Limitless by Alan Glynn

I just finished Limitless by Alan Glynn, and I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I could not stop reading this book!  I simultaneously could not wait for it to end while hoping it never would.  Limitless was made into a movie a few years back starring Bradley Cooper, and while I think it would make an excellent film, today I’m going to share the book with you.

Eddie Spinola is a 35 year old, slightly overweight, completely unambitious New Yorker who is going nowhere in a hurry.  Once divorced and working as a copywriter, he’s barely making ends meet while trying to finish his first book in the city that never sleeps.  A chance meeting with his ex-brother-in-law (a drug dealer) changes all of that in a heartbeat.  Eddie and Melissa were married for mere months eons ago, and Eddie and Melissa’s brother, Vernon Gant, were never close; but when the two share a drink in a dingy bar, Vernon tells Eddie all about this pill he’s dealing – “a smart pill” that can make any slacker into a genius – MDT-48. 

When MDT-48 (MDT) rushes through the bloodstream, the user becomes acutely alert and hyper-fixated.  For example, the first time Eddie takes the drug, not only does he finish his book in just a couple hours, he then cleans his apartment top to bottom, pours over pages and pages of books – he even learns a new language in a matter of minutes.  He learns all there is to know about neuroscience after reading a handful of textbooks.  MDT is a miracle drug, and unsurprisingly, Eddie can’t get enough of it; coming down from the drug results in fatigue, stomachaches, headaches – basically the worst hangover you could ever imagine.  Running at $500 a pop, MDT isn’t cheap – and it clearly isn’t safe.  After visiting with Vernon in the bar, the two agree to meet the next day, but when Eddie arrives at Vernon’s apartment, he finds a stash of about 500 pills next to Vernon’s lifeless body: he’s been shot in the head. 

Eddie – in the first of a very long series of poor life choices – takes the pills and reports Vernon’s murder to the police.  Back on the streets of New York City, Eddie has hundreds of MDT capsules at his disposal.  Before he knows it, he’s taking MDT around the clock: there’s no need for sleep or food.  Eddie quickly becomes a fast-talking, well-dressed, stock market schmoozer, earning himself hundreds of thousands of dollars in just days as he works for a well-known billionaire.  To say he’s done a complete turn-around from his prior life is an understatement.

As you may suspect, all isn’t rosy in the world of MDT; one night, particularly fueled on MDT and alcohol, Eddie winds up at a series of clubs with a group of people he barely knows.  He experiences an hours-long black out and the next morning, he learns that one of the people he partied with the night before has been murdered.  This is just the beginning of Eddie’s story; honestly it only gets better and better. 

The reason I can’t put my finger on what I loved so much about the book is two-fold: there is a lot of seemingly mundane minutiae in the story that I find aggravating in all books.  I don’t really need to know the exact movement of the characters minute-to-minute, nor do I care what they are wearing, you know?  The other part that is so not a big deal but still grated my nerves was that the author is Irish and he’s letting us into Eddie’s world in first-person.  Remember, Eddie is a New Yorker, yet there are words throughout the book such as “kerb” (curb), “manoeuvre” (maneuver), and quips like “A man called Barry” or “then I phoned her.”  These are things we just don’t say in our every day lives!  I only found it a small annoyance because the author does such a fantastic, impeccable job of making you feel almost like you have inhabited Eddie’s body and you’re moving about in the world of MDT, money, and murder.  Yet, despite my  teeny complaints, this story packed a real punch, and I found it to be absolutely unputdownable!

Have you seen this movie?  I definitely don’t picture anyone remotely close to Bradley Cooper playing the part of Eddie, but I just may have to watch and see if the film does the book any justice.  You can grab a copy of Limitless here – I highly suggest you do!

Lock In by John Scalzi

“We’re locked in, not unconscious. Trust me. We notice where our bodies are. We notice it every moment we’re awake.”

I am not usually one for science fiction, but I picked up a copy of Lock in by John Scalzi (entirely based on how cool the cover looked…) and it is one of my favorite reads of the year so far!  Bear with me as I try to explain the plot to you; it was intricate and complex, and I had to do a lot of research as I read through it.  I infrequently say this, but honestly would be a great movie: it would be helpful to see all the nuances illustrated on a big screen, but for now, let’s talk about the book.

