Frankenstein; Lost Souls: Dean Koontz

In this book a small town in Montana is taken over by one man's creation. Their goal is to get rid of all humanity and replace them with these "Alien" beings. The story gets to the climax and then just abruptly ends :( The beings are able to be killed, but they are much stronger than a human. The book sets a few people up to be the heroes while the "replacement" beings lock down the city...but that is all that happens in this book.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: James Thurber

I was most surprised when I opened this book as it was a collection of short stories. Somehow a movie (two actually) was made out of a story that was six pages long. I assume the movie will be like "Benjamin Button" where it is based on the "idea". I did enjoy Thurber's works; they are little glimpses into lives. I am curious to what his novels would be like, his only other work I have read is The 13 Clocks , which I remember being weird. I do like the way he describes things; "He had an inordinate fondness for echoes "Halloooo!" he would brawl, wherever he was, in a terrific booming voice that could have conjured up an echo on a prairie" (from Something to Say). The Macbeth Murder Mystery made me want to read Macbeth again to determine the "real" murderer.

The Horse Whisperer: Nicholas Evans

I am not sure how I feel about this book, the first 2/3 of it was excellent, but then the author weaves in a love story. He creates the message that is it acceptable to have an affair, even after showing how much it hurts everyone near the adulterers. The story starts out with a young girl, Grace, and her friend taking their horses out for a ride on a winter morning. They end up getting stuck trying to go up a slippery hill near the road and are both hit by a truck. Grace's friend dies in the accident and Grace's horse Pilgrim is injured so badly they believe he needs to be put down. A large portion of the story shows the progression of both horse and rider as they heal. Grace had a leg amputated and swears she will never ride again. Pilgrim, in pain and mistreated, become wild. Grace's mother Annie finds a horse whisperer, Tom, hoping he can heal Pilgrim and in the process help her daughter. In the End Grace does ride Pilgrim again showing that you can get up after hitting rock bottom. Grace hears Tom's sister-in- law talk about the relationship between Tom and Annie. Sick to her stomach Grace takes Pilgrim and rides off. Pilgrim gets into a fight with Wild Mustangs and Tom, after finding them, uses the stallion as a means of escape, it tramples him to death. There is a lot you can read into this story, but I will leave it at that.