A Letter to Lee Child

Dear Mr. Child-

Remember me?  I'm the crazy lady from Salt Lake City that planned my entire vacation around your two book signings in New York. It wasn't easy getting through this series. I started to panic after book seven. But now that I've finally caught up with all of the Reacher books, I thought I'd drop you a little note to let you know just how thankful I am that you've chosen writing as a career. I also wanted to let you know how inspiring your character, Jack Reacher, has been in my life.

Thanks to Jack Reacher I have been able to define my very existence around my "Reacher worthiness." It's true.  Ever since you spoke about Roscoe's eyes and her "ass"  in Reacher's debut novel, Killing Floor, I have been obsessed with making sure that I am doing everything I can to be seen in such a favorable light.  You can read about this turning point in my life here.  I'm not embarrassed by this turning point and I have no problem admitting that I doubled my workouts to look "extra Reacher worthy" for you (I mean, Jack) on my trip to New York and created a Reacher Worthy Status Chart to measure my progress with.  

I've also found myself in meetings comparing gospel principle lessons on Sunday to Jack Reacher, as well.  You can read about that experience here.  I've since started calling them "Reacher moments' and I'm happy to tell you that I'm not the only one that has them.  My Reacher moments are famous at work. In fact, I was so upset that others weren't experiencing them with me that I devoted an entire blog post to encourage my friends to read the books with me. It became my mission. It also showcased how difficult it is to balance marriage and Reacher.

Did you know I taught my coworkers the importance of following the "Reacher said nothing" rule?  Well, I did and it's a great post that clearly shows the importance of being taught this lesson early in life.  I also taught them the importance of not being selfish. You have no idea how difficult this lesson is for me. I still struggle with the thought of my Reacher books coming back damaged.  Oh! The thought totally makes me sick.  I also told them stories of my attempt to develop an internal clock, and showcased Reacher's "four in the morning theory" as well as his knowledge of rats.  And I can't forget his math wisdom.  Seriously, Reacher's math knowledge made me look at passwords in a whole new way! Reacher is a true genius.

With all that being said, there is one scene that still haunts my dreams at night, and it goes back to the very first book.  If I could be any character in any book...I would choose to be Officer Roscoe.  Mr. Child, I would have stepped on that bus. I would have stepped on that bus with nothing but the clothes on my back and I would have memorized every moment, every touch, and every word in the short time I had been given with Jack. The ending of that book broke my heart. And even though I know it never would have lasted longer than a week...I still would have gone. My job would have still been there. My political aspirations would have still been successful. I would have left it all behind for just a few days, and I would have stepped on that bus.   There would have been no cause for Reacher to have tears in his eyes for a hundred miles because I would have stepped on that bus.

So, with all that being written...I just want to say thanks for choosing writing as a career and for giving me so many topics to write about these last few months.  It really has been fun and my coworkers have enjoyed every minute of it.  I'm looking forward to the next Reacher novel and I'm really hoping we get a chance to meet again.  Remember when I accidentally told you that I loved you at Borders on Broadway in New York?  Well, I'm starting to think there might have been some truth to that after all.  You are, after all, an "amazing man with the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen in a picture..."  and they are just as amazing in person, too. Thanks again for the friendship on Facebook.

Warmest regards-

Sabrina Ogden

And the winner of the signed copy of Worth Dying For by Lee Child is... Cindy Westover!  Not only did you capture my thoughts, but you seem to know Reacher quite well just from reading my blog!

Oh my dear Katie please don't be so blue.
For I'm here in your dreams just waiting for you.
Your eyes are still worthy, your soul still complete,
with qualities like that you'll never be beat.
So dab at the dribbles falling from your beautiful eyes,
Because Jack Reacher has never been good at good-byes.

Worth Dying For by Lee Child

Imagine me crying,

Imagine me blue;

Imagine me super sad

that I am losing you.

(sniff, sniff) :'-(

I know. I know.  It's the saddest poem in the history of blogger world. But...it is a very sad day for me and it's the best I could do under such depressing circumstances. Plus, I never said I was a poet...so deal with it!

Since I'm not quite ready to part with Reacher, this is all your going to get for now. 

