Saturday, August 27, 2011
Turn Right at Machu Picchu --Mark Adams
I can't remember where I heard about this book, but when I did, I knew I wanted to read it. Mark Adams, who was once and editor at an adventure travel magazine, decided to retrace the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the man who made Machu Picchu famous. This is the story of his journey, and a second one on the Inca Trail.Bingham's reputation has suffered greatly in the 100 years since he first set eyes on Machu Picchu, and while Adams isn't trying to rehab that reputation, he does present a balanced picture of Bingham's accomplishments without glossing over his shortcomings. Of course, for me the more interesting part of the book was Adams' own travels, which were considerably more rugged than mine when I visited Machu Picchu a few years ago. I was a mere tourist, whereas Adams was a first-time adventurer. He and his guide, John Leviers, travel some wonderfully interesting but too-tough-for-me terrain.
Adams is funny as well as insightful about Peru and its history. This is a highly entertaining book for anybody and especially for someone who's been to Peru or is planning to go someday. Check it out.
Friday, August 26, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Smashwords - Reel Life Crime - A book by Cary Pepper: Reel Life Crime mirrors the plot of The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett’s novel and John Huston’s 1941 film), while being an original mystery in its own right, a tongue-in-cheek hard-boiled detective story, an affectionate tribute to the noir genre, and a commentary on how much movies impact our culture and our everyday lives.
Confessions of a Catholic Cop Thomas Fitzsimmons
This book was originally published by Tor, and now the author has reprinted it with his own title. It's a fast-moving story, and it seems entirely authentic. Fitzsimmons was a New York cop for ten yeartotal the realism is earned. Michael Beckett and his partner, D'Amato are investigating a series of arsons, but D'Amato doesn't trust Beckett. Why? Because Beckett's had a part in a TV show, and now he wants to leave the department and pursue an acting career. And then D'Amato has problems of his own.
There's a interesting villain, a conspiracy that, as usual, goes all the way to the top, good dialogue, and lots of action. Check it out.
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