Book Description
When Cameron was fifteen, she and Sonia were best friends—so close it seemed nothing would ever come between them. Now Cameron is a twenty-nine-year-old research assistant with no meaningful ties to anyone except her aging boss, noted historian Oliver Doucet.
Nearly a decade after the incident that ended their friendship, Cameron receives an unexpected letter from her old friend. Despite Oliver’s urging, she doesn’t reply. But when he passes away, Cameron discovers that he has left her with one final task: to track down Sonia and hand-deliver a mysterious package to her.
The Myth of You and Me captures the intensity of a friendship as well as the real sense of loss that lingers after the end of one. Searingly honest and beautiful, it is a celebration and portrait of a friendship that will appeal to anyone who still feels the absence of that first true friend.
A People Magazine “10 Great Reads,” 2005
A BookSense Pick
Download Description
Leah Stewart is the author of Body of a Girl. She has taught at Vanderbilt University and Sewanee, the University of the South. She lives outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, writer Matt O’Keefe, and their daughter. Visit her at leahstewart.com.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
memory lane.......2007-10-06
This was a book that I didn't want to put down. When I did have to, I was wondering what Cameron was going to come across, or remember, next. Many of the things they encountered in their frindship, I would remember about my own "best friend" relationships. So not only did I get to enjoy reading this story, but I also was able to enjoy some of my own memories that the book brought to mind, and re-examine some the things that have happened over the years to change my own friendships.
I surprising study of relationships and human nature.......2007-07-16
I loved this book. I loved the characters and the notion of how you work so hard to present yourself as one person, but you are not happy with the outcome of the created perception. I thought the flashing back was done elegantly and not choppy. A book club read that pleasantly surprised.
Heartfelt, relatable story about what friendships can endure..........2007-06-28
Immediately after finishing this book (and wiping the tears away!) I felt compelled to contact all of my girlfriends to pass along this MUST-READ novel about friendships and the twists and turns they take throughout our lives, especially during those rather fragile transitions from high school to college and from college to "real life."
Written from the perspective of Cameron, a 29-year old "dreamer who never belived in the dream," the book explores her friendship and subsequent "breakup" with Sonia, whom she met at 14 and with whom she developed a bond so strong they nearly melded into a singular person. Through a series of flashbacks and her current journey to find and deliver a mystery package to her "ex-best-friend" we learn about the power of female friendships and how when they end, they can be even more painful than a romantic breakup. We also learn about the need to belong, to be loved, to have someone who understands and knows the real you, behind any mask you may wear for the world. It is a book of universal relatability for women of every age (I don't think I would necesarily recommend it for men, although I'm sure it will be loved by many). This is not by any means a "Chick-Lit" book- it has great depth and so many beautifully written and memorable quotes (nearly 1/4 of my copy is underlined by phrases I don't want to forget!)
I look forward to reading more of Leah Stewart's works and very highly recommend this wonderful novel.
KInd of disappointed with the ending.......2007-05-05
To me, getting to the end of this book was actually better then the ending itself. I liked how she would switch between the present and the past, and it also brought of memories of my adolescence, but the ending was just kind of "blah" compared to the trip there. I will, however, read another book by this author.
It's an OK book.......2007-03-24
Like many of the other reviewers, I read this "on assignment" from a book club, and like the other reviewers, I found it to be a quick read. That said, I'm not sure under other conditions I would have chosen this book. The narrator is developmentally stuck in a late adolescent/mid-20's phase. But because the story is told exclusively in the narrator's voice, most of the characters lacked a certain depth or complexity. I also wasn't thrilled by the portrayal of the mothers in the book--variously verging on angelic, or demonic, or simply lacking in presence. But the author uses an interesting narrative device, utilizing the format of deductive reasoning similar to that of a really good mystery novel, through which the characters and major events are unfolded. So if you're looking for something that is fun and very light, this is a good enough book.
Average customer rating:
- If I hadn't read other SL books...
- 2.5 stars (slipt in the middle)
- Dissapointing
- Terrible
- Well written, but I'm still disappointed...
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Impetuous Innocent
Stephanie Laurens
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Four In Hand
ASIN: 1551666618 |
Book Description
A wickedly irresistible romp.
After the death of her father, Georgiana Hartley returns home to England --- only to be confronted with the boorish advances of her cousin. Knowing no one, she flees to Dominic Ridgely's state, hoping the nobleman will bestow a neighborly kindness upon her.
The viscount hears Georgiana's plea to find her a position as a lady's companion with barely concealed ill humor. A lovely innocent such as Miss Hartley subjected to that wretched existence? The very idea is preposterous. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands, introducing her to his sister's influence.
Suddenly Georgiana is transformed into a lady, charming the ton and cultivating a bevy of suitors. Everything is unfolding according to Dominic's plan . . . until he realizes that he desires Georgiana for his own.
Customer Reviews:
If I hadn't read other SL books..........2006-08-06
....I'd seriously wonder if the author was actually a man mascarading as a woman to sell to an almost exclusively-female audience. Every female character in this book was very weak, while the men were all-knowing. I could handle Georgiana being innocent, but many of the choices she makes (like trusting her cousin, whom she already knows to a slimeball) are indicative of sheer stupidity.
