The Poet of Tolstoy Park: A Novel

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Very philisophical!

Sonny Brewer's "Poet of Tolstoy Park"

From The Heart

Wonderful Tribute to This Area and It's History

Can I give 6 stars?

The Poet of Tolstoy Park: A Novel
Sonny Brewer
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345476328
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Book Description

“The more you transform your life from the material to the spiritual domain, the less you become afraid of death.” Leo Tolstoy spoke these words, and they became Henry Stuart’s raison d’etre. The Poet of Tolstoy Park is the unforgettable novel based on the true story of Henry Stuart’s life, which was reclaimed from his doctor’s belief that he would not live another year.

Henry responds to the news by slogging home barefoot in the rain. It’s 1925. The place: Canyon County, Idaho. Henry is sixty-seven, a retired professor and a widower who has been told a warmer climate would make the end more tolerable. San Diego would be a good choice.

Instead, Henry chose Fairhope, Alabama, a town with utopian ideals and a haven for strong-minded individualists. Upton Sinclair, Sherwood Anderson, and Clarence Darrow were among its inhabitants. Henry bought his own ten acres of piney woods outside Fairhope. Before dying, underscored by the writings of his beloved Tolstoy, Henry could begin to “perfect the soul awarded him” and rest in the faith that he, and all people, would succeed, “even if it took eons.” Human existence, Henry believed, continues in a perfect circle unmarred by flaws of personality, irrespective of blood and possessions and rank, and separate from organized religion. In Alabama, until his final breath, he would chase these high ideas.

But first, Henry had to answer up for leaving Idaho. Henry’s dearest friend and intellectual sparring partner, Pastor Will Webb, and Henry’s two adult sons, Thomas and Harvey, were baffled and angry that he would abandon them and move to the Deep South, living in a barn there while he built a round house of handmade concrete blocks. His new neighbors were perplexed by his eccentric behavior as well. On the coldest day of winter he was barefoot, a philosopher and poet with ideas and words to share with anyone who would listen. And, mysteriously, his “last few months” became years. He had gone looking for a place to learn lessons in dying, and, studiously advanced to claim a vigorous new life.

The Poet of Tolstoy Park is a moving and irresistible story, a guidebook of the mind and spirit that lays hold of the heart. Henry Stuart points the way through life’s puzzles for all of us, becoming in this timeless tale a character of such dimension that he seems more alive now than ever.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Henry responds to the news by slogging home barefoot in the rain. It’s 1925. The place: Canyon County, Idaho. Henry is sixty–seven, a retired professor and a widower who has been told a warmer climate would make the end more tolerable. San Diego would be a good choice.

Instead, Henry chose Fairhope, Alabama, a town with utopian ideals and a haven for strong–minded individualists. Upton Sinclair, Sherwood Anderson, and Clarence Darrow were among its inhabitants. Henry bought his own ten acres of piney woods outside Fairhope. Before dying, underscored by the writings of his beloved Tolstoy, Henry could begin to “perfect the soul awarded him” and rest in the faith that he, and all people, would succeed, “even if it took eons.” Human existence, Henry believed, continues in a perfect circle unmarred by flaws of personality, irrespective of blood and possessions and rank, and separate from organized religion. In Alabama, until his final breath, he would chase these high ideas.

But first, Henry had to answer up for leaving Idaho. Henry’s dearest friend and intellectual sparring partner, Pastor Will Webb, and Henry’s two adult sons, Thomas and Harvey, were baffled and angry that he would abandon them and move to the Deep South, living in a barn there while he built a round house of handmade concrete blocks. His new neighbors were perplexed by his eccentric behavior as well. On the coldest day of winter he was barefoot, a philosopher and poet with ideas and words to share with anyone who would listen. And, mysteriously, his “last few months” became years. He had gone looking for a place to learn lessons in dying, and, studiously advanced to claim a vigorous new life.

The Poet of Tolstoy Park is a moving and irresistible story, a guidebook of the mind and spirit that lays hold of the heart. Henry Stuart points the way through life’s puzzles for all of us, becoming in this timeless tale a character of such dimension that he seems more alive now than ever.

