The Coroner’s Lunch – Book #16

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| Title | The Coroner’s Lunch |
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| Author |Colin Cotterill |
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| Genre |Adult Mystery (Laotian) |
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| Pages |257 |
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| Publisher |Soho |
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| Copyright |2004 |
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Synopsis (from web-site)
Despite a total lack of training, an utter dearth of experience and a complete absence of inclination, Dr. Siri Paiboun has just been appointed state coroner for the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It's 1976, the royal family has been deposed, the professional classes have fled and the communists have taken over. And 72-year-old Siri - a communist for convenience and a wry old reprobate by nature - has got the coroner's job because he's the only doctor left in Laos.

But when the wife of a Party leader is wheeled into the morgue and the bodies of tortured Vietnamese soldiers start bobbing to the surface of a Laotian lake, all eyes turn to the new coroner. Faced with official cover-ups and an emerging international crisis, Siri will be forced to enlist old friends, tribal shamans, forensic deduction, spiritual acumen and some good old-fashioned sleuthing before he can discover quite what's going on...

Why I read It
I saw the latest book from Mr. Cotterill on my library’s new shelf and was intrigued. It takes place in Laos which I know nothing about. But since it is a ongoing series I went to the stacks and found this book, the first in the series.

What I Thought About It
While the author is British, he has spent most of his life in Southeast Asia, so I want to believe he has captured the feel of Laos. It is part of my ongoing effort to read more foreign literature, or at least foreign based stories. It clearly demonstrates the frustrations in living in a communist society, getting by with what life has dealt you. It also shows the power of being old, or in least in this case the power of not giving a damn anymore about what the “man” can do you. This story focuses on the life of the 72 year old coroner of Laos, the coroner because he was the only Doctor at the time that didn’t get out when the communists took over. He mistakenly thought he would be able to enjoy his retirement quietly. He gets frustrated by the imbeciles in charge wanting him to write death certificates to meet their quotas.

For example when a military boat crashes into a dock and chops off the legs of an old fisherman, instead of death by blood loss the local leader argues for natural causes (a heart attack because he was old). The thinking being the shock of losing his legs led to a heart attack. Anyways he finally has had enough of playing along and decides he is going to investigate the deaths that come his way like the detective in the old French novels he enjoyed in his youth. Fire him, kill him, he just doesn’t care anymore. Good stuff all the way around.

Mormon Mentions
None

Author Biography

Colin Cotterill is a London-born teacher, crime writer and cartoonist. Cotterill has dual English and Australian citizenship; however, he currently lives in Southeast Asia, where he writes the award-winning Dr. Siri mystery series set in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

This is where I leave you – Book #15

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| Title | This is where I leave you |
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| Author |Jonathan Tropper |
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| Genre |Adult Fiction |
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| Pages |339 |
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| Publisher |Dutton |
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| Copyright |2009 |
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Synopsis (from web-site)
The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family-including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister-have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd's father died: She's pregnant.

This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind-whether we like it or not.


Why I read It
Tropper writes stories of normal lives that have been interrupted by some event. Sometimes sad and sometimes humorous, they always are entertaining. I picked up a book on tape by him a few years ago, The Book of Joe, and enjoyed it. While I haven’t read his entire backlist I do read him when I can. I saw this in a best of review for books of 2009, so I picked it up.

What I Thought About It
Fractured families and bad decisions; things that affect us all. The father of four grown children has died of a long standing illness and they all get together to sit Shiva. That is a Jewish custom where the family stays in the house for a week and contemplate the recently deceased (I am sure I am not doing it justice). All those bad decisions, well they come to a head and through the course of a week the inklings of hope and recovery can been seen. From dead fathers to dead marriages, all can heal eventually.

Mormon Mentions
None

Author Biography

Jonathan Tropper is the author of How to Talk to a Widower, Everything Changes, The Book of Joe, and Plan B. He lives with his family in Westchester, New York, where he teaches writing at Manhattanville College. He is currently adapting This Is Where I Leave You as a feature film for Warner Brothers Studios

American on Purpose – Book #14

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| Title |American on Purpose |
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| Author | Craig Ferguson |
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| Genre | Biography |
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| Pages | 268 |
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| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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| Copyright | 2009 |
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Synopsis (from web-site)

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark—as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

Why I read It
Craig Ferguson is the man and he is hilarious. If you are not watching his late night show you should. This is what Tivo’s were invented for.

What I Thought About It
Loved it. Another biography which lets you know how destructive drugs and alcohol can be, even if you are an artist. It makes you wonder if creative lives foster substance abuse or if substance abuse fuels creativity. I would bet a lot of creative types mired in the addictive cycle believe the latter; it works as a justification. I started writing about my experiences with America, but it began looking like the seeds of an original post. So that is what it will be.