Dominic's (our hero) sister, Bella, was the worst. Despite having already given birth to one child (whom she inexplicably chooses to leave alone in the country with servants while she sits around in London, mostly bored, to be with her husband) it never even occurs to her that the chronic fatigue she suffers may stem from pregnancy. Both Dominic and Bella's husband (and every reader...I really can't see this as being a spoiler) "know" she is expecting long before she does!
I also agree with other reviewers that there was little chemistry between Georgiana and Dominic. I really didn't mind the fact that there was no sex....I would have liked some more heat though!
I really liked Devil's Bride, so I know Laurens is capable of producing strong and likeable feminine characters. However, even her better books seem to have the same flaw as other Regency authors --her lead male characters are near carbon copies of each other (i.e. absurdly handsome, intelligent and arrogant "reformed" rakes). Personally, I prefer Regency romance authors like Julia Quinn who continually provides strong, intelligent female characters and male love interests who are likeable and attractive but imperfect.
Needless to say, this book was a big disappointment. Its only saving grace, for me, is that I got it from a free book pile!
2.5 stars (slipt in the middle).......2006-07-23
i don't care if they didn't have sex blah blah blah or what ever else it just felt like the book was missing something..I don't know i guess if you never read the book before you should read it to judge for yourself...
Dissapointing.......2006-07-16
I grabbed this up without even looking at the back because I enjoyed the steamy Laurens Cynster novel All About Love and Devils Bride. But there is absolutely NO sex in this one. I at least expected one sex scene based on what I had read in her other novels but this one had NONE. The story was also a little drawn out and I never really felt the characters had much in common.
Terrible.......2004-05-10
I picked this book up, after barely reading the back cover, because I've read quite a few SL books and I have always really enjoyed them. However like many of the other reviewers I wish I hadn't. The book is boring. Besides the fact that there is no sex, (which I can deal with) there is also no sexual tension and no romance. Why on earth these two get together is beyond me. Georgina is supposed to be popular and vivacious but everytime she is w. Dominic she turns into a blathering idiot. Where's her backbone? And why on earth dominic would ever want to marry her is inexplicable. I would reccommend Stephanie Laurens to fans of the genre but stay away from her older stuff. I'm glad this was not the first book of hers I read, at least I know she can do better!
Well written, but I'm still disappointed..........2004-03-18
with the ending. It's my own fault, I guess, that I didn't check the publication date to see that this was one of her earlier works. I was expecting at least *one* trademark love scene, and I was perfectly willing for it to be after they married. But, alas, there wasn't one, and that threw a bucket of ice-cold water on what had been a nice build-up of sexual tension. So my overall feeling is one of indifference - I won't read it again, and that is something I have never said of her other works.
Book Description
She was his obsession.
When she was bad, she was better!
On the outside, Carlie McDaniels was a shy, no-nonsense schoolteacher. But on the inside, there was another Carlie -- a sultry, sexy femme fatale -- burning to get out. One night, she did. And lady-killer Tyler Ramsay didn't know what -- or who -- hit him!
Tyler had a problem. He was obsessed with a mystery woman -- and fascinated by prickly Carlie McDaniels. How could he desire two women at the same time? And what was he supposed to do when he found out they were one and the same?
Customer Reviews:
Not her best work.......2006-01-20
Foster has become a must read for me through her later works, and I would recommend that anyone who is not already a fan to start with another of her stories. The main characters, Carlie and Tyler, didn't seem to be fully developed. I found it very difficult to sympathize or understand Carlie, and found it even more difficult to like her. I half hoped Tyler would find someone less abrasive and leave her in the end. I found the short story at the end of the book much more enjoyable. I am somewhat surprised by the positive reviews that Impetuous has received. If you are a die-hard Foster fan, read it for yourself and see what you think. If not, unless you like prickly hard to like heroines and easily duped heroes, don't bother
..........2004-04-01
Very sensual and good story line..sort of an ugly duckling tale.
Steamy romance mixed with awesome characters!.......2004-01-13
I LOVED this book!
The interaction of the characters, especially as their friendship unknowingly turns into love, is captivating. I love how Lori Foster shows Carlie as a "plain-Jane" gal, who wears frumpy,baggy clothes and has a "couldn't be bothered" attitude, yet deep down because of past hurts, Carlie is truly a beautiful woman, inside and out. Tyler is relentless in getting to know her, and in a strange way is actually attracted to her "plain-ness". Tyler cracked me up with his nosey questions, catching Carlie pleasantly off-guard.
Impetuous is a fun read...perfect for a cold winter weekend. Can't wait to read another one of Lori's books!
fun fantasy for me!b.......2003-09-19
Lori Foster has always shown me a really good time while reading her wonderful stories. IMPETUOUS is a really fun book. I hope you will buy it and read it, I think you owe it to yourseelf. I am such a shopping person that my husband finally put his foot down and now for a whole year all he will let me buy myself are my favorite romance novels...not a bad thing, I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy shopping.
