Make Me by Lee Child

 

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Reacher is BACK! Okay, he never left. But the last three or four books have been a bit slower than the earlier ones (not surprising after TWENTY books), and while I still enjoyed them, I wasn’t quite as excited about them as I wanted to be. However, with Make Me, Lee Child is definitely back on his game, 100%.

There is no real way to summarize a Jack Reacher story, without giving away far too much of the mystery involved, so I’m not going to try. What I am going to say is that no matter how many times I thought I knew what was really happening in the tiny little town of Mother’s Rest, I found out I was wrong. WAY wrong. All Reacher really wants to know is how the town got its name, but no one will tell him. They’re too busy trying to make him go away. Permanently, if need be. But Reacher’s general rule of thumb is, if you want me to leave before I’m ready, you’ll have to make me…an imposing task, at the very least.

Reacher doesn’t always get involved in a romance on his travels, but when he does, it’s usually pretty interesting. This one was my favorite to date, and part of me wishes he’d stay in touch with Michelle Chang for future books. But the rest of me knows that putting Reacher in a committed relationship changes all the rules. He’s been there, done that, and isn’t likely to try again.

If you are already familiar with Jack Reacher–the 6’5″, ex-MP, with hands the size of “dinner plates,” and a brain that never stops computing–you’ve probably been eagerly waiting for this one. And those of you who have never read one of these superbly done action/mysteries…well, what are you waiting for? Start at the beginning and read the whole delicious pile of them, one after the other. Reacher overload. Possibly fatal, but a good way to go. 😀

Make Me

 

Personal by Lee Child

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

For my money, the latest Jack Reacher book, Personal,  rates a solid 5 stars. Reacher is ALWAYS a  4 or 5-star read for me, because Reacher, himself, is one of the best-drawn characters out there. Yes, I know some readers thought this book fell short, but when I read their reviews, it was almost always because of such things as Reacher not stopping often enough to discard his clothing in a dressing room somewhere, and walk out with his next outfit, designed to be worn for a few days and discarded as well. What? Yes, that’s an interesting and amusing aspect of Reacher’s nomadic lifestyle, wherein the only possession he carries with him is a folding toothbrush, but counting the number of times it happens in a given book? I don’t think so. Don’t get me wrong–I love Reacher’s quirks as much as the next person–but if you are reading these books to see how many times our indomitable hero changes his clothing, you’re missing the whole point of these stories.

For me, huge and imposing though Reacher is (and so DEFINITELY not Tom Cruise!), the most impressive thing about him is his analytical mind. Throw Jack Reacher a mystery wrapped in an enigma, tied up with yards of twisted yarn and bloody twine, and then sit back and watch as he teases out every single little thread and unravels the whole convoluted mess in a way that makes you wonder why you didn’t see it sooner, yourself. Yep…it’s all about the way his mind works–with a bit of kick-butt action thrown in for good measure. Nobody who tangles with Jack Reacher gets out unscathed, physically or mentally. Quite simply, he rules! And if it’s all more or less formulaic, who cares? It works for me every time, and as we say down here, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As for complaints that this time around, Reacher didn’t get the girl, hello? Younger than his daughter would be? I think having Reacher and Ms. Nice end up in bed would not only have been unbelievable, it would have been downright creepy, in a major “Eeew,” sort of way. Not that he isn’t a sexy man who should still get the woman on occasion, but the “girl?” I don’t think so. Happily, even Reacher knew that would be wrong.

Bottom line, Personal hits all the right notes for most Jack Reacher fans, and I enjoyed every page of it. I hope Lee Child never changes a thing about this series, and I also hope the series keeps on truckin’ for a long, long time. The world needs Jack Reacher.

Personal

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Eight Day Wonders!

For those who never notice my Countdown widgets, the next couple of months are going to be a lot of fun for fans of several great series. And in eight days, on September 2, four new books hit at once that I’m particularly excited about, to wit:

Monday Lunch Time Giveaway….Late!

Yeah, I know it’s way past lunch time in my part of the world, but in other areas, I might still be in range. Sorry for the delay in today’s giveaway, but as some of you know, I have developed some complications from my cataract surgery and am having vision problems. Between having trouble seeing to work on the computer, and all the visits to my doctor, I’m behind on everything. But I’ll catch up, I promise. And I’m still offering some free downloads of books I love today.  All you have to do is email me with the name of the book you want. It would be a good idea to let me know what your second or third choices would be, too, in case someone beats you to the draw. You can find my email under the Contact Me link at the top of the page. Here are today’s offers:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: I have 2 free downloads available for this. Maggie Stiefvater is a truly gifted and beautiful writer, and of all her books, The Scorpio Races is my favorite. It is a haunting, magical, and dark tale centered around the Celtic legend of the water horse. This is a Young Adult book, but it is NOT young adult writing, believe me. Try it. You’ll be as in love with Stiefvater’s writing as I am. The Scorpio Races is a stand-alone book.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater:  Okay, so I’m back to Maggie again, but really, any fan of Urban Fantasy, magic, Celtic legends, and beautiful writing should be reading her already. She’s one of the best. This book is completely unique in the way it approaches an odd assortment of characters whose lives become interconnected in unexpected ways. There is another Celtic legend at work in the background here, too, but I’m not going to give away any more than that. I’ve already got the 2nd book in this series waiting in my To Be Read basket, and I can’t wait to get started on it. Book One was utterly captivating. I have 2 downloads available of this book, too.

Killing Floor by Lee Child: The book that started Jack Reacher on his cross-country adventures. For those of you who have not gotten into Reacher’s stories yet, this is the place to begin. One of my favorite series. I have two downloads of this book available as well. 

And as always, anyone who’d like some bookmarks from my novel, Wake-Robin Ridge, need only email me with their mailing address, and I’ll send you some, for your own use, or for give-aways to friends and family. 

So there you have it. I will run today’s offer through tomorrow afternoon, to make up for it being posted so late. Hope you’ll all forgive me, and be sure to tune in again next Monday for another Lunchtime Giveaway.

Never Go Back by Lee Child

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Fair warning! I am a Jack Reacher fan. I have been a Jack Reacher fan from Lee Child’s very first Reacher novel. I have LOVED 17 out of 18 of these books, and felt differently about the one only because it just got too political for my taste. But overall, I wouldn’t miss a Jack Reacher book

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Okay, Janet Evanovich!  I’m officially putting you in the same category as Jim Butcher.  No, not genre-wise.  But dang it!  Both of you are driving me completely crazy!  (Not a long drive, of course, but that’s beside the point.)  I find myself stomping around the house now,

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

As the blurbs all say, Reacher’s back!  Just finished this 17th book in the Jack Reacher series–can you imagine?  Number seventeen?  Sort of amazing, isn’t it?  But then I guess that Reacher’s books are kind of like Reacher is, himself–a force of nature following no law but his own.

Quote #17 – Janet Evanovich

“When something needs to be ironed I put it in the ironing basket.  If a year goes by and the item is still in the basket I throw the item away. This is a good system since eventually I end up only with clothes that don’t need ironing.”

–Stephanie Plum,  Three To Get Deadly

Quote #15 – Janet Evanovich

“Thinking very often resembles napping, but the intent is different.

    –Stephanie Plum,  Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, No. 7)

The Affair by Lee Child

MY RATING:  4 of 5 Stars

Let me say right up front that this review is really about Lee Child’s entire Jack Reacher series.  I have read all sixteen books, and with the exception of #12, “Nothing To Lose,” I have loved every single one.  (“Nothing to Lose” wasn’t bad, either, but got a bit too snipey about U. S. politics, and I don’t enjoy that when reading fiction.  Fiction, for me, is escape from the day to day, including whatever is coming out of Washington at any given time.  Therefore, I could only rate “Nothing To Lose” at 3 stars.)

I’m not usually drawn to male-oriented action books, but in the case of Jack Reacher,  

Quote #4 – Janet Evanovich

“Last time you called me late at night you were naked and chained to your shower curtain rod. I hope this isn’t going to be disappointing.”
    –Ranger to Stephanie Plum,  High Five (Stephanie Plum, No. 5)

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

MY RATING:  4 out of 5 stars

Let me begin by saying, I love Stephanie Plum. Love her. I love Morelli, Ranger, Lula, Grandma Mazur, Connie, Vinnie, the Burg, and everything and everyone connected to Stephanie’s weird, weird world. No, I don’t consider these books to be “great literature,” and yes, I do think they are formulaic in the extreme. But the formula still works for me, because…and this is a BIG because…