Oh - And I have a signed copy of Worth Dying For by Lee Child. I figure the value is close to $2500.00. Of course that is taking into consideration the following expenses of planning my vacation around Lee Child and his two book signings in New York.  It's true that I didn't have to go.  But then, if I didn't, you wouldn't have the opportunity to win this book now would you?  Expenses were:

Travel                  $796.00

Hotel                   $1337.68 (no bedbugs...totally worth the cost)

4 books               $91.54

Subway               $35.00

Food                   $50.00 (I'm only counting the cost of our meal at Carnegie Deli. After all, they did slaughter and entire cow for our two sandwiches because we weren't properly prepared for the size of the meal. Oops! I still feel kind of bad for that cow.)

Cab                     $100.00 (that was to and from the airport)

Statue of Liberty  $20.00 (and I'm talking a little statue for my desk at work)

TOTAL               $2430.22

Well, I'm hoping to find this book a loving home.  Preferably to someone that can understand the incredible pain I am going through right this very moment.  If you think you're the one...leave me a comment with a small poem in the comment section below.  I'm sure you won't have any problem besting mine.

I'll be announcing the winner on Friday (1/7/2011)! 

This is the saddest day EVER! WAAAAHHHH! :'-( I don't wanna wait for another book...I don't wanna!

61 Hours by Lee Child

So, I know Reacher told me where he was headed originally in this book, but honestly, the guy wanders so much that I've stopped paying attention to locations until I know he's landed in the locale where the book is actually going to be taking place.  In 61 Hours, Reacher finds himself stranded in Bolton, South Dakota after the tour bus he hitched a ride on slips and slides into a ditch.  It's winter time in the middle of nowhere.  There's a blizzard blowing into town.  It's cold...really, really cold. Like 20 below zero cold! Have you ever been in 20 below zero weather? I have. It was my freshman year in college and it dropped to 60 below with the wind chill. The college didn't close for the day, so like everyone else, I put on my clothes and headed to class.  I made it as far as the street corner from my apartment....maybe 300 feet. That's when I fainted. Anyway, where were we?  That's right...Bolton, South Dakota. 

The bus crash causes Reacher to take up residence with Deputy Chief Andrew Peterson where he learns that an elderly woman, Janet Salter, is in danger because of her insistence on testifying against drug dealers that have taken up residence at an abandoned military post in Bolton.  They aren't small time drug dealers. These guys have ties to a very short,  but brutal Mexican cartel member named Plato.  Reacher soon becomes acquainted with Janet, and knowing that Plato wants her silenced, Reacher is determined to do whatever is necessary to provide protection for her. 

In this story you'll see Reacher strike up a telephone friendship with Major Susan Turner, watch him develop a mother/son relationship with Janet Salter, learn that he was part of a government experiment when he was six, learn how to balance while walking on the ice,  put a bullet in the head of the Chief of Police, and scramble to escape a fiery ending that will leave you screaming, "NOOOOOOOO!" "NOOOOOOO!"  "NOOOOOOO!" After that, you'll read through the last five pages of the book with no mention of Reacher, and find out that Major Susan Turner is being deployed to Afghanistan.  What? Wait a second.  What happened to Reacher? Hmmm. I guess I'll have to read the next book to find out!

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child

Just in case you're ever interested in planning a tactical assault, Reacher says it's been proven by the Soviets that the best time to attack is at four in the morning.  It has something to do with brain function being at its lowest activity level, or something like that. Well, whatever it is, I could have used this information back in high school. 

My senior year in high school a group of us decided it would be fun to toilet paper our Principal's house.  We were on good terms with the guy and we had nothing but the best intentions in mind; just a bunch of kids playing around is all. It was back in the day when camo attire was popular, so we dressed up in some camo gear and headed out for a night of fun. Things went pretty smoothly for us and we completed our task with little to no trouble.  I think we lost a couple of rolls of paper before using their full covering potential, but all in all, we did well for the short amount of time we spent on the task. 

I'm not quite sure if any of us were feeling guilty about our secret mission when we arrived at school the following Monday, but before first period would even begin, we would definitely have a change of heart.   It was shortly after we all noticed we were having difficulties with our lockers that we were summoned to the Principal's office.  Turns out Mr. Sharps is a war veteran and heard us the moment we stepped foot in his yard.  The first thing he did was grab his weapon.  The second thing he did was search for the enemy. He said his first images of us running around his yard in camo brought back memories he would rather have forgotten. He spoke to us of war flashbacks and how we should be more considerate of other peoples property. It was a great learning moment for all of us and I'm thinking  that even if the four in the morning stuff is a proven theory, my guess would be it wouldn't have worked in this situation or with any other war veteran I know.  I'm not a war veteran and even my background keeps me prepared at all times of the night.  Especially when I'm visiting my family in Oregon. Plus,  this little blogger is awake every morning at four. (I was trying to develop Reacher's internal clock trick.  I wanted to wake up every morning at five, but I'm originally from the West Coast and I'm thinking my internal clock isn't interested in Utah time.  It's probably the same reason why my brain still isn't able to figure out the state tax system.)

In Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child, Reacher is riding the New York subway late at night when  he spots a woman that he believes is a suicide bomber.  After a shocking turn of events and some pretty blunt accusations by local law enforcement, Reacher, partially out of guilt, is determined to  find out what exactly was happening in this woman's life to make her commit such a desperate act.  In the story you'll find out just how easily it is for government employees to be taken advantage of by terrorists posing as Afghan  war widows, learn that every so often an elected official has secrets that can actually hinder another country more than our own, forever be scarred by images of women slicing and dicing their way to confessions, see Reacher utilize the four in the morning theory with perfection, and be surprised by Reacher's incredible knowledge of rats. Rats? Yep, it's true.  Reacher likes rats.  I found it rather interesting myself.  It reminded me of all the useless information I have about cockroaches.  Hmmm,  I wonder if I could turn that into a blog post?

P.S.  I'm not sure who it is in the Netherlands that is in love with Andrew Grant, but don't think I'm not noticing how many times your clicking on that review of Even. You may have moved that post to third place, but you have a long, long, long way to go before you even come close to knocking Nick Heller out of the number one spot. Just sayin'! ;-)

Merry Christmas to my Favorite Men of 2010

I’m

wishing all of

my favorite male

fictional characters a

very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Scott Finn, my favorite Boston defense

attorney~The Black Dagger Brotherhood-The

Blind King~Vishous~Rhage~Butch~Rehvenge~Quinn~

Zhadist~John Matthew~Blaylock~Lassiter~Murhder~

Tohrment~Phury~, these are the men who named me Kate in my

dreams~Jack Cassian, a D.C. Officer with a nice bed-side

manner~Tom Kozlowski, Boston P.I.~Jack Reacher, seriously,

your blue eyes will forever haunt me~Lestat~Marrius~Tarquinn

Blackwood, some of my favorite men from The Vampire

Chronicles~Andrew Wallace Graham III, I still love how you met up with

 your wife on the bottom steps of your first apartment in New York

City~Vittorio~David Trevellyan, okay-so he’s more like a brother to me,

but my life wouldn't be the same w/out him~Tommy Tomzak, the seriously hot
NTSB Investigator from the south~Nick Heller, I think I’m in love with him more

 than all of the others, but even I know I’m not good enough for Nick~Mitch Rafferty~DetectiveTaggert~Gale~Peeta~Dominor~Rydan~Andrew

Mayhem, minus the “indirect” killings, I think we’re pretty much alike~
Evin Driscol~Your story is still unread, but you already have my heart~

And Oscar Martello, Yes-it’s true. Since my college drop out status

 probably knocked me out of the running for Nick Heller, I decided I should

 set my sights on you. After all, you’re supposed to be leaving

 “the business” and I figure I just might be the girl to help you find the proper

 path to goodness. Plus, I was really impressed with how you used your
ceramic hunting knife on Johnny Quinn.  I think I just might have an inner bad
 girl inside of me after all...as you can see from all the men I've loved this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to

my favorite men of 2010~

Love-Kate!

A Mormon Reference in Nothing to Lose-

I'm continuing with my discussion on Nothing to Lose by Lee Child, if only because I rambled too much in the last post, and also because I thought it would be fun to talk church stuff on Sunday.  Seriously, that's why I waited.  I could write this post today as a way to not feel guilty for blogging on the Sabbath.

Okay. Where was I? Oh, yes...There was a reference to Mormon missionaries in the middle of page 146 that I found humorous, and it also brought back a memory from my missionary days. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but this little blog lady served a mission. My destination? The Nevada Las Vegas Mission. I'll be the first to admit that I was choking back the tears when I read my little letter from the First Presidency of our church. As you can only imagine, Nevada wasn't first on my list of destinations for a mission. I distinctly remember putting Ireland as my requested mission location. Perhaps they didn't read it. Whatever the case, Nevada was my location and Nevada is where I went.

By the time you get to page 146 of Nothing to Lose, Reacher has been back and forth from Despair to Hope and back again, come across a dead body in the desert, met Officer Vaughan, disabled all the deputized law enforcement in Despair, and is now searching out Judge Gardner because he's under the delusion that he should be sworn in as a deputy. Delusional or not, Reacher is knocking on the Gardner's door past nine o'clock at night when Lee Child adds this thought to the mix. "Reacher knew he was no kind of an ideal nighttime visitor. Nine times out of ten only Mormon missionaries were less welcome than him." **laughing**.....**still laughing**

Honestly, I have no idea if that is true or not.  I imagine some missionaries serve in areas where they are unwelcome, but I'm happy to report that I only encountered one such incident during my eighteen month mission.  As stated above I was serving in Nevada.  At the time of my most unfortunate encounter, I was serving as a companion to the Sister Assistant to the President.  It sounds like a cool title to have, but it required me to go on 24 hour exchanges five nights a week with other sister missionaries and evaluate their skills. It wasn't the best time of my mission, but someone had to do it! 

I was  with some sister missionary tracting (tracting is where we knock on doors looking for investigators-people that want to learn more about the church) in some neighborhood in Las Vegas. (don't you just love my details?  This is why I could never write my own novel.)  We were half way through the neighborhood when a garage door went up at the home we were about to approach.  I say "about" because the owner came out of his garage carrying a shotgun and met us at the end of the drive way.  Well, not being stupid, we walked by him without making eye contact.  Once we went by, he disappeared inside his garage only returning to greet us on the way back to our vehicle. Naturally, the sister I was with wanted to cross the street in order to return to our car.  I, on the other hand, had other plans.

At this point I was just annoyed with the guy.  I mean, seriously, what is he going to do?  He can't just shoot a Mormon missionary in the middle of some city street.  Well, I suppose he could, but it would be such a silly thing to do.  Besides, I was skilled in the art of building relationships of trust by finding common ground.  The guy had no idea who he was dealing with.  After approaching the end of his driveway, I stopped and turned directly to face him.  Looking him in the eye I said, "that's a really nice weapon you have.  Is that made out of walnut?"  He responded  by tilting his head and blinking.  So, I continued with, "It's been years since I've shot one of these.  In my childhood I used to hunt squirrels in the back woods of Shreveport, Louisiana with my cousins."  At this point...he belonged to me.  The guy busted up laughing and invited us in to meet his wife. 

So, I guess it's possible that nine times out of ten we Mormon missionaries would be less welcome than Reacher.  But, for me, nine times out of ten the vacuum salesman will be less welcome than my favorite man Jack.  In fact, I would gladly pick Reacher up off the side of the road if I ever found him wandering the sad lonely streets of Magna, Utah.  My husband probably wouldn't let me take him home with me, but...a girl can always dream.

It Really Was The Hard Way...

Remember when I told you that I had learned lots and lots of useful information by reading the Reacher series by Lee Child?  I even gave us some "Reacher" advice on how to keep our mouths shut and let others fill the silence.  We struggled at the beginning of the lesson, but I think over time I've seen noticeable improvements from all of us...or at least from me.  I've become a master of not speaking.  Ya, right!  I know that's not true, so you can stop laughing now.

The Hard Way by Lee Child takes place mostly in New York with a short little visit to England.  New York!  Have I told you that I'm going there this month?  I am. I can't wait!  Why, you ask?  I'm going to New York because that's where you go when you're obsessed with a fictional character named Jack Reacher and you're dying for a chance to meet Lee Child.  Book signings are my new favorite thing (ugh, that sounds so Oprah-ish)!  And as you all know, I'm obsessed with my man Jack! So it's only appropriate that Mr. Child be the very first author that I'm planning a vacation around.  My husband, unfortunately, thinks I've lost my mind.   He'll get over it...until we head to Chicago next year to see Andrew Grant, and make a stop in Boston to see...well, this list could go on for days.  Consider it my way of showing appreciation for their willingness to write books just for me.  That's what they're doing, right?

