I had been reading like crazy, it's rather slow around here.............. Hood by Stephan R. Lawhead was great. It takes the story of Robin Hood and sets it in Wales. Lawhead is a very Christan author, but he keeps his stories in a historical setting. The sort of spirituality in that time period is Catholic, so Lawhead keeps it without twisting it to a more Protestant view.
I very much enjoyed reading this different take on the old stories. This is a dark and gritty version, with a hint of magic to tie it in with stories of Beowulf and the Lock Ness monster. The prevailing theme is shouldering responsibility and hanging on to hope. I would recommend it to 13 and older. My 14 year old sister was dying to get hers hands on it when I was done.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is riveting. I admit to staying up way too late to finish reading it. It is set in a futuristic society, where the USA is gone. Instead, there is a ruling Capital over 12 Districts. As punishment for a rebellion, the Capital enforces the Hunger Games on the Districts. Each District must send a boy and girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in the Games. The games are televised and all are forced to watch the children fight each other to the death. Katniss, volunteers to take her young sister's place in the Games and must use all her skills to stay alive.
This is a young adults book, but I would recommend it to anyone. It is a brilliant critique of our modern entertainment. It takes our fascination of reality TV and violence to a logical conclusion.
Magic Street by Orson Scott Card took me awhile to finish. It's a harsh modern tale that is sometimes painful to read. It doesn't go into anything graphic, but it does deal with racial attitudes, sexuality, drugs etc. without sparing much. Mack Street is a child of two worlds. He grows up in California while running wild in a strange mirror world. Anyone who knows Shakespeare's "A Mid Summer Night's Dream", will enjoy this twisty continuation. I would recommend it to 18 and older.
