The Outsiders

I was going through some old books in the top of my daughter's closet when I came across a copy of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Although it was written in 1967 (before I was born), this was one of the books to read when I was in high school because of the popular movie that came out in 1983. I saw the movie and owned the book, but I couldn't remember ever reading it, so I picked up yesterday and started it.

Wow, what an awesome book! I couldn't put it down. The story of the greasers versus the socs feels like a typical West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet, but the true story of the "haves" and the "have-nots" is timeless. I love the way Hinton helps you to know and truly understand the feelings and motivations of each character through dialogue and description.

Susie Hinton wrote this book at age 17 because she couldn't find any literature that she felt accurately depicted teenagers outside the narrow world of the high school prom. All four of her novels portray kids just trying to survive in a rough and unfair world. If you haven't read this in awhile (or ever), I recommend giving it a try!

By the way, what an amazing '80s movie cast: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett, Emilio Estevez, and some unknown guy named Tom Cruise. I think I need to find this movie and watch it again!

FEBRUARY BOOKS

Last Look by Mariah Stewart (2007) -- FBI suspense; first in a series of three FBI thrillers. New body found of a girl supposedly killed in a case years ago. A good, intriguing story.

Run by Ann Patchett (2007) -- Realistic fiction; A beautifully written story about relationships, artistically dealing with issues of class, race, politics, and religion. It has almost a mystical quality.

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward (2006) -- (first book I've read by this author) Supernatural vampire thriller, Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 2; I decided to try another vampire book and ended up in a crazy erotic world with vampires named "Rhage," "Zsadist," and "Vishious." I was fascinated but don't know if I'll go there again!

Third Degree by Greg Iles (2007) -- Contemporary fiction; taking place over 24 hours, a husband is tipped off about his wife's infidelity, is pursued by the IRS for fraud in his medical practice, and takes his family hostage with a gun. Tense book but too formalistic.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (1995) -- Young adult fantasy, Dark Materials Book 1; this books seems much too heavy for the 9-12 year old audience it is aimed at. I enjoyed the complicated and interesting plot but did not care for any of the characters at all.

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman -- Young Adult fantasy, Dark Materials Book 2; again, the book is well written, but creepy! Too much death and despair--I'll skip the 3rd book.

Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz (1996) -- Romantic suspense; great hero and heroine--blah book.

Last Words by Mariah Stewart (2007) -- FBI Suspense; second in a series of 3. A little too graphic this time--not as good as last book.

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (2008) -- (my first book published in 2008!) Paranormal romantic suspense; I love the paranormal twist of the Arcane Society--enjoyed this very much.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (2001) -- Humorous Southern vampire suspense; 1st book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. If I had read this one first, I might not have tried the rest of the series! Okay, but not great.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007) -- Young Adult realistic fiction; I read this book because it was on the 2008 YALSA list of Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults, and I thought I might enjoy it and recommend it to my daughter. It is both a humorous and serious look at a 14-year-old boy living on an Indian reservation and attending a white high school in the neighboring town. It was fascinating, and I enjoyed it. (But I won't recommend it to my 14-year-old daughter because I don't really want her knowing what 14-year-old boys really think about!)