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!

The Spoils by Jesse Eisenberg

I read this because I read the other play he wrote and it’s a small book that I read in two days.

Ben has issues.  He is sarcastic and basically acts like an arse hole.  Yes, I used “arse” in place of what I wanted to say.  He has a way of talking snarky to people and I guess you would really have to know him for a long time to believe he doesn’t mean to be that way. His film career is not what he wants it to be and he lives off of his parents.  He is unhappy.

His roommate was played by Kunal Nayyar (Raj from the Big Bang Theory TV show) and I keep thinking they are similar characters.

At the very end of the play – I think Ben has potential to act like a good person! 

Jesse Eisenberg has the looks to play a smart ass, wise cracking person.  I hope he is different in person.