The Regulators

The Regulators by Richard Bachman

Poplar Street is an idealistic neighborhood street in Ohio. The neighbors know each other and (mostly) get along. But one hot, sunny July afternoon things get very bad very fast.

Audrey Wyler has taken in her autistic nephew Seth. His parents, brother and sister were all killed in a drive[by shooting out in California. On their last family vacation, while visiting an old mine in Nevada, Seth was invaded by an ancient spirit who calls himself Tak. Tak lives by draining the energy out of others.

Tak brings all of Seth's favorite TV shows out into reality when his energy levels are high. Seth likes westerns-particularly Bonanza and a sci-fi cartoon with lots of high-tech weapons. And as these weapons kill the residents of Poplar Street, Tak's energy and control grow. Pretty soon the surrounding town turns into the Nevada desert, shutting off any chance of help from the outside world.

I liked this book. It was a quick red and kept me interested although I have to admit I've read it before. But all I remember from the previous read is that I liked it. That's a gook enough reason to reread a book.

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

"Heart of Darkness" follows an Englishman, Marlowe, on his travels into the Congo. He has been hired to ferry ivory from upriver, and bring back an ill station manager, Kurtz. He becomes fascinated with Kurtz' reputation. Kurtz is seen as a highly able man who is extremely successful at supplying ivory.

Marlowe is forced to spend several weeks at the port awaiting supplies to repair his boat. He's horrified to see the way the natives are treated. They're disposable. Barely fed, and badlly mistreated. Disposable. They're considered subhuman.

Marlowe is horrified with everything around him and events on the trip are no better. But when he finally meets Kurtz, he truly sees the heart of darkness.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of British schoolboys are marooned on a desert island. They were being evacuated for safety during a war. Finding themselves alone without adult supervision, they begin to form their own society. And their society soon begins to break down.

This is a new entry on my list of favorites. An amazing book. Golding uses children to explore the darkness in human nature. And the horror of it is, it feels like a logical natural progression from the order and co-operation of the early days to the fear and savagery that builds as time goes by and personalities assert themselves.

A Cold Day in Hell

A Cold Day in Hell by Stella Cameron

Christian De'Angelo has just moved to Pointe Judah, Louisiana. He has with him the teenage son of a murdered mobster. Sonny has made friends with Arron, a local boy. And the two have been getting into trouble. One day, someone shoots at them in the swamp. But which boy was the target?

I enjoy Camerons books when I'm in the mood for a mystery. But she sets her stories in the same small towns- 2 that I've recognized so far. With each successive book more characters are added. This is fine when you begin with the first book. But "A Cold Day in Hell" must be deep into a series. There's a lot of people to remember.

That said, the book dept my interest for the two days it took to read. And I wasn't sure whodunit. It's a good, quick read.

Cell

Cell by Stephen King

Clayton Riddell is having just about the best day of his life. Someone is finally going to publish his comic book. He stops for ice cream. But while in line, the people around him suddenly go nuts. He quickly realizes they had all gotten a "Pulse" through their cell phones. Now Chaos rules the city.

So Clayton and another cell-less man named Thomas McCourt decide to find safety together. After picking up a couple of other normal people they start heading north. Messages are beginning to appear that lead people to an area without cell coverage. And Clayton is desperate to get to his family.

I love Stephen King, but I didn't much like this book. It was easy reading with King's usually flippancy and his humor popping up. But there was something far fetched about this story. (King far-fetched? Nah!) But with all the talk about people's brains being short-circuited and rebooted, it just didn't catch my imagination the way most King books do. But being King, it's still worth reading.

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré

Alex Leamus is a a British spy working in East Berlin. He's just lost his last operative. So he decides it's time to retire. But the bosses want him to do one more job. That's to take down a particularly vicious German agent.

So the stage is set to look like he is self-destructing. He begins a desk job at the agency but is fired because of thefts. He gets a job in a library, a cheap boarding house room and begins drinking. He then assaults a local grocer and lands in jail.

So naturally the East-Germans begin to try to turn him into a double-agent. Once he's taken to East Berlin, he has to call on all his experience to stay alive.

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is the story of a woman's affair in the late 19th century. She is the wife of a government official and lives in the upper echelon of society. Upon arriving in Moscow to mediate between her brother and sister-in-law, she meets a military officer named Vronsky. Vronsky had led Kitty to believe he would be "making her an offer" but upon meeting Anna he forgot Kitty completely. And Kitty had just refused an offer from Lenin. Anna Karenina is a long book that tells the story of many people. And they are all well defined characters. It's hard to leave one character for a couple of pages, but then you get wrapped up in the next character.

Anna Karenina is a story of love gone bad and love gone right. Tolstoy uses his characters to explore Russian society, from the aristocrats to the peasants who work for them. Religion, agriculture, politics, society, culture, the list goes on.

Anna Karenina is a Great Book. One of the best I've ever read.FirstCrime and Punishment and now this. I can't believe I was ever scared of Russian literature. I'm ready to take on War and Peace.

