as it arises with admirable savvy and technical know-how. The protagonist is an engaging character although I found his development to be rather static throughout his ordeal. No signs of emotional and psychological impact from the experience at all. The story is set in the present and is narrated in alternate voices by the astronaut, mission control desk managers, mission crew and by a third person’s point of view. All account is vivid and very visual….not surprising it is now on the big scene.

I have mixed feelings about this gritty survivalist tale, sometime captivated and at other simply bored to death…..Although ”The Martian” may have an amazing story reading it was a tedious task at times.

"Desecration", by J.F. Penn

Book 1, in The London Psychic trilogy

Set in London England this mystery/thriller features detective Jamie Brooke and psychic researcher Blake Daniel. In tome 1 Jamie investigates the murder of an heiress whose mutilated body was found at the Royal College of Surgeons. 

Morbid to no end, this story has a most original topic of life and death. As the two protagonists delve into the macabre world of grave robbery, body modification and genetic engineering we explore the dark side of human behavior and depravity. The story is harrowing, shocking and very graphic. Although highly fictionalized, the drama deals with unique themes of dissection and teratology. The author not only tried but did capture the feeling of horror and one’s reaction to tortures, body parts and the use of plastinated cadaver for art. It is also evident the author’s obsession with the supernatural and the macabre: flesh dissected on a person laying on a table….creepy. Exploration into vivisection and Mengele’s interests in genetic are also themes well covered. Intensive research was put in the making of this story.

Putting this aside, Ms. Penn has taken great liberties with Jamie as an investigator and her side kick the psychic. Their joint effort was captivating and offered an eerie journey I rarely take. I loved this book simply engrossing and totally fascinating. “Desecration “is richly written, has strong characterization and has a hell of a story to tell.

Although I received a copy from the author “This is the way I see it” and in no way was I influenced by the offer.