The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Alice Sebold's, The Lovely Bones, was not going to be on my reading list. I thought it was going to be gruesome. Okay, maybe it did have a gruesome part to it, but I decided to read it. Mainly because I had asked some kids what they thought about it and they liked it. Plus, they made it into a movie. Just because it was made into a movie doesn't mean it was going to be a good book, but it was.

Susie Salmon is the main character and as you can probably guess she is killed. She narrates the book while looking down from heaven at all those she left behind. Susie draws you into the story and you feel for her, her family, and her friends. I could envision the scenes that Susie was watching. The story is about loss, both for Susie and those she left behind. But it shows how life goes on, sometimes even when we don't want it to.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did, but it is well written and crafted beautifully into a story I was able to easily observe.

Persuader by Lee Child

Lee Child's Persuader is another Jack Reacher novel. Reacher's character envelopes you into the story and brings it to life. Jack gets involved with an undercover operation to assist in busting the operation. But Jack has his own motivation for not walking away. The story reveals things that have happened in the past that have caused Jack to want his own revenge.

I really enjoyed the suspense, although predictable. It reminded me of when I watched Columbo a TV series from when I was a kid. If you like shoot'em up, get the job done type books, this one will fit your appetite. Reacher is a tough character that takes the law into his own hands. I know being a vigilante isn't the way to go, but that's why I like to read fiction.