Not her usual formula, but good.................2003-09-16
IMPETUOUS- Lori Foster
I realize this is a re-release but I still found it entertaining. Lori Foster wrote this book in 1996 and I can see she hadn't quite developed her now signature Lori Foster Alpha-Male character. This book seemed a little more balance to me, not so much male brevado as she is writting now.
Carlie is a shy woman hurt by the men in her past and isn't looking for a man. She lets her best friend talk her into wearing a very revealing costume to a party and attracts the #1 male batchelor in town, Tyler. Tyler is intrigued by carli from a distance, unlike the rest of the female population this disguised woman isn't throwing herself at him she's running from him.
Well Tyler follows and one thing lead to a one nite stand with a woman he doesn't even know and he can't get his sister-in-law to tell him who she was. So he moves on but doesn't quite forget the woman and the instant chemistery they shared.
Enters fate, Tyler ends up helping shy Carli with a charity project and becomes intrigued with her too. She isn't throwing herself at him. The premise is good and enjoyable. Read the book to find out did Tyler find out who his mystery woman was or does his memory of the mystery woman disrupt a great friendship and budding romance with Carli.
ONE WICKED WEEKEND- Julie Elizabeth Leto
Lauren returns to New Orleans to write an article for her magazine and decides to also punnish her former lover, Luc, for dumping her painfully eight years ago. But Luc has other plans.
I like this very short story.
Product Description
Special Investigations Agency - Impetuous By Denise A Agnew No one knew the SIA could be such a hotbed of romance and intrigue. Certainly not Synna MacDell. Watching him from afar stirred her primitive needs
Synna is ready to leave the SIA to fulfill her lifelong dreams. When gorgeous ex-army officer Ian Frasier takes over the running of the Special Investigations Agency, Synna is tempted beyond endurance by his roguish smile and sexy body. Leaving the excitement he brings into her life will be a little depressing. A powerful craving draws them closer to the edge
Ian started his career at SIA ready to solve any normal or paranormal problem and tackle any foe. He fears his overpowering attraction to Synna could short-circuit his career, but her safety comes to mean more to him than any job. A new menace is stalking the SIA, and it wants sexual healing
A weredemon infiltrates their secure world. Ian and Synna learn the only defense may be found at a Halloween party where identities are uncertain and a night of love could either save Synna's life or destroy them all.
Amazon.com
Orphaned, with no acceptable marriage prospects, and in desperate need of money to support her twin brothers and sister, Cassandra Verrerre hopes to convince Sir Phillip Neville to help her find the long-lost Spanish Dowry. More than a century ago, Cassandra's ancestor Margaret jilted her fiancé at the altar. Her dowry, a treasure in gold and jewels, disappeared. Now Cassandra has reason to think that by finding some letters and a coded map she can recover the treasure and restore her family's financial independence. But she doesn't count on falling for Phillip, a man whose sensual expertise leads her to persistently mistrust him. The efforts of Cassandra's coquettish cousin to trap the wealthy Phillip in marriage add humor to this intriguing treasure hunt in which the greatest discovery is, of course, love. --Ellen Edwards
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic!!!!!.......2000-10-03
I must start this review by saying I'm not a big fan of historical romance, but this book is definitely an exception. I was hooked by the end of the first page. Cassandra, the main character, isn't like most women in novels. She is sturdy and smart. Definitely not a damsel in distress like most romance characters. Sure she has problems, but she tackles them head-on. Her cousin reminds me of Nellie from Little House on the Prairie, and yes the aunt reminds me of Mrs. Olson. I found myself cheering Cassandra and Phillip on in their quest for the dowery. I just can't say enough about this book. I read it in two days I was so hooked!!! There is enough romance and adventure that it doesn't get boring. It is definitely a must-read.
Fabulous, simply fabulous.......1999-01-23
Impetuous was a great romance novel. Instead of having the leading lady,Cassandra, be of great beauty and an innocent (like almost every romance novel), the leading lady of this book is not really beautiful, but of course, she is still an innocent. Cassandra is a very good character that the modern day woman can enjoy, without wondering, "What was the author thinking?" Sir Philip,the leading man, loved Cassandra even though she isn't beautiful, which makes his love for her even more meaningful. Read this book, I can assure that you'll enjoy the great characters and wonderful plot. And if you enjoyed this book read: Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught
Customer Reviews:
The Impetuous Bride.......2004-01-09
I read so many boring HBs, but this one is much the borest of all. Lydia, the heroine, left Jake, the hero, two days before the wedding because she had never heard him say he loved her. When she comes, a year leter, to attend her sister's wedding this time, they meet as bridemaid and bestman.
I am really disappointed! the two were so boring themselves! they didn't seem to communicate as normal people even though they had all the opportunaties to speak out load of their feelings. I simpley couldn't identify with them; so much irrealistic and annoying.
