Patricia McKillip books -

Today I picked up "Solstice Wood" by Patricia McKillip. I haven't read it yet, so this review won't cover that title. However, it made me remember just how much I enjoyed other books by the same author, so I thought I'd bring them to our readers' attention. Patricia McKillip writes fairy tales, but not the fairy tales you remember. Rather, she weaves new stories using motifs as old as language. Her worlds are familiar, yet strange and mysterious, both beautiful and dangerous. Each tale unfolds slowly, leisurely like a flowing stream, yet the reader is pulled irresistably into the current. I recommend in particular "Song for the Basilisk," although I also very much enjoyed "Winter Rose" and "The Book of Atrix Wolfe."

Shane by Jack Schaefer
All I can say is, "Wow!" There's a reason this book is a classic. By far, this is the best book I've read in a long time. The story is the basic Western myth. A mysterious man rides into town, becomes mixed up in the troubles between a rancher and farmers, and ends up saving the day. However, the depth of this book is amazing. Shane struggles with himself, with the violence in the depths of his path and the peace that he longs for. All of the events are seen through the eyes of a young boy, leaving each reader to explore the rich subtext for him- or herself. This novel inspired the classic film of the same name, but even those legendary performances can't capture the full depth of Jack Schaefer's characters. A new favorite for me!

Alligators, Old Mink & New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by Alison Houtte & Melissa Houtte - It was like shopping vicariously. I enjoyed Alison Houtte's stories about her early days modeling and then how she came to own the vintage clothing store Hooti Couture. She includes lots of fun stories about the store and some of her best clothing finds. Fun girlfriend chatter over a memorable shared shopping experience!

The Necklace: thirteen women and the experiment that transformed their lives by Cheryl Jarvis - This was a very interesting look at how 13 women, some who have never met before, go about purchasing and sharing a 15.24 carat diamond necklace. The book shares insight into how they went about doing it, what obstacles they overcame in the process and how "Jewelia" the necklace touched and changed their lives as well as others in their Ventura California community. I'm not usually a nonfiction book reader, but this story was too intriguing to pass up.