The Best American Essays of the Century is edited by Joyce Carol Oates. A collection of essays from 1901-1997 by such authors as Mark Twain, W.E.B. DuBois, T.S. Eliot, John Muir, Ernest Hemingway, Zora Neale Hurston, and many others. Well worth the time it will take to read through the entire collection.
Ratings: Adult - 7 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - P (profanity).
The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis is by Alan Jacobs. A must read biography for all fans of C.S. Lewis. The story of Lewis' life and his writing covered in an easy to read and interesting fashion. Jacobs presents his information in a way that doesn't gloss over Lewis' flaws or blow them out of proportion. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: Adult - 9 out of 10.
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is by T.A. Willberg. The first in the realistic historical fiction Marion Lane mystery series. Marion has been apprenticed to a secret detective agency in the tunnels below the streets of London. They solve cases that have baffled Scotland Yard, or that the regular police don't have the time or resources to take on. When one of the employees of the agency is murdered inside the agency, Marion and her friends find themselves embroiled in a case more dangerous than anything they ever imagined - one that might being down the entire agency and everyone in it.
Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
Ten Plays is by Euripides. A must read collection of classic Greek drama by one of its most famous playwrights. This collection contains all of the most well known of Euripides' plays including: "The Bacchae", "The Trojan Women", "Hippolytus", and seven more. A wonderful look at ancient Greek drama.
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
The Fantastic Imagination is by George MacDonald. A must read essay on fairy tales and their importance to the human imagination. Short by brilliantly written.
Ratings: 8th grade - 10 out of 10.
A Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed is by Helene Tursten. A charming book of short stories that is a sequel to An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good. These stories pick up after the stories in the first book. Maud is being hassled by the police, who suspect she killed an antique dealer found in her apartment in the first book. Now Maud decides to take a long trip to South Africa. This installment tells us about her trip and also gives a few stories that provide insight into her past, and possibly her future. Fans of the first book will be thrilled with this second one.
Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions is by Arthur Bennett. A wonderful work of Puritan prayers and devotions. A must read for all believers! The Puritans really knew how to pray.
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 is by Joseph Loconte. A magnificent nonfiction look at arguably the two most influential writers of the 20th century. Loconte covers the experiences of both Tolkien and Lewis in WWI, as well as their education and personal lives before and after the war. There are numerous quotes from writings by both, as well as poetry and other quotes from major figures of the day. The book also looks at the tide of despair, discontent, fascism, communism, socialism, and humanism that arose in the aftermath of WWI. This book is a must read for all fans of Tolkien and Lewis, as well as those who seek to understand why they are so loved and so important. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 10th grade - 10 out of 10.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It is by Elle Cosimano. A cute realistic fiction story that is the first of the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay Donovan is a single mom; her husband divorced her to become engaged to a real estate agent. She is stressed and broke. Her editor is demanding she finish the book she has contracted to write, but she is too tired to write. At a meeting with her editor in Panera, Finlay is slipped a note by a woman at a nearby table. The note offers her $50,000 to kill the woman's husband. At first Finlay laughs it off, then decides to look the man over at a local bar - then hijinks ensure. The story stretches the bounds of credulity, but is a fun read.
Ratings: Adult - 6 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
Do What You Believe: Or You Won't Be Free to Believe It Much Longer is by Steve Deace. A heartbreaking, yet uplifting nonfiction look at what faces "what's left of America" today. This book is the answer to the question one hears so often, "what can I do?". Deace is clear and forthright in explaining where we are, and where we go from here. The "answer is us."
Ratings: 10th grade - 8 out of 10.
The Scarlet Letter is by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The classic historical fiction tale of Puritan New England. Hester Prynne has committed adultery and borne a child, Pearl, out of wedlock. She refuses to name Pearl's father and is condemned to wear a scarlet "A" on her breast for the rest of her life. The novel takes us through the next seven years, following Hester, Pearl, and other members of the community. Finally the truth is tragically revealed.
Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10.
A Gathering of Old Men is by Ernest J Gaines. A classic historical fiction masterpiece which paints an amazing portrait of racism in the South. A local sheriff in Louisiana is called to a sugar cane plantation to discover a young white woman, her boyfriend, about 18 elderly black men, and a dead Cajun farmer. All of the black men claim to have shot Beau Boutan, son of the notoriously racist Fix Boutan. Candy, the white woman, also claims to have shot Beau. Everyone claims it was self-defense. The sheriff has until sundown to arrest someone before Fix and his "crew" show up to settle things their way. It appears all of the old men are determined to die fighting off Fix and his friends. The novel is tense, yet humorous. Who did kill Beau and what is everyone else willing to do to protect him? A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content).
A Master of Djinn is by P. Djeli Clark. The third installment, the first novel, in the Dead Djinn series. It's 1912 in Cairo, magic has been around for awhile in most countries. Fatma el-Sha'arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. Fatma is called to the home of a rich white man to investigate the murder of a secret brotherhood dedicated to finding artifacts belonging to Al-Jahiz, who opened the door between the magical and mundane realms forty years ago. Fatma is faced with a mysterious figure claiming to be Al-Jahiz returned. Is this person really Al-Jahiz, or are they a fake? What is their purpose for stirring up dissent in Cairo just at the time an important international conference is being held at the palace? Fatma, her new partner, and a friend from the past must discover the answers, but can they do so in time? Fans of the world will thoroughly enjoy this book.
Ratings: 11th grade - 7 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).
Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis is by Michael Ward. A wonderful nonfiction examination of Medieval Cosmology in the Narniad by Lewis. He posits the theory that each book of the series relates to one of the seven planets from Medieval Cosmology. He doesn't insist he is correct, but his case is compelling. This book is a must read for all fans of Lewis and the Narniad.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10.
