The Man Who Liked Slow Tomatoes

So compared to "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (see other post) this book was more enjoyable to read, but it was not one of my favorite books and I probably won't read it again. Now the author K.C. Constantine is from a town around Pittsburgh so the professor basically told us that one of the major reasons he had us read the book was to give money to the author. At least he was honest.

Mario Balzic is the chief of police in Rockburg and is trying to keep his sanity as the city is going through negotiations about the new police contract. That is really the back story and the only reason that Balzic works on the case of the missing Jimmy Romanelli. Jimmy's wife, Mary Francis, is worried that Jimmy has been gone for a few days and knows that something bad has happened to him, but Mario is not so sure. Mario had learned from a local bartender that Jimmy had been in there a few hours before selling tomatoes early in the season. Mario goes back to talk to Francis again when no other then Jimmy walks in the door and throws Mario out. Mario suspects that Jimmy, who is abusive to his wife, is messed up in drugs and heads to a Spaghetti restaurant where drug trade is said to be located. Jimmy goes missing once again and Frances is a wreck. After shaking up a few people in the parking lot Mario runs into problems with the drug department who threaten to get him fired. The case is broken when a crazy neighbor says that she saw Jimmy get killed by Francis's father Mike in her dream. Mario goes digging in Mike's tomato patch and finds Jimmy's body. Mike says it is because Jimmy hit his daughter that he killed him, but Mario thinks it might be because Jimmy won the beat between them to see who could grow their tomatoes the fastest. The book ends with Frances killing herself because of her husbands death, her father not being convicted and dying a year after his daughter, the contract is resolved in favor of the police, and Mario goes on being police chief. 

Overall the novel was alright, but it wasn't something I would read again. Mario was a likable character and you got to see him with his family. You understand that he has a drinking problem as well as not being close to his family, but you find that as part of his charm. The plot was slightly boring because the missing person really wasn't missing until the very end. Also the story is more about Jimmy getting over his respect and fear of Mike then the actual crime.      

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

The thing I remember most about this novel is how much I hated it and that is about the only thing that I remembered about it. I had to go and look up summaries and things online to even remember character names and plot points. Now I did read this a couple months ago, but I feel as if I just blocked it from my memory because of the horribleness of this novel.

Eddie Coyle, the main character of sorts, is a small time criminal that is also trying to inform to the police in exchange to avoid going to jail in New Hampshire after transporting liquor. Eddie at the time is also by guns for bank robberies for mob members lead by Jimmy Scalisi and Artie Van. Jackie Brown is the gun dealer and the first character that we are introduced to who is also trying to sell machine guns to a young couple. Coyle wants to turn over Brown to Dave Foley, an ATF, in return for staying out of jail. Foley captures Brown when he goes to sell the machine guns, but he tells Coyle that this isn't enough to keep him out of jail. Coyle is going to tell Foley about the bank robberies, but Foley has already been informed about it after Scalisi's disrespected the woman he was living with and she told a cop friend she ran into. The robbers are busted and Coyle is pinned as being the informant. Dillion, the local bar owner and hit man, is hired and after taking Eddie out of the town shots him.

I seriously took and hour looking all this up because I couldn't remember a lot of it so here is hoping that this isn't a major part of the test. Overall I extremely disliked this book and it seems that I am in the minority. Higgins is a great writer, but the characters were unsympathetic and the plot was rather boring. It was just really dark and boring for me, but it seems that a lot of other people really enjoyed it. Maybe I am just not into dark detective novels or I just don't know what I am talking about, but I would not recommend this novel to anyone.     

Sorry!

I have been so busy with classes and my tumblr that I haven't posted in months! I have a final for detective tomorrow so my plan is to review all the books I read this semester. Here is hoping this helps *cross fingers*

The Castle of Otranto

As I did last semester I am going to review the book I have to read for class. Since I am taking two literature classes I should post about a lot of books. 

The first one I have finished is for my Gothic Imagination class called "The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole. It is considered by some as the first Gothic novel, but to be honest I was not overly impressed. I think it was because I had a hard time figuring out what was happening. Walpole does not use quotation marks or paragraph breaks between dialogue so if two people are having a rapid conversation it is hard to understand who is saying what. The story itself was rather predictable, but that is because more popular stories have followed his model.


In a very short review Manfred's son, Conrad, dies right before he is married leaving no male heir for the throne. Manfred gets the idea to divorce his wife and marry Conrad's fiancée Isabella so he can have a male heir. There is so much more that goes on, but it all goes back to the fact that Manfred's grandfather stole the throne from its rightful heir and everything that happens is because the throne was taken. I don't want to ruin the story, but it is really weird and not overly interesting to me.    


