So, I want you to read this book but I don’t want to give anything away so please bear with me as I try to be vague but also tell you of the joys of this short, children’s book.  I really like Gary Paulsen and read through a few of his books growing up. However, Harris and Me is one of the first books, not just of Paulsen’s, but of any book I’ve read, where I couldn’t put it down.  I think someone loaned me their copy of this, which they’d gotten on loan from our tiny, local library and I read it in one or two evenings.   It’s…

This book was one I really enjoyed but it is almost like a southern Gothic work in its themes and the overall story.  Most of the characters are unlikable and in many cases it’s hard to be sympathetic, because of their violent or warped natures. The book also weaves various storylines into one overarching tale when we get closer to the end of the.  Religion, lust, violence, and murder spur on many of these characters and the ending many of them meet is far from the “happily ever after” some of us want in our fiction. I was interested in the story as it started but when a few tragic…

I’m continuing my trek through books I read in my younger days and this week I am going back over Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.  This is the second in the Harry Potter series, if you didn’t know, and continues to be a light-hearted tale of three friends as they grow in their pursuit of a magical education.   This year at Hogwarts, we see a mystery begin to build as students (and a ghost and cat) are found petrified by a mysterious foe and rumors of the Chamber of Secrets begin to circulate.  With an apparent unstoppable force attacking the students, Hogwarts threatens to close the school…

I am a fan of Stephen King, which I know isn’t the case for everyone, but as of late, reading through more of his novels, or rereading some, I’ve renewed my love for Mr. King.  While I know a lot of people aren’t big fans of horror, which I understand, there are certain novels by the King that have elements of the supernatural, but are fantastic reads for those who may want a more unique story without monsters. 11/22/63 is one of King’s books that follows a man who finds, let’s call it, a weak point in time which allows him to hop back in time to 1958.  From here,…

Books on Philosophy, Religion, or even Anti-religion are plentiful and offer another avenue for readers to explore, no matter their philosophical/religious leanings, and allow us to better understand our own beliefs and those that may be contrary to our own.  I think exploring these topics is important and it’s vital to having a civil discussion since people who feel attacked are very unlikely to enter into a discourse that allows for the sharing, or even changing of, ideas. While I will be transparent here, I do follow the Christian Faith, I will do my best to be unbiased in the coming weeks and I hope to review a wide spectrum…

Reading things that are outside your norm is always beneficial, even if you don’t like what you choose or if you loved the break from your routine.  For me, graphic novels are the outlier in my reading since I stick to novels and, sometimes, a few specific topics in the world of nonfiction. I was recommended a horror-type series of graphic novels by the talented Joe Hill (the son of the great, Stephen King).  This was a fun series and the first collection moves fast in getting into the story. While I’ll try to avoid spoilers, beware that some may sneak in. In this first collection of the beginning 6…

I first was introduced to Kristin Hannah, as many may have been, with her book The Nightingale.  So, I wanted to try this newer book by her because I’d loved her style and storytelling previously.  In this case, I think she did a good job by making interesting characters and placing them in a unique setting.  I think the remote region of Alaska where most of the story takes place seems intriguing and the descriptions of what it takes to make it out in the wild and thrive while homesteading made me want to run out and buy a piece of land. Also, the natural hardships they endured, while not…