Saying Goodbye to 2010

Here is a list of books I've read this year. You may or may not find them interesting...I'll give a comment on some of them.  I've had a great time the last six months on this little lame book blog. I've read some great books and have been introduced to some new writers thanks to book bloggers that I have found on Twitter.  Amazingly, some of these great people allow me to follow their Twitter feed and some are even following me back. (total pressure...I still have yet to perfect my tweeting skills. One day I'll master it, I'm sure.)

BOOKS FOR 2010

1. The Secret Life of Bees- Sue Monk Kidd

 JR WARD
2. Dark Lover #1
3. Lover Eternal #2
4. Lover Awakened #3
5. Lover Revealed #4
6. Lover Unbound #5
7. Lover Enshrined #6
8. Lover Avenged #7
9. Lover Mine #8
10. Black Dagger Brotherhood Insiders Guide

~This series will be on my reading list each year. Yes...they are that good.  At work we refer to them as vampire porn.  It's a great story about a group of vampire warriors known as the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  These warriors are fighting to save the extinction of their race.  They live in Caldwell, NY- and I have to admit that I was tempted to search out their mansion when I was in NY for that Lee Child book signing this year.  Every night when I would see a flash of light in the NY skyline, I knew the brothers were out slaying Lessers.  This series comes complete with a glossary and....an Insiders Guide.

CHARLAINE HARRIS
11. Dead Until Dark
12. Living Dead in Dallas
13. Club Dead
14. Dead to the World
15. Dead as a Doornail
16. Definitely Dead
17. All Together Dead
18. From Dead to Worse
19. Dead and Gone
20. Dead in the Family

~If I have to tell you anything about this series...something is wrong with ya! I started this set after I finished the BDB series. My coworker had received the series as a gift and I was just starting my love affair with reading.  Did you know Charlaine Harris will be at Bouchercon 2011 next year in St. Louis? If you want to know more about Bouchercon and find out what you need to do to attend, you can find information about it here.

ANNE RICE
21. Interview with a Vampire #1
22. The Vampire Lestat #2
23. Queen of the Damned #3
24. The Tale of the Body Thief #4
25. Memnoch the Devil #5
26. The Vampire Armond #6
27. Merrick #7
28. Blood and Gold #8
29. Blackwood Farm #9
30. Blood Canticle #10
31. Pandora #11
32. Vittorio the Vampire #12

~I know, I know. I was on a vampire kick...who hasn't been at one time or another?  Actually, I borrowed these books from my friend, Vicki and fell in love with the series.  Anne Rice is the only author I know that can write three entire pages about the desert and not make me fall asleep.  In fact, her characters are so well developed that I know they actually exist.  They have to be real! Every once in awhile, you'll find me referencing them on-line in a comment somewhere.  For example, I left this comment when I was trying to win an e-book:

My heart and soul belong to the crime writing community, but...I read just about anything that sounds interesting minus sci-fi. Ya, if I can't pronounce the name of the planet or the moon in some ones world, I pass on the book. I also have a soft spot for vampires. (Marius, did you find the scattered notes I left for you in New York?) See...vampires are real, right?

In all honesty, I love books that have characters I can relate to with story lines that keep me so entertained that I don't mind missing a meal or two. I haven't come across a book I haven't liked but once, and even then, it was probably my own mood that killed it for me. (I won the book!)

DEAN KOONTZ
33. Frankenstein Series
34. Mr. Murder
35. Dark Rivers of the Heart
36. The Husband
37. Intensity
38. The Face

39. Lightland- Kenny Kemp
~this was a great book...until the end when every other page was missing.  Uh-did you find a cure for that virus or not???

40. At First Sight- Nicholas Sparks
41. The Last Song- Nicholas Sparks
42. A Bend in The Road- Nicholas Sparks

43. Change of Heart- Jodi Picoult

44. Love The One You’re With- Emily Giffin

45. Prayers For Sale- Sandra Dallas

46. CRASHERS- Dana Haynes

47. Vanished- Joseph Finder

~I'm in love with Nick Heller...just in case Mr. Finder has any doubts.  Bring on the former flame in the next book. I'm totally ready for her.

