Great story telling by Ron Rash

The Risen by Ron Rash
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Risen is a story of family secrets, friendships, betrayal, coming of age, success and failure, the dedication and love of brothers, and the dark underbelly under the pillars of a community. Set in a small Appalachian town in the mountains of NC, the events of a fateful summer play out with lifelong consequences for all involved. Great story telling by Ron Rash.

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cute collection of recollections

In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute collection of recollections of the adult Ralphie Parker about his depression era childhood. A favorite holiday movie, A Christmas Story, is based upon this book. The author is the narrator of the film.

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Wendell Berry documentary on Netflix

http://civileats.com/2017/12/21/farmer-poet-wendell-berry-is-the-quiet-narrator-of-this-new-documentary/

rich and compelling story

Serena by Ron Rash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Serena is another excellent story by Ron Rash. It details through historical fiction the forces working against each other in the Depression era mountain forests of North Carolina, later to become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Showing clearly that today's fight between big business, their lobbyists and the advocates for our environment and our planet has been going on for over a century. Ron Rash includes much history in this tale, filling in the missing details with fictional, but realistic characters. The story telling is rich and compelling, and makes it difficult to put the book down, especially in the second half when the true character of the players emerges and the plot vectors toward a certain, yet unknown outcome. Empathy is evoked for many of the characters, both major and "minor". The devastating nature of the timber barons and their logging "machine" was deadly for both the environment and for the people consumed in the process. We are lucky to have recovered so much of their devastated land to preserve and enjoy today.

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interesting

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A priest, a chance eyewitness to a deadly accident, explores the lives of the five victims, seemingly linked only by the accident in which they died, discovering the mark and memories they left behind.

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a very cool collection of stories

I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very cool collection of stories. The title novel "I Am Legend", creative and significant when it was published in 1954, has been adapted to film four times, as well as being the inspiration of the classic "The Night of the Living Dead". The rest of this book contains some excellent short stories which have the flavor of some of the best Twilight Zone episodes. This is a great collection, well worth the read.

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truly a must-read

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written tale of one man's terrifying and difficult journey in a world turned upside down and sideways. What was once thought to be good has become evil, condemned, and treason. What once appeared black and white has become every shade of gray. In this story, there are no good or bad characters, just very deeply human and flawed ones. As the protagonist (is he really?) is hunted down by the idealistic authority figure, i am reminded of Les Mise'rables and how the very foundations of what is good and evil are examined and questioned, and we see the supernatural yet very human struggle between law and grace.

This book appears on multiple must-read lists, and rightly so. This is a wonderful story, truly a must-read.

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