Amazon.com Audiobook Review
"It can wear you to a nub, trying to be a popular person and a good Catholic all at the same time." So says Sidda, one of the characters inhabiting Little Altars Everywhere. Author Rebecca Wells uses her considerable acting talent to perform this abridgment, adding even more spark to her already lively characters. Everyone--Shep, Vivi, Willetta, and the rest--is given a distinct voice, and Wells plays each of them to the hilt. More like a recording of a one-woman show than a mere reading, Altars is an excellent example of how entertaining audiobooks can be. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
Book Description
The companion to the beloved bestseller
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, here is the funny, heartbreaking, and powerfully insightful tale that first introduced Siddalee, Vivi, their spirited Walker clan, and the indomitable Ya-Yas.
Download Description
"
Companion to the blockbuster movie and bestselling novel Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, here is the funny, heartbreaking, and powerfully insightful tale that first introduced Siddalee, Vivi, their spirited Walker clan, and the indomitable Ya-Yas.
The companion to the beloved bestseller Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, here is the funny, heartbreaking, and powerfully insightful tale that first introduced Siddalee, Vivi, their spirited Walker clan, and the indomitable Ya-Yas.
"
Customer Reviews:
Emotional Roller Coaster.......2007-09-26
This book was fabulous - not quite as groundbreaking as the "Divine Secrets.." but still fabulous nonetheless. It made me smile, it made me think, and it made me cry - all the things a good book should do and more. Buy it - read it! Enjoy.
A Strongly Written Book About Growing Up.......2007-07-26
This isn't *really* my kind of book - it reminded me eerily of something like Margaret Laurence's "A Bird In The House", given it is a collection of interwoven short stories told from the perspectives of different members of a small-town Louisiana family, most notably from the character of Siddalee.
So why am I giving it four stars? Well there wasn't anything I didn't like about it. I found the prose easy to get through and imaginative. The stories for the most part were captivating and enchanting. The characters were well developed and familiar despite our polar opposite lives. The plot moved enough from section to section to keep me interested. I can't justfiy giving it a lower mark just because it's not my preferred style (ie: novel over short stories) or preferred subject matter (ie: modern day as opposed to the past).
The stories revolve around two points in the character's lives - their childhoods in the 1960's and their relatively young adulthood in the early 1990's. Vivi is their eccentric, perhaps dangerously so, mother who also features in the ya ya sisterhood book. Interestingly enough this book was written before (and publicized after) the ya ya sisterhood - yet there are frequent mentions of the ya ya's and some dark secret they share and so on...so I'm guessing that book was simultaneously in the works as this one. Big Shep is Vivi's husband, a working class man who makes a few poor choices that make him forget how to love.
Their children include the eldest daughter Siddalee, who is probably the most identifiable as the main character in the book. Sidda goes through several phases of independence/autonomy and relying on her family for guidance. Her younger brother Lil Shep doesn't feature much in the book other than his desire to be freed from the nasty secrets his family is keeping. I can't remember the next siblings name, I think it's Lulu, who stars in my favourite story in the book about petty theives and liars. Finally there is Baylor, the youngest, who lives in a dream both as a child and an adult.
Overall this is a nice, slow read...it's enjoyable to drink up on lazy summer days in bits and pieces, and very much personifies the southern climate it describes.
The last chapter is worth the entire book.......2007-04-01
This was the hardest read in the Ya-Ya series. I didn't always like it. It felt disjointed and uneven and some chapters (they were like vignettes, strung together) I started and then just skimmed or left unread.
The final chapter, however - was worth the entire experience. I wish we could have heard from this voice, the adult voice of Siddalee, through the entire thing. Baylor, yeah - he was good, too. There were no other Ya-Ya's (except in passing, where were "the gang" we love so much in Divine Secrets and Ya-Ya's in Bloom?). This book, the prequel to the rest was mostly Vivi's family.
I was reading someplace, maybe it was here, readers were upset about a revelation that takes place in this book. I guess I am weird in that I would rather have the characters in the books I read be flawed, be human.
Vivi is messed up. Ya-Ya readers know that. Her parents were messed up, her children are messed up albeit differently. "Little Altars" begins with Sidda as a pissed-off-on-the-edge-of-puberty girl scout and ends with Sidda as a late 30's woman, the woman who we see several years later narrating half of Divine Secrets.
I don't expect my "heroines" to be wind up toys or robots or flawless automatons. I would rather they be real.
