Christopher Moore
It's not really an advertised fact, but I absolutely love Christopher Moore. It's not really an exaggeration that he's at the top of my favorite authors list.
I first encountered him back in 1998 when I got a job working at Waldenbooks in Swampscott. The store had a "Employee's Picks" wall where the various staff would display a book they'd recommend. I had just started there and one of my coworkers was grilling me about the types of books I liked to read. By the end of the conversation, she told me I absolutely had to read this book that she knew I'd love. It was displayed under her "pick". The book was "Practical Demonkeeping" by Christopher Moore (duh). I read the blurb on the back of the book and had some skepticism as it seemed like it could get either way in terms of me liking it or hating it.
None the less, I plunked down the $4.00 for the book (go go Employee Discount!) and started in on it.
Three days later, I was special ordering "Coyote Blue", "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story", and "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" for myself because I absolutely HAD to have them. While "Island" wasn't AS impressive, it was still enjoyable and a delight to romp through the absurdist world that Mr. Moore created. Razor sharp wit, mixed with a bit of the supernatural and tempered with gutbusting humor cemented the author as a "must read" in my mind and began a cycle of finding every new book he published and devouring it in no time flat.
I'd lapsed on my literary pursuits for a time and he was able to sneak out two books when I wasn't payinng full attention. Thus "You Suck: A Love Story" and "A Dirty Job" mde it to trade paperback before I picked them up in the latter half of last year. And yet, it was like coming home after a long trip and finding everything was in order.
And so it was that I happened upon the open pre-order through Amazon of the newest novel, "Fool". Needless to say, it was ordered swiftly and I just finished it this morning. It held a special interest for me as the book is the author's retelling of "King Lear", which when you're dealing with someone who revels in the absurd and, often, the profane, promises to be a hilarious journey. I also have something of a soft spot for "re-tellings" of existing tales. So this was something I knew I would enjoy. And sure enough, it delivered.
Not really sure what the point is to my rambling, aside from just praising an awesome author and trying to coerce people to go pick up one (or more) of his books.
I first encountered him back in 1998 when I got a job working at Waldenbooks in Swampscott. The store had a "Employee's Picks" wall where the various staff would display a book they'd recommend. I had just started there and one of my coworkers was grilling me about the types of books I liked to read. By the end of the conversation, she told me I absolutely had to read this book that she knew I'd love. It was displayed under her "pick". The book was "Practical Demonkeeping" by Christopher Moore (duh). I read the blurb on the back of the book and had some skepticism as it seemed like it could get either way in terms of me liking it or hating it.
None the less, I plunked down the $4.00 for the book (go go Employee Discount!) and started in on it.
Three days later, I was special ordering "Coyote Blue", "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story", and "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" for myself because I absolutely HAD to have them. While "Island" wasn't AS impressive, it was still enjoyable and a delight to romp through the absurdist world that Mr. Moore created. Razor sharp wit, mixed with a bit of the supernatural and tempered with gutbusting humor cemented the author as a "must read" in my mind and began a cycle of finding every new book he published and devouring it in no time flat.
I'd lapsed on my literary pursuits for a time and he was able to sneak out two books when I wasn't payinng full attention. Thus "You Suck: A Love Story" and "A Dirty Job" mde it to trade paperback before I picked them up in the latter half of last year. And yet, it was like coming home after a long trip and finding everything was in order.
And so it was that I happened upon the open pre-order through Amazon of the newest novel, "Fool". Needless to say, it was ordered swiftly and I just finished it this morning. It held a special interest for me as the book is the author's retelling of "King Lear", which when you're dealing with someone who revels in the absurd and, often, the profane, promises to be a hilarious journey. I also have something of a soft spot for "re-tellings" of existing tales. So this was something I knew I would enjoy. And sure enough, it delivered.
Not really sure what the point is to my rambling, aside from just praising an awesome author and trying to coerce people to go pick up one (or more) of his books.