Quick notes on 2 books

In the last couple of weeks I finished reading two different books.  I didn't have a lot to say about either of them, so I figured that I would go for a combined post on the two.  These two don't really have anything in common aside from when I read them.  Here it is: notes on two books.

 I picked up this copy of Psycho by Robert Bloch at The Book Shelf.  This book store is a nonprofit that benefits Project: Learn, an adult literacy program that services my county.  I like to shop here because they turn over used books pretty quickly and I can often find oddballs like this book.  I have known for years that Hitchcock's film was based on a novel but I had never come across it before and it had never really dawned on me to seek it out.
Honestly, the film follows the book pretty closely.  I was surprised that Hitchcock didn't take more liberties with the plot.  He changed some aspects about Norman's personality and the specific nature of his affliction, but the content and tone are very similar.  This is a quick read and it is very pulpy.
I remember hearing that Hitchcock had bought out copies of this novel across the country in an attempt to keep the public from knowing the ending going into the movie.  Apparently Hitchcock took spoilers very seriously.
What I like best about this copy is that it was a promotional re-printing for the Gus VanSant remake of Psycho starring Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates.  This copy must have been languishing on someone's shelf for quite a while before I got my hands on it.

The other book is Jonathan Ames' The Double Life is Twice as Good.  My wife suggested this book to me as something she had enjoyed and I might as well.  The book is a collection of Ames' varied work: personal essays, short fiction, and journalism.  His voice is fairly consistent throughout, meaning that his fiction reads like his reportage and delves into very similar subjects, such as drug use, visiting prostitutes, and spending time with celebrities in public.  Ames' personal writing style is engaging, but he retreads similar territory and many of his pieces seem to be more about himself than about his subjects.  This style is similar to that of David Foster Wallace's journalism but much more sparse.
The book worked as a breakfast table read.