And this volume, in my estimation, doesn't do it.
I think it was written first. But that last chapter. Oh my, that last chapter. I sat at my kitchen table sobbing and my daughter Katherine, from the living room said, "Mommy? Are you ok?" I hadn't realized I was so loud!
Read the last chapter. Pick it up at the bookstore and read it.
Here is one group of sentences as a preview for you:
"As far as I'm concerned, if you could bottle that smell, all the companies that make Xanax, Prozac and Valium would be out of business. You could just open the bottle and smell Willetta and never feel panicked or depressed again."
Love it.
Severely mis-lead.......2006-12-30
I first read Divine Secrets... and then read this book, and very much felt lied to by the author. In the second book the mother is basically lovable, well almost, but flawed. Then I went and read the first book Little Altars Everywhere and read that the mother is sexually abusing her children. This did not come up in Divine Secrets at all and to me seems like a bunch of bull crap. I know that Divine Secrets is mostly from the daughters point of view and that the mother was sexually abusing her sons, but evenstill. On its own it would be a much better book.
hard to slog through.......2006-11-18
this is poorly written about a nasty dysfunctional drunk southern family. sometimes when you get a book you enjoy it so much you either don't want to stop reading at all or you want to read it slowly so you have more time with it. well, this does not fall into either category. save your money.
Average customer rating:
- Enjoyable...
- Dull....
- Lucky, Lucky, Lucky
- A very good start to the trilogy
- Huge book that I couldn't put down!!!
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Texas! Lucky
Sandra Brown
Manufacturer: Fanfare
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Paperback | Brown, Sandra | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Texas! Chase
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Texas! Sage
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22 Indigo Place
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A Whole New Light
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Fanta C
ASIN: 0553289519
Release Date: 1991-01-01 |
Book Description
Lucky Tyler attracted trouble—and women—like a lightning rod. But the night he stepped in to rescue a mysterious redhead in a seedy bar, he got more than he bargained for!
The lady excited him, challenged him, drove him wild with desire—then vanished without a trace. Lucky was desperate to find her, to brand her with his heat—and when the police were called in to investigate a suspicious fire at Tyler Drilling, his family business, he needed her for an alibi!
Torn between anguish and ecstasy, Devon Haines tried to refuse Lucky's pleas for help, but the reckless blue-eyed devil wouldn't take no as an answer from her... not when his touch could make her burn, could make her his.
Framed by old enemies, Lucky knew his only hope to clear himself rested on solving the crime, but Devon feared when his innocence was proved, she would lose the handsome cowboy who possessed her heart and soul Would the tragic vow that made their love forbidden cost her forever in his arms?
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable..........2007-05-27
I'm a huge Sandra Brown fan & Texas! Lucky was a great start to this 3 book series. I would've liked to give a 5 star rating but I felt the story was a bit rushed & I didn't really feel that great of a connection between Lucky & Devon. It was still really good though & it gave a good preview for what's to come in the next 2 books. My heart is going out to Chase so I can't wait to read his book & Sage is a little hellion that I can't wait to read about. So far I'd recommend this book & probably the whole series as well.
Dull...........2007-01-22
I cant agree with most of the reviews here ( ppl need to find better materials to read ). I found this book painfully dull, heroine cold, bitchy, unlovable. Plot seemed weak, and most events that occured in the book forced, really not up to Ms Browns standards at all.
To be honest, this book is BORING.
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky.......2007-01-14
Lucky Tyler stopped at a local bar to unwind and forget his troubles when a damsel in distress catches his eye. Obviously, the stupid woman didn't know that being in a bar will give her a lot of unwanted attention, especially a Texas bar like the way he visited. Lucky was compelled to defend the woman simply because he assumed that if his sister was in a situation like this, someone would defend her. After defending the woman, he finds himself injured and bleeding, and the ungrateful twit leaves without a "Thank You". Now, clearly upset, Lucky follows the woman to her motel room so he could guilt her to say "Thank You" for all the fighting he did on her ungrateful behalf. Devon Haines didn't need a hero to save her, and she didn't need one to come knocking on her door. But while Lucky Tyler was injured, she knew the least she could do is tend to his wounds. But one thing leads to another and Lucky falls asleep in her bed, in her arms. But when the morning light shines though, he wakes to realize that she's nothing more then a memory when he finds her gone without a trace. Lucky finds out that while he slept in Devon's arms, someone was framing him for a crime, and she's his only alibi. But finding her isn't his only problem.