Customer Reviews:
Romance?.......2001-04-14
I had problems getting into this novel. It lacked depth and was quite boring from beginning to end. Jarrett and Liberty's relationship seemed more of a high school puppy love courtship than a meaningful commitment. And the whole scandal of Baby Jamal's kidnapping wasn't believable. The author evidently didn't take her time developing her plot and characters. However, I will pick up one of her previous novels, hoping it's much better.
Better the Second time around.......1999-11-26
This was a much better book than her first book. I almost did not buy this book because I did not like the first one very much. But my friend told me to try it I am glad that I did. Although I wish that she would had ended a little better that she did. I would have like to known what happen.
Mistrusts marrs the relationship between two people........1999-11-08
Liberty Sutton, at twenty-five-years-old, has made somemisjudgments and bad mistakes that have resulted in life-alteringresults. She, in turn, treats men the way she had been treated. Now Liberty is ready to turn her life around. Jarrett has been noticing Liberty for the past few months but was leery of asking her out because they worked together. He eventually asks her out. This is a story of trust and confidence and how love overcomes differences.
Makes my rainy Seattle days seem better.......1999-10-11
WOW! What a passionate, involving romance! I was ready to give up on BET romances, until I read this one. Dianne, you the bomb girl, keep on doing what you're doing.I'm 17, and aspire to be a professional writer some day, and hope I am as good as you at putting my characters into such deep, yet easily accessible, and understandable roles. Each role as important as the next in putting it all together. Liberty is the equivalent of all used and abused African-American women today. It seemed as if I were right there, going through her ups and downs, and decietful lies too. Thank you for such an accurate betrayal of what felt more like a biography than non-fiction. Keep on pumpimg those books out girl, I'll be there to pick them up, that's no doubt.
Average customer rating:
- REALLY good.
- Interesting Introduction to Romance for Teenagers
- Great book!
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IMPETUOUS: BRIDES WILDCAT #4: MATTIE'S STORY (Brides of Wildcat County)
Watson
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 068980329X |
Customer Reviews:
REALLY good........2000-08-07
Mattie was the younger Nesbitt girl, but she was always the courageous girl of the family. She decided to bring her sister along with her to the West so they could find some good husbands. Ivy being the more girly girl she is lands a husband with ease, but Mattie who prefers pants to dresses has SO much trouble. After awhile Mattie decides to just work and have a vacation from all this huband seeking. So she decides to work for the Pony Express. She meets up with Sam again after they met at a dance, but Sam doesn't know that Matt is really Mattie, because she got a makeover. A big makeover. And then the romance begins....
Interesting Introduction to Romance for Teenagers.......1999-03-26
The plot was fascinating, kind of like the picture brides of the past. Fierce women are shipped to a town, believing it's a large city, only to find it be be out in the middle of nowhere. Females will love these romances, adults may also. Very graphic at times, but nothing raunchy.
For the next generation of Danielle Steel and Sandra Brown readers, this is where you start.
Great book!.......1998-05-28
17 year old Mattie came to California to find a husband so she wouldn't be fated to live a life of loneliness and poverty. But she discovers that here, disguised as a boy, she can make her own way by riding the Pony Express. But when Mattie falls in love, how can she keep from revealing who she really is/
Average customer rating:
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FranCois Peron-An Impetuous Life: Naturalist and Voyager
Edward Duyker
Manufacturer: Melbourne University Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0522852602 |
Book Description
An ambitious and meticulously researched biography, this title details the life of famed scientist François Péron—from his early years spent in the French revolutionary army to an ambitious medical student who gained a place as an assistant zoologist on Nicolas Baudin’s expedition to Australian waters. Discussing the expedition—which was famously marked by the vexed relationship between Péron and Baudin—this life story tells of Péron’s profound achievements, including the pioneering observations in zoological, oceanographic, and ethnographic studies. A balanced assessment of the difficult yet engaging relationship between Péron and Baudin, this biography also acts as an analysis of the conduct of science during some of the most turbulent years in French history.
Average customer rating:
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Impetuous
Lori foster
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRK4J4 |
Average customer rating:
- The Masterharper of Pern
- Finally, background on the Masterharper
- Great if you like Sci Fiction
- If you love Robinton...
- Favorite
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MasterHarper of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)
Anne Mccaffrey
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Skies of Pern
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The Dolphins of Pern (Dragonriders of Pern)
ASIN: 0345388232
Release Date: 1998-01-12 |
Book Description
Pern: a beautiful world colonized by humans, terrorized by the deadly spores called Thread, and defended by magnificent flying dragons. Anne McCaffrey's bestselling tales of this planet have yielded a multitude of unforgettable characters. And now, after years of urging by devoted readers, one of the most popular denizens of Pern takes center stage in a novel that chronicles his extraordinary life.
Along with the dragonriders, perhaps none are so revered on Pern as the harpers, whose songs record history, warn of the coming of Thread, and prepare Pern's people for the future. And no one is more influential than the Masterharper of Pern. The son of renowned composer Petiron and gifted singer Merelan, Robinton is a prodigy from birth and enjoys a special rapport with the telepathic dragons. But it is a time when Thread has not been a threat for centuries, the harpers have fallen into disfavor, and one despotic man is plotting to take over Pern. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own . . . driven by his belief in music, in the dragons, and in the salvation of his beloved Pern.
