Customer Comments

For those who love Jane Austen or whose favorite childhood book was along the lines of Harriet the Spy or The Ordinary Princess, I Capture the Castle is a must-read, whether you're 12, 22, or 72. I never read this as a kid but wish that I had, and I'm sure I'll read it many more times. Cassandra, the precocious teenage narrator, is witty and engaging and writes about her family's socioeconomic situation and her own trials and joys through a uniquely romantic but self-aware lens. This is a great coming-of-age story that inspires without being condescending and has just enough of an open ending to keep you wondering.

I've been hearing a lot of praise lately for Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" and "Torch," but I haven't read many reviews of this fantastic collection of her "Dear Sugar" advice columns. I'm so glad I have this on my shelf. "Tiny Beautiful Things" will motivate and inspire you to try harder, reach higher and feel a little bit better about the fact that sometimes when you try harder and reach higher, you'll fall flat on your face. Strayed has a knack for reading between the lines and pointing out hard truths to her readers, all in a way that makes you feel like she really knows you and is pulling for you. And, as always, Strayed is just plain funny. I'm not the sort to read advice columns or self-help books, but this book stopped me in my tracks. Whether you devour it in one sitting as I did or whether you read a column once in a while when you're down in the dumps, I know "Tiny Beautiful Things" will leave you better off than you were before.

My first Ray Bradbury novel was Fahrenheit 451, but I fell in love with Bradbury when I read Dandelion Wine the summer before 9th grade. I'm discovering more Bradbury to this day, and as much as I love his novels, I'm even more entranced by his short stories. The Illustrated Man is an incredible collection of science fiction stories that are beautiful, chilling, moving and spooky. His stories bring up recollections of old childhood nightmares that are all too easy to slip back into. Bradbury has an extraordinary gift for saying just enough in these short stories to make goosebumps rise without belaboring the point. He is truly a master writer. I was saddened by his passing this year and encourage those who have never picked up collection of Bradbury stories to do so at once (from the wonderful Powell's, of course).