Book Review: The Chalk Man

Ok, so I read a debut novel from C.J. Tudor, The Chalk Man: A Novel this week, and I have to say, it is the best mystery / thriller I've read in some time, and probably will be for a while.

But wait, before I get too deep into this, I must state that I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in trade for an honest review, so a big hearty thank you goes out to them, as well as Crown Publishing. (You guys rule!)

Now that I got that legal stuff out of the way, back to it. This novel, plain and simply put, is quite damn amazing. It's so precisely well written, I'm having a hard time believe that this is a debut novel. So to you, C.J. Tudor, I tip my hat.

The Chalk Man: A Novel has the simple premise of a story, being told from the point of view of twelve and forty-two year old Eddie, jumping back and forth through time from 1986 to 2016. As a child, he and his friends have an innocent enough game in which they communicate with little "chalk man" drawings they leave for one another. It's all fun and games until a series of these chalk men lead them to an area where they stumble upon a dead body. Thirty years later, as Eddie would seem at rest with the past, a mysterious chalk man drawing comes to him and digs up a series of event surrounding the death he and his friends uncovered as youth.

To me, there's nothing worse than predicting the plot twist of a book, and I thought I had this one figured out... and boy was I wrong. In a swirl of uncovered truths, lies, and secrets, The Chalk Man: A Novel the a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller that must be added to your bookshelf in early 2018. It'll keep you guessing with each flip of the page right on to the very end.

This book gets nothing short of 5 stars. Hell, I'd give it six if that were a thing.

The Chalk Man: A Novel by C.J. Tudor, comes on January 9, 2018 through Crown Publishing.

Game Review: Punderdome

Ok, so I played a game with my co-workers, and we were super excited to play this. Upon reading the rules for Punderdome, we were kind of turned off. The game itself, by the rules, is a little too cluttered and timely for our liking,  But, we simply took the rules and tossed them aside, and simply just snag a couple of cards and sit around coming up with pun after silly pun. The game has turned into almost daily stress-relieving nonsense in the office, which is a win in our book. As an added bonus, each card has a very "dad joke"-like pun. Most of them are worth a solid chuckle, while some leave you with that "oh wow" groan, but still worth each and every read.

All in all, we at the office have gotten quite a handful of entertainment out of this package, whether used for its intended purpose or not. So, if you're into silly puns, this just might be worth the few bucks to pick up.

This game gets an acceptable 3.5 stars.

Book Review: America 51

Read from August 8th - August 9th, 2017

Ok, so I read the fourth major book release by the one and only, Corey Taylor. (Shocked, anyone?) Yes, I am a major fan of this guy, and yes, I have given yet another 5 star rating to yet another book to a man who's books I've read at least twice each (excluding this current one), and yes, I listen to his music just about every single day I wake up above ground, and yes, my rating could be biased (more than likely is), but please hear me out on this one. (Aren't run-on sentences fun?)

America 51: A Probe into the Realities That Are Hiding Inside "The Greatest Country in the World" touches to soul of America with a rusty pitch fork. "Why such a vicious sounding description?" you might ask. Well, it's simple, really. Mr. Taylor touches on all main political subjects, from left to right, conservative to liberal, pro choice to pro life, the (often misconstrued) 1st and 2nd amendments, and even the thin line that teeters right in the center of each of these subjects, and then some. If you take your politics, views and beliefs the least bit seriously, this book will offend you. But I implore you to read it. There's a lot of good in this country, even now, and he won't let you walk away from this book without at least attempting to make you see that.

:::WARNING:::
If you do NOT like and/or understand sarcasm, or can not take the occasional joke (especially with some serious subject matter) please stop... this book won't be for you in any way. Go read Harry Potter or something. (Seriously, those are books are amazing!)

Just like a majority of American citizens, Corey is fed up with the status of their beloved United States of 'Merica. And not just the political climate itself, just the status of their citizens and society in the eyes of foreign countries. As usual, he leaves no reader unscathed in his bantering. From Trump supporters to Hillary supporters, Sanders Supporters to 3rd party supporters (and non-voters alike), racism, prejudice, police brutality, gun violence, religion, and the wearing of a man-bun, he will state something that will tickle you the wrong way. But not in a "you're wrong and I'm so very right" demeanor, but in a "let's have an open conversation and understand one another, no matter our differences, and agree to disagree, without lashing immature hate toward one another" point of view, which, let's face it, happens far too often in this day and age due to the ability to hide behind words thrown out in social media, and even face to face. (Aren't run-on sentences still fun?) That's the tone of this, and all books, Taylor has blessed the world with. The idea of opening a conversation, no matter how delicate the subject matter may be. Not a soul on this planet will ever agree on the same thing. Ever. Fact. But current and older generations are too lazy to toss on their big girl and big boy pants and accept this.

What Corey Taylor's work comes down to, is his ability to take some serious subjects, and toss around ideas with a serious tone, snarky sarcasm, humor and a bit of ALL CAPS yelling in tow.

