Personal, a Jack Reacher novel, by Lee Child

I love Jack Reacher.  A real guilty pleasure. Except I hate that term. Why is it a 'guilty' pleasure? Why should such a thing exist? I have touched on this on an earlier blog post. We should never feel guilty for liking something. Enjoyment of anything is a good thing, and although they're not exactly high literature, I really enjoy Reacher novels.
 Big, bad, brutal, brilliant. Reacher books are just like the character himself. Completely and unashamedly aware of themselves, knowing what they are, and where they fit in this world.  This is book 19, and they are only getting better.
 Lee Child is an author so comfortable inside his character every nuance feels so realised, it is almost impossible not to inhabit that world with him.     'Unputdownable' is a word overused in literature reviews, and I have, thus far, refused to dish it out regardless of how much I liked a book. But each and every Reacher novel, and short story Child releases cries out for this descriptor to be thrust in its direction.    A fast-paced thriller, with plenty of action, this does exactly what it promises. It fits a mould, and is the best of that mould.  A formula which works, which Child has, over the 19 books, honed to almost perfection.  A huge fan-base does not happen accidently, and does not happen for bad books.  A great addition to a great series.  Bring on book 20.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

 The follow up to the hugely impressive Lies of Locke Lamora, (also reviewed on this blog), comes across as a very different book. The scams, while equally elaborate take a back seat in this installment to the adventure and survival of our heroes.
 A smaller cast, initially, due to the heart-breaking events at the end of the first book, we meet Locke and Jean recovering from that epic showdown. Their relationship has changed as well, giving Jean much more of an important role.  The characterisation is much more developed here, we see stresses between characters which didn't exist, or were ignored, earlier.  This makes for a rounder reading experience as we can relate to the players, rather than simply be impressed by them, as was often the case in the first book.
 With the book starting with just Locke and Jean, the scale felt small and intimate. Gradually though, Lynch introduces more characters, both friends and foes.  Each of these feels real too, which is a real testament to the author's skill. As with book one, a lot of plates are spinning at once, and here, much more so, the characters actually add to and influence the plots rather than simply exist as pawns within the game.
 A much more mature book, and a brilliant sequel to a really good debut.

Update on goings on

Very quick post here, to explain a lack of reviews on here lately.

I am currently trying to write my own book, and have been for a while now.

But now i can say, it is going to be published!

Titled A Lifelong Day, it will be available in paperback and on kindle, both through amazon.com and .co.uk

I expect (hope) to have it finished and released before Christmas, so I can take advantage of the season of goodwill, hint hint. A great stocking filler it will make, no?

So, that's that then.

Cheers.