When the swirling Aurora Borealis appears in Arctic skies, polar bears, the Inuit “king of beasts,” congregate to dance the night away. Inuit folklore says that spirits from the Aurora transform themselves into different animals when... Read More

Americans are a lazy group who remain stubbornly optimistic. At least, that’s what Heath and Adams indicate in their book, *Why We Read What We Read—*a discussion of modern bestsellers, an analysis of said literature, and a generally... Read More

To judge by the number of books on the subject of happiness, misery is near pandemic. Scores of titles offer the seven secrets or five keys or twelve steps to happiness in thirty or three days, or possibly only fifteen minutes. Are You... Read More

“To look twice is not good, not the way things should be, but I decide it is better than failing to look at all,” admits Jack Gorse, the lonely protagonist of Pamela Erens’ "The Understory", at the top of this mesmerizing tale.... Read More

Man-eating anacondas! Pilfered gold and precious jewels! Such elements fuel the seductively fertile fantasy life young Walter Pace Clover III invents for himself as a means of combating the boredom of accompanying his parents on a... Read More

Lifelong friends Ian and Bill begin down the path of Midwestern middle class marriage, family, jobs, and neighborhoods. Then, tragic events push Bill deep into the comfort zone of his family and Christian fundamentalism, while Ian takes... Read More

A near-encyclopedic history of the fires, looting, and other assaults that have destroyed or damaged many great libraries—public and private—may not strike many as a “must-read” book. But those who work through "Books on Fire"... Read More

Humans are paying the price for their gluttony, greed, and reckless use of the earth’s natural resources in high gas and oil prices, but the cost could be much higher. In this novel, winner of Andre Norton’s Gryphon Award, the... Read More