Dances with Wolves - Michael Blake

Dances with Wolves - Michael Blake - 304 pages

SPOILER ALERT: Kevin Costner's butt is not in this book.

If you're still in, this Western is actually pretty great.  Blake tells the story of a post-Civil War soldier sent into the far reaches of the Western frontier.  When he arrives at his new post, he finds the fort deserted.  He's alone on the prairie, aside from his trusty horse Cisco (who, spoiler alert, DIES, so if you're sensitive about awesome fictional animals dying, here's a friendly heads up) and a lone wolf he names Two Socks.  But despite the initial isolation, something about the prairie calls to this sensitive soldier, and meeting the people who live there only deepens his resolve to become the man he believes himself to be.

There's more to this story than just what you saw in the movie.  Stands with a Fist in particular gets significantly more backstory and so do her adopted brethren.  A different end makes this a familiar read with refreshing changes.

What I Know for Sure

by Oprah Winfrey -- 240 pages

I don't know what made me decide to pick this up.  It was probably this .gif.

What I know for sure: Oprah loves fresh cut peonies from her garden, relaxing with a cup of warm chai, and talking about Maya Angelou.

A Season Without Rain, by Joe Schwartz

 A Season Without Rain, by Joe Schwartz ,348 pages

Jacob Miller is in a bind; he's out of a job, owes the IRS a ton of money, and his wife has a baby on the way.  He takes a seasonal job at the Parks Department, and goes through a journey of discovery- life's not easy for anyone.  This is a real character study- every part of it rings very true.  Also, it is penned by a local author who is clearly going places.