Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters

Barbara Mertz wrote under two pseudonyms. The first one Barbara Michaels were more of her gothic romances and Elizabeth Peters were more of her romantic suspense. I really am surprised that Devil May Care is a Elizabeth Peters and not a Barbara Michaels. In this chilling tale, Ellie is staying in her Aunt Kate’s house. When supernatural events start happening in the house it is up to Ellie to figure out what satanic rites might have taken place in the house. It is one of her more disturbing books, but still very well written.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The Little Mermaid is one of the few movies I think is better than the book. Hans Christian Anderson is the king of bittersweet endings. The Little Mermaid in the book doesn’t get the prince in the end, instead she essentially commits suicide and becomes an angel. In the Disney movie on the other hand, Ariel does get Prince Eric at the end of the movie. It is a wonderful story about how true love can conquer anything including the distance between the land and the sea. It also shows the depth of a father’s love as King Triton first tries to protect his daughter from the scary human world and then shows his great love by allowing her to be with her human prince. It is truly one of Disney’s greats!

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce*

Wild Magic is part of the Tortall World. The series, The Immortals, is the second series to come from that world. It tells the story of Daine, a thirteen year old girl who finds out that she has a very powerful and rare “wild magic” that allows her to talk to animals and even shapeshift at times. She enters into the tutelage of Numair who helps her to train and hone these powers, which she desperately needs to save her world. A fun story.

Captain Sindbad (1963)

Captain Sindbad is a fun romp based on the classic story. The special effects are kind of poor, but it is still fun. In this version of the classic tale, Sindbad is in love with the lovely Princess Jana, but to win her hand he has to fight the evil El Kerim. There’s just one bad part, El Kerim seems to be immortal. It is soon revealed that by black magic El Kerim has removed his heart and put it in a “safe location” many miles away. Sindbad and his crew must go on an epic quest to find and destroy El Kerim’s heart.