Tripwire - Lee Child (Jack Reacher series, Bk. 3)

 I realized I skipped one of these so I went back and caught it.  I'd been really enjoying these books so far, but now it seems that accidentally skipping this one was serendipitous. The MC's love interest in this book was the daughter of his former commanding officer, so she was off limits.  Ok, that's a fair stance. She was off limits because she was a child. Eh, he's young and in the military, it wouldn't be the first time a guy who's 19-21 crushed on a girl who's 17, right? That's a fair reason for a girl to be off-limits. The author could have made either or both of those arguments. But no! When Reacher says she was "too young" he was 24 and she was 15, but he "wanted her so bad". W. T. F. He then goes on to recount how she was skinny and gangly, so it's not like the child love interest even LOOKED like a woman yet! That makes it SO MUCH WORSE.  The rest of the story was honestly pretty good, but I never got passed the fact that apparently Reacher is a pedo now.  Totally soured the whole experience for me.  I'm not totally sure if I'll even continue with these. 

Memnoch the Devil - Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles, Bk 5)

 This book seemed a little drawn out, but I still really liked it. God as a floundering cat (I meant to do that!) seems so much more logical than other versions I've heard. And the deification of suffering. And just not caring about humans.  All of that seems so much more plausible than allowing the evil to occur. I really like Anne Rice and would recommend everything from her I've read, just so long as you like the gothic horror style and enjoy sacrilege. 

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving - Pete Walker

 This is a super amazing book that everyone should probably read, even if they're like me and don't have any PTSD, complex or not.  I've seen flashes of the consequences of this in people around me. Often it manifests as someone freaking out over simple life hiccups, but the types of reactions I see line up with the patterns outlined in this book. (Everyone has innate reactions that come out in response to external stimuli regardless of if they have any PTSD or not, and that is what I mean when I say I see them.  The book outlines them very well, so it's easier to catch them in everyday life. cPTSD draws out these reactions more as they've been cemented into place over a long period of time.) I think this book would really help people understand both their own sudden, emotional reactions and those of people around them, leading to better understanding and, hopefully, more successful communication and better relationships.  Identifying how/why someone responds a certain way to conflict, in my opinion, would benefit everyone because those responses could be anticipated and dealt with in a healthier manner. 

The Gospel of Thomas: New Perspectives on Jesus' Message - Elaine Pagels

 A super interesting look at why Thomas wasn't canonized and how, honestly, I think we missed out. 

Sold - Patricia McCormick

 This was off a "banned book" list and was one I hadn't seen before, likely because it appears to be a newer book published after I left high school.  It was not a happy story, but I still liked it.  I liked the way it was written. It was sectioned off into chapters that were sort of like diary entries in that some were super short because there wasn't much to say about the topic.  I do kinda wish it was a little longer and showed the MC's healing process. 

Reaper at the Gates - Sabaa Tahir (Ember in the Ashes, Bk. 3)

 These books keep me guessing a little bit and I like that. They have great pace and aren't afraid to kill off major characters. They are fun and I would recommend them to people who enjoy a good "fight for all of humanity" story. 

Devil in the Dollhouse - Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim, Bk. 3.5)

 More of a short story, but I like it. It adds depth.