Customer Reviews:

Very philisophical!.......2007-08-13

Although I had never heard of Tostoy before listening to the audio recording of this book, it really made me want to research the man behind the story. I found it slow going at first, but once Henry arrived in Fairhope, things started to get interesting. Loved it so much, I sent my son a copy of the book for his birthday! We both enjoy inspirational and philosophical books! I found the voice of the narrator, mesmerizing.

Sonny Brewer's "Poet of Tolstoy Park".......2007-05-07

Mr. Brewer was a guest speaker at our local library. His background information - how he found the Poet's hut isolated in the middle of a parking lot at an insurance office; how he remodeled it; how he uses it to write - adds immeasurably to my understanding and pleasure in his book. "Poet" is very heavy going at times. It can be affirming, but I got very irritated with the Poet's constant refusal to reach out to the people who cared about him. I found his endless description of how the Poet built the dome very tedious, but Mr. Brewer explained that he had to work backwards from what was left of the structure, and he wanted to duplicate what the Poet had figured out. It helps to have a grasp of Southern literature when you read this.

From The Heart.......2007-04-15

This was one of those books that you really don't want to end. Every page was like eating ice cream. The prose was lovely, and the references to the writings of Tolstoy were very interesting and woven skillfully into the story. Henry is a character you can care about. While his choices certainly wouldn't be mine, the author makes an interesting case for them. This book reads as if it was written from the heart.

Wonderful Tribute to This Area and It's History.......2007-03-25

I live in Fairhope, scarcely a mile from Henry Stuart's domed home. I live about a block from Sonny Brewer, who did a masterful job of telling this wonderful tale. Fairhope is reknown for its wonderful characters and Henry Stuart certainly belongs to that legion. Sonny obviously did extensive research in preparing to write this novel. I found the book to be delightful.

The book is well written and brings us a wonderful message of perserverence and assumption of responsibility for our lives regardless of circumstance. Those of us who live in this area greatly appreciate Sonny's tribute to this most unusual man and his twenty or so years of life here.

Sonny is well on his way to becoming one of Fairhope's characters and he is very deserving. Being a "Fairhope Character" is one step away from heaven. Thank you, Sonny, for your hard work.

Can I give 6 stars?.......2007-01-25

The Poet of Tolstoy Park absolutely awed me. Brewer writes in a very thoughtful, rich prose that truly evokes the slower pace of life of a time and place depicted by the story. It is also a very masculine perspective, without bravado and machismo that are common. Henry Stuart (the main character) is an introverted, compassionate and deeply spiritual man who takes to heart the teachings of Tolstoy as well as the Native American culture that he came in contact with during his life. He finds his God in holistic life rather than in organized religion and practices his beliefs in his actions, even when they are difficult. To those who claim that the story is slow paced, IMHO they are missing the point. This story is about a journey which unfolds over time. These things do not happen quickly in life, and should not happen quickly in fiction. Kudos to Mr. Brewer on an excellent novel!

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Billy Drank The Gold

Why I read mysteries...

Double Poison

The Worst of Bowen

The Stick Game
The Stick Game (Montana Mysteries Featuring Gabriel Du Pre)
Peter Bowen
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312326149

Amazon.com

Gabriel Du Pre, the fiddle-playing Native American detective, is back in a seventh Montana mystery. This time Du Pre is enlisted by his lover Madeline to look into the disappearance of the teenage son of her old childhood friend Jeanne. Like Jeanne's other children, and many more youngsters on the Fort Belknap Reservation, Danny suffers from mental and physical problems that seem to Du Pre to be connected with the activities of Persephone, a gold mining operation adjacent to reservation land. When Danny turns up dead, Du Pre enlists the aid of his wealthy and well-connected friend Bart Fascelli, who in turn brings a retired mining executive into the search for proof of Persephone's illegal activities.

