Book Reviews

‘The Iliad’

If you are shuddering from echoes of long, boring classes back in school, stick with me for a few minutes. I promise, there is more to the classics than difficult-to-pronounce names and indecipherable writing. In fact, this is a deeply complex, layered tale with themes as fresh today as they were 3,000 years ago. War, sex and grief — all played out on the grandest of scales. It’s a movie franchise just waiting to happen.

I think everyone knows the bones of the story. Paris, prince of Troy, runs off with the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. She just so happens to be married, and her husband launches a war to get her back. The gods — the true instigators of this mess — are right there with their human toys, back-stabbing and conniving along the way.

Gory, funny, sharp and sad. This is a truly modern interpretation that loses nothing of the beauty of the original text. It’s a masterpiece. “So the immortals spun our lives that we wretched men live on to bear such torments.” If picturing Brad Pitt as the bitter and brilliant Achilles helps, who am I to stop you? ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich

‘The Lost Library’

What do a ghost, a cat and a young boy nervous about the future have in common? Books, naturally. There’s something special about a free little library. Maybe that’s why there are so many sprinkled throughout our town. It’s a sense of community and kindness free for the taking. It’s a gift, a wish, a little box of hope. 

Evan and Rafe are a pair of soon-to-be middle schoolers concerned they might not be ready for the changes that are coming quickly. In the midst of this personal confusion, they stumble across a new free little library in their town and are soon swept up in a mystery. All of the books seem connected somehow, but no one will help them get to the bottom of it. 

With the tumultuous assistance of a vain cat and a ghostly librarian, this story unfolds into a beautiful tale of love, acceptance and growth. It is the perfect gift for children and adults alike — especially bookish sorts who may be going through a life change. This is, to me, the best kind of story — one that entertains, teaches and helps the reader feel a little less alone. ♦ — Review by Julie Goodrich