Tracks Books

Short stories are my favorite because they capture slices of time, strong impressions, feelings and sensations or important striking events which leave the reader totally satisfied. Although the twenty stories in this volume are each *only* 5 - 7 pages in length, they are all sparkling jewels. They are written with crystalline clarity, have thoroughly well developed characters, and express feelings and emotions with which the reader can readily identify. Each story conveys some truth about humanity. Each is a gem which provides amazing insight into human behavior making the story a fascinating and enjoyable reading experience. The author very cleverly conceals and reveals details which often provide a surprise ending or unexpected twist leaving the reader quite blown away by the brilliance of the writing.

Here are brief reviews [with no spoilers] of five outstanding stories from the book.

1) In "The Party" the author contrasts two very different generations providing unique insights into human compassion and also insensitivity. The yuppie daughter is having a dinner party for some exclusive guests but then her mother who is retired and elderly shows up at the door, unannounced. The story has a serious lesson for us all ...

2) In the story "David", there is a twist at the end that is totally unexpected. We learn of a 40-something single secretary who works in an accounting firm whose partners are mostly Orthodox Jews. On a whim, she has her fortune told and hears some startling news about her love life. Afterwards she receives an invitation to accompany one of the married junior partners of the firm on a business trip. Needless to say, the story becomes very intriguing after this point ...

3) In another story entitled, "A Current Account" a happily married woman whose husband is ill, in the hospital makes a startling discovery which causes a crushing surprise ending ... The story is so good, it could have been written by O'Henry.

4) "A Fairy Tale" is another delightful read. A young girl who enjoys listening to family stories told by her Aunt and Mother is captivated by the story about how Uncle Schmuel got married. to his wife. She has learned it is especially important to listen when they lower their voices because that is when the best parts of the stories are told. Marriages were arranged in the old days in villages in Poland between consenting families. The custom was, the eldest daughter was required to marry before the second or third. Schmuel was introduced to a petite dark-haired beauty. Afterwards, an agreement was reached to marry the eldest daughter. In the past, Schmuel had been reluctant to marry, refusing all previous matches. This time, his mother strongly urged him not to reject this lovely young lady from a prominent family. Schmuel agreed but events turned out very differently than he or his parents expected. Good fortune none-the-less followed him

5) "1643" is another shining example which is equivalent to any story written by such past masters as O'Henry, Mark Twain, or Guy DeMaupassant. Fran and Ian have a big fight over attending the tenth anniversary of their friend Eric and his wife. Of their many friends, Eric had remained single the longest but when he married it was to a beautiful wealthy socialite. After the marriage, the friends seldom got together, since they travelled in different social circles so the invitation came out of the blue. Ian wanted to attend but Fran did not. The author deftly ties together Fran's interest in art, a vision she had one night when she arouse from a sound sleep, and a very startling surprise ending. Truly, this story is an artistic masterpiece. All the stories are wonderful and highly recommended. Each one captures a slice of life and conveys some timely truth in a most fascinating manner. Two other highly recommended and equally compelling books of short stories are the following Miles of Experience by Boris Zubry and The Earth and the Sky: Stories by Debbie Lee Wesselmann.
Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

I found this book humourous, exciting, and interesting even the fourth time through. The story begins in Arizona in 1872 as the main character, Bill Bently, is stopping in the tiny mining town of Big Load to meet his friend Lucky, a fellow bounty hunter. He meets Polly, an attractive, highly-educated woman from a well-bred family whose life has taken a tragic turn and has fallen into desperation and debauchery. Bill, the rugged, independent type, who has seen some pretty heinous encounters in his travels, at first will have nothing to do with her type. The 'Y-Track' refers to the alternative path he has chosen from that of the majority of corrupt society. Just as a love-triangle is developing with her and his colleague, he leaves on a trek to bring to justice the deadly Blackfoot Pete, who has evaded capture by the best of lawmen and bounty hunters for years. The narrative is very informative as it describes his profession and his mishaps, after which he finds himself depending on the mercy of a crusty, cantankerous middle-aged divorcee named "Bobby." It is touching how he learns about compassion, loyalty, and acceptance through his developing relationship with her. Though the story ends on a positive note, I can't wait for the sequel! --Bill H. (with FFM