It is a short read, only 101 pages, so you won't feel like you have wasted your life reading it, but one read was enough for me. I give it a two out of five stars because even though I know it was first the other Gothic novels I have read were much more compelling and interesting.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

So I can't even explain how happy I am that my friend introduced me to this movie, I love it! It was just so perfect! Now I am not really in to the Japanese movie/shows/music scene but this movie has changed my mind. It is based on a book (written in English) which I now want to read! The story line is so compelling and the characters make you fall in love. I laughed, cried, and loved so much in this movie. Also the ending (which I am not going to tell you) is very believable and something that you could see happening in real life. There is so much I want to say about this movie, but I can't even put it into words (and I want to be an English Writing Major?)

It is the story of Naomi Sukuse who, as you might have guess, gets amnesia after falling down the stairs at school. The movie is about her life after the accident and how much she changes. At first I was a little unsure about her character, but I soon fell in love with her. Maybe because I could identify with her a little as being kind of shy and unsure myself (though she has a better reason for it then I do) or just because the acting was amazing, but I was rooting for her. She is a photographer which adds a very awesome aspect to this movie with all the work they do with pictures and capturing moments. At the beginning of the movie she tells us this is a love story and by god it is the best love story I have watched in a long time. It is lovely, heart gripping, and as I have said before believable. 

*screen cap courtesy of my friend*    

This is Mirai Hasegawa, Naomi's best friend, and my favorite character in this whole movie. He is sweet and someone you can see existing in real life. He is the editor of the yearbook and that along with Naomi. This works with the whole pictures theme. I don't know what it was exactly that made me love him, maybe it was all the perfect mixes he made for Naomi, or how he was always smiling even when he was hurts, but I fell for him completely. I don't want to say too much more in fear of ruining the movie, but he is my favorite.

This is Yuji Minwa who helps Naomi even though they did not talk before the accident. He is mysterious, moody, and sexy. He is the kind of boy that every girl falls in love with because he is just such a complex character. Again I don't want to give away too much, but what he does for Naomi is too sweet, caring, and romantic that it is hard not to love him. Naomi also does a lot for him and helps him as well. The kissing scenes between him and Naomi are just too perfect not to comment on, but there is just so much more to this movie.

Now there is another male character, Ace, but I can't comment about him without giving a lot away (I have used that phrase so much). He is Naomi's boyfriend before the accident and his part in the movie isn't as large as the other males I have mentioned.

There is so much more I would like to say, but just go watch the movie. The whole thing is on youtube with subtitles and I promise that you will enjoy, if not love, it. If nothing else you get to watch very attractive guys for about 2 hours. It gets about 7 out of 5 stars in my book and I want to own it on DVD.

My Present From College

I always thought that it was a little mean to have grades come out 2 days before Christmas eve, but this semester it will not be a blue Christmas. I finished this semester with a 3.703 GPA with one B, two A-, and two A's. It could be worse, especially since the class I got the B in my professor pregamed before lecture. She was entertaining and knew, for the most part, what she was talking about, but was just odd. She also enjoyed swearing...a lot and could never walk in a straight line. We also only had four grades in that class. one quiz, midterm, one paper, and the final. I will take getting away with a B in that class.

I also got an A in math *happy dance* *fist pump* After getting a 77 on my first exam I was worried about that class, but working my ass off on all the online homework problems and rocking out on the second exam and the quizzes really helped me. If I didn't get an A in that class I should have been shot though since it was the third time I have taken Algebra. What was scary was that fact that there was a lot of stuff I had never done before. Next semester we are going to tackle a math I have never taken before, Trigonometry. I can't wait *eye roll

I am so excited for the rocking GPA. It has to be the best Christmas gift....well minus a few hockey players, KPop singers, actors, and other pieces of man meat that I want to see under my tree. Let's say it is the best gift that the university could have given me.

House M.D.

Alright so something I have done this semester while battling my way through my math homework, a final I should be studying for right now, is rewatch the first season of House which I own on DVD. I forgot how much I like this show until I came back to it. I stopped watching when they got rid of the original cast of Chase, Cameron and Foreman and started having the competition to see who the next team would be (I think it was the third or fourth season). Now I know that Chase and Foreman are back, but I can't just jump back into the series since I have missed so much. If it is an instant watch on Netflix I might try to get caught up.

ANYWAY, like I was saying the first season was absolutely amazing even though I have watched all of these episodes before. I never get old of House, maybe because he reminds me of my brother, or looking at Chase. Now I don't know why I liked him so much the first time I watched this series because he is a bit whinny and a backstabber in this season. I won't give any details just in case you haven't watched it yet (GO WATCH IT), but I have a soft spot for Chase. It might have something to do with the fact that he has an Australian accent and is extremely good looking....just maybe. 

My favorite character however has to be House's best friend Wilson. Why you ask, well because that is who I am in friendships. I am the person that does everything possible for the other person and 9 times out of 10 gets walked all over. Wilson is also as witty as House, but also a nice guy. I really just like his personality and the way House and Wilson interact with each other. He is the only person House is close to in this season and it lets you see a softer side of House.  

Overall rewatching the first season has pulled me back into liking House and trying once again to watch the series. I just checked and it isn't an instant watch, but that is why there is an Internet full of illegally copied episodes for me to watch...not that I would ever do that. Now I am going back to studying for my math final...so excited.