Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-09-20
This book was truly a great read. What struck me the most about this story was that the characters were your average, everyday person. They were not flamboyantly gay, nor were they overly masculine to the point of disbelief. They simply were who they were, and I felt that that particular feature mad this book stand out from the others that I have read in the past several years. And of course the sarcasm and out-there senses of humor simply added to the book. I couldn't put it down untill I finished, and even laughed out. A refreshing novel.
I loved it!.......2007-07-09
I rarely comment on books on Amazon, but I had to comment on this one. I really loved this book. I loved the story. Very entertaining and well written. At times it made me laugh out loud and sometimes it made me want to cry. I loved the main characher and his honest narration of his life. I'll be reading "The Brothers Bishop" next, and I hope it's as good as this one was.
Coming of Age.......2007-02-03
Yates, Bart. "Leave Myself Behind". Kensington Books, 2004.
Coming of Age
Amos Lassen and Literary Pride
Having just finished "The Brothers Bishop" and having been blown away by it, I decided to return to Bart Yates first novel "Leave Myself Behind" for a second look. I remembered how powerful it was and how glorious it was as a coming of age novel. It is extremely hard to capture the emotions of a teenager's discovering himself and his sexuality but Yates did it with great style. As it straddles the fence between adolescence and adulthood, as a gay boy matures into a gay man--one who has faced evil, it shows how he succeeds. The emotions portrayed in the novel hit the core of my being and made me realize, yet again, the universality of coming of age and how it affects us all.
To me, the beauty of "Leave Myself Behind" was the way that Bart Yates made me think beyond what he gave me to read. I entered my own mindset and dealt with issues I thought I ad already faced--self-acceptance and self-evaluation. I realized that I had a reason for existing in this world. I began to use Yates' understanding of the nature of man to qualify my own reason for being and even if the two do not exactly mesh, the similarities are obvious--as they are to all of us when we introspect.
Noah York is the only son of Virginia, a poet of talent, who was of late widowed. Noah and his mother live in a city named Oakland and Noah keeps busy by helping his mother restore their house. Noah is at issue with his own sexuality as well as being a sarcastic kid. He falls in love with a classmate, J.D., a straight jock who has a girlfriend. J.D. turns out not to be so straight and Noah and he have oral sex while Noah wrestles with his own sexuality. The character of Noah is sublimely presented and Noah is the chief strength of the book. The book is told from Noah's point of view and as long as the novel stays with Noah all is wonderful. I found some of the subplots to be unnecessary. I found myself so wrapped up in Noah that he was my focus.
By the subplots I allude to the secrets held by Noah's mother and the dysfunctional family of which J.D. is a member. When Noah's mother finds Mason jars behind the walls of the house and inside of the ceilings, she becomes obsessed with the history of the house and with her own history. We also find out that J.D.'s mother has her secrets which somehow reflect the secrets that Noah's mother finds and while this is all interesting, I was more concerned with what was going on with the boys.
What the book does is restore whatever faith one has in youth and in the ability to begin anew. I found myself reflecting on those days when I was confused by sexuality and my own feelings. It seems that kids have an easier time these days finding themselves because they have what I didn't--positive role models. When we were young and "queer" we only had someone's eccentric uncle to identify with or the outcast from society who lived alone in the big house with all of the antiques.
"The Brothers Bishop" made me a Bart Yates fan. "Leave Myself Behind" confirmed it. Not only is his prose smooth and literate but his knack for weaving a tale is a rarity.
Sarcasm is indeed a wonderous communication tool!.......2006-12-13
I read this book after it was handed to me by a friend. Little did I know what to expect, but once I started reading I could not put it down. I finished the book in one day. I found the intrigue, sarcasm, overwhelming confrontations, quirks, and sense of humor with the main characters individuality very refreshing and almost endearing. I just loved the frank and direct openess in this book, with very clever twists and a question of: "did I ever say or think things like that about my mother".
