Recommended Books:
Anything by Anne Rice
Anything by Stephen King
In the Castle of the Flynns, by Michael
Raleigh
A small boy loses his parents at a young age and is raised jointly by his two
Irish families, and learns much about life and coping with the loss of his
parents.
The Last Boy, by Robert Liberman
The Money Dragon, by Pam Chen
Chun's debut-part
novel, part biography-tells the life of her great-grandfather, a legendary
Chinese merchant who moved to Hawaii in 1876 and became one of the islands'
richest men. The Pacific Ocean was one of the world's great crossroads in the
19th century, a busy place on which the ambitions of four continents intersected
day by day. Its transport of goods and cargoes produced one of the greatest
markets the world has ever known, with vast fortunes being made by the smart,
the lucky, and the aggressive-qualities possessed in abundance by Lau Ah Leong.
The son of a gambler, he became homeless when his father lost the family estate
on a bad wager. Cast into the streets while still a boy, he and his father lived
first by begging, then by trading-and of necessity the young Leong learned how
to drive a good bargain. Eventually he settled in Honolulu, but he kept strong
business ties (and a magnificent country estate) in China and made good use of
such connections to expand his import-export concerns into a financial empire.
The story here is narrated by Leong's daughter-in-law Phoenix, a headstrong,
well-educated girl from a prominent family in Singapore. Raised by her
grandfather after her father's death, Phoenix managed her family's estate until
her marriage to Tat-tung at 17-practically an old maid by the standards of the
time. As an outsider, she saw Tat-tung's family without sentimentality or
nostalgia, finding herself alternately fascinated and horrified by her
father-in-law's headstrong, self-centered brilliance and ambition. As in many
family epics, the cast list is long and confusing (especially to readers
unfamiliar with Chinese names), but the focus stays on Leong-early hardships,
success, and then struggles with the Americans of Hawaii and the Communists of
China, etc.-who remains Chun's most interesting character. Sometimes disjointed
and rambling, but nevertheless a kind of exotic Dallas: lurid, two-dimensional,
fast-paced-and utterly addictive. (copyright 2002 Kirkus Reviews/BN.com)
The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, by Mercedes
Lackey
A young boy, Vanyel is sent to live with his aunt in the grand city of Valdemar.
There, he learns much about life, love, and the role he is to play in the world.
A Density of Souls, by Christopher Rice
A stunning debut novel that reveals the darker side of coming-of-age in
modern-day America. A Density Of Souls is the story of four high school friends
in present-day New Orleans who are torn apart by envy, passion, and a secret
murder. Meredith, Brandon, Greg, and Stephen quickly discover the fragile
boundaries between friendship and betrayal as they enter high school and form
new allegiances. Brandon and Greg gain popularity as football jocks and Meredith
joins the bulimic in-crowd, while Stephen is treated as an outcast and is the
target of homophobia. Then two violent deaths disrupt the core of what they once
shared. Five years later the friends are drawn back together and what was held
to be a tragic accident is discovered to be murder. Other secrets begin to
unravel and the casual cruelties of high school develop into acts of violence
that threaten an entire city.
Any of the Dragonlance Chronicles books, by Margaret Weis & Tracey Hickman, and the others as well-a great series
Walk Among Birches, by Carol McAfee
A woman has a child that is stillborn and voluntarily commits herself to the
local psyciatric hospital and once again learns to care about others without
being afraid to. She also discovers that a incident in her childhood has
bearing on her condition.
Red Clay, Blue Cadillac, by Michael
Malone
A collection of stories about true Southern Belles.
An American Summer, by Frank Deford
Story about a boy who moves to a new city, and becomes friends with a girl
stricken with polio, and has to quickly grow up when some tragic events happen
within his family.
Somebody to Love? A Rock and Roll Memoir,
by Grace Slick
Grace Slick, in her own words, tells all about her life in Jefferson Airplane,
Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and everything else in between. She
discusses her relationships with the various rock stars: Jim Morrison, Janis
Joplin, Grateful Dead, etc. And of course, Grace being Grace-you cant help
but laugh through most of the book, with the way she tells stories (and what she
did!)