Set in the United States sometime in the neart future, the population of the world has been ravaged by Haden’s Syndrome.  At first thought to be a mutation of the bird flu, Haden’s is much worse: those most affected become “locked in.”  [This is a real syndrome where a patient’s injuries leave their body unable to cooperate or function but their mental faculties intact, so they are literally locked in their bodies. Can you imagine anything worse?]  Since it’s the future, though, there are a couple ways those who are locked in can move about the world.  After an installation of a “neural network” in their brain, the locked-in Haden [people who suffer from locked-in syndrome due to Haden’s syndrome are just called “Hadens”] can inhabit the body of a human (an Integrator) or a robot (a threep).  Okay, yes – now I am talking about a robots, but PLEASE stay with me because this is an awesome book!

Without writing a mini-novel about this, here’s a bit more explanation: When a Haden inhabits a threep, they are basically an Avatar who is able to physically move about the world.  The threep – without the brain of the Haden – is basically a pile of parts.  If it gets damaged, the Haden is fine because their body is not within the threep.  If a Haden inhabits an Integrator’s body, the person who “owns” the body is there as well, but semi-conscious.  They have to give the Haden permission to jump off a cliff or stand in the way of a moving car, for example.  So, if you were a Haden, you could jump into my body and move about the world looking just like me, but being you.  I know, I know – it’s weird, but it sets the scene for Lock In (and its sequel!)

Newly-minted FBI agent Chris Shane is a Haden: his physical body no longer works or responds to commands, but he is still very much alive and inhabits a threep to move about the world and report to his new job.  His first case with his new partner, Vann, is an apparent murder: the body of a man is found in a hotel room, throat slashed.  Remember though, in this world there are many variables: the man’s body may belong to one person while being operated by another.  Nothing is ever simple in this future, but as a Haden, Agent Shane is the perfect person for the job.  Many other sub-plots twist through the story, but they all intertwine perfectly, so it’s easy to follow along.  I found myself highlighting many passages in my Kindle as I read through; if you’re up to the challenge, it may be a good book to take some actual notes on.

What I loved (and felt frustrated by at times) about this story is that the author doesn’t spell out this other-world the characters are living in.  You really have to pay attention to the story he’s weaving to understand all the intricacies and possibilities in a world full of robots and Integrators. I would definitely recommend reading the backstory novella, Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden’s Syndrome, in conjunction with or before reading Lock In.  It will answer a lot of questions you will undoubtedly have, but I will say that creatively, the author leaves a lot to the imagination – which only makes the story better, in my opinion. 

I can’t wait to pick up a copy of the sequel; as someone who isn’t into robots, I really loved this book and I hope that you will give it a shot.  If you already love sci-fi, this one’s for you!  If not, branch out and try it – and contact me if you have questions want to talk about the story.  Grab your copy of Lock In here and get started!

Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller

I’ve got another non-fiction story to bring you, and that’s Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller.  I heave heard murmurs about this book for years, but I wasn’t sure what it was all about.  One of my daily emails popped up, showing me that the book was on super sale, so I grabbed a Kindle copy and started reading, and wow – what a tale.  It may be difficult for some to read, particularly children of addicts or hoarders, or those with strained parental relationships.

As a girl, Kim lives with her two loving, scatter-brained, well-meaning, completely dysfunctional parents in a house full of filth – her mother and father are hoarders.  I’m willing to bet that what you know about hoarding is what you’ve seen from the TLC shows exploiting these folks for television ratings (that’s all I knew!) but behind the seemingly normal mask of a hoarder (at least in this instance) is a troubled past and deep-seated issues from childhood, trauma, and addiction.  

In Kim’s case, her father was raised by alcoholics, and while he was a brilliant man, he could not break free from the clutches of hoarding, mostly his beloved “papers”.  He would start with a small stack somewhere semi-hidden, say, a closet for example.  Before too long, there would be papers (as well as her mother’s abundant QVC purchases) filling up the house to the point where her father didn’t have anywhere to sleep.  I couldn’t believe the anecdotes that Kim shared: of joining a gym as a teen so she’d have somewhere to shower, and sleeping in her car when the house was too full.

