The Stranger by Harlan Coben

This “stranger” is crazy.  He is straight out ruining people’s lives by revealing things they don’t want anybody to know.

I already have my ideas as to who is behind this one!

I like how Adam’s character is talking real talk.  He admits to not being concerned about how he would live his life – until he married his wife – she put the focus on what to do and what not to do – having a family – handling the chidren – where to live – etc etc…. Now he discovers that his wife had a big secret and his world is rocked hard!!  What will become of his stable life now? What about the children???

The last of the authors books (so far) and he is a superb writer!

Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan

Betty Jean (BJ or Betty Bean as her sister calls her) has some family.  Right now her husband is homebound with Alzheimers, one son is in jail, one son thinks he is too good for the family and her only daughter is a hair away from losing her to children to Child Services. 

Betty Jean is having a hard time right now. Her son may be getting paroled and needs to live at home.  Her daughter dropped off her 2 sons and hasn’t been seen for months. A woman in her fifties should not be raising children, but Betty Bean just might have to take care of her two grandsons.

I like how each character gets their own chapter to tell their story.  The shortest chapter is Ricky’s and it’s eleven lines. He is one medication and basically his story is that he is not taking any more medication!

This is the author’s 8^th book and it’s a doozy.  It’s all about family and the issues that come about and who is not talking to who and who it telling the other persons business.  As always, Ms. McMillan knows how to tell a story!

Missing You by Harlan Coben

I have read almost all of Mr. Coben’s books (except the Myron mystery series and the last book he just wrote) and I am starting to figure things out way too soon!  I don’t know if that’s because I can catch his style now or just intuition.

This one was a good one still.  Kay is a cop for the NYPD. Eighteen years ago her father was killed and her fiancé dumped her.  Will she solve both mysteries within the 400 pages of this book?  Read it and see.

Copygirl by Anna Mitchael and Michelle Sassa

I thought this was a cute girly story.

Kay is in advertising.   I hear it’s a cutthroat business. She is also a little light on the self-esteem but in the end she perks up and realizes her own worth.

I enjoyed this story because she overcame her issues and won the big advertising account in the end and she deserved it!

The two authors worked at an advertising firm, so this story is based on first hand experiences.

Who Was J.R.R.Tolkien?

I came across this title while looking to borrow the Lord of the Ring movies from the library.  I never got them, but ended up getting this book instead.  I loved the Lord of the Ring movies and have seen them over and over and I also read the books.

Professor John Reuel Tolkien was a professor at Oxford University.  He wasn’t rich and earned extra money grading papers in the summer.  He and his wife Edith had four children.  Tolkiens father died when he was child and his mother died when he was twelve.  He was always in school, learning new things and also writing stories about made up worlds.  He loved ancient languages.

Mr. Tolkien seemed like a kind man.  He was friends with C.S Lewis whose books I love to read as well.  Tolkien was a Christian and C.S. Lewis was converted as a result of their friendship.  Tolkien never imagined that his novel would be accepted by the world or even made into a movie. 

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

I think this book was mentioned in another book I was reading and when I went to the library to get it, it’s such a small book that I read it over a few days. And I read it ahead of all the other books that are on my list!

Santiago is an aging fisherman.  He hasn’t caught a fish in 84 days. When he catches a marlin the next day, he has to fight off some pretty big sharks in order to keep his catch.   

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there are some abstract ideas going on here – man’s struggle in the world, man’s struggle with himself, etc. etc.  What was a shame was all the trouble he went through to go fishing and capture this fish and then all he brought home was the carcass!

Stay Close by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben knows how to write a suspense story.  I am almost done reading his books from the beginning and they are all great reads. 

In Stay Close, we delve into a world of “gentlemen entertainment” and “soccer moms”.  What does one have to do with the other? 

Cassie (if that’s her real name) needs to find someone before they find her. Men are disappearing and no one knows if they are dead or just gone away.  An old friend shows up with information from her past and now she feels like she is being pulled back to a life that she walked away from.  Hmm, what to do?  

Ray is assaulted and his camera equipment is stolen.  Why?  

Two people who knew each other before are about to be reunited and uncover things they never knew about the other.

CAUGHT by Harlan Coben

Good murder mystery that leaves you wondering if the murderer is innocent.  Wasn’t expecting that ending, but it has a good story line.  A pedophile is killed and there is one less pedophile on the street.  But when you start digging into his life, was he really a pedophile?  Dan Mercer was set up but only he knows this to be the truth.  Well, maybe one other person…

This story has more plots than “let’s kill the pedophile”.   This story is also about how you can easily slander someone with lies and allegations.  Justice is supposed to be “innocent until proven guilty” but when it comes to spreading rumors the opposite is usually how it turns out. Society says you are guilty and even if you are proven innocent the harm has already been done.

Another theme running through this story is that we must forgive when others hurt us.  That may be the most important message of all!