Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
(Softcover), Son of a Witch (Softcover), A Lion Among Men (Hardback), and Out
of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years (Hardback), by Gregory Maguire.
‘Wicked’ of course is the novel that the acclaimed Broadway
show is based on. It has some merit in itself as a ‘re-imagining’ of an Oz
riven with politics and social forces that cause Elphaba to become the
not-so-Wicked Witch and Dorothy the catspaw that the Wizard uses to eliminate
her. The other novels in the series devolve, I think, as they go along; I kept
buying them on discount more because of my obsessive/compulsive nature than
through any enjoyment. And there is a sick fascination about following a train
wreck. And, you know, it’s Oz, for a given quality of Oz.
Ranking: (Blech) Keepers.
File Code: Fantasy. Novels.
The Persian Boy, by Mary Renault.
Renault was the same sort of ‘historical recreator’ as Robert
Graves, and her novels were highly thought of and recommended, once on a time.
I got this copy at a Seguin public library sale. “The Persian Boy centers
on the most tempestuous years of Alexander the Great’s life, as seen through
the eyes most faithful attendant, Bagoas. When Bagoas is very young, his father
is murdered, and he is sold as a slave to King Darius of Persia. Then, when
Alexander conquers the land, he is given Bagoas as a gift, and the boy is
besotted. This passion comes at a time when much is at stake—Alexander has two
wives, conflicts are ablaze, and plots on the Macedon king’s life abound. The
result is a riveting account of a great conqueror’s years of triumph and, ultimately,
heartbreak.” – Wikipedia. [Lacks jacket.]
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Novel. Historical. Hardback.
The World of Washington Irving, by Van Wyck Brooks.
Researching into it, I find that this was one in a series by
Brooks. It covers a time period of about 1800 - 1840, its intellectual and
political climate in America, with notes about daily life. Very nice for
research on my own book, as it turns out. In rather deplorable condition now, I
think John (or was it Mike?) bought this at Yesterday’s Warehouse.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: History. Biography. Hardback.
One Hundred Story Poems, Selected by Elinor Parker.
Illustrated by Henry C. Pitz.
Ex-library. Now this one I know used to be John’s; I can see
it sitting with his other books on the old canning shelf we brought in from the
garage. Another Yesterday’s Warehouse find.
Anthology of longish poems in every category that tell tales, perfect
for recitations. Humor, adventure, mystery – it’s all here. The binding is a
little rough and the inside covers bear testimony to its former library life,
but I cherish it. [Lacks this jacket.]
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Poetry. Anthology. Hardback.
Summertime: A Novel, by David Fleming
A book by our high school Creative Writing teacher. Those
classes were mostly a gab fest where Fleming would give us some examples of his
favorite authors, we’d talk awhile, then the whole session would evolve into a
discussion about Life, Meaning, and Aspirations. He sometimes read sections of
this novel to us at the Writer’s Round Table, the after-school club. “On a
drought-stricken Texas farm, young Rick McAlister waits with the farm hands for
the rain and, after a shocking act of violence, for a confrontation with an
evil neighbor.” – Amazon. I swear that someday, after nearly 40 years, I WILL
read this book to the end.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Novel. Hardback.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version,
Edited by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger.
I used a checked out library copy of this edition for my
Bible in my New Testament religion class in college, and found its scholarly,
non-sectarian approach just the high-and-dry sort of methods were what I needed
at the time, as I withdrew and examined my beliefs. Pleased to find this used
copy and add it to my collective, it was my go-to Bible for years, and is still
useful for research.
Ranking: Keeper.
File Code: Bible. Annotated. Hardback.
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