I read Fools Die for the first time when I was sixteen and it was chosen by me because of my desire to learn more about Mario Puzo's work aside from The Godfather. It changed me. Even after five years of college and university, I have yet to find a novel with characters which touched me the way Puzo's did in this novel. I actually miss them to this day and every year or two, I read it again, to remember those characters and the lessons they taught me. If someone was to ask me what it was that Mario Puzo is trying to say in all his novels, I would answer with this one sentence. Life is beautiful. That is it. Fools Die exemplifies that notion in the most profound way possible. Puzo says it over and over again but most people who I have encountered prefer to think of him as a novelist who is trying to promote organized crime. He is everything but that. He is a novelist attempting to promote life. After reading Fools Die I not only had the fascinating experience of feeling that I myself had lived the events of the book or had at least seen them through another's eyes, but I also felt a very strong connection to Mr.Puzo himself. It was only after reading this novel that I began to form the first thoughts in my mind as to what I would do with my life and why. It opened my eyes to philosophy, a philosophy which, is thought out carefully, could lead to the type of happiness that Puzo shows as possible. Sometimes the true path to success is best illustrated by its failures. Learning from other's mistakes enables an individual to be a step ahead of his own possible misfortunes. Mario Puzo, with this novel, prepared me for many of the dangers as well as the pleasures which this world has to offer. I learned some valuable lessons about love as well as about men and women in general. Puzo has a way of showing you the truth of a circumstance as if you yourself had thought it and in so doing so, removes the guilt which you may feel for thinking it. I knew when I read the opening to this novel that I had found something very special. The reason is that I could have written it. For in truth, the story of Fools Die is my story as is The Godfather and The Sicilian. They are tales of the romantics. Those individuals who see things not always as they are but as they should be. Whether it was Vito Corleone, Salvatore Guliano or Merlyn, the individuals whom Puzo has portrayed as the heroes of his novels follow through with that vision of life. One day this author will no longer be around to answer the worlds questions but he will still be speaking. As long as someone, somewhere is hearing his words. www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/2210/folly/ Views: 17
Ava Baio finds herself sorting through unfamiliar feelings with a strange and beautiful boy, Ari – a modern day Adonis. After an unconventional start to their relationship, Ava becomes intensely absorbed by her love for Ari, and with his help she discovers who she really is – a Fate descended from Atropos. She learns that the Greek mythology she grew up reading is not comprised of myth after all. Views: 17
MMA. Jousting Knights. Dueling swordsman. Gladiators. They do it for the money, for the love, and the necessity. They aren't afraid of bruises, blood, and broken bones. Less Than Three Press presents a collection of stories about people who won't back down even when the whole world seems stacked against them.
Heart's Tournament by Mell Eight—Torn apart by the guilds vying for control of the city, twin brothers Keel and Saar must learn to fight, and win, if they hope to reunite—but winning might be exactly what tears them apart forever.
Note: This story contains twincest.
Champion by Andrea Speed—Kell is the first Human heavyweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting League of the Unified Worlds, where Humans are considered the lowest of the low. His presence could make a difference for his race, especially with his lover contending for featherweight champion—if they survive.
Canis Project by Kish Swanson—There is no one Liam loves more than his twin brother Alex. In the eyes of society, they probably love each other too much, but that's never stopped them. When Alex is brutally taken, however, it does stop the police from investigating. Then a stranger offers Liam a chance for revenge against the genetically-engineered monsters who murdered his brother...
Note: This story contains twincest.
Experiment Number Six by Mina MacLeod—When his mission goes sideways, sniper Jason Slate wakes up in a strange hospital, drugged out of his mind, and captive of a shrewd terrorist organization. He's rescued by the military and placed in the care of Eric Archer, a warrant officer charged with helping him recover. But did the terrorists lose Jason... or let him go?
Knight & Novice by Cassandra Pierce—Renulf's tedious days of copying manuscripts is interrupted by two unlikely visitors to the Sanctuary: a rampaging, troll-like thief, and the knight who slays him. In thanks for his assistance, Lord Bazel is invited to stay at the Sanctuary for a few days. But when night falls, he asks Renulf to secretly translate a strange manuscript...
Fight to the Finish by Diana Sheridan—Maltroos has always been proud to be a Pledger and fight against other swordsmen for the amusement of the king. But he clings to the promise of his secret lover, Prince Saxtry, who vows that one day he will abolish the brutal duels. Then the king announces a Grand Competition—and that all fights will be to the death.
Rule Breaker by Archer Kay Leah—Gren has a very simple list of rules: no attachments, no loyalty, he'll fight for anyone willing to pay. His only exception to the rule is Tracel, a healer who is also his casual lover. When she is taken hostage, however, Gren realizes he may have broken his rules, and he'll have to break a few more to get her back.
A Little Magic by Annabelle Kitch—When Thrim is taken to the south, he believes he can sink no lower. The slavers took his dignity, the guards took his book of magic and the arena will take his life. Then an unexpected friendship earns Thrim a new enemy, who uses Thrim's own magic to shrink him to the size of a rat and leave him even more helpless.
A Good Man by Caitlin Ricci—When Emory loses his job he's afraid of what his boyfriend will think. A friend at the gym offers a solution: go one round in an upcoming fight and he'll give Emory a job training the guys. But Emory hasn't been in the ring for years, and getting back into fighting won't make his boyfriend any happier than the lost job.
Gladiatrix by S.S. Skye—When Daelan is sold to the kingdom to pay off her father's debts, she knows she is bound for the Games—and not likely to last long. When she arrives, however, she unexpectedly finds she has a patron who seems determined that Daelan come out of the Games alive...
Feint of Heart by Freddie Milano—For the past six years, Cal has been trying to gain the attention of Sir Taren Veretti outside of training sessions, but Taren refuses to see him as anything but a squire. He's forced to set aside his amorous goals, however, when he stumbles across a plot that could ruin Veretti and everything they've worked for.
Chasing Coyote by August Aimes—Jove has been chasing his quarry for more than a year, but infamous thief and magic worker Coyote always manages to stay one step ahead—until suddenly he isn't, and Jove is way more tangled up than he ever wanted, in ways he never expected... Views: 16
Every now and then, the Devil likes to pop up into the world for an adventure. He's a trickster and a mischief-maker, and just as full of vanity and other human failings. But he's also a gifted storyteller. The Devil's antics are presented in these two collections of stories, The Devil's Storybook and The Devil's Other Storybook, together in one volume. They make for delightfully wicked reading and are accompanied by charming illustrations by Natalie Babbitt. Views: 16