Entertaining characters plunged into entertaining situations, Sandra Brown delivers a wonderful romance that is one of my absolute favorites. The Tyler family is explored nicely while the ending keeps it open for the next book in the series. Devon is a sweetheart of a character whom the reader will grow to love. Lucky is a man what dreams are made of and his determination to find his alibi woman and then to convince her to testify for him will keep the pages turning. The other characters in the book will make you want to read the rest of the series. Sexy, fast-paced, and heartbreaking, this is the best romance series I have read in a long time. It's a must read.
A very good start to the trilogy .......2006-08-01
The Texas! series is a trilogy about the Tyler siblings and meeting the special someone who will forever change their lives. In this book, we are introduced to the hell-raiser of the family, the gorgeous Lucky Tyler.
In their small town, everyone knows that where there are women and trouble, Lucky is guaranteed to be there. One night, while at the local bar hoping to get away from everything, trouble appears and Lucky soon finds himself rescuing a mysterious woman from the town bullies. And Lucky certainly didn't earn his moniker for nothing if he didn't get to spend a night with the beautiful stranger. But the next day, he wakes up to find her completely gone. To make matters worse, he goes home to the news that he is the main suspect for the suspicious fire that damaged the family business, Tyler Drilling. Knowing that his only alibi is the same woman whose real name he doesn't even know, he goes in search for her. But when he finally locates Devon, she refuses his plea for help. Soon he finds the reason behind her reluctance. And when the truth comes out, not only will he find himself fighting to clear his name, but also to claim the very woman whose touch he hungers for, and whose heart he wants to claim.
TEXAS! LUCKY is a fast-paced, humorous and sensual read. The introduction to Lucky was great, the way he's been portrayed as a hell-raiser and knight in shining armor makes him all the more sexy. With the hero's arrogant nature, it was just right for the author to pair him up with someone like Devon - a successful and independent woman who doesn't back down from a fight. I enjoyed their interaction and also that of the Tyler family. It was great seeing how close everyone is, their camaraderie was great, and I loved how they rallied together to help Lucky.
This is a good introduction to the trilogy. I can't wait to read the other two books featuring Chase and Sage (you will absolutely adore her!).
Huge book that I couldn't put down!!!.......2005-08-25
Wow! This is a fantastic series of stories about the 3 Tyler siblings. And this is the first story in the series.
Lucky Tyler is finds himself protecting a womans honor in a bar fight. He feels a magnetic connection to her, but the next morning, she is gone without a trace. When he finds out he's a suspect in a serious crime, he NEEDS to find her for his own alibi. They have an amazing chemistry that cannot be denied.
Each one of these stories lead into the next and the journey is phenominal!
This is a fantastic trilogy and I am not usually a "re-reader", but I am keeping this one to read again!
Average customer rating:
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TEXAS! LUCKY
Sandra BROWN
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GZA0BI |
Average customer rating:
- Lucky Lady
- Lucky Lady
- More than one lucky lady
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Lucky Lady
Susan Saunders
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fiction | Horses | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
New Experiences | Family Life | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
New Experiences | Social Issues | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Callie Shaw, Stableboy: A Novel
ASIN: 0380807564
Release Date: 2002-01-08 |
Book Description
Jamie gets more than she bargained for...
What looked to be a long, hot summer with her grandfather on his Texas ranch changes in an instant for Jamie. On impulse, she plunks down her entire summer's allowance at a horse auction for a beautiful but wild pony no one else wants. Granddad is furious with Jamie for buying the outlaw filly and refuses to help tame Lucky Lady. Then an out-of-control brush fire shows Jamie that there is more to her grandfather -- and Lucky Lady -- than she ever imagined.
Customer Reviews:
Lucky Lady.......2005-02-15
In Lucky Lady a girl named Jamie who lives in the city goes to her grandfather's ranch in Texas for the summer. While there she makes a friend, and gets a tour of the small town close to her grandfather's ranch. On the tour her friend takes her to an action. At the action she sees this beautiful horse that gets spooked and goes wild. When nobody bids she gets worried and buys the horse with all of her summer money. When she gets back to her grandfather's ranch her grandfather gets really made at her. You will have to read the book to find out what happens to Jamie, the horse, and her grandfather.
