Book Description
After Wayne Fencer, a recent film school grad, attends his ex-girlfriend's funeral, he struggles to come to terms with her suicide and the startling news that she was pregnant with his child. Desperate to understand and haunted by regret, Wayne begins a journey that takes him up and down the East Coast (on foot) and across the American West (in an RV), finally arriving at the Costco Soulmate Trading Outpost in the middle of the Black Rock Desert. Along the way, Wayne's journey becomes a series of meditations on modern life, drawing on everything from the ancient philosophy of Siddhartha Gautama to a visit with Gregorio Fuentes, Hemingway's fishing guide and inspiration for The Old Man and the Sea.
A dazzling exploration of love, death, escape, home, and maturation set in the era of information overload, Attention. Deficit. Disorder. is highly original and exhibits an unforgettable voice that is Listi's alone.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderfully Random and Complex.......2007-08-11
Witty, sobering, and chaotic, Attention. Deficit. Disorder. is a travelogue of a man's quest for meaning. At once highly satirical yet deeply thoughtful, Listi's side-ways glance at life will make you laugh one moment, cry the next, and sit speechless at its conclusion.
In the wake of his ex-girlfriend's suicide, Wayne - a recent film student graduate - learns that while they were together, his ex-girlfriend got pregnant and had an abortion without telling him. This knowledge plummets Wayne into an emotional free-fall, and he sets out on an uncharted journey in search of a slippery thing called "meaning".
From hiking the Appalachians to traveling cross-country to witness the famed "Burning Man" celebration in the Black Rock Desert, Wayne searches for elusive answers that once found, only lead to more questions. Along the way, he shops around his first screenplay, travels with a beloved, handicapped uncle, and delivers pizza while assembling a healthy investment portfolio on Wall Street. The more Wayne searches, the more he realizes how little he knows - how little anyone knows - a realization that finally brings him peace.
Sprinkling bits and pieces of random yet intriguing cultural facts, Attention. Deficit. Disorder. provides us with a snap-shot of Americana; a portrait of a confusing, self-contradictory world. Wayne is a post-modern Gulliver and his travels reflect the cluttered, information-stuffed but sometimes meaningless nature of this modern age. Easy to read, profoundly simple yet complex, A.D.D. turns the pages in your head, long after it's over.
Seriously?.......2007-06-22
I love a great book, but you can't seriously say this is one of those. Short chapters about absolutely nothing. If he's trying to recapture The Catcher In the Rye, or another coming of age classic, then he needs to get a new idea... Thankfully I didn't buy this book, but instead it was passed out a Beauty Fair for free. I guess that's one way for people to read your book.
If you are looking for a great read that captures your attention the whole time, then skip this one. I think I am finally understanding the title after all...since I had ADD reading this silly book. There's better books to spend your time with.
A great book of modern existentialism.......2007-01-18
As a modern existentialist novel, it's hard to think of any book better executed than Attention. Deficit. Disorder. Brad Listi gives us a new Silas Marner, but in this version the loom that has worked patiently upon him is none other than the tumult of modern day society, awash in excess. I very much enjoyed Listi's device of inserted definitions - it's a phenomenon of modern society that we hunt for labels and categorizations like they're bears out in the woods. Wayne Fencer's journey is a great adventure not because of an epic plot but because of its smallest details, which is where the book (of course) devotes most of its energy. It also poses the interesting moral that we should, indeed, find the meaning of ourselves in the small stuff (and it's all small stuff).
The device of repeated phrases (in two adjoining sentences) intrigued me - it happens over a dozen times throughout the course of the book. This motif of repetition is well crafted - it echoes how we all keep seeing (for example) the same commercials over and over again, the same songs played on the radio, etc. And given the book's nod to Sartre's Nausea, the latching on to particular phrases rings true with the rest of Wayne's search.
Regarding other elements of style, Listi's pace is brisk and immersive. He has produced an enjoyable modern bildungsroman, and his character seems to rise like a phoenix from the Burning Man's ashes.
All in all, an excellent book, and well worth the time invested.
A pleasant surprise, and highly recommended........2007-01-11
Wow. This is a great read, and feel I was lucky to stumble upon it. While the story and premise of the book more than held my attention, I found it was Listi's writing style that made the book unique and kept me turning the pages. I would love to see what Listi can do with other subject matters and I will make it a point to search out new releases in the future.
hot stuff.......2007-01-04
this book is GOOD....i laugh, i cried, i enjoyed it completely.
it is a wonderfully written novel that combines adventure, philosophy, humor and lots of quirky references(the movie point break being one of my favorites)to tell the story of a young man's search for meaning and reason after tragedy rocks his life.
