Veracity

What if you lived in a world where certain words, if spoken, could mean execution? And the list of forbidden words continued to grow and grow as the concept of truth became more and more strangled by the government? The novel Veracity by Laura Bynum explores this issue by describing the bleakness and horror of living in such a dystopian state. I'm only part way into the book, so I'm not sure if there will be any hope at the end for the main characters, but I'm caught up in Ms. Bynum's writing, and I have to keep reading to find out if tragedy or hope will prevail.

Get swept away...

If you're a fan of Gone With the Wind, you might want to check out Roses by Leila Meacham. This recently published novel is being called "epic" and "sprawling" by reviewers, so now that 2010 is upon us, and that feeling of being a bit stuck in the minutiae of daily life threatens to creep over our lives, it's a good time to turn to a saga or two.

JACK REACHER

Jack Reacher is the main character in the novels of Lee Child. Reacher is a former military policeman who always seems to be involved in an action-packed situation. I just finished reading One Shot-the story of a sniper shooting of 5 government employees. The police think the case is cut and dried, but Reacher has other ideas. There are fight scenes, shootings, stalkings, and tactical assaults. Readers who enjoy Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum may enjoy Lee Child novels as well.