I have stated in past reviews of Taylor's work that I do not agree with quite a bit of what the man says and believes, and this stands heavily true with this recent literary exercise. But I'll be darned if I didn't take away a few possible questions of my own immature points of view on subjects I may not fully understand. So, well done, Corey Taylor. You made me think, yet again.

Oh, and Mr. Taylor? I think you might owe some royalties to Frito Lay and their Cheetos brand. (I'm sure you can all make an educated guess as to what I mean here).

Read if you want, or don't. As Corey says in this book himself...

"Just because you have the right to say it, doesn't mean we have to listen, even if you type that shit in all caps."

I give this book a well earned:

Game Review: The Legend of Zelda (NES Classic Edition)

Ok, so I picked up one of those NES Classic Editions last month, and to say I'm in Classic Gamer Heaven is an understatement. Growing up as a gamer from the early 80's through today has been a trip in its own. I have been playing video games since I could physically function an Atari 2600 and Odyssey II joystick. Then in the mid-80's, I gathered up money and bought myself a Nintendo Entertainment System and my own 13" CRT television. I felt as if I could rule the world. Titles like Super Mario Bros., Mike Tyson's Punch Out and Contra owned my days and nights. But there was one title that ruled them all, and that title was none other than The Legend of Zelda. This title was bestowed upon America in the summer of 1987, and just shy of 30 years later, it still stands the test of time.

Now that I have a solid version of The Legend of Zelda and the sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, I have decided to embark in a mission to play through all Zelda titles in release order from start to finish.

With that, I will stop my babbling and get to the first of many upcoming Zelda title reviews.

Album Review: Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct

Ok, so I snagged the new Metallica album and, well... yeah. The Mighty Met have done it again. Coming from the depths of that 2003 St. Anger nightmare with a heavy rebound in 2008's Death Magnetic, Metallica has proven once again that they have what it takes to smash out a hard hitting, thrash induced, and ear splitting album with Hardwired... To Self-Destruct.

Before I get into the meaty details of the music, let's talk about just the release of this album. Early in the year, Old Man Lars started talking about the new album and teasing a release this year. None of us Metallica fans really held our breath. Yeah, we knew we'd hear new Metallica soon enough, but years of teases and delayed releases kept us, well me for sure, skeptic. Then, out of nowhere on August 18th, 2016, Metallica release the single "Hardwired", alongside the full details of a double album to come out in November. Uh, what?  Really?  Oh, and the single "Hardwired" was what we like to call "Classic Metallica" and has a hard, crunchy, and fast thrashy sound to it.

Now, the day has come, it's November 18th and the new album is out. SPOILER ALERT! It's a great album!  But I'm still not going to talk about the music. Not quite yet. The album is out and you can not only listen to the album, but you can watch it, too! Metallica decided to release upon the world a music video for each and every one of the 12 tracks on Hardwired... To Self-Destruct on YouTube within the 48 hours heading into the worldwide release of the album. And these aren't just random ass videos, they're full on productions very well done. (I could easily do a blog post / review for each video on its own. I have included a YouTube link to the playlist of all 12 videos at the bottom of this review)

Book Review: A Life in Parts

Read from Sept. 29  to Oct. 10, 2016

Ok, so I received another early copy of a solid book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  (Thank you, NetGalley!)

Let me start off by saying this.  A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston is not a "tell all" memoir, but more of, well, 'parts' of his life (hence the title) that give a glimpse into the mind of one of the most talented actors of the current generation. Bryan invites us to see the moments he's etched out in his life that made him the husband, father, and actor we all know.

I walked into this book with one thing on my mind... "I want to read the book of the man that brought Walter White into my life." I feel Breaking Bad is easily the most well rounded and near perfect TV shows to ever hit the mainstream media. And, I've never watched a single full episode of Malcolm in the Middle. Now, with that said, I took away more from this book than expected. I learned that it takes far more than just great writers to create amazing characters, but a lifetime of experiences, good, bad, and even tragic, to mold the actors and actresses that do their best to portray them. Bryan Cranston, through this memoir, is proof of that.

Book Review: You're Making Me Hate You

Read from June 10 to 18, 2015

Ok, So I read this book called You're Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left.

Now, I do have to start by saying that I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review.  (ok, legal stuff out of the way)

In this third novel by Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist, Corey Taylor, we are taken on a witty adventure into into his brain as he reveals truths about the idiocy that resides in the human race.  I feel that anyone who reads this book at some point can relate to (or be insulted by) the subjects discussed within.  Parenting, children, the music industry, driving "skills", relationships, air travel, spending habits, food intake, ugly babies... not much goes untouched.  If you happen to be someone that gets easily offended by someone rightfully stating their well educated opinion and shriek at the occasional use of some well placed C-bombs (check UrbanDictionary.com if you're unfamiliar with the term), then this book simply isn't for you.  Stop reading.  Move along.  There's nothing for you here.  Bye.

Still with me?  Good.  I shall continue.