ADD is a unique book that beautifully illustrates the transformative power of a painful experience...it gets to the heart of what IT all is possibly about. hot stuff.
i look forward to more of Brad Listi's writing!
Product Description
GIFTED is a timeless story of love, courage and redemption. In the shadow of New Hampshire's granite hills, three people with little in common find their lives indelibly intertwined. Devan McAllister is a misunderstood seventeen-year-old, a thorn to those frustrated by his ADD, yet content within. Devan lives life on the fringes of high school by choice, but suddenly finds himself at the center of a life-changing struggle. He begins to hear classmates' thoughts and feel their emotions. Devan must overcome self-doubt when he hears the desperate cries of socialite Grace Sullivan. His dilemma escalates when he discovers a secret that threatens the school's principal. Banished to detention, Devan finds unexpected wisdom and friendship in custodian Abraham Thompson, who helps him understand that his intuition is a gift and challenges him to live with a larger purpose. Devan must choose whether to embrace his gift or run from it. In the end, his decision will determine whether a young girl lives to see another sunrise, and whether an aging janitor passes through the sunset of his life with no regrets. This compelling drama will tempt you to turn the pages quickly, but the profound insight into relationships will compel you to savor each scene. An intricately woven story with richly drawn characters, GIFTED reminds us that true love is selfless, and that our weaknesses are often our greatest gifts. GIFTED is a companion novel to Kirk Martins simultaneously released non-fiction book for parents titled, Celebrate! ADHD. Contrary to the prevailing fatalistic view of ADHD, Celebrate! ADHD is an enthusiastic celebration of the unique, advantageous qualities children with ADHD possess. Purposefully concise and written in an ADHD-friendly format, Celebrate! ADHD is filled with practical tips and an invaluable Action Plan to help prepare children with ADHD for extraordinary success in life. Visit celebrateADHD.com for more information. CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS All children deserve to experience the fullness of life without boundaries. A portion of the proceeds from your purchase of Gifted will be donated to The Bubel/Aiken Foundation and The Childrens Success Foundation to help celebrate the many ways children enrich society with their gifts.
Customer Reviews:
My Teenage Son Loved this Book.......2006-02-07
I can't get my 17-year-old son to read anything. Okay, except maybe car magazines. But when I told him it was about a teenage boy with ADHD, it piqued his interest.
He picked it up and didn't put it down all weekend. I was so intrigued by the book that I started reading it Sunday evening. A day after quickly turning the pages, I finished GIFTED.
What a great story! It is so rare to see kids with ADHD portrayed with sensitivity and in a positive manner--kudos to Kirk Martin for his great insight and a truly compelling novel.
Also highly recommend "Celebrate! ADHD" for parents of kids with ADHD or any learning differences. Truly refreshing.
Gifted Is His Third and Best!.......2005-09-23
I read this over a year ago, when Martin first released it, and I think it's great that he has offered it on Amazon in conjunction with his ADHD nonfiction book. Gifted is his most well written novel, with developed characters who seem like real people and a fast paced story.
I liked the relationship between Abraham and Devan (the differences and similarities between young and old people never cease to intrigue me). I liked the development of the characters, the way he made their lives exist beyond words on a page... I could feel (and have always had a soft spot for) the troubled teens, and I appreciated how he said that they had something to say... those people were my friends in high school, and I related in many ways.
The over-the-top cruelty of the teacher and principal (who in this case was certainly not your 'pal') put me in mind of a tv movie. Martin has said something about writing a screenplay to this book, and I want to hold him to it... maybe cast Peter Coyote as the misdirected dad, Sela Ward as the clueless mom, someone like Bob Gunton or Jeffrey Jones as principal, Helen Mirron as teacher... Morgan Freeman or William Cobbs as Abraham... Mandy Moore and that kid who played Eli on Once and Again - because they had such good chemistry in Walk To Remember - could be Grace and Devan.
I must admit... even though I knew what was coming between some of the characters at the end (and you'll have to read it to find out!) I felt the lump in my throat anyway. The prose here is hynotic. The Q & A with Kirk at the end shines a little light on the genesis of this story.
Congratulations on this novel, Kirk, and let us hope for many more!
A Great Story.......2005-09-20
I bought this book because my son attended the Martin's Creativity Camp this past summer...and I found out the Camp leader also wrote a few novels.
