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!