AMERICAN ASSASSIN

AMERICAN ASSASSIN by Vince Flynn

From the book jacket:

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world...and then tragedy struck.

Two decades of cutthroat, partisan politics have left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position.  Cold War veteran and CIA Operations Director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war.  The rise of Islamic terrorism is coming, and it needs to be met abroad before it reaches America's shores.  Stansfield directs his protégée, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague, Stan Hurley, to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of command - men who do not exist.

What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform?  Kennedy finds him in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.  Two hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort.  Mitch Rapp was one of the, but he was not interested in comfort.  He wanted retribution.

Six months of intense training have prepared him to bring the war to the enemy's doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency.  Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack.  Rapp then moves on to Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies.  All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesn't know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap.  The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of still and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.

As action-packed, fast-paced, and brutally realistic as it gets, Flynn's latest page-turner shows readers how it all began.  Behind the steely gaze of the nation's ultimate hero is a young man primed to become an American assassin.


This book grabbed me from page one and never left go.  The plot was filled with action, with spies and villains, with not knowing who to trust as the various bad guys all turned on each other.  And just a little hint of romance thrown in for fun.

I've read and enjoyed a few of Mr. Flynn's books with Mitch Rapp as the center of the story, so it was interesting to learn more of his story and how it all began.  Definitely a good book!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson

From the back of the book:

Stieg Larsson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into a complex and atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago.  All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth.  He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate.  He is aided by the pierced and tatooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander.  Together they tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.

I've heard a lot about this book in the past year or so.  Some have said it's terrific, others weren't so kind.  I'm with the latter group.

It took almost 350 pages of a 590 page novel to get even remotely interested.  I didn't care for the characters and felt absolutely no connection with any of them.  The plot line from the beginning of the book wasn't revisited until the last 100 pages or so.  I only kept reading because the girl who lent me the book said it was good.

There are two sequels to this book, but I don't plan on reading either one of them

EXCITING NEWS

Well, it's exciting for me!  Zoo Atlanta has confirmed that our female giant panda, Lun Lun, is pregnant and should deliver within the next 2 weeks!

The pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound on October 18.

Our first panda cub, Mei Lan, is now 4 years old and was sent to China in February of this year.  Our little boy, Xi Lan, just turned 2.  And now there will be a new baby soon!

I better make sure my zoo membership is up to date!

BACK HOME AGAIN

Dom, Maggie and I are back home again after a 6-day trip to Niagara Falls.  Bet you didn't even know we were gone!

We left on Tuesday and drove as far as my brother's house in West Virginia where we spent the night.  Then on to Niagara Falls.  We got there Wednesday afternoon and checked into a Bed & Breakfast on the American side of the falls.  It was a delightful place - the first time we've ever stayed at a B&B.  We were the only ones there, so the host fixed us special breakfasts in the morning.  This man can cook!

Hanover House

We took a short walk on Wednesday afternoon to see the falls.  Our place was about 2 blocks from the rapids and another 2 blocks or so to the falls.  You have to see this to appreciate it.  The water above the falls was shallow and rough, very fast-moving.  Then the falls.  This huge rush of water, flowing down with a force that can't be imagined.  The mist generated reached us on the walkways.  A lot of rocks below the American falls, and a lot of churning water.  We walked further and could just see the Canadian falls, the famous Horseshoe Falls.  Beautiful!

The rapids before the falls

Just before the falls

The American falls

The American falls with the Canadian falls in the background

Thursday morning, we went back to have a better and longer look.  It's really hard to describe the power of all that water.  We stayed for a while, then took Maggie back to the B&B.  We came back a little later because I wanted to ride the Maid of the Mist, the boat that goes right to the base of the falls.

The Maid of the Mist boats

Dom wouldn't go on the boat (he gets really seasick), so he stayed at the observation tower and watched.  I got decked out in the blue plastic poncho that everyone was given and got on the boat.  I was on the lower deck in front, right on the railing.  As we first passed by the American falls, there was a strong wind and water was blown onto us.  My hood was blown off and there was no way I could get it back in place.  After a short while, we reached the base of the Canadian falls.  The boat stopped for a few minutes right in the middle.  Water was blowing from three sides - I couldn't see in front of me.  It was like being hit with a full blast from a fire hose.  My face, hands, and hair were completely drenched.

