I just put down, “Wicked,” by Gregory Maguire-and it is an absolute must read! It takes the story of “Wizard of Oz” and puts a new twist in the story. In Maguire's version, the wicked witch of the west was a misunderstood animal activist who was slightly green (but it's all because of a skin condition) teenager. It portrays the Wizard as an evil person who manipulates people to gain his power (sound familiar). He tricks Dorothy to seek out the witch because of a grudge.

“Wizard of Oz” was the magical tail that kept me awake wondering in my childhood nights. “Wicked” was a way for me to enjoy the mysterious world and brought it to a deeper and more mature level. Although the author does tread upon somewhat delicate subjects, he manages to pull it off spectacularly. And if you like this book, check out the sequels;”Son of a Witch” (amazing) and “A Lion Among Men,” (Can't wait to read it).