Incredible Novel!.......2006-12-12
The dust jacket swears that this is a debut novel for Bart Yates, but I've now read the book twice (in a couple of days) and I have trouble believing that so fine a piece of work is not the follow on to many previous works. The plot, characterization, dialogue, comedy, tragedy, pathos, fear, shock, etc., all point to maturity and insight by this author. The major characters (even the ones you're not supposed to like) are well developed and human. Beware: Noah will steal your heart and will not give it back. I ached to have the chance to raise a kid like Noah. I'm not sure that he and his boyfriend, J.D., are right enough with each other to make it work for a lifetime, but after all they go through together in this novel, I suspect that they build a strong enough relationship to give it a go. The romance between the boys is deeply touching: in one scene, Noah sits on his porch and sees J.D. coming toward him; the author's description of the reactions of both boys when J.D. sees his honey will take your breath away. The sex scenes are not graphic or gratuitous, but they are sufficient to contribute to the development of the plot. This is one of the best novels I've read in a long time and I look forward to more books from Yates. I DO wish he'd do a sequel to this one and show how the boys are getting along about 10-12 years in their futures. Strongly recommend for anyone into romance; see no reason why older teenagers wouldn't benefit from reading this one.
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Leave Myself Behind
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417676027 |
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- (RAW Rating: 3.5) - Gaunt's Ghosts
- entertaining book, 3.5 stars
- His Last Command (Gaunt's Ghosts)
- Gaunt's Ghosts has to be...
- They do hunches...and inklings.
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His Last Command (Warhammer 40,000 Novels)
Dan Abnett
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
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Traitor General (Gaunt's Ghosts Novels)
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The Armour of Contempt (Gaunt's Ghosts)
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Straight Silver (Guant's Ghosts)
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Ravenor Returned (Warhammer 40,000)
ASIN: 1844162397 |
Book Description
Second in the new Gaunt¿s Ghosts sequence, The Lost. Returning from a long mission on a Chaos world, Commissar Gaunt finds that his old regiment, the Tanith First-and-Only, has been redeployed under a charismatic new commander. As the fighting becomes bitter, Gaunt is finally reunited with his men as the Imperial forces make one last desperate attempt to hold the line against the invaders.
Customer Reviews:
(RAW Rating: 3.5) - Gaunt's Ghosts.......2006-08-09
In HIS LAST COMMAND, Gaunt's Ghosts have returned from their mission on Gereon, a Chaos controlled planet, to Ancreon Sextus where war is also raging, in a continuation of the story of Gaunt's Ghosts. They have been changed which is frightening to those around them. They changed in order to survive on Gereon, but others think the transformation may be more sinister; therefore, they are put in internment camps and questioned.
Finally, they are allowed back into battle as the forces attack Sparshad Mons, a step-city ruin on Ancreon Sextus, which appears to be filled with the enemy. Not many people want to listen to Gaunt, even though he is an expert warrior with sharpened senses. Nothing is as it seems as the battle progresses and Gaunt must find a way to get his superiors to understand what he knows. Will Gaunt ever convince them that what they are seeing is not really what they are seeing?
Dan Abnett has written a sequel to a story that I think you would need to read before tackling this one. After a spell, things did become clearer and I was able to pick up the storyline. The characters were well flesh out and the writing was smooth but the story did move a bit slow in places when some of the battles were taking place. There were many battles and a lot of dying on the battlefields. Strange monsters inhabited the land and only Gaunt knew where they came from. The monsters were fascinating in that they could not be killed in a normal way. Only Gaunt's Ghosts knew how to get rid of them.
Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
entertaining book, 3.5 stars.......2006-07-15
this book, following from the events in 'traitor general,' deals with the return of gaunt & co to the empire. their mishandling (surely there was a protocol worked out for gaunt to follow which would avoid this if they were able to get out) and near-execution, subsequent investigation and near-execution for suspected taint are interesting. the personality alterations in all of the returned were well-done. the somewhat predictable ending (gaunt ending up with command of the unit which included the remnants of his old one) was somewhat cliche, but overall a good read. i actually enjoyed traitor general more.
