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This book collects two von Bek novels. The first is The Warhound and the World's Pain .  Ulrich von Bek, one incarnation of the Eternal Champion, is operating as a mercenary, selling his soldiering skills in the wars in 17th century Europe. He decides to take a break after one extremely ugly city destruction and wanders alone to reflect. Choosing to take refuge in a castle he encounters on his wandering, von Bek falls in love with the beautiful Sabrina, keeper of the castle. It also in the castle, however, that von Bek meets Lucifer. Yes, THAT Lucifer. Von Bek, it turns out, is already destined to spend his eternity in Hell (Was he really surprised by this?) Lucifer is willing to cut him a deal.  Lucifer is, let's remember, an angel.  A fallen angel, but an angel nonetheless. Lucifer can get in God's good graces if he, or someone he selects, can cure for the world's pain (by finding the Holy Grail). Von Bek travels through both earthly and magical lands, following up on...

Molly Miggins is the 9 year old daughter of magical parents. Her mother is a High Witch and her father is a stage magician who uses real magic in his acts. During one particular performance, something goes wrong and both of her parents vanish without a trace.  Now Molly is told by a wizard that she is the only one who can rescue them, but to do so, she must first pass her tests to become a Junior Witch, even though she is too young to enroll in the witches academy. Thus begins an adventure for Molly that will either get her parents back or doom her to being an orphan. This was a delightful, light story for young readers - children maybe not ready yet for the darkness is the Harry Potter books but who want a magical fantasy. This is very appropriate for early elementary school readers (ages 8-10 maybe?). Those who read well and also for those who enjoy having their parents read longer books to them.  I think my children would have liked this when they were the appropriate age. ...

I don't know what to make of this. I loved it. I was confused by it. I was bored. I was fascinated. I was ... at some point I ran through just about every possible reaction to this. How to describe this slightly off-beat (in a good way), unusual, sci-fi/fi fantasy.... A race of bi-pedal, primitive aliens, known as Fluters are a nomadic group just trying to survive. This is getting harder and harder to do with changes happening to the river Ata. Their numbers are on the decline, with only one child born in the past year - a girl who is named Vattu. Not everyone is happy with the birth of a girl, and when the Fluters encounter a more aggressive race from the Empire of Sahta who demand their tax. Having nothing, they give them Vattu, promising them that Vattu is a boy and will prove to be a strong slave. Vattu is accompanied (and looked after) by a faceless, voiceless warrior from still another race. While the warrior would appear more dangerous, he submits to beatings and punishmen...

Climax, Arizona isn't much of a town - it's got only one of just about everything. One saloon, one hotel, one lawman. It doesn't take much to keep the peace in such a town, which suits Giles Frost just fine. He's too old to work on the range and too settled to have to take care of anything more than the occasional drunk. But peace in Climax and peace for Giles Frost comes to a violent end when Frost is shot in the side one night while making his evening patrol.   A violent gang has decided that they are going to make Climax their new home base and they've got no use for a lawman. Giles Frost hasn't got any use for murderers or for the town of Climax and was ready to move on once he recovered enough from his bullet wound, but as he hit the trail he encounters another lawman who's looking for him. The gang that's taken over Climax are wanted and more than one lawman is looking to take them down.  But Giles Frost's knowledge of the town could be crucial...

Chicago has barely even begun its recovery and clean-up after the Battle of Chicago and already the wizard Harry Dresden is being called away for a different job.  It's not something he wants to do, but since he owes John Marcone, the Baron of Chicago, a favor (for saving Harry's life ... hardly a favor anyone can ignore), he takes the job.  The job: help the lowlife, former pimp and gambler, Tripp Gregory, go straight. It shouldn't be too hard - he wants to go straight. He just needs some help understanding what's right and a few nudges here and there. It would seem he's off to a good start when he raises money for a charity and doesn't understand why it was wrong to gamble that money when he hit the jackpot and increased that jackpot many-fold for the charity. There is a little problem, though ... beside the IRS ... the man who took the bet isn't paying out and Tripp needs Harry's help to get it. There's just a little problem ... while Harry has a ...

I don't read as many essay collections as I'd like. There was a time when I read a lot of essay collections (David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, Bill Bryson, Nick Hornby, Steve Almond, et al) but I've fallen away from it. If I'm not reading an essay for educational purposes (for instance, I have enjoyed The Best American Science and Nature Writing collections that appear annually), then I'm probably looking for something reflective of human nature, preferably humorous and relatable. That last word is key.  "Relatable."  I began to feel less and less able to relate to David Sedaris's work; so, too, Burroughs. They're both talented and well-deserving of their followings, but they didn't really speak to me. And the humorists sometimes try too hard to be funny or spend an entire essay setting up one joke. And yet, I keep trying, keep reading essays, and keep looking for 'new' authors to try. Adulting for Amateurs just had a ring to it that...