by Sara Gruen, 2006 Jacob Jankowski’s parents are killed in an automobile accident. He is forced to join a circus – couldn’t finish his vet school exams. Gets hired as the circus vet. Falls in love with Marlena, who is married to August, a cruel, psychotic, animal trainer. He (August) tries to have Jacob killed […]
Author: bookhound
Lord Jim
by Joseph Conrad, 1900 Jim, English sailor, on board a steamship bearing 800 pilgrims to Mecca. Ship runs over something, is bound to sink and storm rolling in. Jim jumps. Never forgives himself. Stands trial. His certificate is taken away. Befriends Marlowe, an old sea captain gentleman. Marlowe narrates most of the story. Jim finally […]
Emma
by Jane Austen, 1815 “Courtship Fiction” Emma, spoiled little rich girl, befriends illegitimate Harriet Smith, prevents her from marrying Robert Martin, a gentleman farmer, who truly loves Harriet and instead set her up to marry Mr. Elton, a rich-boy wanna-be who would never consider marrying Harriet. Then comes Frank Churchill, a very rich boy, who […]
Death in the Andamans
by M. M. Kaye, 1985 Murder mystery set in the Andamans, tropical islands in the Bay of Bengal off Burma. Copper visiting her friend Valerie on the tiny island of Ross. They go for a picnic on the bigger island, South Andaman, on Mount Harriet. While there, a hurricane blows in and they barely make […]
So Brave, Young, and Handsome
by Leif Enger, 2008 Monte Becket, a postman in Minnesota circa 1910, writes a best0selling novel, Martin Bligh, and then tries to write another one. He starts 7 novels, doesn’t finish any of them. He and his wife, Susannah, a painter, and son, Redstart, live by a river. One day out of the mist rows […]
The Winds of War
by Herman Wouk, 1971 Historical novel about the years 1939 to 1941 and the start of WWII as seen through the family of Pug and Rhoda Henry. Victor (Pug) is Navy attache in Germany and then Russia. He has 2 sons, Warren and Byron, and a daughter, Madeline. They are grown children. The 2 boys […]
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911 Sweet story about two 10 year-olds who turn from being ugly, hateful, unhealthy, spoiled creatures into beautiful, happy, healthy children by the Secret Garden. Mary, the girl, and Colin, the boy, are cousins. Mary is sent to live in the Misselthwaite Manor on the Moor of Yorkshire after her parents […]
The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett, 1989 From Karma. Wow! What a book, 973 pages! It was set in England from the years 1123 to 1174. Ken Follett’s preface says this book was out of character – a story about building a church. “What’s more, I don’t believe in God.” He fell in love with Peterborough Cathedral. Took […]
The Last Battle
by C. S. Lewis, 1956 I LOVED THE NARNIA BOOKS!!! Here, in order of most favorite to least: A Horse and His Boy Voyage of the Dawn Treader (very close second to A Horse and His Boy) The Silver Chair The Last Battle The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The Magician’s Nephew Prince Caspian […]
The Silver Chair
by C.S. Lewis, 1953 Eustace Scruggs and Jill Pole are at school, Experiment House, and are being chased by bullies. They go uphill to a gate that is usually locked but is open and find themselves on Aslan’s Mountain. Jill pushes Eustace off a huge high cliff, then meets Aslan as he blows Eustace safely […]
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
by C.S. Lewis, 1952 Eustace, Lucy, and Edmund get sucked into a picture in Eustace’s house of a ship at sea, back to Narnia, where Prince Caspian is at sea on the Dawn Treader. He rescues them and they go with him and his crew in search of 7 Lords that Miraz sent off to […]
Turning Angel
by Greg Iles, 2005 Penn Cage solves the murder of Kate Townsend, 17 year-old high school girl having an affair with Dr. Andrew (Drew) Elliott, Penn’s best friend. Grew up together in Natchez, MS. Full of bad stuff: drugs, sex, crime, UGH. No more books by him.
Prince Caspian
by C.S. Lewis, 1951 Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie find themselves pulled back to Narnia, but it is thousands of ears later. Cair Paravel is almost completely grown over. They save a dwarf and he takes them to the place where Prince Caspian is battling his evil Uncle Miraz. He was the latest King […]
The Horse and His Boy
by C.S. Lewis, 1954 Shasta is rescued by Bree, a talking horse, and they are making their way to Narnia. They meet Avaris and Hwin, another talking horse, and they decide to go together. Avaris is a Tarkheena and running away from a forced marriage. They go to the city of Tashbaan and both Shasta […]
The Geography of Bliss
by Eric Weiner, 2008 The Netherlands – Happiness is a Number Switzerland – Happiness is Boredom Bhutan – Happiness is a Policy Qatar – Happiness is a Winning Lottery Ticket Iceland – Happiness is Failure Moldova – Happiness is Somewhere Else Thailand – Happiness is Not Thinking Great Britain – Happiness is a Work in […]
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Book 2)
by C. S. Lewis, 1950 Lucy enters the wardrobe first to Narnia, then Edmund does but he meets the witch. She gives him Turkish Delight and promises him more if he’ll bring back his 3 siblings, Peter, Susan, and Lucy. Edmund believes the witch, not Aslan, but she really just wants the 4 of them […]
The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia Book 1)
by C.S. Lewis, 1955 Read to Wayne in car on the way home from New Mexico road trip. Digory and Polly discover Narnia at its creation by Aslan. He sang it into existence. Beautiful! Digory overcomes temptation and brings apple home to his Mom, cures her. Evil Witch, Queen Jadis – they brought her from […]
Three Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, 2006 Greg was rescued by villagers in remote mountainous area of Pakistan (Korphe) after he tried to climb K2. He promised them he’d build them a school. Was a nurse, lived in storage unit in California. Wrote 580 letters. Only Tom Brokaw gave him $100. An article in […]
Jane and the Man of the Cloth
by Stephanie Barron, 1997 Jane and her family go to Lyme – on the sea. First, a commoner is hung. Then later, Captain Fielding is shot, with Geoffrey Sidmouth’s horseshoes stamped in the dirt. Jane solves the crime. It’s not Geoffrey, but Mr. Crawford, the guy who digs for fossils. Lots of the book had […]
Prodigal Summer
by Barbara Kingsolver, 2000 Moth Love – Lusa & Cole Widener – Cole is a farmer, falls in love and marries Lusa, a bug scientist, loves moths. Cole dies in trucking accident. Lusa stays on farm, raises goats, comes to love and accept Cole’s family and Cole’s family comes to love and accept her. Predators […]