You can't imagine the size of the falls when you see them from above.  But from below, all you see is this almost 200 foot wall of water rushing down with mist rising almost to the top.  Very loud and awesome.  I've never seen anything even remotely like that before.

The American falls as seen from Canada

The Canadian falls

We went back and got Maggie and drove across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada.  The Canadian side is very busy with a lot of shops and things to do - mostly things that would interest teenagers and young adults, not much for a couple of old fogeys!  We drove up to a little town called Niagara on the Lake for a little bit of shopping.

We left Friday morning after another fabulous breakfast and drove back to West Virginia.  We stayed there until early this morning.  Dom and Paul watched Penn State football while Joann and I putzed around with other things in between plays.  After a good night's sleep, we packed up and drove home.

We managed to fit in quite a lot in a short period of time.  There were a couple of attractions I would have liked to have seen - the Journey Beneath the Falls and the Cave of the Wind - but we couldn't leave Maggie alone too long to do everything.  I'm perfectly happy with what we did see and do.

And the leaves on the trees were so beautiful.  Looking at some of the mountains, it looks like someone took a sponge, dipped it in the different reds and oranges and golds, and dabbed the colors onto a blank canvas.  We were there right at the peak time for the autumn colors.  I even brought a few leaves home - I want to try to match one of the colors to repaint a room in my house.

If you have never seen Niagara Falls, I absolutely recommend it.  Something not to be missed.

HENRY'S SISTERS

HENRY'S SISTERS by Cathy Lamb

From the book flap:

Ever since the Bommarito sisters were little girls, their mother, River, has written them a letter on pink paper when she has something especially important to impart.  And this time, the message is urgent and impossible to ignore - River requires open-heart surgery, and Isabelle and her sisters are needed at home to run the family bakery and take care of their brother and ailing grandmother.

Isabelle has worked hard to leave Trillium River, Oregon, behind as she travels the globe taking award-winning photographs.  It's not that Isabelle hates her family.  On the contrary, she and her sisters Cecilia, an outspoken kindergarten teacher, and Janie, a bestselling author, share a deep, loving bond.  And all of them adore their brother, Henry, whose disabilities haven't stopped him from helping out at the bakery and bringing good cheer to everyone in town.

But going home again has a way of forcing open the secrets and hurts that the Bommaritos would rather keep tightly closes - Isabelle's fleeting and too-frequent relationships, Janie's obsessive compulsive disorder, and Cecilia's self-destructive streak.  Working together to look after Henry and save their flagging bakery, Isabelle and her sisters begin to find answers to questions they never knew existed, unexpected ways to salve the wounds of their childhoods, and the courage to grasp surprising new chances at happiness.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!  It has to be my favorite of this year.  Ms. Lamb has brought together some of the most dysfunctional family members and made it all work.

Isabelle, because of a horrible experience as a teenager, engages in dangerous one-night stands.  Her twin sister, Cecilia, who is going through a rough divorce, has so much anger she can't control, so she eats and eats and runs the risk of serious health problems.  Janie lives on a houseboat, dresses like a frumpy old woman, counts and taps and checks things over and over, and writes horribly gory murder mysteries.  River is a shrew who can't show affection for her daughters.  The grandmother suffers from dementia and truly believes she is Amelia Earhart.  And Henry, their Down Syndrome brother, is the glue that hold this family together.

The sisters fight and scream and throw things, but their love for each other is unconditional.  But Henry is the one they all love the best.  His sweetness and innocence teach them all what love and forgiveness really is.

If you like books with great characters and great lessons about life, you absolutely must read this book.

MAME...AGAIN

Dom and I went back to see Mame a second time at the Cumming Playhouse last night. I'm happy to say that this time the show was better.  There were still some uncomfortable pauses, but it seemed that everyone knew their lines and their cues.  The few that were over-emoting last week were still doing it, but it wasn't as distracting this time.