East of Eden

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

East of Eden is the story of the Trask family. It's centered on Adam but it includes his father and his sons. Cyrus was injured early in the Civil War. But over time he convinces everyone, even himself, that he had a glorious military career. He eventually winds up in a DC cabinet position. And he forces his youngest son, Adam, into the army.

After the army, Adam returns to his Connecticut home which is being run by his brother Charles. The two do not get along. Charles has always resented Cyrus' favoritism of Adam. One day a young girl shows up at their door. She has been beaten to a pulp. Adam takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health.

Cathy is a bad seed. She murdered and robbed her parents. She then took a turn as a prostitute. Her pimp beat her and left her for dead. But Adam builds a picture in his head that has no basis in reality. He marries her and takes her to California. She doesn't want to go but Adam doesn't hear her.

After they settle in the Salinas Valley, Cathy gives birth to twins. But she has no interest in being a wife and mother. She shoots Adam and leaves to work in a brothel in a nearby town. Adam is left to raise the twins with the help of his Chinese servant.

East of Eden is about the struggle between good and evil within all people. Adam's son Cal has a dark side that he struggles against. It's the same side that his mother embraced.

I enjoyed this book. But out of the four Steinbeck's I've read it only ranks third.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom's Cabin was and anti-slavery novel written before the Civil War. As the book opens, Kentucky farmer Arthur Shelby has been forced to sell two of his slaves because of debt.

The first, Uncle Tom, has a wife and children. He's sent to market down the Mississippi, but on the way he is befriended by a child named Eva St. Clare. After Tom saves her from drowning her father buys Tom. But circumstances eventually led Tom to be sold to Simon Legree. Simon Legree is one of the worst villains in literature. He beats his slaves, uses the women as sex slaves and fosters mistrust among the slaves. He's pure monster.

The second slave sold was a small boy named Harry. After his mother, Eliza, overhears the Shelbys discussing the sale she decides to run away with her son. She heads north to Canada in hopes of finding her husband. She finds them but by now they are being hunted by slave hunters. But the Underground Railroad is helping them along.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a very influential book for a very short time.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a young orphan being reluctantly raised by her aunt, Mrs. Reed. After fighting with her cousin John, Jane is sent to a charity school. But the headmaster is underfunding the school while providing a luxurious lifestyle for his own family. Cold housing and poor nutrition finally causes a typhus outbreak. Many of the students die and conditions at the school bring in new donors and overseers.

Many years later, Jane begins to teach at the school but the marriage of another teacher causes Jane to yearn for something else. So she advertises for, and receives, a position as governess. Her student is the ward of Mr. Rochester.

Jane and Rochester fall in love and plan to marry. But at the alter the wedding is stopped. Turns out Mr. Rochester already has a Mrs. Rochester. And she's locked up in the attic.

"Jane Eyre" is the story of a woman who keeps the faith. It's equal parts romance and suspense. It's a thoroughly delightful book.

The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen

Nell Caulder is married to businessman Richard. They have a four year old daughter named Jill. At a party in Greece filled with movers and shakers, an attack leaves Richard and Jill dead. Extensive facial damage leaves Nell in need of reconstructive surgery. A bit on the plain side, she is now made beautiful. And ready to go find whoever was responsible for the death of her family.

Nicholas Tanek knows who arranged the attack. Now he has to figure out how to catch him. And Nell is forcing him to let her help.

I read this about a month ago. It kept me entertained at the time, but with the passage of time I've forgotten alot of it. You're told right away who did it so there's not much mystery. But I will read more of Johansen's books.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

Miss Jean Brodie is a teacher at the Marcia Blaine school for girls. Six 10-year-olds girls are assigned to her. But Miss Jean Brodie is no ordinary teacher. She's a progressive teacher in a conservative school. She admires Franco, Mussolini and Hitler. She's in love with a married man but moves in with someone else. And she is willing to discuss her love life with "her girls".

Miss Brodie has decided to mold her girls into the "crème de la crème". And they soon do turn out to be distinctive. Miss Brodie is just as likely to talk about her love life as she is about art. She is less likely to talk about math or science. The headmistress, Miss Mackay, disparately wants a reason to dismiss her.

"The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" is a novella. It's a small book that tells of the lasting impression Miss Brodie has on her girls. The story is told out of sequence, giving hints about what is to come. In the first few ages you learn one of the girls will betray her. But it's not until the end of the book that you find out who or why.

Notes on a Scandal

Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller
Sheba Hart is the new art teacher. She is married and has two children. She has just taken her first job at St. Georges. She drifts into an affair with one of the students, 15 year old "Conolly.

Loner Barbara Covett has 35 years teaching experience. She lives alone with her cat. She is intrigued by Shelby and slowly cultivates a friendship with the younger woman.

As the book opens, Barbara is secretly writing about Sheba's affair. The world has found out about the affair and Sheba is daily news fodder. She has lost everything--her family, home and job. She and Barbara are living in her brother's house while he is away.

I enjoyed this book until I got to the end. And then it just bombed.

The Search

The Search by Iris Johansen

Sarah Patrick is part of a search and rescue team. She is coerced by billionaire John Logan to help him find one of his employees who has been kidnapped. Logan is running a top secret science lab when the villian, Rudznik, blows it up in revenge for past history.

