Gentle Ben by Walt Morey is a delightful book about a boy and his pet...his pet bear. Set in Alaska in modern times, it is full of beautiful descriptions of the landscape and Alaskan life. I think it's a shame I never read this myself as a child and I fully intend to read it aloud next year or have First Son do so. (There are a few parts that may disturb the girls who will be 6 and 4 next year, but they are brief and not terribly upsetting.) (purchased copy)
Litany of the Long Sun: Nightside the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun (Book of the Long Sun, Books 1 and 2) by Gene Wolfe. The first book was for our science fiction and theology class. It's really more of the first quarter of a single book, ending more due to lack of space than end of story, so I couldn't stop myself from reading on. And I've already requested the last two books of this particular series from the library. There's certainly a lot of religion portrayed in the novels so there was much to discuss. I'm anxious to see how Patera Silk fares in the remaining novels. (library copy)
Epiphany of the Long Sun: Calde of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun (Book of the Long Sun, Books 3 and 4) by Gene Wolfe. I couldn't wait and had to read these two books that follow the two above. As the story moves on, it becomes more disjointed. Everything happens quickly. Immediately after reading, I felt a little dissatisfied with the story, thinking I must have missed something in the reading. After thinking about it a bit, and trying to find answers to my questions online, I realized the gaps are part of the story. Knowing what I do after the fourth book, I'd like to go back to read all of them again. I'll probably read some of Gene Wolf's other books first, though. This is certainly a series that would be appropriate and enjoyable for a mature teenager. (library copies)
Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 1) and Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2) by Frank Herbert. I had read these nearly a decade ago, but was anxious to read them again and discuss them with Kansas Dad. (I missed the class while my parents were visiting.) I think it's interesting to consider what prescience (knowing what will happen or what might happen) changes how we would live our lives. It's not clear it would be for the better. If you are interested in science fiction and haven't read the Dune novels, make some time for them. (library copies)