This song has been a favorite of mine since it was released. It's very prayerful and has great lyrics and rhythem. It says that in spite of the fact that someone hates me because of the color of my skin, I will show my love still. Great words to live with in your mind. Love folks for their character, respect them for their sense of honor.

Uhuru for all.

R.K.

The Boston Marathon is the World Series, Super Bowl, the Masters and Wimbeldon all rolled into one. Johnny Kelley is Mr. Boston Marathon. Mr. Lewis has painted a loving portrait of this running icon. Mr. Kelley ran 61 Boston Marathons, winning twice and finishing 2nd an astonishing 7 times. The book was originally published while Mr. Kelley was still alive. Mr. Lewis interviewed Mr. Kelley extensively and this adds immeasurably to the story. The book is not only a biography of a great runner but a personal journey through the history of America's Greatest Race. GREAT READ!!

This series Zanbanger, Zanballer and Zanboomer are about a girl named Suzanne who is constantly told she can't play sports that are supposed to be "boy sports". If you like stories about determination, hard work, and winners this is the series for you! - I also read this back 20 years ago and even still have my copies. Fantastic BOOK!

It's funny how you can know a story without ever reading it... and how it can surprise you once you do read it, even though you know what's going to happen.

What I found most interesting was how much different it was from what I'd expected, and from the movies I've seen based on it over the years. Renfield, for example, was vastly more interesting than I've seen him in movies. He doesn't just sit there and moan for his Master. There's a method to his (literal) madness. And Van Helsing fails almost entirely to resemble Hugh Jackman in any way--a fact which I found terribly disappointing.

And those three brides? Barely in the book at all.

But the biggest, and most pleasant surprise was Mina, and to a lesser extent, Lucy. I'd expected them to be the too-stupid-to-live women of the films. No, I'd expected them to be worse, since it's an old book, and Everyone Knows that women are viewed more equally nowadays, right? Not so. Lucy wasn't an idiot--she was seduced and controlled, yes, but it wasn't due to her flightiness, nor was she especially susceptible.

Mina, though... I love Mina. She's a strong, intelligent character, and the men learn their lesson about trying to keep things from her to protect her when keeping her out of the loop puts them all in danger. From then on, she's a fairly equal partner in the fight, and she comes up with her share of the plans, and risks herself as fully as any of the men.

So why was this strong, equal heroine acceptable in 1897, but not in 1931, 1958, 1979, or 1992? I know there are other versions--those are just the ones I'm sure I've seen.

I've been a fan of Dracula since I was 6 years old. The original Stoker novel, the many film adaptations (some wonderful and memorable, some commendable attempts, and some that are outright horrendous), and the innumerable comic books/graphic novels, novels, documentaries, television shows, etc. have given me tremendous pleasure and fun. I've even played Dr. Seward in a terrific new stage production of the original story. In addition, I've studied the actual historical figure of Vlad Tepes, or The Impaler, the fifteenth century Wallachian ruler from whom Stoker drew so much of his inspiration and background material for the novel. So I'd like to think I know whereof I speak here.

This is a marvelous audio production. The acting is spot-on. No weak/fake British accents here! The primarily young cast give terrific performances as the heroes and heroines of the classic tale. Heathcote Williams is a wonderful Dracula, his deep, snarling voice dripping with menace and the tiniest bit of arrogant humor. Brian Cox, already a well-established veteran actor, does a lively and heartfelt job as Van Helsing. All in all, the cast perfectly personifies the original characters.