I've heard that Shade of the Maple is his best, but I wanted to read GIFTED first. So I gave it a shot. I admit I'm biased because of how much Mr. Martin helped my son, but this is a great story! It moves quickly, the characters are interesting and the plot has plenty of twists and turns. I like how it all wraps up together at the end. I laughed a little and cried a little. All in all, it makes for an enjoyable weekend of reading.
Really Loved the Characters.......2005-08-18
I picked this book up because the author wrote a book for parents called "Celebrate! ADHD" that has helped my son enormously. And I thought it rather intriguing that Mr. Martin had written both a novel and a non-fiction book as well. I hadn't read any of his other novels before.
Well, what a pleasant surprise! The first thing I noticed was that I really, really liked the characters he has created. I can hear them and see them so clearly, and they are intriguing to me. Each of them has his struggles, but also an inner yearning to aspire to the better angels of his nature.
And the story moves along quickly with enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. A really great book. I look forward to reading his other novels now!
Average customer rating:
- A Worthy Tribute to His Influences
- Noir as a Blunt Instrument
- pure rock-n-roll
- More deep dark noir.
- Just not my style of writing
|
Calibre
Ken Bruen
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 031234144X
Release Date: 2006-07-25 |
Book Description
Somewhere in the teeming heart of London is a man on a lethal mission. His cause: A long-overdue lesson on the importance of manners. A parent gives a public tongue-lashing to a misbehaving child, a parking lot attendant is rude to a series of customers, and the next thing either sees is the beginning of his own grisly end. When this Manners Killer starts mailing letters to the Southeast London police squad, hell soon find out just how bad a mans manners can get. The Southeast is dominated by the perpetual sneer of one Inspector Brant. And while he might or might not agree with the killers cause and can even forgive his tactics to some degree, Brant is just ornery enough to employ his trademark brand of amoral, borderline-criminal policing to the hunt for the Manners Killer. For if theres one thing that drives the incomparable inspector, its the unshakable conviction that if anyone is going to be getting away with murder on his patch itll be Brant himself, thank you very much.
Customer Reviews:
A Worthy Tribute to His Influences.......2007-08-20
I really enjoyed Ken Bruen's, The Guards, in which I met Irish ex-cop Jack Taylor for the first time. I was taken with Bruen's unusual style and his love for all the classic crime novelists who preceded him (my thoughts on The Guards) so I looked forward to reading something else from him.
Bruen has two crime series going at the moment, one series of four novels featuring Jack Taylor and another of three Inspector Brant novels set in London. Calibre, from the Inspector Brandt series, largely maintains the tone and style that I enjoyed in The Guards, but it didn't work as well for me as a reader this second time around.
The sparsely written novel centers around the "Manners Killer," a man who has taken it upon himself to rid southeast London of as many belligerently rude people as he possibly can. Unfortunately for them, he decides that the best way to do that is to kill them in what he, at first, hopes will appear to be nothing more than regrettable accidents. Soon enough, the killer decides that he would like some credit for his good deeds and starts to mail taunting letters to the Southeast London police squad. That's when Inspector Brandt decides to put a stop to all the nonsense.
As in The Guards, the main thread of his plot soon becomes relatively secondary to Ken Bruen; his novels are more about characters and atmosphere than they are about plot. The Southeast London police squad is manned by an assortment of characters who have more in common with the criminals they confront everyday than with the public's general concept of what makes a good and honest policeman. Brant himself, an Ed McBain want-to-be, remains a successful street cop only by playing by the rules of the street and shows little concern for the law he has sworn to uphold. And the cops with whom he works everyday, both male and female, are so much like him that any differences they have are only a matter of degree.
I think that Calibre is a worthy tribute to Dashiell Hammett but I soon started to wish that Bruen was not so intent on out-Hammetting Hammett and that he would put a bit more meat on the bones of his characters. I would like to know more about them than Bruen tells us, cops and robbers alike.
Noir as a Blunt Instrument.......2007-01-07
It's impossible to categorize Ken Bruen. His jarring, disjointed chronicles of crime follow no convention, and while his respect for the masters of pulp fiction:
McBain
Chandler
Thompson
is faithfully imbedded in his prose, Bruen mimics none of them. His style and his formulae are all his own:
Fresh
Brutal
In your face
No apologies
"Calibre" is the latest Bruen masterpiece from Hell. A serial killer is on the loose, reaping vengeance on the rude, the inconsiderate, the boorish clods that spread their venom often and indiscriminately. The killer, "Ford", follows Jim Thompson's classic, "The Killer Inside Me", like it were the holy writ, a student of CSI dispatching his random and manner-less victims with vicious and intelligent efficiency. The perfect criminal - or so he thinks...
Back to crack the case is the incorrigible sergeant Brant of the Southeast London police, a character as unconventional and unique as Bruen himself. Brant's disregard for authority is legendary, but Dirty Harry is perfectly prissy compared to Brant's distain for rules and the law, which he routinely breaks with impunity. And while Brant's superiors would like to see him on the other side of the bars, he keeps his tracks covered while solving crime with methods guaranteed to keep the self-appointed watchdogs of politically correct police procedure in an uncomfortable state of apoplexy.
Take note: Ken Bruen and Sergeant Brant are not for all tastes. If you're looking for a clean police procedural with cool crime scene forensics, intricate plots, and a tidy conclusion, Bruen's rapid-fire dialog and sketchy story development may leave you wanting. Bruen, like his anti-hero Brant, are more suited to writing with a Molotov cocktail than a typewriter. But if you're looking for a new definition of noir, of grit and reality and black humor that is told without apology that could not care less who or what it offends, well, what are you waiting for?
pure rock-n-roll.......2006-11-24
This is the latest in Bruen's Southeast London series, and, no surprise, he again delivers the goods. As dependable as the Ramones or AC-DC in their prime, Bruen's series of ultraviolent "police procedurals" never fails to satisfy. These novels, featuring the ever charismatic Sargeant Brant, are deceptively simple on the surface, but Bruen's terse ultra-honed prose is more like poetry in disguise. On the surface you have basically a fabulously entertaining Road Runner cartoon or 2-minute punk rock song. But read them carefully and hear how the language sings. Not as dark or overtly existentialist as his Galway novels, these little gems are like nothing before them. No one else's writing is this hip, this smart and this good all at the same time. A 21st century Irish Jim Thompson with the writing chops of a poet. Think the young Van Morrison wired on crank fronting the Sex Pistols...
More deep dark noir........2006-09-20
Ken Bruen's books aren't for the fan of light reads, but that is the thing that makes them so special. In the world of fluffy cozies and bloodless mysteries, Bruen sticks out like... well, like a dirty detective. Brant for instance, an anti-hero that Bruen get a lot of enjoyment writing about. He's dirty, on the take, and also completely ruthless at dispensing his own brand of justice. Sound like a cliche? It is - along with the policewoman that's fallen from grace, the gay detective that keeps trying to prove himself, and the psychotic killer who is taunting the police. Bruen revels in the noir form and peppers each chapter with quotes from classic crime novels and his characters quote the authors he loves. It's a dirty, messy, jumbled mess, but somehow it all works out in the end. Not for the faint of heart, but then again, the good stuff never is.
Just not my style of writing.......2006-08-31
I found the style of writing just too far removed from the authors I enjoy. The plot was somewhat interesting, the language didn't bother me, but I couldn't get into it. I put it down about a third of the way through and finally picked it back up to finish. Not overwhelming, maybe I have been reading too many J.F. Freedman's books lately
Book Description
This new edition of Ian Hoggs classic is this centurys ultimate reference work on the subject of military small arms. It has been fully updated and expanded (by 64 pages) to cover all small arms in military service during the 20th century and now includes many arms listings and photographs that did not appear in earlier editions.
-Recognized internationally as the leading authority on military small arms, author Ian Hogg was given free rein on this edition; he has delivered the ultimate reference edition for all interested in the history of these arms. Arms coverage includes: Pistols, Submachine Guns, Bolt-Action Rifles, Automatic Rifles, Machine Guns, Anti-Tank/Materiel Rifles and Ammunition. -Small arms of 46 countries are covered. -Over 800 photographs and illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Best but could be better.......2007-04-15
I have had this book for a number of years and, although the research is excellent, it does indeed have substantial typo's and reference errors as if the material was compiled by a staff editor who knows nothing about firearms and has not taken the trouble to make simple corrections. Many firearms are omitted and some included, however revolutionary and ground-breaking they are not always representative of the whole. Furthermore, the entire category of combat shotguns has not even been addressed but anti-materiel rifles have, which are undeniably interesting but only a small part of the whole. The organization is good as are the photographs but I would have made a number of editing corrections as a previous reviewer has noted (I have written in the corrections in my own volume). I rely upon this volume for information but often double check the facts through other sources as the glaring errors reduces my confidence in this as a comprehensive reference. As a reference book writer myself, I have written to the publisher offering to edit an 8th edition should such a thing be in the works but of course there is no profit margin for a slightly corrected version of a popular volume. My edition is so heavily thumbed and used that I will likely acquire another and not balk at the price but would gladly pay more for an accurate reference.
Review of Military Small Arms of the 20th century........2007-04-03
Actually I was being lenient with 3 stars... It is an incomplete work with HUGE gaps on vital basics, leaving out prominent manufacturers and models manufactured, and above all, grossly wrong on stats on some items. Mr Hogg needs to do a lot of further work before he can claim it to be a quality reference work of note.
Definitive.......2006-03-24
This book lives up to its name. It provides an overview of the 20th Century. Lots of photos for reference. Exactly what I thought it would be.
Most Comprehensive Ever!.......2003-08-19
This is truly the first and last book when it comes to 20th century small arms. Ian Hogg does it again as he categorizes weapons by type then country. Every gun is included from WWI to 1990.
This book is black and white but the photos are good, and he has some for some very rare guns.
Each gun is accompanied by a photo and a chart laying out the facts. Each gun also contains a few paragraphs of history and review as to how it should be placed in history. For example the MG42 is rightfully hailed as the best machine gun of WWII, while the M16 is ridiculed as reason we lost Vietnam.
I'm read a lot of gun books and this one is the best because of Hogg's writing, and the fact that it is the most comprehensive I've ever seen. He doesn't just include his favorite guns but every gun ever used in 20th century combat.
The HK G11 cover is also impressive.
very imformative book.......2003-07-21
When I purchased this book abut a year ago, I didnt know anything about firearms. I read the whole book and really enjoyed it. The reason i gave this book only 4 stars was because it does miss some firearms (Ian Hogg's health was deterioationg at the time of its writing). With the purchase of Jane's gun Recongnition Guide, written also by Hogg, I found that I was missing very little in my knowledge of military firearms.
Customer Reviews:
A tad above average AoA story.......2001-06-06
Welcome to hell on earth. North America is ruled by an evil mutant called Apocalypse. His kingdom only lives by one rule: Survivial of the fittest. Humans are regarded as the lower class and even not all mutants will be survive in this world. This all happened because Professor Charles Xavier never existed. Thus he never got to form the X-Men to appose Apocalypse.
But there is a sole sanctuary for the unchosen in this world. It's the island of Avalon. Humans and mutants go there the escape the cruelty of Apocalypse's America. And among them is a prophet called Destiny. She is one of the key characters to save the world. So Magneto assigns Nightcrawler, and his mother Mystique, to find her and bring her to the X-Men.
The story is a bit above average with some suspence and the art is on par with most of the other Age of Apocalypse books. It's another good stand alone story, but it won't mean much if you haven't read this AoA storyline from the start though. If you get this, I recommend you get all the other AoA TPBs too. For a complete reading list of it, see my X-Men: LegionQuest review.
Another great story by Ellis.......2000-04-06
Warren Ellis's X-Calibre is perhaps the best contribution to Marvel's Age of Apocalypse. In many ways, the story is like the Elseworlds tales that DC comics run. Ellis has taken the characters we all know and love and placed them in a very different, darker world, which is perfectly suited for his style of writing. This is worth reading for the new spin on Nightcrawler alone. The art is also terrific (even for an "X" book, which is saying something). i think some people may have avoided picking up X-Calibre if they weren't fans of the Excalibur series, which is too bad because they missed out on the best written chapter of the whole Age of Apocalypse.
Average customer rating:
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Airway Calibre in Health and Disease
Alastair H. Campbell ,
Robert Pierce , and
Colin Barter
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Respiratory Therapy | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Internal Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books | Cardiology | Critical Care | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Gastroenterology | General | Hematology | Hepatology | Infectious Disease | Nephrology | Neurology | Oncology | Pulmonary | Rheumatology | Urology
ASIN: 0444809236 |
Average customer rating:
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Calibre
Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9384066273 |
Product Description
Novel set in Texas in the years following the Civil War.