Du Pre is a complex and interesting protagonist with a strong if troubled relationship with his Indian heritage and an almost mystical connection to the land. There's hardly any mystery involved; the mining company is identified as the villain early on, and Du Pre's efforts to pin responsibility on Persephone take second place to the detailed exposition of Native American customs, rituals, and dialect; the expertly evoked ambiance of the harsh Montana environment; and the well-drawn minor characters, particularly Bart, Madeline, and Billy Gourard, a young Native American boy whose final futile effort to make the mining company accept responsibility for its crime provides the denouement. A welcome addition to the Western mystery genre, The Stick Game will be eagerly snapped up by fans of Tony Hillerman and Nevada Barr. --Jane Adams

Book Description

In response to the popular demand for paperback editions of the Montana mystery series, Griffin is honored to publish The Stick Game, the seventh novel featuring Gabriel Du Pr. In The Stick Game, Du Pr is simultaneously uncovering the dirty secrets of an industrial gold mine and searching for a troubled teenage boy. He befriends a musician from Fort Belknap Reser-vation who draws disturbing parallels between the huge incidence of birth defects in the Indian population there and the activities of a mine located near the reservation. Du Pr agrees to look into both problems and discovers that the two are related in complicated, troublesome ways.

Customer Reviews:

Billy Drank The Gold.......2006-03-29

Gabriel Du Pré often is the agent of a 'cause' in his adventures in northern Montana. A Metís Indian, Peter Bowen often describes him as if he were on of the last warriors. Strong for his people, aided by the spiritual resources of Benetsee the shaman and the strength of his woman, Madelaine, Gabriel fights many foes, mostly visible enemies - other warriors on other sides of the argument. This story is different. The real enemy here is selfish greed and neglect. The victims aren't shot or stabbed. They are poisoned slowly, from before they are born by cyanide leached into the water from gold mines.

There is an element of horror in this story that is only matched by Notches, the story of multiple serial killers preying on Metís women. But instead of dismembered bodies, these new victims are left alive but badly damaged - disadvantaged mentally, and often carrying severe birth defects as well. When a young boy, Danny, commits suicide in despair, Du Pré is drawn into a tragic story, where Indian tradition runs into the callous evil of a mining company, and once again ruin comes on the shoulders of progress.

This is a beautiful book, in its way. Bowen doesn't shirk from the task of displaying all sides of a fragile culture that is literally being ignored to death. We see the alcoholism that has been the bane of Indian life, the poverty and the isolationism that have made the Metís into a cultural oddity rather than a valued part of the American heritage. But is through Du Pré's eyes that we also see the real nobility of a people who have much to offer and much of which to be proud. Their spirituality, and the amazing combination of storytelling and gambling called the Stick Game.

This was the Peter Bowen novel that made me realize how strong a writer he really was. And how much he cares for the people he writes about. The Stick Game goes far beyond the sarcastic wit and suspense that are Bowen's trademarks and yields a story that has you deeply involved right until the end. He leaves you feeling justified, and more than a little re-educated. Highly recommended.

Why I read mysteries..........2004-03-30

"Stick Game" and these reviews caused me to think about why I enjoy mysteries so much. Because the pure fact of the matter is, one reviewer is right: this is a mystery lacking in traditional plot and character development that I often praise in my other reviews (and have been critical when these elements are absent). But you know, all the way through this book I didn't care! Why? Because there is a stunning use of background, wit, and message. I was caught up in the pollution issue, the life of the Metis people, and the Robert Parker-like spare prose and dialogue. This book left me energised politically and intellectually, and aware of having experienced a thoroughly enjoyable weekend because of it.

I encourage you to read it.

Double Poison.......2001-11-14

Aficionados of Peter Bowen's Gabriel Du Pré mysteries already know that life is grim in the Big Sky Country. It doesn't matter whether you're a ranch hand, a fiddler, a rich alcoholic, or just passing through. In fact the LL Bean-clad, Volvo-driving Yuppie tourists are the ones who usually take it on the chin, although Bowen only inflicts them with a verbal barrage in "The Stick Game." He is concentrating on more serious targets: alcoholism; and the mysterious illnesses, mutations, and deaths of children and animals on the Fort Belknap Reservation.

Bowen's detective-hero, Gabriel Du Pré is a laconic fiddler who lets his music and his deeds speak for him. He and his long-time mistress, Madelaine are Métis descendants of the French Voyageurs and Plains Indians.

Du Pré's rich friend Bart is also unusually laconic in this seventh mystery in the series. Most of his lines consist of one-word expletives. However, Bart's language can be excused since he is very stressed out by his friends' rude jokes about his new lady friend, not to mention the realization that he owns millions of dollars of stock in a local gold mining company that is injecting poisons into the water table.

In what might be the most cheerful scene in "The Stick Game," Du Pré blows out the transmission on his old police cruiser, loses his brakes and goes shooting through a series of downhill, hairpin turns at eighty miles an hour. He and Madelaine narrowly miss an oncoming eighteen-wheeler, go twanging through a barbwire fence, and finally slow to a stop in a rancher's stock pond:

"The water was only two feet deep.

"Du Pré mopped at his face with a greasy towel that lived on the floor of the cruiser. He could see.

"'Hey, Du Pré,' Madelaine laughed, `That was some fun yes! I am paying two dollars that ride at a carnival! Hah! We have good luck!'

"'S__t,' said Du Pré."

These are some tough people in Bowen's book. I think you'll end up feeling good about the life-affirming way that his characters deal with their problems. Rich Uncle Bart helps smooth the way for some, but this is a barbwire book---you'll find it poking you in some unexpected places.

The Worst of Bowen.......2001-05-22

Madalaine, his lover, persuades Gabriel Du Pre, Montana fiddler and occasional detective, to discover how the Persephone Mine is destroying the health of those who live on the nearby reservation. It is obvious that something is seriously amiss, but nobody has been able to pin it down. Du Pre finds poison springs, but no evidence as to how they arose. His wealthy friend, Bart, provides expert help in the person of two retired mining engineers to help Du Pre bring the mine to justice. Bowen fails badly with this book, perhaps because he cares so much about the problems he exposes. The book contains plenty of information but very little plot development. Tired and boring repartee is supposed to divert attention from the holes in the action. Bowen has written six previous books, all excellent. Buy one, or even better, all of them, and skip The Stick Game.

The Stick Game.......2000-04-04

Great book, a little out of the ordinary for Bowen as there is very little mystery, but the discussion of the ways the West is being used up for the profits of BIG BUSINESS while the residents, both Native American and the latecomers who love it is worth the price.. The fate of Du Pre's old police cruiser is a highlight not to be missed.

The Stick Game: A Montana Mystery Featuring Gabriel Du Pre (Montana Mysteries)

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The Stick Game: A Montana Mystery Featuring Gabriel Du Pre (Montana Mysteries)
Peter Bowen
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTH078

Customer Reviews:

BEAT THE BOYS.......2006-11-07

So-jin and her friends are doing their best to beat the boys soccer team in a game of "Futsal" but the match almost ends when Soo-hee goes down with an injury and can no longer play. Instead of stopping play because of the uneven advantage, So-jin convinces the referee to let them continue play until one of the teams score. The problem is that on the next score, So-jin's team will have to find a substitute player or else forfeit the match. Shin-bee seems to be their only option but she's supposed to be on the boy's side since she's their manager. Besides, due to some event with her brother, she no longer wishes to play soccer. But some unknown forces begin to pressure and coax her into entering the game.

Volume 2 of Angel Cup was quite a feat of creative skill since the entire volume consisted of one futsal match. It's a real tribute to Jae-ho Youn's skill as an artist that he was able to convey so much kinetic energy and motion to an essentially snapshot medium. The action was so well done that you find yourself seeing the pictures move. Masterful pace. There is a bit of story here too, as we get a little more information about Shin-Bee and her brother, but still not much about why she quit soccer. This volume is not really about story though. Instead it's pretty much all action and a showcase for So-jin's spirit and drive to win. Great series.

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FORMING A TEAM

Angel Cup Volume 3 (Angel Cup)
Jae-ho Youn
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595323058
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Now that the team's assembled, it's time to begin their rigorous training in time for the next big match. With this being the first chance the girls have to prove their stuff, everyone's going to have to learn to get along, but when some of the team members think they're already hot stuff, they'll be sure to butt heads!The mystery surrounding Shin-bee only thickens when her legendary older brother Shin-young storms onto scene, and it's clear he'll do anything to get her to quit soccer.

Customer Reviews:

FORMING A TEAM.......2007-05-04

Even though So-Jin's soccer team lost the futsal game against the boy's team things are still looking up. Shin-Bee was hospitalized after the match after being stricken down with a heart condition but she seems to be recovering. Meanwhile, Chae-Young reveals her grandfather's plans to start a girl's soccer league starts with forming a team at Han Shin High School. All the girls that participated in the match against the boys are the prime candidates to form the core of the new Han Shin team. The problem is going to be that not all the girls are sold on the idea of joining up. Across town, the nationally ranked Gai Leung Private School soccer team is set to be Han Shin's first opponent. They're known for being tall, tough, and strong. Shin-Bee's brother has also come on the scene and his mission is to get his sister to stop playing soccer no matter what.

Overall, I really enjoyed this third volume except for one element. One of Gai Leung's players seems like a reject from a Street Fighter videogame. She goes around beating up guys, and in a typically sinister pose, likes to lick blood off of her fingers after she's beaten down someone. The whole sequence involving her seemed so out of place with the rest of the series. Otherwise, I love these books. Jae-Ho does an excellent job with the game panels, conveying all the excitement and movement without any movement. Usually, the best arcs of series like this are the early ones where the team is being brought together and tested and it's no different here. The character designs are functional but the eyebrows which are sometimes as big as the hands of Big Ben can be a little jarring. The character's personalities are what really sell the book for me though. Great sports comic.

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A SCHOOL WITHOUT GIRLS SOCCER
Furry sci-fi fun!

Angel Cup Volume 1 (Angel Cup)
Jae-ho Youn
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595323031

Book Description

Even though So-jin thinks of Shin-bee as her rival at soccer, Shin-bee seems more interested in managing the boys' team rather than leading the girls to victory. Ever the competitor, So-jin wants to put together a collection of female athletes to meet the challenge from the boys. But with the big game approaching, it looks like So-jin will be a few members short of a full squad...

Customer Reviews:

A SCHOOL WITHOUT GIRLS SOCCER.......2006-08-07

So-Jin is transferring to Han Shin in the middle of the year because she's bored of being at an all-girls school. Or is it because her junior high soccer rival, Shin-Bee, who beat her in every aspect of the game for the past three years is attending there. Perhaps So-Jin believes she'll finally get to play on the same team. She's in for a rude awakening though because Han Shin only has a boys soccer team, and Shin-Bee has been appointed manager of it, which really incurs the wrath of some of the sexist team members. Any time So-Jin challenges Shin-Bee, Shin-Bee never takes the bait. In fact, it seems that she no longer has any interest in playing at all! So-Jin thought that she might be leaving the game behind too, but two occurences happen which keep her from that fate. First, a powerful sports business CEO died and donated 50% of his vast fortune to form a women's soccer league and one of the first steps is enlisting his granddaugher, who is a counselor at the school, to begin looking at Han Shin prospects! Secondly, So-Jin, insulted by some deragatory remarks made by the boys soccer team, says that a team of only girls could beat them! Too bad she made the challenge without even having a team. Now she'll have to scour the school for eligible candidates.

I loved this book. One of the reasons is that while there is plenty of boys sports manga out there, this is the first girl sports manga I've read, even though technically, it's from Korea. Once again, I really loved this book. Why? Because for what it is, it was perfect. I really liked the characters, especially So-Jin, who while coming off as a bit of a tomboy, suffers from insecurities and fears, and also a desire to be the best soccer player, even if she knows she might never catch Shin-Bee. In addition to being cute, So-Jin is also very funny, and thankfully, all the jokes in Volume 1 work out well. Even the action sequences are done quite competently, and if they are exciting to me, who is not a soccer fan at all, somebody that really enjoys the game would have a lot of fun with this book. Jae-Ho Youn did a good job of making the characters multi-layered and complex. The art is great. Check this book out.

Furry sci-fi fun!.......2006-03-07

Hopefully by now, you've seen one of the definately best anime for furries, minus Inu Yasha. But before the TV series there was the manga it was based on. By creator Mee(yeah, that's his name)this post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy cop show has something for nearly any kind of furry otaku. You might be familiar with another anime based on Mee's work, Adventures Of Kotetsu, which was released on video from ADV Films a little while ago.

Set in what's called year 22 of the new Holy Century, Hyper Police happens after some disaster apparently caused by mankind, which later brings all different races of monsters out of hiding. In this new society, humans co-exist with monsters, although they are still the majority race, often treating monsters as second-class citizens. This leads to various crime committed by monsters.

Since the regular police can't handle all this, special groups of bounty hunters step in to keep the streets clean for a nominal fee. One group is the Police Company. Natsuki is a catgirl-half that works for them, and lives in a house filled with cats. She's under the care of her partner Batanen, a sex-crazed werewolf. But after accidently shooting him, she gets a new partner in Sakura who is a kitsune whose working to fill out her ninth and last tail. She so far has 8 1/3 tails, and has to consume a being of magical energy in order to be a full-fledged fox spirit. Sakura hooks on Natsuki because she believes her ability to use parasites which shoot out bolts of lightning would give her the power boost she needs.

From this point, its a little like your standard flashy action police anime. Sakura moves in with Natsuki while still trying to "eat" her. Later, the Police Company goes out of business, Natsuki and Sakura have to go solo for a while, but can't collect any bounties without a license. So they become apprentices under Batanen and his dogboy partner Tommy. The weird part is the arrival of a samurai from hundreds of years in the past(Samurai Jack, anyone?)who eventually becomes Sakura's love interest.

The manga doesn't have as much of the action as the anime did, but alot of more gratuitous fan service. Tokyo Pop did a reasonable job for a change with the
translation though.

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Angel Cup Volume 5 (Angel Cup)
Jae-ho Youn
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Angel Cup Volume 4 (Angel Cup)

ASIN: 1595323074
Release Date: 2007-10-02

Book Description

The dream of the Angel Cup is almost here--but first So-Jinâ€™s team must finish off the vicious Gai Leung and his team! In this heart-racing conclusion, So-jin will either gain the respect of a champion or the demise of a dream.Includes a bonus story!"Read this book or be red carded." --IGN.com

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FIRST MATCH

Angel Cup Volume 4 (Angel Cup)
Jae-ho Youn
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595323066
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Book Description

Hanshin's team plays off against the behemoths of Gai-leung High, and the battle is rough and rugged! In order for them to survive, they will need to learn three rules: First, they need to become a game maker. Second, they need to dominate their position while controlling their inner demons. Third, they must uncover the mystery of bringing all their strength into play!"Read this book or be red carded." -IGN.com

Customer Reviews:

FIRST MATCH.......2007-06-16

Han Shin High's first official soccer game is starting but they couldn't have picked a harder team to begin. Gai Leung is nationally ranked and is packed with big rough-looking girls who aren't afraid to get physical. In fact, one of their players looks like a character out of Fist of the North Star! They're also quite adept at trashtalking and psyching out their opponents. As the game begins, both of these aspects of their game come into play as their skills, mindgames, and intimidation tactics seem to overpower Han Shin. In a fit of what seems like team suicide, Han Shin's coach has made the decision not to start So-Jin, who is one of the best players on the team. But the coach wants a TEAM out on the field and she doesn't think So-Jin knows what the word even means. Will So-Jin realize what it takes to be a team player or will she have to watch Han Shin go down in defeat from the sidelines?

While volume 4 of Angel Cup was good, it wasn't as enjoyable to me as other installments. This was mainly because during the Han Shin/Gai Leung match it was hard to differentiate the two teams from each other. This is a problem that comes up in other manga such as Gundam where it's very hard to tell the difference between similar looking mecha. If you had the luxury of color it would be easy, but opposing sides in a soccer match with very similar looking characters and similar uniforms tends to cloud the action when it's in black and white. Better costume or character design could have easily remedied this. Still, even with some confusion, the game scenes in general were kinetically paced and framed extremely well. I would like to see a bit more character development after this match is over.

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The Angel's Cup
Recent Experience
Once you start, you can't stop reading it!
This book meant a lot to me
Excellent! And Fun!

The Angel's Cup: A novel
Patricia Little
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Angel's Key

ASIN: 0595093892

Book Description

During her tour of Hearst Castle, the last thing Maggy Lane expects to see is an angel. Practical and level-headed, Maggy is dumbfounded when the luminous creature speaks to her, and even more shocked when her companion, charming and enigmatic Harry Logan, sees nothing. Then Maggy learns that her grandmother's diary is somehow connected to the angel's appearance, and to strange events that occurred at the castle sixty years ago. A mysterious death. A stolen art treasure. Events that reverberate in the present and lead to more unanswered questions. What is the Angel's Cup? Does it really exist? As the former curator of the castle museum, Harry's interest is natural. Or is it? What does he really know? Soon they are working together to solve the mystery, and Maggy's growing attraction toward him is undeniable. Will it lead her to a love that might conquer time itself—or cost Maggy her life?

Set amidst the luxury of Hearst Castle, past and present, this is a story of love brought to life in the pages of an old diary, a great talent who died too soon, and a little glimpse of Heaven—where an angel is 'nobody in particular.'

Customer Reviews:

The Angel's Cup.......2005-08-02

This is a great mystery romance. It's so wonderfully written that you get pulled right in and won't want to put it down and can't wait to see what happens. Plus she has a style about her writing that you have no problems visualizing the scenes, the characters and just what's going on.

Recent Experience.......2004-09-29

I had an interesting experience recently. Suggesting that we tour Hearst Castle as we drove from Santa Barbara north to Silicon Valley, we took that long leisurely ride up the hill to the Castle. Having read The Angel's Cup about two years earlier, I was struck by the memories evoked of the charming characters from the story. I found myself visualizing Maggie and the spirit at the pool and images of characters on the terraces and in the parlors. To my delight I found myself engaged in my own fantasy at the Castle. Although fiction, The Angel's Cup had in some obscure way carried forward to enrich my personal experience. Worth the read.

Once you start, you can't stop reading it!.......2004-07-14

Angel's Cup has such a clever plot that keeps you reading until the very end. Thoroughly enjoyable light reading with the right balance of romance, intrigue, and suspense. It is written so well that you can easily imagine yourself being there. That is what a great book should do, and this one certainly does just that!!!

This book meant a lot to me.......2003-05-02

The thing that I like most about THE ANGELS CUP is the bond between Maggy and her late Grandmother. It reminds me so much of the wonderful relationship I had with my own maternal Grandmother. I just bought this book for my daughter for Mother's day. Reading it made me recommit myself to building that kind of bond with my own Granddaughter. This is a wonderful book that will leave you with a smile on your face. And it makes a wonderful gift for a Grandma!

Excellent! And Fun!.......2003-04-22

I don't normally go for `romance' novels (I'm more of a history buff), but I had to make an exception here. I used to visit Hearst Castle often as a kid, and I always loved to pretend it was haunted. I also used to pretend it was mine! :>) So I was very tickled to hear about this book from my sister. Well once I started I couldn't put it down! It's a great story and once you get going you can't wait to see what happens to Maggie! Like I said, I don't really go for romance but there is actually a lot of history in this book, and I really liked the mystery side. I suppose I might like the romance stuff better if my romantic life was going a little better! :^O Well seriously it's a pretty good book, I'll wager you'll like it.

