James and the Giant Peach; The Force

A coworker was asking me about this book the other day, and I realized I had never read it. Since it's a kid's book it went quick, but it was super cute, I don't know why I didn't read it as a youngster. I read the Charlie books, and a few other books by Dahl. At any rate, if you don't know the story, young James is an orphan sent to live with two mean aunts. One day he meets a man in the forest who gives him a bag of green things and gives him elaborate instructions on making a potion to drink that will bring him happiness. James unfortunately trips and drops the bag near an old peach tree. A peach starts to grow, and it gets as big as a house. James, being a naturally curious little boy, goes out one night to inspect the peach and discovers a tunnel. He crawls through and discovers a group of overgrown insects living in the pit of the peach. They go off on a grand adventure, eventually landing in New York City.

"The Force" by Don Winslow was a complete 180 from "James and the Giant Peach". It was excellent, though, I tore through it. It reminded me a lot of the great TV show "The Shield", only set in New York instead of L.A. Denny Malone is an NYPD detective in charge of an elite task force. They concentrate on getting drugs and guns off the streets. Malone had every intention of being a good, clean cop, but somewhere along the way he and his crew lost their focus. It's understandable, seeing the corruption all around them, the drugs they take off the street later reappearing, feeling like the good they are doing is all for naught. So Denny is dirty. He steals money and drugs from busts and salts the profits away for his family, his kids. So does the rest of his team. But Denny is the one who gets caught. And Denny is the one who is threatened by the Feds: turn rat or go to prison. And Denny is the one has an impossible choice to make.