This was good, though not what I was expecting. The stories are more like children's sermons, true stories from the author's own experiences, than the fable setup that I expected. I think my kids are still a bit young for this, but I expect it will be very useful in a year or two, and I look forward to it.

I can't decide for sure how I feel about this book. I agree with the author that intellectualism to the extreme that it disdains all emotion is unhealthy, and I agree that more is needed in most marriages than just friendship. I balk at the apparent opinion that adultery and deception are okay if they are in the pursuit of happiness. I think I related best to Mellors, of all people, and found most of the other characters ridiculous, so my reading of the story was possibly skewed. That said, I'm still thinking about it, which is (to me, at least) a sign that the author did a good job. So two and a half stars, if I were able to use half stars. :-)

This is a tricky one to review, because it's not really about American gods, or about any of the main characters. It's more a story written to answer the questions, "What are gods, and what happens to local gods when their followers make a home elsewhere?" It was a brilliant concept and a fascinating read. I docked a star because I wanted a more detailed exploration of those questions, and because I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending. Even so, it was well worth the read.