48. The Betrayed- David Hosp

JEAN JOHNSON
49. The Sword #1
50. The Wolf #2
51. The Master #3
52. The Song #4
53. The Cat #5
54. The Storm #6
55. The Fire #7
56. The Mage #8
~read these for a friend to see if they were worth reading...they aren't!

ANDREW GRANT
57. EVEN (2)
58. Die Twice

~I have a super soft spot for Mr. Grant and the David Trevellyan series.  The longevity of this series and Mr. Grant's happiness is extremely important to me.  If you buy the series and are not satisfied...contact me at sabrinaogden@gmail.com. I'll refund your money.  The series is that GOOD!

59. Dracula- Bram Stoker

LEE CHILD
60. Killing Floor #1 
61. Die Trying #2
62. Tripwire #3
63. Running Blind #4
64. Echo Burning #5
65. Without Fail #6
66. Persuader #7
67. The Enemy #8
68. One Shot #9
69. The Hard Way #10
70. Bad Luck & Trouble #11
71. Nothing to Lose #12
72. Gone Tomorrow #13
73. 61 Hours #14
74. Worthy Dying For #15

~With this series came my Reacher Worthy Status Chart...the chart where I measure my Reacher worthiness...I might be developing a new chart when I complete the series...just starting book #15, and only having it return when a new book is available.  At this point, in all honesty, I'm not sure if I'm in love with Jack Reacher or Lee Child. 

75. Farm Fresh Murder- Paige Shelton

~I met Paige Shelton at a book signing here in Salt Lake.  I wanted to make sure I was supporting authors that live in my area. We've since become friends and enjoy regular lunch dates.  My review of Farm Fresh Murder-my very first "review"-was so liked by my readers, they actually told me to do more. Go figure!

SUZANNE COLLINS
76. The Hunger Games
77. Catching Fire
78. Mockingjay

79. How To Grow Up and Rule the World- Vordak the Incomprehensible
80. Opposing Energies- J.W. Collier

81. The Great Bridge- David McCullough

82. Terminal Damage- Do Some Damage Gang
83. Eight Pounds- Chris F. Holm

~I lumped these two collections of short stories together because this was my first introduction to short stories. I had no idea people wrote short stories and had them published and available for readers.  I'm not sure why this was so amazing to me, but my readers fell in love with the idea just as much as I did. The idea of being able to pick up a book and read a complete story in a short amount of time was priceless for many of my blog followers that have no free time.  I plan to introduce them to more of these options next year. Oh...I also met a new bad boy that I fell in love with. Yes, Oscar...I'm talking about you!

84. The Stupidest Angel- Christopher Moore

85. A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens

There ya have it! My end of the year post complete with really weird commentary.  Thanks for reading my blog and I look forward to visiting with you next year...which by the way, is going to ROCK!

Sabrina's Reading List for 2011

So I would think it is safe to assume that my reading schedule for next year is a little over the top. I'm not quite sure where all of these books came from, but not all the books on my list are even listed on this blog post.  I have 12 books on order through Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and another two boxes of books that I received that will give me at least a dozen or more to add to my TBR pile for next year.  Plus, this doesn't include my selection of books for the two reading challenges I signed up for...

I have no problem admitting that I am a good twelve years behind on my reading, which is why I've added the entire Robert Crais collection to my list.  Plus, I'm thinking it might help me when I attend Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis next year since Mr. Crais is a guest of honor.  Are you signed up to go?  If you want to go or would just like to know more about this incredibly cool convention that I have never attended before, you can find information about it here. Oh! I forgot to tell you the greatest news of all...I'm getting my very first library card next week!  I know, I know!  You're probably wondering what the heck I've been doing all this time, right? Well, let's just say my husband will be very pleased with my decision.

What are you reading next year?

ROBERT CRAIS-COLE/PIKE SERIES

1. THE MONKEY’S RAINCOAT
2. STALKING THE ANGEL
3. LULLABLY TOWN
4. FREE FALL
5. VOODOO RIVER
6. SUNSET EXPRESS
7. INDIGO SLAM
8. L.A. REQUIEM
9. THE LAST DETECTIVE
10. THE FORGOTTEN MAN
11. THE WATCHMAN
12. CHASING DARKNESS
13. THE FIRST RULE
14. THE SENTRY

JOSEPH FINDER
1. THE RED CARPET
2. THE MOSCOW CLUB
3. EXTRAORDINARY POWERS
4. THE ZERO HOUR
5. HIGH CRIMES
6. PARANOIA
7. COMPANY MAN
8. KILLER INSTINCT
9. POWER PLAY
10. BURIED SECRETS (JUNE 2011 AND YES, IT’S BEEN PRE-ORDERED)


DAVID HOSP
1. DARK HARBOR
2. INNOCENCE
3. AMONG THIEVES
4. NEXT OF KIN (APRIL 2011)

HENNING MANKELL
1. THE PYRAMID
2. FACELESS KILLERS
3. THE DOGS OF RIGA
4. THE WHITE LIONESS
5. THE MAN WHO SMILED
6. SIDETRACKED
7. THE FIFTH WOMAN
8. ONE STEP BEHIND
9. FIREWALL
10. THE RETURN OF THE DANCING MASTER
11. BEFORE FROST
12. THE GRAVE
13. THE WORRIED MAN

ELLERY ADAMS-BOOKS BY THE BAY MYSTERIES
1. A KILLER PLOT
2. DEADLY CLICHE

PAIGE SHELTON-FARMERS MARKET MYSTERY SERIES
1. FRUIT OF ALL EVIL (BOOK 2 IN SERIES)

RANDI ERTZ
1. THE CHOSEN HISTORIAN

ALAN CASS
1. MY NAME IS DEATH

BOOKS FROM SMASHWORDS
1. CONSIDER US EVEN- JARRETT RUSH
2. FLEDGLING-COIREE GUARDIANS- MARI MINIATT
3. KILLER-COIREE GUARDIANS- MARI MINIATT
4. VIGILANTE- CLAUDE BOUCHARD

ON MY KINDLE
1. THE REMAINS- VINCENT ZANDRI
2. THE INNOCENT- VINCENT ZANDRI
3. SILVER THAW-  AMY ROSE DAVIS
4. THE DARK PATH-  LUKE ROMYN
5. DWELLER- JEFF STRAND
6. PRESSURE-  JEFF STRAND
7. BENJAMIN’S PARASITE- JEFF STRAND
8. GLEEFULLY MACABRE TALES- JEFF STRAND
9. CASKET FOR SALE (only used once)- JEFF STRAND
10. DISCOUNT NOIR -  *OSCAR MARTELLO STORY*
11. CRIMEFACTORY MAGAZINE VOL. 2 ISSUE 1- *OSCAR MARTELLO STORY*
12. NAUGHTY: NINE TALES OF CHRISTMAS CRIME- STEVE HOCKENSMITH

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Just in case you're ever interested in planning a tactical assault, Reacher says it's been proven by the Soviets that the best time to attack is at four in the morning.  It has something to do with brain function being at its lowest activity level, or something like that. Well, whatever it is, I could have used this information back in high school. 

My senior year in high school a group of us decided it would be fun to toilet paper our Principal's house.  We were on good terms with the guy and we had nothing but the best intentions in mind; just a bunch of kids playing around is all. It was back in the day when camo attire was popular, so we dressed up in some camo gear and headed out for a night of fun. Things went pretty smoothly for us and we completed our task with little to no trouble.  I think we lost a couple of rolls of paper before using their full covering potential, but all in all, we did well for the short amount of time we spent on the task. 

I'm not quite sure if any of us were feeling guilty about our secret mission when we arrived at school the following Monday, but before first period would even begin, we would definitely have a change of heart.   It was shortly after we all noticed we were having difficulties with our lockers that we were summoned to the Principal's office.  Turns out Mr. Sharps is a war veteran and heard us the moment we stepped foot in his yard.  The first thing he did was grab his weapon.  The second thing he did was search for the enemy. He said his first images of us running around his yard in camo brought back memories he would rather have forgotten. He spoke to us of war flashbacks and how we should be more considerate of other peoples property. It was a great learning moment for all of us and I'm thinking  that even if the four in the morning stuff is a proven theory, my guess would be it wouldn't have worked in this situation or with any other war veteran I know.  I'm not a war veteran and even my background keeps me prepared at all times of the night.  Especially when I'm visiting my family in Oregon. Plus,  this little blogger is awake every morning at four. (I was trying to develop Reacher's internal clock trick.  I wanted to wake up every morning at five, but I'm originally from the West Coast and I'm thinking my internal clock isn't interested in Utah time.  It's probably the same reason why my brain still isn't able to figure out the state tax system.)

In Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child, Reacher is riding the New York subway late at night when  he spots a woman that he believes is a suicide bomber.  After a shocking turn of events and some pretty blunt accusations by local law enforcement, Reacher, partially out of guilt, is determined to  find out what exactly was happening in this woman's life to make her commit such a desperate act.  In the story you'll find out just how easily it is for government employees to be taken advantage of by terrorists posing as Afghan  war widows, learn that every so often an elected official has secrets that can actually hinder another country more than our own, forever be scarred by images of women slicing and dicing their way to confessions, see Reacher utilize the four in the morning theory with perfection, and be surprised by Reacher's incredible knowledge of rats. Rats? Yep, it's true.  Reacher likes rats.  I found it rather interesting myself.  It reminded me of all the useless information I have about cockroaches.  Hmmm,  I wonder if I could turn that into a blog post?

P.S.  I'm not sure who it is in the Netherlands that is in love with Andrew Grant, but don't think I'm not noticing how many times your clicking on that review of Even. You may have moved that post to third place, but you have a long, long, long way to go before you even come close to knocking Nick Heller out of the number one spot. Just sayin'! ;-)

Merry Christmas to my Favorite Men of 2010

I’m

wishing all of

my favorite male

fictional characters a

very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Scott Finn, my favorite Boston defense

attorney~The Black Dagger Brotherhood-The

Blind King~Vishous~Rhage~Butch~Rehvenge~Quinn~

Zhadist~John Matthew~Blaylock~Lassiter~Murhder~

Tohrment~Phury~, these are the men who named me Kate in my

dreams~Jack Cassian, a D.C. Officer with a nice bed-side

manner~Tom Kozlowski, Boston P.I.~Jack Reacher, seriously,

your blue eyes will forever haunt me~Lestat~Marrius~Tarquinn

Blackwood, some of my favorite men from The Vampire

Chronicles~Andrew Wallace Graham III, I still love how you met up with

 your wife on the bottom steps of your first apartment in New York

City~Vittorio~David Trevellyan, okay-so he’s more like a brother to me,

but my life wouldn't be the same w/out him~Tommy Tomzak, the seriously hot
NTSB Investigator from the south~Nick Heller, I think I’m in love with him more

 than all of the others, but even I know I’m not good enough for Nick~Mitch Rafferty~DetectiveTaggert~Gale~Peeta~Dominor~Rydan~Andrew

Mayhem, minus the “indirect” killings, I think we’re pretty much alike~
Evin Driscol~Your story is still unread, but you already have my heart~

And Oscar Martello, Yes-it’s true. Since my college drop out status

 probably knocked me out of the running for Nick Heller, I decided I should

 set my sights on you. After all, you’re supposed to be leaving

 “the business” and I figure I just might be the girl to help you find the proper

 path to goodness. Plus, I was really impressed with how you used your
ceramic hunting knife on Johnny Quinn.  I think I just might have an inner bad
 girl inside of me after all...as you can see from all the men I've loved this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to

my favorite men of 2010~

Love-Kate!

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

So, here we are a few days before Christmas and I'm finishing up my favorite holiday read of the year, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore.  Well, I'm actually reading Version 2.0 which comes with a special bonus chapter.  A bonus chapter...like you need a bonus chapter after reading this book.

This wonderful story takes you to the picturesque coastal town of Pine Cove, California where the citizens are being visited by Archangel Raziel who is hoping to earn his wings by coming to earth and granting the wish of a child.  Sounds warm and fuzzy until you realize that the little boy, Joshua, has just witnessed the murder of Santa and all he wants is Santa to come back from the dead. Yep, you guessed it.  There be zombies in this book!