Average customer rating:
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Calibre
Shulman
Manufacturer: Popular Library Ed.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000OYX7TI |
Average customer rating:
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Calibre
Irving Shulman
Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000CZ3X4I |
Average customer rating:
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Calibre .50
Robert Sheckley
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K1ZESC |
Average customer rating:
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Calibre .50
Robert Scheckley
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ITLAOS |
Average customer rating:
- A Magical Book
- A wonderful story
- A great story but something was missing
- A great book by a great author
- One of the freshest voices in fantasy
|
Touched By Magic
Doranna Durgin
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Durgin, Doranna
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Magic & Wizards
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
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ASIN: 1587157209
Release Date: 2003-02-07 |
Book Description
TOUCHED BY MAGIC Magic has never been a part of Reandn's life. Almost gone from Keland when he was born, there is no trace of it left by the time he enters training with the King's Wolves, the elite force that patrols the king's lands.
Magic has never been a part of Reandn's life. Until the people under his care start dying. Until the threat extends to his family, and until he finds himself struggling through disorienting attacks of weakness that turn the very act of going out on patrol into an unacceptable risk.
Someone, somewhere, is trying to draw magic back into Keland, and they don't care what-or who-is destroyed in the process!
Customer Reviews:
A Magical Book.......2001-08-06
Reandn is a respected guard in the king's service with a lovely wife and an adopted son. When little boys started disappearing around the castle, Reandn was put in charge of the investigation. Then his son disappeared, followed soon after by his wife. When he finally found out the cause of the disappearances, he was suddenly transported to a far end of the kingdom, by magic. But magic doesn't exist anymore. The unicorns left and took the magic with them when Reandn was just a child. As Reandn tries to make his way back home, he comes across a young woman who believes that the unicorns are going to bring magic back into the world, and she needs to help them. But Reandn knows that magic is harmful and will do whatever he can to stop magic from returning.
Doranna Durgin does not waste a lot of time creating a fantasy world. She dives right into the story, bringing the characters alive and developing the plot. She uses the traditional fantasy world, the medieval type world, and adds magic to it, and then takes it away by removing the unicorns. Durgin's books are not long, and are not exceedingly involved or complicated. She keeps her books simple, and they make for an easy, enjoyable read.
A wonderful story.......2001-02-15
I found this book exciting, and one of the best I've read in some time. It's an intriguing novel and I found the characters delightful and full of fun. The book kept me hooked until I finished, one I will definitely read again. A wonderful novel, and I hope to read more that this author has to offer.
A great story but something was missing.......1999-11-07
Great plot, great characters. But at the end of the book, I wasn't quite satisfied. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something missing in the overall book that is there is others that I have read.
A great book by a great author.......1999-06-05
Reandn's a Wolf, one of the elite group of trackers/soldiers/patrollers, who's put in charge of an investigation concerning the disappearances of two young boys in a time when magic has left the world--or so everyone thinks. Then Reandn's adopted son, Kavan, vanishes, and Reandn's wife Adela is destroyed by the same magic that killed the boys. Reandn, transported to a far distant land by the wizard who killed Adela, Kavan, and the other boys for power, swears revenge on the wizard who destroyed his life. Then he finds out that the very magic that killed his wife and son is going to be brought back into the world...
TOUCHED BY MAGIC is a well-written, tightly crafted novel with fresh, engaging characters and a terrific plot. The author deserves to be placed among such fantasy greats as Mercedes Lackey and David Eddings.
One of the freshest voices in fantasy.......1998-11-24
Doranna Durgin is a mid-list author who deserves much better and if there is any justice at all in the writing world, she'll get it.
Keland is a land where the magic has disappeared, taken away by the unicorns when the main character, Reandn, was a mere lad. Now, years later, Reandn is a Wolf, one of the kings guards, and he is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young boy from the King's Keep. Reandn doesn't find anything but, while he is searching, he is hit my a roaring in his head that leaves him disoriented. It is later found out that the roaring in his head is an allergy to magic. Someone in Keland has found magic again.
As the story progresses, another boy disappears. Then Travan, the magicians apprentice and Reandn's and Adela's (Reandn's wife) adopted son, disappears. Adela's best friend, Elyn, disappears. Finally, Adela herself disappears. Each time there was a disappearance, Reandn had one of his mysterious bouts of roaring in his head.
When his wife disappears, Reandn finds the evil that is behind the disappearances. Before he can act, he is transported by magic to the far outskirts of Keland where he is left for dead. Magic was supposed to be dead. Reandn meets up with the one woman who believes his story fully, Rethia, who holds the key to the return of magic. But Reandn will do anything to prevent the return of magic to Keland, magic that destroyed his life.
Doranna Durgin is a bright star on the edge of the fantasy universe that deserves all the attention she is going to get.
