I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and curling up with a cool drink and a hot book. Here are some quick takes to whet your reading appetite.
THE RANGER (Putnam, 978-0-399-15748-6) by Ace Atkins. This is a gritty and extremely violent thriller set in the contemporary south. The ranger, Quinn Colson, comes back from fighting in Afghanistan and discovers his hometown is riddled with meth, corruption, and rampant greed. To top it off his uncle, the sheriff has supposedly committed suicide under very suspicious circumstances. Colson cleans up the town, solves some crimes, and exterminates a few bad guys along the way. It is dark and violent, but jam packed with action, interesting characters, and a good plot. Should become a series.
THE PROFESSION (Crown, 978-0-385-52873-3) is another thriller set in the near future and paints a very bleak picture of the United States and the world. The US, as well as the world, is in trouble. Mercenary armies have become the go to source for countries in conflicts and a disgraced and exiled former US general, Salter, is leading a force that plans to take over the county so he can return home. The hero is a person who has known Salter for years, Gent Gentilhomme, who is trying to defuse the situation before it explodes, literally.It is another jam packed with action tale, not only of war, terror, and mayhem, but also of defining character and pride. Fast, furious, and overly realistic.
A TIME FOR PATRIOTS (Morrow, 978-0-06-198999-5) by Dale Brown. Could this happen here? This takes a look at the US in an another time that is suspiciously similar to what we have been experiencing. Except this is more vicious, more violent, and even filled with more corruption and greed. than the present. A newly elected president must deal with a galloping recession, homegrown militia insurgency in the western states, and general unrest and dissatisfaction. The county has lost national departments and agencies to budget cuts and most programs are at a standstill. The citizens have banded together to help themselves, or in some cases to take over the country.Radioactive material is stolen and terror is expected, But a group made up of the Air Force, The Civil Air Patrol, come to the rescue by getting the good guys organized and fighting back, This book will have you playing guess who and turning pages as fast as you can read. It has quite a bit of wow factor as well as lots of action. Characters are interesting as well.
And for something entirely different... we have two non fiction titles. HOW THE GOVERNMENT GOT IN YOUR BACKYARD ( Timber Press, 978-1-60459-001-0) by Jeff Gillman and Eric Heberlig. This is an excellent look at all sides of many questions. Environmental issues, energy problems, modifies plant genes, and almost all the things we wonder about.The sides presented are the left and right views of a subject as well as the science and politics of it all. And it is succinct and readable.It might help you understand some of the rhetoric being bandied about.
THE BOND ( Morrow, 978-0-06-19678-2) by Wayne Pacelle. Pacelle is the president/CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. This is about our relationship with animals. It is a look at the historical background of our relationship with animals as well as how we react to them currently. It is also a call to better treatment of animals and our own pets. H also explores the vast and often ignored intelligence of animals We also see way animals are mistreated as well as exploited. Not all will agree with the premises or agree with some of the ideas and tactics. But it is a interesting look at the way animals have been used over time and how we see and use them now. If you have a pet, you might find this interesting and provocative.
No comments:
Post a Comment