In the story you'll find an Archangel that isn't very bright, a little boy that isn't any brighter, a behavioral field biologist using mice in what can only be described as a "male are stupid test," and lots of brain eating walking dead people. Oh...and a fruit bat. Can't forget the fruit bat.

You'll also read about the fight that killed Santa.  Hey men, have you read this book?  If you have, then you know now that you should never  thump a woman on the head with a flashlight when she's holding a shovel. 

The Stupidest Angel Version 2.0 comes with the following warning:

"If you are buying this book as a gift for your grandma or a kid, you should be aware that it contains cusswords as well as tasteful depictions of cannibalism and people in their forties having sex.  Don't blame me.  I told you." 

Hmmm...I didn't think the sex scenes were that bad.  He makes it sound like people in their forties can't do it correctly or something.  I personally consider this book a must read for any adult that doesn't mind cusswords, cannibalism and people in their forties having sex.  I apologize to my family and friends who disagree with me.  For them, I highly recommend A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  It's definitely more family oriented and there are several movie variations available for your viewing pleasure. 

Christopher Moore is the author of eleven novels, including the international bestsellers, Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck.  His latest novel is Fool, a retelling of King Lear from the perspective of Pocket, the Fool.

Die Twice by Andrew Grant

Andrew Grant, like David Trevellyan, the main character in his novels Even and Die Twice, does not worry too much about finesse. His writing beats the reader over the head, delivers a swift kick to the jugular, and leaves him gasping for air. Okay, that may be putting it a bit too strong; however, the point is that Grant’s books go from exploit to exploit, fight to fight, without a whole lot of let up. Which, of course, is what you want if you are reading a crime thriller in the first place. 

In Die Twice Trevellyan travels from New York, the scene of Even, to Chicago to take down a rogue British agent who is trying to sell highly toxic gas to terrorists. He searches for the rogue agent, and then for the gas, and in the process covers just about all of downtown Chicago. The rogue agent is actually working for terrorists from a small African nation who want to use the gas to poison their whole country, for reasons that are not entirely clear. Luckily, Trevellyan finds the terrorists and some of the gas. Unfortunately, there is more gas, (“dun dun dun”), and it falls into even worse hands, to be used for even more nefarious purposes. What could possibly be worse than wiping out a small African nation? You’ll have to read the book to find out, though you may wonder which is worse. Of course, to save the day Trevellyan has to break a lot of noses, shoot a lot of people, and bust down a lot of doors. If this sounds a lot like Even, it’s because it is. Not in a bad way, but rather in a, “if you liked the original, you’ll love the sequel” way.

As I read Die Twice I wondered how close to being a rogue agent Trevellyan is himself; he doesn’t ever worry about back-up or following procedure and regularly takes justice into his own hands. His justification for killing is often that the people are bad (they are) and they deserve to die (they do); however, I was often left wondering what it would take for him to go off the rails and decide that someone who isn’t bad deserves to die and then just do it. He does seem to have gone a little bit more on edge in Die Twice than he was in Even and a little closer to that point. Maybe that kind of edge is good in a fictional action hero, but…I just can’t help wondering if he couldn’t do with a little more sense of principle. He is British after all. Wondering what Trevellyan will do next, and whether he’s going to eventually go nuts, will keep me reading the next installment. Which is probably the point anyway.

You can read more about Andrew Grant and the David Trevellyan series at http://andrewgrantbooks.com/.

Review written by The Senator

A Mormon Reference in Nothing to Lose-

I'm continuing with my discussion on Nothing to Lose by Lee Child, if only because I rambled too much in the last post, and also because I thought it would be fun to talk church stuff on Sunday.  Seriously, that's why I waited.  I could write this post today as a way to not feel guilty for blogging on the Sabbath.

Okay. Where was I? Oh, yes...There was a reference to Mormon missionaries in the middle of page 146 that I found humorous, and it also brought back a memory from my missionary days. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but this little blog lady served a mission. My destination? The Nevada Las Vegas Mission. I'll be the first to admit that I was choking back the tears when I read my little letter from the First Presidency of our church. As you can only imagine, Nevada wasn't first on my list of destinations for a mission. I distinctly remember putting Ireland as my requested mission location. Perhaps they didn't read it. Whatever the case, Nevada was my location and Nevada is where I went.