But it's not all dramatic readings of the novel; there are some sound effects (a few more wouldn't have hurt, nor would they have been intrusive, since the performances are the main attraction and draw the listener in nicely), and even an atmospheric background score which helps to set the mood (Naxos has provided the source materials for the music as well in its thorough liner notes).

And finally, this particular abridgement/adaptation is well done. It's edited tightly enough that the story keeps moving inexorably forward, and features some wonderfully horrific scenes in the book rarely if ever depicted on film. The only glaring omission is Mina's description of the scene wherein Dracula attacks her - one of the most harrowing and erotic of the novel. It's disappointing it is not included in this dramatization, but it does little to detract from the rest of the production.

Anyone who is a true Dracula fan and wishes to listen to a quality audio version of the original story would enjoy this well done production.

my oh my, some of the books that pass for classics! i have read compulsively for around 26 years, but this sort of book could make me give up the activity. i so deeply regret the loss of the six evenings that i wasted slogging through the pages of this ridiculous thing. the characters are annoying flat caricatures, and the plot/action is simply silly beyond belief. if this book can be considered a classic, then anything is possible. maybe in a hundred years Brittany Spears will be considered on par with Bach and Beethoven in the history of "classic" music? could happen, i guess.

Though it had been made in to multiple movies and changed into other forms of media, Dracula's characters and the evident Victorianism makes it one the greatest horror novels ever written. It does move slowly at times and the ending is anticlimactic but the good outweighs the bad in Bram Stoker's classic novel.

There are many "good-guys" in Dracula but there is never a true apparent protagonist and this does anything but detract from the story. Jonathon Harker does seem like the intended protagonist but Mina, Van Helsing, and Dr. Seward could all be put on the same level as well. In fact it is Van Helsing who makes the plans to try and destroy Dracula. The way the book was written (diary and journal entries) the reader is drawn closely to the group of heroes who pledge there lives to one another to fight an evil they all wish to destroy.

Also the elements of Victorianism are seen through out the masterpiece. Stoker is able to maintain the characteristics of the era while still writing a horror novel. Mina is able to rise above what women were expected to be able to do and "play with the big boys." She plays a vital role in the fight against Dracula proving that even with men and all their wisdom, sometimes it takes a women's mind to come up with ideas and conclusions that the men had not thought of.

Though it is a bit gruesome, slow, and anticlimactic at times, Bram Stoker's Dracula is a masterpiece for the ages.

Bram Stoker's "Dracula" was first published in 1897, and as one reads this work, it is overwhelmingly apparent that it was written during a time when morals and virtues were held in a much higher regard than they are today.

The book is comprised primarily of various journal entries from six main characters. Two of these main characters are remarkable women, possessed of lofty talent and high moral character. It is when both of these women encounter Count Dracula himself and fall under his poisonous and deathly spell that the remaining main characters in the book--all courageous and gifted and accomplished men--spring to the aid of these women.

I, for one, loved the old fashioned language, the rigid formality and courtesy, and the unyielding respect that the main characters demonstrated in their interactions with one another. Chivalry was certainly not dead in 1897, if one were to use this book as evidence. The graciousness and loyalty that the men in this book showed the women is inspiring, and the moral refinement and sensibilities of the women characters caused me to yearn for an older time, away from the immorality and crudeness apparent in today's society.

I had to smile at one point when reading the book when the two main women characters found themselves out late at night after a frightening experience. They were both in their full-length bedclothes, which apparently covered every part of their bodies but their bare feet. One of the women, not wanting to appear immodest dabbed mud on their bare feet so as not to offend anyone who might see those exposed parts.

This book is filled with suspense and plausibly thrilling episodes. It stands as a wonderful classic of good-natured fright, which proves that tension and drama and expectation may be created in a work of fiction without all of the offending elements of bloody violence, gore, vulgarity, sex, and devilishness thrown into the mix. Its ending is noble, with at least one of the main characters revealing remarkable compassion when she sees the look on Count Dracula's face during the final decisive scene in the book. This book was a pleasant surprise, as I wasn't suspecting a work of such high literary value from a "horror" novel. Thus, I highly recommend it.

