Body of Lies

Body of Lies by Iris Johansen

"Body of Lies" is about a forensic sculpture named Eve who goes to Louisiana to work on a skull found in a swamp. It may be a missing senatorial candidate. But, naturally someone doesn't want the skull identified. So amidst all the danger she's provided with a bodyguard named Sean.

Eve has left her boyfriend, Joe, and adopted daughter back home but the people who are stalking her now use her family to try to control her.

I read this book a month or so ago. It didn't stick in my head too well. There were too many characters who seemed to blend into one another. I was constantly looking back to see if Sean or Joe were the boyfriend. I could never remember which was which. Johansen has written some good mysteries. This isn't one of them.

The Bridge on the Drina

The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric

The building of the bridge on the Drina River was finished in 1571. It was destroyed at the beginning of World War I. "The Bridge on the Drina" tells the stories of people who live in the towns around the bridge. Turks, Serbs, Muslims, Christians, Jews.....Many different peoples.

There is an area in the center of the bridge where people meet to socialize. They have their coffee, drinks or cigarettes and pass the time. Life is slow. All the people live in a state of cooperation. But as time goes on and centuries pass the world gets smaller. And eventually the affairs of the rest of the world begin seeping into the small villages that surround the vally.

This is an amazing book. It's like a series of short stories all tied to the bridge. I would recommend this book with 4 stars.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey of Homer by T. E. Lawrence

"The Odyssey" is the story of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War. It has all the stories we've known all our lives- Cyclops, the Sirens, Calypso, a visit to Hades....But this is the first time I've read the book. I didn't realize there was much more to the story.

My version was translated by Lawrence of Arabia. It was surprisingly easy to read as opposed to The Iliad. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to it, but I wound up enjoying it more than I expected.

Black Lightning

Black Lightning by John Saul

"Black Lightning" is a supernatural story about a serial killer. Anne Jeffers has been writing about Richard Kraven's bloody path. And now he's due to be executed. But in his final message to her he tells her the killing won't stop with his death. And it doesn't.

The murders begin again. And they're closing in on Anne, getting closer and closer.

I enjoyed this book. I like a good spooker.

A Lesson Before Dying

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines

Jefferson goes to the local liquor store with two friends. One of the guys tries to get the store keeper to give him a bottle on credit. An argument erupts and the friend pulls out a gun. The store keeper has one too. So after a gunfight, the only one standing is Jefferson. He is convicted of the murders and sentenced to death.

It's the late 1940;s in Louisiana. Jefferson has never had the breaks Grant had. Grant managed to get to college. He has returned to teach in the black school. His aunt is a friend of Miss Emma, who is Jefferson's godmother. Together the two old ladies pressure Grant to teach Jefferson to be a man before his execution. But Grant has not earned the respect of the white community with his accomplishments and has grown detached from everyone.

But while he teaches Jefferson the value of life, he learns it himself.