A pretty good ghost story; it held my interest. The 164-page novel is written in the style of a gothic English Victorian ghost story, including the pr...moreA pretty good ghost story; it held my interest. The 164-page novel is written in the style of a gothic English Victorian ghost story, including the prose, which is a little archaic by modern standards. There are no major surprises and the story is predictable, including the ending; if you've read a few gothic ghost stories you'll be able to see the author coming. (less)
When the young witch Marisol unintentionally summons the Norse god Odin she not only endangers herself but also the town's new minister, Michael, who ...moreWhen the young witch Marisol unintentionally summons the Norse god Odin she not only endangers herself but also the town's new minister, Michael, who still suffers from grief and anger at his wife's death. Odin is angered at being summoned and challenges the mortals to a fight to the death. When Michael first met Marisol, he was put off by her pagan beliefs, but in order for them to survive they must work together to defeat the powerful god, and the battle brings them closer together. The Hunt</> is a suspensful and intriguing story. I highly recommend it.(less)
The Ox-Bow Incident is not your standard western. This is an excellent examination of mob justice and its consequences. Clark was a really good writer...moreThe Ox-Bow Incident is not your standard western. This is an excellent examination of mob justice and its consequences. Clark was a really good writer. He develops the characters and settings much better than many of the westerns I've read. The descriptions of western life sound as if he's writing from experience, as if he were there, which is not the case.
Clark was born in 1909 in Maine. In 1917 his father accepted the position of President of the University of Nevada and moved the family west. By that time the west described in The Ox-Bow Incident was well on the way to extinction in the face of 20th century technology and civilization, but I'm sure there were still many remnants visible in the buildings and the landscape and many people still alive willing to tell stories of those times to an eager youngster. Even in the late 1930s, when Clark wrote this novel, he could have still found many people who remembered the west of 1885.
Not long after its publication in 1940 The Ox-Bow Incident was made into a movie starring Henry Fonda. The film is good, too, considered by many to be a classic. Read the novel, then see the film, in that order. I recommend both most highly.(less)
As young adult paranormal thriller/romances go, Red is page-turner. It tells the story of how love grows between Elodie and Sawyer. Neither of them kn...moreAs young adult paranormal thriller/romances go, Red is page-turner. It tells the story of how love grows between Elodie and Sawyer. Neither of them knows the other is a werewolf when they first meet. Elodie, it turns out, is working with Sawyer's father on a project to re-introduce the red wolf into Tennessee.
Sawyer's dad also is a werewolf. His mother was shot while in wolf form--in Sawyer's family, werewolves mate only with their own kind. Elodie's father, who isn't a werewolf, raised her after her mother supposedly killed herself when Elodie was three because of the curse on her family. Although Sawyer is a seasoned werewolf, Elodie, at age 17, is a late bloomer--she has yet to undergo a full transformation.
One night after working late, Elodie's car breaks down. As she is walking home, a vehicle tries to run her down. Her assailant is a werewolf hunter who will not stop until she is dead. Elodie and Sawyer--who has appointed himself as Elodie's unofficial protector--risk death as they search for a way to discover this hunter's identity and stop him.
Red has everything a good story should have: twists and turns and surprises, and characters we can identify with and cheer for, and it is paced well. I hightly recommend it.
In this fairytale picture book King William is desperate to marry off his spoiled daughter, Princess Rose. She is so demanding that he finds himself h...moreIn this fairytale picture book King William is desperate to marry off his spoiled daughter, Princess Rose. She is so demanding that he finds himself hiding under furniture (we first meet him when he's under the bed)whenever he hears her coming.
As in most fairytales, he invites suitors to compete for the hand of the beautiful princess. Prince Sterling is one of those who applies, and she sends him on a quest to find her the perfect hairpin.
He tries three times before he brings back a hairpin Princess Rose will accept. By then he has lost his enthusiasm for the beautiful but spoiled princess, and although she agrees to marry him, he turns her down and returns to Lily, a not-so-beautiful commoner he met while on his quest for the hairpin.
The Rose and the Lily carries a resounding message: character trumps beauty every time. The story is smartly illustrated by Megan Stiver. At the end of the book, Susan Ross provides instructions on how youngsters can make a crown.(less)
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