The girl that we loved from Music Man (Lauren), who plays a small part and is in the Ensemble in this show, was again fantastic.  I wish you could hear her voice.  I don't know how to describe it, but the first time we heard her sing, we got goosebumps.

She told us that she has been invited to join a group, the Bob Russell Singers, who perform various shows at the Playhouse and will be going with them to a concert next May at Carnegie Hall in New York.  Dom and I are seriously thinking about taking a trip up to the Big Apple to see her.

Bob Russell, who was the musical director for Mame, and his wife Kathy, who starred as Mame, have a long history in music and musical theater around the country.  It seems that they have taken Lauren under their wing.

Lauren will be auditioning for Oklahoma soon, to be presented early next year.  I have no doubt that she'll be playing the Shirley Jones lead role.  We'll be sitting there in the front row, first 2 seats on the aisle, when she does!

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

From the book jacket:

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made.  Hannah is dead.  Her secrets should be buried with her. 

Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes - and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.

All through the night, Clay keeps listening.  He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town...

...and what he discovers changes his life forever.


This was a different book.  Written mainly in two voices - Hannah's from her tapes and Clay's - it followed a strange format.  There would be a section from Hannah immediately followed by Clay's thoughts as he heard the tape.  An interesting format which allowed the reader to be inside Clay's head as he listened.

Hannah blamed herself for not stopping others' actions before they could cause further problems, and she blamed others for not stopping her from her planned suicide.  I didn't feel this blame was warranted, as Hannah kept people away and didn't give them the chance to get to know her and see that she was hurting.

The tapes were to be sent to each person named in order.  The reactions of the others who heard the tapes weren't given in the book, so whether or not Hannah's words had any positive effect on them isn't known.  The book only dealt with Clay and his feelings as he learned more about Hannah.

A depressing book to read on such a beautiful fall day.  Time to find something lighter and happier.

CUMMING COUNTRY FAIR

Dom and I had a fun afternoon.  We went to the Cumming Fair which is held every year in our town.  We've lived in Cumming for over 7 years and this is the first time we attended.

I didn't realize the fair was as large as it is.  The midway is on two different levels.  There are plenty of rides and games of chance.  All types of food - pizza, corn dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes and more.  There was a petting zoo that had a llama, a zebra, baby kangaroos, and a camel along with ponies, goats and sheep.  There are log cabins depicting life in earlier times, showing churches, a one-room school, a doctor's office, a dentist's office, and a post office.  Trained dogs and bears and even a big rat and a big snake - you can be sure I didn't go anywhere near that one!

We're not into the different rides, but we did take the aerial cars that rode from one side of the fairgrounds to the other.  I didn't realize that Dom would be upset riding on it - I know he doesn't like heights, but this wasn't really that high.  I think it was the fact that it was an open seat, like a ski lift chair.  We only rode one way - he was turning all shades of green by the time we got to the end.

I was a little surprised at the cost of the rides and the food.  I didn't expect them to be so expensive.  Even the children's rides were a lot - $3 for a short ride per child.  There were a lot of families with a bunch of little ones, going on all the rides and eating everything in sight.  I can't imagine how much money they must have spent.

It was fun, but not something I'd want to do again.  But now, I'm no longer the only person in Cumming who hasn't been to the Fair.

AN IRISH COUNTRY COURTSHIP

AN IRISH COUNTRY COURTSHIP by Patrick Taylor

From the book jacket:

Welcome to the colourful Ulster village of Ballybucklebo, where two overworked doctors work hand in hand to mend the bodies and spirits of the town's diverse and engaging inhabitants.  But who is looking after the wounded hearts of the doctors?

After less than a year, young Barry Laverty, M.B., is settling in to the village, with only a few months to go before he becomes a full partner in the practice.  He's looking forward to becoming a fixture in the community, until an unexpected romantic reversal gives him second thoughts.  Will he truly be happy tending to routine coughs and colds for the rest of his career?  After all, even when a more challenging case comes along, like a rare tropical disease, all he can do is pass it on to a qualified specialist or big-city hospital.  As much as Barry enjoys the rough and tumble of life in County Down, is running a humble GP's shop all he wants out of life?