I enjoyed in Lucky Lady because Jamie never gives up on her horse Lucky Lady. Although her grandfather and people in town tell her to take the horse back and auction and try to make some money off of it. I liked the book a lot and do not think that there was a confusing part in it. The book affected me personally because I can't imagine living without my dad and having my mom travel to another country because of her job. It also affected me personally because I go to my grandfather's a lot during the summer and help him a lot inside and outside of the house.
I would recommend this book to people who like horses to read this book. I would also say that it is for children ages 9 - 12.
Lucky Lady.......2002-03-19
Lucky Lady is a great book. I realy enjoyed it! This is a great book for anyone that likes stories about horses and who likes an interesting book. A young girl named Jamie gets more than she expected for the summer. First she has to stay with her grandad which she hasn't seen in over four years and she has to live with him the whole summer. Her mother gives her two hudred dollars and she ends up spending it on a wild horse she got from an auction. Now her grandad and herself have to take care of the horse and they try to make it tame. This is a great book! I really enjoyed the book!
More than one lucky lady.......2000-07-22
While her widowed mother works abroad, twelve-year-old Jamie must leave her Maine home to spend the summer at her grandfather's ranch. She impulsively buys a unbroken horse at an auction. Jamie copes with change and adversity as this exciting adventure unfolds.
Two weeks may not seem like a very long time, but the lives of three generations are changed in this satisfying tale.
This is written by the author of the popular "Sleepover Friends" series and would be enjoyable for fans in upper elementary grades and junior high. Readers interested in Texas, ranching, grandfathers or horses should like it as well.
Product Description
3 mass market paperbacks.
Average customer rating:
- Book Description
- okay
- A delightful, fun-filled, sensuous read
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Texas Lucky
Maggie James
Manufacturer: Topaz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
United States | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Western | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0451407989 |
Customer Reviews:
Book Description.......2006-06-02
FROM PUBLISHER:
"When a gorgeous lady travels to Nevada intending to marry a man she's never met, she finds herself in a makeshift jail instead. Her only companion is a rugged rancher who killed a man in self-defense. Their captivity unleashes a dangerous passion... and their daring escape will tear them apart. Now on the run, they will once again find each other, and no longer deny the love that fate has planned for them!"
okay.......1999-07-02
I liked it and I didn't. I thought it started out promising. I guess it's a silly thing that bothered me but bother me it did. In the beginning of the story Tess is portrayed as frail, weak, afraid, skinny. Then once she is left by Curt she becomes a different character. I had a hard time reconciling the early Tess with the Tess who wore her guns backwards, could flip a steer and do all the other stuff that the men did. It just seemed less believable than what I could accept, even for a romance novel.
A delightful, fun-filled, sensuous read.......1998-01-20
I loved this book. It was so different from the usual spit and spat romances. The plot was exciting, and I genuinely cared about the characters, laughing with them and crying with them and cheering when they finally found each other again. Don't miss this book. It's a keeper. I can't wait for the next Maggie James book.
Product Description
HARD-TO-FIND LIMITED EDITION (1-CASSETTE ABRIDGED) AUDIOTAPE! ISBN 0-7871-0308-X UPC 022917901805. 1993 DOVE AUDIO #90180. EPISODE OF "LUCKY TYLER" PERFORMED BY JUDITH LIGHT. APPROX. 1 HR. TIME. DOLBY SYSTEM.
Average customer rating:
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Texas Lucky
Manufacturer: Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9993693251 |
Average customer rating:
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Texas Lucky
Manufacturer: Topaz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GSE4P8 |
Customer Reviews:
loved this one.......2004-10-14
warhawk thrilled me and fed my craving for more battlestar. bringing back the classic characters is the way to go (i love them). thanks richard hatch.
five stars.......2004-06-30
Over the past few months I have begun watching the Battlestar Galactica televison program for the first time. I was never much of a science fiction fan and had limited access to televison while growing up. I didn't see the Battlestar Galactica televison series until my husband purchased the complete series on DVD.
I became an instant fan after Saga of a Star World. I then began reading my husbands collection of Battlestar Galactica books by Richard Hatch. Both the books and the series have flaws (what doesn't?), but they also have wonderful characters, heart, imagination, and warmth. There's a special charm to Battlestar Galactica. Watching the episodes and reading the books has been five star experience for me.
EXCELLENT!.......2004-06-08
Hatch and Golden have given Galactica fans a book they will truly appreciate. They've captured the best part of the TV series, continued the magic, and even improved upon it in some cases. Warhawk rocks!