By the time you get to page 146 of Nothing to Lose, Reacher has been back and forth from Despair to Hope and back again, come across a dead body in the desert, met Officer Vaughan, disabled all the deputized law enforcement in Despair, and is now searching out Judge Gardner because he's under the delusion that he should be sworn in as a deputy. Delusional or not, Reacher is knocking on the Gardner's door past nine o'clock at night when Lee Child adds this thought to the mix. "Reacher knew he was no kind of an ideal nighttime visitor. Nine times out of ten only Mormon missionaries were less welcome than him." **laughing**.....**still laughing**

Honestly, I have no idea if that is true or not.  I imagine some missionaries serve in areas where they are unwelcome, but I'm happy to report that I only encountered one such incident during my eighteen month mission.  As stated above I was serving in Nevada.  At the time of my most unfortunate encounter, I was serving as a companion to the Sister Assistant to the President.  It sounds like a cool title to have, but it required me to go on 24 hour exchanges five nights a week with other sister missionaries and evaluate their skills. It wasn't the best time of my mission, but someone had to do it! 

I was  with some sister missionary tracting (tracting is where we knock on doors looking for investigators-people that want to learn more about the church) in some neighborhood in Las Vegas. (don't you just love my details?  This is why I could never write my own novel.)  We were half way through the neighborhood when a garage door went up at the home we were about to approach.  I say "about" because the owner came out of his garage carrying a shotgun and met us at the end of the drive way.  Well, not being stupid, we walked by him without making eye contact.  Once we went by, he disappeared inside his garage only returning to greet us on the way back to our vehicle. Naturally, the sister I was with wanted to cross the street in order to return to our car.  I, on the other hand, had other plans.

At this point I was just annoyed with the guy.  I mean, seriously, what is he going to do?  He can't just shoot a Mormon missionary in the middle of some city street.  Well, I suppose he could, but it would be such a silly thing to do.  Besides, I was skilled in the art of building relationships of trust by finding common ground.  The guy had no idea who he was dealing with.  After approaching the end of his driveway, I stopped and turned directly to face him.  Looking him in the eye I said, "that's a really nice weapon you have.  Is that made out of walnut?"  He responded  by tilting his head and blinking.  So, I continued with, "It's been years since I've shot one of these.  In my childhood I used to hunt squirrels in the back woods of Shreveport, Louisiana with my cousins."  At this point...he belonged to me.  The guy busted up laughing and invited us in to meet his wife. 

So, I guess it's possible that nine times out of ten we Mormon missionaries would be less welcome than Reacher.  But, for me, nine times out of ten the vacuum salesman will be less welcome than my favorite man Jack.  In fact, I would gladly pick Reacher up off the side of the road if I ever found him wandering the sad lonely streets of Magna, Utah.  My husband probably wouldn't let me take him home with me, but...a girl can always dream.

Nothing To Lose by Lee Child

I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I really couldn't resist.  I had written a review of this book, but I felt like I was a little disconnected in my usual approach so I took the time to see what others had been saying about this book.  I'm so glad I did because the comments all made me laugh and they kind of ticked me off.  I thought I'd share a couple and share some comments after.

#1 (anonymous review) The plot involves tough hombre Jack Reacher treated rudely in a company town called Despair, where he promptly deposits several men to the hospital. Reacher makes several repetitive trips across a barren landscape to investigate the nefarious doings at a scrap metals plant in Despair, aided by a female cop from a neighboring town called Hope. Somehow, the plot never gels--religious fanatics, environmental damage, war vets, etc. -- all the major issues of the day are mixed in this salsa. Probably most disappointing are the oddly written passages that seem the work of a lesser writer than Lee Child (see Reacher mulling over meanings of the word UHaul as he looks at a truck-- a dismal passage that left me wondering if Child's editor was the victim of a roadside bomb).  OUCH!

