Books

Set against the turbulent years of the Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumas's thrilling adventure story is one of the most widely read romantic novels of all time. In it the dashing young hero, Edmond Dantès, is betrayed by his enemies and thrown into a secret dungeon in the Chateau d'If -- doomed to spend his life in a dank prison cell. The story of his long, intolerable years in captivity, his miraculous escape, and his carefully wrought revenge creates a dramatic tale of mystery and intrigue and paints a vision of France -- a dazzling, dueling, exuberant France -- that has become immortal.

I approached the book with a nervous excitement. It is a book I had always wanted to read; the classic story intrigued me. But I was afraid of "old" books, especially ones that tip the scales at over 600 pages. I expected to read Count of Monte Cristo for the better part of a year, but it took no time at all. Sure the book was long, but the pages turned effortlessly. I will admit that I had some trouble keeping up with the many names and titles given to each character. I was confused a few times, but I was able to figure it out. Other than that, this was a surprisingly easy read. And a great book.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a man of great power and wealth who is the best man to know...if you play by his rules. If you break those rules, well let's just say you shouldn't break his rules. (I am sorry that I am unable to provide any particular evidence, but I had an overwhelming feeling that the Count of Monte Cristo was a lot like Willy Wonka.)

This is the tragic tale of love, love lost, revenge, and new beginnings. I kept wondering when I would be buried under the many layers of the story, but it never happened. I was able to stay on top of the plot as it unfolded for me.

I loved Count of Monte Cristo. It has easily become one of my favorite books. If it suits you, take your time like I did. There is no need to rush into it, but do read it.

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"... Cory, I want to say one word to you. Remember." "Remember? Remember what?" "Everything," she said. "And anything. Don't you go through a day without remembering something of it, and tucking that memory away like a treasure. Because it is. And memories are sweet doors, Cory. They're teachers and friends and disciplinarians. When you look at something don't just look. See it. Really, really see it. See it so when you write it down, somebody else can see it, too. It's easy to walk through life deaf, dumb, and blind, Cory. Most everybody you know or will ever meet will. They'll walk through a parade of wonders, and they'll never hear a peep of it. But you can live a thousand lifetimes if you want to. You can talk to people you'll never set eyes on, in lands you'll never visit." She nodded, watching my face. "And if you're good and you're lucky and you have something worth saying, then you might have a chance to live on long after -- " She paused, measuring her words. "Long after," she finished.

Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

With the grace of a natural storyteller, NASA engineer Homer Hickam paints a warm, vivid portrait of the harsh West Virginia mining town of his youth, evoking a time of innocence and promise, when anything was possible, even in a company town that swallowed its men alive. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, Homer Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumph--at once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining.

A number-one New York Times bestseller in mass market, brought to the screen in the acclaimed film October Sky, Homer Hickam's memoir, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, comes to trade paperback with an all-new photo insert.

One of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, ROCKET BOYS is a uniquely American memoir. A powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the end of the 1950s, it is the story of a mother's love and a father's fears, of growing up and getting out. With the grace of a natural storyteller, Homer Hickam looks back after a distinguished NASA career to tell his own true story of growing up in a dying coal town and of how, against the odds, he made his dreams of launching rockets into outer space come true.

A story of romance and loss and a keen portrait of life at an extraordinary point in American history, ROCKET BOYS is a chronicle of triumph.

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Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.

There are probably not many people who list this as their favorite Harry Potter book, but it still deserves a lot of credit. While, without book 1, the rest could never happen, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone deserves more credit than that.

The later books will focus on Harry and the others learning and performing magic, this one IS magic. One thing that I wish Ms. Rowling had not gotten away from was the feverish excitement of the magical environment of Hogwarts. I am sure it was a difficult thing to sustain when the details had already been given in the early book(s), but I would argue that some of the fun has been lost over the series. Here everything is new to Harry and each time I reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone it is new to me all over again.

I am continually amazed at how many things were foreshadowed by this book. So many times things were mentioned, seemingly in passing, which are brought up later in the series. To be able to think that far ahead has been one of the great strengths shown by Ms. Rowling as she has given this series life.

I know many people avoid these books for any number of reasons. If you are included I hope none of your reasons has anything to do with the fact that these were branded as "children's books." The books do seem to age as Harry does. The story line grows up, but maybe not enough. I can, however, understand that the magic of these books (pun intended) is in their youthful energy, which may be a deal breaker for many readers.

If you have not yet squashed your inner child and you have not yet read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, frankly I am not sure what you are waiting for...

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All I do is lie, and that has made me immune to compliments.

Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson -- a place where monsters swim the river deep and friends are forever. Then, one cold spring morning, Cory and his father witness a car plunge into a lake -- and a desperate rescue attempt brings his father face-to-face with a terrible vision of death that will haunt him forever.

As Cory struggles to understand his father's pain, his eyes are slowly opened to the forces of good and evil that are manifested in Zephyr. From an ancient, mystical woman who can hear the dead and bewitch the living, to a violent clan of moonshiners, Cory must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown -- for his father's sanity and his own life hang in the balance....

Boy's Life is somewhat like Mystic River in how it portrays the excitement, despite the ignorance, of youth. Yes I know that Mystic River focuses on childhood very briefly, but it was the first book that came to mind as I read Boy's Life. Both books seem to glorify (with good reason) childhood; life was simpler when we were younger. And while both books also revolve around plots which require the boys grow up in a hurry, the details surrounding the loss of innocence are very different from one book to the next. We can draw parallels all day long to other works about children -- Stand By Me comes to mind quickly -- but that isn't fair to the book or its author.

Every once and awhile a book makes you pause. It may be for only a moment or maybe longer. It may be just once or maybe more. These seemingly rare occasions happen to reflect on a genuine appreciation for the writing, which I certainly had for Robert McCammon as I read Boy's Life. It has been a long time since I read a book like this.

The story, at times, became strange. A few pieces of the plot revolved around unbelievable and even supernatural events. They were central to the story, but they still felt out of place in it. A story about a boy growing up in the south, however, needs some excitement to make it worth reading. I feel comfortable in saying that your childhood was nothing like the one chronicled in Boy's Life.

Best friends. Bullies. That brand-new bike. Baseball. McCammon describes each of these themes in Boy's Life. Each is celebrated in its own way and none becomes cliché. With the nostalgic thoughts which will swirl around in your head, so too come harsh realities. We grow up. We drift apart from those to whom we were the closest. The world moves on, but sometimes people, places and relationships cannot keep up.

The supernatural elements to the story made it unrealistic to be sure. However, without them the story could not have progressed. If you are looking for a writer's words which will hold you with the tenderness of a mother's arms please do not be discouraged by the sometimes-bizarre nature of the plot.

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"Would you like to remember everything?" Mr. Jakov said. "Yes." "To remember is not always a blessing." "I would like to remember everything." "Then you will need a mind palace, to store things in. A palace in your mind." "Does it have to be a palace?" "It will grow to be enormous like a palace," Mr. Jakov said. "So it might as well be beautiful. What is the most beautiful room you know, a place you know very well?" "My mother's room," Hannibal said. "Then that's where we'll begin."