Average customer rating:
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Touched By Magic
Laux Constance
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0821753517 |
Customer Reviews:
I was so bored that I couldn't finish it.......2006-01-26
From the back cover:
Seduced and conquered...
Lady Cassandra Howard was nearly ruined. Her rakehell brother forced her to frequent the London demimonde, then tried to sell her into marriage with a dissolue lord.
Though the world believed her wanton, Cassandra was really just an enticing innocent, untutored in the art of love, naive about the temptations of a midnight embrace. So her desperate plan was foolhardy: to escape her dreadful fiance by trying to seduce England's most virtuous lord--"Saint" Wyatt Mannerine--believing he would surely then wed her.
Truly, the lovely Cassandra did unleash the very devil in handsome Sir Wyatt...for his honeyed kisses not only taught her the wondrous consequences of desire, it swept them both into love's magical spell...
And my review:
When I bought this, I didn't expect it to be a book I would love. This was because I'd already read another of this author's works and wasn't all that impressed. Still, I was entertained by her other story ("Friends Are Forever", a Christmas novella in the Signet "An American Country Christmas" collection), so I thought that this would be a good way to kill a couple of hours.
But this book was so boring! First of all, the author likes to write long-winded sentences that you have to read several times to make sense of. I find this annoying. While I'm not looking for a romance novel for dummies, reading a book shouldn't feel like work.
Secondly, the author liked to head-hop a lot. This is another pet peeve of mine. I don't need to know the thoughts of every single person in the room. This is distracting and annoying. Write each scene through one person's eyes. When you want to switch to another person's point-of-view, create a section break so that the reader doesn't feel jolted out of the story.
Thirdly, there was a distinct lack of character development about the hero. He wasn't a well-rounded person; he was just...there. I didn't love him and I didn't hate him. I didn't really have any feelings about him because he was just taking up space.
Fourthly, nothing really seemed to happen. I don't need the books I read to be crammed full of non-stop action, but something significant should have happened by the end of the third chapter. That was not the case in this book. It was like I was watching an "a day in the life of" documentary. I don't want books to be all plot, but some is necessary. I skimmed ahead, but couldn't find anything all that compelling about this book to peak my interest.
Glad I only paid 50 cents for this book, but even so, I won't be keeping it!
Charming Regency.......2004-06-03
Setting - England, 1816 --- Lady Cassandra Howard, was the daughter of a Marquess, though her upbringing was not what one would expect for one of that noble a birth. In fact she had never had a proper come out due to the fact that her mother was a semi invalid and her father and brother had been bringing her into the worst gaming hell's since the age of twelve. After her father's death, life with her older brother was becoming increasingly disgusting to her especially when he was about to sell her into a marriage with a dissolute yet wealthy lord. Running away from Rupert, the man her brother was going to give her to, Cassandra ran straight into the arms of Wyatt Mannering, Earl of Merrick, once a neighbor and whose apples she once stole. She pleaded with him to help her escape the ball before the odious Rupert could corner her.
Cassandra had indeed grown up in the intervening years and Wyatt, known throughout the ton as `Saint' Wyatt, was not totally immune to the young lady's obvious charms. Cassandra sensed this attraction, and knowing what a witch his intended was whispered into his ear that he could do much better. Cassandra truly was an innocent in the ways of love, yet she also knew that the only way out of her proposed betrothal dilemma was to somehow trick Wyatt into offering for her. Innocently, she would arrange to have them be caught in a compromising situation, but what wasn't factored into her plan, were the honeyed kisses that would rock her world and make Wyatt feel as though he'd been touched by magic.
Cassandra was an interesting heroine. Although both her father and brother had thrust her into an unorthodox life style, dragging her along on their gaming ventures, in the area of love and sex, she truly was a clueless innocent. Wyatt, on the other hand, had the experience but had never come up against a free-spirit like Cassandra. Discovering what her childhood had been like, he was at once ready to champion her, but found that his dictates were one sure way of her doing the exact opposite. This was a charming little read although it did tend to bog down a bit in the middle. Cassandra's innocence was so sweetly depicted though that I would recommend to bring it along for a relaxing day at the beach or out in the backyard. ---Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---
Book Description
A complete program to good health through restored body balance
In 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health, acclaimed integrative doctor and bestselling health author Hyla Cass, M.D., and health writer Kathleen Barnes address ways women can empower themselves by discovering the underlying causes of your health problems. Then you are given the tools you need to determine why you are experiencing these symptoms and to remedy the imbalance that causes the symptoms.
Helps women overcome these common health problems by providing:
- A safe, proven approach to restoring body balance and general health that incorporates the best therapies from mainstream medicine and from integrative and natural medicine
- Self-assessments and other powerful diagnostic tools to help identify specific imbalances and their triggers
- Detailed guidance on diet, nutritional and herbal supplements, lifestyle changes, detoxification programs, exercise programs, and other methods of restoring vibrant health
Download Description
A complete program to good health through restored body balance
In 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health, acclaimed integrative doctor and bestselling health author Hyla Cass, M.D., and health writer Kathleen Barnes address ways women can empower themselves by discovering the underlying causes of your health problems. Then you are given the tools you need to determine why you are experiencing these symptoms and to remedy the imbalance that causes the symptoms.
Helps women overcome these common health problems by providing:
- A safe, proven approach to restoring body balance and general health that incorporates the best therapies from mainstream medicine and from integrative and natural medicine
- Self-assessments and other powerful diagnostic tools to help identify specific imbalances and their triggers
- Detailed guidance on diet, nutritional and herbal supplements, lifestyle changes, detoxification programs, exercise programs, and other methods of...
Customer Reviews:
Very Interesting.......2006-10-13
This book is very interesting and very hard to but down. I am a firm believer of using vitamins instead of commercial drugs. Dr. Cass' website is very informative and easy to use also.
8 Weeks to Vibrant Health Hyla Cass, M.D........2005-09-02
Finally a sane, factual book that provides answers before you even know how to ask the right questions. Dr. Cass writes with such clarity and empathy, I was glued from the first page. An easy read, it brings so much relief as solutions are explained and tools provided, to make on going vibrant health a real possibility. With such knowledge comes relief and hope. A must read for anyone who feels out of balance and stressed.
A n Easy MUST READ, MUST DO book for us all..........2005-04-04
"Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health" provides both motivation and absolutely excellent, easy to understand information (better than so many similar books I've read) in a style that feels as if it comes from an extremely knowledgeable, wise and totally understanding good friend. You will love reading it. You will love even more the way you feel as you USE it. I recommend it to all my clients. Mary Ann Michels, Certified Hypnotherapist & EFT Practitioner
A Must Read - Women Take Charge!.......2005-01-21
Women if you are tired of endless Doctor visits and multiple prescriptions, if you are tired of having your health problems ignored, misunderstood, overdiagnosed and dismissed- READ THIS BOOK.
This book is for women of any age.
This is the first book I have found that helped me gain control of my health. I went through surgically induced menopause, ineffective and damaging conventional hormone replacement, excessive weight gain, depression,lack of energy and thinning hair. I also developed osteopenia and Syndrome X!
I saw numerous health care providers who were at a loss to identify, explain and or treat these symptoms. Then I began to suffer from digestive problems, severe stress and inability to concentrate. This book helped me regain control of my health.
We must take charge of our health. The solutions offered in this book, provide simple, low cost and Effective answers to not just treating the symptoms of disease, but get to the underlying causes. See Dr. Cass' website for more guidance. www.cassmd.com
I have found bioidentical hormone treatment, destressed, stopped bone loss, cleared my brain fog, treated my hypothyroidism, lost weight, taken control of my metabolic syndrome and am now able to live a healthier and happier life.
Thank you Dr. Cass for showing me the way to take charge of my health. I don't know what I would have done with out your book.
You can do it too! Please read this book and take back control over your body. You will be happier and healthier than you could have ever imagined.
P.S. I am sending this book to my daughter.
Book Description
An interview with Dr. Russel Sher and Dr.Sally Rockwell about the role of food sensitivities in pain, arthritis and inflammation, and the use of an elimination diet. They also talk about the specific nutritional supplements, and about the mechanisms of pain and inflammation, the role of essential fatty acids in pain management, and which supplements to use to decrease pain, inflammation, and to build connective tissue.
Books:
- Band of Brothers: A Midshipman Bolitho Novel (The Bolitho Novels)
- Battleground: The Corps
- Beautiful Lies: A Novel
- Beyond the Chocolate War
- Big Cherry Holler: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
- Blackbook Sessions 3 (Stylefile Blackbook Sessions)
- Bombay Time: A Novel
- Bread Alone: A Novel
- Catch Me When I Fall
- Christmas in Mitford Gift Set: The Mitford Snowmen and Esther's Gift
Books Index
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