Journal Entry 1 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Wednesday, March 01, 2006

ARC from Harper Collins First Look

My review:
Christopher Moore is a wildly popular cult author with eight best-selling books to his name. Populated with
the usual oddball characters, sticky situations and hilarious prose which may garner the reader indignant looks when they laugh out loud in public places, A Dirty Job most assuredly will be the ninth.

Protagonist Charlie Asher is the quintessential beta-male, mild mannered and unassuming with a slight touch of hypochondria. He goes about his daily business as the owner of a thrift shop who tries not to make waves in life. On the life-altering day when his daughter is born, he returns to his wife’s hospital room only to discover a seven-foot tall Black man, wearing a mint-green suit standing over her bed. When the heart monitors start wailing, the mint-green man disappears without a trace. As the days go by, trying to recover from his wife’s death, Charlie starts noticing certain small items in the shop have a bright red glow and he discovers names and numbers on a pad by his bed that he doesn’t remember writing.

Charlie catches up with Minty Fresh, the man in green, and finds out that he has been chosen to be a Death assistant or Death Merchant -- as Minty likes to style himself. Not as bad as it sounds, but not a barrel of monkeys either, Death Merchants help souls travel from person to person in their endless ascendance towards perfection.

Muddling through his first few weeks, Charlie deals admirably well with being assaulted by oversexed female demons, coping when dish-soap eating hellhounds show up to protect his daughter, handling a morose Goth employee who steals The Great Big Book of Death: An Instruction Manual, and a police detective who invariably shows up when he’s doing something really odd, such as talking into the sewer. Then the proverbial hits the fan, and Charlie finds himself faced with saving the world from the Forces of Darkness, assisted only by a Boston terrier, a Desert Eagle pistol and a furious army of spork brandishing squirrel-people. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Somewhat over the top, Moore’s take on death is refreshing, irreverent and comedic yet with moments that are unexpectedly poignant and winsome. Moore is doing what he does best; playing on the supernatural for laughs and making even the most ludicrous events seem possible. Faithful readers will find another winner to add to their collections, and new readers will be snapping up his previous offerings to get their fix.

This book is going out on a book ring (now closed) to the following relayers:

La Fromage (anywhere)(can be first, cause I already said she could)
Jebbie74 (in Canada, ship anywhere)
Nimrodiel
MarciNYC (US pref)
PepperVL (NA pref)
Karendawn (anywhere)
Antheras (in Canada, ship anywhere)
LadyJanet (middle of the pack, ship anywhere)
NeedSun (in Canada, ship anywhere)
Sanddanz (not first)
Ri (in Canada but moving, middle of the pack, ship NA)
Xallroyx (middle to end, ship anywhere)
Helly77 (in UK, pref UK)
MissBagPuss (in UK, ship anywhere)
Midwinter (US only)
Fantasy221 (US only)
Rebemdee (US pref)
Noumena12
Ixion (NA pref)
Sarradee (return home)

Standard bookring rules apply, please try to read as soon as you get it, finishing the book you're reading is ok, sticking it at the bottom of a 500 book TBR pile is not. Read and pass on within six weeks to the next person on the list. If you absolutely can't handle reading when it's your turn, pass and pm me and I'll put you back on at the end. Journal on arrival, and journal when mailed.

Barring any unforseen events, I will be mailing this out tomorrow. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 2 by cheesygiraffe from Florence, Alabama USA on Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Thanks for making me first Sarra. :)
I think I will bump this up on my evergrowing TBR owed pile. I will probably read it next. It looks so good. :D 

Journal Entry 3 by cheesygiraffe from Florence, Alabama USA on Sunday, March 12, 2006

Definitely laugh out loud funny. I love paranormal happenings in a book and this one is full of them. Charlie is a decent guy trying to be a death merchant. Minty Fresh, what a name and what a character, is another death merchant. They collect soul vessels from the dying to put in their shops to be sold to people who don't have souls. When they don't get the soul vessels bad things start to happen and the sewer harpies try to take over the world. Oh did I mention the hellhounds guarding Charlie's daughter Sophie? Or the squirrel people?
Of the 3 or 4 Moore books I read this by far is my favorite.
Thanks Sarra for letting me be the first person in the ring to read it. :) 

Journal Entry 4 by Jebbie74 from Oshawa, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Sorry, I received this last week and I guess I forgot to journal it! :)

But I've read it now, and loved every minute of it! I just wish Christopher Moore has more books for me to read, cos as soon as you finish one of them you definately crave for more.

And, yes, you gotta love the squirrel people!

