Added to the Pile + 20

I did a massive amount of Christmas shopping at bookstores this weekend and I ended up snagging a few things for myself. Dracula by Bram Stoker. I have the sequel but not the original. Duh? Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews. I was shopping in this section for a couple of friends and this book called to me. I can't tell you why. But I was immensely compelled to buy it. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I couldn't pass it up. 30% off cover price for a hardcover. Who am I to say no?


Written in the form of letters, diary entries, and news bits, Dracula chronicles the vampire's journey from his Transylvania castle to the nighttime streets of London. There, he searches for the blood he needs to stay alive - the blood of strong men and beautiful women - while his enemies plot to rid the world of his frightful power. The now-famous cast of characters includes the English solicitor Jonathan Harker; his fiancee, the enchanting Mina Murray; and Van Helsing, the mysterious Dutch doctor and expert vampire killer. (book flap blurb)


Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and felt like you were not alone? That's because you weren't! Forests, lakes, mountains, caves - even your garden - are alive with the spirits of nature. Faeries are real, and you can learn to commune with a whole world of unseen beings, including elves, devas, and nature spirits. With an open mind and a little patience, you can begin to recognize their presence all around you. This book will help you deepen your connection to the natural world as you explore the magical, mystical world of the faerie folk.

• Discover hidden truths in faerie tales and use them as pathways into the faerie realm
• Learn the basic habitats, powers, and behaviors of faeries, elves, and other nature spirits
• Read personal accounts of actual faerie encounters
• Invoke fire spirits for traditional psychic readings
• Share the magic and knowledge of twenty tree spirits
• Find the elementals - gnomes, undines, sylphs, and salamanders - with which you resonate most strongly
• Contact water sprites, mermaids, and other water spirits
• Find wood nymphs and the "lady of the woods"
• Draw dragons into your environment with the right fragrances
• Attract a faerie godmother into your life

Recapture the magic and wonder of a world where trees still speak and every flower tells a story. Explore the faerie realm - a place where faerie tales can and do come true. (book back blurb)


When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is blank.

But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as anyone can remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, for just as long, they've closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the Maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas's arrival. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. and more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it's looking more and more as if the Maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl's arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers - if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind. (book flap blurb)