The Deadhouse by Linda Fairstein

First Published: Scribner, 2001
Edition Read: Pocket Books, 2003
ISBN: 0-671-01954-6
Series: Alexandra Cooper 4
*** Random Book ***

The first sentence of this book was sufficiently fantastic that it made me create a new tag for awesome first sentences. Unfortunately, the rest of the book completely and totally sucked. Also, she ruined the first sentence a few pages later. Yeah, it’s that kind of book – what you thought was good turns into total shite.

The Challenge of Global Capitalism by Robert Gilpin

First Published: Princeton University Press, 2000
Edition Read: Princeton University Press, 2002
ISBN: 0 691 09279 6
**** Random Book ****

Never has so much knowledge been so useless to so many. Oh, no, wait. Yes it has. It happens all the time. Why can’t people write these damn books well? Ugh.

Body of Lies by Iris Johansen (M Post)

First Published: Bantam, 2002
Edition Read: Bantam, 2003
ISBN: 0-553-58214-3
Series: Eve Duncan 3

****RANDOM BOOK****

I’m not sure where to start with this book. I guess the best summary is to say that it reminded me of why I stopped reading this series years ago. To be fair, though, I dimly remember the first two books of the series as at least modestly entertaining. If they’d been as epically bad as this one I would have remembered. Right?

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

First Published: Walker & Co. 1990
Edition Read: Berkley Prime Crime 2007
ISBN: 978 0 425 21871 6
Series: Aurora Teagarden 1
**Random Book**

When you read a lot of good books you can forget what a difference good writing makes. I have to thank Charlaine Harris for reminding me just how excrementally bad writing can be.

The Vinland Sagas transl. Magnusson & Palsson

First Published: ????
Edition Read: Penguin Books, 1965
ISBN: 0 14 044154 9

The blurb for this book says “Both a record of a fascinating bit of history, and a rich and exciting piece of literature.” It is a record. As for literature, well, it could only be considered “rich and exciting” if the only thing you had ever read in your entire life was the same cereal box 15 times.