As far as mysteries go, this one was OK. There wasn't alot of mystery, but it was interesting to see how the story played out. Johansen doles out the secrets of the science lab and Sarah's past slowly to keep you wondering.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Mr. Utterson is concerned with the welfare of his old friend and client Dr. Jekyll. Dr. Jekyll has favorably remembered Mr. Hyde in his will in case of death or his disappearance. Mr. Utterson is alarmed and begins to investigate Mr. Hyde who soon turns out to be a most disagreeable character. Mr. Utterson believes that Mr. Hyde has a hold over Dr. Jekyll that is forcing the doctor to follow Mr. Hyde's demands.

It is learned that Dr. Jekyll has become interested in the conflicting natures within men. He has created a potion that allows him to commit acts that he would otherwise not have the courage to do. But as time goes on these acts become more and more savage.

Seventh Category

Yesterday "The Stand" was on TV and I watched all 8 hours. It made me decide to make Stephen King my 7th category. It's been a long time since I read one of his books and I know I can find 8. Piece of cake. Maybe old rereads. I barely remember "Thinner." But I know for sure I'll read "Insomnia." About 8 or 9 years ago I was halfway through it and there came a flood. We had about a foot of water in the house. And since I would slide my book under the edge of the bed, it was ruined. I never got another copy. That was the last time I put a book under the bed.

888 Challenge

I spent several days co-ordinating my challenges, goals, TBR and plain old want-to-read. I've got 6 of the 8 lists ready. The other two will come later. I'm leaning toward biography and history lists, but if time gets away from me I may switch to Little Golden Books and Dr. Suess. Some of the books (Children's Favorites) may be easy but Look! I've got Homer!! And two Faulkner's!!!

1. Banned Books
1.) Catcher in the Rye Ж J. D. Salinger
2.) Lord of the Flies Ж William Golding
3.) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Ж Maya Angelou
4.) The Handmaid's Tale Ж Margaret Atwood
5.) Native Son Ж Richard Wright
6.) Brave New World Ж Aldous Huxley
7.) A Wrinkle in Time Ж Madeleine L'Engle
8.) Flowers for Algernon Ж Daniel Keyes

2. Children's Favorites
1.) Adventures of Tom Sawyer Ж Mark Twain
2.) Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Ж Mark Twain
3.) Up a Road Slowly Ж Irene Hunt
4.) From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Ж E. LO. Konigsburg
5.) Treasure Island Ж Robert Louis Stevenson
6.) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Ж C. S. Lewis
7.) Little Women Ж Louisa May Alcott
8.) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Ж Betty Smith

3. Time 100
1.) I, Claudius Ж Robert Graves
2.) The Sot-Weed Factor Ж John Barth
3.) Their Eyes Were Watching God Ж Zora Neale Hurston
4.) The Spy Who Came in From the Cold Ж John le Carré
5.) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Ж Muriel Spark
6.) 1984 Ж George Orwell
7.) The Sun Also Rises Ж Ernest Hemingway
8.) Light in August Ж William Faulkner

4. Books I Missed on TheClassicsClub
1.) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Ж Robert Louis Stevenson
2.) The Invisible Man Ж H. G. Wells
3.) Silas Marner Ж George Eliot
4.) The Bridal Wreath Ж Sigrid Undset
5.) The Mayor of Casterbridge Ж Thomas Hardy
6.) Rebecca Ж Daphne Du Maurier
7.) Jane Eyre Ж Charlotte Brontë
8.) The Bridge on the Drina Ж Ivo Andric

5. Oprah's Selections
1.) Anna Karenina Ж Leo Tolstoy
2.) East of Eden Ж John Steinbeck
3.) The Pilot's Wife Ж Anita Shreve
4.) Stones From the River Ж Ursula Hegi
5.) As I Lay Dying Ж William Faulkner
6.) The Bluest Eye Ж Toni Morrison
7.) One Hundred Years of Solitude Ж Gabriel García Márquez
8.) Song of Soloman Ж Toni Morrison

6. Books in My House
1.) Notes on a Scandal Ж Zoë Heller
2.) Empire Falls Ж Richard Russo
3.) The Hours Ж Michael Cunningham
4.) Heart of Darkness Ж Joseph Conrad
5.) For Whom the Bell Tolls Ж Ernest Hemingway
6.) The Red Badge of Courage Ж Stephen Crane
7.) Illiad Ж Homer
8.) Odyssey Ж Homer

7. Stephen King
1.) Insomnia
2.) Thinner
3.) Cell
4.) The Stand
5.) Rose Madder
6.) Dreamcatcher
7.) Black House (with Peter Straub)
8.) The Regulators

8. Suspense
1.) Black Lightning Ж John Saul
2.) The Search Ж Iris Johansen
3.) Always Time to Die Ж Elizabeth Lowell
4.) The 6th Target Ж James Patterson
5.) A Cold Day in Hell Ж Stella Cameron
6.) Death Comes as the End Ж Agatha Christie
7.) The Ugly Duckling Ж Iris Johansen
8.) Double Image Ж David Morell