Tripwire – Lee Child

I've enjoyed Lee Child in the past and Jack Reacher has been a favorite of mine. This however was not one of those that I really enjoyed. This just seemed to be 400 pages of not much happening, yet I read all the way through, thinking that this had to get better. Well other than the last two chapters, it really never did. This just never seemed to get off the ground for me. Oh, sure there were a few hot spots in there, but for me they seemed far and few between and never lasted long.... a long, slow tease that never materialized into anything more.

If this had been my first foray into the life of Jack Reacher, it probably would have been my last, but I know that Lee Child is so much better than this, that I will definitely be back for more.

Anthem – Ayn Rand

Enjoyable read and brief introduction to Ayn Rand's philosophy. While Rand tends to take her ideas to the extreme in her books, it's frightening looking at the world around us and seeing those in power slowly leading us down that path that if taken to a final conclusion could be the cause of Rand's world. Simple read, much easier to get into than her opus, Atlas Shrugged (which is necessary reading in it's own right)

Song of Kali – Dan Simmons

This was my first book from Dan Simmons. It seemed to get pretty good reviews and I had a few others of his sitting on my shelf, so when I picked up this one, his first, I thought why not start at the beginning with his works. Well I can't say that this is a great book, but I can't say that it's horrible either. I just wasn't moved by it as some others were. Sure he put some good words down on paper, he describes his settings, locations and characters well, but the story just didn't work for me. I think this may have worked better as a short story or novella, but as a full length, the pace was just too slow.

If I hadn't heard such great things about Dan, I may stop with this book, but I will continue on and read some of his newer works to see if he's improved. So many seem to love him, I really want to give him a shot.

The Lock Artist - Steve Hamilton

Once in awhile, I'll find a book or series that I wish I had written - Harry Potter (both brilliant in writing, but billions in revenue is good as well!), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (great comedy and characters), and just a handful of others. This book joins that list. Mike Smith is the "Miracle Boy", traumatized by an event in his past that has left him literally speechless. This oddity places him outside his peers in school, and during his time alone, he learns to pick locks. This talent, exposed to the wrong people, gets him entwined in several heists and enslaved to a criminal enterprise that contacts him through several coded pagers - he is a "boxman", a safeecracker, for hire. The book is written in the first-person, so although Mike never speaks, the reader really gets to see and understand his emotions as the book progresses. Most of those emotions concern Amelia, his first love met while serving a sentence with her father. Their connection is forged through Mike's other talent, drawing, an ability shared by Amelia. This is one of those great books where a complex plot is really enhanced by brilliant characters, and I'm hoping that the author's backlist is similarly fantastic, as I've just ordered all of his past books!

Freedom - Daniel Suarez

Last year, I read this author's first novel - Daemon - and really enjoyed it. The sequel was every bit as good, but you MUST read these in order. Matthew Sobol's gaming engine has continued in its quest to control the real world after Sobol's death, but its not entirely clear who the bad guy really is any more. The Daemon holds the finances of world corporations hostage, but those on the darknet are embracing local supply and fraternal society. The old guard is seeking to restore its superiority, and Loki is running over anyone is his way. I liked this book, and look forward to seeing how it all works out when the next book (hopefully) comes out in 2011!

Mistborn – The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson

What a great book, one of the best I've read in a long time. If you enjoy political intrigue in your fantasy, then this is the book for you. There is really not a lot of action, but Sanderson has a way of making the story feel "action filled". Characters are well fleshed out and I felt deeply about the characters. The book started out a bit slow, but really it was necessary to the story and all makes sense come the end. I knew exactly how this was going to end, but I didn't know how we would get there. There were enough twists and mysteries that I didn't have figured out so the ending stayed enjoyable. Even though this is the first book of a trilogy, things wrapped up nicely and this book really feels like a standalone. I definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Secret Circles - F. Paul Wilson

I've been a fan of the Repairman Jack novels for many years, and this is the second of the prequel books covering Jack's teenage years (written for young adults). I have mixed feelings over this type of book where the background conveniently flows into place, as I kind of liked the mystery behind Jack's alienation from society, and after all, we learned about his mother's death and its turning point in his life way back in The Tomb. On the other hand, it's hard to avoid any book by a favorite author, so I have to read this! Unfortunately, Secret Circles didn't have much to offer - a mysterious structure in the woods, more interactions with The Lodge, and a creature creeping the neighborhood by night. I was entertained but really wanted more substance in this book. With only two books left in the series, the next due this Spring, I'm ready to see how everything ties together.

Two-Minute Rule - Robert Crais

As this is a tale of bank robbers, the two minute rule applies to the time from entry-to-exit of a bank. Max Holman knew the rule when he held up a bank, but stopped on the way out to save a man who had a heart attack during the robbery. After serving ten years, he exits prison intent on tracking down his son, now a cop, and learns that on the day of his own release, his son has been gunned down with three other officers. Max teams up with the ex-FBI agent that put him away years before, as the story around his son's death doesn't make much sense. They find themselves entwined with another pair of bank robbers and some crooked cops looking for a fortune lost when those bank robbers are killed. This was a great book, and I look forward to diving into others by this author!