Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver is by Mary Oliver. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended read. There is no living poet I love more than Mary Oliver. Her poetry is so beautiful and always makes me feel good. If you can read Mary Oliver and still say you hate poetry - I just can't even. This is a book I will read from every day and so should you. Buy this book, read this book, discover the beauty of nature, and the beauty of poetry written by a master of language. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10. 

The Mysteries of Udolpho

The Mysteries of Udolpho is by Ann Radcliffe. This classic Gothic Romance is a magnificent piece of historical fiction. Set in France and Italy in 1584, the novel is the story of Emily St. Aubert. After the death of her father, her care is entrusted to her snobbish aunt and her new Italian husband, Count Montoni. Montoni whisks them away to his gloomy medieval castle called Udolpho. Emily must endure many adventures and much suffering before she returns to France, learns the secret of her family, and marries her true love. Radcliffe's novels were so popular when written that this novel and The Romance in the Forest, another Gothic Romance by Radcliffe, are mentioned by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey. This novel is considered one of the classics of the genre. It is a difficult read, but worth the effort. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10. 

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story is by Jeff Jensen. Jensen's father was one of the detectives who worked on the Green River Killer case. This nonfiction graphic novel is set after the arrest of the killer. It deals mainly with Jensen's father and the other detectives who were sent to interview Ridgway in pursuit of other bodies that had not been found. It does not go into graphic detail regarding the killings, so if you are squeamish but want to know more about this killer this is the book for you. The drawings are well done. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence).