A Living Sacrifice (The Basic Lessons Series) (Kindle Edition) Review

A Living SacrificeGood text to learn the basics: - meaning of baptism - early rising - consecration - prayer Good review for older Christians.

Click Here to see more reviews about: A Living Sacrifice (The Basic Lessons Series) (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
Laying a good foundation is essential for the full growth of a Christian as well as for the building up of the body of Christ. The apostle Paul exhorted young Timothy to "have an outline of sound words which words thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Keep by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, the good deposit entrusted" (2 Tim 1:13,14 Darby's). Such good deposit of fundamental teachings on practical Christian living forms a sure foundation on which to build. In this third book on Basic Lesson Series, messages are given on Baptism, Concluding the Past, Selling All, Consecration, Studying the Bible, Prayer, and Early Rising. May we learn these lessons faithfully.

Buy cheap A Living Sacrifice (The Basic Lessons Series) (Kindle Edition) now

Texas Almanac 2006-2007: Sesquicentennial Edition, 1857-2007 (Texas Almanac Teacher's Guide) [Illustrated] [Spiral-bound] Review

Texas Almanac 2006-2007: Sesquicentennial Edition, 1857-2007 [Spiral-bound]A perfect resource for anyone needing statistics about the various counties and cities in Texas.Detailed info about political history, natural resources, population, all kinds of weather history and much more.Actually fun to look through and learn interesting facts as well as Texas trivia.A must for real Texans and a great help for newcomers and wannabes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Texas Almanac 2006-2007: Sesquicentennial Edition, 1857-2007 (Texas Almanac Teacher's Guide) [Spiral-bound]

Product Description:
The "Texas Almanac" has been the ultimate resource of life in Texas for 150 years. First published in 1857, the "Texas Almanac 2006-2007" is the book's Sesquicentennial Edition. The "Texas Almanac" includes articles and data about: history and government; population and demographics; the natural environment; parks and recreation; business and transportation; oil and minerals; agriculture; science and health; education; and culture and the arts. Special features in the Sesquicentennial Edition include: A history of the more than 30 Spanish Missions in Texas, and the cooperation and conflicts among the Franciscan friars, the Spanish soldiers, and the local Indians who took part in the mission system. A compelling piece on the history of cattle ranching in Texas and its effects on the environment written by award-winning Western author Elmer Kelton of San Angelo. Kelton, who grew up on a ranch in Crane County and worked as a farm and ranch writer and editor, says, "To whatever extent technology has allowed, [ranchers and farmers] have tried to influence their environment to their benefit. Some of the results have been favorable.Others have fallen victim to the unwritten law of unintended consequences, trading one set of problems for another." It covers: the growing habits and many uses of the ubiquitous mesquite, which flourishes across one-third of Texas; the numerous mineral springs that exist in nearly every Texas county and their use by Indians, settlers, and commercial spas; families of Lebanese-Syrian descent and their impact on culture across the state. The "Texas Almanac Teacher's Guide" is 130-page professionally written teaching tool to help teachers and homeschoolers use the factual dense Texas resource in the classroom, with fun and instructive interdisciplinary activities based on information found in the Texas Almanac 2006-2007 Each lesson is coded to indicate how it helps fulfill TEKS and TAKS objectives.

Buy cheap Texas Almanac 2006-2007: Sesquicentennial Edition, 1857-2007 (Texas Almanac Teacher's Guide) [Spiral-bound] now

Falling for Grace (Kindle Edition) Review

Falling for GraceTraumatized by a horrible car accident that killed her fiancé and ended her dancing career, Gracie Hart lives an unobtrusive life running Romantically Yours, a unique shop specializing in books, antiques, gifts,lingerie, and chocolate, anything for the romance connoisseur. CarsonPrice and his daughter Isabella are a godsend or an intrusion, depending onviewpoint.Gracie takes to them and rents an apartment to Carson.Heplans on opening a cafe next door.What she doesn't realize is his realintent... to open a restaurant that serves alcohol with an atmosphere likea tavern in the evening hours.This man is capable of giving hereverything she's been denied for so many years... and her biological clockis ticking.Heartwarming and tender, this novel will brighten manydreary afternoons in small town America.James shows special talent fortraditional romance.Expect more from this author.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Falling for Grace (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
She wasn't looking for love...

The owner of a successful, sophisticated boutique called Romantically Yours, Gracie Hart's nickname is the Diva of Romance. Who could have guessed that having once loved and lost, she has no intention of ever falling in love again, no matter how loudly her biological clock keeps ticking? Until, that is, her new tenants, Carson Price and his six-year-old daughter Izzie, arrive on the scene and proceed to wreak havoc in her life--and her heart!

...but it found her anyway!

Buy cheap Falling for Grace (Kindle Edition) now

The Blue Lagoon: A Romance (Kindle Edition) Review

The Blue Lagoon: A RomanceI have always loved this movie and whenfound the book I had to have it.It was a little hard to read, given Paddy's accent, but I understood it well enough.I'd love to get the other two books, but they've been very hard to find.If you liked the movie, you'll like the book too.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Blue Lagoon: A Romance (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
CONTENTS

BOOK IPART I

I. WHERE THE SLUSH LAMP BURNS II. UNDER THE STARS III. THE SHADOW AND THE FIRE IV. AND LIKE A DREAM DISSOLVED V. VOICES HEARD IN THE MIST VI. DAWN ON A WIDE, WIDE SEA VII. STORY OF THE PIG AND THE BILLY-GOAT VIII. "S-H-E-N-A-N-D-O-A-H" IX. SHADOWS IN THE MOONLIGHT X. THE TRAGEDY OF THE BOATSPART II

XI. THE ISLAND XII. THE LAKE OF AZURE XIII. DEATH VEILED WITH LICHEN XIV. ECHOES OF FAIRY-LAND XV. FAIR PICTURES IN THE BLUEPART III

XVI. THE POETRY OF LEARNING XVII. THE DEVIL'S CASK XVIII. THE RAT HUNT XIX. STARLIGHT ON THE FOAM XX. THE DREAMER ON THE REEF XXI. THE GARLAND OF FLOWERS XXII. ALONE XXIII. THEY MOVE AWAY

BOOK IIPART I

I. UNDER THE ARTU TREE II. HALF CHILD_HALF SAVAGE III. THE DEMON OF THE REEF IV. WHAT BEAUTY CONCEALED V. THE SOUND OF A DRUM VI. SAILS UPON THE SEA VII. THE SCHOONER VIII. LOVE STEPS IN IX. THE SLEEP OF PARADISEPART II

X. AN ISLAND HONEYMOON XI. THE VANISHING OF EMMELINE XII. THE VANISHING OF EMMELINE (CONTINUED) XIII. THE NEWCOMER XIV. HANNAH XV. THE LAGOON OF FIRE XVI. THE CYCLONE XVII. THE STRICKEN WOODS XVIII. A FALLEN IDOL XIX. THE EXPEDITION XX. THE KEEPER OF THE LAGOON XXI. THE HAND OF THE SEA XXII. TOGETHER

BOOK III

I. MAD LESTRANGE II. THE SECRET OF THE AZURE III. CAPTAIN FOUNTAIN IV. DUE SOUTH

Buy cheap The Blue Lagoon: A Romance (Kindle Edition) now

And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance [Paperback] Review

And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance [Paperback]Harper Collins just came out with their list of the 100 best spiritual books of the20th Century.Yes, another list, but this one intrigued me enough to want to sample the books on the list.And that is how Icameacross this remarkable book.Jacques Lusseyran was blinded in an accidentat the age of 8, yet was a major force in the French Resistance duringWorld War II, was betrayed and spent time in a Concentration Camp.This isNOT anotherholocaust memoir. Insteadit is an odd, inspiring, beautifullyand simplywritten story, detailinghow one man lived a full spiritual lifedespite blindness and the presence ofgreat evil.Blindness was not a"handicap" to Lusseyran, instead he reacted to the world inamazing ways. It was a mysticism born out ofcircumstances, not theology.Few books can overwhelm the cynic in me.For a time, this one did.I havesent this book to friends and relatives, who were as surprised and moved asI was. And There Is Light may change you.

Click Here to see more reviews about: And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance [Paperback]

Product Description:
This astonishing autobiography tells the gripping, heroic story of the early life of Jacques Lusseyran, an inspiring individual who overcame the limitations of physical blindness by attending-literally-to the light within his own mind. Through faith in the connection between vivid inner sight and outer events, he became a leader in the French Resistance and survived the horrors at Buchenwald.

Buy cheap And There Was Light: Autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, Blind Hero of the French Resistance [Paperback] now Get 32% OFF

Stays Crunchy in Milk (Kindle Edition) Review

Stays Crunchy in MilkWhat at first glance appears to be a sugary simple tale turns out to be a deftly-layered exploration of the hero's journey. Pop culture references, cleverly described from oblique angles so as to provide the reader with continual starts of recognition as they move through the text, enhance this examination of what drives us: the need for love, the need for control, and especially the need to belong.Knave accomplishes all of this while delivering a fun read; recommended -- but be aware you may need to read this one twice to get everything Knave's packed in there.

There's a little bit of everything: buddy film meets road trip meets biting social commentary with overtones of Zen parable; I'm particularly enamored of the persistent need to find 'the other' -- in this case, the elusive Cherrygeist -- and Knave's examination of the role we all take in creating our own realities.Don't put this down as simple or gimmicky: the careful reader will discover that it is anything but.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Stays Crunchy in Milk (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
They were four: Wereberry the strawberry werewolf, Choco-Ra the chocolate mummy, The Creature From the Fruit Lagoon (his friends call him "T.C."), and Cherrygeist the… well she was a ghost. At least, until she wasn't. One day, she wasn't there at all. And then they were three.

Three friends who have sworn to search for her to the ends of the world and beyond - to find and save her.

Through familiar lands to places startling and unknown - across looming castles, endless battlefields and simple brick roads - these three friends will hunt and search and scour every inch. Along the way they'll have to rely on a whole lot of luck and a little bit of charm, but mostly each other.

A fairy tale for the super-sugar generation, Stays Crunchy in Milk is a road novel packed with 100% of your recommended daily allowance of essential action and adventure. And it's a delicious part of a nutritious breakfast.
[top]

————————

This is my kind of book! Stays Crunchy In Milk is that rare story with both heart and substance. Adam Knave deftly reexamines the pop cultural elements of his childhood then reshapes them into wondrous things both familiar and new. Knave's engrossing story transforms his love for his early memories into an exciting adventure novel. Its narrative swept me right along. I really cared about what happened next. Two thumbs up from me. Four paws up from Roger Rabbit. — Gary K. Wolf, Creator of Roger Rabbit

An imaginative work that uses pop culture icons in a highly entertaining way. A fine example that fun stories need not fit into one specific genre. — Alan Kistler, Comic Book Historian, MTV.COM

In Crunchy, Adam Knave hits a unique yet wholly familiar vein that is both hilarious and nostalgic. An outstanding work of pure imagination, the story will make you laugh until your sides hurt. The characters are simply brilliant - truly original yet sprinkled with just enough retro charm to make them seem like people (or creatures) you've know all your life. This is one book you don't want to miss. — Byron Starr, author of Ace Hawkins and the Wrath of Santa Claus and Doppelganger

There exists a world that we all know and love, yet have never truly seen before. Adam gives a first glimpse of this fantastic land full of familiar characters and opens the door wide for everyone to join along for fun and adventure! — Chris Giarrusso, author/illustrator of G-MAN and MINI MARVELS

…I was surprised and delighted to find that the novel is actually terrifically engaging and charming and not at all snarky. It is, in fact, really very uplifting, a story of hope and friendship and loyalty. All in all, it's a remarkable piece of work [...] and I recommend it with a clear conscience to all of you, whether you're old enough to remember Count Chocula or not. — Greg Hatcher, Comics Should Be Good

A fairy tale for the super-sugar generation, Stays Crunchy in Milk is a road novel packed with 100% of your recommended daily allowance of essential action and adventure. And it's a delicious part of a nutritious breakfast.

Buy cheap Stays Crunchy in Milk (Kindle Edition) now

Really Pregnant! Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldnt Stop Eating Brownies (Kindle Edition) Review

Really Pregnant Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldnt Stop Eating BrowniesI was getting tired of all the other pregnancy books being so clinical when I ran across this one. It was like a breath of fresh air--a real woman going through real side effects of pregnancy. I laughed and agreed with most everything she said from page one. It had really accurate descriptions on pregnancy isses, along with some really funny stuff that made me laugh out loud from page one. A must read for any new mom-to-be!!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Really Pregnant Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldnt Stop Eating Brownies (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
There is a lot of bellyaching that goes along with pregnancy. This book is no different.

Really Pregnant! Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldn't Stop Eating Brownies is a book written by a former pregnant woman to other pregnant women.

Even though every pregnancy is different, they all do have one thing in common: They can sometimes be a pain. However, within that pain, we can sometimes find commonalities that allow us to relate to each other. We're all women about to have babies and that's a big deal in and of itself, but that doesn't mean we have to take it too seriously. Because, really, pregnancy can be kind of funny.

Really Pregnant! Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldn't Stop Eating Brownies is the pregnancy book to buy if you want a funny look at what really happens once you find yourself pregnant.


Buy cheap Really Pregnant Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldnt Stop Eating Brownies (Kindle Edition) now

Take Our Moments and Our Days (Leather Bound) Review

Take Our Moments and Our DaysTake Our Moments and Our Days is an excellent prayer book for use in a group.The prayers are arranged for morning and evening prayer in a four week cycle focused on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ:Lord's Prayer, Beatitudes, Parables, Signs and Wonders.In addition to psalms and other scripture readings, there is opportunity for silence, song, and free prayers of thanksgiving and intercession in this format.The book has been helpful in sponsoring the life of discipleship in our community.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Take Our Moments and Our Days (Leather Bound)

Product Description:
An Anabaptist Prayer Book: Ordinary Time
Take Our Moments and Our Days is a four-week cycle of morning and evening prayer services prepared for the period in the church year between Pentecost and Advent. The services focus on the teaching and ministry of Jesus: the Lord's Prayer (week one), the Beatitudes (week two), Jesus' parables (week three), and Jesus' miracles (week four). The prayer services are designed for use by small groups or families, although they are suitable for individuals as well.
Scripture-saturated prayer. Virtually all the words in these prayers are adapted or taken directly from the Bible.
The voice of Jesus. The words of Jesus are strikingly prominent in these services.
Anabaptist coloration. Lying behind the prayers is a pattern of themes that are especially important in the Anabaptist tradition.

Buy cheap Take Our Moments and Our Days (Leather Bound) now Get 22% OFF

Say Nothing: Poems of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Persian and English (Hardcover) Review

Say Nothing: Poems of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Persian and EnglishThis small, handsome, bilingual volume of inspired verse by a Sufi icon and a giant of Persian literature, Muhammad Jalal al-Din Balkhi (known in the West as "Rumi" and in the East as "Maulana") is an excellent introduction to the poet and his poetry, written specifically for the 2007 celebration of the 800th anniversary of his birth and, generally, for the growing contemporary Western interest in Eastern literature.

Rumi's "Divan-e Kabir" ("Works") fills 10 volumes, while this book provides just an introductory selection of 44 poems/620 lines including rubaiyat (quatrains) and ghazals (longer poems of from 5 to 15 couplets) which alternate here.Skilled English translations and the clear, amply-spaced Farsi script of the original poems appear on facing pages.These bilingual page-spreads provide aesthetic, authentic, inspiring and useful texts for both English-speaking students of Persian literature and/or Farsi language and for Farsi-speaking students of poetry or English language.

Most readers will be interested in the poetry itself for its radically spiritual Sufi themes that contrast with the radical materialism of contemporary Western life.Rather than give commentary here, and in keeping with Rumi's emphasis on direct experience, I urge readers to buy or borrow the book and read it through or dip into it again and again to share Rumi's inspired quest for "something beyond your grasp,/ the wisdom beyond definition,/ hidden in the hearts of men of God."Poems are listed on the Contents pages by their opening lines:"Love is my only companion...," "Let Love, the Water of Life, flow in my veins...," "If you long to be purified...," "Seek the art of loosening knots...," "All that pure ruby wine...," "If a tree could move...," "We are from above...," "I am your friend...," etcetera.The end-of-couplet refrain, "Say nothing," in "I'm a slave of the Moon" on page 55 provides the title of the entire volume.

The front matter includes a useful 5-page commentary by a Sufi scholar at Boston College, the translator's 11-page discussion of her work of linguistic transposition, and a 14-page introduction to the lives of Rumi and his soul-mate in their search for transcendence, Shams of Tabriz. Back matter includes 24 pages of illuminating Notes for the poems, a bibliography of 15 "Suggestions for Further Reading," and a list of Primary Persian Sources.

If you read this little "vade mecum" you will surely want to travel much farther on the Sufi road with Rumi. "Hush!Enough chatter in the sea, about the pearls in His sea./ If you want to be a pearl diver, don't waste your breath."



Click Here to see more reviews about: Say Nothing: Poems of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Persian and English (Hardcover)

Product Description:
Translations of Rumi's poetry have been enthusiastically received by the English-speaking world. He speaks directly to the heart, allowing readers to feel that they know him intimately. And yet, the full flavor of his lightness and humor, his wordplay, and his Islamic references has often gone untranslated. Rumi's poetry is direct and immediate, but it's also measured, subtle, and nuanced in a way that earlier translations have seldom conveyed. It was, above all, a spoken poetry. Say Nothing captures the rich and varied tones of a mature voice that retains its youthful capacity for exaltation and revelation.This fully annotated, bilingual (Persian and English) editioncontains both short quatrains and longer ghazals, alternating forms that reflect the shifts in Rumi's moods and inspirations. Along with poems of ecstatic flight and equally ecstatic mourning, there are moments of terse commentary, challenging dialogs, and confrontational questioning. Extensive notes allow readers to delve more deeply into the multiple meanings of Rumi's words.

Buy cheap Say Nothing: Poems of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Persian and English (Hardcover) now Get 32% OFF

Queen & Country, Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar (Paperback) Review

Queen & Country, Vol. 2: Operation MorningstarIf you ask for my favourite genre in comics (or any part of the entertainment industry, really), the first answer you'll get from me is unlikely to be "political spy thriller." It may not be the second one, either. But if you ask me if I appreciate a well-written, well-researched, and impressively well-drawn comic book, related to current world events, accessible to readers who've missed the initial 4 issues, you can count on a "Hell yea!"
Queen & Country: Operation Morningstar constitutes a perfect example of such a book. I have often felt the same frustration of being uninformed about political topics that Stuart Moore mentions in the introduction to this trade paperback, but it is clear that Greg Rucka, widely recognized as a master of his trade, has no reason to fear being caught with his pants down if it comes to a political discussion. Operation Morningstar deals with the Taleban (or Taliban, as it was referred to in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001). It was also written before most Americans removed their heads from the comfortable warm sand surrounding it and preventing them to look too far over their country's borders, after having one of their major cities attacked.
The art chores on Operation Morningstar are handled by Brian Hurtt, who has been cited as many a reader's favourite Queen and Country artist, with inks provided by Bryan O'Malley and Christine Norrie, both of them widely recognized for their own work for Oni Press (such as "Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero" and the recently published "Cheat", respectively)
Now, apart from a well thought out story and pretty pictures, what can you expect from this collection? Don't expect a Director's cut. There's a brief introduction and afterword with link providing more background info, plus illustrated creator bios. Considering the overall quality of the book, you shouldn't find it hard to deal with the lack of extras, though.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Queen & Country, Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar (Paperback)

Product Description:
For Tara Chace and the Minders, Afghanistan has been a political hotspot for years. When the taleban regime discovers that some foreign journalists are also serving as covert-agents for the SIS, they round up all the reporters in Kabul to attempt to root out the spies. Moments before being taken into custody, David MacMillan stashes a list of United Front contacts in South Afghanistan in a secret hiding spot, keeping it out of the hands of the enemy. If the Minders don't find it before the taleban, it means many more lives could be lost. When Director of Operations Paul Crocker decides to send only his male agents into the field, it doesn't sit well with Tara, who would rather be in the action than sitting the mission out at home. Adding insult to injury, she is currently required to attend therapy sessions to deal with the effects of previous operations. Not content to sit on her hands, Tara spends her time trying to piece together the puzzle, aiding Minders Wallace and Kittering in their race against the clock. This second collection of the acclaimed series QUEEN & COUNTRY breaks new ground for comics, tackling tough subject matter in a realistic and intriguing way. Never has an espionage comic dealt so harshly with the realities of the world intelligence community and international politics.

Buy cheap Queen & Country, Vol. 2: Operation Morningstar (Paperback) now

Thelma (Kindle Edition) Review

ThelmaThis is a love story based on the eternal triangle. Thelma a beautiful girl , unawakened to love, is seen and loved by a gentleman who takes her away from the land of her birth Norway.
She in turn is loved and worshipped by her father's man who sacrifices his life for her. Thelma is loved by her husband's friend who never ever lets on who the object of his passion is. After many turmoils Thelma dies leaving a daughter, Thelma. The sweetest ending with the daughter marrying the friend who loved her mother!
The story seems too simple to comprehend in today's world where you see a girl and you sleep with her! This is a gentle story filled with love, passions wakened and unwakened.Full of the dark thoughts that torment humans and thoughts we do not like to talk about.
All in all its highly readable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thelma (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
"Dream by dream shot through her eyes, and each Outshone the last that lighted." SWINBURNE.

Midnight,--without darkness, without stars! Midnight--and the unwearied sun stood, yet visible in the heavens, like a victorious king throned on a dais of royal purple bordered with gold.

Buy cheap Thelma (Kindle Edition) now

Dr. Frankenstein and World Systems (Paperback) Review

Dr. Frankenstein and World SystemsThis is a good short book to get you thinking about what's going on in the world on a larger scale. It points out the fact that we are all part of 'systems' that tell us what to do, and that we don't even see it anymore if the system stops playing by it's own rules. Helps to see things in perspective and not blame the people but the system. Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to see that He conquered the world systems to bring us back to Him, but we have to analyse ourselves to see what systems hold us and if we really want to be free of them. This takes courage and can be a frightening experience, and can even mean the system will turn against us. A book to read from time to time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dr. Frankenstein and World Systems (Paperback)



Buy cheap Dr. Frankenstein and World Systems (Paperback) now

The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success (Hardcover) Review

The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success"The Travelers Gift" is a little treasury of wisdom for living an unconventional life in a conventional world. In the spirit of Og Mandino, Andy Andrews outlines seven principles for successful living:

1. The Buck Stops Here - Taking personal responsiblity
2. Seek Wisdom - Search for understanding and discernment
3. Be a Person of Action - Being a courageous leader
4. Have a Decided Heart - Overcoming double-mindedness
5. Choose Happiness - Possessing a grateful spirit
6. Forgive others - The power of grace and mercy
7. Persist - Perservering with faith until the end

Using historical personalities (Lincoln, Anne Frank, Truman) and events (Civil War, Holocaust, World War II), Andrews draws powerful lessons from the past to inspire today's reader. This is not a particularly "Christian" book. Believers and non-believers alike will see the wisdom and usefulness of the seven decisions and their related stories. While there is an undertone of faith, the book is not certainly not a "religious" book in the traditional sense.

If you liked the Og Mandino collection, you'll really love this. An inspirational book with some meat to it. Hope you enjoy it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success (Hardcover)



Buy cheap The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success (Hardcover) now Get 32% OFF

The Secret Life of Bees [Hardcover] Review

The Secret Life of Bees [Hardcover]The Secret Life of Bee's is an enduring story set on a southern bee farm.The characters will enlighten and warm your heart.The Secret Life of Bee's is similar to many southern stories; however, the bee lore that Kidd interjects throughout makes the book unique and interesting.The Secret Life of Bee's is a heartwarming, feel good read.There are universal lessons about family and self throughout.
The main character, Lily Owens is fleeing an abusive father and an all-consuming truth surrounding her mother's death.The Secret Life of Bee's is set in the 1960's when racial tensions and violence were at an all time high.Lily and her caretaker Rosaleen, leave town after a violent encounter with racists while Rosaleen was attempting to exercise some of her newly granted freedoms.
Since the death of her mother, Lilly has a few precious clues as to her last days.The clues lead Lily and Rosaleen to Tiburon, South Carolina where they meet the `calendar sisters', May, June, and August Boatwright.The Boatwright sisters operate a successful Bee farm.Lily and Rosaleen are welcomed to the farm with open arms.Through her work on the farm, Lily is able to examine her past and begin to trust as she finds love again.
The Secret Life of Bee's is the story of mothers.The reader will travel with Lily as she experiences each of the four remarkable women ~ Rosaleen, May, June, and August.Each of these women is a teacher and guide to Lily.It is through her experiences that she is able to discern that a mother is more than just a biological bond.
A great debut for Sue Monk Kidd.I cannot help thinking that I would have loved to learn more about Boatwright sisters...maybe there is room for another story!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Secret Life of Bees [Hardcover]



Buy cheap The Secret Life of Bees [Hardcover] now Get 34% OFF

Three Junes [Deckle Edge] (Hardcover) Review

Three Junes [Deckle Edge]"Three Junes" is a trilogy of sorts, with its distinct parts set in 1989, 1995, and 1999. Each section could be read on its own (and, in fact, the first, "Collies," won an award for best novella in 1999), but, taken as a whole, they encompass a multifaceted portrait of Fenno McLeod, his family, and his friends.

Told from the third person, "Collies" serves as a prologue and introduces us to the three sons of Paul McLeod, who travels through the Greek islands and reminisces about the poignant family reunion in Scotland effected by his wife's death. The second part, "Upright," takes up most of the book. Fenno is the narrator, skipping back and forth between his father's funeral and his expatriate life in Manhattan, where he befriends the catty and urbane Malachy Burns, manages a bookstore in Greenwich Village, and has a unexpected dalliance with a photographer named Tony. Fenno's reserved relationship with his two brothers mirrors his tense friendship with Mal, who, dying of AIDS, maintains his own dignity and an admirable drollness that challenges both his mother's intrusive (yet occasionally endearing) rectitude and Fenno's "constipatedly humorless" aloofness.

Drastically shifting perspective once again, the final section, "Boys,"is a fitting epilogue seen through the eyes of Fern, whose getaway with Tony in the Hamptons is unexpectedly augmented with a visit by Fenno and one of his brothers.

The change in perspective, dramatis personae, and even tone between each section is certainly peculiar and seems to puzzle some readers; the character of Fern especially resembles a late arrival crashing a family gathering that's almost over. In an interview for Bookbrowse (an online magazine), Glass described her book as "a triptych--that is, a strong central image flanked by two narrower, more modest images," and she compared her novel to a medieval altarpiece in which a "central panel--be it a picture of the annunciation, the crucifixion, or a martyrdom--is flanked by panels depicting portraits of the altarpiece donors.... Here was Fenno's large, rich story at the center, told directly to the reader, with Paul and Fern portrayed in intimate detail to left and right but seen from the side."

For me, it works. And Glass's tri-fold "painting" is enhanced both by the enviously discerning empathy for her characters and, above all, by a genius for infusing wit and warmth into the decidedly melancholy core of her tale. Fenno and his brothers, Mal and his mother, and even the latecomer Fern are characters I won't soon forget.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Three Junes [Deckle Edge] (Hardcover)



Buy cheap Three Junes [Deckle Edge] (Hardcover) now Get 24% OFF

Till Morning Is Nigh (Country Road Chronicles #3) (Kindle Edition) Review

Till Morning Is NighFor fans of the gentle read, novelist Leisha Kelly's series about the Wortham family has been a good fit: faith-filled and inspiring. The same readers of her earlier novels (JULIA'S HOPE, EMMA'S GIFT) should appreciate revisiting the same characters and storyline in TILL MORNING IS NIGH: A Wortham Family Christmas novella.

The plot is simple. The Great Depression is still in full swing in Illinois, and the Wortham family continues to plug along in desperate straights. Now, in addition to their own small family, Samuel and Julia take in the 10 hungry Hammond children. Many are sick with a mysterious illness, and their widowed father has disappeared, presumably on a drunken binge. It's been a year since the Hammond children lost their mother and the Worthams lost Emma, their dearest friend and benefactress. Christmas is coming, and these two losses color everyone's holiday.

As portrayed in the first two books in the series, Julia Wortham is the saintly mother who seems to be able to take on whatever life throws her way, only occasionally giving vent to her exhaustion and emotions (usually no more than "bursting into tears.") She can stretch her meager supplies into miracles, from cookies to dumplings to fruit bread. Others from their church help supplement the family's empty cupboard, arriving with pies and turkey at the right moment. Recipes are included at the end of the book.

Kelly stretches the very thin plot over 160 pages, which results in a sweet but extremely slow-paced novel. Most of the action centers on Julia entertaining her large and unruly brood by having them craft a nativity set out of paper as a distraction from their losses and illnesses. It's an agreeable plotline for the holidays, especially the slow progress of the figures to the stable. Although strung out over too many pages, it does help glue the narrative together. A nice touch is the baby Jesus figure, which mysteriously shows up in the bed or shoe of the person who seems in most need of comfort.

The circumstances of the family and their extended brood become repetitious in places (Katie is crying again?). Of the characters, perhaps the most interesting is Rorey, who vents her anger about her circumstances in a number of believable ways. Julia, on the other hand, is almost unbelievably patient with Rorey, but her insightfulness about what makes Rorey so difficult will inspire readers who have problem children in their lives. Two of the youngsters --- the crippled Franky (one can't help but think of Tiny Tim) and the burdened Lizbeth, a teen who tries to care for her large band of siblings while keeping up with school --- will particularly endear themselves to readers.

If you aren't familiar with the earlier books, you'll want to start with JULIA'S HOPE. Although TILL MORNING IS NIGH might be read as a stand-alone, you'll enjoy it more for reading the books that explain the background leading up to this novella.

For fans of the gentle read, the ending will be more than satisfactory: inspirational, happy and --- although a few loose ends still dangle --- conclusive. The power of God to provide in all circumstances, the generosity of those who have little but give much, and the true meaning of Christmas are all wrapped together in a novella that will inspire readers to find gratitude and joy in their own Christmas celebrations.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Click Here to see more reviews about: Till Morning Is Nigh (Country Road Chronicles #3) (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
It is December of 1932, just one year after the Worthams and the Hammonds lost Wilametta Hammond and Emma Graham in one terrible night. The Christmas spirit seems largely absent again this year. George Hammond has disappeared, and Julia Wortham's house is filled to overflowing with the Hammond children, several of whom are coming down with a mysterious illness. As Christmas nears, the children's homemade nativity scene takes on a life of its own, bringing comfort in the midst of uncertainty and hard times.This heartfelt novella lets readers share Christmas with the Worthams and the Hammonds and discover the strength of faith, love, and family.

Buy cheap Till Morning Is Nigh (Country Road Chronicles #3) (Kindle Edition) now

Heart of A Lion- The Life, Death And Legacy Of Hank Gathers (Hardcover) Review

Heart of A Lion- The Life, Death And Legacy Of Hank GathersHeart of a Lion cronicles the life, death and legacy of Hank Gathers who died 20 years ago at age 24.

Hank was a terrific, collegiate basketball player headed for the NBA when he collapsed and died on the court during a game.

Hank was born in the crime and drug infested projects of North Plilly from which noone escaped.At age 10 he made a commitment to get himself and his family out of the "Ruins".Basketball was the tool he would use to do so.Hank developed an incredible work ethic and mental attitude that shielded him from those who told him repeatedly, he couldn't do this or couldn't do that.Nothing came easy to Hank.

Hank was always in the middle of the action, especially on the court.The story is so compelling and the book so well written, the reader can hear and feel the roar of the crowd as Hank performs his majic.Also, the reader feels the saddness and stunned silence when the unthinkable happens.

This book is worth reading.It is well researched and written.It is an easy, good read at any time.With March Madness upcoming, it makes a timely gift.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Heart of A Lion- The Life, Death And Legacy Of Hank Gathers (Hardcover)

Product Description:
On March 4th, 1990 Hank Gathers, the leading candidate for college basketball's player of the year award, fell to the court at Gersten Pavilion on the campus of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Within minutes the man who had led the nation in scoring and rebounding as a junior, and who had proudly boasted of being the strongest man alive, was dead. Heart of a Lion is the story of Hank Gathers, a young man who dared to dream while growing up in "the worst slum in America." "Hank Gathers was an extraordinary player. He was a young man who dared to dream in a place where dreams go to die. Hank's dream ended tragically but his teammates carried on in his honor. Together they provided one of the greatest stories in NCAA tournament history. Hank has been gone 20 years but, the dream is alive." -Jim Nantz, CBS Sports. "This is not just another basketball book. Be good to yourself, and buy it." -Bob Kuska. National publicity. M.Kahn Associates. 805-969-8555. Milton@miltonkahnpr.com.

Buy cheap Heart of A Lion- The Life, Death And Legacy Of Hank Gathers (Hardcover) now Get 34% OFF

Detour for Emmy (Hamilton High series) [Paperback] Review

Detour for Emmy [Paperback]This book was on my teenage daughter's recommended reading list at school. My daughter is not an avid reader but after giving this book accolades, I decided to read it myself.I found this book very well written and the message was conveyed clearly and realistically.After reading this book, I had a discussion with my daughter and was amazed and delighted to see that the book had reinforced all the things I have been teaching her about the consequences of teenage sex that had seemed to be going in one ear and out the other for years.Peer pressure in high school is overwhelming enough as it is, and this book accomplished in a much better way, what I, as a mother, have been trying to accomplish on my own.Written from a teenage viewpoint, this book helped my daughter relate in a much better way than I or any other than any parent could strive for.The only thing my daughter complained about after reading this was that she felt the author should have stressed more on the difficulty in caring for a baby on a day to day basis, especially for a teenager(i.e. the everyday trials and tribulations you go through from the incessant crying, walking the floors all night, teething crankiness, chasing after them, dealing with illness and the extensive patience (and maturity) one needs in order to cope with a baby every single day). This book should be on every required reading list in schools across the United States.It should be viewed as an excellent aid in teaching teens across America the importance of safe sex and abstinence.Kudo's to the author on this accomplishment.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Detour for Emmy (Hamilton High series) [Paperback]



Buy cheap Detour for Emmy (Hamilton High series) [Paperback] now

Life of Pi [Hardcover] Review

Life of Pi [Hardcover]With over 1250 reviews already registered for LIFE OF PI, I first thought there could be nothing more to say about this marvelous novel. But after scanning the most recent 100 reviews, I began to wonder what book many of those reviewers had read. Had I relied on 98 of those reviews, I would have expected a far different book than the one I actually read.

Let's begin with what LIFE OF PI isn't. It's not a Man against Nature survival story. It's not a story about zoos or wild animals or animal husbandry. It's not ROBINSON CRUSOE or SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. It's not a literary version of CASTAWAY or OPEN WATER, and it's not a "triumph against all odds, happily ever after" rescue story. To classify it as such would be like classifying THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA as a story about a poor fisherman or MOBY DICK as a sea story. Or THE TRIAL as a courtroom drama, THE PLAGUE as a story of an epidemic, HEART OF DARKNESS as a story about slavery, or ANIMAL FARM as an animal adventure.

Martel's story line is already well-known: a fifteen-year-old boy, the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India survives a shipwreck several days out of Manila. He is the lone human survivor, but his lifeboat is occupied by a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, an injured zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan. In relatively short order and true Darwinian fashion, their numbers are reduced to just two: the boy Piscene Molitor Patel, and the tiger, Richard Parker. By dint of his zoo exposure and a fortuitously positioned tarpaulin, Pi (as he is called) manages to establish his own territory on the lifeboat and even gains alpha dominance over Richard Parker. At various points in their 227-day ordeal, Pi and the tiger miss being rescued by an oil tanker, meet up with another shipwreck survivor, and discover an extraordinary algae island before finally reaching safety.

When Pi retells the entire story to two representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Transport searching for the cause of the sinking, they express deep disbelief, so he offers them a second, far more mundane but believable story that parallels the first one. They can choose to believe the more fantastical first one despite its seeming irrationality (Pi is, after all, an irrational number) and its necessary leap of faith, or they can accept the second, far more rational version, more heavily grounded in our everyday experiences.

LIFE OF PI is an allegory, the symbolic expression of a deeper meaning through a tale acted out by humans, animals, and in this case, even plant life. Yann Martel has crafted a magnificently unlikely tale involving zoology and botany, religious experience, and ocean survival skills to explore the meaning of stories in our lives, whether they are inspired by religion to explain the purpose of life or generated by our own psyches as a way to understand and interpret the world around us.

Martel employs a number of religious themes and devices to introduce religion as one of mankind's primary filters for interpreting reality. Pi's active adoption and participation in Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity establish him as a character able to relate his story through the lens of the world's three major religions. Prayer and religious references abound, and his adventures bring to mind such Old Testament scenes as the Garden of Eden, Daniel and the lion's den, the trials of Job, and even Jonah and the whale. Accepting Pi's survival story as true, without supporting evidence, is little different than accepting New Testament stories about Jesus. They are matters of faith, not empiricism.

In the end, however, LIFE OF PI takes a broader view. All people are storytellers, casting their experiences and even their own life events in story form. Martel's message is that all humans use stories to process the reality around them, from the stories that comprise history to those that explain the actions and behaviors of our families and friends. We could never process the chaotic stream of events from everyday life without stories to help us categorize and compartmentalize them. Yet we all choose our own stories to accomplish this - some based on faith and religion, some based on empiricism and science. The approach we choose dictates our interpretation of the world around us.

LIFE OF PI bears a faint resemblance to the movie BIG FISH, also a story about storytelling and how we understand and rationalize our own lives through tales both mundane and tall.Martel's book is structured as a story within a story within a story, planned and executed in precisely 100 chapters as a mathematical counterpoint to the endlessly irrational and nonrepeating value of pi. The book is alternately harrowing and amusing, deeply rational and scientific but wildly mystical and improbable. It is also hugely entertaining and highly readable, as fluid as the water in which Pi floats. Anyone who enjoys literature as a vehicle for contemplating the human condition should find in LIFE OF PI a delicious treat.



Click Here to see more reviews about: Life of Pi [Hardcover]



Buy cheap Life of Pi [Hardcover] now Get 34% OFF

The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem 1: Prequel or Parallel to the Morning & Moon books) (Kindle Edition) Review

The Rose and the PyramidI could tell you that "The Rose and the Pyramid" is the story of a young woman from another planet who wishes to be with an Earth man and to live life as an Earth woman.....and this simple sentence can only give the potential reader the most basic structure of the story without revealing the true heart of the story that encompasses the author giving free reign to her imagination in attempting to explain why things here on our earth are the way they are....and how they might one day be changed for the better.

Be aware that this is a book that will stay with you...it is a book that you will think of often...it is a book that will influence the way you look at the world and the people in it.This is not a work of light fiction that one would read to casually pass the time and then a week later have trouble remembering even what the title of the novel had been.This is one you will remember!

Mya Rose Gem, a female on Kashmir, is able to see Ben, an Earth man, in her dreams as she lies on her bed sleeping surrounded by her many pillows. She is determined to travel to Earth and live there as an Earth woman in the hopes of becoming one with Ben.Mya does not understand that she and Ben have met before in the distant past, and that their future relationship will significantly change Earth's future.In spite of the danger that the Earth represents to a being of light and energy such as herself, Mya will not let the world of physical matter known as Earth and the negative energy thereupon prevent her from her attempts to fulfill her destiny by joing with Ben, the Earth man who is an individual mentally basing his worth upon his control of physical matter...so unlike a being of light and energy.

While I deeply respect the author's attempts to address the issues of the basic nature of evil and the complexity of redemption in this novel, I cannot agree with all the conclusions she reaches....However, I also understand that this does not make it a bad novel, simply because there are conclusions she reaches that I don't agree with.These conclusions refelct a reality that, while fictional, are both thought-provoking and somewhat disturbing in their unconventionality.Even for someone like myself who's read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, the reality of Kashmir and of Earth in "The Rose and the Pyramid" is difficult to grasp without pausing occasionally to mentally process the new ideas and catch up emotionally to what is taking place.This is a novel for those who like to travel to strange and foreign lands and try out new and unusal foods... Those who only want to stick with what they know and don't like to read new ideas should pass on this novel...I'm sure glad I didn't!

I ask you....when is the last time you read a novel that challenged you?When is the last time you read a novel that presented you with even one new idea that made you have to pause to stop and think?This is why I give this novel five stars....because I found it to be original, challenging, thought-provoking, controversial without being offensive, positive, and adding far, far more value to my life than the cost of buying the book and the time spent reading it.....and, what more could a reader ask of a book?

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem 1: Prequel or Parallel to the Morning & Moon books) (Kindle Edition)

Product Description:
THE ROSE AND THE PYRAMID is a novel of great mystery and enchantment, which occurs on several levels at once. Mya, the heroin, who comes from the planet Kashmir, which bears little resemblance to Earth, decides to pursue Ben, her lover, to our denser world of travail, where the age-old paradigm seems to be suffering, a suffering in part based on a misunderstanding of karma and density.

From her purer world of energy and color, she descends, but not merely as a visitor. Mya must take up a life here, a new person, she must surround herself with harsher and more puzzling realities, as a citizen of our world.

But why is she really here? What is the wider meaning of her attraction for Ben? And what of her deep friendship with Rotar, her mentor on Kashmir? Through undulations of great beauty, the novel expands to include Mya's destiny: the transformation of this planet and its inhabitants.

The ultimate establishment of a new paradigm for consciousness on earth involves a stunning confrontation with that being whom some have called The Devil - its surprises provide startling proof that life on earth has been stunted by a deeply ingrained and flawed conception of reality.

From this moment on, the story speeds to an irrevocable climax, in which the nature of Earth's reality and the quality of Mya's love are transformed forever.

-- The above the Flap Copy by Jon Rappoport, from the 1897 Authors Unlimited edition of this novel.

*

This title is an established collector's item, Science-Fiction-Fantasy novel with several excellent, Five Star reviews collected on the Amazon buying pages.This novel has continued to sell used copies through various vendors, in several countries in addition to the US.

This 2009 Kindle version includes an alternate beginning for the novel and a bonus of poems to accompany each chapter.

For more information on this novel see my Amazon Short, "Why is 'The Rose and the Pyramid" a collectors Item?"

Buy cheap The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem 1: Prequel or Parallel to the Morning & Moon books) (Kindle Edition) now

The Morning of the World (Paperback) Review

The Morning of the WorldUnlike so many mystery/thriller novels, this one is a work of art. The author paints such beautiful pictures that you almost see them, and his characters are the same, you feel as if you really know them. Not your normal fare, this book is unique in it's settings and story, a true joy to read and keeps you wanting more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Morning of the World (Paperback)



Buy cheap The Morning of the World (Paperback) now

Magic Tree House Collection Volume 7: Books 25-28: #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night; #26 Good Morning, Gorillas; #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday; #28 High Tide in Hawaii [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD] Review

Magic Tree House Collection Volume 7: Books 25-28: #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night; #26 Good Morning, Gorillas; #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday; #28 High Tide in Hawaii [Audio CD]Ok, well, another reviewer pointed out that the number of stories decreased, but the length is the same, and believe it or not he's right. I wrote this before we got them, but after we did I checked how long they played and yep - sure enough, just about the same. The stories are getting longer and so much more imaginitive and fun (if that were possible!). I'd add the other 2 stars if I could, we're happy again :)
Why are there only 4 stories on this set for nearly the same price as 8 on the previous three audio CD releases? I'll buy it because my daughter loves them, but I can't say I'm thrilled with paying only $2 less for half the content.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magic Tree House Collection Volume 7: Books 25-28: #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night; #26 Good Morning, Gorillas; #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday; #28 High Tide in Hawaii [Audio CD]

Product Description:
Stage Fright on a Summer Night
The show must go on! That's what Jack and Annie learn when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to Elizabethan England. There they meet William Shakespeare who's having a hard time with some of the actors in his latest show. Are Jack and Annie ready to make a big entrance? Or will it be curtains for Shakespeare?

Good Morning, Gorillas
Gentle giants or giant monsters? That's the question Jack and Annie have about gorillas when the Magic Tree House sweeps them to the mountains of Africa. There they meet a group of amazing and sometimes frightening gorillas. Will the gorillas be able to teach him some special magic?

Thanksgiving on Thursday
It's a time for giving thanks when the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to 1621 on the first Thanksgiving Day. The Pilgrims ask them to help get things ready. But Jack and Annie don't know how to do anything the Pilgrim way. Will they ruin the holiday forever? Or will the feast go on?"

High Tide in Hawaii
Catch the wave! That's what Jack and Annie do when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to a Hawaiian island of long ago. They learn how to surf and have a great time - until strange things start happening. Jack and Annie soon discover the cause: A tidal wave is headed their way! Can they help save their new friends in time?

Buy cheap Magic Tree House Collection Volume 7: Books 25-28: #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night; #26 Good Morning, Gorillas; #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday; #28 High Tide in Hawaii [Audio CD] now Get 34% OFF

Your Pregnancy & Newborn Journey: A Guide for Pregnant Teens (Teen Pregnancy and Parenting series) [Paperback] Review

Your Pregnancy & Newborn Journey: A Guide for Pregnant Teens [Paperback]This book was a very easy to read guide on every aspect of pregnancy. Offered stories and insight from other pregnant teens and teenage mothers. It answered every possible question I could think of. Very helpful book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Your Pregnancy & Newborn Journey: A Guide for Pregnant Teens (Teen Pregnancy and Parenting series) [Paperback]

Product Description:
Sharing experiences and insights that will help other teens face the realities of impending parenthood, pregnant and parenting teens offer young expectant mothers advice for carrying and delivering a healthy baby. Medical concerns such as fetal development, nutrition, and risks related to smoking, alcohol, and drugs are discussed, and labor and delivery are described in detail-often through the words of teenagers who have already delivered. Focusing on the needs of the young mother and those of her partner, this guide also stresses the importance of staying in school, graduating, and gaining job skills. Including numerous quotes from teenage fathers, but sensitive to the fact that many pregnant teens do not have a positive relationship with their baby's father, this book provides knowledge that will improve a young mother's chances of having a satisfying experience with or without a partner's assistance.

Buy cheap Your Pregnancy & Newborn Journey: A Guide for Pregnant Teens (Teen Pregnancy and Parenting series) [Paperback] now Get 20% OFF

The Lovely Bones: A Novel (Hardcover) Review

The Lovely Bones: A NovelAlice Sebold has written a remarkable debut novel.The narrator, Susie Salmon, was raped and murdered in 1973 and now resides in her heaven; yet, her voice contains none of the bitterness one would expect.She is able to see into the lives of those who touched her in life and death. At times wistful - for she will never be able to experience growing up - and others matter-of-fact, Susie witnesses the changes and growth within her family and small circle of friends.Her story is not one about death, but about loss and affirming life in its face, about moving on not only for those she left behind but for herself.The reader won't be able to escape the sadness in these pages - I came close to crying several times - but the overall tone is hardly grim. Because Susie is secure and happy in her heaven, she keeps the story full of light and optimism.
This novel is not flawless, nor should it expected to be.The narrative loses some of its momentum near the end. In addition, Sebold makes the mistake of adding a scene (which I won't describe here) seemingly designed to lessen the reader's regret about Susie's missed coming-of-age, but instead the scene falls flat.Susie's loss is as much a part of this book as her family's is, and to pretend it can be reversed, even if only temporarily, defeats the story.Still, given the first two-thirds of the book, this misstep and others can be forgiven.

The Lovely Bones is one of those books you can pick up and not want to put down again until you finish.At roughly 325 pages, this novel demands to be read on a plane, or on the beach, or when you have good chunks of time available to sit with it. Don't frustrate yourself by allowing a half hour here and there.
This is one book that deserves its spot on the bestseller list.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Lovely Bones: A Novel (Hardcover)



Buy cheap The Lovely Bones: A Novel (Hardcover) now Get 32% OFF

Letting Go: Cord-Cutting Principles for a Lifetime of Parenting (Paperback) Review

Letting Go: Cord-Cutting Principles for a Lifetime of ParentingWhether you are a brand new parent or an empty nester, this book is deeply encouraging, comforting and loaded with applicable, practical guidance on how to best train and encourage your children. I wish I would have had the kind of illustrative details and wisdom this book conveys years ago while raising my own children, but have found amazing help in applying the principles set forth in this easy read, with my teenage son.For the ability to deeply understand your children or for a way to understand and forgive the failures of your parents, this is a stunning exposition!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Letting Go: Cord-Cutting Principles for a Lifetime of Parenting (Paperback)

Product Description:
Just as a baby is separated from its mother's womb so it may enter into another life, so do parents need to learn how to properly deal with their attachments to their little one as he or she grows.This testimonial about letting go is by parents Richard and Christine Nelson who deeply value biblical truths and have found God faithful at home.The "Cord" referred to is a symbol for this process of biblical and healthy parenting.Properly done, the child and the entire family can enter into a mature and fulfilling life of relationships together forever.In parenting, the life-long umbilical cord-cutting exercise is important, necessary, and positive.The cord will be cut, it is only a matter of how.It will be cut; it is only a matter of when and by whom.It should be cut gradually for at least twenty years.If parents learn to parent well, they initiate the gradual separation of parents from child in a healthy and positive way.This separation may be painful sometimes, but it is absolutely a positive thing, if done well.It is not a loss; it is a doubling of the love in your heart.It is not a subtraction; it is an additional blessing for today and a multiplication for tomorrow.

Buy cheap Letting Go: Cord-Cutting Principles for a Lifetime of Parenting (Paperback) now

On Living and Dying [Paperback] Review

On Living and Dying [Paperback]Once in a while, a book comes along that causes radical changes in your approach to the important life issues.This is one of those books.A friend gave me a copy ten years ago, which I read while on retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani.As a traditional Christian, I found the straight-forward approach uncomfortable and a little threatening, especially because it challenged many of my "factual" truths.No problem, my beliefs can handle it, right?Wrong!I couldn't shake the feeling that Krishnamurti's ideas needed to be examined again without the baggage of pre-conceived notions.I've recently re-read the book, and while I'm still struggling with the material, I find that much of what he reveals MUST be taken seriously.It's also interesting that now I find his teachings are not inconsistent with those of Jesus (although they are at odds of much of what the church teaches).He talks about "dying" to everything, Jesus talks about selling all you have and following him.He talks about life, death, truth and love being here now, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Etc., etc.Be ready for "in-your-face" directness, but also be ready for troubling. but awesome material.

Click Here to see more reviews about: On Living and Dying [Paperback]

Product Description:
Reveals that the fear of death is not rooted in physical pain, or in leaving loved ones, but in the fear that some essential part of what we are will not continue. Krishnamurti explains that to comprehend death, which is so inseparably joined with life, we must come to it with a fresh understanding, free of learned attitude and preconceptions.
A thematic selection from the seminars over Krishnamurti' s entire lifetime. Drawing from talks from Bombay to Amsterdam and London to Seattle, progressing from the early thirties until the later 70's.

Buy cheap On Living and Dying [Paperback] now Get 15% OFF

Good Morning, Who! [Paperback] Review

Good Morning, Who [Paperback]If you or someone you know is suffering from addictions, or if you want to get an inside view into the addicts mind, this is the book for you.O'Brien seems to hold nothing back and her writing style ("noir") reads like a fast paced thriller.There is nothing whiny or maudlin about this personal expose, but you are left breathless and with a lot to think about.Highly recommend.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Good Morning, Who [Paperback]



Buy cheap Good Morning, Who [Paperback] now

Mysteries of Genesis (Forgotten Books) [Unabridged] [Paperback] Review

Mysteries of Genesis [Paperback]It helps me to undetstand my self better and find may wy bag home. It would be good to have this book translated in german. I would sell it many times in my bookstore. How can I order as al seller?

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mysteries of Genesis (Forgotten Books) [Paperback]

Product Description:

"Genesis is the first book of the Bible of Judaism and of Christianity, and the first of five books of the Pentateuch or Torah. It recounts Judeo-Christian beliefs regarding the world from creation to the descent of the children of Israel into Egypt, and contains some of the best-known stories of the Old Testament, including Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel, and the biblical Patriarchs.

For Jews the theological importance of Genesis centers on the Covenants linking God to his Chosen People and the people to the Promised Land. Christianity has reinterpreted Genesis as the prefiguration of Christian beliefs, notably the Christian view of Christ as the new Adam and the New Testament as the culmination of the covenants.

Structurally, Genesis consists of a "primeval history" (Genesis 1-11) and cycles of Patriarchal stories. The narrative of Joseph stands apart from these. It appears to have reached its final form in the 5th century BC, with a previous history of composition reaching back possibly to the 10th century. Religious Jews, Christians and Muslims believe that the book has its origins in divine revelation." (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

"Charles Fillmore (August 22, 1854 - July 5, 1948), born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, founded Unity, a church within the New Thought movement, with his wife, Myrtle Page Fillmore, in 1889. He became known as an American mystic for his contributions to metaphysical interpretations of Biblical scripture.

In a pamphlet called "Answers to Your Questions About Unity" , poet James Dillet Freeman says that Charles and Myrtle both had health problems and turned to some new ideas which they believed helped to improve these problems. Their beliefs are centered around two basic propositions: God is good. God is available; in fact, God is in you. The pamphlet go

Buy cheap Mysteries of Genesis (Forgotten Books) [Paperback] now

The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered [Bargain Price] (Hardcover) Review

The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered [Bargain Price]Never tireing to read over and again.Great price, and great fast shipping.Thank you.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered [Bargain Price] (Hardcover)



Buy cheap The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered [Bargain Price] (Hardcover) now Get 60% OFF

The Lawmaker (Hardcover) Review

The LawmakerAfter finishing The Lawmaker (gosh it took me a long time--sorry Rick) I was fairly convinced that the author was a former trial attorney...turns out that while he DOES work in law enforcement, being a lawyer wasn't his career...so kudos first off for writing a legal thriller without not actually BEING an attorney. My all-time favorite legal thriller is also NOT written by a former practicing lawyer (The Quiet Game by Greg Iles) so you're in good company as far as I can tell.

B-u-u-u-t The Lawmaker isn't exactly a full-on legal drama, either. It also adds the element of politics, bribery and a few other un-seemly underworld adjectives. Meet Wayne Lott, an attorney who seems to hit the jackpot when an opportunity to run for public office seems to fall right in his lap. As the majority of moral America already knows, politics are not as fancy as one may initially believe them to be. Pure as the driven snow? Hardly. And Mr. Lott discovers this the hard way as he quickly finds himself (literally) stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Now I have personally never had to choose between participating in Blackmail or possibly becoming victim to mob-like individuals bent on encouraging (ie: forcing) you to follow your 'pre-determined' path...but, I'd like to think I'd do the right thing. Does Wayne have what it takes to make the right choice? I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say finding out the answer is all part of the fun that is The Lawmaker. On the back of the book it says the book is a cross between Casino & The Firm, and I gotta say that particular description fits like a glove.

