Monday, April 11, 2011

The Dirty Lowdown For April

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April has a lot in store for us. First, I turn 29 again on the 24th. This has become a national event of epic proportions made even more exciting since this year the entire country and maybe the world has decided to hold a Robs Birthday Egg Hunt on the Sunday. I have no idea why “they” chose a Large Rabbit as a mascot… But, even more exciting , this week is National Library Week which runs from Sunday, April 10 through Saturday, April 16. It is a time to rediscover all that our nation’s libraries, librarians and library workers have to offer and how you can "Create Your Own Story @ Your Library." First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.Lib Books So, take a day and go visit a library. And be sure and take a child – get permission if the child isn’t yours!

 

npm2011_poster_540Also, April is National Poetry Month.

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events. Check your local libraries and book sellers for events.

I open the month with a couple of IOU’s in the review column. I am thinking of Broke Laptopforwarding these to HP Customer Service since I blame my tardiness on them. I received a brand new laptop the end of January, which was a god send since I was supposed to have yet another spinal surgery which would make it uncomfortable to work at the desk. Well, a month later the thing died. It never worked properly from day one – the mouse would do odd things which I initially blamed on the poor circulation in my hands, the keyboard had ‘run-away’ keys and the wireless would go up and down with no rhyme or reason. It eventually needed replaced. HP Customer Service has gone down hill faster than Glen Beck’s ratings. It took forever to get it fixed. Anyway, I’ll be getting the reviews for the The Cultural Detective by Christopher G. Moore. and Complicit. by Nicci French up soon.Cultural detectiveComplicit, Nicci French

It also slowed me down since I spent a bit of time getting the new “Hardboiled/Noir/Crime Fiction blog on line. Be sure and check it out. Crimeways.

I am actively looking for some ‘partners in crime’ to contribute to the site, so if you have ever wanted to write a review of a book or a movie from the Hardboiled/Noir genre drop me a line: The.Dirty.Lowdown@gmail.comcrimeways banner4

What I will be reviewing this month are two very fun reads. The first is by my cousin, Vincent Carraher. My Cousin Vinnie has written a marvelous True Crime book detailing some of the more famous cases he worked on over the 40 plus year career he spent as a Defense Attorney’ Investigator.Lady Justice

The book details  eyewitness accounts of overzealous prosecutors and police in some of the most high profile cases in the midwest.

Next up will be a book from a new writer I just discovered.Mike Fairicy

 

 

Mike Faricy is America's hottest new  mystery writer. Minnesota native (and part time resident of Dublin, Ireland) Mike Faricy is currently working on his seventh cross-genre thriller, creating yet another suspenseful and zany crime caper populated by unforgettable characters working their way through twisting action-packed plots. Storyteller Faricy builds webs of crime and murder that sorely test his protagonists' abilities and ingenuity. Their struggles attract all kinds of bad company, with nail-bitingly hazardous and darkly comic results. Mike just sent me Russian Roulette. Russian RouletteBy the way, the cover photo is actually shot at the Spot Bar, a local ‘watering hole’ filled with early morning characters that didn’t stop in for a double latte with coconut and candied sprinklees,  to put it nicely. The guy is Mike’s son, that's his girlfriend holding the gun to his head. He’ll get used to that…“We shot it at 11:00 on a Sunday morning, the place full of day drinkers.” says Mike. Mike sent me the book from Smashwords on Sunday and I told him Sundays were always busy for me, trash man comes on Monday, horses and cats to take care of, etc.…well, damnit! I just had to peek, make sure the file was intact, you know (that’s my story and I am sticking to it!). Well, needless to say, I was immediately caught up in the book! What great mad cap characters in the vein of the best humorous hardboiled noir. I have a feeling I’ll be investing in a lot more shelf space – or Kindle Space (need to get a real Kindle now that the sun is coming out and I’ll be spending more time in the sun on the deck)– to populate with Mike’s books.

Last but not least for April, is my music selection. The past few months I have featured artists that were new, or relatively new; Adele who just absolutely blew me away! And Esperanza Spalding who not only plays a killer bass, but can sing like no ones business. This months artist is Earth, Wind and Fire

Earth, Wind and Fire is celebrating their 40th anniversary with an extensive world tour. Originally formed in 1971, the group has released 23 albums, selling over 90 million copies worldwide.

The band’s current lineup features three of the founding members including bassist Verdine White, whose on-stage persona and bass lines inspired an entire generation of bassists.

With a few international dates already under their belt, EWF has announced two solid months of U.S. concerts that span the whole country. More dates are expected. For more, visit Earth, Wind, and Fire’s website. If you get a chance to attend one of these show, you will not be disappointed!

And, that’s the…

The Dirty Lowdown for April

 

2 comments:

  1. Just found you through book blogs- looks like a great blog - following, and look forward to reading more! bookspersonally.blogspot.com

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  2. Thanks fo Hope you enjoy our book reviews, newsr following The Dirty Lowdown. Hope you enjoy the reviews, news and general frivolity!

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