Download Description
In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern forcenturies -- and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again --a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability tospeak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to beone of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.
It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread -- they arebeing turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In thisclimate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite thetragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music andin the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern fromitself -- so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against thedreaded Thread when at last it returns.
"At last, Robinton has his own book... McCaffrey adds another absorbingchapter to dragon lore... Readers will revel in this compellingcharacterstudy of a fascinating personality."
ROMANTIC TIMES
"The story takes wing... when McCaffrey's beloved dragons roar and theirriders soar upon the beasts' mighty backs... Fans of Pern will likely beenthralled."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"McCaffrey succeeds again in depicting the serenity and beauty ofdragons in their symbiotic relationship with humanity on a world calledPern."
BOOKPAGE
Cover art by Brom
Customer Reviews:
The Masterharper of Pern.......2007-10-02
Very enjoyable. Not a book easily put down even if you are not a Pern fan.
Finally, background on the Masterharper.......2007-05-23
I found this history of Masterharper Robinton to be interesting, although some of it seemed contrived (the last chapter). It does fill in many of "the blanks" that we had about the Masterharper, and it explains some of Sebell's background as well.
Overall, I liked it. It is a great addition to the Pern series.
Great if you like Sci Fiction.......2007-05-13
The Pern series of books from Anne McCaffery are great. Better if you read them in order, (look online at her website for recommendations). This is futuristic science fiction, but if you liked Aregon, you would probably like this series too
If you love Robinton..........2007-04-26
There are so many good reviews of this book already. I will only say this: if you love Robinton as so many Pern fans do, this is his long-wished for background story. As well as one of the best Pern books, IMHO.
Favorite.......2007-04-09
I have read all of Mrs. McCaffrey's books and I totally Love them! This one though, The MasterHarper of Pern, is my favorite. It might be just because MasterHarper Robinton is one of my favotite characters, but I think it is the most well written and emotional book out of all of them. If you even partially like her other books I think you will love this one. It is a very good read, especially if you have read or plan on reading all of her other books about Pern.
Book Description
Dragonseye:
Thread: deadly silver strands that fall from the sky like rain, devouring every organic thing in their path - animals, plants, and people alike. Who could believe that such a horrible thing could exist? After all, it's been two hundred years since Thread supposedly fell on Pern. No one alive remembers that first onslaught. There's no sign of it anywhere in the world. Only the dragons, originally created to be a weapon against Thread, are still around to remind people that once before their population was decimated, their hopes and dreams and livelihoods almost destroyed forever.
For two centuries the dragonriders have been practicing and training, passing down from generation to generation the Threadfighting techniques learned on the fly by their besieged ancestors. And most of the Lord Holders are prepared to protect their people, to provide sanctuary, to assemble groundcrews to search out and destroy any Thread that might be missed by the dragons soaring overhead. All but one.
Even now the ominous signs are appearing: the violent winter storms and volcanic eruptions that are said to herald the approach of the Red Star and its lethal spawn. Impossibly, one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe - and that disbelief could spell disaster for all of Pern. So while the dragonriders desperately train to face an enemy they've never fought before, they and the other Lord Holders must find a way to deal with Chalkin and protect Bitra.
The Masterharper of Pern:
In a time when no Thread has fallen for centuries - when, indeed, many are beginning to dare to hope that Thread will never fall again - a boy is born to Harper Hall. His name is Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known.
It is a perilous time for harpers. They sing of Thread, yet more and more people are beginning to doubt the return of that deadly scourge. They teach reading, writing, history, but Fax - who hates the harpers in general - is determined to keep his growing area of influence free of the learning that might sow unrest. And they extol the dragonriders, whom many view increasingly as a drain on the resources of the Holds. Now harpers are being turned away from the holds; and, worse yet, they are being derided, attacked, even beaten.
It is the climate of unrest that Robinton will come into his own. For despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself . . .so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when it at last returns!
The Skies of Pern:
Now that Pern can look forward to a future without the threat of Threadfall, the people are free to leave their protective stone holds and spread across more of the planet, as well as improve their lives with the newly discovered ancient technology. Not everyone is happy, though. Some resist the change, and consider anything new to be an "abomination." And the dragonriders are uncertain: without Thread, what will their purpose be in Pernese society?
Then a new danger - again from the skies - looms. Once again, the people must pull together . . . And turn to the only ones who can solve the crisis: the dragonriders of Pern!
Average customer rating:
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The Masterharper of Pern
Anne McCaffrey
Manufacturer: Bantam Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0593037766 |
Amazon.com
Amy Tan begins The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings, a collection of essays that spans her literary career, on a humorous note; she is troubled that her life and novels have become the subject of a "Cliff's Notes" abridgement. Reading the little yellow booklet, she discovers that her work is seen as complex and rich with symbolism. However, Tan assures her readers that she has no lofty, literary intentions in writing her novels--she writes for herself, and insists that the recurring patterns and themes that critics find in them are entirely their own making. This self-deprecating stance, coupled with Tan's own clarification of her intentions, makes The Opposite of Fate feel like an extended, private conversation with the author.