A common theme in the book is that the family moved around a lot – it was really the only way to escape and start over – and each time they moved, Kim would have to drop everything and go home to clean. This continued well into her adult years when she had distanced herself from her parents, both physically and emotionally, as she forged on a tried to have a normal life.  Kim describes filling seventy trash bags – an entire roll – with “stuff” just so her parents could have a fresh start.  Kim is repeatedly frustrated and angry with her parents, telling them this was the “last time” more than once, but always finding her way back to them. 

I saw a review on Goodreads by a reader who couldn’t get through the story because she was disgusted by the descriptions of filth throughout the book.  As I think back, the book does not focus on how the family lived; the story is more one of forgiveness, understanding, and love – the love Kim’s parents had for her (however misguided), and the love Kim repeatedly showed for her parents.   There were a couple things that did make my stomach turn, but I found myself rooting for Kim’s parents throughout the book – every time they would move or do a deep-clean, I thought to myself, “Maybe this time!”  Kim’s patience and grace is admirable, and , and I believe her story can do a lot of good for those with strained parental relationships due to addiction of any kind.  What I loved about this book is that while Kim’s story is one of survival, she tells the tale in such a way that her parents’ hoarding actually makes complete sense – as a reader, I felt no impatience or disgust, it was more like a continual “aha!” moment or a light bulb switching on – and it shows the reader that there’s much more to it than just keeping piles of “stuff” around the house.  I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

Grab your copy of Coming Clean here. 

The Last Child by John Hart

“Lightning falls, all you can do is pray God that it doesn’t fall on you.”

This was the first book I read by John Hart, but it most certainly won’t be the last.  I scored a copy at my local book sale when I picked up this gem for just 50 cents; and I will admit I totally judged the book by its cover because the cover is gorgeous.  We see a child on his bike outlined in front of a majestic sunset – I was already hooked.

The story follows thirteen year old Johnny Merrimon, who lives with his strung-out mother in the wake of his sister, Alyssa’s, disappearance a year before.  Johnny and the family mostly kept it together after his father, Spencer, walked out, but his mother dove deeper into addiction after Alyssa went missing.  Johnny takes it upon himself to do whatever it takes to find his sister – with or without the help of the police.  He has an ally in Detective Clyde Hunt, who has been torn up since Alyssa disappeared; he has been on a quest of his own to find her, despite the glares and nasty quips from his supervisor.  One day while out and about, a man falls to his death from a bridge at Johnny’s feet.  With his last breath, he tells Johnny simply, “I found her.“

On the brink of losing his job and his son, Detective Hunt continues to persevere until the worst happens – another child has gone missing; a young girl about Johnny and Alyssa’s age.  Detective Hunt is on the case, but Johnny has an idea of his own: he packs up a few things, borrows $40 from his mother’s stash, and leaves to search for clues that may lead him to Alyssa.  Meanwhile, a burly ex-con has escaped his parole officer and is roaming the woods and outskirts of town; destined to cross paths with Johnny.  How can an ex-con, a desperate detective, and a wild thirteen year old boy possibly be connected?  The story unfolds beautifully page after page, and the resolution blew me away.

Detective Hunt is really the star of this novel for me.  I have read so many books where the detective is so personally invested in the case that he loses his family, sleep, a bit of his sanity, and those detective always stick out in my mind.  His anguish jumps out at you from the page.  Hunt doesn’t care that his boss is keeping tabs on him, looking for a way to give him the boot.  He doesn’t care that people in town are whispering about an affair between him and Johnny’s fragile mother.  Hunt is a man on a mission, and he won’t stop until Alyssa is home. 

The scenes with Johnny’s mother are stomach-turners: she’s so damaged, so addicted to pills and alcohol, and the author paints a vivid picture of Johnny’s life basically on his own.  If you have triggers around addiction, you may struggle with this, but it’s essential to the story because under all those pills, his mother loves Johnny more than anything and desperately wants to keep him close and safe, she just can’t.  The way that the author climbs into his characters and makes them come alive is unparalleled. 

This isn’t just another detective book, not just another crime story; it’s so much more than that, and it will remain on my shelf for years to come.  Grab your copy here, or better yet, support your local library or secondhand book store and search for it there.  You won’t be disappointed.