Mormon Mentions
Yes! One of the first shows Craig worked on in LA was a sit-com with Marie Osmond, consequently he had a lot of interaction with her and her entourage, mostly great. While he states he would never want to be one (a Mormon), he has never met one he hasn’t liked. Well he has got that on me I guess :-)

Author Biography

Craig Ferguson entered the world of late night comedy following a diverse and eclectic career that encompasses film, television, and the stage. Since taking the helm of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on January 3, 2005, the show has set all-time viewer records and achieved the highest ratings since the show's inception in 1995.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Ferguson got his start in the entertainment industry as a drummer for some of the worst punk bands in the U.K., a profession he held for several years. Following his musical stint, he began bartending in a local pub in Glasgow where he was introduced to Michael Boyd, the artistic director of the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, who persuaded Ferguson to give acting a go. After several low-paying acting gigs, Ferguson discovered he had a knack for comedy and was soon the star of his own BBC television show, The Ferguson Theory.

Ferguson was involved in the English comedy circuit for a short while, and then brought his act to America in 1995 to star with Betty White and Marie Osmond in the short-lived ABC comedy Maybe This Time. After the show ended, ABC decided to add the talented Scotsman to The Drew Carey Show, playing Drew Carey's boss, Nigel Wick, from 1996–2003.

Ferguson wrote the feature films The Big Tease and Saving Grace. In 2003, he made his directorial debut with I'll Be There, which he also wrote and starred in. I'll Be There went on to receive the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas, and Valencia film festivals. Craig was also named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. Ferguson's other film credits include: Niagra Motel, Lenny the Wonder Dog, Prendimi l'anima, Life Without Dick, Chain of Fools, and Born Romantic.

In April 2006, Ferguson published his first novel entitled Between the Bridge and the River, which became a critically acclaimed bestseller.

Since coming into his own on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and receiving his first Emmy nomination in 2006, Craig achieved a personal milestone in February 2008 when he was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen. Soon after, Craig hosted the White House Correspondents' Dinner, performing before political journalists, celebrities, and Washington power players.

In 2009, HarperCollins is set to publish Craig Ferguson's American on Purpose, a memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from a small town in Scotland to the entertainment capital of the world. "American on Purpose reads as if Ferguson had snorted Angela's Ashes," says David Hirshey, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor. "It will make you laugh, cry, and sing 'The Star Spangled Banner' with a Scottish burr."

Ferguson also serves on the board of the Lollipop Theater Network. The mission of the Lollipop Theater Network is to bring movies that are currently in theatrical release to hospitalized children facing chronic and life-threatening illness.

Ferguson lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl– Book #13

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| Title |The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & |
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| Author |Barry Lyga |
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| Genre |Young Adult Fiction |
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| Pages |311 |
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| Publisher |Houghton Mifflin |
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| Copyright |311 |
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Synopsis (from web-site)
The brainy outcast known as Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.

But Fanboy has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone about it, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and — most important of all — a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and the bullies that make it all hell for him.

Just when he thinks he’s doomed to be alone, Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, an outrageous, cynical girl who shares Fanboy’s love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice — to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.

But Kyra has secrets, too. And they could lead Fanboy to his dreams…or down a path into his own darkness.

Why I read It
The Title! The young adult (teen) section of my library is around the music CD’s. So as I was checking out the latest arrivals I saw this book on the shelf in a prominent outfacing display. I love Goth Girls (think back to Winona Ryder in Bettlejuice) so I had to pick it up.

What I Thought About It
Quick, fun, and I will definitely be reading the sequel when my library gets it. Two loners find each other and just maybe they can get through the High School experience. Not a banned book but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up there one day. Smoking, drinking, suicidal ideation, sexual suggestions, and public nudity all by teens.

Mormon Mentions
None

Author Biography

Barry Lyga is a recovering comic book geek. When he was a kid, everyone told him that comic books were garbage and would rot his brain, but he had the last laugh. Raised on a steady diet of comics, he worked in the comic book industry for ten years, but now writes full-time because, well, wouldn’t you?

For Lisa

FarmVille Is Action Packed To The Extreme!

A BYU Story

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman!”

I saw a link to a new website the other day called Passive Aggressive Notes.

What led me here was a post featuring a note written at my alma mater BYU, the bastion of overly self righteous Mormons everywhere. Anyways the note was left on the windshield of a young woman who had parked outside her then boyfriend/now husband’s apartment building, the infamous King Henry Apartments. It is now framed and hangs in their house. Here is the text in full:

Hi – You don’t know me but I’ve noticed that you go into #306 apt. late @ night & I sometimes see you coming out in the morning & it’s obvious that you sleep over there b/c your car is parked @ King Henry all night. I know that it’s really none of my business, but my roommates & I think that it is inappropriate to be staying @ a boy’s house all night. I feel like I should talk to someone about this problem, perhaps King Henry, but I think that you could & should fix this problem on your own w/out my intervention.