Reacher's in New York doing his usual thing; sitting alone at a cafe in New York and people  watching. While sipping his usual espresso (can't we just call this coffee?), Reacher notices a man get in a Mercedes and drive away.   Doesn't sound like much, but that car just happens to be full of ransom money and the person paying it wants information from Reacher.  Long story short, Reacher gets recruited by Edward Lane, a leader of an incredibly hard-core group of mercenaries.  The job is to help track the man that has kidnapped Lane's wife and step-daughter.  It's a kidnapping in New York that leads us to England.  Or... is it?  In the story you'll read about a woman who blames Lane for her sister's death, meet a beautiful green-eyed private investigator, learn about Reacher's gift to tell time, read horrible tales of torture, and watch Reacher make mistakes.  Mistakes?   I know, I was pretty shocked myself.  It just means he has to work a little harder at solving the crime.  But don't worry ladies, he figures it all out in the end. 

I have to say that the most disturbing paragraph I read had me running to the bathroom to make sure my ears were perfectly shaped.  I was relieved to see that they were, but totally beside myself when I noticed that the left ear was just a tad bit lower than the right.  A flaw that became clearly visible today when I went to try on some new glasses.   Note to self:  wear your contacts to the Lee Child book signing.  Do not use reading glasses to send tweets to your Twitter family in front of Mr Child.  Do not tuck your hair behind your ears...he may notice your flaw!   Learning that Jack Reacher notices flaws in women was really difficult for me.  You can find the paragraph at the top of page 280.  All this time I've been doubling my workouts to look extra Reacher worthy for my trip to New York only to find out my ears knocked me off the Reacher Worthy Status Chart I've developed for myself.  Learning that I'm not Reacher worthy, was a lesson  learned...the hard way.  Sniff, sniff!  Hmm, I wonder if my beautiful eyes will make up for my ears being lopsided? 

Well, this is my review of book ten in the Reacher series.  I'll be starting Opposing Energies by J.W. Collier tonight.  He is a new author from Seattle that I found on Twitter.  Really kind and very positive.  Twitter-  where would I be without it?  Probably doing the dishes.  The first two readers at work who come to my desk and can tell me what the useful "Reacher" advice I gave in a previous post is; gets a surprise.  It's better than a book.  Kind of...

REACHER SAID NOTHING...

I've been meaning to write some things that I've learned since reading the Reacher novels...but there are so many things, I thought it best to start with one.  "Reacher said nothing" is constantly repeated throughout the entire series.  When you stop to think about it or look at how it is being referenced, it becomes a pretty good piece of advice.  A piece of advice I could have used about ten years ago when I was being interrogated by Internal Affairs while employed with the Sheriff's Department.  My interview went something like this:

IA:  "Do you know why you're here?"

S:    "I think so."

IA:  "Want to tell us about it?"

S:    They must know so I guess I'll just talk.  "It has to do with the falsification of time cards by the..."

IA:  "Time Card fraud?  When did this happen?"

S:    Oopsie...that's not what this is about?  "Ughhh.  It's been going on for about a year..."

Do you really want to know how it ended?  I had been reporting time card violations and working with the Department of Labor for close to a year before my interview with Internal Affairs.  It was only a matter of time before they got involved.  So naturally, when they started with such a vague opening I jumped right in with my two cents worth.  Their real interest: sexually explicit e-mails that the supervisors had been sending back and forth.  If only someone had told me about the Reacher novels before then...

Wikipedia says the following:   Reacher's demeanor is stoic and he does not talk much.  Reacher frequently does not answer when people make statements or ask questions, nodding or shrugging preferring the other party to fill the silence. A recurring line in the novels is "Reacher said nothing."

So in the future when we are being pushed for information by employees, friends, family, and others, we should remember to insert our name in the following sentence: "Sabrina, Kate, Richard, Leah, Jacque, etc said nothing" -and follow that advice. Always let others fill the silence. If it works for Reacher; it will work for us, too.