Tan manages to find grace and frequent comedy in her sometimes painful life, and she takes great pleasure in being a celebrity. "Midlife Confidential" brings readers on tour with Tan and the rest of the leather-clad writers' rock band, the Rock-Bottom Remainders. And "Angst and the Second Book" is a brutally honest, frequently hysterical reflection on Tan's self-conscious attempts to follow the success of The Joy Luck Club.
In a collection so diverse and spanning such a long period of time, inevitably some of the pieces feel dated or repetitious. Yet, Tan comes off as a remarkably humble and sane woman, and the book works well both to fill in her biography and to clarify the boundaries between her life and her fiction. In her final, title essay, Tan juxtaposes her personal struggles against a persistent disease with the nation's struggles against terrorism in the aftermath of 9/11. She declares her transformative, artistic power over tragedy, reflecting: "As a storyteller, I know that if I don't like the ending, I can write a better one." --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Amy Tan has touched millions of readers with haunting and sympathetic novels of cultural complexity and profound empathy. With the same spirit and humor that characterize her acclaimed novels, she now shares her insight into her own life and how she escaped the curses of her past to make a future of her own. She takes us on a journey from her childhood of tragedy and comedy to the present day and her arrival as one of the world's best-loved novelists. Whether recalling arguments with her mother in suburban California or introducing us to the ghosts that inhabit her computer, The Opposite of Fate offers vivid portraits of choices, attitudes, charms, and luck in action—a refreshing antidote to the world-weariness and uncertainties we all face today.
Customer Reviews:
That rare book I can recommend to any would-be writer.......2007-06-17
The first Amy Tan book I read was THE KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE, and it blew me away. It did what a really fine literary novel ought to do, in my opinion: it spoke the truth about human beings. While I enjoyed Tan's use of her own Chinese American background to give the book its setting, and her sharing of her heritage with its characters, I took those things as judicious use of the oldest and best advice given to fiction writers: "Write what you know." I was surprised, therefore, to read in this memoir about Tan's amazement when she began hearing herself declared a "minority" writer. A "writer of color," and so on. With each of those labels came a heavy load of expectations, of responsibilities (as perceived by those applying the label) to which she must rise. What didn't surprise me one bit, though, was the resentment that followed Tan's initial consternation. Labels that seem perfectly logical, and therefore helpful, to someone else can be limiting and hurtful to the person slapped with them. To put it another way, being pigeonholed pinches. And attempting to live up to the expectations of readers, reviewers, etc. as one writes a second novel after producing a wildly successful first book has got to be the most creativity-stifling exercise in this world.
I remember something else about THE KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE. I'd never heard of Amy Tan when I happened to pick it up, scan it, and decide to take it home. I sought out THE JOY LUCK CLUB, therefore, only after getting to know Tan's writing from her second book; and although I enjoyed her first, I thought (and still think) that her second novel is better by far. What I loved about both books was the universality of their themes, and of the characters I met in their pages. I'm not Chinese American (I'm a Down East Yankee, thank you very much, with Maine coastal roots three centuries deep). But I recognized the women she wrote about just the same! And despite cultural differences, I also recognized their joys and their sorrows; their dilemmas, and the ways in which they resolved them.
People are people everywhere, and writing is something writers do in order to stay sane. That's what Tan's work tells me. Both her novels, and this memoir that will be joining Stephen King's ON WRITING as that rare book I can recommend to any would-be writer. "Read this first, and then decide whether or not you're really cut out for this life," I can say. "This writer tells it like it is, and you need to know what you're getting into."
I had no idea........2007-05-14
I finised this book several weeks ago and still can't get it out of my mind. That last chapter was brutal. This book was also responsible for me hunting down a copy of "The Best American Short Stories - 1999". Thanks Amy, I've read all your (adult) books and have enjoyed them all.
Serendipity in Essay Form.......2007-04-05
Tan gives the reader a glimpse into her life with this collection of essays covering everything from a China trip with her mother to a childhood crush.
Disbelief.......2007-01-29
I enjoyed the style of Amy Tan's writing in this collection of essays, which span a broad range of topics: a China trip with her mother, a childhood crush, and the violent death of a friend, to name a few. I enjoyed the glimpse Tan was able to give the reader into her real life, and the contrasts between her reality and the fiction she writes. I liked reading about how she writes her novels, where her ideas originate and how she sometimes struggles to keep a book going when her inspiration seems to have failed her. Tan jumped off of the pages as a real, three-dimensional person, and one that I liked.
I was uncomfortable with one aspect of the book, though. Tan writes at one point that she realized as a child that memory was highly suggestible. She reveals that when she writes something, sometimes what she's written becomes confused with the actual truth. She presents two meetings with writer Vladimir Nabokov, then reveals that she never actually met him, that these were fictional constructions based on wishful thinking.