Thanks for your time

-Have a great day :-)

I just love the “it’s none of my business” line but then they proceed to make it all of their business. The underlying message is they have completely assessed the situation and have judged you to be a filthy sinner, and that is okay because as a stone thrower they are completely without sin. The obnoxious smiley face at the end is just perfect. Bloody hell, isn’t there always one of these people (the note writer) in every ward in the church.

Anyways this completely accurate depiction of all that was annoying about BYU reminded me of my own experience with single housing. I dropped out of college as a senior and moved to Minnesota; I like to say it was to “find” myself. After working for a couple of years with Juvenile delinquents I did manage to find something out, mainly that I was an idiot for dropping out. Anyways, my wife was working, we had two kids, a car payment, and a mortgage (our first house was only $27,000 – those were the days), but at the same time it was not possible to transfer to a local college. So luckily my Mom moved in to look after the kids while I went back to BYU solo. My wife garnered a lot of “who are the fancy people with the live-in English Nanny” around town because what little accent I have is completely non-existent unless I am living there; so it wasn’t obvious that she is my Mom.

I moved into single housing just of campus and paid the whole semester’s rent upfront. Now I went with single housing because it was under $200 a month as opposed to $1000 plus for married. While going over the contract it come out I was actually married and not single. Well this caused quite a stir and the manager went into the office to make a phone call to the owner, and after a lengthy conversation it was decided I could live in the apartment complex only if I signed a special contract that explicitly stated I would not have sex with my wife. I thought to myself “I don’t know what rumors you have heard, but it isn’t that impressive that it could reach to Minnesota”, but kept it to myself and quietly signed the papers.

It has become one of those great life experiences that sounds to outlandish to be true, but is really funny to share. You have to remember the culture at BYU, sex outside of marriage will totally get you expelled, so while I am not saying it didn’t go on just like other universities, unlike them it is kept very deeply buried in the closet; hidden away as much as possible. The best part of the whole experience though is this is the apartment I shared with the Mo-famous actor Lincoln Hoppe AND I get to tell people even though we have been together about 20 years we did separate for a while.

And now we are fifteen years on from that experience I can freely admit that when I went back to Minnesota for my one visit, Lisa and I totally did it, like several times.

Bloodshot – Book #12

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| Title | Bloodshot |
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| Author | Stuart MacBride |
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| Genre | Adult Mystery (Tartan Noir) |
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| Pages | 439 |
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| Publisher | St. Martin’s Minotaur |
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| Copyright | 2007 |
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Synopsis (from this web-site)
The pounding rain of Aberdeen, Scotland is predominant in the third thriller by Scottish writer MacBride. Detective Sergeant Logan McRae is suffering under his superior, Detective Inspector Steel and her team of screw-up cops. Logan is extremely busy these days – he is involved in tracking soccer star Rob Macintyre, who is the prime suspect in a series of brutal rapes, and a porn star soon turns up dead following a horrible crime. To top it all off, an eight-year-old boy is on the run after killing an elderly man. Logan’s live-in girlfriend, Police Constable Jackie Watson, is growing increasingly distant to Logan as she works the Macintyre rape case and when Macintyre is found severely beaten, Logan wonders if Jackie is to blame.

Why I read It
I have been reading Stuart MacBride’s blog since before he published his first book thanks to the link on the great Sarah Weinman’s site. Speaking of which, I really need to list the book websites I frequent in the sidebar. If you are interested in mysteries at all, Sarah’s site, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, is the greatest blog ever. I can trace about 50% of all I read back to reviews I have seen on her blog.

Anyways I read Stuart’s first book, Cold Granite, when it came out and then over the years I forgot about him – Sorry Stuart if you are prone to googling yourself and read this. Anyways I was looking over my log of books read (a good practice to get into for just this reason) when I remembered him. A short search and I learned he had gone on to publish a book every year and my library system stocked them. So I am just now catching up.

Plus it is good solid Scottish Crime fiction, sad and violent on the one hand and blackly funny on the other. Plus the books are set in Aberdeen letting you know that Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Lock Dubh are not the only place to die a nasty death while on vacation.

What I Thought About It
Good story that just makes you fear Scotland as the crime capitol of the world :-) I like the implied social commentary about fame and its usefulness in getting away with crime. Plus what role do we as family have in helping versus enabling each other in nefarious behaviours? While you can read the books randomly I recommend you start at the beginning to get the overall character development.

Mormon Mentions
None

Author Biography

Stuart MacBride lives in the North East of Scotland, where he writes gruesome crime novels and grows gruesome potatoes.