Alone (2005)

Author: Lisa Gardner | Page Count: 448

Bobby Dodge is a Massachusetts State Police sniper called in for a domestic disturbance involving a man holding his family hostage. He watches the scene unfold through his scope and when the man seems to make a move toward the woman, Bobby blows his head apart. Everything is routine with investigators, press and lawyers... or so it seems. The man he just killed will forever change his life as he is caught up in the intrigue surrounding the woman he saved including political ties, family secrets and mysterious illnesses.

Lisa Gardner writes a lot of these types of novels and this one is actually a first in the D.D. Warren series, but it genuinely had me surprised with all its twists and turns. Whether she just wrote it well or because the novel is just saturated with twists that some are bound to work, I'm not sure. The prose is very well-paced and I even found myself getting wood from some of her sex scenes as she is good at giving detail without hampering what's going on. I feel like a middle aged woman in her target audience for liking the book as much as I did, but at least the subject matter makes it closer to stereotypical pulp mystery than cheesy romance. Saves some man points for enjoying it.

3½ Rich, White People problems can be really toxic out of 5

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson | Page Count: 114

“Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him.”

A literary essential about a lawyer, Mr. Utterson, trying to unravel the connection between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll and the mysterious new benefactor of his will, Mr. Edward Hyde. Even though Jekyll urges him not to, Utterson persists in his investigation of Hyde. He discovers that those who know Hyde find him strangely repugnant even with no outward reason to think so, something Utterson agrees with upon meeting Hyde for the first time. Utterson must discover why Jekyll has allowed Hyde into his life and if he is connected to Jekyll’s increasingly odd behavior.

Robert Louis Stevenson writes a fascinating novella filled with mystery, allegory and a dash of science fiction. It can feel a bit simplistic and its themes are so overt they can barely be called subtext, but it is a quick and interesting read. An avid reader can probably finish it in a day. Still, it is a prototypical science fiction and a Victorian classic.

3½ Freshman year reading assignments out of 5

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors (2004)

Author: James D. Hornfischer | Page Count: 427

“In no engagement in its entire history has the United States Navy shown more gallantry, guts and gumption than in those two morning hours between 0730 and 0930 off Samar.” - Samuel Eliot Morison.

Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors recounts the events of October 25, 1944 in the Battle off Samar; one of the greatest military mismatches in naval history. Read how the tiny US task unit Taffy 3 came to face the powerful Japanese Center Force including the famous Yamato; the largest battleship ever put to sea and larger than all the American ships combined. The sailors of Taffy 3 fought a desperate battle using anything and everything at their disposal to keep the Japanese from reaching their objective which was to disrupt the invasion forces at Leyte Gulf. As part of a larger strategy, this would keep the US from taking the strategically important and resource-rich Philippines.

James D. Hornfischer writes a narrative that is crisp and engrossing which is a nice change from some other military histories that are often too rigid for their own good. Pictures and diagrams give a clear picture of the larger battle while the story provides a more personal point of view from various sailors. One stand out example is two sailors going down a hallway when an explosion rocks the ship. One looks over to his shipmate he was speaking to only moments ago… and sees his headless body walk several paces before collapsing. One of many things that sailors experienced.

If military history is your thing, you can’t do much better than this tale of courage in the face of hopeless odds.

4 torpedoed cruisers out of 5