“The Son of the Wolf” by Jack London

“The Son of the Wolf” by Jack London, is a classic book that launched a writing career, and added another fantastic writer to the world of literature. It was the first collection of Jack London’s short stories to be published. The positive reviews and reader interest that it developed gave Jack London a name in the literary world. It is with this book that Jack London developed his compelling and moving style of writing, inspired by the vistas of the Yukon and the personalities that lived in it. London’s short stories are deeply moving tales of life and death on the trail, of being alone in a world of snow and ice. London tells of people who know how to live, but more importantly, how to die. Many of his stories have tragic endings that are moving because of their strength and well-developed emotion. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read, but more importantly wants to learn from London’s marvelous writing style.

If you want to read this classic novel you can buy it, or read a free online version, such as the copy available at infomotions.com.

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“Once Upon a Marigold” by Jean Ferris

“Once Upon a Marigold” by Jean Ferris is classic, happy ending, modern fairy tale. The front cover of my edition says it all: “part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink.” I’ll readily admit that its not as deep as my usual book selections, but it makes for a very satisfying and peaceful read for those times when you’re just tired of suspense, deep plots, etc.

Basically, “Once Upon a Marigold” is the story of an orphan adopted by a troll. Having grown up with his adoptive father for all his life, young Christian, the orphan, longs to have more association with other humans. He starts p-mailing Princess Marigold, across the river. Yes that‘s p-mail, short for pigeon mail, not email. A romance buds, although Christian knows that he could never really be with Princess Marigold. Eventually, though, he finds employment at the castle. He’s now closer to Princess Marigold, but he’s now painfully aware of Princess Marigold’s mother’s attempts to marry her off. Eventually he uncovers a desperate plot and a trail of deception by Marigold’s mother, the Queen. The book ends in a classic grand finale that includes dog-powered flight and, you guessed it, a marriage.

At any rate, the book, although obviously for the young teen audience, is a pleasant read.

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“A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L’Engle

“A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeline L’Engle is the first of a wonderful series of science fiction novels.

“A Wrinkle in Time” was winner of the 1963 Newberry Award Medal. All of Madeline L’Engle’s books focus on the struggle between Good and Evil. From the tesseract (A geometrical figure representing a wrinkle in time), to unicorns, and a world controlled by a giant brain, the story is a vast journey through space and time. Primarily the plot involves the Murray family children’s search for their father, who disappeared while doing experimental government work.

“A Wrinkle in Time” is a fantastic book, very worthy of its Newberry Award, and definitely a worthwhile read.

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“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach

“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach is a deeply strange and extraordinary book. If you merely read it at face value it is the story of a sea gull that dares to do things that the other seagulls will not and therefore is excommunicated by the other sea gulls. At that point he is “taken higher” to a new “school,” a new level of existence. The book teaches that there are no limits, that anything can be done, that the body is nothing more than thought. The book is not about a sea gull, though. It has deeply parallel meanings and philosophy. I would recommend reading it, if only to see what a strange book it is. One more feature of the book is that sections of text are broken up by sections of black and white photographs of seagulls. This very radical book can give the analyzing reader and interesting reading experience.

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"The People of Sparks" by Jeanne DuPrau

"The People of Sparks", by Jeanne DuPrau continues the story started in "The City of Ember." If you haven’t yet read The City of Ember, then you may not want to read this review, because it contains a spoiler.

"The People of Sparks" tells the story of the refugees emerging from Ember into the post-apocalyptic world. For generations the Emberites lived in their underground city, unaware that it was merely intended to be a shelter so that humans could survive the nuclear and germ war that threatened the human race.

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Review of "The People of Sparks" by Jeanne DuPrau

"Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

“Gathering Blue” by Lois Lowry is a marvelous story from the author of “The Giver.” As in her other novels, Lowry has created a masterpiece of writing that inspires thought about the future of man.

The novel tell the story of Kira, a girl born with a crippled leg. Unfortunately she lives in a post apocalyptic type world where technology has been lost and the people most valued are those who can work hard. When her mother dies Kira is forced to experience the hatred of a community that abandons the weak to die. When the community‘s Council of Guardians, however, chooses to let her live, it is only so that she might fulfill their plans and purpose. But then Kira starts to discover truths that will change her life and perception of the world around her forever.

“Gathering Blue” teaches about the importance of each and every person as an individual, not merely for what they can do for us. I would recommend this thought inspiring story to anyone who wants a meaningful and enjoyable reading experience.

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"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick is a wonderful book that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants a light, enjoyable YA read.

The novel is about a young boy who has turned to thievery to support himself. But then he finds a mysterious clockwork automaton, and everything in his life begins to change. Secret messages, and eccentric characters are featured in the refreshingly unique and intriguing plot.