Mailed out 04/10/2006 :) 

Journal Entry 5 by nimrodiel from Evanston, Illinois USA on Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Due to a little confusion with missing PM's, this made it to my mother's house last week. She forgot to tell me I had gotten a book and tossed it into the bag of mail that never gets forwarded (our post office really messed that up when we moved), which she drops off every couple of weeks/months/whenever she remembers she has it still. I got this last night from her.


I have a book ahead of it currently so it may be a few days before I can start this one. It looks really good. Every time I have walked by a bookstore with a display in the window the last month and a half I have been making myself not run in and buy it :)

-------------------

Just realised I never made I "what did I think" entry on this one.

I absolutly loved it. It was a book that had me laughing through all of it. I think that this has jumped up on my best books read this year list :)

Thanks for sharing it sarradee 

Journal Entry 6 by MarciNYC from Howell, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Arrived in Jersey today -- a pleasant surprise. I've got two 7-day library books (yea, I hit the library again) to finish first, so it looks like I'll be starting this sometime over the weekend. When I do, I'll PM pepper so I can have her address and mail upon completion.

Thanks for starting this ring, Sarradee! 

Journal Entry 7 by MarciNYC from Howell, New Jersey USA on Friday, June 16, 2006

Moore's back at the top of his game with this book. I *loved* "Lamb" but the follow-up, "Fluke" left me lukewarm. Well, the mind of Christopher Moore is alive and 'well' again -- HOW DOES HE THINK UP THIS STUFF?

From the time that Charlie learns he's "Death" to the final page, I found myself laughing at some of the zaniest characters and events ever put on a page. Loved the hellhounds and the squirrel people -- once you read it, you'll understand.

Thanks Sarra for starting this ring -- always a treat to read a bit of Moore. I've got Pepper's address and should be popping it in the mail no later than Monday, 19th June. 

Journal Entry 8 by PepperVL from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Saturday, July 01, 2006

I got this! Thanks so much! I can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 9 by PepperVL from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I loved this book!

It is definitely among my favorite Christopher Moore books. I really liked the characters a lot - their quirks definitely made the book.

I know I laughed out loud several times while reading this.

Sand is stopping by before going to the meetup in Dayton this weekend...and Karendawn is going to be there, so I'll pass this on then. 

Journal Entry 10 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, July 22, 2006

This one was delivered today by Sand, who picked it up from Pepper on the way to noumena's. :) Will finish the book I'm reading now and then read this one. Thanks so much sarradee for sharing. :) 

Journal Entry 11 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, July 29, 2006

I've enjoyed each Christopher Moore book that I've read and I think that this is one of his best (though Lamb will always be my favorite). The story is completely solid with likeable (though really odd) characters. I'm not sure that I am completely happy with the ending, but overall, it was a really great book and I had a good time reading it.

Thanks so much, sarra, for sharing this book! 

Journal Entry 12 by Antheras from Waterloo, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, August 09, 2006

OHH! Arrived today, can't wait to read it but it will have to wait at least until next week. I have a lot of other reading to catch up on first. 

Journal Entry 13 by Antheras from Waterloo, Ontario Canada on Sunday, August 13, 2006

I really meant to get some other reading done this weekend, and read this later in the coming week. But I couldn't wait! I read it in one sitting today and laughed so hard. The concept behind the soul repositories in things is just wild - although I loved when Audrey commented on how fitting it was that souls waiting to be reborn were in items that had to be PURCHASED. What a comment on Western society! Sometimes Moore's wit is just dead on.

I loved Lily, the Hell Hounds and the Emperor. The Squirrel people were great but I think my favourite was Bummer. What a rockin' little dog! 

Journal Entry 14 by Ladyjanet from Normal, Illinois USA on Monday, August 28, 2006

What a well travelled book! It arrived Saturday and I'm already 1/4 through it! (I feel that I might be neglecting schoolwork for a couple days... this is really good!) 

Journal Entry 15 by Ladyjanet from Normal, Illinois USA on Sunday, September 03, 2006

What a GREAT book! This is the first Moore I've read and I'm now looking out for the rest. The only question... why didn't Audrey do the perpetual life thing on Charlie?

Wonderful characters, and I loved the Hellhounds Especially eating propane tanks and belching fire! I could see this as amovie. It might get ruined, but it would be cool if done right. Maybe Tim Burton could do it with Johnny Depp as Charlie....

Will go out tuesday to Needsun. 

Journal Entry 16 by NeedSun from Perth Road, Ontario Canada on Monday, September 25, 2006

This book arrived today. Thanks for including me in this bookring, sarradee. I have a couple of bookrings to read before this one but it shouldn't be too long before I get it going again.

Thanks Ladyjanet for mailing it to me. 