Does Lee Child Know...

how much I love reading about Reacher?  Does he know that I'm obsessed beyond reason?  Would he be surprised if I told him my husband has band me from reading these books on the weekend, and that I sneak them in the house and read them when Richard is asleep or in the shower?  I don't even remember the day Jack Reacher became a constant thought in my head or when I decided that all my current doings had to be centered around the dreaded question- what would Reacher do?  I just know that it happened and I'm willing to live with it and do any and all things within my power to make other women that I know read these books and become a Reacher thinker like me.  I'd consider myself a Reacher Creature-but I'm afraid the original creatures might not accept me since I'm still a newbie to the world of all things Reacher related.  I haven't even met Lee Child yet.  I don't have a signed copy of a book.  I learned about Lee Child while searching a website about my most favorite writer, his brother, Andrew Grant.  I have a long road ahead of me before I gain true acceptance, but I'm trying.  I have whizzed through all the games you can find on the Reacher/UK web page. I found Reacher before I had even started book six in the series.  Doesn't that score me some points?  I also bought my first hardback Reacher book yesterday and I'm signing up for Bouchercon 2011.  While my husband is thankful that I've found my own "passionate" hobby, I search through the Lee Child Forum on his web page secretly wishing I could be Webmaven Maggie for a day.  Reacher has become a permanent fixture in my soul.  There is no going back now!

 

What more can I say?  If my obsession with Reacher hasn't enticed you into reading these books then let me share some little known facts that will be sure to secure a place in your mind for this incredible man.

Name:  Jack Reacher

Measurements: 6'5", 220-250 lbs., 50" chest  (that's right, 50 inch chest!)

Hair: Dirty-blond
Eyes: Ice blue

Reacher left home at 18 and attended West Point.  After graduating, he served in the Army for thirteen years and "mustered out" as a major.  You don't even want me to tell you about his service awards.  Let's just say this man is everything a man should be and leave it at that. He currently loves to wander around the US-only because moving has always been a part of his life.  He's a lover and a fighter; two things that are essential and totally acceptable in Reacher's world.  I don't think he'll ever settle down, which certainly can't be a bad thing.  I mean, come on, I might find him wandering the streets of Magna one day and get to take him home with me.  Okay, so Richard probably wouldn't allow that.  But still- anything is possible, right?

I'm starting book nine in the Reacher series and have posted the book cover on my blog. Ladies, you have to read these books.  We are all Reacher worthy!  At least Richard says my eyes and butt are...That's right;  I'm Reacher worthy, baby!

Another Jack Reacher Moment...

So I was sitting in church on Sunday (ya, I know-the fact that I'm starting a sentence on my post like this is bugging me, too) when my good friend and neighbor stood up to address the congregation. He's a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes. He's almost as tall as Reacher. That information isn't necessary-but what the hell; it might just help you imagine the scene a little better. He stands up and walks to the podium and informs us that today he is going to be teaching us a gospel principle using watermelons as an analogy. I've attended a ton of meetings in my time and I have to say, that for me, this was a first. I was interested. Not too surprised- my neighbor loves watermelons. It really shouldn't have been a stretch to think he would find a way to use them in a teaching lesson. He started with the usual stuff. "It all starts with this one little seed and some soil that..." Let's skip ahead. "...the largest known watermelon on record weighs 262 pounds." And that's when I became interested. 262 pounds! I don't know if little bells are going off around me when I'm having a Reacher moment, but I was having a Reacher moment and my husband was totally aware of it. I actually sat up a little taller and when I looked at Richard, I knew he knew what was on my mind. I just smiled and said, "that watermelon weighs more than Jack Reacher does!" We laughed the rest of the meeting. I'm still unsure what gospel principle my neighbor was trying to teach- I just find it comical that no matter where I go, Jack Reacher manages to find his way into my thoughts! And the fact that I actually sat there and visualized Jack Reacher and a watermelon next to each other in my head is absolutely crazy! Who does that? Man-I love you, Jack!

Delaying The Inevitable

Book eight in the Reacher Novels has been in my purse for over a week. I just started reading it last night. Why the delay? Starting book eight means I am halfway through this series. I'm sure for many that wouldn't be a big deal. For me; it is. Have you ever had that sudden anxiety when you know you have less than a hundred pages to read in a really good book? I get that feeling every time I read, and for some reason knowing I'm about to finish this series has my anxiety at an all time high. I have seven books left. It should be too soon for me to panic just yet, but I am. I read fast...really fast. So I'm thinking about limiting my reading time to 200 pages per day. Or falling back to one book a week instead. My goal was to read 52 books this year and this book will put me at #45! That alone should make me happy, right? Fulfilling goals is supposed to be a good thing. But, what am I supposed to do when I'm finished? What author and series should I choose next on my book list? Will the next series be as good as the last one? Will I enjoy the characters as much as I've enjoyed reading about Scott Finn, David Trevellyan and Jack Reacher? These questions are overwhelming me, and I fear I may lose my mind!

