Gregg & Gina Hill - On the Run NON FICTION
On the Run is a harrowing account of a childhood spent coping with an explosive father whilst dodging Mafia payback. Henry Hill's business partner, Jimmy Burke has whacked every person who could possibly implicate him in the infamous Lufthansa robbery at JFK airport. On his way to prison, lifelong gangster Henry is given two options: sleep with the fishes, or enter the FBI's Witness Protection Programme. Gregg and Gina are dragged along for the ride. Like nomads, they're forced to wander from state to state, constantly inventing new names and finding new friends, only to abandon them at a moments notice. Living in fear of being found and killed. But Henry, the rock Gregg and Gina so desperately need is a heavy cocaine user and knows only the criminal life. He is soon up to his old tricks and consistently putting their identities in jeopardy. And so, it continues until the kids, now almost grown, can no longer ignore that the Mob might be less of a threat to them than remaining under the roof of their increasingly unbalanced father.
Goodfellas is one of my favourite films so I was very interested in reading what life was like for Henry Hill's kids once their family were in the witness protection program. To be honest I can't understand how they stayed alive as Henry didn't seem to understand how to behave once in the program to stay unnoticed by the Mafia. He was also an abusive father to both of his children and at times this is a very sad read.
8/10
Books read this year = 65
Blind Faith - Ben Elton
Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where 'sharing' is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion. Trafford wouldn't call himself a rebel, but he's daring to be different, to stand out from the crowd. In his own small ways, he wants to push against the system. But in this world, uniformity is everything. And even tiny defiances won't go unnoticed. Ben Elton's dark, savagely comic novel imagines a post-apocalyptic society where religious intolerance combines with a sex-obsessed, utterly egocentric culture. In this world, nakedness is modesty, independent thought subversive, and ignorance is wisdom. A chilling vision of what's to come? Or something rather closer to home?
I normally really enjoy BE's books but was a bit releaved when I got to the end of this one. At times it is very funny but the humour can be a bit repetitive and towards the end of the book you start to feel you have read it all before. Worth reading but definately not up to his usual standard.
7/10
Books read this year = 66