Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Finally! A new collection of short stories and poems by one of my favorite authors. Gaiman delivers his typical creepy tales with his trademark understated humor. He includes stories from his early writing career as well as pieces that have served as presents to friends and family. My personal favorites are "Keepsakes and Treasures", in which you spend a day with a sinister man who works for an even more sinister man. "The Monarch of the Glen" is a short story continuing the adventures of Shadow from Gaiman's novel American Gods. "Feeders and Eaters" is one of those that just slinks in under your skin and hangs about, making you feel cold and clammy, and "Other People" is possibly the girsliest and most delightful take on what awaits people in Hell. While Gaiman is classified as a SF/Fantasy writer, he writes magic stories for all people of all ages, and this collection is a great way to open your doors and windows and let his world into yours.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Here's a short and simple review: Don't buy this book. Just don't. If you know anyone susceptible to Amway type scams, do everything you can to prevent them from finding this book. Kiyosaki packages this information as motivational speaking. He talks about the ease of acquiring wealth. he talks about the importance of letting your money work for you. He mentions legal tax loopholes to help the rich get richer.
And in all of this, he mentions no specifics. Not one. Not a single real idea to help you increase your money. In the meantime, he suggests his father (the "poor" dad), struggled with money. In reality, his father was an impoirtant figure in the Hawaiian educational system. While he may not have been rich, it sounds like he did well for himself in a field he loved.
Kiyosaki mentions drifting from job to job as "gaining experience". He says failure hsould be embraced as a learning opportunity. The book is rife with contradictions, cliches and half truths about money, and dangerous ideas for those seeking to get rich quick.
Even worse, it's a tool for shameless self promotion: Buy the Kiyosaki board game for $150! Learned everything here? Buy the other EIGHTEEN books in the "Rich Dad" series. Log on to his website and hire a "Rich Dad" consultant...
Kiyosaki claims to make his money in real estate and stocks, but I think the primary (possibly sole) source of his working income is royalties form his book series.
The book did motivate me. I want to go out and find some decent books on financial advice.

Hell's Half Acre by Will Christopher Baer

This book is the concluding portion of Baer's Phineas Poe trilogy. Poe started his miadventure after having his kidney stolen by a femme fatale named Jude. He's finally caught up to her in San Francisco. In order to kill a man they've been chasing, Jude and Phineas become tangled in a bizarre snuff film. John Ransom Miller, a wealthy man, is filming a stream of consciousness snuff film within a movie.
Without giving specifics away, the premise becomes strained at times. Why are Phineas and Jude allowing themselves to be willfully manipulated? Jude is an expert killer, yet she can't find a way out of what seems to be a simple situation...
Phineas rides a drug-addled wave of paranoia, chasing ghosts and leads, trying to find the answers he needs.
The second installment of the series, Penny Dreadful, worked far better with the stream of consciousness delivery. The final installment feels like more of the same. Plenty of f-bombs thrown in for edge, witty Tarantino-style dialogue, and an ending that feels somehow forced yet satisfying.