Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World - I'm a sucker for old-style adventures like those of H. Rider Haggard, and Conan Doyle's book fits right into that category. His characters are drawn into a journey deep into the Amazonian jungle in search of a plateau where prehistoric creatures roam. The characters are unique and interesting, their adventures exciting, and it's overall a fun, satisfying read.
Zane Grey, The Rainbow Trail - Grey is definitely wordier and more highfalutin' than his compatriot L'Amour, and his characters tend to be more romanticized. This book is no exception - it takes place after the events in Riders of the Purple Sage, carrying on with that storyline. The hero is a tenderfoot in many ways, searching for answers in the west, but those answers and the search itself fall by the wayside when he falls in love with a desert flower who is in danger from the Mormons. I like Grey, but I think in writing this book he lost his way a bit.
E. Nesbit, The Phoenix and the Carpet - Nesbit's children aren't clean or clever or particularly nice, which is part of their allure. They're normal children caught up in unusual situations and forced to deal with the consequences of their own hasty wishes and lack of forethought ... and as such, they prove themselves to be quite resourceful.
Elyssa East, Dogtown - I picked this up because I've only recently become aware of the existence of Dogtown, a large tract of wilderness and ruins in the midst of Gloucester, Mass., and I was curious. East weaves together the history of Dogtown itself, ancient and modern, with the tale of a 1984 murder and how that affected Dogtown and Gloucester itself, and with her own history and experiences there. I found myself wishing that she had explored all three themes in more depth, but overall it was an enjoyable and interesting book.
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