#2 (anonymous review)  I know it is hard to keep a series going but the last Reacher novel set in LA was great so I had high hopes for this one. It is a fast read but overall was disappointed because the whole set up seemed contrived.  The whole set up that Reacher didn't get served coffee and is chased out of town and he just doesn't move on seems a bit ridiculous...he's not helping or saving anyone so it all just seemed a bit much.  The main thing is really there isn't much happening in the book other than Reacher going to the town, leaving going to the town, leaving etc. Oh, and the ending...right, she's gonna push that button..would never happen.

Gee whiz, people!  Where's the loyalty? Better yet...did we even read the same book?

In the book Jack is headed to San Diego by bus, car, foot...when he arrives in Despair, Colorado and is subjected to harassment by the local townsfolk because they have secrets, and they don't like outsiders.  After being driven out of the city by law enforcement, Reacher being the stubborn character that he is, decides he wants to head back to Despair and find out what all the fuss is about.  The book takes Reacher back and forth between a neighboring town called Hope where he meets Officer Vaughn, and together they set out on an exciting adventure to discover the truth about Despair.

In the book you'll find a town ran by a religious fanatic that has been surplussing uranium at his recycling plant in the hopes of jump starting Armageddon, Reacher discovering a dead body in the desert as he makes his way to Hope, a war vet that brings to life the reality of the War in Iraq, an officer that is struggling with the consequences of said war, and an ending that will leave you believing that there is absolutely nothing that my man, Jack- can't do! 

As for the garbled written reviews above?  Let me dissect them just a little.

#1-religious fanatics, environmental damage, war vets, that pretty much speaks for itself...it's true. All of this in the book.

#2-see Reacher mulling over meanings of the word UHaul as he looks at a truck-- a dismal passage that left me wondering if Child's editor was the victim of a roadside bomb.  I don't understand why your upset with this.  At the time he's discussing the origins of the company name U-Haul, he's been driving a beat up car for hours while driving behind a U-Haul truck and was trying to keep himself awake.  And seriously-you've never found yourself doing this?  I have.  For instance...why is Mtn Dew called Mtn Dew?  The can is green, the liquid is green.  Why not just call it Mtn Green or better yet, why don't they just drop the Mtn all together?  Is the word Mountain subliminal?  See, everybody does this. 

#3-he's not helping or saving anyone so it all just seemed a bit much.  Hmmmm...correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he stop a mad religious freak from using a dirty bomb to kill thousands of people in an attempt to jump start Armageddon?  And didn't he find a dead body in the desert?  And didn't he pretty much save Officer Vaughn from her life of misery by giving her some much needed lovin' and a better understanding of how to deal with her husband. (Okay, that last sentence sounds kind of bad, but you really have to read the book to understand.)

#4-Oh, and the ending...right, she's gonna push that button...would never happen. Well, I personally would have been irritated if she hadn't pushed the button.  I would have pushed the button, so in all likelihood, she would have pushed the button, too.  It just makes sense. 

So, there you have it- my take on Nothing to Lose by Lee Child. It's a great book and I highly recommend it.

KINDLE GOODIES

8 POUNDS: EIGHT TALES OF CRIME, HORROR, & SUSPENSE

This Kindle collection features eight stories including Chris Holm's Spinetingler-Award-winner “Seven Days of Rain,” Derringer finalist “The Big Score,” and his Ellery Queen debut “The World Behind.”     This was a suggested purchase by book reviewer Elizabeth White, so I knew that it would be a good one to have.  There wasn't a story in this collection I didn't like and I wasn't disappointed. You can purchase it for $0.99 at Chris F. Holm's website here: CHRIS F. HOLM.  Seriously, the collection is a steal and is a must have for your Kindle collection.

TERMINAL DAMAGE - A DO SOME DAMAGE COLLECTION

Do Some Damage is a group of eight crime writers that share their wisdom on "reading, writing, plot, voice, and all the sordid junk that goes through a writer's brain."  They've combined their talents of story telling into one great collection that you can purchase on your Kindle for $0.99.  You can purchase the collection here: TERMINAL DAMAGE.  You can also follow them on their blog DO SOME DAMAGE.  I stumbled upon the gang at Do Some Damage by accident while looking for book blogs, and I've been a fan ever since.  They are an impressive group with more than one book in my TBR pile.  I'm hoping to be able to meet them at Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis...if I had my way I'd pay for them all to come to Salt Lake City. As I've told Russel McLean, our liquor laws aren't as strict as they used to be, and some of us in SLC really do like to read.  You can't beat the price for Terminal Damage, and it should definitely be on your Kindle.

