→ Does Your Cat – Follow You to the Bathroom

→ Gotta Love – Junk Science

→ Why I Cannot Grow Avocados to Save My Life – Conspiracy

→We Have Our Recommendations of How to Do It, but here’s – A Good Primer

→ Relaxation Around the World – A Glimpse

→ Trends That Once Seemed Cool – Then Regret Sinks In

→A Redlands Victorian Mansion – Straight Out of a Jane Austen Novel

(WBR) Wayne’s Book Review

Aren’t you lucky?  Yes, I think you are.  Because I am continuing my quest to read a book every month (last year’s New Year’s Resolution), and you get a rare glimpse into the somewhat chaotic mind of Wayne Romain and his take on said book.

Just so you know, I’m not a reader.  Other than last year, I have probably read six or seven books in the previous 10.  No literary giant here, but like a lot of things in life, you get outside your element, do things you don’t normally do, and you might learn something.

What does this have to do with the outdoors?  Maybe nothing.  Maybe a lot. But it does represent another pastime that we can enjoy (or muddle through) in The Outdoors.

This month’s book:

Clean Break

by Lionel White

Book Overview

It was January 26th and I had to get a book in for this month’s WBR.  Man, I did not feel like it, but I put on my “big boy pants” and started listening to the audio book of Clean Break.

Upon researching the author, I learned:

• He was a well-known American journalist and crime novelist in the 1950s
• Many of his dark novels were turned into movies during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
• Quentin Terentino credited him as one of the inspirations of his 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.  Personally, when reading this particular book, I can see the stylistic similarities with the above movie, as well as Terentino’s others, including Pulp Fiction.

So, now to the book.

The storyline follows the story of Johnny Clay, a small-time crook that just got out of the “Big House” aka Sing Sing in New York.   During his imprisonment, he developed a plan to rob the Long Island Racetrack on it’s busiest day.  It would become the biggest heist in U.S. history – amounting to almost $2 million.

The foundation of his plan is to use non-criminal acquaintances in the heist.  This “mob” are, for all intents and purposes, normal people with a major vulnerability, money problems.  Be it through gambling, through bad luck, or poor choices or circumstances, these fellows believe that money will solve all their problems.

The novel follows these forlorn characters and the development of the heist by putting seemingly non congruent schemes in place in and around the racetrack.  This is not a straight stick up and give me all your money plan.  This is a well thought out, almost inconceivable tale of the most brilliant criminal mind.  The crescendo or climax being the actual heist and the result immediately after.

It is an enthralling story with slick 50s “rat pack” sentimentality and embellishments.  I actually listened to the entire book a 2nd time to pick up on certain aspects that got lost upon me during the first listen.  I was thoroughly disappointed that I finished the book as I wanted the story to go on.

An absolute fantastic read, which as you know, I do not say very often.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 9.5!

Note: This is my unprofessional, biased, informal review. I make no claims and receive no money or support for my reviews.  It’s just an extrapolation from the mind of WR.

La Última Palabra (The Last Word)

QUALITY…

is like buying oats. If you want nice, clean, fresh oats, you must pay a fair price. However, if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the Horse … that comes a little cheaper!

-Attributed to “Unknown”