As Clancy's first book, this novel is unsurpassed in terms of suspense, technothriller insights and geopolitical gambits. His lead character, Jack Ryan, makes his debut in this book, setting the style for his subsequent books. The key skill that Clancy possesses is the ratcheting up of the stakes on an epic level. This book set the bar for this newly formed genre. It is essential reading for the Thriller Espionage writer.

I have seen the movie for this book several times and read the novel a few years ago. As a first novel goes, this is probably one of the best for a techno-thriller. Since Clancy pretty much either invented it or re-invented it in his own image.

I base all thrillers off Clancy's novels. He is the best at it and it is fair that all be compared to Clancy :)

I enjoyed this novel very much and if I was to have joined the Navy, I would have picked the Sub to serve on because of this novel. Not to many novels focus on Subs and therefore, Clancy went into uncharted waters with this novel and it paid in dividends to Clancy and it opened up a new world for many people to see the world of Jack Ryan.

The Hunt for Red October is easily one of the best novels I have ever read. Clancy is a master at putting the pieces in place for the current story while dropping anchors for future plotlines that come before and after the current narrative. I am sure I will read this one again, once I finish all the other books in the Ryanverse.

A rare look at the first major novel written by one of the greatest writers of all time. Truly worth the money and you certainly will not be able to put it down once you begin this masterpiece.

I have no idea why anyone would buy or read this book. I read the book and fell asleep many times while reading it in the middle of the day. Tom Clancy sure does not make it easy for people to understand what is going on and his technical wording and deep descriptions make this book one of the worst I have ever read. I would recommend watching the movie if you really want to know this story.

I was assigned to read this in college as an example of how "young adult" fiction is difficult to define. Fallen Angels definitely defies labeling, and adroitly demonstrates that young adult fiction can be every bit as weighty as adult fiction.

The book reminded me of Richard Price's "Clockers," in that it was a very unglamorous look at the harshly real life of a young black American trying to make his way through a dangerous world.

The characters in this book are much more fully fleshed out than they would be in an after school special; Myers takes advantage of the flexibility of the novel format to give us after school special themes done right. The characters are fully realized, and they grow over a period of years. There is plenty of introspection, even though the book is well-paced and consistently interesting.

More, the book poses some interesting questions-- what would I do if I were on the front lines of a war? What if my children wound up in this situation? Why, in our supposedly enlightened society, does race matter in this kind of situation?

This is a great, great book for an adult, but it's even better for a young person. The writing has the ring of truth about it, and most young people will recognize that. The themes are very relevant to the young adult who may be considering a tour in the military (almost certainly, he or she will have friends who enter the armed forces).

The clear, simple writing allows the story to move forward at a tolerable pace, and allows the readers to easily absorb the lessons contained therein.

I highly recommend this book as a bridge between lighter fare and more serious reading.

FALLEN ANGELS takes place among the rice fields and swamps of Vietnam.

Teenager Richie Perry is sent to Vietnam when he enlists in the war. For the first time in his life, he is far away from his mom and younger brother, who are back in Harlem, New York. Perry meets many friends along the way, such as Lieutenant Carroll, Peewee, and Monaco. Perry has to not only survive the war, but also the effects of the war -- both physical and emotional.

Walter Dean Myers writes a touching story of a seventeen-year-old boy fighting in a very controversial war. This book gives readers a personal viewpoint of the infamous war that no history book can. Myers creates relatable characters that all readers are sure to love. This real-life, action-packed tale is one to please all readers, regardless of age.

