Title: Practical Demonkeeping

Author: Christopher Moore

Paperback: 243

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (May 25, 2004)

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis from Amazon:

Good-natured, often funny, but excessively complicated tale that matches a people-eating demon against his reluctant master and the citizens of a small California town. First-novelist Moore throws in more plot twists than the Pacific Coast highway has curves. He obviously knows and is amused by the flawed but feisty denizens with which he inhabits Pine Grove, south of the Big Sur wilderness area. To this tourist town comes Travis O'Hearn, a 20-year-old who, 70 years before, got saddled with a demon, Catch, who gave him eternal youth plus problems. Catch is sometimes under Travis's control but often not, particularly when he's hungry. Travis wants out, namely by finding an incantation that will return the demon to Hell. On Travis's side are the King of the Djinns and August Brine, Pine Grove's purveyor of bait, tackle, and fine wines. Others who swell the cast past overflowing include waitress Jenny and her estranged, alcoholic husband Robert; tough old Mavis, who owns the Head of the Slug bar (it had been Head of the Wolf until animal-rights activists leaned on her); retired woodcarving codger Effrom and his wife Amanda; hotel night auditor Billy Winston, who flirts with other males by computer modem while wearing red silk panties; once-battered Rachael, who runs a coven to empower women through worship of the Goddess; and Detective Sergeant Alfonse Rivera, who fears he will end up bagging microwave burritos at a 7-Eleven unless he nails down a case.

My Thoughts: This is another one of Christopher Moore's completely improbable stories. He uses the demon from Lamb and spins him into the tale of Practical Demonkeeping. The books magical creatures, like the djinn and demon, makes the story more fantastical than other books that take place in our own time. The way Christopher Moore writes this book it feels like he was having a great time while writing it. I remember a part of the book where the main character has thought of what would happen if someone figured out about the demon. He thinks about the demon eating a man then an officer comes behind him and simply asks, "Umm what is he doing?" then he explains about the eating habits of the demon, and the officers nods like he's saying "been there, done that" "well that's our mayor he's eating so I would like to see your license to be eating a county official" and then he gets back to the moment like the worst thing could be waiting in line to get a license to eat county officials.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? have been
Who should read this? This book is for adult males. There is some swearing and sexual content, but it's an enjoyable book, to say the least

Next on the TBR pile: Fool by Christopher Moore

Title: Lamb

Author: Christopher Moore

Paperback: 444

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; First Perennial edition (February 4, 2003)

Genre: Satire

Audiobook: Read by Fisher Stevens

Synopsis from Amazon

The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John leave a gaping hole in the story of Jesus. They tell of the shepherds, the angel, the virgin, the manger, and the wise men, then jump to Jesus as a thirty-something rabbi. What did Jesus do during his formative years? Christopher Moore has an answer in his latest novel Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. Biff is Levi bar Alphaeus, son of a stonemason and childhood friend of Joshua bar Jehovah, son of God. The first section of the novel tells of the adventures of Biff, Joshua, and Maggie in and around Nazareth. The next three sections take Biff and Joshua to visit and learn from each of the three magi. The last section puts a Christopher Moore spin on the story told in the New Testament. We can read the good news according to Biff because the angel Raziel has resurrected Biff [and one other person] to write their versions of the Gospel. Biff's interactions with Raziel are interspersed with the main story, usually at the beginnings of chapters, and [inconsistently] set apart as long block quotes. This is a humorous book from a master of humor.

My thoughts: This book was hilarious. I know it's made up, but it simply fills in a blank space for the Bible. With no way to prove the story is false it just makes everything so much more thrilling. Although it's a complete blasphemy, I liked the part where Joshua and Biff were stuck in China at one of the Magi's palaces. Biff was asking questions that he wasn't supposed to ask, so he got poisoned and temporarily paralyzed. While he was paralyzed, the people at the palace painted Biff blue. Though this book is not well suited for children I enjoyed it and learned some things about the Tora and about the Jewish law back then.

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SNAPS
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Would I read it again? Yes
Would I read more from this author? yes
Who should read this? This book is for adult males. There is some swearing, but if you like satire, you'll enjoy it

Next on the TBR pile: Practical Demonkeeper