Book Description

It might start with an innocent exploration of chat rooms, or a stab at an interactive multiuser game. But the Internet, for many Americans, has the potential to become an addiction that wreaks havoc at home, work, school, and in real-life relationships. The author, an expert on Internet addiction, began researching obsessive online behavior when he noticed that an increasing number of couples seeking marriage counseling were suffering from cyberspace-related problems.

Virtual Addiction includes 12 warning signs of Internet abuse, steps for addicts to change behavior, and advice for compulsive online shoppers and stock traders.

Customer Reviews:

What a great book if you don't have issues.......2002-07-24

Well I thought this book great. In reading the review of the person who didn't like it, unfortunately I think they were not ready to learn from it...sounds like a few issues that need to be worked otu. The book is titled for what the terms fellow webers call themselves (and it is a way for them to relate to the book and feel like this person knows them) and as the title says "and Those Who Love Them"...which is why the book goes so deeply into explaining chat rooms and the such. I would get the book, if only to try out some of the exercises and go from there.

totally helpful!.......1999-12-09

i'm grateful to the author for offering such a comprehensive guide to net addiction. i picked it up because my brother just got a divorce because of his addiction to the internet. (also, the title and the cool cover really caught my attention.)once i'd read 10 or so pages i was completely absorbed. the writing is above-average for a self-help book, and the chapters have lively examples and practical help. i plan on buying it for my entire family for xmas!

finally my internet use makes sense.......1999-12-08

As a technophobe, I had never expected to spend the kind of time online that I do. Dr. Greenfield's book helped me to finally understand why I was so drawn to this world, and whether or not I truly had a problem. I respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer. How much is too much is a very complicated question, especially in light of the mainstreaming of the net. But I think the author manages to answer it gracefully and intelligently, and offer some sensible steps for change. I recommend this book without hesitation.

This book says a lot of nothing!.......1999-12-04

The title is relatively offensive and derogatory towards people who are addicted to the Internet. To call Internet-addicted users "cyberfreaks" or "netheads" minimizes the serious impact of what this condition does to people's personal and professional lives. However, despite the improper book title, I was hopeful the book would offer quality guidance for those who suffer from net addiction. But to my great disappointment, the book was full of dull, academic, and general theory about models of chemical dependency without any genuine attempt to understand how the Internet addiction differs from other compulsive disorders. While some of the chapters ended with brief checklists, none offered any concrete, constructive, and detailed exercises to help sufferers cope with the problem. Furthermore, the book is quite remedial as the author wastes a great deal of time to describe each Internet application (e.g., The Web, Chat Rooms, Newsgroups), as if readers would not already understand what many of these functions are from previous online exposure. The book is not enlightening and does not offer much more than would be common sense to an average person. Through his writing, Dr. Greenfield not only reveals his lack of Internet knowledge but shows that he clearly does not know his own subject matter. He bases his entire book on an online poll conducted at abcnews.com that provides some broad statistics but does little to reveal the depth of the problem. It seems that this book reflects the author's shallow attempt to gain notoriety rather than a sincere attempt to truly help people.

In the author's desperation to receive positive feedback, he even had to ASK someone to write a review on Amazon (see first review). If Dr. Greenfield were truly interested in understanding how his book impacts the public, he should try to read unsolicited and unbiased reviews.

It's really a must-read to better understand potential pitfa.......1999-11-04

It's really a must-read to better understand potential pitfalls of surfing on the Internet. As a writer, I came across Dr. Greenfield via the ABCNews online survey, and had occasion to write a story on that subject myself, grateful to have some of his comments and insights for the piece. We have become friends since then, and Dr. Greenfield honored me with his request for a quote from me for the inside cover of this book. It was as a business and technical writer that I provided the book liner quote, but it's now as a veteran Internet surfer and consumer that I write this comment for him on Amazon.com. Buy it, use it, memorize it, heed its warnings - - - whether you are the novice or the veteran on the Internet. Rand Holman Publisher/Editor www.newsschmooze.com

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