Barry's mentor, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, is going through some personal upheavals as well.  After mourning his deceased wife for decades, he's finally allowed a new woman into his life.  But this budding courtship is not going over well with Kinky Kincaid, the doctor's redoubtable housekeeper, who fears having her position usurped by O'Reilly's new flame.  Tact, diplomacy, and a fair amount of blarney may be required to restore peace to the household. 

Meanwhile, life goes on in Ballybucklebo, presenting both doctors with plenty of distractions from their own troubles.  From a mysterious outbreak at the local school to a complicated swindle involving an unlucky racehorse, the two partners will need all of their combined wit and compassion to put things right again - just in time for their lives to change forever.

This is the latest book in a series that I just adore.  It's set in Ireland - what's not to love?  The characters are fun and colorful, the dialogue witty and filled with Irish expressions.  There's a glossary of the Irish terms in the back of the book, which has helped a lot while reading this and the other books in the series.  And even some Irish recipes from Kinky Kincaid.

Dr. O'Reilly has a gruff exterior but a heart of gold.  Dr. Laverty is torn between wanting to be a small town doctor and missing the expertise found in the big city hospitals.  Both men are at a point in their lives where old ways are discarded and new adventure awaits.

I can't wait for the next book - there are some major changes coming for Drs. O'Reilly and Laverty.

MAME

Dom and I went to see Mame at the Cumming Playhouse last night.  I wish I could say it was a great show.

I don't know just what was wrong, but the show dragged.  There were too many long periods of silence which were awkward.  A couple of the actors didn't seem to know their lines and the other actors had to wait for them.  The set design was sparse and bland.  There were a couple of musical numbers that worked, most notably "Mame" at the end of the first act, but others were just so-so.  Some of the actors overplayed their roles to such a degree that it was distracting.  Others seemed to just be sleepwalking through it.  The funny lines weren't funny.

Maybe we were spoiled after seeing The Music Man and loving it.  That show had such energy - everyone in the show looked like they were having fun.  And the audience had fun also.

Last night, there were not many laughs, not much applause.  Kathy Russell, who played Mame, is a terrific talent with an exceptional voice and stage presence.  But even she had a hard time carrying the show alone.  Our favorite, Lauren, who played Marion in The Music Man, had a small part.  She seemed to be about the only one on stage who looked like she was having fun.  Lauren's voice was clear and could be heard above the others - everyone else sounded flat and bored.

This was only the 4th performance.  We're going back again next Thursday night.  Hopefully everyone will know their lines this time and maybe there won't be so many awkward silences.  If not, it's going to be hard to sit in the front row and look interested for 2 1/2 hours.

TAKING OFF THE SHINE

Life has a way of taking off the shine.

Monday, I bowled so well.  I had a high game of 214 and an average for my three games of 185.  Our team won all three games and we're in first place.  I came home feeling on top of the world.

Only to get a phone call shortly after, telling me that one of my former bowling teammates had died that morning.  This man was the sweetest person I think I've ever met.  He was always happy and smiling, even after his lung cancer diagnosis.  He loved all the ladies and would come in early each week just to get his "neck hugs."  Yesterday was a good day, then we had to go to the viewing last night.  Up and down.

There are other things going on in my life that keep me from feeling really great.  No matter what good happens, there are things that just dull the luster.  I guess everyone has days like these, but I sure would like a few really shiny days.

SEPTEMBER BOOKS

I managed to do much better in September, reading-wise.  I finished 8 books - not as many as I would have liked, but at least I'm on the right track now.

Here's what I read:

THE LION IN AUTUMN by Frank Fitzpatrick (Reading Through the Seasons 2010 Challenge)

THE WILDWATER WALKING CLUB by Claire Cook

ROYAL BLOOD by Rhys Bowen

SAVING MAX by Antioinette van Heugten (Medical Mystery Madness Challenge 2010)

BESIDE A BURNING SEA by John Shors (What's in a Name? 3 Challenge)

THE OVERTON WINDOW by Glenn Beck

MAGNOLIA WEDNESDAYS by Wendy Wax

FLIGHT LESSONS by Patricia Gaffney

I've finished all my challenges for this year except the 100+ Reading Challenge - I'll continue that one through the end of December.

Did you read any good books in September?