The Armchair Book Review

It's been awhile since I've reviewed a book for you and I just finished a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller that I'd like to tell you about.

It's called, "Criminal Enterprise" by Owen Laukkanen. It is actually the second in the series featuring FBI Special Agent Carla Windermere and Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens, but you can read it without reading the first book, "The Professionals". But if you are like me, and I'm sure you will be, not too soon after finishing "Criminal Enterprise", you will be scrambling to read the first book. So I will go out on a limb here, and without even READING the first book say, GO AHEAD. If you are one of those people who really want to read books in order, DO IT. The first book got rave reviews, too.

Okay, back to "Criminal Enterprise." Let's meet Carter Tomlin. He looks like he has it all. Pretty wife, two kids, high-paying accountant job, big house, fancy cars, and even a dog named Snickers. But in reality, Carter isn't doing too well. He lost his job. He can't make his bills; he has a high mortgage. His wife, Becca, is forced to go back to work. Resentment builds.

Carter has opened his own business trying to make ends meet. He gets a few measly accounts, but nothing that will pay the overwhelming stack of bills. One day he walks into a bank to try to get a loan to tide him over until he gets another job. While he's waiting for the bank manager, he realizes that there is no way the bank manager is going to loan him money.

On the spur of the moment, Carter decides that he will rob the bank. He goes to the local Walmart, buys some cheap disguise, comes back, hands the note to the teller, and walks out with a handful of cash.

Easy Peasy.

As a reader, we can almost feel sorry for Carter, and cheer him on at this point. Who hasn't felt desperate in this economy? Who doesn't need a little cash?

But then Carter gets a little cocky. He's not happy with just one bank. He robs another. And another. With each robbery, Carter's personality changes. He becomes more powerful and less human. He teams up with his secretary and they start pulling off bigger robberies using guns.

In the meantime, Windemere is hot on Carter's trail, while Stevens has actually become friends with Carter because their daughters play on the same basketball team in high school. Windemere and Stevens were partners in the first novel; now they work for two different agencies but are still friends.

I have to admit, this Carter Tomlin has one big set of cajones! This is one thriller that you won't want to put down.

The Armchair Book Review

My book club just finished reading, "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese. This book was a best-seller in 2009. It is an epic novel, very well written, with wonderful characters and Ethiopia as the backdrop. It centers around identical twin brothers Shiva and Marion. Their mother, who is a nun, dies giving birth and their father, a skilled surgeon, disappears as soon as the babies are born. The boys are raised by two loving people, and other people who are close to the family. The boys both grow up to be in the medical profession, although Shiva is not a certified doctor. The boys' biological father comes back into the picture later in life and it seems that there is a purpose for that. The author has a medical background, which is evidenced in his description of some of the medical procedures. At times, one might think it was described too well, but the majority of the book is so good, that you could easily overlook those few parts. Mr. Verghese draws pictures when he describes Ethiopia; he compliments all your senses. You can hear the raindrops hitting the tin roof, see the countryside bursting with yellow flowers, smell and taste the injera, which is a sponge-like bread used to scoop up the meal. The way this author ties up the loose ends and relates things throughout the book is totally ingenious. I am definitely going to read this book again, at a slower pace, and enjoy it all over again. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Introducing - The Armchair Book Review

I read a LOT of books. Seriously! I have about 10 books checked out right now from the library! I read all kinds of genres - from mystery to modern love story, to chick lit to literary to some non-fiction. I always like to hear about a good book and I thought, why not share what I've read with others? (slaps forhead!)

I just read a gem of a book called, "Memoirs of an imaginary friend" by Matthew Dicks.

This book is about Max, an 8-year-old with Asperger's, and his imaginary friend, Budo. It's written from Budo's perspective. Imaginary friends look exactly like their young people "imagined" them. For instance, many imaginary friends don't have eyebrows, some barely have feet; one has funny eyes like a dinosaur. Budo is lucky because Max imagined him to be exactly like a human. Budo gives Max courage, is his protector against the bully Tommy Swinden, but most of all, is Max's friend when others aren't because Max is "different".

Budo doesn't like Mrs. Patterson, a teacher's aide at Max's school. One day she does something very bad and Budo has to rescue Max. Budo relies on the help from other imaginary friends to save Max.

You may think this sounds like a children's story, but it is so well written and you will find yourself cheering for Budo. He describes the little idiosyncrasies of an Aspergers child - such as Max will not wear more than 7 pieces of clothing, so in the winter his mom sews fur inside his pockets for she knows that Max will not wear mittens if he wears a hat. Little details like this throughout the book give you a clear understanding of Max.

The ending is heartwarming and so sad. This book will stay with me for a long time.