Battlestar on the offensive! Warhawk is a triumph! part 1/2.......2003-09-17
N.B. This review is in 2 parts.
Do not be put off by the uninspiring cover art! The sequel to Armageddon, also written by Hatch & Golden, is indeed a triumph. Hatch not only captures the essence of the original TV series but actually improves on it. I found the writing to be better than Armageddon but this could also be down to the fact that Warkhawk does not have the same number of plot strands and devices as Armageddon, and so the writing and story does seems more linear and structured.
"Warhawk" is a Colonial term refering to a military overlord. The term is indeed a reference to Commander Cain who was a character who appeared in the "living Legend" episode of the TV series, and subsequently was believed to be killed in a battle with Cylons at the end of the episode. However in the story of Warhawk, Apollo leads the Galactica to the planet Poseidon, believing it to be one of the outposts of the fabled 13th tribe. Instead, Poseidon is a planetary fortress of Cain who had surived the confrontation with the Cylons, and since then had joined up with a small lost fleet of ships that had fled the Colonies at the time of the massacre before establishing a base with them on Poseidon. Apollo and his followers are overjoyed at finding Cain but the celebration soon becomes sobered once Cain's ambitions, which are contrary to the Galactican mission of finding the Earth, are finally revealed.
Apollo learns that Cain has turned Poseidon into a vast armaments facility which is in production of a war fleet. There is something of a power clash between Cain and Apollo, as Cain wishes to go on the offensive against the Cylons. Apollo opposes the notion and is shocked to find that Poseidon is under martial law. There are other shocking developments, as it is revealed that Cain is trying to make allies with a mysterious warlike race known as the Chitain, who appear to have an agenda of their own. These developments result in Apollo leading Starbuck and Boomer on a diplomatic mission to the Chitain homeworld, leaving the galactica under the command of Athena.
But unknown to the Colonials, the Imperious leader (a villian which unfortunately was never explored in the TV series, thanks to the studio execs favouring a rather camp Baltar as the series main villain!) is hot on their heels due to receiving their coordinates from the mysterious Count Iblis. All this results in a brilliant and superbly written space battle which will have the reader hanging on for dear life on the edge of every page, as the Galactica finally goes on the offensive (which makes a welcome change from the Galactica trying to simply run from every threat it encounters).
Despite what other readers of said, Warhawk is very well written. Although there is not much action in most of the story, there is a brilliant climatic space battle which makes up for it. There are also new additions to the BSG saga such as new weapons like the viper-duet - a type of viper bomber developed by Cain's military. Also there are new aliens such as the Chitain who are a creepy insectoid/reptillian race, that are equipped with a scorpion-like stingers, and who seem to "glide" on a snake-like trunks. The Chitain certainly make a worthy addition to BSG saga since the TV series, I felt, never showed enough alien races during it's brief run.
The characterisation of Cain is also interesting, he appears to be a much more stern and aggressive character than his TV counterpart. I found this interpretation of Cain much better than the Lloyd Bridges portrayal of the character in the TV series. I felt that Bridges was miscast as Cain as he seemed to be at times merely lampooning general Patton with his overuse of "swagger-stick gesturing", rather than portraying a great Colonial warlord. His Cain appeared more shifty and smug rather than a hardened, fascist officer that the character seemed to be conceived as. But in Warhawk, Hatch does do justice to this concept as Cain appears to be a very militaristic and brave anti-hero among the Colonials. In the novel Cain requests advice from Colonial prisoner Baltar about the reptillian Cylons and their genetic make-up. Cain exudes delight upon hearing from Baltar that the Cylons, despite their cybernetic implants, can indeed feel pain and suffering, and he swears to Baltar & present company that he will make the Cylon race suffer for it's crimes against humanity.
(To be continued in part 2 of the review!)
Battlestar on the offensive! Warhawk is a triumph! part 2/2.......2003-09-17
(Continued from part 1)
With regards to Baltar, Hatch uses a touch of revisionism when it is explained how Baltar managed to be in control of Cylon baseship in the Armageddon novel. Hatch rightfully ignores the final TV episode "Hand of God" where Balter was released by Adama in return for providing him the information about a Cylon baseship that was threatening the Galactica. In Warhawk, Hatch cleverly rewrites Galactica history by explaining that Balter merely escaped from the Colonials by bribing a prison warden before stealing a viper and flying back to the Cylons.
I do think Hatch is doing the BSG saga a service by simply omitting any of its faults from his continuation, but there seems to be an instance where he seems to rewrite some of the revisions which he previously included in the Armageddon novel. I refer of course to his explanation of the Cylons and their make-up. In Armageddon, Hatch correctly explains that the Cylons are organic (which corresponds with the original concept of the Cylons before the studio-execs wrongly interfered and had them re-written as fully mechanical robots for the TV series). But in Warhawk Hatch backtracks a little and pays some lip service to this studio-maligned concept of the Cylons by providing some unneeded exposition explaining that the organic Cylons did create some fully mechanical drones to augment their military near the end of their thousand year war with the Colonials. I feel that Hatch should not have become a "revisionist" about his own revisonism which he created regarding the Cylons. He should have left the explanation of Cylons as being reptillians-cyborgs, period!! Even if it was contrary to any scene in the TV series where the Cylons are referred to as being robots. This awful concept of Cylons being mindless mechanical robots was one which was forced upon the BSG TV saga by the studio-execs, much to the regret of Glen Larson. Even Robert Thurston, in his novel adaptions of the Galactica TV episodes, totally ignored the TV series and continued to refer to the Cylons as being organic. I felt that Hatch should have done this as well.
Another aspect that I didn't like about Warhawk was the revelation regarding Count Iblis :
*****SPOILERS******!! In the Warhawk novel it is revealed that Count Iblis is the Cylon Imperious leader. This totally contradicts the previous novel where Iblis himself explains to Apollo that he had only helped the Cylons in their evolution to being reptillian cyborgs but that he did not interfere in their affairs. It also contradicts the TV series where Iblis did not have any control over the Cylons and their empire. Personally I think that Hatch should have kept the characters of the Imperious Leader and Iblis as separate entities and not have them as being the same person. However I will give Hatch the benefit of the doubt as it could be explained in later novels that Iblis had either taken the form of the Cylon Imperious leader (like he did with ambassador Puck in the Armageddon novel) or had simply possessed the Leader, in order to control the Cylon forces and usethem against the Colonials. *********End of Spoilers!!******
Finally I would recommend Warhawk to any BSG fan, whether they be casual or purist. It is very well written and has great action sequences. It also has a cliffhanger ending of sorts (I won't mention any more about it in this review!) which will surprise the readers and make them even more impatient in their wait for the next brilliant novel.
Alas this novel is another startling example of how the BSG TV saga would have fared in the hands of creative people like Richard Hatch.
Book Description
The history of the Jews of Spain is a remarkable story that begins in the remote past and continues today. For more than a thousand years, Sepharad (the Hebrew word for Spain) was home to a large Jewish community noted for its richness and virtuosity. Summarily expelled in 1492 and forced into exile, their tragedy of expulsion marked the end of one critical phase of their history and the beginning of another. Indeed, in defiance of all logic and expectation, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain became an occasion for renewed creativity. Nor have five hundred years of wandering extinguished the identity of the Sephardic Jews, or diminished the proud memory of the dazzling civilization which they created on Spanish soil.This book is intended to serve as an introduction and scholarly guide to that history.
Customer Reviews:
The best book of Sephardic Jewish History.......2007-10-08
This is a wonderful book. It is well written, objective, and there is a lot of interesting information. I've had this book for several years and I learn something new each time I read it. I've read many books about Sephardic history and it is by far my favorite. It's the book that inspired me to learn more and even study in Israel.
Excellent summary of Sephardic History, well told and well paced........2007-07-29
I knew little of Sephardic Jews, but a trip to Spain prompted me to buy this book. It is a sad, but amazing story and fills me with great respect for these people and their ancestors. Jane Gerber seems pretty objective, but clearly cares deeply for her subject. I found myself wanting to learn more, but fear that other books might be too academic.
An ideal read on the history of the Sephardic Jews.......2007-06-03
I greatly enjoyed Jane Gerber's "The Jews of Spain, A History of the Sephardic Experience." The book provides a historical summary of the Sephardic Jews, starting from their origins in fifth century Spain under the Visigoths and Romans up until the effects of the Holocaust and the establishment of the state of Israel.
From my own perspective as an Ashkenazi Jew who is interested in culture more than religion, I have had a hard time figuring out exactly what "Sephardic" means. Traveling to Amsterdam and Newport, RI, I had seen big synagogues dedicated specifically as "Sephardic", I certainly knew the terms "Ashkenazi" and "Sephardic", but that was about it.
Honestly, I am still a little bit let down in that this book didn't delve more deeply into my question, what was the difference between the two groups?, though Gerber did do a great job of explaining the history behind the Sephards, who they were, where they came from, and how things stand now after the Holocaust and the effects of mass immigrations to Israel.
Given the above, the book provides a fantastic overview of 1500 years of history. I greatly appreciated reading about the era from 800 till 1600, during the "Golden Era" in Andalusian Spain under Muslim rule and the exile. I was also most interested in the Sephardic "situation" today. In both areas, the book was great. Clearly, information on every era of the Sephardic experience could fill a larger book, but Gerber sticks to the larger picture, liberally sprinkling primary source quotes and facts.
One criticism I have is that she idealizes the Sephardic experience under the rule of the Muslims, on one hand telling us how successful and well treated they were, yet on the other hand, we get hints that the Sephards were harassed, relatively uneducated, and living in deprivation. Another book I just started reading paints a much bleaker picture. Additionally, at least the paper back edition omits any biographical information on the author. Who's writing this book????
Regardless, in just under 300 pages of easy and informative reading, I think Gerber does a fine job and would recommend this book to anyone looking for an introductory book on the Sephardic Jews.
Que viva la Ley de Moises..........2006-12-26
I truly enjoyed this historical chronical...I have it by my bedside and re-read it often. The prose is eloquent, fluid, and imaginative. Gerber's account of the Sefardic experiance is a great starting place to further ones intellectual journey into the Sefardic phenomena.
The Sefardic phenomena is likend unto a giant puzzel with many pieces. Each piece must fit and not everyone has all the pieces, so one must search for them diligently. This said, Gerber's account is a good place to begin, it is not totally authorative, but it is well written and informative. Sefarad is a very complex and rich phenomena and the history of it is not fully written. Even profetically speaking, the story is yet to published. That is why the Sefaradim are so important to Israel as a nation (spiritually speaking), but more importantly to the history of the world as we know it and hopefully as we will come to know it. The Prophet Obediah spoke of Sefarad in "those days" terminology. Therefore, we must acknowledge that, The Sefaradim will come to play an important role in Amonay's plan for redemption and restoration in the future. With that said, it benefits us to understand as much as we can concerning this subject and it's people. Mennashe ben Israel understood this and so have others, including today, out of the ashes of persecution a Nation is starting to be formed and restored ( I am not talking about The Zionist State of Israel, either). It is exciting because of the possibilities and at the same time fustrating because of the opposition by certain Tudescos, who oppose G-D and our sages. As Sefaradim, we must look within our ranks for the answers as was the case in 17th Century Amsterdam. My prayer is that we can see a renaissance of Sefardic scholars and Chachamim, who fear G-d and La ley de Moises.
A refreshing, compact look at Sephardic history.......2006-02-13
It has often been difficult for me to keep old textbooks. Oftentimes they're dry as toast and I can't wait to foist them off to the university bookstore again. However, I kept Gerber's book after my Spanish Jewry class ended. Simply put, it's a nice little treasure.
At 300 pages, this is a compact volume. I don't know how Gerber managed to include Roman-era Jewish origins on the Iberian peninsula to Jewish revival in the post-Holocaust era - but she does it, and it never feels like she had to cram anything in. Her writing is fluid (there's no literary jargon, no dry analysis, just tight and concise writing that's a pleasure to read). Moreover, her historical analyses touch on Jewish interactions with both the Muslim and the Christian worlds, from the former's invasion of Spain to its overthrow by Christian rulers and then Jewish persecution under the Inquisition.
In short, Gerber's book is informative and FUN. At the back, there is a map section and an enormous list of further reading, should the reader be interested in delving further into Sephardic history. Highly recommended.
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- Losing the Moon: Byron Katie Dialogues on Non-Duality, Truth and Other Illusions
- Love with Noodles: An Amorous Widower's Tale
- Malvinas: La Ultima Batalla De La Tercera Guerra Mundial/The Last Battle of the Third World War
- Mangaka America: Manga by America's Hottest Artists
- Mating: A Novel
- May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India
- McSweeney's Issue 20 (Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern)
- Memed, My Hawk
- Memento Mori
- Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories
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