His Last Command (Gaunt's Ghosts).......2006-07-10
An excellent read, yet another example of Dan Abnett's writing prowess. The "Ghosts" get further depth in this installment of their series and Gaunt himself is placed in a new role. Action packed and exciting, a "Must Have" for all science fiction readers, and especially sci-fi war readers.
Gaunt's Ghosts has to be..........2006-02-24
...one of the best series I've had the pleasure to read. Dan Abnett has done it again with his latest addition to Gaunt's Ghosts. This installment reunites the Gereon suicide-mission survivors with their former regiment, the Tanith First and Only who have been integrated with another crippled regiment, The Belladon Eighty-First. Commissar Ibram Gaunt has been stripped of his Colonel rank and redeployed away from his former regiment, suspected of being tainted by Chaos on Gereon.
What follows is a gripping warstory that touches on many facets of a soldier's life. The Gereon survivors are shadows of their former selves. They are truly "The Lost". Coming home from a suicide-mission, they are treated like the enemy simply because it was deemed impossible to return without being corrupted by Chaos. Unable to tell their comrades what happened on Gereon, they are self reliant to the extreme, and trust no one.
His Last Command is a brilliant book, with incredible action, brilliant dialogue, and at times touching moments between brothers in arms.
They do hunches...and inklings........2006-01-24
The team that went to Gereon came back different. You do not spend that long on a Chaos-held world and not have it affect you. It changed the way they fought. It changed the way they lived and thought, the way they trusted. All of those changes were alterations forced on them by the simple need to survive. Gereon left its mark on them. They developed an instinct, a type of hunch, a sensitivity, a little inkling that rang alarm bells when things were not right. They learned to sense the vibrations of Chaos. Because of this, they survived and returned from the dead to their people. Also because of this, they were not trusted and found themselves before a tribunal.
Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt has been missing so long and presumed dead that his unit, the Tanith First-and-Only, has been redeployed. Eszrah Night, a Gereon partisan who has attached himself to Gaunt, follows Gaunt on the trip homeward. They learn that the Ruinous Powers are on the move and that the Warmaster may very well find himself stabbed in the back. Since the higher-ups would not believe anything from a possibly tainted resurrected hero, Gaunt would just have to find a way to force them into listening and believing.
In the meantime, the Ghosts are sent back to the front lines where the men they meet will learn to do things a new way, the Ghost way, or die.
**** The first few chapters of the book are intense. Gaunt's Ghost fans are witness to their heroes returning and how they are treated. But then things slow WAY down. There are many battles, but nothing really gets done. It comes across to the reader as simply filler pages. Then, as usual, a little past the half-way point, things begin to happen. The real story begins. From then on, you will not be able to pull yourself away. I only took away one star due to the several chapters of slowness because the author managed to show the reader that the "new" Ghosts actually teach the fresh, green, recruits how to think under stress. Readers actually see the cherries mature into decent fighting men. A wonderful addition to the series! ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Book Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program.
Book Description
This volume is produced from digital images from the Cornell University Library Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
Customer Reviews:
Short but Heavy with Light.......2007-07-30
Having been a long time Brother Lawrence fan I was leery of adding Frank Laubach's journal entires to this ancient classic. I was wrong. Laubach is a modern master who takes Brother Lawrence's simple way and brings it into the 20th century. After reading this short missive my friend and I have agreed together to practice the presence of Christ in everything that we might try this simple and beautiful way ourselves. Read this short guide and commit yourself to walking in the light. It's worth it.
