Nights of Rain and Stars

Nights of Rain and Stars is another delightful novel from Mave Binchy. This one is set in a small village in Greece, where four strangers from America, Ireland, England, and Germany are drawn together when they witness a tragic boat accident. As they watch the villagers cope with the horrific event and its aftermath, they learn more and more about each other and become close friends. All four are running away from something and looking for something to run towards.

Thomas' ex-wife has remarried and he wants for his son to get to know his step-father without being pulled in two directions. Elsa is running away from a lover whom she no longer trusts. David feels trapped by expectations that he will take over the family business though this is something that he detests. And Fiona has run off with a totally unsuitable man against the advice of her family and friends.

These four also forge friendships with some of the locals: Andreas who runs a tavern outside the village, Georgi his brother who is a policeman, Vonni an Irishwoman who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, and Maria the widow of the boat's owner. Vonni, now a wise woman of the village, plays a pivotal role in the lives of the four newfound friends, helping them to see the truth in their situations.

Dragon's Kin

I'm really glad to see that Todd McCaffrey is now contributing to the lore of Pern. While there has been quite a bit of fan fiction written about Pern, Ann McCaffrey had asked that no one write in the same time frame as her books and not use her characters. Todd, as heir to the planet will be able to write in any time period. Dragon's Kin by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey begins during the second interval, which places it solidly between the time of the first book in the series Dragonflight and its prequels such as Dragonsdawn. The action in this newest novel is set in the Natalon mining camp and focuses on several young people who raise a hatchling watch-wher and discover much more about the abilities of these small kin to the dragons.

Silver on the Tree

I was in a hurry to finish this book and thus finish the series. Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper neatly ties up the saga as the Old Ones, led by Merriman and Will Stanton, again team with the three Drew children and Bran, a Welsh boy with a mysterious heritage, to challenge The Dark's bid to control the world. As with the other books in The Dark is Rising sequence, the children must follow clues to gather the objects of power needed to stand against The Dark.

The Grey King

The Grey King is the fourth book in The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. In this story, the reader is introduced to Bran Davies who lives in Wales; and discovers that in addition to the Light and the Dark, there are forces of High Magic which may not intercede in the conflict between Light and Dark.

Will Stanton and Bran join in a quest to locate the Sleepers while the servants of the Grey King attempt to prevent them from completing this part of the prophecy.

Of all the books in this series, this one didn't feel tied up at the end. But, I'm already reading book #5 Silver on the Tree and am eagerly awaiting the conclusion.

Greenwitch

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper is the third book in The Dark is Rising sequence. The first book Over Sea, Under Stone stars three Engish siblings Simon, Jane, and Barney and their great-uncle Dr. Merriman Lyon, affectionately called "Gramerry", as they recover a Midieval chalice while beset by the forces of Darkness. The second book, The Dark is Rising, has Merriman orienting the newest of the Old Ones, eleven-year-old Will Stanton, and directing him in gathering the six Signs of the Light. In this third novel, all the children are together as they vacation in a coastal town (setting of Book One) and attempt to recover the parchment document containing the key to translating inscriptions found on the chalice.

Altogether a delightful, though short, book. I'm already a couple of chapters into the sequel, The Grey King.

The Dark is Rising

The entire five book sequence takes its name from the title of this book. The Dark is Rising is the second book in the series and introduces another major character, Will Stanton. On his 11th birthday, Will discovers that he is the last born of the Old Ones. To come into his full power, he must locate the six Signs of the Light and protect them for use in the coming battle between Light and Dark.

Nights in Rodanthe

I had not read any books by Nicholas Sparks, even though he's certainly been popular lately. So when I saw this audio CD set on the shelf at the library, I figured it would be a good way to get to know a new author. While the outcome of the story was quite predictable, I did enjoy listening to it very much. I guess I'll look for other books by Mr. Sparks, and maybe try to track down one or more of the movies made from his novels.