Holley Wood works in the UofM Lambuth Dean's office and coordinates programs in the UofM Lambuth MD Anderson Planetarium. She has enjoyed reading and would like to recommend...well, a little bit of everything!
Space by James A. MichenerAlready a renowned chronicler of the epic events of world history, James A. Michener tackles the most ambitious subject of his career: space, the last great frontier. This astounding novel brings to life the dreams and daring of countless men and women--people like Stanley Mott, the engineer whose irrepressible drive for knowledge places him at the center of the American exploration effort; Norman Grant, the war hero and U.S. senator who takes his personal battle not only to a nation, but to the heavens; Dieter Kolff, a German rocket scientist who once worked for the Nazis; Randy Claggett, the astronaut who meets his destiny on a mission to the far side of the moon; and Cynthia Rhee, the reporter whose determined crusade brings their story to a breathless world. Praise for "Space" " " "A master storyteller . . . Michener, by any standards, is a phenomenon. "Space "is one of his best books."--"The Wall Street Journal" " " "A novel of very high adventure . . . a sympathetic, historically sound treatment of an important human endeavor that someday could be the stuff of myth, told here with gripping effect."--"The New York Times Book Review" " " ""Space "is everything that Michener fans have come to expect. Without question, the space program's dramatic dimensions provide the stuff of great fiction."--"BusinessWeek" "Michener is eloquent in describing the actual flights into space, as well as the blazing, apocalyptic re-entry of the shuttle into earth's atmosphere."--"The New York Times"
The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond ChandlerThese two classic novels featuring private eye Philip Marlowe made Raymond Chandler's name synonymous with America's hard-boiled school of crime fiction. The Big Sleep was an instant success when first published in 1939. It centers around a paralyzed California millionaire with two psychopathic daughters; he involves Marlowe in a case of blackmail that turns into murder. Farewell My Lovely, which Chandler regarded as his finest work, came out the following year. It has Marlowe dealing with the Los Angeles gambling circuit, a murder he stumbles upon, and three very beautiful but potentially deadly women. "Chandler writes like a slumming angel and invests the sun-blinded streets of Los Angeles with a romantic presence," said Ross Macdonald. And George V. Higgins wrote: "Chandler is fun to read. He's as bleak as tundra, and his dirtbag characters far outnumber his stellar citizens, but Philip Marlowe is a laconic tour guide through a zoo of truly interesting animals."
Call Number: PS3505.H3224 A6 1995
ISBN: 0679601406
Publication Date: 1995-05-02
The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien's three-volume epic, is set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth - home to many strange beings, and most notably hobbits, a peace-loving "little people," cheerful and shy. Since its original British publication in 1954-55, the saga has entranced readers of all ages. It is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale. Critic Michael Straight has hailed it as one of the "very few works of genius in recent literature." Middle-earth is a world receptive to poets, scholars, children, and all other people of good will. Donald Barr has described it as "a scrubbed morning world, and a ringing nightmare world...especially sunlit, and shadowed by perils very fundamental, of a peculiarly uncompounded darkness." The story of ths world is one of high and heroic adventure. Barr compared it to Beowulf, C.S. Lewis to Orlando Furioso, W.H. Auden to The Thirty-nine Steps. In fact the saga is sui generis - a triumph of imagination which springs to life within its own framework and on its own terms.
Call Number: PR6039.O32 L6 2001
ISBN: 9780618153985
Publication Date: 2001-09-19
Lord Peter by Dorothy L. SayersOne of the founding mothers of mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers first introduced the popular character Lord Peter Wimsey in 1923 with the publication of Whose Body? Over the next twenty years, more novels and short stories about the aristocratic amateur sleuth appeared, each one as cunningly written as the next. Now in a single volume, here are all of the Lord Peter Wimsey stories: a treasure for any mystery lover. From "The Fantastic Horror of the Cat in the Bag" to "The Image in the Mirror" and "Talboys," this collection is Lord Peter at his best--and a true testament to the art of detective fiction.
Call Number: PR6037.A95 A6 1972
ISBN: 0060137878
Publication Date: 1971-01-01
The Shining by Stephen KingBefore Doctor Sleep, there was The Shining, a classic of modern American horror from the undisputed master, Stephen King. Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
Call Number: PS3561.I483 S55 1977
ISBN: 9780345806789
Publication Date: 2013-08-27
Little Women by Louisa Alcott (Volume Editor); Valerie Alderson"Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault."It's Christmas Eve in the March household, but this will be a Christmas like no other: their father is away fighting in the American Civil War and the March sisters and their mother must try to make ends meet while their father is at war. Although life can be hard for the family, and times are tough, this is an extraordinary story of triumph over adversity, recounting in exquisite detail, the lives, loves, trials, and triumphs of these four very different sisters. The stories of Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg have charmed readers over five generations and has earned its place as a classic coming of age novel.
Call Number: PS1017 .L5 1994eb
ISBN: 0585362629
Publication Date: 1994-01-01
The Cat in the Hat by SeussHave a ball with Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat in this classic picture book...but don't forget to clean up your mess! A dreary day turns into a wild romp when this beloved story introduces readers to the Cat in the Hat and his troublemaking friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2. A favorite among kids, parents and teachers, this story uses simple words and basic ryhme to encourage and delight beginning readers. Then he said "That is that." And then he was gone With a tip of his hat. Originally created by Dr. Seuss himself, Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read. These unjacketed hardcover early readers encourage children to read all on their own, using simple words and illustrations. Smaller than the classic large format Seuss picture books like The Lorax and Oh, The Places You'll Go!, these portable packages are perfect for practicing readers ages 3-7, and lucky parents too! "Pretty much all the stuff you need to know is in Dr. Seuss." -President Barack Obama
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling; Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts . . . he's at Hogwarts." Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.
Call Number: PZ7.R79835 Ham 1999
ISBN: 0439136350
Publication Date: 1999-10-01
Dracula by Bram Stoker; Glennis ByronAs one of the most popular tales ever told, Stoker's timeless classic of an immortal creature reflects the dark underside of a supremely moralistic age through Count Dracula's nocturnal atrocities. Includes new material by Valente. Reissue.