I had a difficult time reading A Catcher In The Rye mainly because of my dislike for the main character, Holden Caulfield. The role of Holden Caulfield reminds me of many of today’s confused young people. Having to listen to, or in this case read, Holden’s beliefs and his reasons for them would have caused me to find a quick end to the painful one-sided conversation had it taken place in real life. He’s definitely a young man searching for his place in life apparently on his own whether by choice or circumstance.

It was well written and I can certainly understand the drama surrounding its publication in the 1950s given the novel’s themes. Without giving it away for the few who haven’t read it yet, I was unsatisfied with the ending. Like many of the stories written during that time period, there was no real plot, rather you get a glimpse of a moment in Holden’s life, perhaps his turning point. Personally, I need more of a means and an end to my stories.

With that, I return to Captain John “Black Jack” Geary who was unceremoniously given command of the Alliance fleet stranded deep in Syndicate space. The Lost Fleet: Valiant [B&N] [Powell's] is the fourth book of the series where we find Geary and the fleet re-entering the Lakota Star System from which they just barely escaped an overpowering Syndicate fleet.

I’m preparing for the last of this series, Victorious [B&N] [Powell's], to be released April 27. Barnes & Noble should have it to me, along with a few other titles I’ve been waiting on, during the first week of May. Jack Campbell, aka John G. Hemry, says it should tie up some loose ends. There are rumors of a follow-up series and possibly a prequel series to follow. Hopefully I’ll have time to catch up on other books before then.

So far there have been five books to The Lost Fleet series with a sixth due out at the end of April 2010.

Starting in 2006 with Dauntless, the storyline follows the tribulations of Captain John “Black Jack” Geary assuming the command of a fleet of warships 100 years after he was presumed dead when his own battleship was destroyed in an epic battle that transformed him into a mythic hero. Using coordinated battle tactics and an adherence to command authority, he uses the techniques which were forgotten during the past century he spent in hibernation to bolster his fleet’s ability to wage war in an effort to successfully return the fleet to its home world.

Jack Campbell is actually a pen name for John G. Hemry who has authored two other series, Stark’s War and Paul Sinclair (aka JAG In Space), among many short stories, some of which have appeared in Analog magazine. He’s a retired United States Navy officer and draws on his experience while writing.

So far, I’ve read Dauntless, Fearless, and Courageous. I wish I could remember how I came upon the series but it wasn’t until book five, Relentless, was published. But before I read Valiant and Relentless, I’m going to take a detour from space battles by taking a trip with an American classic: J. D. Salinger’s The Cacher In The Rye.

J. D. Salinger passed away a short time ago on January 27 due to natural causes. It occurred to me at the time that I had not read any of his works. I’m assuming that The Catcher In The Rye was among the many reading assignments I was given in school which I deftly ignored throughout. So with book in hand, I start making up for lost time.