Reviewed by: Steph

This book is brilliant. While in my local library, being bored as hell like always, I picked it up and started reading it. After reading the first five pages, I couldn't put it down so I ended up borrowing it and paying a late fee for holding onto it for much too long.
Parents:
This book is great. It brings your kids into the real world, informs them about what actually happened, and I'm sure you'll like them reading this over watching T.V. Yes, this book does contain lots of swear words and there are somewhat graphic scenes in it. But honestly, kids will start swearing at around 6 or 7th grade (speaking as a teen I know this)in school and obviously not around you guys. There's nothing you can do about this unless you follow them around school and they'll find out eventually anyways. However, I would not recommend this book to ANYONE below 6th grade.
Kids:
Just read the book. 'nuff said

"Get Down!!!" is the cry that rings through Perry's ears as a napalm bomb bursts near by sending a wave of roaring heat all around him. Fallen Angels is a sensational tale about Richie Perry's time in Southern Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Richie leaves his hometown to join the war because he figures it will be much better than his grim life style in the slums of New York City. When he reaches Nam and begins his patrols he finds that his home back in NYC is wondrous compared to the firefights and ambushes of Nam.
I would recommend Fallen Angels for ages 14-17 and for those who like the Jeff Shaara books. Shaara and Myers use not only the same genre, but the same writing style, only Walter Dean Myers is for a younger group of readers.

Excellent story, but parents of younger kids may want to know that it is realisticly profane. My nine year old son read it AFTER I previewed it for him and had to cross out all of the profanity in it with a black sharpie. Lots of "F" words and various other colorful language was used, as well as some talk of losing virginity.(Had to cross that out too.)
That being said, my son absolutely loved this story. He couldn't put it down. I also enjoyed it. Excellent account of a soldier's journey in Vietnam.

The book was sent to me way before the expected time and I really appreciated that.

This was on my son's wish list for X-mas. He was very happy when he recieved it!Thanks.

...If you have one good friend you're luckier."

I loved most of this book. There are a lot of quotes i can relate to and a lot of the emotions the characters go through i have gone through myself. SE Hinton is my absolute favorite young adult writer of all time. Its not quite as good as The Outsiders but i don't think any book could have topped that. I enjoyed reading the book and it gives you a new perspective on things.

My only problem with it (the reason i didn't give it 5 stars) was i didn't understand the ending. I have a vague idea but i don't know why Bryan did what he did.

I think it's a good short read obviously for young adults, but really for anyone who likes a good story.

The main character in my story is a 16 year old boy named Bryon. The other main character in the story is 15 year old boy named Mark but there are other character such as M&M and Cathy. The setting takes place in the 70's. Mark's parents are dead they killed each other. Bryon dad left him and only his mom takes care of him and Mark. Bryon's mom has a thing for taking in strays but she dose not mind. The problem later on in the story is that Cathy's brother goes missing and their best friend gets shot and to top it off Byron mom dose not have enough money to pay her hospital medical bill. Later on Byron gets a job at the grocer y store to help and Mark dose something but he brings home to much money for one night. Later on they found M&M and he took a drug that mad him crazy. Towards the end of the story Byron found out that Mark was selling the same kind of drug that M&M took, and he called the police they took away Mark and the last words he uttered to Mark was `why you doing this to me buddy'.