Reacher Worthiness

And I'm talking about my Reacher worthiness...

Richard caught me looking at myself in the mirror a couple of weeks ago. He had past me a couple of times on his way in and out of the living room. Each time he came by I was still standing in front of the mirror looking at my face. I was turning my head from side to side and practicing different smiles. Then finally he asked the much awaited question. "What are you looking at?" "My eyes," I said. Of course he wanted to know why. And I answered. Honestly. Something I probably shouldn't have done. I told him I was trying to determine if my eyes were Reacher worthy. He turned around and walked away. I'm sure people reading this would like to know what in the name of all that's sane would make me to do such a thing. Easy. I like the way Reacher describes the female characters he meets in each book. He's checking them out, but not in the disgusting, "I want some of that" way. (Okay, so maybe he has-but it has never been when a woman is looking-that would be impolite and Reacher isn't like that!) Instead, Reacher describes women in a way that makes any girl, even the plain girls, beautiful. He notices everything about them. From the firmness of their arms to the way their eyes light up when they smile. I wanted to know if my eyes were like that. I've been told that I have pretty eyes. And of course I'm going to like them because they belong to me. But since I'm hoping to meet Lee Child one day, I was wondering if when he met me if he would think my eyes would be worthy of description in a Reacher Novel. Well, anyway, Richard finally came back and said they were Reacher worthy. I think he understood that my whole day was going to rest on this subject and he just wanted me to move on. Richard has always been one to catch on quick. He knows I like Reacher and that at least once a day I'm going to mention him in conversation (at least until I finish the books). But now he knows that a Reacher worthy compliment will get me to do just about anything. Example: Later that week he caught me looking at my bottom in my favorite pair of jeans. Of course I asked if they still looked good on me. His response was quick; "Your butt's Reacher worthy. Now lets go!" I thanked him for that later.

I'm Really Not SELFISH!

I've recently discovered a new love for reading. New because it has been almost 12 years since I've actually picked up a book. I've been busy. At least that's what I like to say. Since last fall when my friend, Jacque, gave me a book to read I've been busy buying books and adding to my personal collection. I've been buying a lot of books, which is why my husband keeps nagging me about getting a library card. I don't want a library card. I want to own my books! They're relatively inexpensive compared to his golf clubs and his gun collection. My purses, shoes and book purchases would never equal the amount of money he spends on his two favorite hobbies each year. I'm not getting a library card. At least not yet. Hopefully, never!

Anyway, selfishness is my question today and it has to do with the books that I'm starting to become buried in. I really never cared about lending my books to others until just recently. I had a friend read a copy of a book by my most favorite author (Andrew Grant) and then when he was finished I sent it on to another friend at work. I noticed upon its return that the first borrower didn't hold my book the way I do and now it feels worn. I'm devastated. I'm currently in the middle of the Reacher Novels and people are starting to ask when they can begin the books. I'm not wanting to share them at this point for fear that Reacher will be worn out when he returns to me. The thought sends me into a panic. That's when I looked up the definition to see if I'm really being as selfish as I think I am.

SELFISH: (1) looking after own desires; concerned with your own interests, needs, and wishes while ignoring those of others-(2) demonstrating selfishness: showing that personal needs and wishes are thought to be more important than those of other people.

I read the definition and it doesn't read like I thought it would. In fact, I really think I can rationalize not sharing my books at all. Maybe reserving them only for the closest people in my life. Which would be ME and my closest friends at work and people in my neighborhood. It would include friends like Vicki, who loaned me all of her Anne Rice novels. It would be hardly fair for me not to return the favor especially since I've done nothing but talk about Reacher for the last three weeks. And it would include friends like Adrienne, since I never attended the book club she started after I promised her I would participate. She deserves to read the books and I really think she'd like Reacher. I like Reacher. It's possible she might like him as much as me. But she won't know if I don't let her borrow my books. It would also include Jacque. It was Jacque that helped me rediscover my love for reading by loaning me the BDB series so clearly I would need to loan her a series that I believe would fall into the BDB category. And if you haven't guessed it; I believe Reacher to be Brotherhood worthy. I suppose I could also make an exception for those that don't have a library card. It would be very hypocritical of me to tell them to get one when I'm not willing to get one myself. See, I'm really not that selfish after all.