What is most interesting about this novel, though, is that Selznick has combined elements of the traditional novel with features more typically associated with a graphic novel or a film. By interspersing the novel’s text and chapters with sequences of related images, Selznick shows events as they happen, much as movie film shows action. For example, there is a 36 page stretch of black and white sketches depicting a stunning chase scene. I found the effect to be visually gratifying and memorable.

Unfortunately the numerous pictures make the 500+ page book a very quick read. It only took me about 30 minutes to read the book from cover to cover. However short my reading experience might have been, however, I could tell that Brian Selznick put a great deal of time and effort into creating “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”

I would highly recommend reading the story for yourself so that you can experience this marvelous book. Also, the book’s interesting plot and easy to read style would make it a great gift to any reluctant young readers.

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“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde is a classic horror story. It tells the story of a boy named Dorian Gray. He starts out perfect, handsome, and innocent, but his life changes when an artist paints a portrait of him. The portrait ages and changes, reflecting Dorian’s true personality as he falls into a life of evil, while Dorian himself remains unchanged. Dorian comes to hate the portrait for revealing the real him, and the story ends with a dramatic and ironic scene. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a gripping fantasy read, especially when considered in light of the date it was written: 1891. It has been said to reflect to some extent the life of its author. In any case it is a book that is a worthwhile read for its subtle lesson and interesting plot.

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"Double Helix" by Nancy Werlin

“Double Helix” by Nancy Werlin is a fascinating science fiction mystery about the horrors of Huntington’s disease and the mystery of genetics.

Huntington’s disease is a debilitating genetic disease that causes gradual insanity. The main character, Eli, lives with his father. His mother is in a nursing home, suffering in the late stages of Huntington’s disease. The book explores Eli’s reaction to his mother’s condition and the possibility that he himself may have the disorder. It also shows how this affects his relationship with other people. Along the way Eli uncovers long hidden secrets about himself and his mother.

I would recommend reading the book because it is entertainment, not necessarily because it is unique or well-written. The book is about average as far as writing quality, although it does have one quality that I dislike in a book: it uses first person. For example, I‘ll include a quote from the book:

“My knuckles were tapping out a random jumpy rhythm on the arm of the chair. I clenched my fist to stop it. I shifted my legs.”

I like to have a mental distance from the character, an impersonal, observer stance, rather than a direct connection with the character. This is just my personal opinion, though. Other than this minor flaw, I enjoyed reading the book.

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"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair

“The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair is an early muck racking book by one of the most famous propagandists in American history.

It tells the tale of a family of Lithuanian peasants who move to Packingtown, a stockyard community. Realistic and historically accurate, this novel could almost be the story of any one of thousands of peasants forced to work and live in squalid conditions. The book was originally written with the intent of ending the corruption and exploitation of peasant immigrants. More than 300 pages of small print tell of a family’s descent into poverty. Abused and cheated by the rich, they are finally abandoned when they can no longer serve the purpose of the cruel government leaders.

“The Jungle” is very well written and extremely moving. Unfortunately it did not have the effect that its author intended. Sinclair is quoted as saying, “I aimed at the public‘s heart and by accident I hit it in the stomach.” Like many other authors of his time, Sinclair was an advocate of socialism as the panacea to end “wage slavery” and corruption. Indeed, the last 45 pages of the book are to a large extent devoted to the character’s discussion of socialistic ideas and goals. The reality is that “The Jungle” did little to sway its reader’s toward Socialism, and had no notable effect on reform of worker’s rights. It did however, lead to the formation of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Beef Inspection Act, both of which became law less than six months after “The Jungle” was published.

I would recommend reading “The Jungle” to experience period muck racking literature, and to study the powerful and moving writing style of Upton Sinclair.

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"The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

"The City of Ember," by Jeanne DuPrau is a marvelous science fiction novel with a richly descriptive world. It is the first of four book in The Books of Ember Series.

As its title suggests, The City of Ember, is about a city, and a very unique one at that. As the first sentence of the first chapter says:

“In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark. The only light came from great flood lamps, mounted on the top of buildings and at the tops of poles mounted in the middle of the larger squares.”

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Review of "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

“The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoysky

“The Brothers Karamazov” is a classic Russian novel by Fyodor Dostoysky. It is epic in length; my edition has more than 1200 pages of small print. Basically it is a murder mystery, but the plot has been twisted again and again, so that there is no guessing at the final ending until you reach it. This book explores moral themes, depicting the struggles of its characters to attain happiness, even if at the expense of others. I appreciate this work because of its intense characters, and its very Russian feel. It is also marvelous for its unique plots and subplots. The story, however, is long and drawn out. The characters frequently stop to philosophize about God, etc, often for 20 or more pages. This makes it difficult to keep the story in mind, and can be taxing on the attention. It took me a good number of weeks to read the book, primarily because it wasn’t as interesting as other modern books. on my reading list.

I would recommend reading it merely to get a taste of a style that is uniquely Russian and a plot that is as fantastic as the novel is long.

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