The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor is by Flannery O'Connor. The complete historical fiction short stories of the most famous Catholic southern writer of the modern era. This work contains all of O'Connor's short stories in chronological order. These stories are magnificent and beautiful reflections on life in the South. O'Connor's religious beliefs shine through in every story. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 11th grade - V (violence).
King Lear is by William Shakespeare. The classic historical fiction drama of a king's madness and the evil of his two of his three daughters. What would you do or say for power? How can a king be driven mad by his own hubris? A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 10th grade - 10 out of 10.
Troubled Blood is by Robert Galbraith. The fifth installment of the realistic fiction Cormoran Strike mystery series. Cormoran and Robin are feeling the pressure. They have several time intensive cases at work and are also dealing with personal problems. Cormoran's beloved Aunt Joan is dying of cancer; he's getting suicidal texts from his ex-girlfriend Charlotte; and his half-siblings are trying to arrange a reunion with their famous father. Robin is in the middle of a contentious divorce from Matthew; trying to adjust to single life; and trying to fend off the advances of an obnoxious employee that the agency can't afford to lose at the moment. Then they are hired by a young woman to find her mother who has been missing for forty years and was believed to be the victim of a serial killer, yet her body has never been found. This case is the strangest of all the books so far, and we really get a good look into Strike's and Robin's relationship issues. Fans of the series will LOVE this installment.
Ratings: Adult - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is by Mary Roach. A creepy, but interesting, nonfiction look at what happens to human cadavers. It looks at various uses to which they are put and different means of disposing of them. Roach has a morbid sense of humor that works well with the subject of this book.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10.
A Companion for Owls: Being the Commonplace Book of D. Boone Long Hunter, Back Woodsman, Etc. is by Maurice Manning. This wonderful book of poetry is written from the perspective of Daniel Boone. It combines historical facts with the beauty of poetry.
Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.
The Woman in White is by Wilkie Collins. The classic historical fiction mystery tale by the author of The Moonstone. When Walter Hartright, a young drawing master, is enroute to his new post with a family named Fairlie, he is approached on the road by a mysterious woman in white who asks for his aid. Once he discovers the woman's connection to the Fairlie's, he must uncover her secret. A secret which will change his life forever in ways he can't even imagine at the time. Count Fosco is one of the classic villains of all time. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read. A must read for lovers of classics and mystery lovers everywhere.
Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10.