That Was Then This Is Now

Bryon is a strong, 16 year old teenager in the book That Was Then This Is Now by S.E. Hinton. Bryon has a very special talent which is hustling people in pool. He has been doing this since he was 12 years old. Bryon lives with his mom in a little town in Oklahoma. His best friend Mark is living with him.
There's a reason why Mark is living with him. That reason is that his parents died when he was nine. Mark's parents were drunk and they were arguing that night. His dad got mad at his mom. Then his dad shot his mom and she fell to the ground. Then his mom shot his dad back. They both bled to death. Then Mark went to live with Byron and his mom.
Byron and Mark have been friends since they were very young. They grew up together in the same little town. Byron says there like brothers. Byron is big, tall, and strong. Mark is short and strong. They like to get in fights a lot. Mark hot wires cars to get around town. He has done that since he was twelve.
But they also have a problem. As they grow up they are growing apart from each other. Bryon starts going out with Cathy. Mark starts to get jealous of Cathy because Bryon is spending more time with Cathy. Then Mark starts acting a little weird and Byron notices it. He starts to look a little different. Then his attitude was changing about everything. He starts to talk back to Bryon and he has never done that before. Then Byron figures out why he is acting strange. Mark has a big secret. But you have to read the book to find out what it is.
If you like books about love, growing up, and a little action then this book is for you. This book is very interesting. I think it was very interesting when they protect their friend M&M from the guys who jumped him. I think the author wrote this book so kids won't get in gangs. They won't get a bad life or future. If you read the back it makes you want to read it. I wanted to know what kept them apart so I read the book at home for an hour each day until I got to the end. I was amazed by the ending. The book has 159 pages in all. Its reading level is 4.6.

When I was a kid, I used to read lot of Jules Verne. In those days I couldn't read neither English, nor French so I was destined to use translations which were few and of varying quality. Nevertheless, I think I'll always remember captain Nemo and his mysterious ship, his exile on the island and his death. Stories of Jules Verne always stirred my fantasy, and I guess that he should be blamed, together with Poe and Tolkien, for me entering the world of SF&F and staying there for a long time.
Today, I'm much more cynical, writer of literary criticism in my own language, somewhat versed in few branches of Theory, result of which is, however paradoxical that may sound, growing inability to read and enjoy books from my childhood memory. Only thing that I'm capable of is sort of a nostalgic remembrance, which overlooks the style of ages, straightforward ideology, and overpopmpousnes of Verne's work. And this is a bad thing, 'cause my intellect shows me the drawbacks of this book, but my memory says otherwise. Balancing those two, I'll give in to the memory and say that "Journey to the center of the Earth" is a fantastic novel of mysterious nature and adventuring in the dark. It is a part of Fantastic voyages series, written by Jules Verne, series that tried to explain geographical and topological characteristics of various places on Earth by using latest scientific discoveries and presenting them in form of a novel. To reader of today, Verne's style may be troublesome, and many a young reader because of it will probably put book aside not feeling drawn enough into it's story, and being attacked by the language of mid 19th century sure won't help in those feelings. Today, when modern fiction has covered almost every aspect of adventure, having in it's pages every imaginable mystery solved, written in contemporary language, it is hard to imagine someone willingly taking Verne's work and reading it (unless he also feels nostalgic or has a school paper to hand in). And you couldn't blame them for that. Strength of Verne's work comes from mystery and unknown, mainly of scientific nature (psychological readings of captain Nemo I should put aside for now), mysteries which are far better explained in contemporary prose, with greater ability in novel writing and various other things.
Verne's time has passed and today we may only look upon him as a pioneer of SF adventure, or as a fond memory from our childhood. Sure, we could apply modern Theory on the text and see with what we'll come out, but in a long run it won't help. One can't fool the reader so easily.
"Journey to the center of the Earth" will remain fond memory but nothing more than that.

Over the decades, I have read "Journey ..." a few times. Despite the years since it was written, it holds up quite well as a fantasy / Adventure! It is an enjoyable book and I think today's teenagers would like it.

A true classic of adventure with real name places for authenticity. Only one place on earth, Iceland, can be the beginning point for such a fanastic venture. Even the early versions on screen added Hollywood schlock to ruin this fantastic story. Read this book, have an atlas handy, and escape. For more fun, become familiar wih the "Hollow Earth Theory".

I'm a dissapointed ten year old rating this book. Up until the end it
Was probably one of the best books I've ever read. It was full of adventure and excitement, but then I got to the end. The book did not live up to it's name. It would be more appropriately called "Journey Almost to the Centre of the Earth. I recommend this book only to people who like major dissapointments.

I bought this book for my 9 year old son and he really liked it.