EVEN by Andrew Grant review by The Senator

In a crime thriller, telling the story is everything, otherwise there’s nothing to read. The pulps and noir novels of the early twentieth century are the parents of today’s crime thrillers. Like their parents, the plot, characters, and story lines of modern crime thrillers run essentially the same; thus the distinction between a good and bad thriller is the telling of the story, the narrative flow, and the likability of your characters.

Andrew Grant has released two novels in the David Trevellyan series. Although his newness shows through in several respects, his books also show great promise because he knows how to tell a good story. Throughout the book Mr. Grant gives appropriate detail to surroundings and events so that the reader is able to develop a sense of the place without getting bogged down in the details. Also, the pace of the storytelling is just about right for a crime thriller; I felt like I was carried along fast enough to be able to keep reading, without feeling rushed.

Even is the first novel in the Trevellyan series and it starts out engagingly enough. Our hero sees a body in an alley and stops to investigate. From there he is framed for murder and gets caught up in a local criminal syndicate’s plans to skim millions in Social Security payments and kill an FBI agent. After taking care of the syndicate’s boss (or so we think), Trevellyan decides to help the FBI track down a body part smuggler who also happens to be an international terrorist (with no connection to the criminal syndicate). It goes without saying that Even keeps up a pretty frenetic pace. While the pace is enjoyable, I found it a little difficult to wrap my mind around two separate plots running in what amounted to two separate novels written together as one. Additionally, because Grant had to tell two separate stories in one novel, I ended up wanting to know more about each. For example, although we get the picture that the female leader of the unidentified criminal syndicate is evil (and I mean EVVILLL), we never really get to know her; she has the proper credentials to be a thriller novel bad girl (sadistic, cruel, rules with an iron fist, etc.) but beyond that we never learn anything else. Once the bad girl was finally dispatched by Trevellyan I didn’t get as much joy at her demise as I might have had if I had gotten to know her a little better. The same goes for the other antagonists in Even. Maybe I sound a little like a psychologist, (“Yeah, I know you’re evil, but how does that make you feel?”) but if I’m going to feel good about someone getting whacked, I want to know more about them than just their evilness. The scant attention paid to the antagonists is probably a product of how tightly packed Even is, since it is really two novels in one.

Trevellyan has some of the same problems as the rest of the characters; we don’t get to know him very well in Even (though we do somewhat in the next book in the series, Die Twice). About all we learn about him throughout the novel is that he wants to do the right thing, has really tough fists, and is handy in a tight spot. Although these are really the prerequisites for an action hero; the best ones always have something else, a part of their character that makes us want them to win their fights with evil. Every chapter in Even starts with an excerpt from Trevellyan’s past life, either his childhood or military training, that attempts to shed light on him. Although the excerpts do help the reader to see how he became the action hero he is now, they don’t tell us who he is. Why does Trevellyan love truth, justice, and the Queen (he is British after all)? If I knew a little bit more about him, I would find it even easier to root for him throughout the novel.

Notwithstanding its shortcomings, Even is a great start for a new author. As Mr. Grant expands the world of David Trevellyan I expect he will only get better, which means I will have better reasons to: like David Trevellyan, hate the various bad guys, and read another installment in the series.

THE SENATOR-
I am not really a senator, in fact “The Senator” was my poker nickname back when I played poker. I don’t have any idea where the nickname came from, or why it stuck. I can only suppose that: 1) I took a really long time making up my mind on whether to bet, 2) I talked a lot, or 3) I was a conniver. As anyone who knows me can attest, any of these possibilities could easily have been the motive behind the nickname.

All my political aspirations having come to naught, I am now a law student at the esteemed S.J. Quinney College of Law, studying to someday become an attorney. Having realized, however, the law being much less prestigious than it once was, I am branching out into other fields of endeavor, such as book reviews. I also work as a law clerk at the Salt Lake County D.A.’s Office. Although my literary tastes run on somewhat different channels than Kate’s, I am excited to be a contributor to her blog.