This seeming willingness to be foggy about the truth made me a bit suspicious about much of the book. Tan writes in many of her essays about the overwhelming string of coincidences she's noticed in her life. She writes of her friend predicting the circumstances of his death, which then come to pass almost exactly as he'd thought. She describes being worried about an unforseen bill for her cat's medical care, then being involved in a fender-bender with the man at fault offering to pay her, in cash, the exact amount of the worrisome bill. This focus on coincidences and also on proving the existence of ghosts or other friendly spirits that inhabit Tan's life, made me feel she was not a reliable narrator and perhaps I shouldn't take what she had written to heart.
Rather than simply appreciating her writing and the stories of her life, I found myself pulling back from Tan frequently with disbelief, which weakened my enjoyment of her book.
Story of Serendipity.......2006-12-13
Time and time again as children, we are told to do our best to accomplish our goals. We have it reinforced in us by parents, teachers, religious, and other community leaders. It's inbred in us that it is our greatest opportunity and privilege as citizens of the United States of America to do our best to accomplish our dreams. Some people do succeed, some don't, and sometimes people end up involved or doing something that they never thought or even considered being a part of or thought that they would get into. All things are possible, but sometimes our path in life takes unexpected turns for whatever reason because of the people we are close with.
Even before graduation, high school students typically decide in their senior year that they are going to college to further their education. Then somewhere along the line, they may end up doing something different: they may change a major, change universities or colleges, instead of college, they may decide that they should drop out to become a mechanic because it's a skilled trade, or maybe they decide that instead of art school they want to pursue a career in medicine. Maybe, like Bill Gates, they don't even finish high school and drop out to program computers that end up being the next big thing. There is the occasion that students stick with their original plans, and there are times where something happens to change it all.
Now imagine that you're in your senior year at Berkley at the University of California. You are on your way to getting your doctorates in linguistics and aren't really sure what you're going to do with the rest of you life after that point. Then something drastic happens. One of your good friends and roommates is murdered the night that he moves into his brand new apartment. In Amy Tan's case, the entire course of her life changed with the event of that friend's death and with influence of her mother upon her own life.
Throughout our lives we come across people who make a great impact upon us that later comes back to aide or hinder us somehow in the most difficult times we experience, like in a traumatic time as Amy experienced with the death of her friend, the trial of the murders of her friend, and the passing of her mother. The life of Amy Tan is a great example of how relationships can truly influence and change our fate, as she writes about her experiences in her book, The Opposite of Fate: Memoirs of a Writing Life. The book offers a look into her life as she deals with the struggles of so much tragedy and recalls each as an important step in her life as a writer. Chopped full of humor, touching moments, and sadness Opposite is an emotional journey that shows the human part behind the writer that typically is only revealed a little in her fiction. She writes for herself and to preserve her memories and the memories of others that were close to her. Tan has never forgotten her roots or those who influenced her life in such a way that made her become a writer. The Opposite of Fate gives evidence to readers that much of our fate is influenced upon the relationships we develop with others and the events that happen with those people in our lives
By taking a look at Tan's biography, we can also learn a little bit about her that will already be discussed in the book, although it isn't necessarily covered in the book itself. Amy was born on February 19th, 1952 in Oakland, California. She lived there with her mother, and her younger brother until 1966 when her mother uprooted them and insisted they move to Switzerland after both her father and second brother died from brain tumors. She went to high school in Switzerland and later came back to the United States to go to college. Tan went to five colleges: The Linfield College in Oregon, San Jose City College, San Jose State University, the University of California in Santa Cruz, and finally The University of California at Berkley. She became a freelance writer after she graduated college with her linguistics doctorate and became a language development consultant mainly working with children, although she never wanted anything to do with children except to be studied as subjects. She's written many books, her most popular novel that was published, The Joy Luck Club, was later turned into a movie. As for family life, Tan and her husband Lou DeMattei don't have any children but have been married since 1974. Tan does have two half sisters and an uncle who live in China, and an older brother who lives in Vancouver, Canada. Tan and her husband have two homes, one in New York and another in San Francisco. The house in San Francisco was close where her mother lived before she died in the year 2000 from a combination of old age and the later stages of Alzheimer's disease. Tan was her mother's care giver for a great deal of the rest of her mother's life and her mother, in turn was then revealed to be Tan's most influential ties according to Opposite.
As a child, Amy often listened to her mother lament over the tragedy of the same kind of death happening in the same family twice. Both Tan's brother and father died within a year of each other from brain tumors. As a teenager, like most, Amy dreaded hearing her mother's nagging. More than that, she despised hear her mother's hysterical ravings, suicidal threats, and the attempts that the entire family witnessed time and again from the time she was a little girl and even into her mother's old age. Although Tan has no real qualms about this happening now that she's older, as a teenager she would ignore her mother's suicide threats in the open, but deep down she was "terrified that one day my mother would carry out one of those empty threats" (Tan 130). She admits to having let her eyes glaze over and act as if the verbal threats were just dead noise then later would find herself staring into the bathroom mirror feeling ill and scared at the thought of her mother carrying out some plan to kill herself. Now as an older adult, she has come to accept the idea that if her mother had been completely happy and well adjusted earlier in her life, she would not have become the writer that she is today.
As many parents would have great hopes for their children, Amy's mother and father wanted Amy to become a doctor or a concert pianist even though she showed no interesting in actually playing the piano. As a little girl, the typical motherly anecdotes of "don't cross the street without looking," came as absolutes of impending death, "if you don't look, you get smashed" (Tan 33). However if her mother had been like most simply saying," it's alright honey, you don't have to practice, go outside and play," it's questionable whether or not Tan would have chosen the same path. Perhaps, if her and her mother had not had such tragic lives, she would have become the doctor or concert pianist that her parents wanted her to be. Instead, she went to college to get a doctorates in linguistics, then chose a different path because of a tragedy that hit very close to her with the death of a room mate that she and her husband had lived, worked, and studied with for the better half of a year or so.
Pete was an engineering student at Berkley and worked along side Amy and her husband at The Round Table pizza parlor in San Jose. They often shared late nights of political, religious, and philosophical discussions over drinks and became close friends, even enough to start renting a new apartment together. Unfortunately the celebration of their friendship and their new apartment together was cut short the night that they had moved into the new apartment. Pete was murdered in his sleep by two burglars who had hog-tied him and left him for dead on the floor. After that, Pete starts to come to Amy in her dreams and through the dreams Pete delivers advice as life became harder and more complicated with the start of the trial that would decide the fate of one of his syndicates. About a month before Pete died, Amy had been trying to decide what she was going to do with her degree after she graduated but couldn't think of anything. Pete suggested that she start working with children in language development. After his death, Amy took Pete's suggestion and ran with it, in a direction that before hand she had never really intended to get involved.
As the trial came to a close, Pete told Amy that she should talk to one of his friends who come help her later when she became a writer. Tan automatically dismissed the idea until later when she received a letter from Rose, Pete's friend, thanking her for telling her about Pete's death. At that point, her fate was set in motion to bring her to being the woman and the writer that she is today. Pete stopped visiting in dreams but a new relationship blossomed with Rose as a result. Rose and Amy kept in contact through letters and eventually Rose became Amy's first writing mentor.
During the time of her mother's death, Tan came to realize how much of an influence her mother actually had on her. After dementia set in, her mother was no longer the unhappy person she had seen before. Instead of bad memories, her mother became to remember the memories she shared with Amy, going on trips and the happier times in their lives. Her mother wasn't the same person that she had grown up with before. Tan came to the cruel realization that for most of their lives, she had not been approaching her mother's needs the right way. She had missed the concept that her mother wanted to be depended on before her mother became ill as much as after the illness struck. For example, instead of scowling at her mother as a teenager, she should have acknowledged and appreciated what her mother was trying to do for her, and then she would have been able to get away with doing different things as well. She began to think that she could have solve so many problems by learning this earlier in life, and they could have had happier lives if she had only realized this earlier. During the time of the illness, Amy became much closer with her other and after her mother's death, started writing a new book, The Bonesetter's Daughter with the renewed appreciation she had for her mother.
Whether it is a friend, a parent, sibling, husband, wife, boyfriend girlfriend or any other type of relationship, these entities set up our lives in such ways that create a domino effect to get us to the point we are at or the point which we wish to achieve. It is an act of conscious choice at which we decide who we are, whom we will be with, and what we wish to be. Our parents may effect us on some level as to instilling in us what types of values we wish to make a part of our lives, but our decisions are still solely our own. Every once in a while, we have someone who comes into our lives and after meeting them everything falls in place whether or not we admit it, remember it, or even think about it. After that point, whatever happens in our life that involves them may change what we decide to do.
The book, The Opposite of Fate: Memoirs of a Writing Life brings readers to believe that fate is not only left up to us as individuals, but to the influences of people around us who are important to us that impact our lives. Tan's humorous writing makes the book a quick read, and also helps the reader to stay interested, even though it isn't necessarily in chronological order. Tan slipped in a lot of very emotional memoirs in the book that are both happy and sad. The tone of Opposite in comparison to Tan's other work is far less serious than that of The Joy Luck Club, or The Kitchen God's Wife, but does have a lot of very serious memoirs in it dealing with loss and the role of hope in people's lives. Opposite is a wonderful book and an exceptional choice to read if a reader enjoys Tan's style, and remains to be enlightening, interesting, and causes the reader to think about fate and who and how it is effected by the people we know and care about.
Fate is not entirely dependent on the people we are around, those we hand around or those we are friends with, but that is just a slice of the pie of things that influence us. In Tan's life, many different played a part in her success as a writer, but only one event led to the point where she made the conscious decision to take a step towards becoming a writer. Her Success after that came from what inspiration she got mostly by spending time and caring for her mother, and other writers she was close to like Stephen King, or her editor Faith Sale, her mentors, and close friends like Pete. Without these influences, there may not have been a chance to read any of her work, including this book.
[...].
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O Oposto Do Destino (The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life)
Amy Tan
Manufacturer: Rocco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 853252026X |
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