If you're looking for a tension-laced novel that doesn't follow the usual predictable pattern which seems to be a plague within the legal thriller genre these days, give The Lawmaker a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome...I know I was.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Lawmaker (Hardcover)

Product Description:
Wayne Lott is a young attorney out to make a name for himself. When a state legislative seat becomes vacant, Wayne jumps at the chance to run for office and enter what he thinks is the glamorous life of politics. But he's in for a deadly surprise.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Buy cheap The Lawmaker (Hardcover) now Get 24% OFF

Mary Smith (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) (Hardcover) Review

Mary Smith)This is a wonderful work of historical fiction.The real photo of Mary Smith adds to the engagement of young children.My class loves this book and I do,too.This is a part of history that I had never heard before.Cute ending that the children loved.I buy a lot of books for my classroom; some are "keepers" that I allow the children to use for a few days and are returned to my personal collection while others are placed in the children's collection which they have continual access to.This one is a "keeper".

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mary Smith (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) (Hardcover)



Buy cheap Mary Smith (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards)) (Hardcover) now Get 22% OFF

Son of Hope [Hardcover] Review

Son of Hope [Hardcover]I have just finished reading David Berkowitz's book "Son of Hope". I remember the man he was when he was arrested, his face and piercing eyes. And I recently viewed on line the interviewswith David aired on CBS in New York City. On May 10th, I saw the segment entitled "bonus footage behind the scenes look at the "Son of Sam" Interviews, which I don't believe was aired on TV. They showed the man who they arrested as Son of Sam and the face of the man who has been transformed, saved and set free in Christ Jesus; now the Son of Hope and they don't even look like the same man.

David's journal on December 21, 2004 said it all. He doesn't even feel as though he is in prison except for the place that it is. He is a minister, a witness, of how a loving Christ can reach a man lost in sin, with no hope and change him into a helper, a servant reaching out to fellow prisoners, giving him a ministry within the prison walls. I am so impressed upon reading that David receives no profit from the sale of his book, that anything received goes to the parents/victims of his past crimes. Thank you David for writing the book. I certainly plan to share mine with others. See you in Heaven.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Son of Hope [Hardcover]

Product Description:
From later 1975 through 1977, over a 13-month period David Berkowitz went on a killing spree in the New York metropolitan area--a spree that left six people dead and seven wounded.When Berkowitz--dubbed the Son of Sam--was finally captured, he confessed to his crimes and in 1978 was sentenced to 365 consecutive years in prison.

Ten years into David's prison sentence a fellow inmate began to share with him Christ's love, hope, and forgiveness.Eventually,David Berkowitz accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and has been walking as a Christian for more than 18 years.

David's prison journals offer irrefutable evidence that God has indeed done a marvelous and miraculous work in this man's life.

Buy cheap Son of Hope [Hardcover] now Get 32% OFF

Do I Have a Daddy?: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback) Review

Do I Have a Daddy: A Story About a Single-Parent ChildIf you are a single mom or dad raising your child alone this book will definitely be helpful for both of you.
It is my daughters favourite book for bed time reading. Written in such a simple manner it was easy for me to simultaniously translate and make it interesting in my language. It gave her a feeling that she is not the only kid living alone with mommy and gave her courage to ask more detailed questions while listening.
The sections for adults helped me more then all the other books written exclusively for single moms and dads.
If you are not certain, buy the book and will not regret it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Do I Have a Daddy: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback)



Buy cheap Do I Have a Daddy: A Story About a Single-Parent Child (Paperback) now

Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids: A Nonfiction Companion to Mummies in the Morning (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Library Binding) Review

Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids: A Nonfiction Companion to Mummies in the Morning)This is a very good book for children.It contains a lot of great information about Ancient Egypt.I read another review by a reader who was offended by the thought that the Pyramids weren't built by slaves.This was obviously a surprise to him but I had heard it elsewhere so it was no news to me.There were slaves in Egypt and I'm sure they were badly used in other jobs.They could have also been used to help build the pyramids, I doubt we will ever know exactly.This is a good book and no reader should pass it up over one shocked review.There's plenty of good information here and it is very interesting.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids: A Nonfiction Companion to Mummies in the Morning (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Library Binding)

Product Description:
How were pyramids built? Why did people make mummies? What magic charms were buried with mummies? Who discovered King Tut's tomb? Unwrap the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids, Jack and Annie's very own guide to the secrets of ancient Egypt. Includes information on hieroglyphics, how mummies were made, tomb treasures and robbers, Egyptian gods and goddesses, and much more!


Buy cheap Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies and Pyramids: A Nonfiction Companion to Mummies in the Morning (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Library Binding) now

Introduction to the Gurdjieff Work [Paperback] Review

Introduction to the Gurdjieff Work [Paperback]Needleman's introduction gives an excellent overview not only of the basic ideas of the Gurdjieff teaching but also touches on how the ideas are relevant to the human situation. Equally valuable is the glimpse it affords of how the different chapters of the Gurdjieff Foundation--the principal organization directly descended from Gurdjieff's own Institute--provide their members with the special conditions needed to embody the teaching. The book is a thorough revision (contrary to what one reviewer has remarked), based on the introduction Needleman wrote for The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work. The list of books, films, and recordings provided in "For Further Study," new to this version of the original essay, forms an essential part of the introduction and provides a way to continue to explore one of the major teachings of our time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Introduction to the Gurdjieff Work [Paperback]

Product Description:
The Gurdjieff tradition, commonly referred to as "The Work," describes people's day-to-day lives as completely mechanical, conducted asleep. Gurdjieff's intent, as with many sacred traditions, was literally to aid in one's awakening. The tools for doing this are many, but integrated. The various methods of "The Work" are intended to specifically integrate a person's physical, emotional, and intellectual centers into a fourth way of consciousness. Like Zen, Gurdjieff's work is structured as an oral tradition emphasizing the relationship of teacher to student. But there have also been extensive writings on his views, and this short, pocket-sized book is one of the most useful. A clear, concise summary of Gurdjieff's life and teachings, this is the first book to describe the actual practices of the tradition. It provides comprehensive resource information for readers who wish to pursue further inquiry, including a reading list and a summary of the most important published music from the Gurdjieff vault.

Buy cheap Introduction to the Gurdjieff Work [Paperback] now

Great Books (This Morning) [Abridged] [Audio CD] Review

Great Books [Audio CD]Dr. Bruce Meyer's broadcasts on CBC's This Morning have taken the nation by storm and caused a major revitalization of the literary classics in Canada. All over the country, in schoolrooms, doughnut stores and coffeeshops, people have been meeting to discuss the classics because of thesebroadcasts. The soon to be released The Golden Thread: A Reader's JourneyThrough the Great Books by Dr. Meyer is sure to take off following theoverwhelming popularity of this, the largest-selling series of cassettes inthe history of the CBC! This series, with its humorous, moving andextraordinarily brilliant observations on the Great Books is sure to makean avid reader of you and transform the way you look at both literature andthe world around you. This is a "must buy" item for anyone whowants to get in touch with great ideas -- Dante, Virgil, St. Augustine,Milton, More, Machiavelli, Ovid, The Bible, Sophocles and many more.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Great Books (This Morning) [Audio CD]



Buy cheap Great Books (This Morning) [Audio CD] now

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush PB w CD (Sing Along With Fred Penner) (Paperback) Review

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush PB w CDMy two and four year olds love this book and CD and make me read/sing it with them over and over. We are a biracial family and I appreciated the way that the book presented four different cultures. The family from Africa were presented as living a simple life, but I did not read poverty or unhappiness into the story.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush PB w CD (Sing Along With Fred Penner) (Paperback)



Buy cheap Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush PB w CD (Sing Along With Fred Penner) (Paperback) now