Journal Entry 17 by NeedSun from Perth Road, Ontario Canada on Friday, October 20, 2006

This is definitely one of my favorite Moore books, right up there with Biff. His bizarre sense of humor was perfect to handle such a sensitive subject and as always, he comes up with just the right tone for a "laugh out loud" funny book. Some of the characters were so cute, I wished I could see a few around my neighbourhood. Minty Fresh was in another book he wrote but I can't remember which one and it is driving me crazy. He was a very minor character and so far, google hasn't shed any light on this.

I sent it by air to Sanddanz yesterday so hopefully she will get it soon.

Thanks again, sarradee, for sharing this book with us! 

Journal Entry 18 by SandDanz from New Albany, Indiana USA on Thursday, November 09, 2006

Eep! Just realized I forgot to journal this! It is here and I'm getting ready to start digging into it tonight as I just finished my previous read. I'm really looking forward to it as I haven't read any Christopher Moore books in 2006 and that just seems wrong to me!!!

Anyway, I'll try to get through this quickly and get it sent back on its way. Thanks so much for sharing this one Sarra! 

Journal Entry 19 by SandDanz from New Albany, Indiana USA on Friday, December 08, 2006

I just finished reading this the other day. It is probably in my top 3 Moore books now. I just started on Bloodsucking Fiends and am loving it now!

Ri has asked to be skipped so next up is xallroyx. I'll PM her to confirm that she still wants it and then hopefully get a box out to her pretty quick.

Thanks so much for sharing Sarra!!! 

Journal Entry 20 by xallroyx from Huntington Beach, California USA on Saturday, March 17, 2007

woohoo-I will read when I finish current book!!! :) 

Journal Entry 21 by xallroyx from Huntington Beach, California USA on Sunday, April 01, 2007

I don't know why it took me so long to get through the last 50 pages, but I am glad I did.
I had fun reading this book. Moore's books are always different and this one did not disappoint. I have pm'd Helly and am awaiting a reply to send the book on. Thank you sara for starting the ring! 

Journal Entry 22 by xallroyx from Huntington Beach, California USA on Thursday, April 19, 2007

Crossing the ocean now to MissBagPuss!! 

Journal Entry 23 by MissBagpuss from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 05, 2007

arrived safely - will put it next on the tbr pile

EDITED 17TH JULY: Fabulous book! Wonderfully irreverent yet paradoxically respectful of the subject of death and dying. When it's my time to go, I would like to request Christopher Moore at my bedside to send me on the way laughing.

"Tomorrow we shall meet,
Death and I -
And he shall thrust his sword
Into one who is wide awake."


Just waiting for midwinter to confirm before I ship it.

EDITED 8TH AUGUST: I was going to skip midwinter and send the book to fantasy221, but midwinter just got in touch so the book is on the way to her as per the original list.

 

Journal Entry 24 by midwinter from Tucson, Arizona USA on Tuesday, November 06, 2007

It's here :) I'm in the throes of National Novel Writing Month right now (nanowrimo.org), but I'll have this traveling again ASAP! 

Journal Entry 25 by midwinter from Tucson, Arizona USA on Monday, December 10, 2007

This book couldn't have come at a better time. Between finishing NaNoWriMo, organizing the final party for my region, and a couple rotten weeks at work, a goofball story was exactly what I needed!
I've only read two other Moore books (so far), but this is definitely my favorite of the three. It was a little slow to start for me (especially given the event(s) of the first chapter), but once the hellhounds popped up in Sophie's bedroom, I was thoroughly engrossed and laughing loud enough to scare my cat off the bed.
Will be traveling again as soon as I have an address... 

Journal Entry 26 by fantasy221 from Hackensack, New Jersey USA on Wednesday, December 26, 2007

This just arrived today and its great timing since I'm on vacation and can get started reading right away!! Thanks for sharing! :0 

Journal Entry 27 by fantasy221 from Hackensack, New Jersey USA on Wednesday, March 05, 2008

I see I'm the outlier in this ring... I got about 1/3 in before I realized I really wasn't in the mood for a Christopher Moore book. His books require more of a commitment than I'm capable of right now, so I'll keep this moving and pick this back up from the library if ever the mood strikes.


PM'd Rebemdee but she's read it already so I'm PMing Nou next! Okay, Nou's skipping as well, have PM'd Ixion. Ixion is skipping so it looks like this is going home to Sarra! Will PM for her addy. 

Journal Entry 28 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Friday, April 11, 2008

Arrived home safely after a very successful ring. I'm going to give this to my husband to take to Austin for the in-laws to read, I think both of them would like it. After that, not sure what my plans are for this book.