Truly Uplifting.......2007-04-22
I've read this book twice already and each time I read it, feels like the first time. This book is really intense. It made me realize how far off the mark I was with keeping God in my thoughts more often than I do. It's a life long practice, but once you read this book you'll never forget it and will keep coming bak to it at least once a year. It's also an excellent book to recommend to others who feel it's impossible to maintain God's presence all the time. The first time I read this book I became so much more aware of how little I think about God through the day and have been working on this practice ever since. I can honestly say I'm making progress. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a closer relationship with God.
Drawing Near to God.......2007-03-26
Excellent book for those who believe we exist for the glory and honor of God. It will help you get to the point where your agenda no longer controls your life. It will be his agenda that controls. Two classics in one book.
A Must Read!.......2007-01-26
This book I believe is a must read by any Christian desiring to live an others centered self sacrificial broken life style before the Lord. This can only be acomplished by staying on our cross and allowing God to have all of us. Practicing His Presence will help us stay focussed on God through out our day. Learning from Frank Laubach and Brother Lawerence's experiences at trying to live this life style can be a blessing to all of us. If you want to know what Heaven will be like, read this book. Because in Heaven we will be in God's presence all the time. So shouldn't we be practicing it here on earth?
Practicing His Presence.......2007-01-03
Inspirational and challenging- to walk with God moment by moment communing with Him as Jesus must have. Two men's examples that create desire and do-ability for this most fulfilling of ways to live our life on earth.
Customer Reviews:
Is Meditation Christian or New Age?.......2007-01-15
This is a wonderful book in many aspects especially for the fundamental Christian who is fearful that practicing meditation will open him to some "non-Christian practice". The book clearly defines what is Christian meditation and what is not. Christianity did began in the East and meditation is Biblical.
I like what Jim Goll says, that in exploring Christian mystical literature he often felt like an archaeologist who had just unearthed a long-vanished and pricelss artifact. He said that Christian meditative prayer is all but buried in the dust of history, virtually lost among believers today.
I believe the intent of this book is to take the unknown and "spookiness" out of meditation for the Christian so that the empowerment and enlightenment that results from this spiritual discipline might be realized.
Goll is a prolific writer who writes in a clear and concise way. This book is well researched quoting many contemporary authors and leaders as well as honored Christian mystics from history.
I also highly recommend the book, "The Rest of the Gospel", by Dan Stone. For me, this book opened my understanding to the "unseen realm" and by accessing the unseen realm we can live out of a reality in God that's greater than the physical realm in which we live. It gave me the foundation I needed to embrace meditation and contemplative prayer. It's a book that I continually pick up and read from and has probably done more to transform my religious self-limiting thinking. I will never again feel "separated" from the God who lives within.
A Wonderful Book .......2006-11-05
This is one of those books that you read at a very slow pace so that you can absorb everything written. I have learned so much from reading this book. I've learned about other authors, but mainly about pursuing an awesome relationship with God. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to develop the art of being in His Presence.
Wonderful!.......2006-07-11
This isn't the kind of book that I can read quickly. It has a lot of new information (to me anyway) and it needs to be digested slowly.
There are such important truths in this book about intimacy with Christ. You don't want to miss this one!
Awesome Book.......2006-03-09
This is one of the most outstanding books I have ever read. James Goll takes you to a place and opportunity. You have to take the step to walk in a way that Practices His Presence or not. I have never found a book that is so needed today to get beyond where we are as believers and really know our Heavenly Father. Wow, I have already given instructions to at least five other people to buy the book immediately. If you are undeceided about buying this book, buy it! If you're not sure the book is going to minister to you, buy it! If you desire to walk differently than you ever have, buy this book.
The book is extremely well written and researched. I have already ordered another copy as someone is coming by this afternoon to pick up the copy I have.
The details and steps described in the book are so clear and so easy to walk down. But many will not take the time to spend time just waiting in the Presence of the one true God.
I won't ever be the same. You won't either.
I have read The Seer, God Encounters and The Lost Art of Intercession all of these are great books. This book is the best. The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence.
Good Work But Misleading Title.......2006-03-06
Let's start on the positive side. Jim Goll's teaching on contemplative prayer shows the best from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. I have practiced quiet forms of prayer for about 20 years. I wish I had someone like Jim Goll 20 years ago to help me through the readings and practices. If you have never read much about contemplative prayer but would like to then this book would be an excellent place to start.
On the negative side, and why I can't give more than 3 stars, is that I found at least two-thirds of this book to be from his earlier book "Wasted On Jesus." The remaining one-third talks about some practical tips on how to take what you receive in contemplative prayer out into your life outside of your "prayer room." There is also a modern paraphrase of the work of Brother Lawrence called "The Practice of the Presence of God."
But when I saw the title "The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence" I thought it would be more about what Brother Lawrence taught about prayer and it really isn't. Jim Goll seems to put the teachings of Madame Jeanne Guyon, Francois Fenelon, and Brother Lawrence all in one bag. Guyon and Fenelon talk about going into a quiet room, removing yourself from external distractions, and learning how to quiet yourself in God's presence. This is all good teaching and necessary in the beginning. But Brother Lawrence seems to teach how to be aware of God's presence with you all during the day no matter what activity your involved in. He does talk about the difficulties in doing this on a regular basis and what to do about it. Now it's only fair to say that Brother Lawrence did not write the book that bears his name. It was released by his abbot (religious superior) in the monastery after his death. But it seems to me that you have two different approaches to the same issue which is experiencing the presence of God in daily life.
So, if you have never read much on contemplative prayer Jim Goll is an excellent teacher. But if you want to learn about Brother Lawrence then read his book and let the man speak for himself.
Book Description
Have you ever wondered why God waited until Abraham was 99 years old to bless him with Isaac? Why did He pick the uneloquent Moses to speak for Him? Could He do no better than Gideon? Rahab was a prostitute. Elijah was a hot head. Jacob was no role model. Paul was a zealous persecutor of the Church.
The uncomfortable truth is that God is pleased to work through the weaknesses of our lives. There is nothing more powerful in a believer's life than the strength that comes out of being broken and humbled at the foot of the Cross of Christ. God purposely puts us in the weakening process where we must continually rely upon the grace of the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest preachers who ever lived explained it most adequately: But by the grace of God I am what I am.
The good news is that you do not need to be a paragon of perfection to be used by God. The Church, the people of God, is not a museum of magnificence, but a hospital for the hopeless. No one here has an S symbol on his or her T-shirt. It is more of an infirmary where we admit our weaknesses and limp into the affectionate arms of God's mercy.
Customer Reviews:
A Timely Message.......2002-12-11
Magnificent Meekness is Morton Bustard's guide to greatness in the now kingdom of God. His major points are that God can and will use us in spite of our weaknesses; God can and will use us in spite of our circumstances; and God can and will us in spite of our mistakes. These are perhaps summed up in Bustard's statement, "The key to highly effective ministers and leaders is they have an understanding of weakness." He challenges us to seek what's best in place of what's right; otherwise, our shrines may become our sepulchres. Alternately uplifting and challenging, it is a book which I hope to share with others as the author requests. Giving the book a good, thoughtful reading should encourage anyone to agree with D.L. Moody who often said:" The world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is totally yielded to Him. I want to be that man." Magnificent Meekness can be the catalyst for change that starts one down the road toward the awesome relationship God intended for all of us to have with Him.
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Practicing His Presence
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000F9WE50 |
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Practicing His Presence
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000F9WE78 |
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Practicing His Presence
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000F9WE6O |
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Practicing His Presence
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000F9Y8N6 |
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- Nobody's Darling
- Nora Roberts Key Trilogy CD Collection: Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor (Key Trilogy)
- Nothing Lasts Forever
- Passage to Mutiny (The Bolitho Novels)
- Poirot Investigates: Eleven Complete Mysteries (Mystery Masters Series)
Books Index
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