The latest Oz readings

Remember a few weeks ago when I said I had nothing to report? Well, I'm sure making up for it today, aren't I? Actually, that day I should have mentioned my latest Oz readings, as I'd wrapped up a few books. But at least now I have a big mega-post of my most recent readings to share with you. So, let's jump right in, shall we?

• The Oz Odyssey by Roger S. Baum. A typical Roger Baum romp, which basically ignores much of his great-grandfather's work and instead tries to recreate the movie. Ho hum.
  
• Wicked: The Grimmerie — A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical by David Cote. Oh. My. Freaking. Wow! This is a terrific, if slightly fluffy, book, looking behind the scenes at the play. There is a lot of great information, and gorgeous photography. The biggest disappointment was that the "libretto" at the back isn't the complete script, but just the song lyrics with a few text pieces joining them together. So yes, I'm still going to have to buy the script when it's released for amateur performances. Not that I'd mind doing that, you know.
  
• Travels on the Yellow Brick Road: Lessons Learned on the Path to Oz by Cathy Weber-Zunker. The author is a public speaker who has had some interesting life experiences, which she shares in this volume. Other than the title, there is very little Oz content, but it was an enjoyable read. This book reminded me of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and other writings by Robert Fulghum.
  
• The next book I can't name, nor how I got it, as it's one of those stories that can't legally be published. In this case, it uses not only Oz characters from books still under copyright, it even uses characters from a completely different series whose current owners are very protective of their use (and rightly so, I hasten to add). Suffice to say that it's by a well known Oz fan who is no longer with us, and it was a lot of fun to read. Sorry, I don't think I can really say any more than that! (If you ever see me in person, ask, and if I remember what you're talking about, I'll tell you more.)
  
• The Scarecrow and the Tin-Man of Oz by W. W. Denslow. This is the Hungry Tiger Press collection of all of Denslow's Oz work, and while Oz purists probably aren't going to like this one much, it's no worse than what Baum did to his own characters in the "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz" comic page. It's great having all of these stories gathered together in one volume, and Denslow's pictures are nice, as well.
  

And that's it for now! I'll tell you what other Oz books I've read next time I have a few under my belt.